Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots of Questions!!!!

[Wagamama]

Ok, so here are my questions, but first a little overview of our (please, plesae come soon) trip.
Me: 21
Sister: 18
Cousin: 6

We want to have a good time and to go in June.

1. Is June in the Value season?

2. If we go around June 10-20th will the lines be horrendously long?

3. Which ALL Star resort is the best?

4. Will I end up in debt forever?

5. Is the Disney Club worth it? (ive seen all kinds of commercials about it)

6. Are the All Star Resorts within Walking distance of the MAgic Kingdom and Downtown Disney?

7. Are there any "adult" restraunts that will not only allow kids but also be nice to them?

8. Is it really worth it to go to Universal and SeaWorld?

Whew!!! I think thats it for now!!!

 

[Wagamama]

Any one?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[Mike J]

I can answer some of the questions :

1. Is June in the Value season? - June is considered Regular Season, value season is
Value Season - 1/1/02-2/13/02, 8/25/02-10/2/02, 11/3/02-12/19/02

4. Will I end up in debt forever? - As long as you take tips off of these boards, no

5. Is the Disney Club worth it? - Yes and No, depending on how much you shop at the Disney Store it may be worth it. I feel that this year for me it was after totaling the discounts on the theme park tickets, rooms and free offers they send you each month.

6. Are the All Star Resorts within Walking distance of the Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney? - They are not, they are the furthest away from both MK and DD

8. Is it really worth it to go to Universal and SeaWorld? - YES YES YES !!!

Hope this helps !

Mike

 

[Wagamama]

Thanks keep these tips coming!!!!!

 

[CarolynNC]

We've been in June many times and really enjoy it. Of course, we've been at lots of times during the year and always enjoy ourselves! June 10 - 20 is regular season. I find the earlier you go in June the lighter the crowds. With a little planning the crowds are manageable at any time. I've never stayed at any All Star except the Sports. I thought this resort was great. I think all the All Stars are similar. The major difference is the theme. I would also suspect the newer ones are in better shape. The All Stars are quite a distance from Downtown Disney and Magic Kingdom. You would need to use their bus service which I think is excellent.

As to being in debt forever.... a trip to WDW can be expensive. You have plenty of time to save toward your trip. You might also pass the word that Disney Dollars would make a great Christmas present. Try to avoid package deals. They can be more expensive (my opinion)!

As to the Disney Club, I haven't purchased the membership since I'm an Annual Passholder. I have compared cost of membership to savings and haven't found it necessary. Your results could be different. Figure how much you'd save on tickets and factor in 'possible' resort discounts and if that exceeds the cost of membership it's probably a good deal. You also get discounts on some merchandise at Downtown Disney. There are other benefits but I'm not up on the latest.

Adult dining - I think most places at WDW are kid friendly. My son has been going to WDW since he was 2 (now 14) and we've eaten in most of the restaurants.

Universal & Sea World - I think this depends on many factors, such as how long are you planning to visit this trip, and what kind of budget you're on. I love Sea World. I can take or leave Universal. If you don't have transportation you have to add those costs in your budget and the cost of tickets. If you haven't been to WDW before and you're only going for a week I think you should devote this trip to discovering what is offered. I usually devote all my time to WDW if my trip is for a week but if I go for 10 - 14 days I often include other attractions outside WDW.

Hope this is helpful. Read the boards regularly and you'll find lots of wonderful tips and save money.

Carolyn

 

[holycow]

1. Is June in the Value season? Not sure on that one I will have to check it out!

2. If we go around June 10-20th will the lines be horrendously long?
The lines are busy in June but they are pretty busy all summer long

3. Which ALL Star resort is the best? It is a matter of opinion which is best...if you do a search on the boards you may get more info....a lot of people like music....we stayed in the sports and it was fine for a budget hotel.

4. Will I end up in debt forever? Not if you plan accordingly! Start saving now! And check the rates at mousesavers.com to see if there are any deals on rooms at the time you go!

5. Is the Disney Club worth it? (ive seen all kinds of commercials about it) Not a member so
I couldn't help with that one...may help you with room discounts but not sure.

6. Are the All Star Resorts within Walking distance of the MAgic Kingdom and Downtown
Disney?
NO! They are the furthest resorts from MK and DTD! But they do have bus transportation all over WDW.

7. Are there any "adult" restraunts that will not only allow kids but also be nice to them?
All of the restaurants are kid friendly in my opinion, check out the restaurant site!

8. Is it really worth it to go to Universal and SeaWorld?
They are having good sales and if you have never been then yes, I would say go!
Universal had a lots of the fun scarey rides, and seaworld is great if you like sea life!
Hope this helped a bit!

Welcome to the DIS and have a wonderful trip!
Holycow

 

[Kaa]

Here are the answers I know:

1. That is not Value season. June is considered regular season.

2. I am not sure about this one. I haven't been that late in June. There will most likely be longer lines. If you take advantage of FastPass for the more popular lines, you will find it manageable.

3. The cutest theming is Movies in my opinion. All three All-Star Resorts are great. You will also have the option of Pop Century next year, which is Disney's newest value resort.

4. I think only you can answer that question.

5. According to the Disney Club's website, you will receive a 15% discount on the room rate during your travel dates. This is conditional however. The Disney Club discounts are limited, so the discount may or may not be available for your travel dates. You must be a member to check for the discount.

6. Part of staying at any Disney resort is the free use of their transportation system. The All-Star Resorts are not within walking distance of any park (with the possible exception of Blizzard Beach), but there is bus transportation from these resorts to all of the Disney theme parks, water parks and Downtown Disney.

7. I don't know of many restaurants that do not allow children. The only one that comes to mind is Victoria and Albert's. They may allow children, I'm not sure. I would think that as long as the child/children are behaved, the staff will be nice to them.

8. Again, these are more of a personal preference thing. I have been to Universal and I loved Islands of Adventure and hated Universal Studios Florida. I will advise that when we went to IOA, my son was 5. There are many (most) rides at IOA that he wasn't allowed to ride due to his height. You might find the same problem with your cousin. I haven't been to SeaWorld.

Hope this helps!

 

[Wagamama]

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[ncbyrne]

All of your questions have been answered in the previous posts. However, for us the Disney Club membership just wasn't worth it as we were never able to secure hotel discounts for our dates and we didn't buy enough in DD to warrant the expense.
And, if you are interested in staying close to Downtown Disney, you might want to consider one of the DD hotels. There are seven of these hotels located on Disney propert and 3 of them usually offer prices comparable to, or better than, the All-Stars. They are the Grosvenor, Courtyard by Marriot and the Best Western - all on Hotel Blvd, directly across from DD. The Grosvenor is the closest and is literally just across the street. These hotels also have bigger rooms with more amenities than All-Stars too.
All of the restaurants accept children - after all, it's Disney World! They are used to kids of all ages and all temperments, so you won't have a problem. Be sure to look over the menus (found right here on the DIS), and also keep looking at the posts on the Restaurant Boards for some good advice. If was after reading some posts that we made dinner PS at the fabulous restaurant in Wilderness Lodge - a FUN place to eat dinner for kids and adults!
Keep reading the Budget Board posts too. They can help you plan a trip that won't keep you in debt for a lifetime.

 

[adamak]

I'll try to add onto the others -

2. June is busy normally, so yes, lines will be long.

3. AS - Movies is more popular right now (maybe it's because it's newest). Personally I think Sports is better. The bus stops there first, and you can actually have really quiet rooms if you ask for one.

4. You won't be in debt forever if you plan ahead, and pay for hotels / plane tix before your trip. WDW is the one trip that you can control your budget.

5. Is DC worth it? In general, yes. But depends on (1) if you are staying on site (2) if you're renting car from National (3) how long you stay. AP rate gave better room rate, but you'll have to be there enough days to get it worth. National car, I haven't yet found a good rate for the Compact car. If you rent a van, then yes. The longer you're in Disney, the more discount you can use in restaurants / stores.

6. No. AS is not close to anything. But bus service is the most frequent.

7. All disney restaurants are nice to kids, even those out of control ones. You don't have to worry.

8. Seaworld is worth a trip, esp. the Discovery Cove. You cannot get that experience from WDW. Universal though it's so so (my opinion). It's pretty much your roller coaster theme park. You can get that from 6 flag.

Hope this help.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad says........................................................You need some real help, it seems you are clueless about WDW. I am not being mean, just stateing facts. I would suggest spending hours on these boards to get the information you need to have before you go. That said, here are the facts from Disnee Dad. 1. Don't go in June, go in late Oct, early Nov, or early Dec. Late Jan. is good. 2. See #1. 3. Try the new Pop Century that opens in Feb. 02, same as the All Stars, but it will be brand new!! 4. yes, if you don't learn a lot real quick. 5. Pass 6. Is this question for real?? It will take 2 hours to walk to MK and 90 minutes to get to DD. I think you need more help than I can provide. I will say this, WDW is about 6 miles wide by 7 miles long, just as an estimate. 7. The highlight of this post! All kids are welcome at almost all restaurants in WDW!! 8. This comes down to how much time you have. In a seven day trip you can not do 5 days WDW, 2 days USF. I am a commando dad, and last time and next time we are doing ten days. Six days park, four days relaxing. But we hit more in six days than "you" do in ten days, and we get to chill for 4 days. If you don't plan for some off days,you will suffer meltdown!

 

[Minnie's Mate]

Seems your questions have been answered several times over.

One piece of advise I will give you is to answer #4. If you follow the advise on the various boards here at the Dis, you will not only be able to go on your first trip without goint into debt, but you will also have a far more enjoyable trip. I have discovered hundreds of things about "the World" that I would never have known about in a dozen trips if I hadn't found this forum.

But back to your question, will you go into debt, not on your first trip; however, you will be hooked and may have to take out a second mortgage to pay for the many future trips that you will be compelled to take!!!

 

[Robinrs]

I can take a stab at a couple:

#6: I thought I was on that bus for my entire life from Magic Kingdom to All Star Music. In other words NO!

#7: If you check my signature, you'll see I'm not partial but for your ages, I'd say definitely YES. Especially to Islands of Adventure. It's an unbelievable park, wonderful theming and yes, it has a few coasters, but it is HARDLY just a coaster park. One day there and you'll love it. For more information, visit the USF half of this site:Click Here

Hope you have a great trip and for #4, NO, if you keep coming back to this board!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Wagamama]

Thanks everyone. Is it really going to be that bad in June? We have no choice but to go then, but i don't want to get heatstroke while waiting in long lines either.

 

[DisGo2Girl]

Arghavan:

YES - it will be that HOT in June. Remember, this is not in the forest. It is all sun-absorbing pavement. Just plan for it and remember, young ones feel the stress of heat sooner. Drink plenty of H2O and use sunscreen.

Also, All Star Music & Sports will not be as interesting to your young cousin as All Star Movies, with it's huge Dalmations, etc. You can actually walk between these 3 resorts, as their parking lots are shared.

No one has mentioned it, but when you stay at a Disney resort, your room key(aka resort ID) entitles you to free passage on all the WDW transportation systems. Buses run constantly from the All Star Resorts to all places Disney. You can also travel on the monorail and the boats that run between some of the resort areas and the Parks.

There are many websites related to WDW. One that I like is www.wdwig.com. The Disney site is very informative, too, at www.disney.go.com/disneyworld.. Spend a few hours looking at the information and message boards.

Have a great time!

 

[madison66]

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[mmouse37]

Don't book with Pop Century Resort.....it has been put on hold indefinitely!!!!!

Also, pick up a copy of Steve Birnbaums Official Guide to Walt Disney World.....it is a very informative book and can answer so many questions for your. It runs about $15.00 and can be found in any Disney Store or book store.

Good Luck.

Check out www.Mousesavers.com

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

Don't book with Pop Century Resort.....it has been put on hold indefinitely!!!!!

Also, pick up a copy of Steve Birnbaums Official Guide to Walt Disney World.....it is a very informative book and can answer so many questions for you. It runs about $15.00 and can be found in any Disney Store or book store.

Good Luck.

Check out www.Mousesavers.com

MJ