Frustrated..can someone help?

[hopetoseedisney]

I am just overwhelmed by the choices, feeling frustrated, and under pressure. Dh wants to take our two kids and go to Disney, but he's unsure of the date...though it would probably be late November or the first week or two of December. One friend told me not to go in December because of kids getting out of college on break....another person told me the best time to go is in early November. Everyone on the boards here have different opinions....I understand that, but can someone give me a general run down of how they plan things?? I got one of those passporters, but I still feel overwhelmed! I have a dd who is going to be 7, and a ds who will be 5. My husband went one time when he was much younger, and the rest of us have never been before. He says he doesn't want to spend a ton of money, but would be comfortable spending more for some things only if we benefited greatly from it. We do not do waterparks, but we would like to make it a magical time for the kids by going to at least one character meal. We do not leave our children alone with people we don't know.....so those tea parties or whatever will be left out. I've got a ton of resources, I just don't know what I need to be working on now.....can someone help?
First I probably need to set a date - please tell me when it would not be hot, but warm, and that there would still be plenty to see (you know some places close down parts of a park due to seasonal issues such as weather), and a time when it would not be busy (dh is impatient, and will pass a ride up if we have to wait too long). Also, please tell me for first timers, what kind of park passes do we need to get, and how many days should we stay?? Last, is it easier to save money by putting it into disney dollars? I do know that we will be driving down, and would like to stay on disney property - someone mentioned on these boards about staying somewhere we can maximize our time at the parks. Thanks....I know I posted like this before, but I'm still feeling like this is more information than I know what to do with. If you could just list a general order how you plan for such a trip, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Poohnatic]

Hi, first take a DEEP breath. Okay, let it out slowly... (remember your relaxation breathing from having those two wonderful kids? Here's your chance to use it again!)

Your first step is to figure out when you want to go and how long you'll be staying. Many people will tell you November and December (except for the holiday weeks) are a quieter time of year to visit the parks and great for that impatient DH. The lines will be shorter. EVERYONE has a different opinion on what's best. (I'd love to go the second week of December-low crowds, holiday decorations. Never happen as long as I work retail management, though)

That said, pick your dates first. Once you have your dates in mind, you can decide what pass will work best for you. My family goes twice a year (two DS's, 3 and 7) and we do not spend every day in the park. We will have a 'pool day' or some other activity that is designed to recharge us--park touring is tiring! You do not have to buy 7 day hoppers if you stay 7 days. However, if you're planning a future trip and don't use all up your days, they do not expire.

You've got a passporter-that's great. I swear by the Birnbaum's guide and even carry it in the parks with us--even though I can recite portions of it by heart. It has some great tools in it- a list of all the character meals, listing which characters appear where, what food is served, and how much you'll pay. My family does several character meals each trip, because we feel they are a good value to get some good food and character time to boot.

Online research is also good. The DIS becomes an addiction, because you find so many people who love the mouse and love sharing their info with you. Some live vicariously by sharing their wisdom! Some will give you yard sale pointers to raise money for the trip, and others the packing list to make sure you don't forget anything. Besides the DIS, there are hundreds of web sites devoted to WDW trip planning. I've got a couple that I go to every day and some I check in with once in a while. I have two newsletters that I subscribe to and boy, it is great getting the WDW fix in the email box! (btw, they are www.mousesavers.com and www.allears.net).

Involve the kids in planning your trip. My kids first trip, we made a countdown calendar for the month before, with activities and treats each day(watch Mary Poppins, have a disney dessert, sing Hakuna Matata, etc), which made it a little easier on them. Now we ask what they want to ride, where they want to eat to figure out our itinerary for the days. Birnbaum make a Kid's Guide for WDW. It gives them an idea what to expect.

If you don't want to invest in numerous guides, many local libraries carry several different guides in their travel section. You can get a feel for which one is suited to your needs without wasting $$$ that you want for the trip.

I'm sure many others will follow with more great advice, perhaps not as long winded. And feel free to PM (private message) if you have any questions. We're all here to help each other!

Suzanne

PS We drive 15 hours each way twice a year. Need pointers for occupying the kids, feel free to ask!

 

[Michelemouse]

Okay...I'll try...

First, I would definitely choose the first week or two of December. All of the holiday decorations are up and it's just, generally, a magical time to be at WDW.

Second, I would stay onsite if finances allow. For us it makes a big difference to stay in the "magic" for the whole vacation.

You don't say how long your vacation will be, but I would definitely plan a full day at each park with an extra day at the Magic Kingdom and possibly EPCOT if you can. A day for non-park activities is also good. Mini-golf, window-shopping at Downtown Disney or visiting the other Disney resorts to see their holiday decorations can be lots of fun. And don't forget time for swimming. We have had good luck with weather in December. Occasionally it will be too chilly to swim but usually you'll get at least a day or two of good enough weather.

As for passes, since you won't need water park or Downtown Disney admission I'd go with the park hoppers or park hopper plusses. The length of stay includes those admissions and expire at the end of your stay. The park hoppers do not include admission to these attractions and the park hopper plus passes will give you admissions to those parks but those admissions will never expire, allowing you to use them on a future visit.

Well, that's a good place to start. Once you have your dates picked I"d reserve your hotel room and get your plane tickets (unless you are driving). Then (and only then), after all of that is complete I would start thinking of a basic touring plan.

My most important piece of advice for travelling with young children is to go slow. Do not stress if you don't see everything. WDW will still be there the next time you want to go. Make sure you take your time and enjoy the little things. That is what makes WDW magical.

Hope that was helpful.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

I agree the first two weeks of December are usually great, the weather is cool but not cold usually, the crowds are low and the decorations are wonderful! If you choose late November avoid the week of T'giving. The week after is usually good, I'm told.

Make reservations soon at a resort you can afford, then watch mousesavers for discount codes. Then call and have the code added to your ressie for a savings!

You've come to the right place for recommendations and suggestions on how to have a great time at a reasonable cost. The family board here is full of ideas for traveling, touring and all things Disney with kids.

Learn about fastpass and early entry so your hubby won't have to worry about lines at all.

I know it's overwhelming. You won't see everything the first visit but you'll have a great time even if you don't put in some planning and prep time, an even better time if you do. And after becoming an "expert" you can always plan another trip.

 

[house_of_princesses]

Our last trip was end of Oct/beginning Nov '02. Crowds were light, but we had a warm spell! We're planning another early Nov trip for '04. Another site that Diser's are recommending is TourGuideMikes.com. He used to work with celebrities, arranging their trips. He has since downloaded his info and for a fee, good through your trip date, he'll help plan, give pointers, etc.. Check out his faq's for a better understanding.

Good Luck! It's a bit overwhelming, but there is fun in the planning! Relax, enjoy!

 

[Janell Ebert]

Start by figuring out how long you want to stay. After Thanksgiving would be my suggestion Christmas decorations are up then. Book your room. Then your airline fare. Then have fun planning. Make your plans but if they aren't right for the moment ditch them.

 

[SeaWitch]

We always go in November or December (NOT a holiday week though) and the MAIN difference is the Xmas decorations are up after Thanksgiving. Either way though, the crowds are lighter, Florida is still warm during the days and cool at night. You will really enjoy it. The other plus to going in December is you could choose to buy a ticket to MVMCP (Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party) offered on select nights. We went to it for the first time last year and it was well worth the $$.

It can be a bit overwhelming, but you have come to the right place! These boards are a wonderful source of information... and you can ask for advice each step of the way. The passporter is a good tool as well.

My tip is that with a 7 & 5 year old, you will probably want to visit Magic Kingdom last! 'Cause once the kids see Fantasyland, they won't want to hang out too long at Epcot!

Decide on your dates and post another message. Plenty of people here to help!

 

[mudd]

I would love to be able to go in dec to see the lightsm but working retail not an option. I definitely would try to stay on-site. If you don’t mind a basic no frills hotel room one of Disney’s All Star hotels would be great check out Deb’s site for allot of price information, http://www.wdwig.com Staying on property it includes early entry into a park each day, to do the important rides before any crowds. Disney also has a great transportation system set up so no driving or paying for parking. You could also look on the dvc (Disney vacation club) board about renting points to pay for hotel expenses, (ie 40 points need to stay sun-fri at old key west during value season @$10 per point = $400 for 5 nights in a studio) Some non Disney hotels may offer bus transportation but at addition cost (some charge for this even if you don’t use it). Deb’s site also has an area to see menu’s and food prices, this will help with figuring out a basic budget. When DH and I go we share meals, most meals are large enough to do this. I would allow at least one day for each park and an extra day or so. Since the parks close earlier that time of year it leaves time for the pool at the hotel or miniature golf. Also you should check out dreams unlimited. They can book rooms, tickets plus help out with questions. Plus read these boards and ask questions everyone here has been quite helpfull for me.