meals and going to parks questions

[lucky4you]

Hi everyone! I just came back from a trip. We stayed at POP this time. We go about every 2 years. We are thinking about staying at the fort next time. In reading some posts, it seems like not many people drive to the parks. Is this the case and if so, why not? We always drive to them. I can see why some staying in hotels wouldn't drive because they may have flown in. Also we normally stay 7 nights and get 5 day park tickets and do mk twice. This time we did legoland on the other day. Do any of you camp for that short of time? Trying to see if it is worth it or if i should add in some non park days to enjoy the campground. Do any of you get the meal plan? My boys will be 9 and 7 at the time. So they still get the cheaper rate. I don't know how much time we will have for cooking. We do sometimes do cold breakfast that we bring with us. But i like to do dining in the parks before they open. I'm sure I'll have more questions later. TIA!

 

[Flametamr]

Where you stay is a personal and financial decision only you can make. The cabins are fairly expensive. Unless you get free dining with it you would have to add the cost of meals to your budget. We drive a lot. For several reasons. First I have a handicapped daughter that uses a wheel chair in the parks. Sometimes we are pressed for time and the buses can take a while especially when you factor in them loading and unloading her. That's even if we can fit on the first second or third bus. We also like that we don't have to wait in long lines to get back home at night. We go to the parks late in the mornings and stay until close most days.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hi everyone! I just came back from a trip. We stayed at POP this time. We go about every 2 years. We are thing about staying at the gort next time. In reading some posts, it seems like not many people dtive to the oarks. Is this the case and if so, why not? We always drive to them. I can see why some staying in hotels wouldn't drive because the may have flown in. Also we normally stay 7 nights and get 5 day park tickets and do mk twice. This time we did legoland on the other day. Do any of you camp for that short of time? Trying to see if it is worth it or if i should add in some non park days to enjoy the campground. Do any of you get the meal plan? My boys will be 9 and 7 at the time. So they still get the cheaper rate. I don't know how much time we will have for cooking. We do sometimes do cold breakfast that we bring with us. But i like to do dining in the parks before they open. I'm sure I'll have more questions later. TIA!

We 'never' drive to the parks - or anywhere, really. We like to relax and leave all transportation to Disney. Some folks would rather use their personal vehicles, so it's your choice.

People camp for various lengths of time, and depending on how far you drive can also make a difference. We usually stay about 10- 14 nights (drive our mh 630 miles) Also, whether you cook and eat at the Fort, or not, is a very personal decision. We enjoy eating our meals out, so mostly just snacks at the mh, but it's cheaper for us to eat oop as we are light eaters, so never get the meal plan - a dessert at every meal would be way too much for us. We also enjoy trying snacks around the parks instead.

So, definitely, 'no one way fits all'!!

 

[tiggerdad]

The driving to the parks question is strictly individual. I don't drive because I despise driving a large truck in crowded places that I am unfamiliar with. Also, I don't plan a lot of meals so as to keep me off a "schedule". I've heard many people say that taking their own car was faster, but I don't get in a hurry on vacation.

Also, I get much more secret information from the bus driver than those of you who drive to the parks.

 

[RMColosimo]

I have to say my vacation will be a success if once I hit the fort I don't have to drive anywhere in my car.
However, my wife and I are thinking about going to some other resorts to look around, so we might drive out to the Animal Kingdom Lodge one night to see it, and of course if we need any supplies we will drive off site to get those.

But I hate driving, so the internal transportation is just a nice way to get around for us.

 

[tobikaye]

When we stay at FW (cabins), we normally drive to every park but MK. Usually this is because my sister has a phobia of being left places and prefers our own car. Normally, when staying at FW, I do prefer to drive since the car is right there and not parked in a lot.

We do eat at the cabin quite a bit. We usually have a hot breakfast and many times dinner. Although, the last time, we did hit the take out window at TE a few times and made a trip to DTD for EoS. We also picked up pastries and breads in France at Epcot. I have never done a dining plan at WDW, no matter which resort I stayed at. It has never made sense financially or the way I eat. Luckily everything I have been when FD was offered, I got better % off deals where I stayed.

 

[PEC]

I would like to say it is not only personal choice it can be case by case per vacation for the individual. I have driven to the park but also used Disney Transportation (I love the slow boat from FW coming into view of MK). I have done the DDP, cooked at the campground and OOP atthe Parks and resorts. It is kind of what best suits you for a particular vacation. I would make sure you give yourself some time to enjoy FW. 1st Day could work. If you are going to AK it is a shorter day. Maybe shorten one of your MK days some. It really depends on how you want to vacation this time. I have had some go better than others but I can't say I ever had a Disney vacation go bad. HEck even when at the Fort in a tent and it rained every day I had fun (the wife just made it the final decision to get a pop-up.

 

[peg110]

I concur with what most have already said. I especially think @PEC summed it up well.

While you didn't say whether you would be staying at the Fort in a cabin, Pop Up camper, Travel trailer, Fifth Wheel, Mobile Home, or even a Tent, each can have an impact on your "Cooking" options. Obviously cooking in a cabin on a regular stove is easier than cooking on a Coleman stove at a tent site. So there are a lot of options. We have done the DDP and liked it. We have also done the cooking/eating most meals in the camper (we have a 27' travel trailer). Almost always we will have some meals at the parks or DTD whether it's OOP or with the DDP.

I also recommend some time exploring the Fort as there is a lot to offer if you are that kind of person/family.

We do a "Hybrid" with the driving. Sometimes it depends on the days schedule/plan. Usually will take the boat to MK but if going to Epcot or AK we drive. HS is a hit or miss depending on how we feel and how much of a hurry we are in (or not). The thing is, is if you have a vehicle, it's always an option, and options are always good. Just know that each of the parks can be gotten to by the Disney transportation, usually have to give about an "Hour" lead time though, so keep that in mind.

Enjoy the Fort either way. You will find very friendly people (and even squirrels) there.

 

[sapdaddy2]

I will second what everyone has just said that how you eat and travel is a personal decision.

As for us we have to travel 1500 miles one way to the fort and try to go every 4 years and we stay for 2 weeks. After pulling my Travel Trailer for almost 3 days I don't want to drive all over the world. We always use Disney transportation as it adds to the experience of being at Disney and the kids love it. I only drive to the grocery store while there. As for meals we don't count meals eaten in the TT as part of out trip budget but part of the house budget because if we are cooking it at the fort or home it is the same thing. We do go out a few times for meals and those come out of the trip budget.

 

[ForeverAlice]

We drive a little and sometimes take the monorail to Epcot. But we spend almost all of our park time in MK so we take the boat and skip driving there. We do drive to HS and Epcot each once during our trip. We also drive to DTD once so the kids can shop. (AK at this point we just don't bother with) We also drive about 12.5-13 hours to get to WDW, so like some others have said we don't like to be driving much once we arrive, but I get sick on the bus! We get the dining plan and cookout twice at our cabin and have breakfast about 3 times there as well. We really love the boat to MK! We go every night when we are at FW!

 

[my3princes]

We take the boat to the MK, but typically drive everywhere else. Well actually I drive and the hubby enjoys vacation without driving. We share the long trek driving from Vermont with the Travel trailer, but once we hit the Fort he hands the keys over until we are heading home.

 

[jhomuth]

As for us we have to travel 1500 miles one way to the fort and try to go every 4 years and we stay for 2 weeks. After pulling my Travel Trailer for almost 3 days I don't want to drive all over the world.

We pull ours 1100 miles, with 5 kids, and I know how you feel sapdaddy2! We go every 2 years, and stay 15-16 days as well, and get 10 day passes, no parkhopper or waterparks.

We learned early on to factor in lots of campground time, especially right before we leave. One of our first trips we did MK and then left the next day and I was so upset to not have just one more day at the Fort. And there are days when my kids will beg off from the parks because they just want to have that day at the Fort. It's that awesome and magical!

As for transportation, we typically use Disney, especially MK (we love the boats) and Epcot (we love the monorail). Although even for Epcot we usually drive over to the TTC to catch the monorail. Hollywood Studios we sometimes drive, sometimes take the bus. And AK we always drive, but we only go once per trip anyway since it's our least favorite. Typically we'll drive anywhere where the only other option is a bus. Mainly because taking the buses always takes so long, and with 5 kids it's a huge headache. I'd much rather be comfy in my own vehicle and not have to struggle with folding strollers, etc. I imagine as the kids all get older, we'll probably bus it more, but still drive some.

We usually plan for breakfast and one other meal at the trailer, and one QS meal a day (I don't like going back and forth more than once a day from the Fort to the parks).