Help planning trip!!!

[mickeylove2]

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new here so bear with me please! I've found so many great ideas on the boards here so I know someone will be willing to help me out. Here's my story: My husband and I will be taking our first trip to Disney World in Oct. 07. We have two children, both girls 6 and 4. We will be driving from MD and staying at Shades of Green. (Timeshare) We already have our tickets, 5 day park hopper, and we will be doing the Princess Tea Party while we're there. We don't live extravagant lives so any tips on how to save $$ would be greatly appreciated! Also, is there anything that we absolutely must do? This is all so overwhelming! Thanks

 

[laceemouse]

If you are staying at SOG on Disney property it is a military resort, not really a timeshare. My husband is retired Coast Guard and while we have never stayed at SOG we have gone there to eat and buy tickets a couple of times. It is a great location! They have their own bus system, separate from the WDW buses, but you can also walk across the street to the Poly and jump on the monorail or a bus there (anyone with tickets can use the WDW bus/boat/monorail system.) SOG is beautiful since the remodel and their rooms are large and nice. You will love it!
Some people swear by the Disney Dining Plan, but personally we have never felt it necessary to buy it (very expensive for 6 people!) You can't get it at SOG anyway. They have a reasonably priced breakfast buffet at SOG, and if you have a fridge you could keep some drinks, snacks, and maybe even some breakfast and lunch stuff in your room. We generally book one TS meal per day for our trip and eat cheap for the other meals.
Your kids are going to love everything! Just get the WDW planning DVD and a few good guidebooks (the library usually has some) and decide what it is you most want to see. My kids love all the parks! Just make sure you plan some down time to swim and relax too!
Have fun planning!!!

 

[fterie4u]

Hi! We are going to Shades of Green in October too! We are going 9/29-10/06. It will be our dd first trip! She will be only 18 months! We have a bunch of our famiy going as well.

Anyway, as the pp said, SOG is a military resort so I am not sure about the timeshare thing. As for saving $$$, they do have pretty cheap food at SOG, especially their buffet! We book a TS each day for dinner and then go easy on the CS for lunch. For breakfast we usually buy some milk, cereal, granola bars, etc. from the shop in SOG and keep it in our room. We either hav that for breakfast or there is a Coffee place that you go through when you go out to cath one of the buses. We sometimes grab a muffin and/or some fruit.

Have you made your food ressies yet for your trip? Feel free to ask anything, I would love to help you!

 

[mickeylove2]

Oops, I don't know why I typed Shades of Green, we are staying at Orange Lake.

 

[mickeylove2]

Other than the Princess Tea Party, we haven't made any reservations, I wasn't sure if I really needed too!

 

[fterie4u]

Other than the Princess Tea Party, we haven't made any reservations, I wasn't sure if I really needed too!

Yes, I would highly recommend you make ADR's. With the Dining package offered people make alot more reservations and do Table service meals more often. Have you had a chance to look at the restaurants? Try www.allearsnet.com and look under Dining then oull up the Menu section. It will give you an idea of what they serve and what the prices are. Let me know what questions you have, I will help in any way I can!