Explain Disney to me, please!

[lolobug]

Although it may not appear to be related, I need to ask...............
-How long will your visit be?
-Do you think you will take a relaxed approach to the parks or will you guys be in the "I'm excited mode" and want to do lots and lots of things?
-Are you guys early risers?
-What month is your visit?

The answers will help others make suggestions.

You guys will have a great time regardless of where you stay, but there is something special about staying on property................even if its at a value resort!

Hi!
We are planning on Jan 22-29. We are most likely going to be up and moving by 9am. We will take a leisure approach to the parks but also want to see downtown disney. Thank you!

 

[sharadoc]

Hi. My main question would be are you okay all staying in one room? Does the 5 year old like swimming and would want to be in the pool at the resort? I would recommend a nice moderate, maybe the Port Orleans Riverside. Or if you really want to feel completely Disney the entire time, try All-Star Music, there's giant Disney movie icons everywhere and it's just SO magical for the little ones.

I don't know where you live so I can't make a direct comparison, but someone else mentioned Disney World is bigger than Manhattan. It's a huge area, it's not neighborhoods, but small towns that are connected by highways. And everyplace feels different! When we walk into each park, we are in a completely different frame of mind. But they are all great.

The main advice I always give is to buy books and read and absorb it all slowly. The internet is the worst place to try and figure it out - you'll see little snippets vs. chapters in a book with full info. Then come back here for specific advice, and remember to mention the gist of your question in the thread title. If you put in something like "Magic Kingdom questions", you won't get as many clicks as if you give us a hint of what you're asking. I usually skip those generic titles LOL.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We have been to Disney several times and I do believe that staying on site the very first visit is a wise move. Mainly because the property is enormous and using the Disney Transportation makes it so easy to get around. This takes a lot of stress off of you on your first trip.

Having said that, Bonnet Creek is truly on Disney Property. It's right next door to Caribbean Beach Resort. I love the location and I was planning to stay there myself, but we booked this next trip with free dining. I couldnt pass that up. They do have transportation, but its not like Disney's and I heard (may not be true) that they are now charging $5.00 a person for this.

Staying on site at a deluxe resort is very expensive, and IMO not worth it to us because we are not in the room much. We had rather stay at a Moderate resort, and Port Orleans Riverside is our favorite. We have stayed at a value a couple of times and believe it or not, they are actually not bad AND most kids love the over the top theming.

I really dont think you could go wrong at any Disney Resort. They are all very nice. I would suggest requesting a preferred room close to the food court though. That is really worth the money, especially when traveling with kids.

Have fun planning!!

 

[buzznina]

When DW and I were planning our first trip years ago with our 1st DD. A lot of posts sounded like this "Have to stay on the rail, it is so worth it" etc. We decided to pick the POLY, I still remember my knees buckling when I heard the total cost We had a great time but after the trip, for us, it really was not the giant hassle that posters mentioned using the buses with a stroller. The rail is great when working and not crowded, but when crowded it's like being in a stampede. Since then, we have stayed at all 3 levels of disney resorts and can honestly say, we had a great time at each. "Worth" is so different for everyone, for us the convenience of saving 20 minutes here or there does not equal the $200+ more per night (thats with a discount) to stay on the monorail resorts. I would recommend staying onsite over offsite and would look at WL if wanting a deluxe near MK.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We faced the same choices for our first trip, even though it was without kids. We ended up going with Wilderness Lodge because we wanted it to be special (our honeymoon) but not break the bank. Since then we went back to WL with our 2 year old and it worked great. What we do is book a Standard View room which saves quite a bit, and often the view is great at that resort. We also don't spend a whole lot of time in the room, but it is nice to have somewhere special to go back to. The location is beautiful and it feels secluded, but is very close to MK.

Disney has a huge spectrum of options onsite, and each level gets you something extra, but costs a little more. Despite how much you will read online about how something is "terrible" or something else is "a necessity" it really will come down to what you prefer and decide to pay for. Values are very nice, and still have that Disney customer service that makes it special. Upgrading to a Moderate gets you Queen size beds at most resorts, pools with slides, and more theming options. Upgrading to a deluxe gets you interior hallways and better locations relative to the theme parks, and usually this means alternative options for transportation besides the buses. Even within a certain class of resort there are higher and lower priced ones. View and room location within the resort can affect cost substantially as well, and then there's Club Level which gets you extra amenities for extra $$$.

Like others have mentioned, WDW is huge. It amazes me that you can get on a Disney bus and travel at freeway speeds for some time before reaching the next resort or theme park. I like the analogy comparing them to separate cities separated by highways. There is a different feel to each place. For us, one huge advantage of staying onsite is completely relying on Disney Transportation. We don't have to spend any time thinking about what's where, we just get on the appropriate Disney bus (or boat or monorail) to go where we want. Others prefer driving, but for us part of the Disney immersion is being able to migrate between resorts and theme parks without worrying about where we left the car.

We do read the Birnbaum books and others before our trips to help get a feel for everything, and that helps put the info we get online in perspective. Most of all enjoy your trip and consider the planning part of the fun!

 

[Missytara]

I have to agree for what it is "worth" - no pun intended.

I cringe when I read posts that ask "is it worth it?" I think people should ask would you suggest on my budget, with this age kids, with our vacation style, etc. - might this work for us.

It is like asking what is the cheapest resort or is it warm enough to swim in the pool in November? It means something different to everyone.

I tend to gravitate towards posts that state we have budgeted X dollars or we live in a northern climate.....what do you think?

 

[lolobug]

Thank you everyone! I read ALL your comments/suggestions. I'm overly concerned about the transportation, I think. I probably do not need to be. We are traveling in January, so I'm hoping its not mobbed , anyways.
I'm going to reevaluate. Thank you!

 

[Julylady]

I agree with the PP who said that going to the parks 2-3 times per day is not realistic. You would spend so much time traveling back and forth that you wouldn't have time to do anything fun! That being said.....we usually take an afternoon break. Some people nap, others swim, others just play quietly in the room. It typically takes about 30 minutes to get back to the resort. We spend 1 to 1.5 hours relaxing, and then another 30 minutes to get back to a park. We normally spend the night at a different park than where we started since we always get park hoppers. In January, the parks might close pretty early. In those cases we usually get there at rope drop and then stay until about 5pm. We then go back to the resort and stay there for the evening.

We have stayed both off site and on site and both are fine. Some considerations would be:
1. Will you have a car? I would NOT stay off site without a car. The transportation provided by off site resorts takes longer since they often drop off at all 4 resorts. Also, they drop you off way out in the parking lot and you have a LONG walk to the front of the resort.

2. What are your sleeping patterns? If you plan to return to the resort so that the baby can nap, and if he/she is a light sleeper, your options are pretty limited if you are all in one room. For that reason alone, I might choose a one-bedroom unit at Bonnet Creek. If you are co-sleepers or the adults also plan to nap, no problem in being all in one room.

3. What are your eating patterns? You need to think about what types of meals you plan to eat. We don't have the budget or the time to eat in table service restaurants 2-3 times per day. And.....my family tires easily of the counter service options at Disney. So, it works best for us to stay in either a DVC unit or an off-site unit with a kitchen. I typically fix 4-5 meals over a week. I don't mind cooking. It saves us money and the whole group eats a little healthier. We typically take a break late afternoon. We then eat at the condo about 5pm just prior to returning to the park. We oftern finish the night with popcorn, ice cream, etc. from a cart in the park. Some friends of mine always stay at a moderate resort since they like having a food court with a wide variety of options right at their hotel. They usually stay at Port Orleans - French Quarter. One trip they stayed at Beach Club and didn't like it because the fast food options were limited in their eyes.

4. How much tolerance do you have for waiting for transportation? Many resorts require you to take bus transportation everywhere you go. You may often wait up to 30 minutes for the bus to arrive and might have to stand up on the bus. Some people (my brother!) have zero tolerance for either of these situations. If you think you are one of those people, plan to stay at a deluxe resort where you can walk/monorail/boat to at least one of the parks.

When all is said and done......for a first time trip I would recommend looking at Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary. Just my two cents.

 

[boundfordisney]

onsite is best in my opinion, we are bringing my stepson and his family on our next trip, they have 2 children who will be 2 and turning 1 during the trip, this is a first visit for them but a 10th visit at least for dh and I. This trip we have booked cbr and Im sure there wont be any problems in staying here with the little ones as we ahve stayed there quite a few times and love it. We have also stayed at the poly , yacht club and okw so I know the differences between each resort. Since we are paying for their trip cost was an issue and deceided to go with a moderate to save some money. We really love cbr and would recommend you checking it out , it could work out for you!

 

[BringingUpDisney]

We love the Poly. My DD will be 3 when we go next trip and we are doing a split stay Poly/BC. We almost always go back to the resort in the afternoon. We either have lunch in the park and return or go back to the resort for lunch and rest. It really keeps DD from having any meltdowns!

 

[lolobug]

We love the Poly. My DD will be 3 when we go next trip and we are doing a split stay Poly/BC. We almost always go back to the resort in the afternoon. We either have lunch in the park and return or go back to the resort for lunch and rest. It really keeps DD from having any meltdowns!

What is BC? Thanks!

 

[Suzanne033]

Beach Club

 

[lolobug]

Beach Club

Thank you!

 

[flamark]

January 8-12 is WDW marathon weekend and it tends to be very crowded that weekend and as importantly hotel discounts are harder to find for that weekend. As far as a resort selection the advice contained in this thread so far is stellar as usual. I have been coming to WDW since 1997 with my own family and although at times budget has demanded staying off property, the magic isn't the same. On property all the resorts have the magical feeling that we all love. If your budget can only handle a value resort and your kids are fans of the newer films then Art of Animation can't be beat with its over the top theming. The All Star resorts and POP are nice as well. You had mentioned WL and we absolutely love it! Everything about it is tremendous. Wherever you pick, you will have a great time.

 

[Countryrunner262]

Must stay on site.... must stay on site....

once you do.. you will understand why...

Agree 100%!!

 

[cheesemouse]

If you want the ultimate in ease of transportation to the MK, then stay at the Contemporary. The garden wing rooms are cheaper than the Poly and you simply can NOT beat having a walkway to the MK. It's 10 minutes. So easy, no need to wait for a bus, boat, or monorail. And, on the way home, you can take the monorail and the Contemporary is the 1st stop so you are home very quickly. It makes it so easy to go back to the room for a nap or rest time in the afternoon, allowing the little ones to last for evening entertainment at the parks.

 

[clapton]

On-site is definitely the way to go, especially if it's your first time. WL is a beautiful resort and it has access to MK by boat or bus. You can also take a boat to the CR and hop on the monorail as well. Disney is huge and there is so much to do, make sure you plan ahead on what you want to do and also take time to enjoy your resort wherever you stay. Have a great time!

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

Must stay on site.... must stay on site....

once you do.. you will understand why...

I totally agree with this statement !

 

[Sue M]

There is too much to explain about WDW. I would suggest you get a guide book, WDW The Unofficial Guide is a good one. In addition to this web site, there are 2 other very useful ones, Mousesavers.com and Allears.net so do some research, it will give you a better idea of the lay of the land

I would stay on site. Benefits are airport transportation, extra magic hours, parcel delivery, continuous transportation, plus that Disney Magic!

Staying off site, even Bonnet Creek, I'd rent a car. No airport transportation, and park transportation isn't as good or frequent. You are also dropped off at the offsite bus stops, further away from park entrance then the Disney bus stops.

We take an afternoon break, get to a park at opening, then after lunch, mid day go back to our resort for a break, swim, hot tub, whatever. Then go back to a park late afternoon, early evening. Taking 3 breaks a day really won't work. Not sure why you are wanting this? You will spend more time going back & forth then you will at the parks.

Good luck & happy planning .

 

[bdink921]

I would definitely rent a car if staying at Bonnet Creek. It does look like an amazing place and we considered it but for WDW we just love the Disney resorts. We have no problem sharing a room, we usually have to on most of our vacations. One of the best things about on-site for us is that the transportation allows us to split up easily if someone wants to go back to the resort or wants to sleep in (usually my DH ). With kids as young as yours, I would definitely stay near MK if it fits the budget. Sometimes what you save in money you end up paying for with aggravation, we learned that one the hard way with our only off site trip. Beautiful condo but worst vacation EVER!!

If a deluxe is in your budget, any of the MK resorts are a great choice. The walk from Contemporary is nice, the monorail from Poly/GF is AWESOME!! WL has the boat so you have options. Good luck with your decision. Have a great vacay!!