Help planning please! :)

[KD2005]

Frist thank you for even looking at my questions!
I want to provide a little backround prior to posing my questions. We are a family of four who are planning our first and maybe only Disney vacation. I have always dreamed of going to Disney World however my husband is not a Disney lover and neither of my kids are over the moon about it like I am! They are a 7 year old girl and 9 year old boy, they are very quiet children who do not like loud or busy places in general. Neither ever got into Disney movies or princesses even despite my love for it all. They are happier just going to a cabin for a fishing trip. Okay back to the questions. We have decided on a week vacation next January/February. Thinking this time of year because it should be slower. My son does not like rides of any kind so if some are shut that is fine with us. They are more wanting to go to Epcot to the countries.
Would you go to Disney world in end of January or end of February?
Which is the better time for less waits and cheaper price? We want to keep the vacation at like $5,000 and stay at a Moderate. Thinking moderate as they look to be more quiet and laid back and not too expensive but would have loved the WL if it was in the budget. Any ideas if that would be worth the cost? We don't plan to go to the parks every day.
We also looked at a cruise as we have never done that either and wonder if that would be enough Disney for everyone? Would you do a Disney cruise instead of visiting WDW? I worry that on a cruise we would be apart more than together!
Wow that is a long post! if you have kept reading thank you and I would appreciate any tips on the above questions or ideas how to get my kids excited and wanting to go on this trip!

 

[Greenfield1984]

Hi and welcome KD to the insanity that is Disney Planning.

There are books that can be written just to answer those questions you've posed.

As a matter of fact they have been written and really should be looked into as they will ease you, step by step, into all the various areas of Disney planning and answer your current questions as well as those questions you didn't know you had.

The two I recommend are The Unnoficial Guide to Walt Disney World , as well as Passporter to Walt Disney World.

Get them both. Well worth the investment as they are invaluable.

Other then that be sure to get the Disney free vacation planning DVD. Disney sends it to you free of charge and gives an overview of the parks and the cruise line. Sit down with the family and see how they respond to it.

Disney is like no other theme park out there. Your son who doesn't like rides may not realize these types of rides exist.

I didn't do rides either before Disney. Six flags wasn't for me. I too am more reserved but Disney rides are different.

But start with the books and DVD and then continue to ask questions on these boards.

Good luck

 

[jennab]

I think the end of Jan & beginning of Feb are slower than the end of Feb. We went end of Jan 2 years ago and it was great! Only downside is weather could be colder so you have to wear layers and undress throughout the day. It was probably 40s in the morning and 70s in the day (we are from MN so this was still warm for us). They usually also offer discounts this time of year like 20-30% off rooms so keep that in mind. That may allow WL to be in your budget!!!

 

[tink9702]

end of Feburary is often school vacation time in the Northeast, not sure about the rest of the country though. It would be colder in January than February and FL weather that time of year is warm during the day and cold at night so prepare for that. prices are cheaper at Disney then.

Never been on a cruise so can't speak to that part. Good luck deciding!!!

I'd check out the Animation Academy at HS for your kids and they will probably like rides like Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean even if they aren't big ride people.

 

[KD2005]

Thank you guys for your help! We are from Iowa so winter in Disney will seem warm to us even in January! We are leaning more towards January, so now just to narrow every thing down. There is so much to think about and plan!!

 

[MikL99]

You sound like me when i was planning my first trip last year. I felt like this would be the only time i could take my family on a trip like this. My family had never been to Disney before (except for my wife). I can tell you that Once i got there on Day 2 i looked at my wife and said i can't wait till we come back. My two son's are also not big ride people. They enjoyed more of the eating and the Dumbo ride. Oh and we stayed at POP century and my total trip with airfare for a family of 4, dining plan was around 5,000. Hope that helps.

P.S. Now all i do is sit here and plan my next trip. Won't be till Aug 2016

 

[MouseTale]

Congratulations on planning your trip. Have you considered staying at the Fort Wilderness cabins? They are similar price to a Moderate resort and sleep up to six people. Your children could have separate beds. And there is a grill outside and picnic table for cooking meals together. There is a pool, water craft to rent, horses, a petting zoo, fishing excursions and more. As far as the time of year? Just try to avoid Martin Luther King weekend and President's weekend as the prices are higher. Have fun.

 

[MonoMan]

We have been in both January and February and January is definitely less crowded but the weather has always varied - on one trip we had to wear hats and gloves for a day, and on another trip we went to the water park because it was so hot and sunny. As long as you're not expecting hot and sunny everyday and pool time everyday, you should be fine.

IMO you can get a ton of information online about planning so you don't really need to buy books.

If you haven't already done it, I would look over the park maps, downtown disney attractions and resorts with your family to see what does appeal to them because as you plan it can help you make decisions. For Epcot, they sell a passport for kids (approx $10) and they can stop at each country's Kidcot station and have it stamped. We also saw kids with their own "sheets" which I'm guessing they made at home to collect the stamps. Also, each resort offers their own unique activities, so make sure the research those options when selecting a resort. WL is fantastic and might be in your budget if they offer any deals, which typically they do in Jan/Feb timeframe.

I would also request the free disney cruise dvd. The cruise was an amazing experience for us and has continued to be a great vacation for us. There are many activities to do on the ship and off the ship, but again it depends what appeals to your family.

Wishing you the best with your planning!

 

[Happyjen27]

I might be dreaming a bit, but I think they'll love it. Have they ever been on a vacation they didn't love? If so, what did they not like about it? My kids spend more days camping than they do Disney-ing, but, both vacations have a place in their heart.

I have 2 quiet kids also. We would spend about 4-5 hours in a park at a time, max. Then we would need a break, away from the noise, stimulation and busy-ness. We would recharge at our hotel by the pool if weather permits, or even just watching movies or playing cards.

The 3rd week of February is a very busy time at Disney, however the last week looks clear. I think all of January except for MLK weekend is expected to be low crowds, although there are some marathons to plan around here and there. Overall I think both times are comparable.

For me, the only thing worth the cost at Disney is location, location, location. You have older children and so Moderates would be fine as far as transportation because they will not have breakdowns waiting for buses like little kids might. So, a moderate is a great choice. I will admit I started with a 5000 budget and ended up at 8000 each vacation. You get on the DIS, and you see all these amazing hotels, and you get a little DIS-lust for nicer properties. Although the DIS helped me more than hurt, that's for sure, with all the amazing planning advice and hints and tricks, I more than "got my money's worth", even with the newfound desire for a deluxe resort.

Cruise vacations and land vacations are so drastically different, it's hard to say. I've never been on a Disney cruise, so I can't say whether that's enough Disney for your family, but, I will say that when I think Disney, I think the land vacation. When I think of Disney, I think of the land vacation, riding on the Jungle cruise, walking down Main Street to see Cinderella's Castle, and riding rides. I know your son doesn't like rides, but, I wonder if some things, like Tales of the little mermaid or Peter Pan, will be acceptable to him. Show him some youtube videos and see if he would be willing to try these very mild rides.

If I had to pick Disney on land, or Disney on Sea, I would go land, totally. I will also have to admit that cruising is not my favorite type of vacation. My family enjoys cruises, but, they aren't my best favorite.

 

[KD2005]

Thank you so much for the information! I think that the kids will love it too. They just can't imagine what it will be like. They have loved every vacation that we have gone on so far so why stop now?!?

I think we're going for the Disney World. I worry I will be too disappointed if we don't see the "world"! Next up is deciding on the resort! I am leaning towards the French Quarter thinking that it will be the most quiet location for everyone to relax but worry how long it will take to get around from there? I would love to go for a delux but worry that the cost would be way too much and my DH will have a heart attack (He already thinks Disney is over priced). I don't think that we are a family that would be able to tolerate a value just because of the size and loudness.