First Disney trip

[Golden10]

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

 

[DisneyHardin]

I don't know about Sea World, but for Disney, there are no discounts to be had on a single day ticket.

 

[claryche]

The best way to save money that I have found at Disney is to only do Disney. The more days of tickets that you buy the cheaper each day is. Now I'm not certain on my numbers, but I'm pretty sure that 6 days of Disney tickets, would be cheaper than 2 days of Disney and 2 days of Sea World. So why not just do all 6 days at Disney. Just a thought. Of course I say that based on the fact that we will be taking our son for his 9th trip this fall and we have yet to go to Sea World. I want to wait until he is tall enough for the rides. And I think he is getting close if not already there, so maybe soon.

As far as fastpasses, it depends on what rides you guys want to ride. There is a great thread on here, which I'm sure someone can post that talks about which rides are worthy of your fastpass+. But the main thing is just which rides you guys want to ride.

Yes table services meals need to be made 180 days in advance. We are going in November and have already booked our table service meals. The good ones feel up quickly. I booked mine the first day and there are still some that I weren't able to get. So if you haven't done that yet, get busy.

 

[lroger01]

As the previous poster said, there are no one-day discounted tickets to Disney World's Magic Kingdom park.

You can purchase your ticket in advance from the Disney World web site and have it either mailed to you or you can pick them up at will call when you get there. Either way, you will be able to make Fast Pass plus (FP+) reservations 30 days beforehand. You'll need to sign up for My Disney Experience first and link your ticket number (either the number on the ticket or the one in your will call confirmation email) to it first.

As for which FP+ to pick, that depends on what you want to do most. I suggest you read over all the attractions, parades and shows and get a solid idea of what is there. Then post a message with the 10 things you most want to see. We can then help you prioritize your day and determine FP+ priorities.

As for Sea World, someone else will be by shortly with that info. I've never been to the Orlando park.

 

[RllngRckBrw]

As mentioned the longer u stay the better your disney value is. (Of course this info comes from a fan site tho.) with regard to dining reservations you can make reservations 180 days in advance and it is advisable if you are planning on wanting sit down meals that you book ASAP. Also don't forget fast passes (I am not sure what the window is for off site guests but on sight is at 60 days) when it comes to disney, read up. The more familiar you can become with the procedures of the park the better. At a bare minimum formulate a plan of the rides you must do and gain an understanding of how to use fast passes and early mornings to your advantage for the most popular attractions. Also check out the boards (Seaworld, etc) for other places you wish to visit while in Orlando for tips.

 

[Networth]

Personally if it was just my first time visiting Disney World I would not leave Disney. Their is plenty to do it's more cost effective and easier to just do Disney on this trip. Not to mention it being your first time their is so much to possibly see and do to the point you will probably feel overwhelmed. Are you planning on staying onsite( at a Disney Resort) or off site?

Some advice about FP read about the rides and shows prior to your 30/60 window so you have some idea what you and your families priorities will be.

 

[louis11]

I was looking to find the best place to buy tickets for these 2 parks(if I can get a discount).

Any chance you or someone you are going with is military? You can get tax free tickets at Shades of Green!

 

[swedie]

Originally Posted by Golden10 View Post
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
Welcome to disboards! Get busy checking out the different threads here on the boards. It is a wealth of information, and I've found any questions you may have, there is always someone here that will have an answer (or two, or three) as there are so many opinions on things, one will be sure to suit you.

As for tickets, sign up for the "mousesavers" dot com monthly newsletter. They e-mail it to you once a month, generally the 15th - Do it now so you can get the link to UndercoverTourist dot com's site. They have trusted discount tix to all of Orlando's attractions. There generally isn't a discount for WDW for less than 3 day tix. You can check out what the different prices are now, but wait until you get the "link" from your mousesaver monthly newletter, where you will save even more $$. The more days on a tix, the more you save (minimum 3 day tix for a savings of a couple of $). They also have Sea World listed on there.

Other places to check out: Right here on the boards you can look at Mesaboy2's thread on fast passes: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3143281
Also check out the website from "Josh" easywdw dot com He has a wonderful website (one of the easier ones to search) listing crowd calendars, best days for each park, with dates listed, touring plans, etc.

You can also go to your public library and see if they have the book "Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld", also a wealth of information.

There are so many places to find information, how much research you are willing to put into it is up to you. You will feel like a Disney Pro before you even step foot into the parks if you take the time to research.

Good luck and have a "magical trip"!

 

[richmo]

A few comments:

- I agree with others that you should get a book to familiarize yourself with Disney before you go. The good news is that in October, crowd levels are generally pretty low, so there is no need to get over-involved with touring strategies, etc. (Columbus Day weekend might be an exception).
- What wasn't clear to me is if you are going to Magic Kingdom for multiple days or whether you plan 2 park days..one at Sea World and one at Magic Kingdom. If you are doing several days at Magic Kingdom, I would encourage you to visit some of the other Disney parks as well. I know my kids enjoyed Epcot very much when they were young...little things like watching the Chinese acrobats, making masks at the Kidcot stations, etc.
- As another poster mentioned, economically going to two different park "vendors" in the same trip is expensive. The media loves to harp on the fact that if you go to Disney for one day it is over $100 a ticket, yet fail to mention that if you go for 4 or 5 it goes to somewhere in the $40-$50 range per day.
- Unfortunately there is no combo ticket for Disney and Sea World. Disney has combos with no one. Sea World and Universal has (or had) a combination that I think was called Orlando FlexTicket. Not sure if that still exists.
- If you are staying on I-Drive, I assume you will be renting a car. If you're not planning on doing that, I would encourage you to. Some of the hotels have shuttles, but especially with young kids, its not easy being tied to the shuttle schedule.
- If you do rent a car, check rates frequently and do not prepay. You will find that usually rental car rates are best between 2 and 14 days before your departure date. Note I used the word "usually". There are exceptions.
- Agree with an earlier poster about checking out Mousesavers for discounts. You may also want to get a free visit Orlando card...might still be called Magiccard. You may find offsite discounts, etc.

 

[Golden10]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my post. There is so much information to take in. Just to clear a few things up.
We are only planning on going to Magic Kingdom for 1 day and Seaworld for 1 day. My Daughter is 4 and I think this will be enough for her,my son is 9 months so won't even know he is there. We are staying on I- drive but hadn't planned on renting a car as we thought the shuttle buses would be sufficient. Can someone recommend a restaurant in the park please and I suppose as I am going in October I should try and reserve a table now??

 

[lanejudy]

Are you interested in a character meal (where a few characters make rounds visiting each of the tables)? There are all-you-can-eat buffets and order-off-the-menu table service (TS) restaurants. Reservations are highly recommended for any of these options, though in early October you *may* find walk-up availability especially at off-peak times.

Other options include what's referred to as counter-service (CS), but not just your typical McDonald's fast food. Reservations are not required (or available) for CS.

I'd suggest you check out menus to see what your family might like. There's a link near the top of this website...click "Dining" and then "Menus" -- and www.allears.net also has fairly up-to-date menus. Character dining is great, but can be expensive. Table service meals at WDW also tend to be pricey. Ok, most dining isn't exactly cheap. With a 4-yr-old and 9-mo-old and going to the Magic Kingdom -- my first choice might be a character breakfast at the Crystal Palace, with Winnie-the-Pooh and friends (usually Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore); schedule it for late morning and it can be brunch. But there are several options. If you don't mind leaving the park to go to a nearby resort, Chef Mickey at the Contemporary Resort would be another hit for the kids.

My family typically eats mainly CS meals, with just a couple of TS during a 1-week visit. So don't feel you HAVE to do expensive table service. You can/will see characters throughout the park. Also, it is possible to bring food into the park -- be that snacks or a picnic lunch (no coolers).

Someone else will have to chime in regarding Sea World...

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[lam0037]

Yes I would book ASAP, as I booked a month ago for our December trip. CRT will be hard to get now, but it is a meal in the castle with the princesses. However it is kinda expensive. The other character meal is crystal palace which is buffet with pooh and friends. It's one of our favorites. Liberty tree tavern has good lunch as well.

Unless you think you will need a break from park time to sit an eat, I would so a counter service to save time since you will be there only one day.

There are links to menus here on the dis and on all ears.net. Look at menus and see what works best for your family!

 

[BrianL]

If you are staying on I-Drive, not on Disney property, the shuttle busses might be very difficult. I know a lot of those hotels don't run that frequently, and leaving for an afternoon break might be difficult (should you need that type of thing).

For MK, I highly recommend Be Our Guest, though getting a reservation can be tough, plus it's on the expensive side. You can meet the Beast there and the (French) food was amazing when I went in May.

Otherwise, I pretty much alsways do counter service in MK, which saves time and money. You might could do Be Our Guest for lunch, where it is treated as a counter service, but the line can be long, plus no Beast.

 

[MommaBerd]

I'd like to offer some thoughts on Sea World, but keep in mind I have all boys.
If you think your daughter would like to ride the rides, be sure to check out the height requirements. When we went about 5 years ago, I remember my then 4 y.o., and maybe even my 6 y.o., being disappointed that they could not ride many of the rides. Additionally, does your daughter *love* animals and enjoy going to zoos and aquariums? Because it is basically those things on steroids. The shows are long for little kids (I think they are like 30 minutes), especially when you factor in having to get into the show theaters early in time to get good seats. When they were little, my boys lost interest very quickly. But again, they are boys.

I am not trying to "hate" on Sea World. We went this past Fall with the whole crew and we had fun. But they are all much older, too.

I just know that back when they were little I thought they would really enjoy Sea World, but in reality, it didn't pan out. We would have been better off doing Magic Kingdom, or even much better for them - LEGOLAND!

Just some things to think about...you know your family best!

 

[tndisney5]

All my friends who've visited in Oct. love it. MK has so much to see and do. I would imagine with a 4yo girl you will spend a lot of time in Fantasyland.

You can eat at counter service restaurants if you'd like, but if you want a good sit down meal at a great out of pocket price I would book a reservation for Plaza Restaurant. Great food, right across from the castle with great views of MK (people watching!), and you'll be comfy in the AC

Here is a review of Plaza if that is helpful: http://sharpmoms.com/2013/06/wdw-magic-kindgoms-best-table-service-restaurant-plaza-restaurant/

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

As far as food at Seaworld goes they have an all day dine deal - for one price you can eat all day. I found it good value if I was eating three meals - they do serve breakfast there. For all day dining you can go through the line as many times as you want - each time through you can get an entree, side or dessert and drink. It was great to just get extra water and fruit - they have lovely strawberries and chocolate sauce.

Seaworld's special offers are listed on their website.

If I'm not staying onsite at Disney World, I like the I drive south area for hotels - Seaworld area is fairly relaxing and quiet IMO.

Have a great trip!

 

[Golden10]

Thanks again for all who applied this information is invaluable. As I said my little girl is 4 and loves princesses,I don't think we will get to see Anna & Elsa but I am just wondering what rides should I use my fast passes on. Will the kiddies rides be that busy in October?thanks.

 

[tndisney5]

If younger style attractions are on your list I would use a FP for Peter Pan. We have been in Feb during low crowds and Dec in max crowds and the wait is always 45-90min. The FP during our last visit in Feb really saved us from a long wait.

If Anna and Elsa are on your list of must dos keep checking for FP openings. We just booked our trip after the 4th for next week and got FP for A&E early one morning last week. It is worth it to keep checking!

 

[Nan P]

The new Festival of Fantasy parade is at 3 pm daily at Magic Kingdom. There are floats featuring lots of princesses and Anna & Elsa. You can watch the parade on youtube to get an idea of what it's like, but seeing it in person is AMAZING. There is a fast pass for the parade, but you could easily get a spot on the parade route without one. At least your daughter would see princess and wave hello to them.

 

[glassslippergirl]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my post. There is so much information to take in. Just to clear a few things up. We are only planning on going to Magic Kingdom for 1 day and Seaworld for 1 day. My Daughter is 4 and I think this will be enough for her,my son is 9 months so won't even know he is there. We are staying on I- drive but hadn't planned on renting a car as we thought the shuttle buses would be sufficient. Can someone recommend a restaurant in the park please and I suppose as I am going in October I should try and reserve a table now??

I'm going to echo the suggestions of others that you sign up for the Mousesavers newsletter and use the Undercover Tourist link for tickets. I just checked their current rates. You can get a weekday pass to Seaworld 1 day for $67 and change. That seems like a good deal. If you're interested in a water park, there's a $37 deal for Sea World's Aquatica. (I'd jump on these; they seemed limited time.). You can also get three days at WDW for $287 and change (a little less for child-- your 4-year-old will need a ticket, not the 9-month-old. As others have mentioned, the President of the United States probably couldn't negotiate a discount on a one-day WDW ticket. Still, I would buy my ticket from WDW ASAP so that I could schedule FPs 30 days out. You can't schedule FPs if you don't have tickets linked to you My Disney Experience account.

I don't know your children and what they can handle, but be advised that Magic Kingdom (which is just one of four WDW parks) is huge-- you could probably spend a whole day on just Fantasyland as a first timer with two kids. Know that you can upgrade your one day ticket to a three day at the guest relations offices at the park. You would just pay the difference. You won't get the Undercover Tourist discount, but that's just $2 on a 3-day pass.

As for your 9-month-old, he will probably be more aware than you think. We took our son at 10 months, and he loved it. The carousel, Mad Tea Party, Many Adventures if Winnie the Pooh, the water play area in Storybook Circus-- he loved them all. Dumbo was his absolute favorite. He also loved pulling himself up on the many rails around the park. I kind of think our WDW trip helped him become an early walker. Check the Disney for families thread in Disboards for more info. My best recommendation is to use the baby center (just off Main Street, labeled on all park maps) liberally. They have great, clean changing tables (better than those in bathrooms), a child's toilet for your 4-year-old, high chairs, a place to heat food and mix formula, and a nursing room.

I'd recommend using one of your non-park days for a character meal. Choose one in a WDW resort, like 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian or Cape May Cafe at Beach Club. Character meals can take up to 2 hours, so I would not waste limited park time.

I got to say, I don't think shuttles from I – Drive will be sufficient. The hotels make them seem like they are the solution to your transportation needs, but in reality, the times are very limited. Renting a car will give you flexibility and will allow you to do a lot more with your vacation. Plan to spend some time at downtown Disney, which does not require an admission ticket, and has a lot to do. You can explore Fort Wilderness in Disney World, which has a lot of activities for children like hayrides, an awesome playground, horseback riding, etc. you can even ride the resort monorail, which stops at three Disney hotels and explore the hotels.

My last piece of advice is to download and start exploring the My Disney Experience app. All of the rides, restaurants, and a lot of other park information is there. You can make your restaurant reservations there. You can also schedule your fast passes there. If you don't get the fast passes you want the first time you try, keep trying. I was able to snag and Anna and Elsa fast pass the day we were in the park in May. Also, I wouldn't recommend scheduling your fast passes in the early morning. The lines are pretty short then anyway. Schedule them for a late morning or afternoon.

Have fun.