First Trip is over :( Planning the next one :)

[DISvirgin1]

Just got back yesterday from WDW. First visit for all of us. Me - K 34, DH 39, DD1 5 1/2, DD 2 4 1/2.
We had an amazing time. Between these boards, and The Unofficial Guide we felt like we got to see what we wanted to see and didn't spend tons of time in lines. We wound up staying offsite, and although everything went well (good shuttle service, nice view of the fireworks at night) We are planning on staying onsite for our next visit. Probably All Star Sports - since we don't spend anytime in the room, I can't justify spending more money. I would however like to experience the *total* Disney feel just once.

We did two parks - MK and AK. I loved MK, was not a huge fan of AK. It was okay - not as crowded as MK and easier to navigate. But it honestly reminded me a bit of the Bronx Zoo (don't flame, I can't help it!) The character interaction at AK was better, I loved the Lion King and The Safari. But I didn't feel the need to spend the whole day there.

In any event we arrived in Disney on Tuesday the 22. Checked out MK to get the lay of the land, and to see where to go for our lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table. Arrived back Wednesday at rope drop. Put our touring plan from the Unoffical Guide into effect. Worked out pretty well for us. Rode several rides, then went to lunch at the Castle for 11:45. This was awesome. Worth every penny. The girls loved meeting Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Ariel. After lunch we headed back to the hotel for a rest. Came back in the evening for some rides, the parade and fireworks. DD's loved watching Tinkerbelle "fly" from the castle. After the fireworks we rode some more rides (magic carpets), and bought some shirts.
Slept in the next day and headed back to the park around 10:00. This time we did everything we didn't do the day before - rode the train to Frontierland, got pics with Mickey and Minnie, did Pirates of the Carribean, the Jungle Cruise, and of course rode the Magic Carpets again. Since the girls are somewhat little, we didn't do Splash Mountain, Space Mountain or Thunder Mountain. We plan on getting to them next time.

 

[DISvirgin1]

Hotel - We stayed at Best Western Lake Buena Vista. Although the reviews on both Trip Advisor and here are not the best, we got a great deal and decided to try it out. We got a clean (but very DATED) room with a Disney view (great for watching the fireworks if you are too tired to actually be at the park!). Staff was excellent - but be careful to go to the front desk, not Guest Services. Guest Services are the time share people. We know how they operate...
Anyway, hotel was fine for our needs. Because BW LBV is the first hotel in DTD area, it was first to be picked up for shuttles and first to be dropped off. Even during crowded times that ensured we always had a seat. Important with small children. The shuttle comes every 1/2 hour starting at 8:00am. We had no problems with shuttle not showing or really even being late (I know other people have had some issues - this is especially true at busier times). The one issue we noticed is that the shuttle pick up for DTD shuttles at AK is in the middle of the parking lot and very dark. So we planned accordingly and made sure we left while it was daylight. The hotel has one quick service resturant (more of a grab and go), one bar and one sit down resturant. Prices are okay, but much better to rent (yes, rent...) the fridge and micro and eat in your room. I believe that was an extra $10 a day.
Pool was clean and warm. The one night (our last) that we actually used it, there were only a few other people in the area. They also do not offer shuttle service to or from the airport.
I actually would stay here again though. Totally fine for what we needed and despite the "extras" still much less than the Disney hotels during that busy week.

 

[DISvirgin1]

The Unofficial Guide to Disney was our vacation bible. We found when we followed it, things went very smoothly. From touring plans, to dining and ride guides it worked out very well. They also have updates that you can get throughout the day on your smartphone, if you have one.

Stroller rental - we plan on bringing our own stroller next time. We spent a small fortune for rentals. Although our DD's don't typically use one, there was no way we could have survived WDW without. DH and I are in pretty good shape and our legs were on fire!