tell me where to start!

[kday4]

my family is planning to experience disney in late 2004.
we are a family of 5 (me, dh, dd 10, dd 8, ds 3).
someone with experience tell me...
when to go (we want to stay 6-7 days) and are willing to take kids out of school if that is a better time.
what resort is best for the ages of our children. (moderate to deluxe price)
we are looking at polynesian or wilderness lodge.
where to get the best deals\
we will be driving from central illinois.
what are the MUST SEE attractions for their ages?
please help, i'm completely overwhelmed!
when do i book plans?

 

[Danauk]

If your children enjoy swimming I would recommend you stay at the beach club. It is a delux resort and has the best pool on site, stormalong bay which is a mini water park. It is in walking distance of both Epcot (5 minutes)and MGM (15 minutes) parks.
Enjoy planning your trip. No matter where you stay it will be great.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

To get started:
Go to http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/index?bhcp=1
This will give you all The Resorts and prices, room types Value, Moderates,,Deluxe, and Home away from Home.

1.) You need to pick a Resort if this is your first trip, the MK will be very important to your children and you may want to stay at a MK resort I have stayed in both the Poly and WL for your childrens age group either would be fine. (The Poly was my first love until they built WL)
Please visit Like the Phoenix, out of the ashes arises THE NEWEST WL FAQ! (Part 3)
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=452005
For the details on the Lodge the first two pages have alot of great information.

2.) I love to go in September but we do have a very active Tropical Storm Season during Sept. so my second choise would be second week of Oct.

3) Read as much as you can on the DIS boards you knowledge will grow.

4.) For best Deals check out http://www.mousesavers.com/

5.) Make you reservations as soon as you decide where to stay and when you'll be going.

Good Luck and have a great trip.

 

[dawgfan]

Starting here is a great first step. Here you can ask many questions of knowlegeable people to help you out BUT I would have to say buy a book. My friend suggested this to me before I weent to WDW with my kids on our first family trip to WDW. I thought he was insane. A book? Buy and READ a book to go on vacation?!! I did as he advised and boy am I greatful. I bought Walt Disney World With Kids and read it cover to cover. It is updated yearly. It had a world of info that gave me the insight to plan the details of our trip. I have since purchased a Pass Porter and it is also a great resource that I will use extensively for our trip this summer. After reading the books you will have more insight to the information located here on the Boards and you will be able to ask better questions. The reading also enhances the vacation experience for you as it gets you ready in a big way. It is said that the amount of fun you have at WDW relates directly to the amount of time you have spent planning the trip. Believe it!

 

[Tinks]

Hi there! I'm from Peoria...it's quite a drive, but you can do it! (well worth the drive).

We like to go in May. Early May is best, but because our oldest is in Second grade, we wait until after Memorial weekend. October is also supposed to be similar to May---warm weather (and hot weather!--good for swimming), low to medium crowds.

We have three kids and like to stay at the Poly. It has the best pool---a volcano with a slide right in the middle of it, zero depth entry, view of the castle....it is fabulous! We have also stayed at Wilderness Lodge, but we prefer the Poly due to the theme of the resort (tropical vs. cold weather Lodge) and the convenience of the monorail. We have also stayed at the Carribean Beach and liked that too. Again, we like the monorail...so now the Poly wins hands down for us, but I say you really can't go wrong with a Disney resort.

There are so many attractions your kids will like...it is impossible to name them all. I agree with the others to get a guide book! I found the UNOFFICIAL guide to Disneyworld to be the most honest and most helpful for my family. The Passporter is a close second..lots of information..especially on the rides. Invest in one or two books and read them well over the holidays...then pick your resort. Keep reading the boards to find deals..they are getting harder to come by...and good luck!

 

[girlsx2]

You have made the first step toward your trip by posting your questions here!! Congrats to you. We go in Feb, so I am not sure about later in the year. My cousin just got back a couple of weeks ago and said it was great, low crowds, nice weather etc. I believe it was the week before Thanksgiving. This is considered Value season too and you can get better deals during this time. We stayed at the WL this past Feb and LOVED it. The pool is sort of small but it does have a slide. I agree to read all you can about WDW. If you don't care to buy the books, always check out what your local libary has available. If there is one you really like, then buy it. I personally like Birnbaum's and the Pass Porter. Pass Porter has a website if you want to check them out. There book has in depth info about all the resorts, the best rooms, all the rides, all the restaurants etc.. Then in the back are pages to fill in about your trip. There are envelopes and pages to fill in priority seating info and itineraries (sp?) etc. It's very helpful. Join Mousesavers.com too. They are always up to date on the the discounts etc. for WDW. Don't feel too overwhelmed. Take your time and gather as much info as you can. I keep a notebook near my computer and I jot stuff down all the time. Some people use index cards too. Just a thought...

Cya There!!

 

[sherry8253]

If you are willing to take the kids out of school, I would recommend the 1st or 2nd week in December. Weather is usually great, the rides are usually walk ons (we just returned on Sat 12/6 and walked onto almost all of the rides - longest wait was test track and it was about 15 minutes; we did Buzz Lighyear about 10 times in a row walking on each time), weather was mid 70's, and the Christmas decorations are great!!!! You might want to also consider attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party if you decide to go at that time. It is great fun. The Christmas season is my all time favorite time at Disney plus prices are the lowest. Have a GREAT time - and remember - planning is LOTS of FUN!!!!!

 

[Eeyore2003]

Ditto the books!!! I've used the Unofficial Guide for years. I don't care much for Birnbaums, but do use it for certain things. I'm not real fond of the Passporter. Don't know why.

After going for the first time off season last week, I definitely feel it's worth taking the kids out of school if you can. I loved the first week in December, you can take advantage of the regular stuff and the Christmas stuff and it's decorated so nice.

First read up a little, then choose a time, then a resort, then the rest will come. As far as the deals go, I made my reservation for last week about 8 months ago and changed it 4 times as better deals kept showing up. Mousesavers is a good place to just keep an eye on, even after you make your initial reservation.

These boards really do help!!!

 

[TarraLee]

Kday,
Welcome to the DIS! I'm from southern IL, went to school at Bradley in Peoria. We took our neice and nephew (5 and 6) this summer and stayed at the POLY-- do it, do it, do it if you can! Awesome view, awesome pool, awesome MONORAIL (ie can leave MK and be in the pool or getting ready for a nap in 10 mins or less!) Also, the POLY has a day bed in all rooms, and two queen size beds-- WL is also awesome, but no monorail, and has bunk beds and a double (I think) or two doubles (could be Qs, not sure). With kids the age of your kids, you just CAN'T BEAT the Poly location or fun theme or big rooms!

We typically go in Dec, and have found it too cold to swim then. NExt year we're going in October, and I hear it is better swimming weather then!

Fire away with questions, we're all here to help!

Tarralee