Really overwhelmed--first trip to Disney

[2sproutsmom]

So glad I found this forum -- I have several questions but will try to put each question in the appropriate thread.

This will be my family's first trip to Disney and we have 2 daughters--who will be 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 at the time of our trip in October.

I have been researching Disney to make sure we get a good deal, etc. and I have become overwhelmed and stressed over all of these "ADRs" for the restaurants, character dining, etc.

Going in October (the 2nd week) is it really going to be difficult to get a reservation at some of the restaurants/character dining? To me, it sort of takes the fun out of your trip if you have to plan every single table service dinner with a time, etc.--that's too much pressure for a vacation.

I think we have decided not to do the dining plans (will probably stay off resort as well)--we just don't think it would be cost effective for us this trip--any thoughts on that?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Luv2Roam]

I think if you are already overwhelmed and a newbie, your best bet is to stay on site. Unless you have plenty of time and have your own vehicle. But with two little ones esp, I would stay on site.
You don't have to have a dining plan, and can't if you stay off site. However you will be sorry of you don't book some ADRs -- esp for character meals.
Staying off site, and no ADRs, you would be setting yourself up for wasted time and some let downs.
If you had been there many times, it would be different.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

YAY!! I too am going in october and am overwhelmed!!! ITs our first trip too!!! Good luck and u found a great site

 

[BigTex71]

I would definitely look ino staying at a value resort on-site. The transportation is great (and you would avoid the $14 a day parking at each park.) It would also make it so much easier to take an afternoon break with the kids to avoid the late afternoon/early evening meltdowns. We learned the hard way and stayed off site the first time to try to save money. The value resorts are cheap enough (and the kids lOVE the themeing). I am not trying to sound like a broken record, but I would want you to really enjoy your trip.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

October is the time of the Food and Wine Festival and Halloween celebrations and is more busy than you may expect. Weekends in EPCOT in particular are madhouses.

If you really want a full service meal at Disney you will have to bite the bullet and make an ADR or risk eating at counter service for all meals.

If you stay offsite there are loads of great restaurants in the immediate area and you can actually carry your lunch into the WDW parks (regardless of what you may read here).

Since the loss of quality of food and service (with the inception of the DDP) we far prefer offsite restaurants where they are ridiculously happy to have you and will work themselves silly to make you welcome and happy. Beats having desultory service and mediocre food slapped down in front of you, eh?

 

[WdwforLife]

As long as you call 180 days in advance, or go online and make your ADRs 180 days in advance, you should be fine. There are a few restaurants in WDW where it's difficult to even get ADRs at that early but they not many. As long as you do your research and have your list ready of what restaurants what days, you should be fine. But always have a back-up list, just in case they're booked.

 

[ajleone]

I would say first off Relax! You're going to Disney!! No matter what you do/choose you will have a great time! I would seriously consider staying on-site. You will pay a bit more, however WDW transportation and the total immersion into Disney are so worth it. First when off-site you have to rely on the hotel buses or a rental car, the buses run very set and not always convenient hours and rental can be nice but still you have to shell out money for it and it can be a bit daunting if you've never been there. Secondly to me leaving WDW everyday takes away from the "magic" not everyone will agree but it's something that keeps me on-site. Also WDW has the Magical Express which picks you up at the airport and brings you directly to your resort- free of charge!

The DDP is totally up to you. We enjoy having the food paid for before we get there. If you're going to consider it I would suggest the Quick Service DDP and then pay for a couple of Character meals OPP. This way you aren't bound by ADR's all week and yet will have a couple of nicer meals.

October isn't usually too crowded, just keep in mind the Columbus Day is Oct. 11th which will make that weekend busier than the rest of the week. Plus The Food and Wine festival keeps Epcot hopping. I would make my Sit down ADR's in advance with whatever you decide.
Hope this helps!

 

[ajleone]

Since the loss of quality of food and service (with the inception of the DDP)

I have to totally disagree with this statement. We eat on property only and have had very few bad meals!

 

[topmonkeygirl]

check out allears.net for everything Disney from menus, to reviews of restaurants, to resorts, and all of the little things in between. Staying on site is great, you don't have to worry about where you're going Disneywill get you there, you get into the parks earlier or later than the GP, and you're in the middle of the magic. Don't stress, takes things one item at a time, and check out the differents websites and forums to get all the info you need.

 

[ready4mouse]

Going in October (the 2nd week) is it really going to be difficult to get a reservation at some of the restaurants/character dining? To me, it sort of takes the fun out of your trip if you have to plan every single table service dinner with a time, etc.--that's too much pressure for a vacation.

I think we have decided not to do the dining plans (will probably stay off resort as well)--we just don't think it would be cost effective for us this trip--any thoughts on that?


QUOTE]


Welcome!!!!

You are going to have a wonderful time...but some planning is definitely needed for that to happen... Trust me- my first trip I was just like you- I couldn't imagine these crazy nuts that were planning reservations, where they were going when, etc... BUT- I did it and I was so glad I did!

So...the big question you have is HOW to do it...
Let's take it in a few easy steps:

1. Book your resort. YES, I would definitely recommend staying onsite. No doubt about it. Staying onsite makes the vacation seamless. Transportation from the airport is provided and transportation to all the themeparks from your resort is provided as well. I would recommend a moderate resort for your first stay. Check out mousesavers.com for some good discount codes that you can use towards your resort stay. It really is worth it to stay onsite!

2. About those reservations. Yup, you do need to plan them. I can not tell you how many times we have seen people come up to restaurants looking to get in and being told that there is either nothing available for the night or it will be a 2+hour wait. You really don't want that with little kids! I would suggest looking at the menus and finding a few places that you really want. Perhaps you will want to do a few character meals with the kids- those book up fast, but they're a great way for the kids to meet the characters.

3. So, how do you know where you'll want to eat? This is where a little more planning than a usual vacation comes into play... Make yourself a list of which park you will plan to visit each day, then make your reservations at a restaurant in that park. I know it sounds weird, but planning now will make for a very stress-free vacation. It won't be as "military" as it sounds now once you get there!

4. Have fun!!! Once you decide where you're going and have a few restaurants reserved (don't do too many- that gets stressfull too- I would suggest one restaurant/day!)...then sit back and get ready to have the time of your life!

 

[bleeps]

Saying with kindness and good intentions:

The biggest single mistake people make is to think that making dining reservations (ADRs) in advance will take the fun out of their vacation. Believe me, especially when you're traveling with children, nothing will be worse than arriving there and finding that each and every time you walk up to a restaurant you are turned away because there are no tables available (period -- completely booked, not even a matter of being willing to wait). Honestly -- it completely takes the pressure OFF your vacation when you know that you can count on sitting down at given times to eat. WDW vacations are different that way.

I know you've already gotten different opinions here about on-site vs off-site. We started WDW vacations when our son was 5 and we've stayed on-site every time -- remember that time really is money at Disney and it does make the vacation a lot easier (in my opinion!) when you arrive and you are "there" for the entire time. What's hard to imagine before you arrive is how incredibly spread out the parks, etc., are on Disney property (47 square miles, if I'm remembering correctly) -- it does simplify things to arrive and leave the transportation to Disney!

Have a great trip.

 

[Chevyscool]

Awwww, don't get overwhelmed! I know that's easier said than done, but planning should be fun, not stressful. I too was a bit overwhelmed years ago planning our first trip, but the good news is...you've found the DIS, which will help you (hopefully) destress the process.

Like others have said, I too HIGHLY recommend staying on-site. Check out the value resorts, you'll find them more affordable than you think (especially when you factor in Disney transportation and Magical Express). We've gone in October the last 3 years and it's still pretty hot then, so you'll want to take breaks in the middle of the day (when it's the hottest and the parks are the most crowded), and that can be more difficult to do when you stay off-site. I have kids around the same age as yours, and trust me, taking breaks with little ones is SO IMPORTANT. Disney can be very stimulating for kiddos, taking breaks and keeping somewhat of a routine will help them (and you) and make your vacation way more enjoyable!

My advice, go to the parks early then plan on going back to the hotel to take naps, swim in the pool, rest and relax...then return to the parks in the evening for the parades or night-time shows/fireworks. Like others have said, some of the Disney restaurants are more challenging to get into (CRT, Le Cellier, 'Ohana), but others aren't. If you don't want to be tied to ADR's all week, only make a couple, like character meals that your kids would really enjoy (they're well worth the $, plus you get to see the characters and won't waste time waiting in line to see them in the parks). Having a few sit-down Disney table service meals will really add to your vacation experience, and again taking a break in the AC to sit down and enjoy a good meal, especially with little ones in tow, is a good idea.

Do your research, plan...but don't let it stress you out! Your going to Disney!!! It is an expensive vacation, and to get the most "bang for your buck", you really do have to have a good plan of attack, but it's sooooo worth it, you'll see! Baby steps, please try to not let all the info freak you out. Writing down the best tips helped me. Ask questions (which you have...good for you), we're all pretty friendly here and remember to enjoy the process!

Good luck, I hope this helped!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

We have always booked 180 days out and always been picky on where we go (will be exactly the same for our next trip.) However, we were lucky enough to go for a second time in 2009 in October and only booked our trip four weeks in advance. We had an a list and b list for meals but because we were fairly flexible in times and nights we got all our first choice adrs except for Le Cellier and swapped that one for Kouzzinas from our B list and got that instead.

Would definitely recommend booking any must-dos at 180 days out, October is a busy time for Brits coming over to the USA as it hits our school holidays and we enjoy the heat in Florida. However, you will probably find you can swap around nearer the time if you are fairly easy going.

IMHO we have only ever had one poor experience at wDW, it's just a case of remembering you will not get value for $$$ in food terms as in most restaurants you are paying for atmosphere/character and park location. Simple case of supply and demand.

 

[BigTex71]

Planning a family Disney vacation is part of the overall fun of going to Disney. I LOVE planning which days to go to which parks (check the predicted crowd levels at touringplans.com) and then plan the meals around which park we will be at.
I also use the extra time before leaving to make our matching family DISign T-Shirts. The tie-dye ones went over REALLY well last year. So many people asking where we bought them.

 

[dseth]

I plan lots of trips for folks that are going for the first time and the are always feeling the same way you are. Don't worry!! You will be a veteran soon enough! The one piece of advice I give every single person I plan for is stay on site. The benefits are HUGE. Staying at one of the value resorts is very reasonably priced with the off-site locations especially when you factor in paying to park every day. Don't forget about the package delivery to your room, the extra magic hours, Magical Express...the list goes on and on!! You still have plenty of time to work on you dining plans, so don't rule out the dining plan. We use it every time and I think it makes for a much more relaxed vacation. A little "stress" now makes for a very relaxing trip! So excited for you and your little ones to go to Disney it will be worth all the prep!!

 

[mpetti]

You can make your ADR's 180 days so you shouldn't have any problems. Don't worry and relax. Half the fun is the planning. You are going to have a great vacation. Enjoy and don't stress.

 

[ccgirl]

I have been to Disney MANY times and actually usually stay off-site. People are saying time is money. I can actually get to the parks quicker when I stayed off site than I did when I stayed on site at the POFQ. I HATED the bus transportation and would NEVER do that again. Picture standing on the bus at the end of the day holding a sleeping child while 7 months pregnant. I will take my car any day. I had the wrong impression that staying on site meant I could get to the park very quickly. That was one reason I did it, that and free dining. I am staying in park again this year at the BWV which means I can walk to DHS and Epcot. We were lucky enough to trade a week of timeshare as I would never have been able to afford this paying cash. As I mentioned, I would never stay on site again unless we were at one of the monorail resorts. Have you considered renting points from a DVC owner? That way you could stay in the park, have food delivered, and still have the extra room for a family. Now that we own timeshares, we very really stay in a hotel "room". We find it way too crowded. As far as ADR's, that is the time of year I go and ABSOLUTELY you should make ADR's for the character meals. Suggestions would be the princess breakfast at Akershus (this one includes pictures with characters), and the Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom with Pooh and Friends. Just start making two ADR's and be spontaneous the rest of the time. It is $14 a day to park at the parks if you do have a car. If MNSSHP is during that time, we all LOVED that. It is a special ticketed event but they only sell so many so the parks were not crowded at all. Above all, just have fun. There is no way you will be able to do everything so just make a list of the rides/shows you really want to do and try to do those. Take advantage of the fast passes too. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[honeydiane1953]

So glad I found this forum -- I have several questions but will try to put each question in the appropriate thread.

This will be my family's first trip to Disney and we have 2 daughters--who will be 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 at the time of our trip in October.

I have been researching Disney to make sure we get a good deal, etc. and I have become overwhelmed and stressed over all of these "ADRs" for the restaurants, character dining, etc.

Going in October (the 2nd week) is it really going to be difficult to get a reservation at some of the restaurants/character dining? To me, it sort of takes the fun out of your trip if you have to plan every single table service dinner with a time, etc.--that's too much pressure for a vacation.

I think we have decided not to do the dining plans (will probably stay off resort as well)--we just don't think it would be cost effective for us this trip--any thoughts on that?

Thanks in advance!

also very helpful is the UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL GUIDE TO WDW. It is so fun to read all about it when you can .