I've booked!

[littlesos]

Well after all that wavering and hesitating I have just booked our very first trip to disney world!!!!

We ummed and ahhed for ages over whether to go with a studio or a 1 bed villa at OKW, we both wanted the 1 bed, but neither of us could justify the extra £500 cost. In the end I just pressed the button on the 1 bed ! eek.
It's what we both wanted, and this may be our only trip, but £500 is a lot of money. It really came down to being able to sit and read a book after the girls had gone to bed and being able to wash clothes easily. How mundane.

So we are going to OKW for 10 days, with DDP quite excited. Need to book some restaurants so suggestions please.
There's me, DH and DD(8) and DD(5).

Thanks for all your help so far.
Rach

 

[joolz1910]

Excellent news. More details needed! When are you going? We are staying in a 1 bed next Oct and I can hardly wait. Looks like masses of space.

 

[wayneg]

Great news!!

For food everyone likes different things, I could say don't goto Cali Grill we didn't enjoy it but then the next 6 people will say its the best place in Disney.
We had a great meal in Sanaa but others don't like it, its all down to the service/staff/food/experience you get for your meal.

All I can say is look at pics/menus/reviews but don't take a lot of notice of what you read, for every bad experience there are plenty of good ones for every restaurant, they would not survive if they were bad.

A few links to my threads/reviews on DDP the 1st one here from 2010 I put an index on post #730 to help you find them.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2524489&page=49

This year summer trip but you will have to skim thru I only did an index the one year.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2771370

1st time we did DDP in 2009, http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2249674

 

[littlesos]

We're going 5th Feb to 15th Feb.

 

[eeyorefanuk]

One of our favourite restaurants last year was Kona Cafe, and we liked Raglan Road at DTD

congratulations on booking

 

[Sapper383]

How exciting and a great age to take kids. I would recomend Akershus, we enjoyed the food and DD(6) loved meeting all the princesses. We also like Chrystal palace for breakfast, as you can get into the park early....love having photos in front of the castle without anyone else in them

The Hoop Dee Doo Review is great fun and well worth 2 TS credits

Have you also thought about the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, my DD loves it.

Happy planning

 

[Invisable89]

Well the best thing to do first is to look at the Disney Restaurant Menus, here's a link to them : http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm - You DO NOT book Dining Reservations at Restaurant Menus that have 'Counter Service' typed next to them.

Here's another good website to look at Disney Restaurant Menus but the menus aren't always up to date : http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningmain.cfm

Restaurants i'd suggest are (at the Parks) : Sci-Fi Dine-In (HS), Mama Melrose's (HS), Coral Reef (EPCOT), Via Napoli (EPCOT), Crystal Palace (MK), Plaza Restaurant (MK).

Downtown Disney : Rainforest Cafe, Raglan Road, Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

Resorts : Chef Mickey's (CR), The Wave (CR), Boma (AKL), Beaches & Cream (BC), 1900 Park Fare (GF), Kona Cafe (PR), Ohana's (PR),

That's just a few, there's many more!

 

[dixonsontour]

You need a princess meal - we love Akershus breakfast at Epcot - includes photopackage and is only 1 TS credit.

A few other character meals - Tusker house at AK is fun - donald, mickey, goofy and daisy. We also like chef mickey's - mickey, pluto, donald, goofy, minnie. Crystal palace 8am at MK is a popular choice - get you into park before opening so you can get some great pics.

I'd also recommend sci fi, whispering canyon, ohana, teppan edo - all themed meals - my DD who is 5 enjoyed all these.

She also loved coral reef eating by the acquarium.

We haven't done it but hoop de doo is v popular - 2 TS dinner show.

Lots of food pics - link in my signature.

 

[tinkerpea]

Woohoo!!!just wanted to pop by and say congratulations on booking your 1st trip, how exciting! When are you going? What ages are your children? Food wise there's not many places you can go wrong with in MO but then I just love Disney princess meal wise as PP have mentioned you cannot go wrong with Arkeshus one of the best character meals I have ever done! & I've done quite a few lol I have 3 boys so we didn't do it till last yr and I and the boys thought it was brilliant and the breakfast was yummy!! I also like coral reef, Donalds safari breakfast at Ak yak & yeti at Ak for lunch I live this non character lunch and don't think the place gets enough credit......best thing to do is do lots of reviews and look at menus for all the different places that way you can get a feel of what will suit your family, can't wait to hear all about your plans I'm going bk next sep/oct and can't wait I just had to book with the great deals they had for SSR with free dining!

 

[littlesos]

So I've slept on it, and now I'm thinking I really should have booked the studio rather than the one bed. £500 could buy lots of disney souvenirs.
Should I change? My daughters are 9 and 5. I'm sure we could manage in a studio.

 

[Rach78]

Hi Rach, another Rach here!

I have booked OKW studio for next October with 2 girls 13 and 5 and me and dh. This is our one dream holiday to wdw. I felt studio would be fine as we will never really be in the room. You do get a balcony/patio which you could sit on at night when girls are in bed, and I think OKW has washers and driers you can use if staying in a studio. Also I felt it was better for the girls to have a bed made up than setting a sofa bed up each night. I just made the decision based on money really as like you say its a lot of money and could go to other things, but I think it really depends on what you feel as a family. Good luck deciding and remember whichever you go with you will have a fabulous time!

Rach x

 

[wayneg]

So I've slept on it, and now I'm thinking I really should have booked the studio rather than the one bed. £500 could buy lots of disney souvenirs.
Should I change? My daughters are 9 and 5. I'm sure we could manage in a studio.

Something you have to decide yourself, we have stayed in a studio 3 times and will be a 4th next year, looked around a 1 bed & a 2 bed villa, yes they are nice but no way worth the money for us, we wouldn't touch the TV's, cooker, dryer, larger balcony etc everything we need is in a studio with a couple of trips each holiday to the free washers.
On the other hand there are people on here that would not enjoy a holiday in a studio and it would have to be a 1 bed minimum.
Also depends on your personal finances, we splashed out on business class flights last year, we could still afford to do whatever we wanted on holiday, if it had affected holiday spending I wouldn't have done it.
Also consider amendment fee (£75?)

 

[Sarah28]

Congrats on your booking! What a great feeling it is. Happy planning!

 

[higgy66]

We stopped in a 1 bed at SSR this year but only because of a mix up with the prices and the 1 bed was cheaper than a studio!

I have to say we never touched the kitchen once other than keeping drinks in the fridge but the studio would come with this, however, I did use the washing machine and dryer - setting it before we left and then it would be ready when we got home and that was very useful - we could have gone with half the clothes we took!

We ended up leaving the bed up once made rather than keep switching it back to a sofa but the girls grabbed the bedroom as soon as we got there and me & DH ended up on the sofa bed! I have to say it wasn't the best and I found it really uncomfortable! Managed to persuade the girls to switch on the last night and the bed was heaven! My eldest didn't sleep very well on the sofa bed!

My understanding is that the studios at OKW have 2 beds rather than 1 and a sofa bed so this would be a deciding factor for me and I would choose a studio and use the laundrette on site.

It was lovely having all the room but we're stopping at the Beach Club next year so back to a hotel room with 2 beds and I can't wait. I thought it would be nice having 2 rooms so DH and I could read when the girls had gone to bed but to be honest we all went at the same time as we were all just a tired!!

Whatever you decided will be perfect - it's Disney!

 

[Elise79]

So I've slept on it, and now I'm thinking I really should have booked the studio rather than the one bed. £500 could buy lots of disney souvenirs.
Should I change? My daughters are 9 and 5. I'm sure we could manage in a studio.

We are only a family of 3 Me, DH & DD (3) but there is no way we would book a studio - we always have one beds!

The sofa beds are no hassle as they fold with the sheets on - when we get back pull it out an put the pillows on and done!

Love having the washer in the room - I load it up on my way out the door of a morning and switch it to the dryer when we get back in the afternoon.

I enjoy eating in the villa - bringing back lunch and making breakfast.

And really the biggest thing for us is not having DD in the same room as us

 

[wayneg]

Love having the washer in the room - I load it up on my way out the door of a morning and switch it to the dryer when we get back in the afternoon.

Couldn't do that, almost every fire dept in the UK has it on their website not to leave washers on while out. In 2006 in the US there were 17,700 fires attributed to dryers or washers(or a combo) which resulted in 15 civilian deaths, 360 civilian injuries, $194 million in direct property damage.

Just a pet thing of mine leaving a washer on unattended, sad I know
http://www.dontgivefireahome.com/fire_safety/1415.html
http://www.bucksfire.gov.uk/BucksFire/News/2008/Firesafetytumbledryers2008.htm
http://www.taysidefire.gov.uk/news_article.php?news_id=133

 

[2Tiggies]

Just a pet thing of mine leaving a washer on unattended, sad I know
http://www.dontgivefireahome.com/fire_safety/1415.html
http://www.bucksfire.gov.uk/BucksFire/News/2008/Firesafetytumbledryers2008.htm
http://www.taysidefire.gov.uk/news_article.php?news_id=133

No not sad - Safe!! I am probably one worse than you going round the house before I leave for work in the morning making sure that everything is switched off, cooker off at the wall, all laptops unplugged .....

That's what i love about the moderate resort laundry rooms - always near the pool and I then have double standards by dropping the laundry in and going to swim until it's done, running back to transfer to the dryer ... and repeat!

 

[WiganTony]

When we first stayed at OKW in August 2010, DW was going to ask about upgrading from a Studio to a 1 Bed, but we found that the Studio was fine (albeit only three of us).

They are much larger than a "standard" hotel room, and we found we made good use of the kitchenette area for breakfasts before hitting the parks.

And the lack of a washing machine is no problem - we spent a couple of pleasant late afternoons around the Turtle Shack pool whilst the washing was being done, ehjoying the pool and some cold drinks. Sadly, we've not been able to replicate this back in the UK (even if we did have a pool in our garden!!).

 

[orangetiggs]

We stayed in one bed but only as it was cheaper than studio but next year we are staying in a studio

 

[dixonsontour]

We stayed in a studio 2010 at OKW and have booked a studio again for 2012.

3 of us - my daughter is 5.

You get 2 UK king sized beds in a studio and the kitchenette area - microwave, toaster, coffee pot, fridge(with a little freezer bit) ironng board etc. Bathroom is a decent size. There is also a table and 2 chairs.

We thought we would sit on the balcony whilst DD went to sleep but in reality we all went to bed more or less the same time (we tend to have a break and a swim in the pool in the afternoon)

We stayed in a condo this time - sat on settee about twice. Didn't use cooker or dishwasher - just fridge and toaster.

Laundry room is free at OKW. As only studios use it it was never busy - only saw one other person in there.

There are laundry room nr all the pools.

30 mins to wash, 30 mins to dry. I used them alot. Either in the afternoon when we were in the pool or sometimes at night would pop down.

We were in block 42 turtle pond - will be asking for that area again found it very handy for pool/laundry and snack bar for mug refills.

I tend to convert prices to dollars so $800 would cover dining tips and alot of spends or maybe a special treat like bibbidi boddidi boutique.