Getting started - First trip for my daughters...

[slconnors]

Hi there,
I am planning on taking my 2 daughters (ages 5 & 9) along with one of my parents (so 4 people total) on a trip focussed on the Magic Kingdom sometime between Sept '15 and June '16. We are looking to stay onsite for 4-7 days. It'll be my daughters' first time there. My last visit was about 20 years ago.

Is the first place to start determining when to go?
If so, of utmost importance is price of accommodations, with a close second the least crowded time at the park.

We don't plan to spend too much time in the room so budget is fine - but preferably we would have a suite for some privacy for my parent (if it's my mom coming I could share a queen with her, if it's my dad we would need separate beds and then pull-outs/beds for the two girls. One bathroom is fine. Do these requirements rule out the value resorts?

Is the second step booking a flight and the third booking the resort?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LizEN]

Yes, pick your dates based on crowd calendars. The hotels are generally cheaper at those times anyway. If you don't buy a package, you can reserve your accommodations whenever you like as you will be able to cancel within the cancellation period and rebook something else if you find a better deal. So my order is dates, accommodations, flights, tickets. Mousesavers.com is a good resource to help compare hotels and they offer discounts to some in their newsletter. I use Touringplans.com to check crowd calendars and make my daily plans.

Do you care if you stay on site? We didn't our first visit when we only did MK. There are a lot more options for suite hotels off site and way more affordable. I personally dislike the value resorts and would only book one if I had no car and no other option that fit my budget. But I know plenty of people who like them and I'm sure someone will chime in to let you know if there are any that can work for you.

 

[MandiC]

Right off the bat I can say if first priority is price and second is crowds you want to look at 'value season'. We went early February, which is value season so things are priced cheaper (everything from resorts to food prices at restaurants) and it also happens to be a low crowd time. We also got Stay-Play-Dine on top of the value priced room so I feel like we got a good price overall.
As far as room, a suite at a value is more expensive than a standard room at a moderate though. I know we got a room at Port Orleans Riverside that sleeps 5, it has two queen beds and a murphey bed. You could sleep in one bed with one child, your dad in the other and the other child on the murphey bed. It would be cheaper than a suite, though less privacy overall. The toilet/shower IS separate from the sinks/mirror though so someone can be using the bathroom/showering while others are getting ready privately. If you can make it work you will be paying less at a better resort than a suite at a value.

Since flights can't be booked as soon as rooms I would think rooms then flights would be the typical route. We booked in September for a February trip, mainly because we hadn't planned on going so when my dh told me to book it for February, I did since flights were already out I did look to flights first, and we based our dates on when we could get the best deals on flights. However, we booked after the date when we could make dining reservations and while I still got everything I wanted this could be a factor for you if you want something that books fast for a certain time.

 

[kteeter]

I like to use WDWPrepSchool list http://wdwprepschool.com/big-chart-the-best-times-to-visit-disney-world-in-2015/ to pick a date. Then look at past hisorty to see when Disney has offered Free Dining. We went last week Sept/first week of Oct and got free dinning as well as in Feb. We like the Mod Resorts, CSR or CBR- you can book now and if you see a deal pop up call have them apply it to your vacation.

 

[sullyfam]

Definitely look at crowd calendars and prices at different times of the year to help determine when you will go. There are different "seasons" at Disney where prices can vary drastically depending on if it's a value season vs. peak etc.

Once you have your week picked, I would explore all the resorts and check your options for a party of 5. The suites at the values (All Star Music & AOA) are going to be more expensive than the single rooms at the moderates in most cases, BUT you'd have plenty of room, some privacy and 2 bathrooms. You could also do 2 value rooms if you wanted to explore that option. That might still be cheaper than a suite.

Then you'll want to pick what kind of package you want. Do you want park hoppers, water park options, add a dining plan etc? Once you're at your 6 month window you can start making dining reservations which is always fun and planning your itinerary.

Lastly would probably be the flights. Maybe I'm weird but I usually don't book flights until a few months before hand (if that). I've done it as close as 6 weeks beforehand.

The GOOD news is there is SO much information out there and websites to help you with all this planning! Enjoy! I find the planning to be half the fun