Planning a trip

[mommarcinko]

My husband has a convention in 2/08. I want to take my 3 boys. We've never been to Disney. I don't want to break the bank, but want a nice hotel as the youngest will need some down time. I'm not sure he can get through a 12 or 14 hour day without it! I have to get my tickets and air separate from the hotel b/c my husband's company will pay for that.
Any suggestions on how/where to get the best price on park tickets and flights? Also, do you recommend getting a dining plan. My boys are 9, 4, and 2. Also, are there any MUST DOs????

 

[DizneyNutz]

On your upcoming trip! Where is the convention being held? That may dictate a little more about where to stay for convenience purposes. Beware of the many offers on discounted tickets. Disney does not really discount tickets. They are cheaper buying them from Disney in advance. Undercover Tourist . com also sells the same ticket, but do not charge tax or shipping cost, so they were cheaper on our last ticket purchase. We personally are not big eaters and have crunched the numbers more times than you care to imagine, and it just doesn't work out for us, but many on here swear by it, so don't hold that against us. It seems it really forces you to eat more than we would even consider eating, but some really like the freedom of the dining experiences when on it. Obviously we do eat when we are there and at some of the major restraunts, but we do not plan our trip around dining. To each their own and you will be receiving input from the dining plan lovers I am sure. Here's to wishing you all the very best first trip ever and a magical stay.
P.S. You are correct that the middle of the day is a good time to give the little ones some recharging time.

 

[Sandi]

You'll have a great time -- your boys will enjoy WDW tremendously. Where is the convention? Do you have to stay at that hotel? If it is an off-site hotel, the dining plan isn't an option. We've done trips both with the dining plan and without it. I would say that for a first trip, I wouldn't do the dining plan.

How many days will you be there and will your DH be stuck in meetings all the time or will he be able to join you some. Give us more details and you'll get loads of help.

 

[kimis]

It is a great time to go to WDW. The weather is great and there really aren't any crowds. We (my dh and myself) go every year in Feb and we love it. Are you going the begininning of Feb because I believe that the rates go up on the 15th? We use AAA and get great discounts if you book far enough in advance. Our favorite place to stay is Port Orleans Riverside but I hear kids like the All star sports resort. POR has a great pool and and arcade. The food court is good also. Keep us posted on what your doing. WE all love trip reports. LOL It helps us live our magic through others. LOL

 

[digman6]

As family of 6 and 4 are kids ages 11,8,5,2 we have the dining plan.

here is the reasoning behind it.... i tried to keep dinner hour as close as what they are used to ... to prevent melt downs of starving and all that sort of thing. I also know I want my kids to sit down and actually eat a meal every day no matter what time of day. burgers and that get old and this way they have down time even when having there meal. they can relax a bit, fill there bellies etc.
When I did the math for US it was very worth it. We are eating breakfast in our room for the most part , with the exception of 1 character breakfast at chef Mickey's. we are having counter meals for lunch and dinner is sit down meals that are in the area of 4PM to latest of 6:15PM.

I say look at your kids eating habits and then look at the menus and see if they weigh each other out. your kids will be free for the 2 year old and the other 2 are 10.99 each per DAY. You and dh will be 38.99 I think per day.
We found with dinner for us in most cases were we picked it would pay for itself just at dinner and you can eat what you want.

We had hopper passes but have now changed to a basic pass , with 4 kids i can not see us hopping that much. Plus if we find we want to hop we can add it on at the park while we are there , save your money until you need the pass in that area I think. there is no penalty and higher rate for doing it that way either.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

My husband has a convention in 2/08. I want to take my 3 boys. We've never been to Disney. I don't want to break the bank, but want a nice hotel as the youngest will need some down time. I'm not sure he can get through a 12 or 14 hour day without it! I have to get my tickets and air separate from the hotel b/c my husband's company will pay for that.
Any suggestions on how/where to get the best price on park tickets and flights? Also, do you recommend getting a dining plan. My boys are 9, 4, and 2. Also, are there any MUST DOs????

mommarcinko:

I hope you have a wonderful time! The first time is the most magical! If you are staying on property for the convention, definitely take time out for down-time. If you have AAA access and are staying under 5 days (I believe it is only five now), get your tickets through them. They basically just take the tax off, but every bit helps! With your kids ages (all still on the kids plan) I would sit and look at restaurants you really want to go to and see if they only want to have a hot dog or spaghetti or chicken nuggets, etc., or if they would eat something off the adult menu. That could really make your decision. We used the dining plan last year (my kids were 15, 14, and 10) and they were all classified as adults and they LOVE food so it was a real savings (they ate filet and lobster at Narcoossees ). They are obviously 16, 15 and 11 when we go next week and we are doing the dining plan again. Now, that said, in '08 when they take out the appetizer and tip, I don't think it is a great deal for my family. I will really have to decide what restaurants we will be going to and add it up. Whew, sorry that was so long.

I would definitely get the park-hopper tickets so that after your afternoon break or if you want to just get to illuminations at EPCOT after a morning at MK, you can do it. We would not be able to be restricted to one park a day and get to see all the "special" things in each park.

Also, just my opinion, but with your kids ages, I would not push the World at EPCOT. A lot of walking and not a lot for the kids to do (again, just my opinion). Future world is very interesting for them, though. Get there early for Soarin' and NEMO.

For flights, I don't know where you are coming from, but try Spirit, Air-Tran and Southwest for the best deals.

Have a great time, any other questions, just ask! My kids are all boys and the first time we went they were 9.5, 8, and 5. Oh, yeah, do a Chef Mickey's breakfast. It was the very first thing we did on our first trip and still one of our best memories.

 

[mommarcinko]

Okay - thanks for all the replies. We've decided to go earlier in February so my husband won't be stuck in a conference. We're planning on 5 nights and 5 days in the park. With all boys aged, 9,4,and 2 - I'll take any suggestions on where to stay, what parks to go to (in order), etc. We want to make the most of the trip and any suggestions are helpful!
Thanks,

 

[Rochmom]

I'm going along with the other post and recommending Port Orleans Riverside (POR). If your youngest isn't using a porta-crib, then POR has an advantage! They have trundle beds in some of the rooms - one of the double beds has a small bed that slides out for a child to sleep in.

If you request a room with a trundle, there is a small per-night extra charge, but your family may find it worth the extra. Last time we went, we didn't request it, but got assigned to a room that had one - so there was no extra fee, but we sure used it. One DD was 9 at the time, and hated sharing a bed with her sister.

We're going back to POR next week. The food court there is very nice, the pools are great, and the atmosphere was terrific. And DD (now 13) is really hoping for that trundle again!

Keep your questions coming - we're all happy to help!

 

[goofyboyzmom]

I'm going along with the other post and recommending Port Orleans Riverside (POR). If your youngest isn't using a porta-crib, then POR has an advantage! They have trundle beds in some of the rooms - one of the double beds has a small bed that slides out for a child to sleep in.

If you request a room with a trundle, there is a small per-night extra charge, but your family may find it worth the extra. Last time we went, we didn't request it, but got assigned to a room that had one - so there was no extra fee, but we sure used it. One DD was 9 at the time, and hated sharing a bed with her sister.

We're going back to POR next week. The food court there is very nice, the pools are great, and the atmosphere was terrific. And DD (now 13) is really hoping for that trundle again!

Keep your questions coming - we're all happy to help!

Rochmom:

We have stayed a couple of times at Dixie Landings/Port Orleans. There was never an extra charge for the trundle room (5 people is why we had to stay here; best thing that ever happened! The last time we stayed there was 2004, I think. Has the charge been added since then?

 

[mommarcinko]

Okay, thanks for the suggestions on Port Orleans.
I will price that. I have pretty good pricing for the Wilderness Lodge.
Does anyone have any tips on whether they think that is a good choice for hotel? This is our first trip and I just want to get things right.
Also, with kids 9,4,and 2, what are some of the "must sees" in each park?
I have all boys if that helps!!
Has anyone been to the pirates and princess thing??? Wondering if that is a must see?

 

[Unregistered]

Wilderness Lodge is an amazing hotel. We stayed there on our first trip to DW a year ago and now I can't imagine staying anywhere else. But it might be cramped for a family of 5 unless you get the bunk bed option and a pack and play crib.

We had a 3 year old son at the time we went before so we were going to skip Epcot entirely because we thought it would be boring for him. We were SO wrong!!! There are some really great rides and attractions. Must See's: Soarin, Nemo, Test Track, and Illuminations (late evening fireworks but so worth staying late to see at least once).

Magic Kingdom pretty much everything is a must see! but here are some of the main favorites for your age range: mickey's philharmagic, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, big thunder mountain railroad, Goofy's Barnstormer, Dumbo, TeaCups. Your older kids will probably enjoy space mountain, pirates of the carribean.

MGM - this park is lots of shows, which my son wouldn't sit still thru, and the thrill rides (tower of terror and Rockin rollercoaster) have height restrictions.... but for my son this park was his highlight simply because of the characters. He got to meet Little Einsteins, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sully from Monster's Inc, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and more. As much as he loved all the rides he did at DW the characters is what he remembers and still talks about. Do the Hollywood and Vine Character breakfast - it is lots of fun for everyone but especially the little ones!!

Animal Kingdom: this was our least favorite park. Must see's: Expedition everest, Kali river Rapids (if the weather is warm enough - you will get wet) and the Lion King Show.

You are going to have the best time. Your kids will enjoy it beyond your expectations.

 

[wrighter]

Just something to consider if you don't want to go with the dining plan: We were very pleased that we chose to stay at one of the DVC resorts. (If you don't know what they are, they are more like apartments, with laundry, kitchens, separate bedrooms, etc.) We had groceries delivered from gardengrocer - MUCH less expensive, and we got to eat fairly normal meals when we wanted to. I know it's not for everyone, but we just couldn't bear to eat every meal in the park or on the run. We're definitely not health nuts - but eating in the parks, or even at restaurants all the time really bogged us down. This way we were ensured some fresh fruit, veggies, etc, and whatever else we like to eat normally. We did eat at the parks, or restaurants once a day and enjoyed it. But we were glad when we got to eat our own meals, too.

Good luck with your decision. You will have a wonderful time! Each resort has its own pros and cons, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.