First Time to WDW With a Kid...Help!..

[NYCDan]

I need the help of more experienced WDW travellers. I've only been once, about 11 years ago and it was just my wife and me. Now my son is 5 and half and we're ready to take him for his first trip to Disney World. We want to go down and have fun and make this a memorable event for my son, but also want to save money if we can. Based on just a few conversations with co-workers and some web surfing, I came up with the following ideas:

Accomodations: On property - Maybe the Wilderness Lodge

Transportation: Just taxi from the airport to the resort and rely on WDW transportation while there. No rental car.

Dining: Get a fridge for the room and have light breakfast in the room and keep water and snacks in the fridge we can carry with us, then have dinner at the restaurants (trying to save money)

Length of Stay: Arrive on Sunday and leave on Saturday (6 nights)

Agenda: 2 days for Magic Kindom, 1 day each for Epcot and Animal Kindom, and 1 day to just hang out at the pool

Passes: Based on agenda would need a 4 day hopper pass (but if the agenda is too packed, maybe 5 day) and I don't think we need the hopper plus pass.

Attractions: No idea yet as to the specifics that would be best for a five year old boy. Will have to do additional research.

Discounts and Money Saving Ideas: Aside from trying to get the passes at AAA and stocking the fridge in the room, I don't know much about what other discounts or money saving ideas I can take advantage of. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,
Dan

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Try www.mousesavers.com

There is some great stuff there. I'd go with the 5 day pass. It's not a lot moer than the 4 day and can be bought without the plus features. It's always nice to have the extra day.

 

[jl3614]

Dan,

We took a 5yr DS and 2 1/2 yr DD last April.

A lot depends on your priorities. Wilderness Lodge would not be the most fun place for a 5 year old. If you do go Deluxe - he would probably much prefer the Beach Club for it's wonderful swimming area. In my mind this is were you could save tons of money - at least $100/day. Stay at All-star Movies. A child that age would enjoy the theming at Allstar as much or better than a deluxe. If you do go deluxe it is for your (the parents) benefit, not the childs. We stayed in the Toy Story section of ASmv - the kids loved it.

I don't know your sons likes and dislikes- but if you have to do a 4 day pass - which is probably right for a 6 day stay - I would consider MGM over Epcot, again for his benefit not necessarily yours. There are more kids shows in MGM. If he has a lot of stamina, you may be able to do both EC and MGM in the same day, but you would need to plan ahead to visit only a few things at each park.

You may find transportation is a toss up - with 2 adults and 1 child, a shuttle bus, a town car, and a taxi would all be $80 - $100. You could probably get a compact rental for about $170 with AAA discount. If you are spending all your time in the parks and your room, a rental car is not necessary - it just provides some flexibility.

Just my opinions based on previous visits with kids. Have a great trip.

Jeff

 

[bobcat]

Here's my 2cents worth. I would use a towncar for transportation from the airport to the resort. They meet you before you get you luggage and many offer a 30 minute grocery stop so you can get snacks. It is a nice relaxing way to start your vacation and the cost is not much more than you would spend on a taxi or Mears transfers for 3. I liked FL Tours and if you visit the transportation board you can get more info on your transportation options.

Renting a fridge is $10 a day so what little you save by eating in your room is eaten up with that cost. We have breakfast in our rooms and some snacks but we always take a collapsable cooler and use the hotel ice machine. If you use a towncar and have a grocery stop you can get a styrofoam cooler for a couple of bucks.

Deluxes are nice and the AKL is amazing. For a smaller child I agree that the All Stars are great. My kids actually prefer the All Stars if we can't stay at AKL. Budget does rule so its usually the values for us.

Mousesavers is a great place to find all the budget info you need. Value season is going to be cheaper of course but depending on when you are visiting WDW if you can be flexible it can sometimes save you money. For instance if you travel in December and can arrive before the holiday season starts you will get the rate that is in effect for your whole stay even if you are still there during the holidays.

MGM had a playhouse disney show that little one's love, as well as Muppet's 3-D. Fantasmic is fantastic and my son loves it. Don't rule out MGM just yet.

Visit the budget board as well for lots of ideas for any budget.

 

[JRLATL]

I think you are planning a great trip. I just wanted to chime in in favor of the WL. We stayed there the first 3 years when DC were 4&6 through 6&8. The boys loved this resort. They enjoyed taking the boat to MK, the incredible lobby and theme, great places for eating, and nice pool. It has a wonderful atmosphere for the children and the adults, because it is your vacation too.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

I am going to differ here a little... I agree with All-Star Movies, but definately get the 5-day and spend some of each day relaxing at the resort. You will spend less money and have more flexibility. Use some of your money savings to get several family pictures (ride pictures, main street pictures etc). Frame the pictures and put them in the child's bedroom. At that age, your child will remember pool/playground time as much or more than parks.

Definately rent a stroller

BTW EPCOT can be fun for kids, you just have to plan ahead a little, and know that you aren't going to do as much of the grown up stuff. I'd pick Studios over EPCOT if you had no choice, but preferably you could do some Future World, hit the rides and movies in World Showcase, then go back to the resort for several hours. Come back, have an early dinner (Late lunch just before 4pm is way cheapper than a dinner-time meal btw) Finish up World Showcase, see Illuminations and end the day.

Leave the 5th day as an opportunity to catch something you missed, or go back to a particularly favorite park or area.

 

[cheerdaddy]

another vote for any of the all-stars with a 5 yr old....you will save well over $100 per night as oppossed to WL...I would probably go with the 5 day hoppers as well, it gives you more options and if you decide not to use the 5th day, it never expires and will be good for your next trip...As some of the other posters have mentioned: be flexible and take time out and hang at the pool a little to let the little guy recharge his batteries...when my dd was 5, the pool at the resort was one of her favorite attractions at WDW...we liked the pools at the all-stars when dd was little because they had wide-open sight lines(no places to hide or be out of sight too easily)...the rooms are slightly smaller at the all-stars, but they are clean comfortable rooms and do just fine for a disney vacation....you're probably not going to be spending excess amounts of time in the rooms anyway....don't overlook EPCOT for children....It was one of my dd favorite places on her first trip at age 5! World Showcase is really alot of fun for kids believe it or not as well for the adults: great food, great pavallions, kidcot stations, character greetings and wonderful native entertainment in each of the countries....the chinese acrobats, the living statues and Myuki(the candy lady in Japan) are especially popular with both kids and adults....WS is not a thrill a minute, ride a bunch of rides kind of attraction...slow down and let your child really get into the activities at the kidcot stations and watch some of the amazing shows. give it a try, it might surprise you...

 

[PB'sMOM]

Dan,
Have you thought about the Wilderness campground cabins? They are fully equiped with kitchen facilities-no need to rent a fridge and you can have meals whenever you like- they are roomy for 3 people-lots to do with little ones there- they have evening campfires and roast marshamallows, trails to walk, horseback riding, pools. There is an all-u-can eat buffet there-9-10.00 a person(adult) and well worth it. You can take the boat to Magic Kingdom.
Have fun

 

[Maude4Disney]

I have to agree w/ the cooler over the fridge. Even if you pack a soft sided cooler, or pick up a styrofoam one. We used our cooler last time and had everything for breakfast and snacks that we needed. Although we did have breakfast out a couple of times. I would also opt for the towncar so that you have the option of a grocery stop. As far as accomodations... We've only stayed at moderates. Cheaper than the Deluxe, but nice to have the pool slide for kiddos. You get a choice from food court or sit-down restaurant, which you don't get at a Value. But if money is an issue, I would go w/ a value. Even though we haven't stayed at one (yet) I do think the themeing is great for kids! If you can afford the 5 day pass, go for it. This will allow you to take more breaks and not feel like you are going to miss out on something. For us, we really liked going back to the resort in the afternoon for breaks... napping or swimming. And remember, you won't see it all. You'll just have to plan a trip to come back
Have a great time!

 

[luvsTink]

We recently went with our 3 dd's: 4, 6, and 16 and they all really liked Pop Century. The little ones didn't necessarily "get" the theming, however they loved the Goofy pop jets, the flower shaped pool, and other icons like baloo and mowgli and huge foosball guys. It is brand new which I think is its advantage over all stars and (as far as I know) they are not currently booking large groups. We adults loved it as well.

Anne

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm going to repeat some of what other people have already told you.

I returned one week ago from a week at WDW and Universal with my 4yo. He was tall enough to do almost all the rides except for Space Mt and Mission to Space. He did everything else that I can think of and liked everything for the most part. He was nervous about doing Splash Mt because of the drop, but did it and loved it. He did Tower or Terror 5 times and Thunder Railroad several times. He requested on our last day to go back to Epcot so he could do Test Track again.

We went to MK on one of our last days. Jake was happy at the other parks because he wasn't comparing them to MK and expecting lots of rides. Personally, I would do whatever your son is tall enough for, but start out small and see how he reacts. If he is fearful then you can adjust your plan. I didn't think that Jake would like Tower of Terror and figured I could get him on it only once, but it didn't scare him at all. He'd already done Dinosaur and Test Track by that time so I knew that he was more adventerous than the last time he was at Universal (when he was 3yo and a big chicken...)

We stayed at Pop Century and liked it a lot. It was a good place for the money. My sister met us down there so there were 3 of us in the room, which was perfect. The rooms are not large, but we were not in the room much and knowing that I was paying so little for a room made me happy.

Look for codes for the room. I used an annual pass discount and got our room for $49.

My sister brought a little cooler with her that we filled with ice. If I had of been going by myself I would have brought a collapsable cooler and filled with bags of ice.

We ate all breakfasts in the room--oatmeal, cereal, etc. We brought snacks into the parks with us every day. Sometimes enough for a lunch (string cheese, crackers, etc) and sometimes enough to stretch us to lunch in the park. We ate sandwiches in the room a couple of nights when we'd eaten lunch in the parks.

By the refillable mug from whatever resort you stay at. At Pop it was $11.99 and we filled it a few times a day. A good value.

Yes, use a town car for transportation to and from the hotel. Request a grocery stop and pick up perishables then. Don't forget fruit.

I would plan on at least 5 days in the parks, 2 for MK, 1 for each of the others. If you have a 6th day that would be good because you could take it a little easier on your other days or have a day off in the middle. We went non-stop for 7 days and it was very exhausting.

Get to the park at opening. Use early opening for MK, at least one of your days there. That way you can do Fantasyland without much waiting. If you are normally early risers you can do early opening at all the parks, especially if you are going during a low time of the year. You can always go to the EE opening park and then transfer to another park after 2-3 hours, but that does eat up time and we didn't do that this visit.

What time of the year are you going?

T&B

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Dan, I forgot to say...Welcome to the DIS!!!

One thing that we like to do is to take a late flight out when returning home. Well, maybe not real late, but this last trip the flight left at a little before 6pm and the town car picked us up at the resort at 3:45 so we had the morning to go to a park. Made that last day a little easier. Some people take an early morning flight getting there for the same reason, but I don't want to be exhausted before even arriving.

T&B

 

[NYCDan]

Just wanted to express my appreciation to everyone for their great ideas so far. I'm looking forward to continued thoughts and comments. We are thinking about going in May (only 3 months away). Also, while I'm looking for ways to save money (eg., discounts and little known tricks), I don't mind spending more to have a great and memorable experience. I think I'm starting to get more excited about this than my son! Feeling like a kid again... lol

Thanks again, everyone.

Dan

 

[Stiff]

my 2 cents...and I did not read all the other posts, so sorry if any of this repeats

if on a budget, you are paying for one of the more expensive resorts. You can save alot of money in the all stars or even consider the moderates (POR is beautiful and POFQ is just reopening next month with fully refurbished rooms)

food: when we go, we eat a nice sit down LUNCH and grab a quick bite for dinner....saves a bunch of money and the waits at restaurants dont seem as bad

parks: Id choose MGM over epcot for a child

transportation: tiffany towncars has a round trip rate of about $80....their site also has a $5 coupon....a cab is roughly $40 one way....its the same or cheaper to take the towncar and no hassles of finding a cab. set it up and he will meet you at baggage claim

 

[melee]

Hi NYC Dan,
We just returned from a stay at Port Orleans. We used a collapsible cooler with ice machine ice to cool milk, half and half and OJ. Our family of five ate breakfast in the room each morning, saving time and money. Bring ziploc bags to contain the ice and save extra $$ by bringing coffee filter pacs from home to use in the resort's coffee maker.

Also, Animal Kingdom has a great deal on kid's meals. You get a kids meal with drink and coupons for popcorn/icecream and a bottled drink. Your child's snacks and meal are all covered for $5.99! You can use the coupons at any vendor's cart in AK.

Have a great trip!

 

[kda]

This is really exciting! It's so wonderful to take a kid for their first time. Here's my words of wisdon:
1. Don't rush and don't push --- all of you could get tired out, not just the little one. Cranky, irritable people aren't having a good time at Disney. See how things go the first day with a nap or pool break after lunch, and plan to be flexible. Some days might possibly be a full day in the park and others might be way less. I know what it's like for adults to feel like they "have to get their money's worth" because Disney is costly, but it's sad to see folks yelling and kids crying because they're tired out and frustrated ----- not that YOUR family might get like that

2. WL is our very favorite, but there's many, many wonderful choices. Kids tend to be happy with the basics (ie, pool, TV), so if you want to save $$$, consider a less expensive resort. If you and DW want to stay at WL, you'll probably be thrilled. It's secluded, restful, and just minutes from MK and a variety of other resorts. The little speed boats are phenomenal fun to zoom around the huge lake (or rent a pontoon boat for the whole family). Fort Wilderness Campgrounds is a 15" walk, or rent bikes (or the boat or bus) and eat at their $10 bkfst or lunch buffet (dinner ~ $16). Not as fancy as other buffets, but a very good value. You can take the MK boat or a bus from one of the parks to have lunch there, and then go back to WL for a rest. I keep saying that I could spent hours just riding the boats back and forth to MK or other resorts, but I don't really do this.

3. Just repeating that most town car services do a free 30" grocery store stop, and you can save a lot on snacks, milk, cereal, etc. Of course, some people pack some of their own.

4. In line with not doing commando touring, you can also do Downtown Disney or Fort Wilderness petting zoo on a day off. You used to be able to use a partially used Park Hopper to upgrade to one with more days --- ie, buy the 4 day and if you decide you want another park day, upgrade before it's used up. Better check on this, because we haven't done this in years.

Hope you have a fantastic trip!

 

[HollyJoy]

I have to agree with many others that if you are on a tight budget, then stay in one of the All Stars resorts. I've heard A LOT of good things about them, and they look really cool for kids. We'd stay there if we weren't able to stay at Shades of Green. STaying at the budget resorts will save you LOTS of money off the bat, and you certainly won't lose that Disney Feel. Consider how much time you'll really be spending in your room as compared with the parks.

Definately go with the 5 day hopper pass. We'll be there for 6 days too, and are getting the 5 day. That way, if there is a day you want to hang out at the pool, you can still go to the park in the evening.

If a fridge doesn't come with your room, definately bring a small cooler and take advantage of the hotel's ice machine. Save on breakfast so you don't have to worry about the other meals. Bring your own snacks and water with you as well (or buy some there) so that you aren't buying tons of snacks in the park.

 

[Mr.BsMom]

Our son is 5 also... We went last August and are going again next month. I would definitely recommend the All-Stars to save a little $$! We stayed at Sports in August and loved it. (Next month we'll try out Pop Century.) I have a hard time paying a lot of money for a place to sleep and shower when we spend the majority of our time in the parks! With the money you save by going with a less expensive resort, you can get the 5-day hopper pass.

You didn't mention MGM... They really have several attractions that my son enjoyed - Muppets 3-D, Star Tours, Playhouse Disney, & the play area (Honey I Shrunk the Kids?). And, don't forget about Fantasmic! It's really a great show!

Have a great trip!

 

[NYCDan]

Dear friends,

Thanks again to all of you for your advise and recommendations. We've begun to make arrangements and narrow things down. Here where we stand:

Arrive: Sunday, May 16
Depart: Saturday, May 22

Will take advantage of the towncar option and the 30 minute stop to get groceries and a styrofoam cooler.

Will get the 5-day Park Hopper pass (don't think we'll need the "plus" since 4 theme parks and a hotel pool should be plenty for a 5-year old boy and his parents trying to keep up)

The only main thing left to decide upon is the hotel. We will definitely stay on property and I think we've narrowed it down to the following 4 resorts:

- Wilderness Lodge
- Caribbean Beach
- Port Orleans (one or the other?)
- Animal Kingdom

The main factors are 1) comfort, 2) convenience to get around, 3) price, 4) ammenities at the resort for food, activities, etc.

Any comments, suggestions, advise would be greatly appreciated as usual. Looking forward to your messages..

Thanks,
Dan

 

[bobcat]

Of the four I've only stayed at AKL but it is an amazing resort! My favorite place to stay when I can afford it. The food is wonderful at Boma and there are so many activities for kids to do. The pool is beautiful and relaxing. Even though this resort seems far away from all the parks except animal kingdom it doesn't share a bus with anyone else and we found the bus service to be excellent.