First timer to disney as a family! Need tips!

[doulacandice]

Hey yall! I'm thrilled to say we will be going to Disney either late Jan/ early Feb 08! I'm so excited.. So before ordering our package, I thought you all could give us some tips!! We are a family of 6, we have 4 kids ages 8, 7, 2 and almost 8 months. Is it best to get the resort package? I'm thinking about staying at the all star movie or music? Which one is better? I talked to a lady with WDW and she said I could order for just 4 of us since the other 2 are babies and they get in free anyways.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!! This is the first time we are going to disney as a family!!! I went to WDW in high school, that was 12-13 years ago!! I can't wait to see the look on my kids faces!!

 

[tiggerfan1]

Welcome to the DIS boards!! I'm happy that you'll be able to experience the Disney magic with your family. Unfortunately, I can't really offer a whole lot of advice about the Disney resorts (I stayed off-site), but I do know that a lot of the other DISers really liked the All-Star Movies resort. The most popular value resort among the DISers is definitely the Pop Century resort. To help you plan better, I recommend getting a good, current guide book on WDW. I really like the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Of course, the DIS boards are really helpful, too. If you want to eat at a table service/buffet restaurant, try to choose them as soon as you can so that you can make your ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations). You may also want to see if the Disney Dining Plan would be good for you and your family. As far as tickets go, I was able to get a discount by signing up for the mousesavers.com newsletter (the link for the discounted tickets will be in the newsletter that they email to you). I hope this helps. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask.

 

[magicaldisney]

Are you thinking of getting 2 rooms or a family suite at the All Stars. Unfortunately, this is late in the game to plan a trip and you might not have too many option on where you can stay. Resort packages are great, but again, being later in the game you might be limited to where you can use it. If you are looking to make any ADRs (advanced dining reservations) you will need to do that ASAP, as those too might be very limited. A character breakfast or dinner would be great for your family. Pick up some autograph books and get ready to take alot of pictures!!

I don't mean to be doom and gloom, but I don't want you to go into this and be disappointed you can't get exactly what you want. A very positive note, is that this will be a slower time to visit WDW. You'll have less crowds and shorter lines.

 

[lovetoscrap]

to the DIS!

Did you let the person you talked to know you were thinking of staying at the All Stars? It is my understanding that they only allow you 4 people and 1 additional child in a pack and play. I don't think they allow 6 in the room at all--even if 2 of them are babies. It is against Fire Codes and you could risk being told to leave. You need to make sure you check on this when you book. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that is the rule. And really you are going to be quite cramped in that room with that many people/kids in there. I assume you would have 2 pack and plays plus a stroller.

Your best options would be to get a Family Suite at the All Star Music Resort, or just get 2 connecting rooms. Or you have to look to upgrade to Moderate that allows 5 in a room plus one baby in a pack and play.

As far as if the package is the best deal, you really just need to price it out for yourself. Add up how much it would cost to purchase the tickets seperately and then to pay for the room and compare that to the package price.

You are going at a great time of year-- low crowds and great weather! Your resort choice will probably be limited by what is still available with the package, or if you decide to get the Suite.

 

[zippy doo dah]

I would suggest either the family suite at ASMusic (call now b/c the book quickly) they sleep 6 and you would have enough room to comfortably have your older kids as well as the pack and play for the baby. I wouldn't suggest getting it for your 2 year old b/c it wouldn't be very comfortable and wouldn't support the weight. Or I would say book 2 rooms and just request that they be connecting (they can't guarantee that, but more than likely the resort will be able to accomodate you b/c you are going during a slower time.

As for booking the package, I prefer to book the room(s) only and then purchase my tickets online separately. I do this b/c when I book the rooms all I have to pay as a deposit is 1 night per room - we just came back from our trip last week, I booked 2 rooms b/c there were 6 of us (I requested and got the connecting rooms) - and then pay the balance upon check-in. Of course, you can also pay for the rooms right off the bat too! I lik to purchase my park tickets online b/c many times you can save a few dollars by buying them in advance (and I can't get the same savings if they were incorporated in the package) and I like to have the park tickets and room keys separate b/c I do alot of scrapbooking and they make nice touches and souveniers.

Make as many ADR's now as you can: I suggest making a loose itinerary as to what parks you want to visit on what days based on EMHs (Extra Magic Hours) http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/calendar/extraMagicHour?id=CalendarExtraMagicHoursPage and make and TS (Table Service) reservations based on what park you will be in. I find it will save you time by eating in whatever park you are in rather than hopping from park to park.

If you wish, I could PM (Private Message) you a list of must sees per park and some good places (Counter and Table service) to eat - just let me know

Welcome to the DISboards - you will find this is your home away from home and your place of refuge when people think you're a Disney nut and to get you through the anticipation of your trip and the sadness when it's over.

 

[ArmyWife3-4]

These tips aren't necessairly related to the hotel booking, but I think they're useful nonetheless!
I have not gone with my own children (don't have any yet!), but I went as a child many times and have also gone back with DH for our honeymoon. My best advice is to employ the 'get to the parks at opening, come back to the hotel mid day, and go back in the evening' strategy! It has been a livesaver each and every time we go to Disney. You get there as soon as the parks open and are able to enjoy many rides with little to no wait before the busiest time of day. You then head back to the hotel for a nap, swim in the pool, or just some down time to 'recoup', and then head back into the parks for the evening. It saves cranky kids (and hsubands!) and makes the trip so much more enjoyable.

Also, if you're looking to save money, my parents (and DH and I as well!), have brought cereal with us each time to eat in the room in them morning. We are not big sit down breakfast people when we're eager to get to the park. We simply packed plastic bowls and spoons and picked up milks at the cafeteria. This saved us a good deal of time and money and allowed us to spend more on dinner throughout our trip.

Another thing my parents did to save a lot of time when we were small was to packaged each outfit for the week in a separate plastic bag. Each outfit was complete with socks, underwear, shirt, and short. In the morning, all we had to do was pick a plastic bag and we were good to go. I was tempted to employ the same strategy with DH for our honeymoon!

Hope you find these tips useful! Have a blast and enjoy the look on their faces! The sheer joy of watching their joy is wonderful! I felt the same way when I went with DH since it was his first visit!