Please don't be mad, I just need your help and would like your opinion

[DangerMouse]

Wow danger. Lots to think about!

It's pretty much that money scenario that will probably keep me from doing a DCL cruise for a long, long time. If we do a cruise/WDW combo it's going to be cheaper RCCL so we CAN do WDW after!

Last year when I was thinking of changing our 4 nights at PP package to a week at WDW during what was a value season, I found that WDW was cheaper. 3 more days, too. Nice.

Yep, Molly, it's all these questions that have me just obsessing about my next two trips to DLR and totally avoiding that WDW book. I knew WDW would overwhelm me and that's a big reason I have avoided it all these years. But dh said we could do DCL for my 40th birthday so I booked it early to get the secret porthole rooms. As long as we've paid for airfare to FL there's no way I could get by without peeking at Cinderella's Castle. Now the question is how on earth are we going to afford all of it?

 

[DangerMouse]

Stay at a value resort. Aren't they only like $69.00 or 70.00 dollars a night? That way you get the Magic Express from the Airport, and all of the busses. No parking fees then at the parks. You don't have to have the dining plan either. Some people order groceries for their rooms. They have friges. There are huge discussions on this subject over on the WDW forum. I'm sure they would give you lots of help.
I really think you should try to stay onsite. There are just so many advantages to it. My 2 cents again!

We can't stay at a value unless we do the family suite at Music because we have 5 people. So that forces us into the moderate POR with that stupid trundle bed. I like the look of the family suite at ASMu (It's around $200 a night), but when I compare it with the 3 br/3 ba townhouse with it's own splash pool, full kitchen and washer/dryer for ($110 a night), I can't do it.

I still have time to figure it all out, and I'm sure you'll have more time to tell me all about the benefits of staying on-site when I see you in April.

 

[bumbershoot]

tinkermell, I think the problem that dangermouse is finding is in the size of her family (lucky lucky lucky). With a value resort, I think it's only 4 plus an infant to a room. I've read that one value resort has suites, but I can't remember which one (or if that's true still/ever).

Danger, are you opposed to Fort Wilderness? Then again, where would you keep your camping stuff or trailer? Oh but they have cabins? Oh but those are on the spendier side. Hmm.

LOL, just from a year of lurking, sometimes I feel like I know what I'm talking about, bwa ha ha...

 

[bumbershoot]

Aha, you answered while I was answering "for" you.

 

[Laurabearz]

I used to live down the street from Disneyland, but now consider myself a WDW vet...

DM.. We prefer to do the parks after the cruise. For us, the parks are more relaxing. See on the cruise you have to be some where at some time for the start of this or that... Kids want to make slime, but the other kid in the other age group doesnt want to do their thing at the slime time ok but that over laps with Mickey Mania, and time to change for dinner, shore excruisons, everything is by the clock...... At WDW , other than a few ADR's here and there, our time is ours to be where we want to be when we want to be there... and we find that to be more relaxing... Does that make sense??

Also your thoughts about WDW Crowds in May as appose to end of April is correct! I think the Flower and Garden show is going on at Epcot then.. it's just lovely!

Oh and we too are a family of 5, so I feel your pain. Sure hope my two rooms at DLH in June are connecting... and I can't wait for DVC GCV to start selling!!! We love our 2 bedroom Villas!

Ok on to the OP.

Pop Century is the only Value with dedicated Bus service. All the others share a bus, and they are big. If your giong the value route Pop is a great choice. There is also an active Fridge swaping thread on the resorts board for Pop...

I have taken close to 15 trips to WDW in the past 6 years and I still have not seen it all. You need to become one with that knowledge before you can move forward.

The others mentioned 2 days MK 2 Days Epcot 1 day AK and HWS and that seems about right.. and a break day or two is always nice

The MK will seem surreal to you.. like something is not quite right.. it's a feeling that doesn't go away.. You know where you are, but then you dont.

Let us know if you have any detailed questions

 

[Dis Ohana]

We just returned from our very first trip to WDW. We had a blast! We stayed for 11 nights and could have stayed a lot longer. There was so much to see and do.
I was like you, a little afraid to make that long trip (13 hour flight each way ) and Disneyland is just so comfortable. It took A LOT of planning, but it was so worth it.
The reason why we even thought about making the trip over was because of this thread http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=16541636 by Hydroguy. It's well written and gives you a good perspective from a vet of the DLR. Also, do as the others suggested and pick up either Passporter or Unofficial Guide.
Once we did decide to go I was on the DIS boards every night planning every little detail. The people on that side are just as friendly as the people here, but the boards there move very quickly so it's easy for a thread to get buried fast. I also subscribed to Tour Guide Mike, that was a great source of information. He is a sponsor of the DIS, so if you do decide to sign up click on the link in the Theme Park section and you get a discount .

I think what I liked more about WDW than DL is that there is more entertainment offered and a lot more dining choices. I'm glad I waited until our kids were older to make this trip, I can't imagine flying that far with two little ones. You also have to be prepared to do a lot of walking all day. My feet hurt all the time there!

I say go for it. I'm the worst creature of habit, we go to Disneyland every year and do the same thing. DL is still my first love, but I'm so glad I stepped out and made the trip to the World.

 

[bouncy54]

Our family has been to DL a dozen times and is our "home" park. In November of 2005, we went to WDW for the first time.

As others have already said, the 2 destinations are completely different experiences so I won't even try to compare them.

You really need 2 days at EPCOT, mabye 2 days at MK, 1 day at AK and at least 1 day at MGM, maybe 2. (We loved MGM) I say maybe 2 days at MK because DL and the MK are so much alike, you may feel that 1 day is enough. I think it would depend on how long it has been since you visited DL by the time you get to WDW. (ie: Because we were at DL this past November, if I were to go to WDW next month, 1 day at MK would be enough for me.)

The entertainment at WDW is excellent and the shows really do eat up a big chunk of your time, so keep that in mind.

We rented a vacation home. 4 bedrooms, private pool, washer & dryer, full-sized kitchen with all appliances & gadgets, game room and plenty of space to spread out. It cost approx. $900 for 8 nights. The biggest mistake we made was not getting GPS in our car rental. In my opinion, if you don't know the Orlando area, it's a must.

We didn't mind the drive to the parks each morning. Like DL, they have the trams that take you from the parking lot to the main gate of each park. We went during a slow time...the week before Thanksgiving week, so the only time we encountered that "packed like a sardine" feeling was when we went to the Osbourne Lights at MGM and the last Saturday at MK when the Thanksgiving crowds arrived.

Park Hopping is harder at WDW than DL. It's doable, of course, but because the parks are so spread out, it takes much more time to do so. One day we started at EPCOT, rode the monorail to MK for a couple of hours, returned to EPCOT and hopped the boat to MGM to see the Osbourne Lights, then hopped the boat back to EPCOT to watch Illuminations. Whew...just the memory wears me out, but it sure was fun

We're planning on going to WDW again...maybe next year. Like you, we're debating whether to stay on property or not. Because we are 4 adults, if we stay on property, it's either pay for 2 rooms at a value or moderate resort, or get a cabin at Fort Wilderness. The Dining Plan is not an option for us with my guys all being very fussy eaters...nothing fancy or different please...just meat, potatoes, burgers and fries.

We also plan on going during value season again so the EMHs aren't as important as it would be if we went during a busy time. The more we debate the issue, staying on property just doesn't sound worth the extra money to us so we're leaning towards a house again.

Good luck with your planning. You're going to love WDW. Just remember...no matter how much you think you're prepared for the size of WDW...it's vastness will still take you by surprise.

On a side note: Univesal Studios and Island Of Adventure are worth a trip in Florida. We spent 2 days there and enjoyed ourselves much more than we did this last November at Hollywood's Universal. We also spent a 1/2 day at Sea World (our arrival day) and would have enjoyed it immensly if we hadn't been so tired from the 5 1/2 hour Red Eye flight from Seattle that morning.

 

[tink2dw]

Ok! My favorite subject!! WDW!!! I started planning here at the DIS! 5 years before we're ever able to make the trip!

1. Read EVERY WDW guide book at your library, no need to buy one yet. You want it fresh and new with all the new changes in it for your trip.

2. There is a Kissimmee/ St. Cloud Vacation Kit, call and get this kit from the Visitors Center!! [sometimes you will see it advertised on Tv] It was like gold! It came with a road map that I studied all the time. If an outlet store was posted about I pulled out my map and found it. I studied where every good hotel mentioned was, till I was able to navigate the whole WDW area when we arrived. Plus it had many other excellent dicout items in it. *Interesting Factoid - In the WDW area everything is All Ways on the left! I don't now how they manage that?*

3. Read Everything BUT don't get Caught in the hype. I mean, while planning everyone extols "The Magic of ", you MUST do this to "Feel the Magic". Your trip will be Magic anyway you plan it. "The Magic" is being able to afford your trip your way, not someone else's extreme trip. Keep you budget in mind at all times!

4. Get a Binder to keep all your print outs in. Because the search on this site is so temperamental. You want to keep important tips from other posters in it.

5. www.MouseSavers.com put this in your favorites list of MUST haves for WDW!! Mary explains EVERYTHING so well! You want to check mousesavers for everything. From Seasons of WDW, to Passes expire or non expiry, what number of days, AP rates, free things to do at WDW. MouseSavers.com is your travel planning guide.

6. Get use to the Disneyworld.com site it lists so many things you will want to use in your planning.

7. Keep the refurbish list close by you will want make sure your favorite ride or parade is running for your dates.

8. Lurking is perfectly Legal on the DIS you can get the same info without posting till you get a feel for the board and become comfortable posting. There is the Resorts Board, Transportation Board, Restaurant Board, and the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies and Most Important the very Friendly Budget Board. The Budget Board will help you NOW to help cut costs in your daily living, with freebies, coupons, codes, you will save money and so many questions about saving money and your trip planning budget questions.

9. Everything you learn will help make your trip enjoyable.

10. It is good to make a list of Must Do Rides for each person on the trip.

 

[jlmarr]

The MK will seem surreal to you.. like something is not quite right.. it's a feeling that doesn't go away.. You know where you are, but then you dont.

I know - there's no Matterhorn, and the castle looks like it's part of Main Street. Just plain wrong.

 

[phisigprincess]

tinkermell, I think the problem that dangermouse is finding is in the size of her family (lucky lucky lucky). With a value resort, I think it's only 4 plus an infant to a room. I've read that one value resort has suites, but I can't remember which one (or if that's true still/ever).

I feel like you do, only vice versa!! (Without the mean thing ) We're talking about DL this April and after 10 trips to WDW, DL feels like starting from square one again!

I wanted to chime in on the family suites. We're heading down to the suites in August, but from what I read they seem really nice. We've done the values before and have never had a bad experience. Here's a link to the sticky thread over on the resorts board specifically geared to the All Star Music family suites. Hope this helps!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072409

 

[tinkermell]

Yep, Molly, it's all these questions that have me just obsessing about my next two trips to DLR and totally avoiding that WDW book. I knew WDW would overwhelm me and that's a big reason I have avoided it all these years. But dh said we could do DCL for my 40th birthday so I booked it early to get the secret porthole rooms. As long as we've paid for airfare to FL there's no way I could get by without peeking at Cinderella's Castle. Now the question is how on earth are we going to afford all of it?

Are you a AAA member? They saved us 20% off of our rooms in December right before it went into the highest rate season. We left on the 19th, instead of the 20th, and saved enough money to spend an extra night with some leftover.

Oh and look what phisiprincess said about All Star Music!!!!!!

 

[CoolPool]

Look into getting a disney visa; three or more perks:
1) Discounts on rooms and/or packages are available for several days before the general public which means availability of the discounts in greater. Watch the board for the announcements - its almost up here the same time its up on the disney website
2) 0% financing for at least 6 months (offers vary) on disney vacations. If you intend to take a several months to pay off the whole shebang, then this is little helper.
3) for every $100 you spend on the card, you get $1 to put on a rewards card which can be used for souvenirs or food or whatnot.
4) Free photo and character meet/greet at Epcot
Disclaimer: I don't normally plug this card to to DLR visitors but I think there are greater benefits to WDW visitors who intend to stay onsite and take advantage of the Visa discount.

 

[keishashadow]

Okay.... Please don't be mad at me but I really was thinking about going to Disneyworld. I know that this paticular board is for Disneyland only but when I posted a question on a Disneyworld thread I had only 3 responses. It was like nobody wanted to talk about their experience at Disneyworld. I've always had such great input from everybody on this board and it seems like people are nicer over here. Maybe I'm just being sensitive anyhow like I said before I'm still not sure if Disneyworld is really something I'm ready to do yet and I was wondering if anyone could tell me how many days do you think I need to go (if I decided to go) to see it all? I'm really scared to try new things and go new places so I always end up doing the same things and I want to venture out and try to travel to new places. anyhow, any bit of info on Disneyworld (because I know a lot of you have been to the world before) would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

odd, usually you can't get peeps to stop yappin!

since the "other side" (can't call it the dark side - that's reserved for the Universal Boards ) is so big; a general question can get lost/laungish.

fire away

fyi, as to guidebooks:

*UG is THE WDW book!

*passporter is nice read like the organizing pockets; too heavy to carry in fanny pack; UG is more comprehensive (and heavy to lug around lol)

*for a portable book to carry in the parks for ADRs etc, check out the arondaparks site. Their prep pad is fantastic! I even used it for my recent cruise to keep organized. The book (Making WDW Memories) is a good read too; lots of contributors spewing forth their honest assessments (including, me )

ps - if you're going to be able to visit Universal essential to check out Kelly Monaghan's Univeral book-best info hands down)

Couple other hints:

1) if you are comfortable with the idea, you can rent DVC points for far less than you'd pay dealing WDTC directly(note - i don't rent points, check out the DVC board if interested)

2) AAA will discount the hotel portion of their packages, you must deal with AAA directly, WDTC won't.

3) Free dining traditionally in Sept.; although bounceback system seems to be the next big thing; if they do offer it look on the Code board in the Spring

4) Check out the Sheraton Vistana (very close to WDW gates); if you can get the Cascades section go for it; spacious & pretty. Try signing up for info on the website & see if you can snag a TS presentation. We were offered one with NO presentation 4 nights, summer approx $150. (never heard from them again lol).

5) sign up for travel zoo's weekly newsletter; lots of Orlando deals.

6) Entertainment rate @ Nick hotel is approx $150 when avail.

7) IMO, 1st trip for 5+ days, don't waste your money on PH

 

[keishashadow]

Yeah, I have the 2008 Unofficial Guide (from the library). This thing is HUGE and very, very scary. I just keep thumbing through it and shaking my head. Being a loyal DLR vet, I kind of resent the idea that WDW forces you to stay on-site and use their dining plan. We like to do things unconventionally and have learned to do DLR so frugally by eating our own food and finding amazing discounts off-site. Not to mention the fact that our family of 5 just doesn't match well with WDW's idea of "value".

Add to that, we are doing a 7-day DCL either before or after WDW, so I gotta make this thing DIRT CHEAP. So, we're looking into a townhouse at Windsor Hills and driving so that we can still do our own food.

Here's a question that maybe y'all can help with. Most people on the DCL forum are advising me to cruise after WDW, and while I can totally understand their thinking, it creates a regular vs. peak season issue for me. If we do WDW prior to the cruise, we are at the tail end of spring break (actually, the weekend after Easter). If we do WDW after the cruise, we are in May (which is considered regular season). Now, if we do a townhouse w/no dining plan, it really won't make a huge difference cost-wise, however I'm worried about crowds too.

I'm sure I'll use ridemax since it really helped me learn the ropes at DLR. Will it tell me which park to visit on which day since I won't have access to EMH?

Sorry about all the questions . . . kinda opened a can o' worms, eh?

we did WDW 1st before DCL cruise, then 1 more day when we returned...it felt odd...just time to go home.

as for being "rested"; i don't buy the theory...so much to do on the cruise; not quite as busy as a day in the parks

UG plans work - well

as long as you are @ the park gates (factoring in the time it'll take you to park, etc) @ least 45 min early on non early EMH days you'll be fine...jik they allow you into part of the park early before rides actually open

 

[blue donkey]

IMO, I say "Go!" WDW is so different than DLR.

My tips would be :

• try to avoid spring break for colleges if you're going in Mar. '09
• if you like to take breaks during the day, definitely stay onsite.
• use the dining plan-much more restaurants to chose from than DLR
• send out for groceries if you have no car-water alone could be worth the money you save in the parks for a week
• make advance dining reservations (ADRs) as close to 180 days out as you can. Many WDW vacationers plan waaaaay in advance
• stay at least 5 full days at WDW-you still won't see nearly all you'll want but that will leave you hungry for more
• if budget is an issue, maybe start to ask for giftcards for holidays, grad, & b-day gifts rather than other items. Save now so that when you're there, you can just have fun & not worry about how much you're spending.

You have plenty of time to research & save up for your trip.
I know you'll have a great time after working so hard to graduate!

 

[TeddyToo]

I'm new here but did WDW last August. We are hoping to do DL in July this year. Some suggestions would be to order the planning DVD, the Unofficial Guide and Passporter and lurk on the WDW board if not feeling welcomed. We spent 8 days and could have spent more. Me and DD12 LOVED the waterparks. The and Dolphin have the Heavenly beds and this is not an exageration. Also they are right at the Boardwalk and with specials a fraction of the cost with most of the amenities of a WDW hotel. I am happy to answer any questions you might have. DLR and WDW are different enough that one can't compare, though my last DLR trip may be too long ago to make any comparison.