Need info!

[bronxhammer]

Im leaving for wdw wed morning dec 22.
Staying at music resort.
How far is it to the park entrance and should i rent a car?
Also is the hotel any good?
t.i.a

 

[Tina]

It sounds like you need to get cracking on some research.
Which park are entrance are you referring to? You'll find NONE of them within walking distance, but Disney does provide transportation to ALL of their parks. You will only need to find your own transportation between the hotel and airport.

 

[bronxhammer]

I HAVE NO CLUE IM GETTING MY 4 YEAR OLD AND 3 MONTH OLD OUTA THE BRONX FOR FIVE DAYS I GUESS MAGIC KINGDOM WOULD BE MY FIRST CHOICE
I HERE CHRISTMAS TIME IS A BIT CROWDED BUT IT CANT BE NO WORSE THEN NYC....LOL
SORRY FOR THE CAPS.......

 

[Lucky4me]

Find out when Magic Kingdom has Early Magic Hour. Try to get to the bus stop 45 minutes before that time. Get on the rides in Fantasyland right away. When the crowds come pouring in the park go back to your hotel for naps. Go back to your park of choice later in the day with well rested kids. If you're going to a park on Christmas day get there AT opening and stay there or risk not being able to get in at all.

Music is a value resort. Nicely themed, but set up with outdoor corridors. It will be more than a bit crowded. It will be mobbed. Just getting out of the cold will be nice for you. Realize this may not be the trip you get to do and see everything there is in Disney World. Relax and enjoy what you do see.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Tina]

I highly recommend spending an afternoon reading http://allearsnet.com
You'll find all the info you need here, complete with photos of the resort. You'll want to plan ahead for some of your dining choices as well. You can view every restaurant menu (including prices) on this site. After choosing where you'd like to eat, call WDW-DINE and make priority seating arrangements. The restaurants will be very full during your visit, so you'll want to plan ahead as much as possible.

 

[bronxhammer]

wow!
thanks....i hear it gets crowded but yikes!
imagine not getting in a park christmas day
the hotel sounds like a bummer
thank god im an early bird haha!
we are only going to be there till sunday afternoon so i know we wont see everything.
but i do want to see whats best for my 4 year old thats what it's all about

 

[bobcat]

I'm sure you will enjoy your hotel. All Star Music has outside corridors but there is so much to look at with all the large icons that it really isn't a concern.

I think the concern the posters have is that you are going at the busiest time of the year and haven't done any planning. Most of us on this board are compulsive planners and some, it wouldn't be me , plan our days at WDW down to the minute. With a little research and some tipe of plan you should have an enjoyable vacation over the holidays. Besides you will be out of the cold!

www.allearsnet.com is a great place to start.Take a look at the resort facts for the All Star hotels and I think they will ease you mind. If you want to do any sit down meals it is a great idea to call the wdw-dine number to get a priority seating (like a reservation) for any restaurants you want to try. It will be hard to walk in and get a seat during this busy time. Counter service is available and if you eat at non peak times you should be ok.

As far as transportation the All Stars provide buses that will take you to all the parks and Downtown Disney. My preference is to use the buses. I am on vacation and don't want to drive.

As a disney resort guest you are garanteed to get into a park but maybe not your choice if the parks close due to capacity crowds.

If you want to do fantasyland without tremendous waits then I suggest finding out what day is early entry for Magic Kingdom and visiting then. Use fastpass to minimize your wait in line.It is free and will print out a ticket that will tell you what time to return to ride that ride.

And most of all have fun! Christmas in WDW is magical!

 

[gigi1313]

all stars music is a great hotel... they have a terrific food court... pools if the weather permits... your 4yo will enjoy it... as will you!

if it were me, i think i'd try to hit magic kingdom (hopefully you are early risers, 'cause getting there early is a must-do) and maybe animal kingdom... call 1-407-wdw-dine to make a priority seating for a character meal if you can swing it (breakfast starts at about $20/adult & $10/child), depending on what characters you/child like (suggestions: winnie the pooh & friends = crystal palace at the magic kingdom... they serve breakfast/lunch/dinner. minnie/goofy/pluto = liberty tree tavern @ magic kingdom for dinner only. donald duck, mickey, pluto, goofy = donald's breakfastasaurous at the animal kingdom, breakfast only. there are other character meals but they are mostly at the resorts, which can be tricky getting to, but you don't need a ticket like you do for a park, so it may be worth it! our family's fave has always been a late breakfast at the grand floridian hotel w/mary poppins, alice in wonderland and a few others)

my next best suggestion would be to get your hands on maps of wdw theme parks as soon as you can... get familiar w/the layout... read descriptions of the rides and attractions (at magic kingdom do not miss Mickey's Philharmagic!) so you will know in advance what you want to see/do and what you are comfortable passing by...

for something fun to do, you might want to consider heading to downtown disney and checking out the lego store w/the playground... my kids loved it (and it's free!) fromthere you can catch a bus to the fort wilderness campground where you will find a petting zoo and some other fun stuff to do (for free!)

epcot also offers some fun kid-stuff... my children have both always loved the journey to imagination with figment (it's near honey i shrunk the audience show)... the world showcase is fun to walk thru and offers some great places to eat (both sit down and counter service... international cuisine)

i suggest you bring your own stroller for the baby... you may want to rent a stroller for the 4yo depending on how much walking he/she can handle... or if you have a double stroller, perhaps occasionally hitch a ride w/baby!

have you made arrangements to get from the airport to the hotel? if not, you may want to check the transportation board here at the dis where you will find information on town cars, taxis, shuttles, etc... just be aware that even the "cheapest" will cost a few bucks (a taxi is about $40-50 each way).. the transportation board will also give you info on the disney buses... they have a great system, well marked buses and bus stops, very efficient, but in a time of high crowds, you can expect to have to wait a bit...

also, upon check-in, get information from the front desk about shows, parades, fireworks, etc... in order to get a good viewing location, you may have to "stake out" your spot an hour or more in advance... (think st patty's day or thanksgiving day parades in nyc!) only you can decide if it's worth it (for our first trip when the kids were 2 and 4, we found it was better to let the rest of the world go to the parade and we enjoyed toontown w/minimal crowds at that time!)

and speaking of toontown... that is one area your 4yo will really enjoy... mickey and minnie's houses! the judge's tent w/the character meet and greets (BRING A CAMERA!!)... goofy's barnstormer roller coaster (kid friendly!)... and the railroad station... be sure to take a ride on the railroad

last but not least, is disney-mgm studios... a definite mix of adult and kid-friendly... there are some great shows that should not be missed like the little mermaid... also playhouse disney is great for 4yos! if you can get there, you are sure to enjoy those things... but remember, w/only five days in crowded season, you will not be able to do everything! but you will be able to enjoy if you are armed w/a few ideas of what to expect and decide in advance what you want to see/do and what's important to you...

remember, everywhere you go, it will be crowded... get a taste for disney and perhaps visit again at another less-crowded time of year...

 

[gigi1313]

one more suggestion... go to www.disney.com and click on calendar to get the park hours for the days you will be there... remember you are staying "on property" so you will be eligible for early magic hours and extended hours at night if/when they are offering them...

GOOD LUCK & ENJOY!!

 

[Mortlives]

One more thing - have you got tickets yet? If no, and you're not planning on getting UPHs (ultimate park hoppers, also called length of stay passes), you might want to check in at your local AAA office and see if you can get Park Hoppers in advance. They're cheaper than buying them at Disney. I definitely wouldn't just pay straight 1 day park admission each day. Too expensive, and you can't hop to a different park if the one you're at gets too crowded.

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[luvsTink]

As long as were are overwhelming you with info, I would suggest the Ultimate Guide to WDW with Kids. It is smaller than the full Ultimate Guide, but it should help you alot, especially with touring plans during a busy time. Hope you have a great time!

Anne

 

[PrincessCandaceMarie]

Hello ~

OMG get researching big time, and you really can't walk to the theme parks, either rent a car or use WDW transportation....have fun!

 

[bronxhammer]

wowwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!
aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
haha.... you guys and girls are fantasic.
i cant thank you enough for all this help
forgot one thing tho......WHERE DO I GET THE VALUM.....LOL
thanks a million from me and my family i'll let you know how i made out
untill then have a great holiday merry christmas to all and to all a good night!

 

[bobcat]

wowwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!
aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
haha.... you guys and girls are fantasic.
i cant thank you enough for all this help
forgot one thing tho......WHERE DO I GET THE VALUM.....LOL
thanks a million from me and my family i'll let you know how i made out
untill then have a great holiday merry christmas to all and to all a good night!

Well...you ride It's a Small World as many times in a row as you can. It will either drive you crazy or put you in a semi-coma and act as your valium substitute.

 

[gigi1313]

it's a small world is closed... 'til may i believe...

bronxhammer... have a great fun safe trip... ENJOY!

 

[3Mousketeers]

Leaving on Wednesday, you don't have much time to plan!! I'd say make sure (1) you get the schedule for early entry parks and (2) get the list of Fastpass rides for each park you plan to go to. You can get both right off of Disney's website www.disney.com. Also, is there a show you don't want to miss - ie. Wishes fireworks display at MK, Illuminations at Epcot? The schedule for the parades and fireworks is also on the website. Do your kids have favorite characters? For ex., the first time we went my 4 year old was insane for Buzz Lightyear so we made sure we made time for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (it was the 1st ride we lined up for) and we checked the schedule for when/where Buzz was signing autographs. If you make sure that each child gets to do one favorite thing, then even if you can't do everything they won't know the difference. Hope you have a special time!!

 

[3Mousketeers]

I forgot one more thing - the first time we went my son was 8 mos old and the baby care centers at the parks were life savers. Each park has one. I specifically remember using one in MK that was great. Very clean changing tables and facilities to warm up bottles or baby food. Also, private little rooms with rockers if you need to nurse. There was also a room with a TV and some toys that was perfect for my other kids to hang out while I was taking care of the baby. You could also buy limited supplies (of course at a premium) if you're out of diapers etc. It was a great place to escape the hustle and bustle for a few minutes.