Returning after 7 years..and doing it totally different this time!

[mom2aprincenprincess]

After 7 years, we are finally returning to WDW!! I am beyond excited! Last time we we’re there, we had a 9yo and a 2yo, and I was 6 months pregnant and I couldn’t ride everything that I wanted. Now our kids are 16, 9, and 6 and we will be able to do so much more.
Back then we did resort stay, park tickets, and dining, and I swore I’d never do it any other way. This time we are going for my husbands job and will be staying in Lakeland, FL, about 30 miles from the park. Has anyone stayed there and made the commute everyday???
I am having trouble getting started planning because I’m not sure what days my husband can join us, so I don’t want to buy him tickets for everyday. Will I need to buy his tickets separately from ours???
And food! Food is so expensive in the park, but I can’t imagine lugging around a cooler for drinks and food. What do y’all suggest?
I have so many questions and I don’t know where to start!

 

[powellrj]

We have never stayed there, but we have stayed in Davenport which isn’t close to the parks. We had a condo so we had breakfast everyday before we left and would stop and have dinner on they way back or bring back carry out. We would snack for our lunch. There are lots of snacks that can make a meal and not break the bank. If you do make ADRs make sure to add your DH even if you aren’t sure he will be there because it’s easier to add them in the beginning then to have to add them later.

 

[Lvsdisney]

After 7 years, we are finally returning to WDW!! I am beyond excited! Last time we we’re there, we had a 9yo and a 2yo, and I was 6 months pregnant and I couldn’t ride everything that I wanted. Now our kids are 16, 9, and 6 and we will be able to do so much more.
Back then we did resort stay, park tickets, and dining, and I swore I’d never do it any other way. This time we are going for my husbands job and will be staying in Lakeland, FL, about 30 miles from the park. Has anyone stayed there and made the commute everyday???
I am having trouble getting started planning because I’m not sure what days my husband can join us, so I don’t want to buy him tickets for everyday. Will I need to buy his tickets separately from ours???
And food! Food is so expensive in the park, but I can’t imagine lugging around a cooler for drinks and food. What do y’all suggest?
I have so many questions and I don’t know where to start!

As far as tickets, you all can have a different number of days/ticket type (hopper vs non-hopper) because you're not buying a specific package. You just buy what you need and add it to your MDE account.

As far as food, we brought in lunch for my kids (8 & 5) and purchased our own. There are many ways to get disounted disney GCs to make the overall cheaper. Are you staying at a hotel or condo/house? Will you have a kitchen?

 

[mom2aprincenprincess]

As far as tickets, you all can have a different number of days/ticket type (hopper vs non-hopper) because you're not buying a specific package. You just buy what you need and add it to your MDE account.

As far as food, we brought in lunch for my kids (8 & 5) and purchased our own. There are many ways to get disounted disney GCs to make the overall cheaper. Are you staying at a hotel or condo/house? Will you have a kitchen?

As far as tickets, you all can have a different number of days/ticket type (hopper vs non-hopper) because you're not buying a specific package. You just buy what you need and add it to your MDE account.

As far as food, we brought in lunch for my kids (8 & 5) and purchased our own. There are many ways to get disounted disney GCs to make the overall cheaper. Are you staying at a hotel or condo/house? Will you have a kitchen?

We are staying in a hotel. No kitchen

 

[clm10308]

Rather than carrying around a bunch of food and drinks, I would fill up a cooler with drinks and snacks to keep in the car. Everyone could grab a drink and a snack once you are in the parking lot to start out with each morning. Then there would be cold drinks and snacks at the car for the ride home, and then plan one main meal in the parks each day.