Leaving on Saturday and FREAKING OUT!

[EricsFirstTrip]

We leave for Disney on Saturday. This is my first trip ever. I have most things figured out, but there are a few little things that are annoying me.

First, we are staying at Orbit One Villas, which are right off of Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway/194.
Does anyone know if it has wifi? I don’t want to lug my laptop down there if there is no connection.

Are there signs saying “Animal Kingdom ” or “WDW this way”? (My wife is directionally challenged.)

Foodstore – some people have mentioned a Super Walmart or Walmart Superstore. Does it have a regular food store attached to it or is it something else?

There also seems to be a Kings Supermarket right around the corner, is this any good?


STROLLER RENTAL – we have a 4 year old so we thought we’d bring/get a rental. $50 - $60 for 3 days seem outrageous. Is there a Goodwill or Salvation army store in the area? I’d buy it, use it for 2-3 days and then give it back. (Address would be great)


For WDW. Do you park in the parking lot, get on the monorail and take that to the park?


If my kids are on a ride (or in line) can someone from our party take all our passes to a Fast Pass machine on another ride?

How early do you get to the parks, to be there for the opening? Say the park opens at 9AM. Are you pulling into the parking lot at 8AM, 8:30AM?
We don’t have to be the very first person in line, but we want to walk right in.

How bad is traffic getting into the parks at say 8 am?

What one thing would you do outside the WDW parks themselves? - I have a two boys - 6 years old and 4 years old.

Any good, off the path place to eat you would recommend?

 

[Microcell]

Ok... First.. breathe!

We leave for Disney on Saturday. This is my first trip ever. I have most things figured out, but there are a few little things that are annoying me.

First, we are staying at Orbit One Villas, which are right off of Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway/194.
Does anyone know if it has wifi? I don’t want to lug my laptop down there if there is no connection.I don't know.. sorry.. maybe call them?

Are there signs saying “Animal Kingdom ” or “WDW this way”? (My wife is directionally challenged.)Nah, they make you guess! There are signs. You might also want to go to google maps because you are talking about 48 square miles of land there.. I would get directions to and from all the parks to your hotel.

Foodstore – some people have mentioned a Super Walmart or Walmart Superstore. Does it have a regular food store attached to it or is it something else? I have a Super Walmart (technically Walmart Superstore.. I call it madness myself)down the street from where I live. It is all one building with food on one side and everything else you could possibly ever need on the other. They also have tons of Disney stuff for cheap there in Kissimee.. shirts, mugs, keychains you name it!

There also seems to be a Kings Supermarket right around the corner, is this any good? I do not know as there isn't one where I live. I seem to recall from a 60 minutes episode on bad meat there many years back that it appeared to be regular grocery store sized. I am sure the meat is fine there now, I mean they got busted on national TV and I think my 11 year old DD was 3 at the time.


STROLLER RENTAL – we have a 4 year old so we thought we’d bring/get a rental. $50 - $60 for 3 days seem outrageous. Is there a Goodwill or Salvation army store in the area? I’d buy it, use it for 2-3 days and then give it back. (Address would be great)Again, not from there but am a big fan of google.. so here you go:
Goodwill
1363 E Vine St
Kissimmee, FL 34744-3603
(407) 932-0002

someone else might come along with a better one.


For WDW. Do you park in the parking lot, get on the monorail and take that to the park?Magic Kingdom you will park, get a tram to the Ticket and Transportation Center where you can choose to ride a ferry or take the Monorail to the front gate. People say the Monorail is faster but the Ferry is a nice boat ride the kids might enjoy! At the other three parks it is like a regular amusement park where you park and take a tram to the front gate. If you plan to park hop you can take the monorail to epcot and back.


If my kids are on a ride (or in line) can someone from our party take all our passes to a Fast Pass machine on another ride? I am the designated fast pass getter. Nuff said!

How early do you get to the parks, to be there for the opening? Say the park opens at 9AM. Are you pulling into the parking lot at 8AM, 8:30AM?
We don’t have to be the very first person in line, but we want to walk right in. I would say if you don't care about your place in line then 8:30 should be just right to get to the front, watch the show and go into the park just in time for Rope Drop! You might want to park at around 8:15 at Magic Kingdom to allow time for the ferry or monorail ride.

How bad is traffic getting into the parks at say 8 am?We havent driven in so long I cant really help you with that, but you are going during a slower time than say, mid summer so it shouldn't be too bad!

What one thing would you do outside the WDW parks themselves? - I have a two boys - 6 years old and 4 years old. We don't do much ourselves other than maybe go to Clearwater Beach in Tampa which is about an hour and a half drive. Much prettier and warmer than Daytona.

Any good, off the path place to eat you would recommend? We havent gone many places in Orlando so hopefully someone else can help you there!


Have fun!

 

[Rm3idm]

Don't freak it, it's a vacation... We stayed at Orbit One Villas and were very pleased. 2 years ago they did not have Wifi, however, I'd call them to just to make sure.

Yes, there are signs to help you get from park to park but print out a map from online because the place is HUGE.

If it is a "Super" anything then yes, it will include a grocery.

Can't help you with strollers... my kids are too old.

Yes, someone can take all the tickets to retrieve your whole groups' fast passes.

We like to get to the parks 30 minutes before rope drop.

 

[chrisw127]

Hi. Congrats on your first trip. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time!

Some info on grocery stores and on ordering food delivered to your room: http://everythingwdw.blogspot.com/2009/10/off-site-grocery-stores-around-disney.html

I like the idea of donating your stroller after the trip, but I don't know if I would want to rely on finding a stroller at Goodwill on such short notice, nor would I want to maneuver around off site too much if it was my first trip--it can be a confusing area to drive in. Have you considered renting a stroller from an off site source? I've used Orlando Stroller Rental and their prices are fair and they are great to deal with. You could also try Craigslist in your area. Worse case scenario, Babies R Us has had coupons out lately for 15% off baby items--you could always pick up an inexpensive umbrella stroller there.

The one thing I like to do outside the parks is a quick trip to Mall of the Millenia. It's just a great mall. I've done Gatorland and a few other minor attractions and they were so-so.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[EricsFirstTrip]

Thanks for the help. Last night I made the list of little things left to do. While it is large, it is not unmanagable.

I like the idea of getting a stroller off Craigslist. If I find one, it will get a one way ticket to Orlando and be able to enjoy its senior years in sunny Florida!