Part VII:
Random thoughts
in no particular order
which I guess is what random means
.
DDP:
The dining plan costs me $99.96 per day. 2 adults (me & 10 yr old dd) and 2 children. The baby is free. Divided by 5
.thats 19.99 per day per person. Yes, I am aware that there is no way the baby can eat that much
.also, I am aware of the issues or should I say controversies surround the ddps use
but the way I figure it
it costs me $20 per person
.(for the sake of argument
dont include the baby
its still $25 per day.) I think under $100 per day to feed a family of 5 is great. It doesnt matter if 2 of them are small
it would still costs the same if they were 2, 5 & 9.
Anyway, I added up the costs:
MK : $124.22;
MGM: $112.46;
AK/DTD: $162.09;
Resort: $60.05.
I also spent $13.74 OOP.
My total costs for the plan was $399.84. We spent $458.82. We saved $58.98 on the DPP before paying taxes & 18% gratuity.
Would I do ddp again?
I think yes during the next few years. As my children get older I may have to reconsider because when DS2 is 3, DS1 will be 9
that will add another $10.99 to my day (assuming it doesnt go up
yeah, right). The next year, I will have to add another adult to the package because DS1 will be 10. Can my petite DD1 (who will be 12 at this time) eat all this food? Yes
but we were sharing desserts & appies with everyone
.When DS1 is considered an adult
we will have much more food
.I just think that might be too much food, fat, & waste.
The point might be moot
.they just may do away with the ddp by then!!
Travel:
I would never drive to WDW (11 hours) alone with 4 children
.especially when 1 is in diapers & one is 3. If they were older, I might consider it
if I were going to make a detour to the beach or something. Flying, the way to go
.more expensive
but you get to spend more time at the parks.
This brings me to the issue of flight times
.it was
NOT worth it for me to take a late night flight just to save $30 per ticket. Yes, it was $150 saved
but we were up until after 1:00a and dragged the next day (at least I did).
CARES seat belt harness system for children 22-44 lbs. Use in lieu of car seat if you are not renting a car. You can not use a car seat in the ME bus so unless you are renting a car, I wouldnt bring one. I am not saying to hold your baby or not buy him a seat
invest in the CARES system.
www.kidsflysafe.com (I am not affiliated with them).
Solo adult?
Should you bring a nanny or good friend? Depends on the ages of your children. My older ones were 10 & 7 and with the purchase of a GO phone I felt comfortable letting them go on rides by themselves. I always waited for them to come off the ride. If this had been my first trip, I would have felt like I was missing out since I couldnt ride BTTMR, EE, SM, etc. Since Ive been many times, it wasnt a big deal (except the EE thing). If my children were older
and could ride all the rides, Id go by myself in a minute.
The next time I would try to bring someone or go with another family so that I could have someone there to help me with the kids
.AND I would stay longer. If it were another short trip
Id go alone again.
Luggage:
Pack as much as possible in as little as possible
.I packed for 5 in 2 large roll on bags and 1 childs roll on. The small bags are easier for them to manage. My 3 yr old could pull one (but was too slow so she was confined to the stroller). Everyone has black suit cases
.get a different color. Tie a ribbon to your handle if you do have a black one
.NOTE: lots of people use RED ribbon. Everyone was using the WDW tags that ME sent as a souvenir. They are cute but dont hold up to airport handling
we lost 2. I put an address sticker under the wheel mechanism so that I can be sure that my information is on the bag.
Stroller: Rent or Bring?
If you are flying, bring your own and gate check it. Even if you are driving
if you have room, bring one
youll save $18 day.
OH OH OH OH
I just remembered
.at MK they had an express stroller rental outside the security stand. I remember thinking Id wished theyd had that last year.
If you wear your baby, bring a sling, wrap or pouch and stick it in your bag. It will come in handy during long waits in line.
Where to stay:
On site. I love the delux resorts for large families...the family suite at ASM and the standard queen with bunks at AKL were only $140 difference in price for 4 nights.
Waiting for Rides:
If youve done the ride before & its not a big deal, skip it if the line is really long. If you are alone you really cant do Baby switch or FP. During crowded time, Id definitely skip instead of wait lines
.again, it really depends on the ages of your children & how patient/tired/happy they are at the time.
Pictures:
Take plenty. Down load to laptop
.or get a 1gb scan disk
.use photopass so that you can be in some of the pictures.
Bring your video camera. You will want to see these priceless images later.
When to go:
Take your kids out of school and go during the
LOW attendance time. The first 3 weeks of December used to be great
now I think its hit or miss.
Get to the parks early. Although we were there during a crowded time, the parks were not crowded until after lunch. The earlier you get there the better. Take advantage of having babies who wake up early
head out early.
Stay late. I have also found that when the parks open really late, say midnight, its less crowded from 10-12a
.do you want to keep a baby or toddler out that late? Its your call.
At the parks:
Use fast pass. Bring your own ponchos
.usually can be found at the Dollar Store
instead of buying $7 wdw ponchos. They all work the same
.except maybe the wdw ones are thicker. If you have little ones, hit fantasy land first & get it over with.
Dining:
Make your ADRs in advance. Buffet lets under 3 eat free. Table service is more expensive (get more value out of your ddp) but you may consume too much food. Buffet & fixed pricing are good if you have several little ones not on ddp. You can get walk in service at most Table Service restaurants
IF you are willing to eat right when they open. I was told by a CM that they have a limited number of walk in spaces only available from 11-3p. (told this at MGM).
Airport:
If possible, have someone available to send you off & meet you at the airport
they will help you out by carrying some of your luggage. And everyone feels awesome when they see a loved one or friend waiting for them outside the gate.
Well, I think thats it. I hope this trip report has given you some ideas and the courage to go to WDW with your kids
.even if its by yourself.
Have a great New Year.
Here's to many more vacations!
for people that volunteer to help on buses, especially crowded ones. I remember one very crowded bus at the end of a very tiring day. Nobody offered to let me sit down even though I was holding DS, who was about 20 months. They all looked tired, too! A sweet little grandmotherly type asked if he would let her hold him on her lap. He did and I was so thankful!
