New - Have a couple of questions

[JaredsMom01]

Hi everyone
I just found this site and already love it.
We are planning a trip to DW, my ds is 2.5 right now. It will be at least a yr before we go. So ds will be about 3.5, would this be a good age to take him or should we wait a little longer? I want him to enjoy this trip and remeber most of it.
This will be our first trip to DW also.
What parks should we go to? We are not interested in the water parks.
What month is best to go? My husband is in a wheelchair and I have found the disable board already for questions concerning him and getting around.
We do plan on staying on WDW resort. Where do you recomend staying?
We are driving there so we will have our van for outside the park.
As you can see this is all new to us we have never been and clueless to what all there is to do.
I have read over several post and have gotten alot of tips.

Thank so much for any info you can give me.
Also what is Down Town Disney?
And I am not clear on all the abbriveations that are used here. Is there a list I could look at?

thanks again
Tricia

 

[toystoryduo]

Hello and Welcome to the DIS! You will find a lot of great information here and friendly people!

We took my DD to WDW when she was 2 and 2.5. The first time around, she knew all about the rides and attractions from watching the WDW planning video. She and my 9 month old DD had a lot of fun. For our second trip, my 2.5 year old was like Disney Pro! She knew where she wanted to go and what rides she wanted to go on. We videotaped a lot, took pictures, and talked about our trip a lot. I don't think that she will forget about it.

Our two favorite parks are Magic Kingdom and Epcot. When we go to WDW, we spend more time there than anywhere else. We haven't been to Animal Kingdom, though we may go this year if we purchase Annual Passes. When we go to MGM, we only spend half a day there. And of course, while at MGM, we just have to eat at Pizza Planet.

We've never stayed onsite so I can't help you there, but make sure that you check www.mousesavers.com because they can show you how to save money at the Resorts and on other things Disney as well.

Downtown Disney is a shopping/entertainment complex. It is a great place to walk around when you have some down time and don't want to be away from Disney.

Oh... I think on the home page for the forums there is a section about the abbreviations.

Hope that helps you a little! Again, welcome to the DISboards!

 

[kaylajr]

Welcome
just a word of warning this site, these boards and all the info from the great people here is VERY ADDICTING

It's a great place to hang out and learn about the world
i recommend checking all boards frequently
and ask as many questons as you have
we love to talk about Disney it is our favorite thing

our youngest was 4 on the first trip and remebers it well
we stay off site normally in a rental house for two reasons

privacy and room to spread out
and PRICE

anyway WELCOME again and ask away
these guys have the best answers

 

[WeLuvDiz]

Hello and Welcome to the boards. Just like Kaylajr(moderator) said these boards are verrrrrry addicting. I joined last month and I'm here every night, all night(yes, I work nights or at least thats what I should be doing).
Our first trip to the WONDERFUL WDW our DD was 5 and DS was 2. He remembers it quite well. May I recommend you get PH tickets this way your family can come and go at each park when you want, it will come in handy when the kids get cranky and tired you can just go back to your resort and rest. Also my family is partial to POFQ it is beautiful and quiet and it is on the small side so it will be convinet for your DH..
I would also recomend getting on a DDP it will save you a TON of $$$$ . Have fun planning your trip, if you have any questions post them everyone on these boards are great and very helpful. And don't forget

 

[Nancyg56]

Welcome! You will love Disney with a 3 YO. My DGD had just turned 4 when we took her and she remembers more things than I do! If you are going to spend a lot of time in the Magic Kingdom and can justify the money I would recommend the Polynesian Resort. The convenience of the monorail is worth a lot.

Another favorite resort is Port Orleans French Quarter. I like it a lot, it is very compact, no building is far from the food court, the bus stop or the pool.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

So ds will be about 3.5, would this be a good age to take him or should we wait a little longer?
Honestly? He won't remember much when he's older, but for the next few years... he'll probably talk your ear off! You're going to get mixed reviews on the best time for the first time. I'm all for taking the kids at this age, waiting several years and going again. It's a completely different experience to see WDW at the different ages levels and I wouldn't trade it at all. There is a lot more you CAN do with a preschooler vs. what you CAN'T do.

What parks should we go to?
Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT . There isn't much for preschoolers at Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom is a good place for a relaxing day. Camp Minnie-Mickey, the animal trails, Conservation Station, Dinoland are all good places for preschoolers. My oldest liked AK because he was able to walk around on his own and explore vs. being tethered to my side at the other parks. EPCOT has the World Showcase, Innoventions, and the Nemo ride (oh! the Nemo ride... over... and over... and over...). MK is the original and there is too much to mention.

What month is best to go?
Off season! January, February, early March, the window between Thanksgiving and the week before Christmas (the park is even decorated for the holidays)! The temp is much cooler than say August/September. The rooms will be cheaper too.

Where do you recomend staying?
That's a loaded question! It really depends on your needs and your budget. I prefer the moderates, and if I could afford it, I would stay at a hotel on the monorail or the EPCOT resorts (Yacht/Beach club) as they have access to the Friendship shuttle boats. Wherever you decide, make sure to let reservations know that you need an accessible room. Most of them are on the first floor and have modified rooms to best fit your needs.

We are driving there so we will have our van for outside the park.
Good call on driving! You will be able to park at the parks for free since you are staying onsite. They'll give you a piece of paper for your dashboard and all you have to do is show it to the gate keepers and you'll pass right through.

And I am not clear on all the abbriveations that are used here. Is there a list I could look at? http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1660743

HTH!

Also, peek around allears.net. There is a lot of very good information on there too. She has a lot of wheelchair-related information and there is a page solely dedicated to ride restrictions. You can also find sample restaurant menus so you can get an idea of what is served.

We did a trip last year with our 2.5 yr old and 6 mo old. I made a scrapbook of our trip and DS can tell you ALL about our trip. We're going back next fall right after DDs 2nd birthday. We're going to hold off on any other WDW trips until the kids are 9 and 7.