Need first timer tips- I'm new to the board!

[mommyofthreeboys]

Okay...first timer here. I'm planning a March 25-29, 2006 trip. I have lots of questions I hope you can help with. DH and my boys are going. ages 12, 7, and 4.


1. Someone told me they went during Spring Break several years ago and it was so crowded at the parks that they put up "At full capacity" signs and was not allowing anyone else to enter? Should I worry about that?

2. Should I get the dining plan? We're not BIG eaters but like to drink (I know- alcohol isn't included) and I don't have a problem spending money on food. (I worked 12 years in the restaurant business so I like food!) I won't be wasting time packing snack food in the park because for me- it's easier to pay for a sanck then lug it around all day. So- yes or no on the dining plan?

3. Staying at POR. ant first timer tips for this place? best transportation?

4. Should I take advantage of the EMH for not? Is it busier at those parks on those days?

5. We are staying 4 nights. Should I add the waterpark option? Will I have enough time to fit it all in?

6. Has anyone tried out an iteniary service out? Such as Tour Guide Mike online. He says "My vacation planning techniques, attraction & entertainment advice, and Sample Park Tours are not available anywhere else." Is it worth it and does it work? See- my DH really doesn't want to go so I have to make this a really good trip so I don't want to spend alot of wasted time in lines and just not sure where to go and what to do on any given day. Can you help?

7. After checking out on the last day- I would like to head to the beach. What beach (we are heading north) should we go to?

8. How long should I expect to wait in line to meet a character?

9. What is the weather like then? What should I pack- any sweatshirts or jeans? What do we do if it rains?

10. How much spending money should I bring? (I'm on a budget!)

Any other first timer tips would be helpful.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[pepperw23]

There are more experience people here than me. I would highly recomend the dining plan though, based on what I have read in here.

 

[Our2Girls&Disney]

I am not an expert, I am new to the dis, but I can make some recommendations.

(1) Check out touringplans.com for crowd levels.
(2) Can't say, I have not ever done the dining plan, but people on the dis board love it.
(3) ?
(4) According to the Unofficial Guide to Disney World, crowds are always higher with EMH.
(5) My personal option, 4 nights is not enough to see everything, but if that is all you can do, then do it. As far as water parks are concerned, if that is something that you want to accomplish on your trip, then you should do it. How often do you vacation in WDW?
(6) I have not ever used a tour guide, but the Unoffical Guide has one. You can rent that book from the library for free.
(7-10) I'll leave those questions to the experts.

 

[Hoosier Mom]

For average weather for your trip go to weatherunderground.com and click on trip planner. Then type in Orlando FL and your travel dates. It will give you avg high and low and chances of precip. Hope that helps.

 

[ellyn2000]

I can't answer all of your questions either, but will weigh in with what little I know that you can apply to your trip. 4 days is not enough time to see all of the parks and enjoy water parks, too. I would skip the water parks this time and just try to have some pool time @your resort. I did subscribe to Tour Guide Mike's site to find any tips that I may not know about. I considered it worth the money, but if your budget won't allow it you can get many, many good tips here. I chose the dining plan for our upcoming trip, but consider it a splurge. Usually I'm tied to a stricter budget and we plan 1 or 2 table service/character meals and have counter service/food court for the rest. You can find reasonably priced meals @WDW. I do suggest you look at the park maps and have an idea of what attractions you must see/do so that you have an idea of where to start when you arrive at each park. Be flexible and have a wonderful time.

 

[DisneyBill]

Maybe a couple of points. If you stay at a WDW resort, I believe you're always guaranteed admission to the 4 theme parks, not the water parks however.

I'm a big believer in the evening EMH because crowds do thin out shortly after the regular closing times, but the morning ones just seem like an earlier crush of people.

You didn't mention, but you may find with little kids the Park Hopper option may benefit you for this vacation.

You may want to try your luck at ADR's now to see if available times/locations meet your expectations. Otherwise the Dining plan may not be the best this time around.

As for your last question, bring all you got. The mouse will take whatever you have.

Have fun!

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

Rather than try to answer your questions please allow me to suggest you go over to allearsnet.com, mousesaver.com, and the DIS home site of wdwinfo.com. You will find tons of information about everything related to WDW. Then if you have specific questions post them on the appropriate boards so the experts on them can help.
Welcome to the DIS and happy planning!

 

[beejer]

Have fun planning. At first it is overwhelming but makes such a better trip. My husband and I love the dining plan. Our trip last August was free dining: one meal would have been $157.00 and another was $127.00. When you consider the plan includes tax and tips you can't beat it. Even with kids who don't like a waiting for meals, you can use it for character breakfasts and dinners. It does require planning though, but very manageable.

 

[Disney Crazy Debbie]

You said that you booked your stay at POR and asked about transporation. I never stayed at POR only an POFQ, which is right next door. Transporation is fine with the bus being the only transportation to the parks; however, there is a boat that you can take to Downtown Disney.

I agree that 4 days will barely cover the time to see the 4 major parks. For your first visit I would also suggest the book, The Passporter to WDW. There are many speciality titles so make certain that you get the right one (I prefer the spiral notebook one) but the thing I like about it is that it has nice sized color maps of each park and you mark them, remove them, make notes, etc. Then there are suggestions for crowds, etc. plus pockets for your paperwork and it makes a great memory book.

I've never had the dining plan but if you want to see what is available at the restaurants check out allearsnet.com where menus are listed.

Remember you just can't see it all. Look at a guide book, have a family meeting and see what they want to see and then make a loose itinerary and relax, have a good time. Just add pixie dust!

If you haven't ordered the WDW vacation DVD planner I'd order it on the Walt Disney World Resort web-site (it's free) and when it arrives watch it with your family. It helps to build the excitement and lets you get an idea of what to see.

Disney Crazy Debbie

1975 - Holiday Inn, Orlando
12/75 - day trip
2/76 - day trip
4/76 - day trip
6/81 - Lake Buena Vista
4/83 - day trip to Disneyland
9/2000 - Caribbean Beach Resort
8/2004 - Port Orleans French Quarters
8/2006 - Beach Club Resort

 

[joanchris]

As has been said, 4 days is a short time, I would not try to do a waterpark, the pools at the hotel are fun. We went for 7 days and barely fit a few hours in at a water park. IF you do decide to do one, I think for one visit it's cheaper to just pay at the gate for the admission than to add the option (since it gives multiple visits) to your tickets.

I found Tourgidemike very helpful, mind you he will NOT provide a "plan" specific to YOU, sample plans for each park depending your circumstances (ie, families with small children, thrill seekers etc) Even though my family didn't fit into a category well, I found it useful as far as many of his tips to avoid crowds, doing things in a logical order that will enable you to get done what you want during the time you have. He does have a money back gaurantee...if your not happy after your trip, let him know and he WILL refund your money (I read a few posts from folks who requested thier money back and did get it no hassles).
We had hopper options and never hopped (but we had more days, you may want to hop to see everything you want), and never took advantage of EMH hours, and actually avoided EMH parks the day they had EMH hours. I cannot say if they're more crowded or not.
Most importantly, make a list of MUST SEES for various members of your family---That was the best thing I did for us, so that not being able to do it all didn't feel so bad, at least everyone got to do their own "top 10--well mostly, I didn't get to do the Lion King show since there was nothing else we REALLY wanted to do for a 2nd trip to Animal Kingdom to make it worth going back (well DD6 wanted to ride primevil whirl, but still not worth going back for 2 things when we ALL wanted to swim for an afternoon).

Have fun!

 

[kutchyone]

I tried TGM and I'm not going to tell you what I thought of it. Yes I do have an opinion about the site - a pretty strong opinion as it happens. But I'm not going to share it with you.

You see, I happen to know that TGM readily offers full refunds. No explanation required, ask for a refund and you will receive it. The implications of this policy really should make any debate on this subject moot. Since there is absolutely no financial risk in trying TGM for yourself, the only thing you risk losing is the time it will take you to look around TGM once you have signed up. If it's not for you, get your money back. It’s a pretty simple concept folks.

Some people like TGM, some don't. I have no idea which group you will fall into. And neither do you, at least until you give it a try yourself. And since we've already established that there is no risk in giving Tour Guide Mike a try, that’s exactly what you should do. Make up your own mind. You don't need me or anyone else telling your our opinions as long as you have the means to come to your own opinion.

 

[airtime]

The parks will be quite busy on your days there, but they're not forecast to be packed. Nevertheless, I would try to make sure I got to the parks early. Morning EMH may or may not be good to use. I would tend to avoid it and go to a different park. Make sure that you aren't trying to ride things in the afternoon, or you will wait your trip away!

I would not advise trying to do the water parks in a 4-day trip. Stick to the theme parks. That's cheaper, and it will leave you less rushed.

I haven't used TGM, but I hear good things. I recommend the Unofficial Guide and have used it for years, but it doesn't come with a money-back guarantee like TGM, so maybe that's a better plan.

If you are heading up I-95, Daytona Beach is good, and so is New Smyrna Beach. Going up I-75, you're kind of out of luck. I think your best choice then is Clearwater Beach, but that's about 3 hours out of the way.

Florida weather is quite volatile, and it can turn cool suddenly (although in late March highs below 70 will be unusual) and rain with virtually no warning. I'd be more worried about having raingear than warm clothing. Evenings may drop into the 50s on occasion.

As far as money goes, it depends what that budget is and what your appetites are. If you snack a lot in the parks or buy a lot of souvenirs, you'll spend a lot of money. I'd recommend budgeting at least $50 per person for souvenirs, especially if anyone wants clothing. At Epcot, you miss half the fun if you don't try some of the snack foods there, so plan to drop $30 to $50 doing that. We usually take $400 cash for our family of 5, and we spend all of that plus put plenty on our credit cards! (However, we like to eat a lot of expensive meals. If you want to save a few bucks, driving off-site can save some money on fast food or simple TS or buffet dining. For nice meals, I find WDW restaurants to be quite competitive.)

The most important thing is to not try to pack too much into one trip. Plan to come back again sometime. Put the emphasis on having fun instead of getting things done ! Make sure you get your "must see" attractions done early in the day.

Tim, who is learning to take a kinder, gentler approach to WDW touring!