Hi. Newbie intro with some Q's

[SimbaDog]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to intro myself. My wife and I have been big fans of Disneyland since our honeymoon in 1997. We have since been back at least 9 times. Last being with my teenage siblings (3) about 3 years ago. This year we decided to take our neice and nephew. I've been promising too take them for years, and my nephew finally has gotten too 48". We jumped all over the $1,500 special and gave it too the kids for Christmas. It absolutely made our Holiday. We were counting down the days until they opened their present (which was a suitcase for each with a Mickey or a Minnie in it) instead of counting the days until we left the snow. This site is great. We've been lurking for a few days now and finally registered since we have a few questions we was hoping people could help with. I'll post them here and see if the response is good. If not I'll try other threads. Thanks in advance.

We will be visiting 1/12-1/18. Staying at All Star Sports (been too Music and Movies already). Last time we went at this time the parks were a ghost town. I've never seen anything like it all the times I've been! It was unseasonable cold though, high in the low 40's. It was in the teens in New England though, so it was great for us. We took my younger sister horse back riding for her B-day and it was 28*, that's cold in any state.

My neice and nephew are very picky eaters and I would rather just get groceries and bring lunch too the park. The problem is car rental. We are doing the Magical Express, so wasn't planning on renting a car. Do they rent cars out of the resort? Any idea on the cost for lowest model? Can you rent for 1/2 days? We have already reserved a refrigerator in our resort room.

I remember last time we went we reserved a dinner spot and Hollywood and Vine and got reserved seats for Fantasia. Is there any other resturants beside H&V that do this? My wife wasn't real impressed with the resturant. I like buffet, she doesn't.

Anyone know what the maximum age for children too pre-board on Southwest air is? I always see people do this when I fly and I was hoping to finally be able too take advantage of pre-board.

Pal Interactive Mickey. Is he worth the 70 bucks? I just read about him on this site. Never heard of him before and never seen anyone at the park with one. I'm thinking if he is going to help the kids get chosen to participate in parades, etc. he is wotrh it. I'm a huge technology buff and this sounds like a cool item. Pros, cons? The new and improved seems to be the one too get, but the older one can be found on e-bay cheaper.

Pin trading. I think this would be a real cool thing for my neice. Any links for more info? I went to the Disney store in the mall in hopes of finding the lanyard with a good amount of starter pins that I know I have seen in the souveneir stores in the parks. They do not carry them in the mall store. The cast member did say they sell the pins though. Is that the best place too buy the pins or should I just buy the lanyard from the souveneir shop?

Thanks for any and all help!

 

[safetymom]

Welcome to the DIS. I would break down your questions and ask them on the different boards here.

For pin trading use http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37
Theme park questions http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2
Disney restaurant questions http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14

You will get more responses this way. You will find tons of information here that will help you with your trip to WDW.

 

[byoung]

Welcome.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

What a wonderful Uncle you are. I hope you have a wonderful trip and welcome.

 

[Minniespal]

Welcome to the Dis

 

[allboyz]

Welcome!!! I think I read that Avis and National both have rental places on Disney property. Don't quote me on that though. I'm pretty sure I read that though. Anyway, I think that is such a nice thing for you to do that for your neice and nephew. It is something they will never forget. How did they react when they opened it. I would have totally freaked out if someone did that for me...

 

[SimbaDog]

Thank you everyone for the welcome.

Welcome!!! I think I read that Avis and National both have rental places on Disney property. Don't quote me on that though. I'm pretty sure I read that though. Anyway, I think that is such a nice thing for you to do that for your neice and nephew. It is something they will never forget. How did they react when they opened it. I would have totally freaked out if someone did that for me...

My neice was jumping around like a nut "we're going to Disney? WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!" My Nephew is more mellow, but very excited now. I let them watch the vacation planning DVD and gave them maps of the parks. They have been circling everything they want too see, which is everything. I thought I remembered a rental car desk last time I was at All-Star Movies.

 

[allboyz]

Thank you everyone for the welcome.



My neice was jumping around like a nut "we're going to Disney? WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!" My Nephew is more mellow, but very excited now. I let them watch the vacation planning DVD and gave them maps of the parks. They have been circling everything they want too see, which is everything. I thought I remembered a rental car desk last time I was at All-Star Movies.

That is so sweet! Hope you all have a wonderful trip!

 

[Bryce's Mom]

I checked in my Disney Books from Frommer's and Birnbaum's and could find very little about rental cars other than advice to get them at the airport. I don't think they rent by half days. The book said that after taxes it would be about $50/day. I'd call the toll free WDW number and ask where to rent one on the property.
As for the trading pins, my son (age 7) went wild over those things since the cast members have to trade with kids. We bought a lanyard with one pin and then acquired a few more (about 7.50 each) and he had fun continuously trading those. I have not found a place outside Disney to buy the lanyards, but another option is to purchase a safari-style hat and put the pins around the brim.
Pal Mickey- we bought one at our resort and my son carried it everywhere for the week we were there. It plays games and gives facts about the park, which he liked, but it has hung in his room for the past six months untouched. My advice would be to rent one. You can rent one for $8 a day, for a $50 deposit you can keep him the length of your stay and then turn him in. If you choose to keep him your deposit turns into your purchase price (according to Fodor's WDW 2005).
Hope you have a great trip- I wish I had relatives like you when I was a kid!

 

[makinorlando]

You are going to have an awesome time - My sister is bringing her grandson who will be 6 for his first trip her in April. I am so excited. He has never been anywhere...... so this is going to be the trip of his life so far!


From Mousesavers.com
There are Alamo/National locations on-site at Walt Disney World, which is very convenient should you wish to keep your car for only part of the trip.

I know you mentioned you were using the bus to Disney from the airport, but if you were thinking of renting a car just to get groceries, it may be just a reasonable to take a limo service from the airport. Many of them will, with advance notice, make a grocery stop for you.

Also from the Mousesaver website, they recommend Happy Limo -and they appear to have a discount code. http://www.mousesavers.com/limo.html From what I see at the Happy Limo site it would be about $50 to Disney (maybe you could then do the bus on your departure). I am sure you could rent an economy car for less than $50/day, but you would have to figure in the time it takes to get the car and drive to the market.... sometimes it is worth a couple extra dollars to save time and convenience.

Pin trading is fun for the kids. My DD8 has just gotten into it. When I buy pins they are usually something I don't want to trade, so we aquired some "non special" ones that she started trading with. The CMs will always trade with children, and they can trade two at a time, as long as what they want to trade does not already appear on the lanyard (I would bet that some might do it anyway) - they usually have 12 pins. It is fun to see what new pins we have at the end of a day, and after the initial investment - it's a free activity. You can buy starter lanyard sets at the stores (probably at the airport too) that have 6 pins or so, and the lanyard - around $50.

I live in Orlando now, but when we fly to and from Phila on US Air, they don't have a preboarding for families with children - I was told because everyone has kids - they have pre-boarding for those who need extra time or assistance. I don't know if other airlines have different policies - they are the only one I use!!!

 

[SimbaDog]

I checked in my Disney Books from Frommer's and Birnbaum's and could find very little about rental cars other than advice to get them at the airport. I don't think they rent by half days. The book said that after taxes it would be about $50/day. I'd call the toll free WDW number and ask where to rent one on the property.
As for the trading pins, my son (age 7) went wild over those things since the cast members have to trade with kids. We bought a lanyard with one pin and then acquired a few more (about 7.50 each) and he had fun continuously trading those. I have not found a place outside Disney to buy the lanyards, but another option is to purchase a safari-style hat and put the pins around the brim.
Pal Mickey- we bought one at our resort and my son carried it everywhere for the week we were there. It plays games and gives facts about the park, which he liked, but it has hung in his room for the past six months untouched. My advice would be to rent one. You can rent one for $8 a day, for a $50 deposit you can keep him the length of your stay and then turn him in. If you choose to keep him your deposit turns into your purchase price (according to Fodor's WDW 2005).
Hope you have a great trip- I wish I had relatives like you when I was a kid!

I called the 800 number and they had me call Alamo direct. Pick-up is available from the Disney AAA car care center. I was told by cast member it is located near Epcot. Alamo took reservation and gave me a phone number to call to send shuttle to All*Star Sports. Cost $41.00 for with taxes for a compact and had a coup for a free class upgrade whcih would be mid-size. Car can be returned as early 6AM following morning. Should work out good. I kind of wish I had an earlier flight in now, but it is direct and I hate the airport in the morning. Now we can make our usually stop at the Race Rock Cafe and pick up groceries, water, whatever we forgot, etc.

As far as the lanyard, I purchased 2 online, new with tags for $1 each. One is a patriotic USA logo and the other the incredible Hulk. Kids can use them too carry their water bottle too. I also found a place online through a yahoo search that sells a "grabbag" of pins, mousepinsonline. I bought one of them so they will have a good start.

Gonna skip Pal Mickey.

 

[SimbaDog]

I live in Orlando now, but when we fly to and from Phila on US Air, they don't have a preboarding for families with children - I was told because everyone has kids - they have pre-boarding for those who need extra time or assistance. I don't know if other airlines have different policies - they are the only one I use!!!

I'm the same with Southwest. They are the only ones I like too fly with. The dis-advantage, if you want to call it that, is Southwest doesn't have reserved seats. They give you a boarding group A, B, or C to get on the plane. Seats are first come first serve by group. With pre-board you are the first one on the plane and get the best seat. For $59 each way, direct flights, how can you beat 'em! I called them today and pre-board is for children 4 and under, so I can't take advantage of it.

 

[safetymom]

The Car Care center is outside MK not Epcot.