New here -- HELP! Is there a "WDW for Dummies" area?

[lamb616]

Seriously, I don't even know where to begin. Trying to figure out hotels, character meals, dining plans, hotel discounts, etc. etc. It's mind-boggling.

I'm planning our first family trip to WDW. I've been there several times but it was years ago, before I was married/had kids. We're going next May. We're not loaded - we need to plan our finances very carefully in order to make it happen, so I need to get the best deals I can. We want to stay for a week and on a Disney property. We definitely want a suite. Nothing fancy or huge -we just want a separate bedroom for the kids (4 & 8). I saw that the All Star Music has them. and that's as far as I've gotten in my planning before I became overwhelmed and stalled, lol.

I guess I should break it down into separate tasks so it doesn't seem so daunting. First task being....... pick a hotel. Right? Seems simple enough except - how do I get the best deal? Through Disney? Travelocity? AAA? Wait for specials? Book the hotel and deal with dining plans & tickets and airfare later? Or is it better to do a package deal? I do have AAA and a Disney Visa......

UGH! Can someone please give me some sort of direction? I tried looking on the Disney site and it's not very user friendly as far as figuring out which hotels have suites. It seems you have to look at each hotel separately to see....... and the Disney Vacation Club (condos or timeshare or whatever they are) -- do you get the same perks if you stay at one of those? Mainly, the extra hours?

Thanks for any help.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Deep Breath! You have come to the right place.

It is all very overwhelming. I suggest that you start with our Information site: www.wdwinfo.com . There is lots of information and photos of the resorts, parks, attractions and restaurants.

Sounds like you have a good idea of where you want to stay-- Music is a good choice if you really want a Suite. You could also look into renting DVC points, but I think that Music will fit your needs if you are on a budget. (and yes, you get the same perks if you book those) Prices are going to be pretty consistent no matter where you book things. There is not much leeway from Disney for places to discount. You can get some discount from AAA, and Disney also offers discounts very often, depending on when you are going. For instance this year for May there was an offer for free $300 Disney Gift Card when you book a package (room and tickets) or a % off if you only booked the room.

We have a Codes and Rates board where everyone discusses the discounts offered and anxiously awaits the next one to come out. There won't likely be anything offered for May until after the beginning of the year next year. But you can read through there to get an idea of what has been available.

Tickets can be purchased either from Disney, as part of a package or from a few reputable ticket sellers-- the most popular are undercovertourist.com and mapleleaftickets.com . But many of the discounts require a Package that includes tickets so you may want to wait and see what is offered for next May before you buy from anywhere else.

Disney is not even taking any reservations for 2011 yet, so you have some time to read, research and plan before you need to commit to anything. So slow down and take some time to really read at wdwinfo.com and on these boards and then ask questions. We love to help!

 

[Metro West]

 

[disneyworldaddict]

First of all, welcome!

You have come to the right place for all things Disney. You can start by thinking of each question you have and posting on the appropriate board. On your profile you can look in your statistics section to see if you got replies to your questions. And you will get replies!

Also, if may is the only time you can go you sghould sign up for disney discount websites such as DIS or Mousesavers, and of course the official WDW website. They issue news letters that contain codes and promotions. if you have any flexability with your travel dates you may want to consider going during a value season. We got an amazing deal last August; 2 rooms, 7 nights, 7 day park hoppers, DDP, ME and even airfare, taxes, and travel insurance all for $672pp. It was during value season w/ free dining. I'm also signed up with a few airlines and they email me specials. If you book a trip with AAA, book the airfare yourself because they charge fee, but they do offer discounts, if there are none through Disney. The other thing you can do is use your Disney Visa like a charge card. We purchase everything with it, but pay it off in full each month. We will have enough points by the time we go in June to upgrade all 4 base tickets to park hoppers....for free! Oh, and we give each other Disney gift cards in lieu of other gifts. My daughter got an Easter basket with filled with Disney gift cards, lol.

So relax and enjoy your planning, and have a magical vacation!

 

[DFD]

and no need any book for dummies.. you are at the right spot.. just post those questions away... there's always someone 24/7

 

[ID_tooth_fairy]

I totally understand how your feeling! Our family went in June 2009 and we started planning in December. You have plenty of time if you're going May 2011! I would suggest starting by ordering the free WDW video, we watched it a few times & got really excited. Next, I would purchase the Unoffical Guide, which was a wealth of info! Take it in small steps. The beauty of a WDW trip staying on site, is that you put your $200 deposit don & can pay in small chunks over time. You can also change your reservation anytime, like if a good deal comes up etc...Disney is happy to accomodate. The Dis boards are also great, we used a lot of the tips and advice form other disney fanatics.

The Ft. Wilderness cabins looked cool for families too, you may want to check them out.
Enjoy your planning!

 

[lamb616]

Thanks, everyone. Do we know when we'll be able to see prices/book for 2011?

 

[shaz105]

Welcome To The Board

 

[michelleiada]

First of all...Congrats...you're going to Disney World. Now...relax and enjoy the planning, that is half of the fun. Don't let it ovewhelm you. There are several informative websites out there with lots of really good information. WDWInfo.com, allearsnetwork.com, and mousesavers.com. are my favorites. I would also suggest purchasing a couple of Disney planning guides. Some good ones are 1. Birnbaum's Official Guide to WDW 2. Passporter Guide to WDW (this one is excellent and helps keep you organized. 3. Unofficial Guide to WDW. I usually get them from Amazon as I have found them to be the cheapest there. You have some time so don't feel pressured to book right away. Read through the guides and then make a decision. You mentioned you would like to stay in something larger than a hotel room with separate bedroom. There are several ways to do this. You could get a suite at the All Star Resorts, a cabin at Ft Wilderness, or a one bedroom villa in one of the Disney Vacation Club units. These would be your most affordable options. Promotional packages will not be released until a few months before your trip so once you decide where you would like to stay, you could reserve with rack rates, and continue to watch for promotions. When one becomes available, you call Disney and they will apply to your ressie. Another option would be to rent points from a vacation club owner. There is a whole section on these boards on how to do that. This is a fabulous, money saving option, however, there is some homework to be done before you do it and a huge element of trust that goes along with it. We have done it and it has worked out just fine.

I highly recommend you use your Disney Visa a lot. Pay for all of your monthly expenses on it and then pay off at the end of the month. Your points will add up quickly. Last year we had more than $1200 in points which we applied to our Dining Plans for 10 days.

BTW..we are going in May 2011 also...can't wait! We have been several times in May and the weather is usually great, with the exception of last year when we were there during a rare, early tropical storm...Ugh!

So...hope this information helps you out. Enjoy the excitement of planning and I wish you a magical vacation!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Thanks, everyone. Do we know when we'll be able to see prices/book for 2011?

I am not really sure-- I am guessing later this year, maybe towards the fall? This would be a good question to ask on our Disney Resorts or Disney Codes and Rates (a subforum of Resorts) Board. I am sure that someone over there can give you a better idea of when they open the bookings up for the next year.