KJ and Crew
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2008
- Messages
- 85
Hi everyone, we just got back from 7 nights, 7 park days, and the Basic Dining Plan. I wanted to give a brief review of "what I learned as a first-timer" tips. 
1. When you arrive at the airport in Orlando, you will WAIT for the Magic Express... after a long or tiring flight, you may not have been prepared for the long line to check in to your bus. It was worth it, and the cartoon they showed got our kids in the mood for some Disney Magic! Being prepared for this wait will help. On the way back, a cruise line bus took us to the airport. We would NOT have gotten on board if another woman hadn't told me the cruise line was taking us to the airport! (not sure why, but the cruise line bus was fun and we got to see the cruising videos -- very nice!!)
2. I called about the Bounceback (which is extended with new dates through Dec. '09). There is a flier in your room that looks like a clock, but the updated dates are not on it. Just call!
3. POR: the room was bigger and nicer than I thought from the pictures. There was plenty of shelf space for clothes and toileteries! Kids loved jumping back and forth between the beds! The campus was SO BEAUTIFUL we couldn't imagine staying anywhere else. We also loved the HUGE newer play ground in a gorgeous shaded setting! Great pool, and it re-opened from the refurb the day we got there!
Later we viseted the BC/YC area, and realized maybe we could stay somewhere else...
4. The magic is there if you slow down and enjoy it!! Stop rushing around! Both my boys got the stomach flu and ONLY IN DISNEY can you still have an amazing trip while your kids are sick! They are the ones who forced us to slow down a bit as we took it easy during the worst of the 48 hours, and it was the best thing that happened to us (slowing down, not the illness!). 
3. We tipped $5 a day and the mousekeepers gave us towel designs everyday EXCEPT the two days we left them notes apologizing for the vomit all over the sheets and towels!! I wonder if that is a coincidence?
4. There will be TOO MUCH food on DDP, I don't know how anyone can use all the credits. Since the character meals and nice restaurants cost us more for ONE meal than an entire day of DDP, it still saved us money even with the extra CS credits we couldn't use.
5. Getting there at rope drop will save you HOURS in wait time.
6. During Mardi Gras the crowds from LA are significant, and make the parks more crowded, but bearable. And the LA people were among the nicest!
7. BUSSES: we thought they were fine at first, we had pixie dust and always got a seat and the a bus within minutes. But then when we had time sensitive reservations, we ran in to fluke waiting times! You do need to leave over an hour to get to a reservation, they are not kidding!! Also it gets really old to be standing on your feet in a crowded bus w/ small kids -- esp. when you are exhausted! Leaving the parks before the fireworks or 45 min. AFTER it closed seem to help...
8. IT IS an AMAZING place of beauty and wonder. Your kids will TEST your patience (look around, they are all doing something! ), but a "spoonful of medicine" will make a world of difference as you model appropriate joy for the kids! Honestly, we were not always as gracious, but towards the end I realized we needed to keep their spirits up with positive redirection (such as, "we can go to such-and-such a show, or you can go do homework." ).
9. The DISers are right: don't overestimate your kids (we did at first). They get tired, they get overstimulated, and they can't eat greasy nuggets every meal for a week. I've heard it said all over the DIS, an afternoon break at your resort will do WONDERS for you and the kids!! One day we made rope drop for MK, went back for a swim after lunch, then returned for dinner and fireworks! It was a perfect day... not too busy! I admit we did NOT do this at first b/c we didn't want the inconvenience of the bus back and forth, but it IS worth it!
Feel free to ask any questions about the Feb. stay. Oh, and ALWAYS bring a sports jacket b/c it gets cooler in the evenings!
Hugs to all... I'll add more if I can think of it!!
KJ
PS: on to all this laundry!
1. When you arrive at the airport in Orlando, you will WAIT for the Magic Express... after a long or tiring flight, you may not have been prepared for the long line to check in to your bus. It was worth it, and the cartoon they showed got our kids in the mood for some Disney Magic! Being prepared for this wait will help. On the way back, a cruise line bus took us to the airport. We would NOT have gotten on board if another woman hadn't told me the cruise line was taking us to the airport! (not sure why, but the cruise line bus was fun and we got to see the cruising videos -- very nice!!)
2. I called about the Bounceback (which is extended with new dates through Dec. '09). There is a flier in your room that looks like a clock, but the updated dates are not on it. Just call!
3. POR: the room was bigger and nicer than I thought from the pictures. There was plenty of shelf space for clothes and toileteries! Kids loved jumping back and forth between the beds! The campus was SO BEAUTIFUL we couldn't imagine staying anywhere else. We also loved the HUGE newer play ground in a gorgeous shaded setting! Great pool, and it re-opened from the refurb the day we got there!
Later we viseted the BC/YC area, and realized maybe we could stay somewhere else...
4. The magic is there if you slow down and enjoy it!! Stop rushing around!
Both my boys got the stomach flu and ONLY IN DISNEY can you still have an amazing trip while your kids are sick! They are the ones who forced us to slow down a bit as we took it easy during the worst of the 48 hours, and it was the best thing that happened to us (slowing down, not the illness!). 3. We tipped $5 a day and the mousekeepers gave us towel designs everyday EXCEPT the two days we left them notes apologizing for the vomit all over the sheets and towels!! I wonder if that is a coincidence?
4. There will be TOO MUCH food on DDP, I don't know how anyone can use all the credits. Since the character meals and nice restaurants cost us more for ONE meal than an entire day of DDP, it still saved us money even with the extra CS credits we couldn't use.
5. Getting there at rope drop will save you HOURS in wait time.
6. During Mardi Gras the crowds from LA are significant, and make the parks more crowded, but bearable. And the LA people were among the nicest!
7. BUSSES: we thought they were fine at first, we had pixie dust and always got a seat and the a bus within minutes. But then when we had time sensitive reservations, we ran in to fluke waiting times! You do need to leave over an hour to get to a reservation, they are not kidding!! Also it gets really old to be standing on your feet in a crowded bus w/ small kids -- esp. when you are exhausted! Leaving the parks before the fireworks or 45 min. AFTER it closed seem to help...
8. IT IS an AMAZING place of beauty and wonder. Your kids will TEST your patience (look around, they are all doing something!
), but a "spoonful of medicine" will make a world of difference as you model appropriate joy for the kids! Honestly, we were not always as gracious, but towards the end I realized we needed to keep their spirits up with positive redirection (such as, "we can go to such-and-such a show, or you can go do homework." ).9. The DISers are right: don't overestimate your kids (we did at first). They get tired, they get overstimulated, and they can't eat greasy nuggets every meal for a week. I've heard it said all over the DIS, an afternoon break at your resort will do WONDERS for you and the kids!! One day we made rope drop for MK, went back for a swim after lunch, then returned for dinner and fireworks! It was a perfect day... not too busy! I admit we did NOT do this at first b/c we didn't want the inconvenience of the bus back and forth, but it IS worth it!
Feel free to ask any questions about the Feb. stay. Oh, and ALWAYS bring a sports jacket b/c it gets cooler in the evenings!
Hugs to all... I'll add more if I can think of it!!
KJ
PS: on to all this laundry!
