Taking friends with us - itinerary help??!!

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi all!!!

Well I am back to the planning after being home a week!!!

We are planning to take our best friends with us next October (2012) and I wanted a bit of advice from you guys before I put my proposal to them - this will be the first (and possibly only) time for their 2 children (a girl who will be 8 and a boy who will be 5), so I want them to do everything they want but have as relaxing a time as possible!!!

Can you have a look at my proposal and tell me what issues you foresee that I possibly haven't considered. (As we are providing the accomodation, I am worried that they won't tell me if I plan something they don't like and the last thing I want them to do is go a long with something - after all they still have to pay for flights,park tickets, car and food - so it still isn't a cheap holiday is it??!!)

I am most concerned about my plans for the accomodation - as we are used to flitting from one place to another and wondered whether you all thought that my plan for them would be too much?? Anyway, here goes...

Sun - Fly to Orlando, collect 2 hire cars and drive to BLT. Stop for groceries (breakfast and park snacks) 5 nights in 2 x Magic Kingdom view studios.

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu -primarily just Magic Kingdom, relax, DTD.

Fri - Drive to a Universal hotel (whichever of the 3 offering best price!!) and check in at 8.30am, ready to get FOTL access for Universal studios that day. We would have 2 nights in 2 regular rooms and pack a weekend type bag so we wouldn't be fully unpacking.

Sat - Early entry to WWOHP (if still offered) and day at IOA. Eat at Citywalk

Sun - Check out of Universal hotel and do Seaworld for the day before checking in to Animal Kingdom Villas at Kidani (2 bed savannah view villa for 8 nights)

Mon -relax (poss pool/mall/waterpark)

Tue - Epcot

Wed - Animal Kingdom

Thu - relax (poss pool/mall/waterpark)

Fri - Disney Hollywood Studios

Sat - relax/themepark day - bit of both!!

Sun - relax themepark day - bit of both! online check in.

Mon - fly home

Tue - arrive in UK


How does that sound??? I know when they normally go on holiday they have had chalets in france with seperate rooms for them all, but I just don't have the points to offer anything larger accomodation wise. (I did get Steve to lie on the BLT sofa bed with Kai and there was plenty of room for a 'large' adult and a 6 year old boy - plus they also had handy long tube type cushions in the room which would make excellent bed dividers - so I am hoping they will be ok. I would also be getting them a MK view room, so thought they could always sit out on the balcony with a drink if they were worried about getting the children off to sleep - although tbh we ended up all going to sleep at the same time when we were there last month as we were so exhausted!!!

Anyway, sorry for my long ramble (as per usual!!) and I would be really grateful for any input!!

 

[Elise79]

Hi Amy

Can't believe you are planning again already!

Anyway my input would be to try and plan a trip to Epcot whilst at BLT so you can take them on the monorail.

If you are worried about the space could you get a 2 bedroom standard view at BLT instead of 2 MKV Studios?

Lastly - I think you need to all sit down and pick out 1 thing that is a 'must try/do' at each park for each person - then you can try and plan around making sure you can hit all of them.

As our holidays have got more relaxed with DVC we now make a list before each trip of our must dos for that trip - and it works really well as we then make sure we hit those things even if we are short of time.

 

[arielrocks]

sounds good to me, agree with pp though, the ride to epcot on the monorail is one of my fav things to do.

 

[2Tiggies]

I think you have built a reasonable amount of relaxation time into the mix so you should be fine with that. If it was commando style, coupled with lots of moving around, I would be concerned, but your plans don't look particularly taxing to me. If anything, they look pretty chilled compared to some of mine.

 

[london75]

Just an observation and sort of based on your description of your friends previous holidays. We are separate bedrooms kind of people and a villa is the only way to go for us. Even if someone were paying for us, we'd turn down a room in GF (well if it was for more than a night anyway) in favour of a villa a few miles away.

While you obviously know your friends and I don't, onsite vs villa is like marmite to me. Won't do it until the kids have grown up and left and even then I'd miss my own pool for night swims.

Have you asked them about villa vs onsite?

 

[2Tiggies]

Just an observation and sort of based on your description of your friends previous holidays. We are separate bedrooms kind of people and a villa is the only way to go for us. Even if someone were paying for us, we'd turn down a room in GF (well if it was for more than a night anyway) in favour of a villa a few miles away.

While you obviously know your friends and I don't, onsite vs villa is like marmite to me. Won't do it until the kids have grown up and left and even then I'd miss my own pool for night swims.

Have you asked them about villa vs onsite?

It looks like they have two separate studios - at least for the first resort. Not sure about the others.

 

[Elise79]

Just an observation and sort of based on your description of your friends previous holidays. We are separate bedrooms kind of people and a villa is the only way to go for us. Even if someone were paying for us, we'd turn down a room in GF (well if it was for more than a night anyway) in favour of a villa a few miles away.

While you obviously know your friends and I don't, onsite vs villa is like marmite to me. Won't do it until the kids have grown up and left and even then I'd miss my own pool for night swims.

Have you asked them about villa vs onsite?

Amy is providing accommodation using her DVC points - they are not paying cash so offsite isn't an option.

 

[orangetiggs]

as they dont have to pay for the BLT and MK view at that i think they should be grateful to stay where ever, I know i wouldnt moan if i was given that for a holiday

your plans sound great by the way! wish i was that organised!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

HI everyone - thanks so much for all of your replies

I must admit I was slightly worried about not having a villa, but the only way we can take them is using our DVC points - When it was just the 2 of them they did stay at the Carribbean Beach Resort for our wedding, so they at least have an idea of how big the rooms are, and seem ok with it. My only concern is that they haven't actually stayed all in one room with their children yet, so I was thinking of suggesting they book a cheapy night in a travelodge somewhere, before I book it, to see how they get on!!! (We stay in them all the time, and I guess that is why we had no problems 'upgrading' to a studio at BLT!!!)

I will give the idea of doing Epcot whilst at BLT some more thought. We did do this when we were there at Christmas, and while the journey over in the morning was lovely, we found walking back from World showcase, changing trains & then having to go all round the other monorail hotels on the way back was quite tiring for the boys - but then it was a particularly cold night and I think that played a huge part - so I am certainly open to that suggestion, as it would free up anothe day at AKV too!!

Thanks so much for your replies - it really does help to see things written down to clarify things in my head!!!

 

[Elise79]

I will give the idea of doing Epcot whilst at BLT some more thought. We did do this when we were there at Christmas, and while the journey over in the morning was lovely, we found walking back from World showcase, changing trains & then having to go all round the other monorail hotels on the way back was quite tiring for the boys - but then it was a particularly cold night and I think that played a huge part - so I am certainly open to that suggestion, as it would free up another day at AKV too!!

How about spilting Epcot into 2 days - might be better for first timers anyway as it is a big park. We never do all of Epcot is one go - and you could do a half day there and then spend some time doing something else.