Newbie has questions. Taking Poll!

[dcsend]

I'm really psyched to go to WDW in April, but I have some questions. I've read that we shouldn't miss the Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show. Is this show "worth it"?

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper? As our one & only trip to WDW, we're staying for 6.5 days off site. My thought was one park each day with an extra ticket to go to the best liked park (Kids are 12, 9, 7, 5). OR do we go for the 5 day hopper??? It's a $200 difference!

#3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?

#4. - What do you all carry into the park? I'm don't want to be the "bag lady". Everyone says bring water, snacks, ponchos, etc. I'd think a backpack and soft cooler would be heavy and a pain. A rolling backpack - is that awkward to manuvere? Do you make each of the kids carry their own backpacks??? Or am I over thinking?

THANKS for your responses

 

[bicker]

#2 - The difference in price between base tickets and park hoppers is a set $35 per ticket, regardless of age or duration of the ticket. It is definitely worth it for a first visit, IMHO. Less so during April, though, because all the parks are open late. In the off-season, I feel it is more important, since it gives you the chance to hop to Epcot every night.

#3 - For a first visit, absolutely not. You'll barely have enough time to adequately take-in the four three parks.

#4 - I wouldn't bother with the small cooler. They sell water everywhere and it is worth the price to save my back from more surgery! Forget the rolling backpack; you're correct that you'll end up having to carry it most of the time anyway. Just take what you absolutely need, and enjoy yourself.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show: I have not been yet, but everything I heard about this is that the show is great and not to be missed.

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper?: We haven't used hoppers before, but the parks have been open late (we went in April & June). We hate to leave a park (no breaks/naps for us, but we also don't have kids) instead we just take our time seeing everything in one park. I just think it is time consumming to leave a park and go to another. I would skip the hopper and enjoy each park. If you decide on just the base ticket, you can upgrade to hopper once there if needed.


#3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?: I have also not been here, but I do know that most games are included in admission, but there are some that you have to pay for. I believe they are on a separate floor, so you can avoid them if needed.

#4. - What do you all carry into the park?: I have a Travelon bag (qvc.com) and that it what I take. It I am able to keep my cameras (I take two), wallet, cell phone, keys, etc. It is very nice (I have both the small and large version, I recommend the large). I also take our Brita sports bottles and hang them from a strp around our neck. We just refill as needed (saves money!) If you are planning on taking snacks, then I would either take a backpack and keep them in there or a small collapsible cooler and rent a locker.

I know it is hard trying to decide, so many choices! Good LucK and have a great time!

 

[wishinonastar2goback]

We went in October with a large group of varied ages, from 6-65, and have experiences that may help with many of your questions.

1. We did see the Hoop-De-Doo Revue, and all agreed that it was one of the best things we did while there.

2. We had park-hopper passes (we were there for 6 nights) and we made very good use of them, as it allowed us to go with our whims more. Park you're in too crowded? Get out and go to another one...

3. You won't get anywhere near Disney Quest. There is SOOO much to do in the theme parks that you'll never get to it. Save your money.

4. We found that fanny packs, with water bottle holders on the side, worked great. they were easy for kids to carry, everyone could carry their own snacks and water, and no one complained even once about them.

 

[dizagain]

Hi!

I have never seen the Hoop-de-Doo, but I have always wanted to...not sure it would make or break your trip, though!

We have always gotten the hopper passes. We have really used them and we've been at both crowded and less-crowded times. We do usually break in the afternoon and then head back out.

Never done Disney Quest either - my DD's aren't really interested and I feel like even though we've taken them to WDW twice now we still haven't done everything in the main parks.

I always carry a very lightweight backback with wallet, camera, sunscreen, etc...We tried carrying water bottles on the lanyard-things and noone liked lugging them around...ended up in the backpack on MY back! I like the backpack because you can always throw stuff in to keep fairly dry on wet rides...

You will have SO MUCH FUN!!! My advice is to stick to the four main parks and perhaps a water park if you want to do something extra - my family happens to LOVE Disney water parks and our time there is always awesome. Have a great time planning!!

 

[txgirl]

I'm really psyched to go to WDW in April, but I have some questions. I've read that we shouldn't miss the Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show. Is this show "worth it"?

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper? As our one & only trip to WDW, we're staying for 6.5 days off site. My thought was one park each day with an extra ticket to go to the best liked park (Kids are 12, 9, 7, 5). OR do we go for the 5 day hopper??? It's a $200 difference!

#3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?

#4. - What do you all carry into the park? I'm don't want to be the "bag lady". Everyone says bring water, snacks, ponchos, etc. I'd think a backpack and soft cooler would be heavy and a pain. A rolling backpack - is that awkward to manuvere? Do you make each of the kids carry their own backpacks??? Or am I over thinking?

THANKS for your responses

HOOP DEE DOO- We did this and loved it! Our kids were 10, 8, and 2 and we had grandma with us. It would have cost us a whopping $200 but we had the meal plan. It was definitely worth it and this was our very first trip also.

HOPPER OR NOT - You gave ages, but not when you are going. If in the summer you could always swim and relax in the afternoon and go back to the same park in the evening for fireworks or parade. We did get the hopper, but I didn't feel like it was really necessary. We used it but we could have done differently and still had an awesome trip! When it is your first trip you are soooo busy there is no way you will feel cheated if you can't go to a different park in the afternoon.

DISNEY QUEST - We didn't do this and honestly I didn't do much research. I know it is really cool, but we have similar places like this near home (ESPN zone, Dave & Busters, etc.) There are too many other wonderful things at Disney that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world that I didn't want to miss (parades, character meals, fireworks, riding rides, seeing shows, finding your fav. character, etc. etc.)

STUFF - You are overthinking but I did the same thing and I took too much! Truth be told, you really don't need that much. Disney will give you free cups of ice and you can fill them with water for when you are desperate to drink. If you plan on eating in the park with food you bring, then you will be weighted down (again, we had the meal plan ). Not sure when you are going, but we did need our ponchos and umbrella. We had a stroller and with all the kiddos you will have I would probably invest in a rental each day and load it up with a couple of Brita water bottles with filters, empty disposable cups (fill these with water and throw away), some granola bars, trail mix, or snacks your kids like, some $1 ponchos (they are very small) camera, and some moleskin in case of blisters. The rest of the "what-ifs" became very much a burden for us to carry and I wish I had cut back some but I wanted to be sooooo prepared! Your kids are a bit older and could definitely carry fanny-pack type bags with snacks and stuff.

If and when the downpour comes, you are going to get wet to some degree. We were able to predict the showers with great accuracy and were usually back in the room (mid-afternoon) when they hit.

I hope this helps. These boards were a lifesaver when planning our first trip!

 

[kfeuer]

I'm really psyched to go to WDW in April, but I have some questions. I've read that we shouldn't miss the Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show. Is this show "worth it"?

My in-laws took our family a couple years ago, and I have to admit I wasn't too excited going in. That kind of music isn't really my thing. However, I must say that I had a better time then I anticipated. It's a little hokey, but they're good entertainers and the food was better then I expected. Do it if it appeals to your family, but I wouldn't categorize it as a must-do.

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper? As our one & only trip to WDW, we're staying for 6.5 days off site. My thought was one park each day with an extra ticket to go to the best liked park (Kids are 12, 9, 7, 5). OR do we go for the 5 day hopper??? It's a $200 difference!

If your budget allows, go for the hopper. We really enjoy leaving the parks in the afternoon to rest for a bit, then going back out to a different park at night. If you don't have hoppers, you're going to feel pressure to do it all in one day even if you get tired (and believe me, you can't do it all). With hoppers, you can always come back later if you miss something. #3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?

Your admission covers virtually everything. I think the only thing you pay for is some games where you can win a prize. We went to DQ earlier this year and I never even saw any pay games. I think your older kids would really enjoy it, but their wouldn't be as much for your 5-year old to do. I really doubt you're going to have the time or energy to think about DQ this trip unless it rains or something, though.

#4. - What do you all carry into the park? I'm don't want to be the "bag lady". Everyone says bring water, snacks, ponchos, etc. I'd think a backpack and soft cooler would be heavy and a pain. A rolling backpack - is that awkward to manuvere? Do you make each of the kids carry their own backpacks??? Or am I over thinking?

I'd get each child a fanny pack and have one main bag that you and your DH can trade off carrying (a backpack would be ideal) for cameras, band-aids, sunscreen, etc. If you go to Dollar Tree you can get packs of 2 disposable ponchos for $1. I'd highly recommend bringing these with you--I don't know how much they're going for in the parks these days, but they're not cheap. Admittedly the Disney ones are much nicer quality, but you don't want to have to unexpectedly drop $50 on ponchos. The disposable ones are also handy for when you go on wet rides. We used ours on Kali River Rapids last trip, and it's the only thing that saved DS and I from getting completely soaked.

Hope this helps and have a great trip!

 

[DisneyArk]

1. Never been to Hoop-Dee-Do so I don't know. We did do The Family Magic Tour and LOVED it!! I think your 5 and 7 year olds would like it a lot!

2. We LOVE to park hop. Our last trip we went to the parks for 7 days and still did not do everything! We let our kids do some things over and over and so we don't always get it all done. Whenever we get bored or tired, we like to hop on the bus and go to a different park. The good news is that with the MYW, I've heard you can add hopping after you get to WDW. So maybe on your first day you'll know if you want it?? On our last day we always hop to 3 parks and do our favorite things 1 more time!

One reason we needed to hop was to catch certain shows or character greetings that only happened at certain times. There were times when we were in line for a ride when a show was starting and we didn't want to skip the ride. So we would go back to that park just to watch the show.

For the ages of your kids, I suggest you split up a few times. That way you can concentrate on the magic with the 5 and 7 yo.

3. Never been to Disney Quest. But we do LOVE the water parks!!

4. The first trip I brought EVERYTHING into the parks. With a toddler, it was worth it! Back then they used to want to eat a few bites every few hours. It was not worth it to wait in line for a huge snack so that they could only eat 2 bites. But now that they are older I do NOT bring snacks. My kids do not eat much between meals, but if they see something that looks good then they will want that to eat and only that!
- So ask yourself if your kids snack a lot. If they are flexible about what to eat then carry something that they like (we took fruit roll-ups and air heads). And if your kids snack a lot and you want to save money then bring snacks!
The disposable ponchos are very small. I carried them in a small fanny pack with our camera. One day we brought our video camera and left it in a locker when we didn't want to carry it.

 

[tbelfonti]

I'm really psyched to go to WDW in April, but I have some questions. I've read that we shouldn't miss the Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show. Is this show "worth it"?

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper? As our one & only trip to WDW, we're staying for 6.5 days off site. My thought was one park each day with an extra ticket to go to the best liked park (Kids are 12, 9, 7, 5). OR do we go for the 5 day hopper??? It's a $200 difference!

#3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?

#4. - What do you all carry into the park? I'm don't want to be the "bag lady". Everyone says bring water, snacks, ponchos, etc. I'd think a backpack and soft cooler would be heavy and a pain. A rolling backpack - is that awkward to manuvere? Do you make each of the kids carry their own backpacks??? Or am I over thinking?

THANKS for your responses

#1: I had PS for HDD in '99 and it was cancelled due to a tropical storm. My girls are too young to justify the cost at this point but it's on my long term "to do at WDW" list. Yeah, I've got one

#2: We park hop. I build it into our plans. Especially if one park closes earlier than another, you're not locked in. Like a PP stated, if a park is busy, go somewhere else. And another PP, you're not under pressure to do everything in one day. You can always spend one day revisiting the favorites as well.

#3: We're big DQ fans but haven't been since the little ones came along. I would think your older children would love it. I wouldn't spend a day here but an evening if your park plan allows for it. There are things you are charged for (build a toy and then buy it kind of thing) but the arcade stuff is all free - including designing your own rollercoaster and then riding it in a simulator, etc.

#4: We bring in our own strollers and utilize the basket for autograph books, ponchos, snacks. My most recent trip was with DD5, my mom and I. We brought ponchos, camera, fanny pack and a sweatshirt for each (it was this month and cool). My mom always threw an extra pair of shoes in the basket as well. I travel in the parks "light" because I hate having to deal with the bag checks at security. And if I need a bandaid - first aid will give me one for free

 

[pomcoach]

I bought a fanny pack for each of my 2 daughters, and they are college age and teenage!!! I went to a place to have their names embroidered on them to make them special. Only cost $5 each, so I had my name put on mine too! Soooo cute!
Then we carried in them: lip gloss, kleenex, glasses/sunglasses, small hairbrush, hair tie/scrunchy, tiny suntan lotion, emery board, little scissors, and any other little miscellaneous. With little kids, you might want to take little scooby-do fruit snacks, etc. We've never carried water, but buy it in the parks and share using disposable cups if needed.
My husband always carries the Disney tickets. He quickly collects them immediately after we pass through the gates, even mine! He carries the camera. I carry any credit or AAA cards, room keys, any coupons, about 5 disposable cups so we can share a large lemonade rather than spend a fortune for each one of us and waste it. I carry the little disposable ponchos and they are thrown away after the wet rides. We each carry a cell phone if we have one.
That's about it.

 

[Magical-Memories]

Our family of 6 just went on our first 'family' trip in November.

We did quite a few of the dinners and hands down..the kids loved the "Hoop-De-Doo-Revue" the best. I thought it was a lot of fun too. We were not on the dining plan but I still think it was worth every penny. Waiter was awesome. The food was only OK IMO....but the show is what makes it. (I have all boys 6-11).

We did have Park Hoppers..I think we really only used them to hop on one day though...so we probably could have done without it. It was a fairly slow time for DW though. And also I had touring plans that I got off the Unofficial Guide's Website..and I pretty much stuck with the days they suggested and even the order of the rides at first. HIGHLY recommend buying this book..I had bought 3 books..and this was definitely the most helpful to me. I did like having the convenience of the choice if we wanted ito park hop. (I do think you can add this feature on though..if you get down there and decide that you would like to...I could be wrong though.) (We also stayed offsite.)

My kids really wanted to do Disney Quest..but we ended up not having enough time and we were there from a Friday to the following Saturday. I think that is another upgrade you can add on to your tickets should you decide it's something you want to do once you get down there.

We carried one backpack. We just took one of the kids backpacks that they use for school. We alternated who carried it. We did stick in some bottled waters....one day my husband did bring some snacks..but I honestly don't think anyone ate them. The backpack was great to hold our camera, touring guides, bottled water and even sweatshirts when it got too hot..LOL. It was definitely worth it..and it posed no problems taking it on any rides. Oh..I did buy the 2 for $1 water poncho's. I was the only one who used it though..at Animal Kingdom for the river rapids. Everyone..including the people we didn't know who were on it with us..made fun of me. We went on early in the AM and there was hardly anyone there so the operator let us stay on for 3 or 4 times. And I'm happy to report that I was the only one with dry hair and shorts, etc. So I'm glad I bought them..but I ended up with too many!

I had all these same questions! Rolling backpack would be cumbersome and a pain!

Ok..so to answer to the polls:

1) DEFINITELY worth it
2)Double check this..but I say wait until you get down there..if you feel it's something you want to do..than upgrade at that point. That way you can possibly save $200...
3)Same with Disney Quest...wait to add that option when you get down there..see how much time you have.
4)One backpack for the whole family would be acceptable..IMO.

Have fun planning!!

 

[CarolynNC]

With 5 day tickets, 4 kids, first and only trip to WDW, and staying off site I'd skip Hoop-de-doo and Disney Quest. I'd concentrate on the parks. There is plenty to keep you busy and worn out. If you plan to drive to the parks you can put anything you might need in the car. I'd keep the stuff you carry around to a minumum. Another alternative is to rent a stroller for the 5 year old and let it tote some of your stuff. Think of some way to easily identify your stroller to save time hunting. By the end of the day you might find your other kids opting for a ride. Depending on the size of your children you might consider a double stroller.

I fluctuate on the park hoppers. I get them but many times when traveling with a large group we find we're just too pooped at the end of the day to come back to another park. This has been especially true when staying off site. We do however always use our last day as a favorites tour. Everyone gets to pick their favorite attraction and we hop around and do them all. April is a busy time so you might want to spend the money on the hoppers to give you the option of changing parks. You can use the money you saved on HDD & DQ to offset the cost of the hopper option.

In my opinion the most cost effective expenditure is a really good guide book. I like the Unofficial Guide but there are others people on this board recommend. You need to be prepared for visiting WDW during a busy time like April. A trip to WDW is a big expenditure and you want to have realistic expectations.

Of course your mileage may vary! You know your family best.

 

[crisi]

I'm really psyched to go to WDW in April, but I have some questions. I've read that we shouldn't miss the Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show. Is this show "worth it"?

Haven't been. Since people say it "shouldn't be missed" and we've been happy missing it, I'm guessing they are wrong. If I were going to spend the "lots of money" for a show, I'd see Cirque and even that can be missed.

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper? As our one & only trip to WDW, we're staying for 6.5 days off site. My thought was one park each day with an extra ticket to go to the best liked park (Kids are 12, 9, 7, 5). OR do we go for the 5 day hopper??? It's a $200 difference!

We make good use of hopping. We often do MK or AK in the morning and Epcot for dinner and the evening. We don't often spend time in Epcot in the morning, and AK closes early. It also adds a lot of flexibility - get to a park and decide its too crowded, hop. Want to go back to a park for just one more ride, hop.

#3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?

Watch the ages of your kids. DQ is a great place for older kids who enjoy video games, not great for the preschool or even early elementary set.

#4. - What do you all carry into the park? I'm don't want to be the "bag lady". Everyone says bring water, snacks, ponchos, etc. I'd think a backpack and soft cooler would be heavy and a pain. A rolling backpack - is that awkward to manuvere? Do you make each of the kids carry their own backpacks??? Or am I over thinking?

Without kids - a fanny pack with camera, passes, ID and credit cards and a little cash. With toddlers enough stuff to cross the Rockies on foot - diapers, snacks, water, sippy cups, juice, change of clothes. In winter more than in summer - because we carry jackets. When broke more than we carry when we feel flush - because we will carry water/snacks to save money, but are willing to buy it if we don't feel like carrying it. They won't let you pull a rolling backpack. If your kids are old enough, buy them some sort of pack and have them carry a snack and their own rain poncho.

 

[vanyel]

I'm really psyched to go to WDW in April, but I have some questions. I've read that we shouldn't miss the Hoop-De-Doo-ReVue show. Is this show "worth it"?

I've been to it once. It was fun but I didn't think it was great. The food was average. I don't think you'd "miss" it if you didn't go. Just my opinion.

Poll #2 - A 5 day MYW pass or 5 day Hopper? As our one & only trip to WDW, we're staying for 6.5 days off site. My thought was one park each day with an extra ticket to go to the best liked park (Kids are 12, 9, 7, 5). OR do we go for the 5 day hopper??? It's a $200 difference!

For a first trip (don't say only until you've been!), I think you'd be fine without park hoppers, especially since you're staying off site. It depends on whether the $200 matters, and I imagine it does as it does to most of us here.

#3 - Is Disney Quest worth the extra $$$? Do you have to pay to play the games once you get in, or does the purchase of your ticket allow you to do most of the stuff DQ offers?

Never been.

#4. - What do you all carry into the park? I'm don't want to be the "bag lady". Everyone says bring water, snacks, ponchos, etc. I'd think a backpack and soft cooler would be heavy and a pain. A rolling backpack - is that awkward to manuvere? Do you make each of the kids carry their own backpacks??? Or am I over thinking?

I go really light, even when I had kids with me. If your little one needs snacksto keep going, you might want a small backpack with a few snacks and water. Don't over do the carryins as you'll probably regret it. I don't wear a fanny pack as I'm really uncomfortable with it and I feel silly. That's up to you.