Need help planning trip to WDW.....

[navery472]

I am so totally overwhelmed. And figured this would be the best place to start. We have two weeks that will work for all the family. May 22nd - May 28th or June 19th - June 25th. Also, we are going to stay in a moderate I think...but really dont know which one to use. Again, I am just overwhelmed with information. This will be everyone's first trip. Well, not mine but I havent been in 20 years. Any, help or tips that ANYONE would like to offer would be greatly appreciated.

BTW: There will be 4 on the trip. My husband, myself and our 2 children boy age 9 and girl age 6.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

OK, just my opinion, but:

I would take the May dates. Hopefully it will be a lot quieter then the June dates when ALL schools will surely be done for the summer. Now saying that....I love Port Orleans Riverside. Probably because this was where we stayed on our very first trip (and lots of subsequent trips ), but it is very family friendly and fun. The first time we went my boys were 9, 8 and one month shy of 5 years old. The staff was wonderful (lots of the same people there even now!), the resort was layed out nicely, the food court was great, you can take a nice boat ride down to Downtown Disney, etc, etc, etc.!!! Oh, yeah, and the main pool is really nice too.

After you set up your hotel and you know your dates, the main thing is to make your dining reservations. Unfortunately you have to do this so far ahead of time, that you almost have to plan your days around which park or place you are eating at. Gone are the days when you could walk up to a restaurant and get in immediately or with a short wait. But it is really worth the hassle to have the Dining Plan.

A great place to take the kids to get off to a really nice start is Chef Mickeys for breakfast. Puts you in the Dis-Mood immediately and at 9 your son is not "too old to think this is cool". LOL With the ages of your kids, also, I might start off at the Magic Kingdom as your first park. This is the "true" Disney World to most people and what kids picture when they hear Disney World. My kids love (and always have) the "bigger rides" at MGM, oops, Hollywood Studios, such as the Tower of Terror and Rock and Roller Coaster. Make sure when you do EPCOT, you do it on a day when your kids are up to a lot of walking around and not really riding rides. If you are doing the World Showcase, have them do Kidcot (making something in each of the countries) to hold their interest a little longer. If you are going to try to ride Soarin' and Test Track do those first or hurry and get a Fast Pass for later.

We spend as little time in Animal Kingdom as possible. Actually, for a few years we skipped it all together. Now that Expedition Everest is there we have to go, though.

I hope that this information was a little helpful and not too long winded. Ask if you have any more questions. I can tell you my families favorite restaurants and things if you are interested....

 

[edamethyst]

We, too, have stayed at the Port Orleans and liked it alot, thats where we're staying next month also. We have to stay there if we're going to a moderate because we have 5 but I have heard that the Carribean Beach Resort is fabulous. Friends of ours with 4 in their family love it and the pool has just been redone and is great. I would go in May. June is soooo hot and crowded. We loved the Sci - Fi for dinner and also the Coral Reef. Both had good food and a great atmosphere for the kids.

 

[navery472]

Thank you both so much. I would love the resturant recommendations also. Like I said, I am totally overwhelmed. Heck, feel free to just plan my trip! I need all the help I can get.

 

[wilde_oscar]

may is better, go hit the library or a local book store and grab some of the guides... sit down and make a list of must see, would like to see, etc.

when it comes to choosing hotel and package, take a peek at prices ranges, then pick the theme that best suits your mood in your price range

 

[goofyboyzmom]

Thank you both so much. I would love the resturant recommendations also. Like I said, I am totally overwhelmed. Heck, feel free to just plan my trip! I need all the help I can get.

Funny that you say that, we have helped many people plan their trips!

Our favorite table service restaurants are:
1. Sci-Fi (not going to win any culinary awards, but burgers and shakes are great and the atmosphere is not to be missed) - We go here EVERY trip
2. Liberty Tree Tavern is really good when you have eaten different foods for a week and you really want something that tastes like a home-cooked meal (mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, turkey, beef, etc)
3. 50's Prime Time Cafe - A must-try at least once for the hilarious atmosphere
4. Le Cellier - excellent food

Our favorite counter services:
1. Pinocchio Haus (MK)
2. ABC Commissary (HS)
3. Wolfgang Puck Cafe (DTD)
4. Earl of Sandwich (DTD) is pretty good too

 

[navery472]

So you wanna be in charge of my trip? Sounds like you know a thing or two about disney. Then I could assign blame when my husband fusses about something not going right. Just kidding he would never do that.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

Husbands are not allowed to fuss, they are only allowed to nod and smile politely!! You will have a great time, no matter what you choose to do. Our first trip to Disney World (we spent one day at EPCOT on our honeymoon in 1988, but that doesn't really count) we knew NOTHING!! I thought that it was set up like the old Geauga Lake/Sea World parks in Ohio - walk out the gate of one and into the other. So, getting there and seeing the distance between parks and knowing nothing, we stumbled around and had a wonderful time. Planning helps, but is not required for an enjoyable trip. We had never been and didn't think we were ever going back so after we did everything once, we did it again and exhausted ourselves. When we got home, we definitely were not going back! Two months later we were planning our next trip .

 

[navery472]

My husband is a very big PLANNER...and I hope that doesnt mess up our trip. He likes to have a plan and know exactly what we are doing when. He might just have to get out of that 'phase' before we leave. If not, me and the kids might just have to leave him in the room.

 

[wilde_oscar]

My husband is a very big PLANNER...and I hope that doesnt mess up our trip. He likes to have a plan and know exactly what we are doing when. He might just have to get out of that 'phase' before we leave. If not, me and the kids might just have to leave him in the room.

hm, WDW is the vacation that will fight back with out a plan... travel professionals like those at Dreams Unlimited (who sponsor these boards) are a great resource... but WDW is twice the size of Manhattan with more to see and do. If you don't know what to be prepared for, you can miss a lot, even in two weeks.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

Nope, let him have his fun with his planning!! This will get him more in the mood! This is almost my favorite part. You can go on the Budget Boards and other areas and get copies of peoples charts. Some people are soooo organized that I look like a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pantser!!

 

[navery472]

Thanks for the tips. But, the problem with my husband is HE WONT do the planning he wants me to do it and be able to tell them where and when to go! ha

 

[edamethyst]

no matter how much planning you do it doesn't seem to work that way. One thing you need to do is make your advanced dining reservations as soon as you can then you can plan around where and when you'll be eating dinner. Most restaurants fill up quickly so get those reservations in!!

 

[navery472]

So if I book the trip tomorrow and we are going the middle of May when can I make the dining reservations?

 

[mmmears]

Hi and welcome.

You can make dining reservations 180 days before your first day at WDW, generally. However, they are implementing some sort of new dining computer system, so right now you cant make any reservations (dining) for 2009. That should change sometime this month. (Plus, you can make reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table & Chef Mickeys, even for 2009).

Sounds complicated, huh?

I would say, pick your dates, pick your resort, then read some of the books like the Unofficial Guide to WDW & these boards. Once you know which rides & attractions you most want to see, you can plan where to spend each day. Then, once you know where you'll be, you can make those dining reservations.

For family fun, we like Cinderellas (but $$$$), 'Ohana's at the Polynesian, the Sci-Fi cafe at DHS, the Rainforest Cafe (at AK or DTD).

We love all 4 parks & the 2 water parks as well. With 2 weeks, you should have time to visit all of them.

We actually leave the MK until the end. It's classic Disney and sure to please the kids. We do Epcot, DHS, & AK first. Kids like Epcot more if they are not just coming out of the MK! . And the kids passports at Epcot are great for keeping them happy when touring the countries.

For us, it's better if we walk in with a plan of what to do each day. Then we dont spend tons of time thinking: what should we go on next? We also get to the parks at opening, take a swim & a rest at our hotel during midday, then go back to the parks in the evenings. Some people can tour from morning to midnight, but we get tired and cranky.

Have a wonderful time planning your trip -- dont worry -- the planning part can be fun!

 

[navery472]

Yes, that is 'clear as mud' as we say here in the south. So I can make the Cinderella's Royal table as soon as we know our dates? Or is it still 180 days out?

Thank all you wonderful people for the help. I got my husband pinned down last night...and I am booking the trip TODAY! I am sooo excited!!