First Disney trip

[DexLabDeeDee]

I also want to chime in about the shuttles from the offsite hotels.

They stink.

Sometimes you have to reserve a "time" to go (and that time is rarely accurate, at least in my experience) and then they'll also stop at multiple hotels picking up more and more people. Then they'll stop at various theme parks. Ours always seemed to be the last stop. We tried this for both Disney and Universal and after the second day, threw in the towel and rented a car. What a relief! Now we could go when we wanted and didn't have to worry about potentially missing the bus or taking valuable park time at the multiple stops along the way. Not once were we able to get on a bus and make it for park opening. We got there way later and the lines were already quite long for some of the more popular attractions. Though we did go during Spring Break so you shouldn't have the crowds that we did.

I would also like to note that there are parking fees. Parking is $17 at Walt Disney World. You only have to pay that fee once so if you go to another park, just show them your parking receipt and you won't have to pay for parking again. I believe that SeaWorld parking is also $17 but I'm not 100% sure.

For us, the rental car price and the parking fees were worth it, but it might not be for your family.

I'll also chime in about restaurants. You don't necessarily have to do any sit-down meals. They take up time and can be expensive - however, they could be a good break during the day. Like previous posters said, make an advance dining reservation (ADR) 180 days out from your day at the Magic Kingdom for your peace of mind if you want a sit down meal. Crystal Palace breakfast is really fun.

Note: You will have to reserve with a credit card and you will be charged $10 per person if you don't show or cancel less than 24 hours in advance. There is a bit of a grace period but make sure you allow plenty of time to make your reservation.

Otherwise, Columbia Harbour House (a counter service location, no reservations) is really great. Cosmic Ray's has a lot of variety though it can be loud inside. Pinnocchio Village Haus has pizza. Some people don't like Disney pizza but I personally think it's good. Not fabulous but good.

My vote for FP+ reservations (you can make them 30 days out) is Peter Pan's Flight, Jungle Cruise, and Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid. Perhaps Dumbo, though you'll probably not need the FP as there are two of them now.

I hope you have a great time!!

 

[MeanestMomEver]

I wish you a wonderful trip. Our first trip with children was in 1991 with a 4 year old and a 4 month old. It was great.

If I did that trip again today, here's what I would do differently:

1. Make up an itinerary. It sounds like you are and that's great. We did not back then and I can say, since finding these boards and learning to plan ahead, our trips have been exponentially more fun. It's very helpful to plan in advance where you are going to eat for each meal, even if it's not a sit down, reservation. And stick to that plan so your aren't wondering around, hungry and tired and looking for a short line or something that sounds good.


2. Stay in a Disney value resort instead of off site. Money was our deciding factor (as a young military family unaware of military discounts) but now I know that there isn't that big of a difference when you figure in free airport to resort transportation, all day bus service to all parks, thus no parking fee for driving or putting up with limited hotel shuttle bus times. Continued Disney theme in hotel and pool. The Ariel themed rooms would probably be a big hit with your daughter. Sorry, I know your plans are made already but it really is fun to stay on property and if I had a do-over, I would stay.

3. Plan a sit down, table service meal, with characters if my budget would allow it. First, it's a nice break to be off your feet and out of the heat. And, second, the characters come to you instead of you waiting in line for them. So it's a time saver and a rest for everyone. And the character photos are great to have. The character handler will happily take photos with your phone or camera.

My recommendations in the Magic Kingdom:
Characters: Crystal Palace. Unless money is not an issue, then Cinderella's Royal Table for sure!

Non character meal good food at great price with reservation: The Plaza

We also love Be Our Guest for both counter service lunch and dinner reservations. If your daughter is a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast, it's a must. This place is huge so even if the walk-up lunch line seems long, it moves fast.


4. If I was doing a trip with small children nowadays, I would skip sea world and do more Disney. Granted, personal preference, but my whole family would agree. (I have all girls.). Nowadays, if I had a four year old along, we would do Animal Kingdom or Disney Hollywood Studios, depending on her likes and maybe even both if I had the ability to do three days. In 7 trips, we've only done non-Disney parks once. But then we're just big Disney lovers. Ha. But really, you can go to Sea World in several locations, even Ohio. (Is that still there?)

5. Autograph book! Your 5 year old will love collecting autographs. It doesn't have to be the one sold at the park. Pinterest has many cute ideas for homemade ones. Bring a sharpie.

6. Make sure your daughter sees the movies that have tie ins at the Magic Kingdom. For example, since she's going to ride a Dumbo, it will be way cooler if she's seen the movie. Right?

7. Fast passes I would get for daughter: Peter Pan, 7 Dwarfs mine train if she's tall enough. Dumbo.

8. Must meet Mickey! Line moves faster than you think.

 

[Golden10]

Thanks again to all who replied to my question it has really helped. I have another question regarding Chef Mickeys. We were thinking of going here on one of our "down" days. As I said we are going the first week in October but have been unable to book online,is this normal and are there any tricks to get a table?.thanks.

 

[richmo]

Thanks again to all who replied to my question it has really helped. I have another question regarding Chef Mickeys. We were thinking of going here on one of our "down" days. As I said we are going the first week in October but have been unable to book online,is this normal and are there any tricks to get a table?.thanks.

Best thing to do is occasionally trying again. You could also try calling Disney dining to see if they could hook you up.

Another date to keep in mind is approximately 45 days out...that's when final payment of resort reservations are due. Sometimes there are cancellations then. Actually you should start checking a week or so before that, maybe two.

Finally, as the date gets very close (within a day or two) there can be some cancellations as plans change and people don't want to get nailed with the no-show charge.

 

[Golden10]

Thanks again to everyone who replied. My trip is not too far away now so I am looking for some help regarding transport. Can someone recommend either a very reliable/good taxi service for airport and park trips or a car rental company. Thank you.

 

[txnana]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and I am just looking for some advice for my first Disney Trip. We are taking my 4yr old daughter and 9month old son to Disneyland Florida in October. we are going to 6 days but only plan on going to 2 parks. Magic Kingdom & Sea world. We are staying on I-drive. I was looking to find the best place to buy tickets for these 2 parks(if I can get a discount). What fast pass options should I use in October and do I need to book the park restaurants in advance? Thanks for any replies. Neil

Be sure to read all you can about Disney World. It has 4 parks all uniquely different. If you are saying you only plan to go to the Magic Kingdom part of WDW that could be done in two days, where all 4 parks really require 5 days.

As for Sea World, you would be able to enjoy the animal aspect, but your children are too small for most of the rides at Sea World yet. Do some internet research on what is available at the park for the age groups of your children.

 

[Sparkly]

I think your kids would enjoy 2 days at MK more, or maybe 1 day MK and one AK. You really need 2 days for the Magic Kingdom and it'll probably have the most interest for your 4 year old, especially if she loves princesses.

Seaworld is mostly shows, a few animal exhibits and rides. Quite a few coasters.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I think your kids would enjoy 2 days at MK more, or maybe 1 day MK and one AK. You really need 2 days for the Magic Kingdom and it'll probably have the most interest for your 4 year old, especially if she loves princesses.

Seaworld is mostly shows, a few animal exhibits and rides. Quite a few coasters.

I like this advice. I think with the things you want to do, a second Magic Kingdom day may be in order. At the least, maybe plan for the possibility. Ditto on AK. I do love Sea World & there is plenty to see there, so wouldn't suggest skipping that. Just saying, if you're gonna be in town 6 days, might try to squeeze in more Disney

 

[richmo]

Thanks again to everyone who replied. My trip is not too far away now so I am looking for some help regarding transport. Can someone recommend either a very reliable/good taxi service for airport and park trips or a car rental company. Thank you.

I would strongly recommend you rent a car for your length of stay, assuming you're still staying on International Drive. Many hotels have shuttles to the parks, but you have to be very careful about sticking to their schedule, or you will be doing some fairly expensive taxi riding. Its not like the Disney or Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels where if you miss one bus, another will come in 15 or 20 minutes. Do not rely on hotel shuttles...period.

My recommendation would be to rent a car from an onsite at MCO company. You can check prices on places like Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity, but I would recommend booking at the rental agency's website. Look around for discounts, they can be found on the website, or use group discounts, such as Costco, BJ's, WalMart, AAA, etc.

The onsite "national" agencies most used are Alamo, National, Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Dollar and Budget. (I may have forgotten a couple) I would recommend you go ahead and book something now. You will find that prepay rates are lower, but unless your trip is within a week or so, don't go for it. Typically, rental rates drop anywhere from 2-21 days before you leave and changes can happen fast. Car rentals are more volatile than airline fares. When you book something, you don't have to give credit card or driver's license info..you just secure the reservation with an email address. That means you are free to find better rates right up to the time you leave. As a courtesy, it is best to cancel reservations you're not going to use, but it isn't required.

Finally, there is usually a thread in the Transportation section for the month you are traveling with discount tips, etc. Keep an eye on the end of the thread...you'll be able to see when prices are moving. As I said, usually this is the last 3 weeks before you leave...Good luck!

 

[Golden10]

All good advice regarding the parks but can anyone help with my transport question?thanks.

 

[goofy4tink]

There are many 'good' car services in Orlando. But....you may be better off just using cabs. They are readily available. Using shuttle buses to get around isn't going to work very well...they are not very efficient. So, just get a cab if you find shuttle buses don't work for you. They to stick with the yellow Mears cabs though...they are more trusted in the area.
As far as booking a meal goes... It is very late to be booking the more popular ones. And Chef Mickeys is very popular. Most people book their dining plans 3-6 months prior to their trip.
As far as which FP+s you should get based on your daughters likes...I would try for Peter Pan, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, and maybe a meet and greet with Mickey. Others that would be good would be...Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, The Little Mermaid.

Seriously...get a good guidebook. In your case I would suggest Birnbaums Official Guide to Walt Disney World. It will give you a great overview of the park. I might also recommend not doing SeaWorld, and doing WDW for more than one day. I like SeaWorld, but I just don't think it's terrific for younger kids.

 

[denneg]

We have always rented through Alamo, because I like the ability to just go out to the garage and pick out my car without waiting in line and dealing with a sales pitch. But I know others have had luck with Firefly, which is a fairly new company. I would google them before booking just to see if the positive initial response has changed! I prefer to go with a big chain, so I know what I'm getting, rather than a smaller local vendor. But that's just me.

Depending on the length of your trip, I'd say getting a car would be cheaper and easier than taxis, especially with a baby.

 

[Golden10]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my many queries over the past few months. We had a great time. We used Alamo car rental which turned out great with the "straight to garage" option. We did end up spending our free day going back to MK to finish off as one day really wasn't long enough. We did plenty of the meet and greets and even got FP+ for Anna & Elsa which had a wait time of 150 mins for most of the day. The Seven Dwarfs mine train looked a little scary for my 4 year old so we avoided that but everything else was just brilliant. I would certainly recommend going in October as we had lots of room to get around the whole park.thanks again to everyone.

 

[Larissa]

You said you're going to Disneyland but it sounds like you're going to Disney World, correct?