New to Disboards: Need advice for Family Trip with 4yo and 2yo

[Joey04]

Greetings Disboards!

This is my first post to this site. I just finished reading The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Children (cover-to-cover I should add), and I am still lost, overwhelmed, and unsure how to best plan our Disney vacation for this December. The Guide recommended this web site as a great forum for discussing planning the trip.

Let me share some info on our family. We are a family of 4. Because the kids are still very young we don't want to budget too extravagantly, but we could budget light to even moderate. Here is our family.

Sis:
Will be 1yr/11mo (she turns 2 in January, so she will fly free)
Currently 32 inches tall
Knows Mickey Mouse very well, watches Disney movies and cartoons.
At our local "Six Flags over Texas", rides every ride she is allowed, wants to ride them all again.
Not scared by mascots.
Sometimes naps in the stroller.


Bro:
Will be 4 yrs/10mo
Currently 44 inches tall
Loves Disney Channel and Disney Movies
A complete theme park trooper, rides every ride he is allowed, never wants to leave.
Loves the mascots


Mom:
Not a big theme park person
Loves shopping and the pampered vacation life
Buys a lot of Disney movies and watches them with the kids.
Never been to Disneyworld as a child
Been to Epcot Center earlier in our marriage before we had kids
Not always able to keep up with our kids at our local theme park.
Doesn't like to spend to much time in the heat.
Usually stays at home when Dad takes the kids swimming.


Dad:
Almost 40, but can't wait to spoil the kids with a Disney vacation.
Always been a theme park trooper.
As a kid in the 70s, stayed at the Contemporary Resort Hotel when it was new, and thought it was the coolest place in the world. (then)
Always looking for the best value in anything he gets.


Probably arrive in Orlando on a Sunday mid-day early December (between the major holidays. We were thinking about staying 3 full days, maybe another. We should probably plan on at least 2 days at the Magic Kingdom. What else should we plan? We haven't even decided on a hotel yet. I guess I’d be willing to go $150-$200 per night, but would look for values.

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!!

Joey, Dad of Family of 4

 

[MiniGirl]

Welcome to the DIS. I'm fairly new here myself. but I am a long time fan of all things Disney.

As far as your trip goes.... are you talking THIS Dec -- as in next month? If you are, then it will be a take what you can find as far as getting a room goes. Another idea would be to rent points from a DVC member and stay at Saratoga Springs or one of the other DVC resorts. I say SSR because it is newer and, therefore, a bit nicer (furniture, linens, carpeting, etc, all newer). It also has a spa and is within walking distance to DTD (nice shopping). It also has a zero entry main pool (great for the kids) -- although in Dec I don't know if swimming would be a part of your trip. We love staying onsite though, and are willing to spend more $$ to do so. Another thing is that breakfast and such can be eaten in your room because you'll have at least a fridge and microwave.

MGM might be a good choice for your family -- for a 1/2 day or so. Lots of characters to meet and greet. I don't think your kiddos are big enough for many of the rides, but you would enjoy RnR and ToT. Your DW and kids may enjoy the Beauty and the Beast show. Also, Fantasmic is a great fireworks show. Plus the lights will still be up.

I don't know if you want to have sit down dinners or counter service type meals, but if you want sit-downs, you'll have to get cracking on those ADRs (Advance Dinner Reservations). The things that always floored me about WDW is how far in advance people plan things. We are a "We'll just wing it" kind of family, and we have still managed to get rooms and ADRs for Character meals and such at the last minute, but not always.

Good luck to you. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's responses.

 

[Cyrano]

Hi Joey04 and welcome to DIS board
We are a friendly bunch here so please join in

 

[MomofCKJ]

Welcome! You'll like it here, loads and loads of info!

I don't want to be a downer but you are talking this December as in a month from now? If so and you don't have anything booked you might have a hard time. It is Christmas time and lots of things have already been booked up. I guess first you should see if any resorts have your dates open. I know the first week of December I have read the resorts are pretty full with conventions and Pop Warner in town.

Dining at table service might be a little challenge too. We are going Dec 15-22 and made our table service reservations in June! Popular spots and popular times might be hard to come by. You should call as soon as you can to see what they might have.

If I were you I would be on the phone with Disney today to see what might be available for you.

Allyson

 

[MomofCKJ]

Oh and actually your son at 44 inches will be able to go on quite a bit!

Allyson

 

[Pea-n-Me]

MGM might be a good choice for your family -- for a 1/2 day or so. Lots of characters to meet and greet. I don't think your kiddos are big enough for many of the rides, but you would enjoy RnR and ToT. Your DW and kids may enjoy the Beauty and the Beast show. Also, Fantasmic is a great fireworks show. Plus the lights will still be up.

Want to second this and also add your kids will enjoy Playhouse Disney, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. Mom will enjoy the shops, some different items than you see elsewhere. TGMR, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Stunt Show, etc can be played by ear if your DS isn't generally afraid of fire or acton.

Our twins were 3, close to 4 on our first trip ever (DH and I had never been). We booked for 3 nights, but realized it wasn't long enough once we got there. We were able to add on another night and change our flights without penalty so we stayed 4 nights, 5 days which was better. We managed to do all 4 parks and see what they were all about. Sometimes they fell asleep in the stroller which enabled us to continue on, like at WS. Most days we went back to the room for a nap and ended the night fairly early (for us - which is why on subsequent trips we liked having a patio or balcony to enjoy a nice glass of wine together and people watch at the end of a hectic day ).

Even at that young age, our kids liked to do amusement park rides, but at WDW they were limited by height on many, and we found that some things were so "real" they were afraid of them, like the "ball" that crushes Indiana Jones - DS was screaming; or the gangster fight on TGMR (which I believe is changed now). And DD, even though she was tall enough to ride, for several trips was very afraid of the drop at the end of Splash Mountain. So you'll have to play it by ear and see how it goes.

Definitely plan some "resort time" into your days. Kids that age tend to enjoy the pool as much if not more than the parks, so resort choice may be more imortant than you think. I'm with you, I was awed by the Contemporary, and couldn't wait to stay there once I rode through it on the monorail. I still find it exciting! That might be a good choice for you if you can get a discount (why not consider this January instead of December - discounts are out, see home page, nice "family gift" from Santa - and things might be a bit more relaxed than in Dec [though pool time might be limited by cooler weather; always trade offs] ). If you do spend much of your time at the MK it is very easy to get back to your room by walking or hopping on the monorail.

Have a wonderful trip! Don't try to "do it all" - there'll be plenty of time to do more as your kids get older. Ours are 9 now, and we take frequent trips but don't feel like we have to "do it all" every time; we know what we don't get to now, we will later. I've made it a point to build "resort time" into our stays, it's so much more relaxing that way, and feels like we've had a "vacation" (as opposed to a frenzy) when we get home.

P.S. I really liked the way you broke down your family's profiles, it made it very helpful to get a sense of your family. You'll get lots of responses and viewpoints. Many ideas. When you come back, be sure to share your own!

 

[Big Vic]

Welcome!

 

[dsnyfamily]

Follow MiniGirl's advice and book a room now! If you cannot get into a DVC resort, and can afford it, try something like CBR or POR. These rooms won't have a microwave but will have a fridge. They are also larger than the value rooms.

December weather is usually warm (but not hot) during the day and much cooler at night. Mom will like the cooler weather but the days will be long. With a 2 and 4 year old, I would seriously consider returning to the room every day for a nap and a refresher. Even if the children don't think they need a nap, take advantage of the opportunity to put your feet up, get a cool drink, and take a breather from the crowds.

MK is a must, especially Fantasyland and Mickey's Toon Town Fair. The train around the park was also a must-do for my DS. Tip: the train is a easy way to get from the park entrance to Mickey's Toon Town Fair if you want to by-pass the crowds or tired little feet need a ride at the end of the day.

MGM is another good choice. Attractions like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground, Playhouse Disney Live, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, or Muppet Vision 3D. They may enjoy The Backlot Tour ride or the Great Movie Ride (can be a little scary). Mom may enjoy this park as it has fewer rides and more (sit down and rest) shows.

Hope this helps.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Welcome!!

We just returned from a trip with DD5 (4 then) and DS2. My advice is to cruise this site, especially the Family/Tips Board. You'll find alot of great advice and some really great people to chat with.

We had a great time mostly at MK and MGM with the whole Playhouse Disney gang. We stayed at the Poly and found it totally worth the extra cheddar, since both kids where in strollers and the Monorail was just steps from our room.

Good luck, have fun, and ask questions. Our DIS-friends are quite knowledgable and will help make your trip wonderful!

 

[byoung]

Welcome to the DIS!

 

[Joey04]

Thanks for all of the kind responses.

My girl turns 2 the first week in January, so if we go later, she won't fly free! Also, both my wife and I have vacation time we need to burn up before the end of December.

I guess on our last trip to Disney (January 2001 before kids )we stayed in Orlando (I forget the name of the fancy street) but there was a whole SMORGASBORD of hotels and motels to choose from. I remember having read that Orlando has more hotel/motel rooms than any city in the country. Not having kids, it was easy to just show up and negotiate a room, especially during the non-peak season. It sounds like it doesn't work that way for the resorts even during non peak times.

From what I read there is a lot of emphasis on planning to be near the parks or on the monorail, so its easy to leave the park in the middle of the day, take a nap, and get back to the park or go to another park. During December (non-peak) I understand the parks open later and close earlier. Is this still a good plan, or do we lose too much park time with the shorter hours?

As much as I loved the Contemporary Resort Hotel as a kid, I have read horrible reviews about how it is now, with the only good side being it is on the monorail. At $300 a night, we can pass. (Not that it would have been an option as late as we are!)

What are some good hotels we should target for advance reservations? We plan to rent a car anyway, so worst case is we stay on that fancy street in Orlando with all the kids hotels and spend our non park hotel time there. We'd like to do better, so we'd appreciate some suggestions. I'll get on the phone and call around. Would prefer to target some places and hunt for discounts.

Which are CBR and POR????

Whats DS, DD5 and D2?

Even if we don’t reserve good stuff for this trip, we are going to learn a lot for our next trip!

Thanks again!!!!!!!

Joey & Family

 

[LegoMom3]

....Which are CBR and POR????

Whats DS, DD5 and D2?....

CBR is Carribean Beach Resort
POR is Port Orleans Riverside (as distinguished from Port Orleans French Quarter, or POFQ)
Both of these are Disney "moderate" resorts. We just got back from POR and LOVED it. Also heard good things about CBR. But as another poster said, at this date you need to call NOW to see what's still available! I would try to stay on site if possible, esp. if you are planning mid-day breaks.

DS is "Dear Son"
DD is "Dear Daughter"
A number after any of those designations is their age. You will also see DD for Dear Wife or DH for Dear Hubby.

Somewhere on these boards is a whole sticky (permanent thread) on the many, many abbreviations that are used here! Does anyone have that link??

Welcome to the boards!

 

[Joey04]

Ok, I just booked a hotel room at "CBR" using the Disney web site. The website was trying to push us towards the "POR", but from where we are (Texas) we can go to New Orleans any time.

For some reason it refused to let us add tickets. Every time we tried to select the option and entered that we wanted them it would tell me it couldn't take it. Maybe I just need to call the reservations number tomorrow.

It appeared we could have gotten a couple nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (which based on reviews I think my kids would like), but we couldn't get all 5 nights, and I wasn't sure about changing hotels mid trip with kids. Besides, AKL (can I call it that?) was pretty expensive.

So as far as hotel goes, we have a pretty solid "back-up", and we have until 6 days prior to get a complete refund. Any other hotel options we should look into? I actually haven't even had a chance to check the ammenitys at CBR, or what we need to plan.

What else should we be looking for as far as tickets, food, excursion plans, etc.

Thanks everyone so much.

By the way, I did manage to add a little avatar...

 

[MiniGirl]

Joey04,

Glad to hear you got a room. I really enjoyed CBR when we stayed there. I hope you do, too. I grew up in Baton Rouge, so I flt the why you do about the POFQ and POR. However, I did enjoy my time there, too.

We have APs (annual Passes), so I am truly clueless about tickets. I do think I nice sit down dinner or 2 may be something ya'll would all enjoy. I've heard great things about the Hoopty Do Revue (spelling is probably off). I believe it is at Wilderness Lodge -- or somewhere over in that area. Great fun for all. While over there, you could check out the Christmas decorations and maybe even take a sleigh ride. Another choice would be the Spirit of Aloha dinner show at the Polynesian Resort. Again, you could mosey on over to the Grand Floridian and check out the holiday decorations. Great gingerbread houses over there. We're doing Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) for the first time this year. You could maybe look into that as well.

Bottom line is..... it's WDW. You'll have a magical time regardless of what you do. I am glad you were able to stay on property though. A Disney trip just isn't the same when you can't stay 24/7. That's just my opinion and YMMV.

Have fun.

 

[MomofCKJ]

Glad you were able to get a room! What dates are you going?
Next up I think (besides tickets) would be decide if you want to do the dining plan or not. And then get on the phone to 1-407-WDW-DINE and book some ADRs for any of the table service restaurants you want to try. Best thing to do I think is do a rough itinerary of what park you plan to do what day and plan your meals from there. You would not want to be at MK and schedule a lunch at Epcot for instance, too much running around. I would be on the phone doing that ASAP.

GL!

Allyson

 

[newbeestl]

Somewhere on these boards is a whole sticky (permanent thread) on the many, many abbreviations that are used here! Does anyone have that link??

Yes, someone please post that link!

 

[twirly-girls]

just want to chime in on "resort time"

We took our four a while back and going back for naps and pool time really made a difference. At the time they were 4, 4, 2 and 10 months. There is no way they would have lasted past dinner time without those naps.

I don't recall that the twins weren't able to do anything that they wanted. Neither of them wanted to ride Space Mountain, and I think that was one of two things they were too short for. They were about 40" and did go on Big Thunder Mountain.

Our trip was 2 1/2 days and we only went to the MK and DTD. It was just the right amount of time, we were able to do everything we wanted without feeling the least bit rushed or bored.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

Hi

I just want to let you know that my DD6 is just now 44" and she has been on everything but RnR(MGM) 48", Mission Space(Epcot) 42" and I don't plan for her to ride it for a while even though she meets the height req, and Mt Everest 44", which she will be riding in Dec when we go, we never made it back to AK when were there in July and Aug for her to ride. She loves them all but her favs are ToT, Splash, Space and Thunder Mountain, & Soarin'
If it is at all possible I fully recommend bringing a stroller for both your son might not sit in it alot but it will make it easier for when he is tired but putting bags and things you will need in it and I recommend bringing it because you can't leave with the ones that you rent at the parks and to be honest MGM is the only park that has good stollers the rest are hard plastic seats. It also helps to have one with crowds so they don' t get lost or trampeled. For character expierences dining is great for the kids and fun my DD6 Jules love Chef Mickey's but since we have done it twice this year already we are going to try Play N Dine @ Hollywood N Vine breakfast they also have lunch with JoJo and Goliath and Quincy and June from Little Einsteins. Liberty Tree Tavern has a great family style character dinner with goofy, minnie, pluto, and donald. As far as dinners for mom and dad try LeCellier if you can get it 50's Primetime Cafe is good home style food and fun for the whole family.

Wow I could go on and on about Disney and everything there! If you have any questions just send me a PM (private message) I get these faster because I am trying to finish planning for our trip. Also try to go to allearsnet.com they have menus with prices for all the resturants in MK, Epcot, MGM, AK, DTD, and all resorts.

12/7-16 POR/CBR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12/7/06 MVMCP Here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DH Chris DD6 Juliette DD3 Lily DW Mandy (me)

 

[Joey04]

Thanks everyone SOOOO MUCH for all of the tips. It looks like we will be going December 3 through December 8. We have flights and hotel, with our hotel at CBR. I hope the disboards police don't throw me in jail for posting URLs to my other posts, but I got help with the hotel at:

3ws(dot)disboards(dot)com/showthread.php?t=1272911

And I am asking for help on planning restaurants at:

3ws(dot)disboards(dot)com/showthread.php?t=1273706

We don't have park tickets yet (the Disney Web site wouldn't let us get them with our hotel tickets for some reason) but we would plan to get a 4 day pass without the hopper, and our schedule would look like:

Sunday: Arrive in Orlando late morning, no parks, check our Downtown Disney and spend time at the Resort
Monday: Animal Kingdom Park
Tuesday: MGM Studios
Wednesday: Magic Kingdom
Thursday: Magic Kingdom
Friday: No parks; leave Orlando early in the evening.

----

Any suggestions about this plan? Anything else we should see? Any suggestions for dining?

Thanks so much everyone!!!!!!!!

Joey & Family

 

[Minniespal]

Welcome to the Dis