First timer--opinions would be appreciated

[katriscari]

Thanks for all of the advice!

My son loves sports, so I was leaning towards the all star sports hotel. He would just love all of the huge sports items, etc. I hate to say it, but he does not act like your typical 4 year old. He would rather watch the Indians or Browns (a bad choice than any cartoon any day. I will likely buy him a book to read him about all of the characters we will see on our trip and let him explore that. Don't get me wrong...he will tell you who the characters are, but he is not a die hard Cars, Jake, Mickey fan. He is growing up too fast, and I want him to enjoy being a little kid for once

Would it be okay for me to book just the room now to make sure I have one and then wait to see if any promos come out? If they do, possibly add the dining plan and tickets? If they do not add any discounts it would be cheaper to get our tickets through undercover tourist or AAA, possibly, wouldn't it?

 

[samnbilly]

Welcome to the Dis Boards!!
There is a list of abbreviations used on the DisBoards that can help you familiarize yourself! I still cannot remember them all!

To find out if the Dining Plan makes sense-go on over to the Disney Restaurant section & there is a Disney Dining section & posted on the top of the page, there are 3 posts (stickies) that stay there & they break down the prices of the dining plan & what's included & how much it is to upgrade. Very helpful!!

Also, on the top of this Board, you can find Codes & Discounts (I think it's called-lol..habit to just look there) & they can break down the discounts available-if any! There is a certain time period that discounts come out (they also tell you what past discounts have been) & you can book a package now & what many people do, is the day that the promotion goes live, you call (as soon as the phone lines open-lol) to have that discount applied to your reservation if possible. There are only a certain # of room categories available for the discount. AAA can also save you a % if there are no discounts. Sometimes you save enough $$ for food, extras, etc. some ppl save enough to feel its worth it to upgrade to a moderate resort.

One more thing about the dining plan-if you're going to be eating all of your meals in Disney, the DDP can be helpful to pay ahead/budget your food. Disney can be expensive for dining. It's a personal preference.price comparison is good!
You can book a trip with Disney travel co. & just pay a $200 deposit & the rest is due (I think 45 days before-I forget now! Lol)

The value resorts are really great with theming-Sports for the sports lover, etc. Kids love them!!
Not sure when your going in May, but there is also crowd trends you can find on many websites.

To find your post, sometimes it's helpful to subscribe to the thread-I use my phone, so I'm not positive where it is, but it's helpful if you've posted on other threads (postings) I personally think you can book your own trip with the help of these wonderful Dis ppl. They know so much about Disney & everyone is usually very helpful!!
If you want to respond to someone's specific post-you can quote them & then you type your response underneath.

Sorry, I'm just trying to think of things I didn't know when I was new here. It takes practice.

One more suggestion-enjoy your time @ Disney. It's very easy to make your days too long to try & see everything! My kids are older, but we still try & go to the parks as soon as they open to get on the rides we want. We eat lunch & then go back to the hotel for a swim or even a nap Then, we go out for dinner & some last attractions (we usually eat in Epcot) it's fun to eat at the different countries (Every place usually has a kids menu)
Don't forget the parades & fireworks!

I think for a first trip, it's easiest to stay in Disney if you can. The roads can be confusing & parking.the buses are great transportation. To get the Disney "feel" is just amazing to stay onsite!

Best of Luck!! Hope you & your family enjoy your first trip with your son to Disney!! Once you go, you'll want to go back!!

 

[6loversofdisney]

Welcome to the disboards.com family

You are not the only person who sits around on their computers searching "all things Disney" - we need to create a disanon group and have weekly meetings

We also surprised our kids twice now. Our kids were older at the time but we once told them we were flying to GA to go to a distant family members wedding. Once in the airport we gave them each an age appropriate letter that I had written to them. The last letter opened by the youngest had a picture of all of the characters saying, "Come see me instead of going to that silly wedding". The older ones cried and the younger ones were confused lol. We also drove last October and told them we were going to SC for a little getaway. When the oldest saw a sign for FL, she was in tears. We love to surprise them!!! We plan to do it again soon. I was surprised that I couldn't find many threads on this board about how to surprise so I just came up with my own stuff. Make sure you have a camera rolling to catch what could be a great youtube moment of your son's reaction!!

I prefer to stay onsite. We have also done offsite too and it is not bad. Since there are so many hotels to choose from, prices are cheap in my opinion. We got a Red Roof Inn (which wasn't great btw) but it was only $39.00 a night. I just like the convenience of staying onsite and using their buses. We never even rent a car.

We always do value resorts and think they are fine.

We always like to do a lot of character meals so if you also want to, you should do the dining plan. We have never paid for it but have gone when it was free dining. That way, your son could get all the autographs and see the characters and not have to wait in long lines to see them.

I book all of my trips for everywhere I go by myself but if you are not comfortable, then go through a travel agent. Ask your friends who they've used and trust. Don't just pick someone. I have seen time and time again where TA's don't work for their clients but yet they still get a commission. TA's get paid out of what you pay so they may not all have your best interest in mind.

Private message me any questions you have. I also used to do Disney Dining so I can help there too!!

Good luck my friend and have a beautiful time!!!!!!!!

 

[katriscari]

Thanks guys! I am getting so excited, and it is so far away! I just got a 0% credit card that I can earn airline miles (should've done this long ago!) I will be charging everything I buy and paying off every month and booking all of my Disney stuff on this one card. Hopefully I will have enough miles for at least one plane ticket in the next 8 months that way! I mean I buy gas and food anyways, so why not earn some miles too!

The only thing I wish is that we could make our trip a bigger family affair unfortunately, this trip is a second choice behind the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. My sister will be playing women's hockey for the USA over there in Feb, but for just my son and me to go it would cost over $10,000. That is just something I cannot swing/he will not understand enough to appreciate the $ that would've been spent. My parents will be heading there , so they will not be able to go here as well...I got a little depressed and figured where is the best place I can take him at this age that none of us will ever forget....Disney World of course Plus Disney allows my husband to be included too! He would not have gone to The Games

Now I need to figure out how to Follow threads and work the iPhone app hahahhaha!

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Thanks guys! I am getting so excited, and it is so far away! I just got a 0% credit card that I can earn airline miles (should've done this long ago!) I will be charging everything I buy and paying off every month and booking all of my Disney stuff on this one card. Hopefully I will have enough miles for at least one plane ticket in the next 8 months that way! I mean I buy gas and food anyways, so why not earn some miles too!

The only thing I wish is that we could make our trip a bigger family affair unfortunately, this trip is a second choice behind the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. My sister will be playing women's hockey for the USA over there in Feb, but for just my son and me to go it would cost over $10,000. That is just something I cannot swing/he will not understand enough to appreciate the $ that would've been spent. My parents will be heading there , so they will not be able to go here as well...I got a little depressed and figured where is the best place I can take him at this age that none of us will ever forget....Disney World of course Plus Disney allows my husband to be included too! He would not have gone to The Games

Now I need to figure out how to Follow threads and work the iPhone app hahahhaha!

Congrats to your sister! That is amazing! Olympics in Sichi would be my first choice too! But you guys will love Disney! Just tell your sister she had to make it to the next Olympics too and maybe you can go in 4 years!

 

[souris]

Congrats to your sister! It's a shame that it is so pricey to go see her. I agree that Disney is a wonderful alternative!

When I travel elsewhere I book months and months in advance. For Disney I figure out a good price for air faire and when I find flights that are a great deal I book. Honestly, I doubt AllStarSports will be fully booked at that time. It is a huge resort! I would wait until the promotions are out to book. You can look up past promotions and look at the dates the promotions came out. I find it easier to book online as soon as the promotion is out. When the Fall Free Dining promotion came out I was able to book online at midnight. If I would have had a reservation I would have had to call the next morning and waited hours to make a change to my reservation.

I booked all my dining reservation 180 days out. I managed to get all the ones I wanted.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi, and welcome!

For your first trip, I believe it's all about making things easier so you can stop and relax. So, in the interests of making it easier, here are my suggestions.

1. Use a travel agent. I prefer a Disney Certified travel agent, one I KNOW will be on top of the discounts. I can recommend ours if you're interested. That way, should there be a glitch of some sort, you have someone in your corner. And you have someone who can call in your ADRs on that 180 day mark. I sent you a PM with her info. (You can find it by going up to the very top of your screen, in the right hand corner. Click on "Personal Messages.")

2. Stay on site. That way, your transportation is all taken care of-- to and from the airport, and within Disney. You're not waiting for a shuttle that may or may not show up; Disney transportation is continuous.

3. Strongly consider the meal plan. I know that not everyone will agree. But last year, we tried going without the meal plan, and I felt as though we were hemorrhaging money. (Disney food is EXPENSIVE!!) It's so much more pleasant to pre-pay for the meal plan, then not worry about anything but booze and tips. Also, with a child under 10, the meal plan tends to be a great deal!

 

[samnbilly]

Thanks guys! I am getting so excited, and it is so far away! I just got a 0% credit card that I can earn airline miles (should've done this long ago!) I will be charging everything I buy and paying off every month and booking all of my Disney stuff on this one card. Hopefully I will have enough miles for at least one plane ticket in the next 8 months that way! I mean I buy gas and food anyways, so why not earn some miles too! The only thing I wish is that we could make our trip a bigger family affair unfortunately, this trip is a second choice behind the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. My sister will be playing women's hockey for the USA over there in Feb, but for just my son and me to go it would cost over $10,000. That is just something I cannot swing/he will not understand enough to appreciate the $ that would've been spent. My parents will be heading there , so they will not be able to go here as well...I got a little depressed and figured where is the best place I can take him at this age that none of us will ever forget....Disney World of course Plus Disney allows my husband to be included too! He would not have gone to The Games Now I need to figure out how to Follow threads and work the iPhone app hahahhaha!

Wow!! You must be so proud of you Sister!! 10K is a lot of $$... We've never had family with us @ Disney-We make our own family memories!!
If you have the WDW info app, when you're on this thread, go up to the arrow on the right hand side & u can subscribe to this thread, reply & refresh. I always use my app, but sometimes it has some problems!

 

[LisaTC]

Thanks guys! I am getting so excited, and it is so far away! I just got a 0% credit card that I can earn airline miles (should've done this long ago!) I will be charging everything I buy and paying off every month and booking all of my Disney stuff on this one card. Hopefully I will have enough miles for at least one plane ticket in the next 8 months that way! I mean I buy gas and food anyways, so why not earn some miles too!

The only thing I wish is that we could make our trip a bigger family affair unfortunately, this trip is a second choice behind the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. My sister will be playing women's hockey for the USA over there in Feb, but for just my son and me to go it would cost over $10,000. That is just something I cannot swing/he will not understand enough to appreciate the $ that would've been spent. My parents will be heading there , so they will not be able to go here as well...I got a little depressed and figured where is the best place I can take him at this age that none of us will ever forget....Disney World of course Plus Disney allows my husband to be included too! He would not have gone to The Games

Now I need to figure out how to Follow threads and work the iPhone app hahahhaha!

I suppose if a trip to WDW has to come in 2nd, it should be to the Olympics! Wow! Another Buckeye here. You can start buying Disney Gift cards, too. You can get them sometimes discounted at Costco or Sam's Club or Giant Eagle. Buy them on your Credit card for double bonus!

To throw a spin...we always stay onsite in a moderate. Can't imagine staying off site. Really can't. Understand it, but can't imagine it for our family. We love Port Orleans Riverside. Great proximity to Downtown Disney if you choose to go (by water taxi) our bus to MK was very quick - 10 minutes and their Food Court is really good and wouldn't break the bank if you didn't want the Dining Plan. We make out on the DP - wouldn't have partaken in it otherwise. Our first trip we went through AAA. If your agent has been to Disney a multitude of times, then go with them. If not, you'll learn more on this site and know more before you go than your AAA agent. Don't get me wrong, I like AAA, but they aren't only Disney travel. If you aren't renting a car, then the preferred parking pass isn't a perk. You can get about a 10% discount with AAA on your room - but only if you are forced to pay rack and Disney isn't offering any specials during your time. You can make reservation changes up to 45 days without penalty. Dining plan has to be booked within 5 days of your travel dates, I believe.

After our first trip, we booked online ourselves, easy peasy. With the inception of FastPass +, you can prebook attractions. That's where Touring Plans, EasyWDW come in handy to recommend days (we stay away from the parks to avoid on the days it recommends and go for the neutral or recommended parks) It's always worked for us. Are you planning on only MK? 5 days is a pretty short trip because you come in on day 1 and leave on day 5? We do Sat-Sat.

Our last trip to POR was 1 week, dining plan offering for our family of 3 and it was about 2300.00, not including air for a Royal Riverfront Room. Without the dining plan, it was only a couple hundred less and so a no brainer. We have a girl, so we do the Princess stuff character meals, but she also likes Rose 'n Crown and Hoop de Do Revue! You need to make your ADR's online at your 180 window...sad, but true.

We fly out of CAK. Sometimes it's cheaper to fly into Tampa - cheap enough to justify a rental car and it's an easy drive. Even if you have a car, take the bus to MK. They drop you off at the gate. That parking lot is beyond huge and requires trams, etc. to get you to the gate. I like getting dropped off at the gate at MK. From POR, Epcor and AK and DHS were reallly quick, easy drives. We parked at the gate each time...we're early birds.

Regardless of what others may say, a Disney vacation requires planning. Fact of life. Pick the parks you want to visit, pick the things in those parks that are must do for your family. Passporters is a very user friendly guide and a nice keepsake. I love the Ultimate Guide and Touring Plans, though. MouseSavers has a code I think for Touring plans.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[dpswift]

Congrats to your sister wow that is amazing.

The food court at Sports is currently being renovated so it will be nice when you are there. We have stayed at all the values and they are pretty much the same. We do not spend enough time in our room to justify a moderate.

I like the dining plan. It works out well for us. Everything except tips are payed in advance. The charactor meals are expensive. We liked Tusker House the best. At 5 my son loved Chef Mickeys.

For QS meals my son likes Cosmic Rays.

 

[katriscari]

We will do the parks for 5 days...was thinking magic kingdom on our first and last full days. Check in and out days maybe do downtown visits depending on when flights are. My husband had a hard enough time getting of a day let alone a full week. Those are the breaks of casino life i guess. Once he is approved our dates of 7 to 13 of may are firm. I know some people say the sit downs take up too much time, but if we are doing a dining plan we will do at least 4 of them lol. I really want to do chef mickeys and Disney jr at Hollywood and vine for sure. He loves the pretty ladies, so I am not sure he would mind the princesses either lol . Thanks for all the tips so far. I am going to make a list off of here very soon!

 

[Disneyhenry]

Hi all!

I found this forum this evening while sitting online again searching all things WDW!! My husband, my son (will be 5) & of course I will be going May 7-13, 2014. We are going to surprise my son on his 5th birthday on Valentine's day with a box of balloons, a Disney countdown and a couple other things Disney for the trip.

I am struggling with a couple of things...the main thing is staying onsite for my son's first trip or staying off. We would do a value resort for sure if we stayed on. I am up in the air about the dining plan, but i do want to do at least a couple of character breakfasts/dinners. If those are included with the dining plan it may be worth it. Other than a value resort I could stay offsite in Davenport in a 5BR house with pool & hottub all to myself for $125/night....

Second, use a travel agent or don't? I also have AAA.

I would appreciate any input, since I am a newbie! This is going to be our first real family vaca!

Well Congrats on your 1st trip! What a great Birthday and Valentines day gift!
I have done both, stay on and off site, I think for your 1st trip staying on site would be best, and POP is very fun. We were at POP in Sep 2012 and there were times that we did have the pool to ourselves. Several times
As for as meal plans, if you are doing a few character meals then I think it is worth it. It also depends on how your family likes to eat, we love our character meals and we are steak and seafood type of family, so the meal plan saves us lots of $$$. Personally I also think it is nice to not have to worry about paying for the meals while I am on vacation.
Sounds like a great trip, have fun

 

[emilyindisney]

I'd vote for staying on site! Even though the prices are higher and the rooms are smaller, I love the idea of never having to leave the magic.

As far as the dining plan, price out what you know you want to do and compare the prices to your plan price. DDP is a savings for some, but not for all.

I would absolutely recommend booking with AAA for a first time trip. I've booked through them twice and have found that the TAs will do as much or as little as you want them to. They have a TON of knowledge and (in my experience) are just as excited as you are! My TA checks for discount updates, suggests reservations, makes last minute fixes, etc. I like to book my own trips now but still think AAA is a great resource. Plus, you usually get extra bonuses for booking through them. In January, we got tickets to sit in a private Wishes viewing area!

Good luck and happy planning! Hope you get bit by the bug just like the rest of us here!

 

[katriscari]

Question for you guys..., Is it true that some of the restaurants that charge one dining credit for the TS meal charge 2 for the Character meal. Chef Mickey? Disney Jr? Someone I know who just went said to be careful because some if the character dining is 2 credits...I assumed that was only at the fancier places that normally charged 2 credits for a meal to begin with!? Help!

 

[margareton27]

Question for you guys..., Is it true that some of the restaurants that charge one dining credit for the TS meal charge 2 for the Character meal. Chef Mickey? Disney Jr? Someone I know who just went said to be careful because some if the character dining is 2 credits...I assumed that was only at the fancier places that normally charged 2 credits for a meal to begin with!? Help!

The only character meal that is 2 credits is Cinderella's Royal Table. Disney has a great .pdf of the dining plan that can help guide you. I have it saved on my desktop as I reference it so much during planning - LOL. Crystal Palace in MK has Winnie the Pooh characters and gets you in before rope drop to a nearly empty MK!

The best part about staying on site is the ability to take a break in the middle of the day to chill back at your hotel. Kids (and parents) get tired and it is nice to not have to get in your car, drive off site, relax, and do it all in reverse to come back to the parks. And then again to get back to your hotel

 

[samnbilly]

My kids loved the Hoop de Doo Review.. It's a fun dinner show where they sing & give the kids little musical things to play-they serve buckets of chicken & it's family style. My son loved it at that age & the earlier you book, I believe, is where you sit.
The character meals are fun @ this age. There are many WDW web sites that go over all of the restaurants & dining credits.

 

[mobish]

Although we are Disney veterans I am planning a trip next spring with my mom who will need a wheelchair most of the time. Any thoughts on which resort is best suited? I'm thinking Value as we would probably be able to park closer to the room vs somewhere like AKL where its a long hike from the lobby to any room.

 

[Aliceacc]

Although we are Disney veterans I am planning a trip next spring with my mom who will need a wheelchair most of the time. Any thoughts on which resort is best suited? I'm thinking Value as we would probably be able to park closer to the room vs somewhere like AKL where its a long hike from the lobby to any room.

I would think that a self-contained resort would be your best bet, so everything she would need would be in one building. Maybe the Contemporary, so she would also have monorail access?

 

[Headed4Fun]

Question for you guys..., Is it true that some of the restaurants that charge one dining credit for the TS meal charge 2 for the Character meal. Chef Mickey? Disney Jr? Someone I know who just went said to be careful because some if the character dining is 2 credits...I assumed that was only at the fancier places that normally charged 2 credits for a meal to begin with!? Help!

Chef Mickey's and Hollywood & Vine would both be 1 credit. I believe Hoop de Doo Review takes 2 credits. Another great character meal that my kids love is The Garden Grill in Epcot. Ohana has a character meal at breakfast which we're trying our next trip. We love Ohana for dinner so I'm excited to try it for breakfast.

If you think he'd like to try a princess meal to get some time with the ladies but don't want to use 2 credits at the Cinderella's Royal Table: Askerhaus in Epcot has princesses, and 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian) at dinner has Cinderella, Prince Charming, the stepsisters, and stepmother. We loved 1900 PF....my son had the best time talking with Cinderella. And the stepsisters are fantastic! They kept asking him if he was married or if he was available. His cheeks were so red from blushing.