overwelmed in ontario...

[pattticakes]

HELP!! I am so confused!! it shouldn't be this hard to book a holiday. I have been reading through the threads here and feel like I need an interpreter! Last time I was at Disney was in my early 20's 10 years or so ago and I just went bought a ticket and that was that.... now there seems to be so much more that requires doing. The food, the tickets, the restaurants the passes heLP??? how do you figure all this out???
I even tried calling a "disney expert" travel agent, and they didn't even bother to return my call!!

So... if anyone can take pity on my and speak in laymen's terms I would really appreciate it I don't know / understand all the acronyms.

What I do know so far... We're hoping to go in August(I know rediculously hot, I just don't want the kids to miss school), and we're going to drive down(we're in the GTA).

As most people are, we're on a budget and I'm trying to see if this is even possible. We don't have a boatload of cash to do this.

I don't think we can afford to stay onsite for the quality of place I'd like to be in. I found a hotel/resort very close by that is gorgeous and very affordable, so I think we're going to stay there. It has a free shuttle.

But how do the meal plan/passes work? Where do you buy the tickets for the parks? How do you organize what restaurants you want to go to? Where do you sign up for character meetings or whatever they are called?

Anyone else who drives down from Ontario have a recommendation for a hotel about half way? We're hoping to drive it in 2 days and stay over somewhere. Just want a safe & clean hotel to stay in.

If you have made it this far I would love to shake yoru hand!
If you have any suggestions for me on how to figure this out and how to give my kids(ds will be 6 dd will be 9) the vacation of their lifetime(affordably) I will hug you!
thanks ever so much!
p.

 

[hockey mom]

If you have not been in awhile alot has changed. lol Just breathe

If you are going in August have you considered free dining. It is a huge money saver. It is a promotion that has been offered for your time frame for the past few years so it should be offered again.

This promotion does involve your family staying on site but if you have not been in awhile you will not be spending much time in your room anyway.

We have driven from Ontario many times but never stop so cant help you with that one.

Think of tickets as a plain pizza - every topping or add on for tickets is extra.

I would suggest for you a base ticket with the water park option. We do not pay for park hopping and if this is your only trip for awhile there is no need for the "no expiration" option. August is hot and the water parks are wonderful.

You will need to book any nice meals well in advance. I believe it is 120 days in advance. Go to allears.net and check out the menus.

 

[alohamom]

How old are your kids and how long are you staying? Do you want to see all four parks? The first time we went it was May, hot as heck and my kids were 2 and 4, we just did Magic Kingdom because Orlando has sooo much to offer, they really wanted to go to Sea World plus we wanted to get some beach time in and didn't want to overdo it with the kids being so little. So I guess you need to decide if this is going to be an exclusive disney vacation. If so, I would suggest taking a day off here and there in between park days. HockeyMom suggested purchasing the water parks options on your tickets which is great if you can afford it but most hotels do have pools so you dont need to (the water parks are honestly so much fun & really worth it tho) I have read over and over on these boards over the years people suggesting 5 park day tickets if you have 7 days to be in Orlando, 7 days if you have 10 days, which is probably a good idea for you. The 5 days is great because you can spend a full day in each park and then go back to one you think you liked best on the last ticket day to catch anything you missed. Another thing to keep in mind is that Downtown Disney shopping area is free (the stores are not but it is a great way to get the Disney atmosphere without entering the parks), the resorts are fun to tour and doing character dining on a day you are not going to a park (like the Ohana breakfast at the Polynesian resort or Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary resort) is a wonderful way to get up close to the characters and do a little Disney for that day. One thing I would strongly suggest for August to have a little battery operated pocket fan/water mister. They sell them in the parks but you cna buy them here at Wal-Mart for about 10-12 bucks. They are a god-send on a hot day and the parks let you bring them in no problem. Also, it is very crowded in the summer so do your research and find the crowd level charts on these boards or elsewhere to see what days are best. Good luck and we all love to help out here so keep asking us till you are comfortable

 

[Nahanni]

When choosing dates in August you may want to wait until Florida children are back in school (I think its Aug 22) as prices, crowds and unfortunately park hours drop quickly.

If you are feeling overwhelmed contact a local Disney travel planner (google: Bolton Disney, for one we have used). They can answer questions, book packages, arrange dining reservations and will create a travel itinerary for you listing attractions and shows to see. The cost is the same as booking direct and is in US Dollars (but leaves a little revenue at home).

Free dining is not out yet but you could start a booking now and switch over if it becomes available. With Disney bookings you leave a $200 deposit but it is fully refundable upto 45 days before arrival date.

 

[glendalais]

You can also visit http://www.disneyparks.ca or http://www.disneyworld.ca for more information on all there is to do at the Walt Disney World Resort explained in simple, easy-to-understand terms.

In addition, if you telephone Disney Parks Reservations on 407 939-7500, a Host or Hostess will be more than happy to review all of your options in detail with you and help you plan your perfect Disney vacation.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Right now Disney has "25% off at select Disney value resorts for August 14 to October 1, 2011" ... so basically for a week staying on-site at Disney in a standard room at Disney's Pop Century, it will cost you $439 US total. You can book this online by going to the Disneyworld.com website and clicking on the "special offers" link at the bottom of the page -- or click here

Your most expensive expense will be your park tickets. One adult ticket - say 5 days, with the water park option will cost you $291. One children's ticket (under 10) - for 5 days with the water park option will cost you $268. Total for 2 adults, and 2 children (under 10) would be about $1600 US.

If you do want to get in on the free dining special (if offered for your dates), keep in mind you will be paying rack rates for your hotel room.

Disney also has another current promotion - Kids Stay and Play Free (can be booked at the same link as above) - for one week at a Disney Value resort, you'd be looking at approximately $1025 US. This total includes your park tickets (with water park option) for 5 days. The number of days per ticket can be adjusted on the page as well. Children have to be under 10 to take advantage of this offer.

Another thing to keep in mind is staying off-site, hotel shuttles are often very limited in times of drop off and pick up. If you drive to the parks while staying off-site you will have to pay for parking each day ($14). If you stay on-site at Disney, you can take the Disney buses to the parks free of charge (they usually run every 20 minutes or so), or if you decide to drive your own car and park at the parks (which is often quicker than the buses) because you are staying on-site at Disney, parking is free.

 

[roscoepc1]

Cindy, an agent at The Magic for Less, is absolutely AWESOME! Our last trip was our first, and she not only answered all my "stupid" questions, she fixed a ressie problem we had while we were ON our vacation!!

She is patient and kind, and great to work with! She takes care of all your ressies, ADRs etc.

Her agency is one of only a very few agencies affiliated with, and approved by, Disney itself.

cindy@themagicforless is her addy....

I'm working with her right now on our next trip.

 

[iluveeyore]

Okay, Hi! You have a lot to absorb.

My first suggestion, if you are planning to do all things Disney, is to stay on site. If the place off-site is really nice, that's fine, but all Disney properties are just as nice, and you will hardly see your off-site hotel, because you will spend all your time travelling back and forth and at the parks. If you don't think a value resort will make you happy (I would choose Pop Century if it will because it doesn't share buses like the other values), then use the specials Disney has now and get a moderate resort or better. Port Orleans Riverside is nice and has a boat to Downtown Disney, as well as buses. Also when you stay onsite, you are able to use resort guests' extra magic hours, where you can get into the parks an hour earlier than the general public, or stay 3 hours later than park closing. And being able to go to the parks all morning, and come back to your room at lunchtime in the heat of August to enjoy the pool is priceless. We always enjoy going in late August, and love our afternoons to unwind and re-energize at our resort. Then we can go back to the parks after dinner and enjoy the evenings without the daytime sun.

My next suggestion is to make your tickets park hoppers. We have annual passes because we go twice in a year's time, but for our trip in December, our other family members used Undercover Tourist and saved about $25 off each pass, which helped with the charge of the park hopping. They are the best to have so you don't feel like you have to be in one park from morning till night, and you can visit each park as many times as you like without worrying which park to do on which day. Besides, if Animal Kingdom closes at 6pm and Magic Kingdom's fireworks are at 8pm, you can still have other choices in the evening.

We have driven down many times, and our favourite stopping point is Charlotte, NC or Columbia, SC - there are nice hotels off of the interstate that are very reasonable - my budget tip is to stop at the Welcome Center for whatever state you plan to spend the night in and grab a coupon for a room (you can also print it off at home ahead of time on roomsaver.com). Charlotte is about 12 hours from the border, leaving about a 9 hour drive on the second day, so if you leave the second day by 7 am, you will arrive by 3pm closer to check-in time so you know your room will be ready at Disney. Sometimes my husband will push through and get us to Georgia so the second day is shorter, depending on how everyone is handling the first day's drive.

Any other questions, feel free to pm me or email me at traceyb@cogeco.ca - we go every year, sometimes twice and have stayed at many of the resorts over the last 12 years. We have eaten at many different places and know how to do it on a budget too.

Also, this board is full of so much information, don't be scared to browse through and read up on all aspects of your trip. Everyone on here is so helpful and very happy to help a fellow Disney lover!
Tracey

 

[pattticakes]

I wish there was a thanks button and I would thank each and every one who commented! I appreciate you taking the time to help a girl out!

You have definitely made me rethink staying off site and I am happy to have a bunch more ideas to reseach. And you're all so friendly!! thank you!! thank you thank you!!!

(please keep it coming if anyone else would like to chime in, this is my official I'm going to disney thread and I still appreciate any and all advice from those who have been there and done that!

 

[alohamom]

One reason we have always stayed offsite is that it can get a little bit too much for me. Dont get me wrong, i have been a Mouseketeer all my life and LOVE all things Disney but it can be very chaotic. We happened to visit Pop Century last May to meet up with people and I was soooo happy I had never stayed there. It was insane, kids running around, loud, noisy, the cafeteria (and that is what that food court is) was just crazy. I know htere are people who come to Disney to immerse thmeselves in this but I am not one of them. I need to be away from it in spurts to re-energize and be able to enjoy the parks. I have been through many of the resorts and some are very nice but there aren't too many that I fell relaxed in. Just my own thing Patticakes, you may find you want to be buzzing Disney 24/7-everyone is different

 

[iluveeyore]

One reason we have always stayed offsite is that it can get a little bit too much for me. Dont get me wrong, i have been a Mouseketeer all my life and LOVE all things Disney but it can be very chaotic. We happened to visit Pop Century last May to meet up with people and I was soooo happy I had never stayed there. It was insane, kids running around, loud, noisy, the cafeteria (and that is what that food court is) was just crazy. I know htere are people who come to Disney to immerse thmeselves in this but I am not one of them. I need to be away from it in spurts to re-energize and be able to enjoy the parks. I have been through many of the resorts and some are very nice but there aren't too many that I fell relaxed in. Just my own thing Patticakes, you may find you want to be buzzing Disney 24/7-everyone is different

That is exactly why we are DVC owners - a lot of the Disney Resorts aren't as crazy as some of the values can get - some are very relaxing, tranquil, and you don't feel like you're at WDW at all, yet you are so close to the magic!