Hi all I'm new here and planning our 1st trip to Disney, to say I'm confused is an understatement!
I really need advice on a couple of things and you guys seem to really know your stuff!
We're staying at CBR for 2 weeks, have upgraded to middle dining plan. I have made a few ADRs but will probably wing it for the others, really wanted to book BOG but there's absolutely no availability the whole time we're there.
The questions I have are:
Can you get water to drink in the parks without buying it? I understand the resort mug can only be used at CBR.
I have no idea what to book fastpasses for as we've never been before, does anyone have any suggestions? My daughter will be 11 so I'm not sure if she'll be bothered meeting princesses etc. Husband and daughter do love rides though, I'm the bag lady!
Any guide on spending money? We dont want to take loads but also don't want to run out.
With the dining plan I'm concerned that there won't be enough food as its only 2 meals a day, plus the snack, my daughter isn't one to fill her belly to last hours so I know we'll end up buying things in the park.
Does anyone know if the resort's actually take any notice of special requests? Long story but I suffered a terrible leg injury over Christmas and will likely still be in pain and have reduced mobility so am going to ask the travel agent to add that we need a room close to facilities or I'll never be able to cope.
That's all for now but I'm sure there'll be more questions, thanks in advance for any advice, I've been stressing so much about this trip!
First and foremost do not stress!! It's a vacation so treat it like one! What I like to tell newbies is don't to try to do it all. If you do you WILL stress yourself out. 2 weeks is plenty of time to see and do everything you want! My top tip for newbies planning is to sit down with your family and choose you "must-dos" for each park. Make these your top priorities and let he rest fall into place. Also, take breaks!! Growing up, we would always head out to a park in the morning, come back to the resort mid-day for some rest/pool, then head back out to a park refreshed! If you try to push yourself to go all day, especially on your first trip, it will become tiring and a lot less magical in my opinion.
On to your questions!
Dining Plan
I personally have never used a
Disney Dining Plan mainly because to me it's too much food and would be waste of money. My main travel companion is my mom and neither of us are big eaters. One trip a family who was checking out gave my mom and I their leftover credits -- they had 16 snacks left over PLUS some QS credits! We couldn't even use them all! With that being said, I don't think you need to worry about your Dining Plan not being enough food. One little tip I've picked up from Cast Members regarding the dining plan is to learn what qualifies as a 'snack.' For example, if your family isn't big on breakfast you can use your snack credit for a yogurt or some fruit and that can be breakfast. Just because breakfast is considered a "meal" doesn't mean you have to use a QS credit for it. Where the Dining Plan will really save you money is on TS meals.
Water
Depending on when you go, some places WILL have some self serve water stations. For example, during the hot months Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom will have this for guests who are waiting for their reservation since they have to wait outside. However, this will be little dixie cups not the amount you are probably thinking of. Just because the resort mugs are only good for refills at your hotel you can still bring them into the park with you and fill them up at water fountains. This is TOTALLY acceptable. Also, Disney allows you to bring in your own food and drink into the park. You can use the Garden Grocer service and purchase a case or two of waters to be delivered to your room for your arrival day. THIS will save you money on water when in the parks -- especially since you can take them in with you! When it comes to saving money on water/water bottles I would definitely recommend taking advantage of Garden Grocer especially since you will be there for 2 weeks.
Cash
My trips are usually 5nights/6 days and will take a couple hundred cash with me. I'll use this for snacks, quick serve, & souvenirs. Use your discretion as to how much "walking around money" you feel you will need. We tend to do half spend cash/half charge to the room. Room charges have a limit of $1,500 - just a number to keep in mind.
Special Requests
In my personal experience the resorts have been awesome with special requests. I always call and request a room in a specific building/section/floor/location and more often than not I get my wish! You don't have to go through your travel agent, you can just call the hotel directly.
Give them a ring and tell them your requests for a building close to the food court and on a GROUND FLOOR. CBR DOES NOT HAVE ELEVATORS AND IS VERY SPREAD OUT. They do have an internal shuttle to take you to each section but I would highly suggest you look at the resort map and have an exact section and/or building to request. (I've inserted a link below) '
B' on the map is Old Port Royle Centertown. This is the main stomping ground with the food court, pool, gift shop, etc. Looking at the setup you will want to request to be in Trinidad North or Martinique. Also notice the '
A' on the map signifies the check-in area and where the DME will drop you off. Another really cool link I've added is from Touring Plans. Thye have a room finder section for each resort on their website along with lots of facts all to help you request the right room! I've used this alot myself
CBR Map
http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/disneys-caribbean-beach-resort
Room Finder
http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/disneys-caribbean-beach-resort
FastPass
Magic Kingom: 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan (always longest line in Fantasyland). You can also FastPass lunch at BOG they have a separate website for this which I have listed below
https://beourguestlunch.disney.go.com/
Epcot: Soarin' and Test Track
**You will have to choose between the two. You are not allowed to have an FP for both at once. Soarin's line can be boring so I would suggest to choose Soarin' over TT
.
Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania, Rock N' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours
**You will have to choose between RnR and ToT. I would suggest taking an FP for RnR because the line can be very boring. ToT has great themeing throughout and shade which makes the wait a lot more bearable.
Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safari & Expedition Everest are the musts! Other good ones to FP are Kali River Rapids and Dinosaur (I went on Dinosaur for the firs time when I was 10 and was terrified; it's loud, dark, things popping out at you)
Hope this helps you and helps to ease your stress!!! Remember to have fun and enjoy all the magic!!
Out of curiosity, what ADRs do you have booked?
