Family of Seven 1st Trip to DW

[winkers]

DD is feeling much better today!

I haven't so much discussed this trip with my DH yet. Before the cruise, I studied the boards and he heard about it daily. He definitely appreciated all of the research and work I did once we were aboard!

We made it through all of the movies this weekend. The girls will be all prepped!

More planning to come later this week. I need to spend some time on my TourguideMike to see how I want to organize our parks.

Question - do you go get the fast passes right when you get there? or do you pick it up when you are passing the rides in your park rotation?

Thanks!

If it's busy, we pick them up first thing...........since you can only have one set at a time..........

It gets kinda confusing...........what we did at MK this last visit is head for tommorow land at park opening before getting on space mountan, dh got a set of fp's so we were able to ride and then have a time later on. Does that make sense?
It is so important to use them. I never wait for a line that is over 20 minutes long. I'm also a firm believer in getting there for parkopening. It's amazing how much you can do before lunch and the huge crowd that comes around lunch time. You can always go back to the resort to rest awhile and head back in the evening.

 

[5 crazy kids]

Thanks! We plan to be there at rope drop every day. 5 young kids, 6:30am is a blessing. So, park opening should be a breeze. Can I just send DH to pick up FP for all of us?

Last week of school! My kids are tired after the hot, holiday weekend. Now they need to focus on the next 4 days and then can "relax" for the summer. I haven't started a countdown calendar to Disney yet. After summer I will. There are too many other things to look forward to right now and I don't want to distract from the other fun.

Off to work I go...

 

[5 crazy kids]

Adding to the budget...

$1500/resort for week
$1750/WDW 5 day park hopper for 7

still need to solidify food, misc., Sea World, flight, rental car, car park at local airport, pet sitting...

 

[jennobrn01]

I am so glad you are doing a trip report!! There is little to no decent trips reports or info about larger families (not groups) doing WDW. The next time we go we will most likely be a family of 6 with 4 littles under 6.

I was hoping you would say Windsor Hills was your pick! We stayed there in Nov. 06 and just loved it! I think it is the perfect resort for a family! I meticulously timed our trips to the parks from starting the car at WH to turning it off at the park. AK, MGM, and Epcot were no more than 15 minutes (usually 12ish). MK was 40-45 from leaving our WH parking space to walking onto Main St. I think it beats Disney transport. hands down. Especially since you are in the peace and quiet (or kids pitching fits) of your own vehicle.

Tour Guide Mike I also highly recommend. I think you will find it works well with you family size. I like TGM because he teaches you how to tour which we have found applicable in other parks as well.

I will definitely be staying tuned to your report!! All the best in planning.

 

[winkers]

Yes, only one person needs to go get the fp's. He just needs everyone's tickets.

 

[5 crazy kids]

I am so glad you are doing a trip report!! There is little to no decent trips reports or info about larger families (not groups) doing WDW. The next time we go we will most likely be a family of 6 with 4 littles under 6.

I was hoping you would say Windsor Hills was your pick! We stayed there in Nov. 06 and just loved it! I think it is the perfect resort for a family! I meticulously timed our trips to the parks from starting the car at WH to turning it off at the park. AK, MGM, and Epcot were no more than 15 minutes (usually 12ish). MK was 40-45 from leaving our WH parking space to walking onto Main St. I think it beats Disney transport. hands down. Especially since you are in the peace and quiet (or kids pitching fits) of your own vehicle.

Tour Guide Mike I also highly recommend. I think you will find it works well with you family size. I like TGM because he teaches you how to tour which we have found applicable in other parks as well.

I will definitely be staying tuned to your report!! All the best in planning.

Thanks for the encouragement! It is so good to hear from someone who has the kid issues as well as stayed at WH.
I like TGM so far, but haven't learned "how to tour" yet. I have much more reading on his site.
I'm looking forward to doing a post-trip and hope to do tips on travelling with 5 kids. What works/doesn't work at the airport, on the airplane, rental car, rental house, at each park, eating out, etc. I know all families are different, but hearing how others do it is SO helpful!

 

[mom3sonstt]

Also not concerned about having to drive to WDW, as we are close and can easily go park to park via monorail.

Maybe I am mis-reading this - but the only parks connected by monorail are Magic Kingdom and Epcot. There may be buses that you can take to the other parks - that I am not sure about. We don't usually go from one park to another, we usually go back to the rooms first and rest before attacking another park.

 

[estherhead]

So happy you put your link in your signature. It makes it so much better for lazy people like me. I've got a little PTR started also, though I need to add a bit to it as we've made progress since we have to make our ADR's this week.

I only have 3 kids, but my sister has 4 and we are travelling together. We won't do everything together but we will always have 2 adults and at least 3 kids no matter what we do. We are 11 altogether, 4 adults, 7 kids ages (at time of Disney) 11, 8, 8, 6.5, 5, 20 months, 12 months.

We also opted for the Magic Palace, 5 bedrooms. We've stayed at pool houses at WDW before and love them.

I'm gonna keep up with this & you'll be able to read how everything goes for us in November. My sis & I are serious planners too so we'll get along.

 

[estherhead]

Wanted to comment (I forgot in my previous post) that Disney is nice in that most of the rides you will be able to ride with the 3 year old so you won't feel left out so much. In Sept, dh and I discovered that we like splitting up from time to time so one of us could take the big girls to the rides the baby couldn't ride. We did use baby swap, but liked the splitting up better. For example at Epcot, if you baby swap Soarin' it takes FOREVER & I ended up riding Living with the Land 5 times & then dh rode it 5 times. Boring. But at MK we would just split for 2 hours. I went to Philharmagic, Pirates of Carib., and got a Dole Whip with the baby. The big kids & dh went on Splash Mt, Big Thunder, and Space Mt. We all had an absolute blast. Then later I took the big kids & he took the baby. For us, this worked best. Only at AK is it better to just wait as really only Dinosaur & Everest are for big kids only.

 

[Tosha]

Hi!

I , like you, have a family of 7. We are staying at All Star Movies in two connecting rooms. You can read more on our plans, our must do's, what we've bought to take, etc, in my PTR.

And though there isn't alot of talk of big families per se on here, there is alot of tips and essential info that you just have to peice together to work for your family. That's what I did.

Good luck

 

[5 crazy kids]

So, I've lagged in my planning. We had our trip to N. and S. Dakota in September, so I concentrated on that. Now, I've become addicted to running and am working up to a marathon in November, so that has kept me busy. Also, we are in process of adopting two of our kids officially and there have been some glitches, so that has consumed me.
But, I need to keep on this trip too!!!

So, the plan is to buy tickets as soon as SWA comes out with their prices so we can compare. Any opinions on when to buy? That is our next purchase.

We will arrive Sunday around noon, rent our car (opinions?) and then drive to our house in Windsor to settle. I'll run to the grocery store to get our groceries for the week.

We did the pumpkin patch here without a stroller and all of the kids did well. I may not bring one along. I'm going to wait to decide that until a bit closer.

We have to sign up for meals if we are going to do any. There will be 12 of us, so we definitely need to get those booked at the 6 mo. mark.

I have not started my packing list. I just made one for a friend going on the cruise next week, so it got my brain turning in that direction anyway!

I'm still debating on Sea World.

 

[5 crazy kids]

11 days until we leave for Florida and I haven't been on the boards since October!

Plane tickets - we ended up getting tickets out of Kansas City instead of Omaha to save over $1K! So, we have to drive to Kansas City Sunday morning to fly out. That won't be as bad as having to drive home from KC when we get back Saturday.

Rental car - we rented a minivan and I searched to see car seat laws in FL. Looks like I'll bring booster seats for my 3 yr old and 5 yr old (the one who is really small, he could easily pass for 3yr).

I have the suitcases out and am partially packed. My sister embroidered hats for the kids, so they all have matching baseball caps with names such as "Cabin Boy" and "Captain" on the back. I have those and the lanyards, swimsuits, and 5 outfits each packed and ready.

Groceries - we are going to WalMart or Publix. First I see, gets me! I have the grocery list ready. Meals I will be ready for: tacos, grilled cheese, pasta, and chicken and rice. One night they will be with Grandma at her place and they will eat frozen pizza that night.

I mapped the drive from WH to WDW. Doesn't look bad. We'll see actual.

Stroller. Still debating. I really think I'll haul the double just so we have it.

Reservations - none. We ended up not making ANY. We are going to play it by EAR

I really want to do a "tinkerbell gift" or something, but have not done that yet. I am missing some things, like ponchos for AK, so need to go back through my detail list this week.

Woo Hoo!!! We are so excited!

For 3 of the kids, first plane ride. For all, first WDW.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Oooo only 11 more days, lucky you, we have 20 until our first trip to Disney World!!!!!

 

[5 crazy kids]

20 days is soon! We'll just miss you.

A few notes:

We are doing:
Monday - Epcot
Tuesday - MK
Wednesday - HS
Thursday - AK
Friday - MK

I've really liked Tour Guide Mike - I'm glad I did it and I think it will be a big help. I never bought the book though.

I need to measure my kids. It is funny, but I have no clue!!! I have our daily itineraries for each park and just need to know which rides they will have to detour. Because my sister and mom won't be riding, it will be ok to leave the little ones with them as we move through the parks.

Although we didn't do ADR, we are going out Monday night - just the adults and my mom will watch our 5 and my sister's 2.

There was also something about a good dessert at a resort restaurant that we all plan to go eat together - a kitchen sink? That will be after HS.

We are early risers, so we'll be waiting at the gate every morning, but likely will leave before the night festivities.

11 days and much to do!

 

[5 crazy kids]

My good friend went to WDW over spring break. It was their first family trip there and they were so-so on it overall. Crazy!!! She has given me many tips, however, so I have appreciated her experience. One tip was to bring ponchos to AK so we don't get soaked on the water ride there (I'm blanking on the name...)

Last night, as we are outside enjoying the summer-like weather, my neighbors were discussing their WDW experience. They didn't wear ponchos and didn't mind getting so wet.

Aren't opinions great? And frustrating?

Just like on these boards, you really need to decide what relates to you and your family vs. what wouldn't be the same for you.

We will be at the park at rope-drop. That is just who we are. We won't go eat at the ADR restaurants because I don't want to spend the money, haul 5 kids into each place, and I want to go home and relax around the dinner table. We will love it all. Every day. Lines or no lines. Grumpy CMs or not. Rides or shows that are shut down. We will just appreciate it and love it.

I love the opinions, search the boards, have TourGuide Mike - yet, they are opinions and it all comes down to a grain of salt.

10 days until we are in Mickey's town!!!

 

[5 crazy kids]

5 suitcases, a double stroller, and 2 car seats. 5 backpacks, a computer bag, and a "mom" bag.

That is what we are hauling across the country.

Oh yeah, and 2 adults and 5 children. This could be quite the adventure. I am trying to wrap my brain around HOW we are going to haul everything from the car to the airport, from the airport to the rental car and back again.

I have all of the clothes packed. Guess it is good that it is COLD here in Nebraska (high of 55 today), so I could pack all of our summer clothes for the trip. I still need to finish up on the non-clothes items, but some of that will be the night before.

We have, of course, a horribly busy week. Vacation will be NEEDED after this week!

 

[5 crazy kids]

I'm winding down after day 2. So far:

We left the house at 7am on Sunday. Smooth drive to KC and arrived early, so we ate at Cracker Barrel and then headed to the airport. We flew AirTran and it was early, which was nice. However, it was dirty! The tray tables and seats had crumbs all over them. No big deal, just an observation.

Arrived in Orlando and headed to get luggage and the rental car. We rented Alamo and there was a LONG line. Once we finally got the paperwork - make sure you use the computer kiosk - much faster!! - we headed to pick the car. Tips here - check the doors and turn it on. The first one we picked had a door that didn't open all the way. The one we picked has the oil change light on. Otherwise, Alamo is fine and we like the Dodge minivan we ended up with.

The drive was quick from the airport to Windsor Hills. Nice neighborhood. Easy to find the Magic Palace - it is on the main drag. Literally a couple of houses away from the park and 3 blocks from the clubhouse/pool. The house is clean and nice. Built cheaply and cookie-cutter, but huge and comfortable.

Good things so far about the house - size, space, WARM pool (I like it and the kids like it, my husband would prefer it much cooler for after a hot day at the parks!), we have everything we need, game room is great, laundry is SO nice to have!!!!!!!, close to the parks - really! - , lots of bathrooms, very very comfortable.

Side notes - ironing board is broken, airhockey isn't 100%, but works, there are a few things missing in the kitchen for me (more than 1 cookie sheet would be nice, a couple of pieces of tupperware would help), beach towels would be nicer than the bath towels.

The house temp is great. The wireless works - see!!??

Parks:::::::

Day one: Epcot. We drove in and parked really close. 10 min door to door. We did will-call for tickets. I'm glad we did. They gave us all buttons for 1st time visitors and my daughter's birthday this month. We followed TGM's advice for our itinerary and it was perfect. Lots of FP and no waiting!!! We did sack lunches and snacks. Didn't buy a thing at the park. The CocaCola shop has free pop samples!

Day two: MK. We drove and didn't park nearly as close. Long walk to the gate. Oh, and we didn't know you had to walk that far and then get on a ferry or monorail. The kids liked the ferry though. Also did sack lunches and mostly followed TGM again. We accomplished so much for one day!!

Home tonight, to the neighborhood pool, back to the house pool, then dinner here and finishing with the kids playing in the game room until bed.

I am running a load of laundry every night. Packing my bag for the next day and starting the lunches the night before.

We are trading pins and the kids love it. All kids are wearing red hats. It has helped at the parks so far.

Tomorrow is AK. We are driving to Beach club where the rest of the fam is staying and taking the bus with them.

 

[5 crazy kids]

So, the biggest tip I have for today - skip Primeval Whirl. Waste of time and jerky ride.

Next tip, strategically park strollers where you will be leaving rides, not starting rides.

TGM has been helpful to a degree. Not something to 100% count on. There were no FP available for Bug, PW, or Kali today, so that threw us out of whack a bit. Tomorrow we aren't using TGM because there are new things at HS this year that I haven't been able to find on there.

We parked at the resort and rode along with my sister and family on the Disney bus to AK today. That was fine, but it was a harder day today. More walking and less exciting rides. I LOVED Everest though. And Dinosaur was really good. So, if I were to go back without 12 people, I'd ride those two over and over.

New stuff at HS is HSM3, Narnia, Toy Story, and Playhouse Disney- all things my kids will love. So, we are adding those in to our pre-made schedule and I'll update with how they were.

As for off-site... we forgot to get trash bags. Don't forget those! We have done all breakfasts at home, made lunches every day, and the kids have not eaten out at all. My mom had the kids for frozen pizzas one night while the 4 parents went to the Boardwalk and ate at a "brewery." It was good. Sorry, I can't remember the name - anyone?? We had a salad and the sirloin and shrimp. All good. Also, we started with nachos. Nothing special, but fine.

Oh, we did go to a little ice cream shop right next to Beach Club today. We ordered the "kitchen sink," which is 8 scoops of ice cream, all the toppings, and an entire can of whipped cream. It was a surprise from grandma to the grandkids. They loved it. Ate all of it.

Tonight, home, in the pool, whipped up dinner, and just hung a bit. I have done laundry every night. Very nice!!! It rocks having it right here and always having a change of clothes. Esp. since somehow I missed packing a few pairs of shorts for the kids!!

We have been bringing water to the parks - freezing it and hauling it. Works well.

The stroller has been good. Really good, actually. The 3 and 5 year old boys are needing it and it is a great place to leave lunch and the backpack while we go on rides. I leave everything on it.

Kali - I wore a poncho and needed it. Then we gave the ponchos away.

Fast passes - we've been getting enough for all of us and then giving away any extras if someone is not riding (grandma or the little ones).

That is all for today.

Tomorrow - HS. Dining at home for dinner again.

 

[5 crazy kids]

So, Monday was Epcot, Tuesday MK, Wednesday AK, Thurs HS, Friday MK.
Epcot - we really enjoyed it. I was worried with all of the young kids, but they loved Soarin' and Test Track. I wish we had been able to get around the World Showcase. There just wasn't time.
MK - Space Mountain was closed. We loved Splash Mountain and Big Mountain - rode each of them several times both days. We did get to most of the other rides, but none compared to those two. We ate counter service lunch there today. That was the only meal we ate at the parks.
AK - LOVED Everest and Dinosaur. Primeval sucked. Kali was a disappointment for us.
HS - LOVED Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. Went to Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Jedi training, and maybe more? Our least favorite day by far, but those two rides really were great.

We brought the double stroller every day. It was kind of a pain, but also worth having with us. We brought frozen waters every day and just refilled and refroze and threw them in the backpack each morning. Refilled with water fountains at the parks each day. We brought lunch every day except today, lots of snacks, and gum.

We did not do characters much. If there was little to no line, we stopped. So, my autograph book (decided to just do one) didn't get signed much at all. However, we ended up having the characters sign the kids' hats in Sharpie. They are so cool!!

The house has been great. I can't imagine doing it any other way! We enjoyed being able to fix dinner while the kids swam, hang out by the pool and RELAX, and separate the kids for bedtime. The game room was a nice break for the kids.

We would do it mostly the same if we came back. I would really have to think about anything I would change.