~*~The OFFICIAL 2014 Dates Thread - Come Join Us!~*~

[NMDisneyMom]

I'm so thrilled I found this thread!

We are planning our first ever trip to WDW for 2014 (decided to do this back in Jan 2012.). It will be myself and my DD. Dates will be the end of May-beginning of June, right after school gets out here in NM, probably about 12 days. I'm planning on the POLY for the first part of the trip (makes Mom happy), with the last 4 days or so at AKL (will make DD happy to see the animals). Not only will it be our first trip there, but we will be celebrating DD's double digit birthday (10th) on 6/6.

That all said, I'm really starting to freak out planning this trip. DL I can plan with my eyes closed (feels like going home). DCL, comfortable. WDW, panic is already starting to sink in. So much to think about. I'm trying to get as much information as I can before we actually make our reservation, and have to start thinking about ADRs. Any and all advice, help, opinions you can provide will be appreciated!

Besides where we are staying, the only other thing I know is that we are spending a day at SeaWorld Discovery Cove for my DD's birthday present.

 

[middlesista]

to the group! Glad you decided to join us! If you have questions about anything, jump on in and ask.

Where are you staying and what are your dates so I can get you added to the list?

BEARCATSFAN - Wow, what a fantastic job you have done with this thread - my goodness I just posted not to long ago and you are already welcoming me - you are AMAZING!

Alot of great information here also. I feel like I have a "home thread"

Our vacation is Jan 11 - 23 at POFQ

 

[mamabear0222]

So I figured out I can't quote from the mobile app so bare with me please. I am celebrating 2 very special birthdays. My littles want to go sooooo bad. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've saved since they were born for this trip. I was only going to do one character meal but now I might say screw it and spring for 2. You only turn 5 once. my DH thinks a lot if it is a waste of $$$$ because he thinks they will be too young to remember. I told him I guess we will have to go back when they turn 10 lol.

Can you guys give me the rundown of the special shows at night not to miss please? I remember the electrical parade and can't wait to see that again. I'm thinking of getting us 5 day MYW passes. We will be in Florida for 2 weeks but I don't want to live and breathe Disney.

 

[hsmamainva]

Have a question and figure ya'll might be more helpful than the general resorts section.

As usual, my girls only trip seems to be quickly dissolving as now it's turning into a "but I want to go!" scenario from my boys!

Had even considered a Disney trip for us and a Myrtle Beach trip for later in the summer...but now DH has introduced a new suggestion!

A split stay between St. Augustine (for 4-5 days) and Disney (for 4-5 days). Knock out both beach & Disney in one fell swoop.

I said fine with me, but I *want to stay on-site*! I've never stayed on-site before and I really want to try it. I'm a Disney-addict...the hubby can take it or leave it. He knows I love it and the kids love it...he merely tolerates it. He loves the beach so this seems the best of both worlds. He gets what he wants and I get what I want. Kids get both.

Can anyone suggest a good on-site resort for us? Let me explain our situation:

There would be me and the hubby and we will probably share a room with our youngest (who has autism, and will be 12 for next year's trip). Would like to then have a connecting room for our three oldest kids (one who will be 23, one who will be 19, and one who will be 14). So 2 rooms, each with 2 adults, 1 "child". At least it pops up as "child" where I can put their ages in.

We figure two connecting rooms would be less expensive than a villa?? Is that correct?

Don't need a kitchenette or anything like that -- the kitchen in our off-site townhouse is wonderful when we're staying in Disney for a week or more. For a 4-5 day stay? I'm fine without it. A minifridge is all I would need.

Don't want anything too fancy -- So no Grand Floridian or anything elaborate like that. We're park commandos and don't spend a lot of time in our rooms -- nor do we want a resort that's really crowded (crowds can upset our youngest if they're too large and noisy). We have our own car, so transportation isn't an issue.

Hubby doesn't like the cabins, btw...so they're out. He has no desire to feel like he's camping.

Here's what we're considering: Pop Century (seems to have the best "reviews" of the values) - Art of Animation - Port Orleans Riverside - Coronado Springs.

Of the deluxes, I adore the Beach Club (but, boy is it expensive!! ) My daughter would love that sand-bottom pool, but my hubby would faint if I told him how much they cost! My sons are interested in Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is still more than I'm hoping to spend, but it doesn't seem as pricey as the Beach Club.

Any suggestions?? And if anyone has any tips on how to make the Beach Club more affordable, let me know!

 

[BearcatsFan]

I'm so thrilled I found this thread!

We are planning our first ever trip to WDW for 2014 (decided to do this back in Jan 2012.). It will be myself and my DD. Dates will be the end of May-beginning of June, right after school gets out here in NM, probably about 12 days. I'm planning on the POLY for the first part of the trip (makes Mom happy), with the last 4 days or so at AKL (will make DD happy to see the animals). Not only will it be our first trip there, but we will be celebrating DD's double digit birthday (10th) on 6/6.

That all said, I'm really starting to freak out planning this trip. DL I can plan with my eyes closed (feels like going home). DCL, comfortable. WDW, panic is already starting to sink in. So much to think about. I'm trying to get as much information as I can before we actually make our reservation, and have to start thinking about ADRs. Any and all advice, help, opinions you can provide will be appreciated!

Besides where we are staying, the only other thing I know is that we are spending a day at SeaWorld Discovery Cove for my DD's birthday present.

to the group! So glad you found us and decided to join in!

Don't freak out. I know it can seem really overwhelming at first - the amount of information here on the DIS is truly staggering. Just remember you have plenty of time, and plenty of us willing to help you!

Whatever questions you have, just jump on in and ask. I'll get you added to the list - once you know your dates, make sure you post them so I can update.

 

[BearcatsFan]

BEARCATSFAN - Wow, what a fantastic job you have done with this thread - my goodness I just posted not to long ago and you are already welcoming me - you are AMAZING!

Alot of great information here also. I feel like I have a "home thread"

Our vacation is Jan 11 - 23 at POFQ

Thank you! Can you tell I'm a research nerd?

So I figured out I can't quote from the mobile app so bare with me please. I am celebrating 2 very special birthdays. My littles want to go sooooo bad. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've saved since they were born for this trip. I was only going to do one character meal but now I might say screw it and spring for 2. You only turn 5 once. my DH thinks a lot if it is a waste of $$$$ because he thinks they will be too young to remember. I told him I guess we will have to go back when they turn 10 lol.

Can you guys give me the rundown of the special shows at night not to miss please? I remember the electrical parade and can't wait to see that again. I'm thinking of getting us 5 day MYW passes. We will be in Florida for 2 weeks but I don't want to live and breathe Disney.

Even if they are too young to remember, YOU will remember! You'll remember their reactions, their faces when they see the fireworks, their first M&G, etc. Tell him that!!

At MK, there is Wishes and the MSEP. At DHS, there's Fantasmic!. At EP, there's Illuminations. I personally love the ones at MK and EP, but did not care for Fantasmic! as much as others do. JMHO, of course - you may love it!

 

[mamabear0222]

I think I need to try to make them all. Lol we will hopefully be leaving the parks for a rest so we can see them without the crankies haha (I mean my DH) ;-)

 

[Funfire240]

BEARCATSFAN - Wow, what a fantastic job you have done with this thread - my goodness I just posted not to long ago and you are already welcoming me - you are AMAZING!

Alot of great information here also. I feel like I have a "home thread"

Our vacation is Jan 11 - 23 at POFQ

I agree with the "home thread". This is going to be so much fun planning together!

 

[BDL]

I think I need to try to make them all. Lol we will hopefully be leaving the parks for a rest so we can see them without the crankies haha (I mean my DH) ;-)

I might be wrong, but it looks like you might be in WDW around the time of the Flower & Garden fest. If that's true, you can check out the flower power concert series.

 

[BearcatsFan]

Have a question and figure ya'll might be more helpful than the general resorts section.

As usual, my girls only trip seems to be quickly dissolving as now it's turning into a "but I want to go!" scenario from my boys!

Had even considered a Disney trip for us and a Myrtle Beach trip for later in the summer...but now DH has introduced a new suggestion!

A split stay between St. Augustine (for 4-5 days) and Disney (for 4-5 days). Knock out both beach & Disney in one fell swoop.

Oooh this sounds like fun! Plus you both get what you want.

I said fine with me, but I *want to stay on-site*! I've never stayed on-site before and I really want to try it. I'm a Disney-addict...the hubby can take it or leave it. He knows I love it and the kids love it...he merely tolerates it. He loves the beach so this seems the best of both worlds. He gets what he wants and I get what I want. Kids get both.

Can anyone suggest a good on-site resort for us? Let me explain our situation:

There would be me and the hubby and we will probably share a room with our youngest (who has autism, and will be 12 for next year's trip). Would like to then have a connecting room for our three oldest kids (one who will be 23, one who will be 19, and one who will be 14). So 2 rooms, each with 2 adults, 1 "child". At least it pops up as "child" where I can put their ages in.

We figure two connecting rooms would be less expensive than a villa?? Is that correct?

Don't need a kitchenette or anything like that -- the kitchen in our off-site townhouse is wonderful when we're staying in Disney for a week or more. For a 4-5 day stay? I'm fine without it. A minifridge is all I would need.

Okay. Everywhere would have a mini-fridge because they're standard now, even in the value resorts, so that is one thing you won't have to worry about.

When would this trip be? That is important because WDW has so many rate seasons now (regular, value I, value II, etc.). You need to know your dates before you can price it out. I would think two connecting rooms would be cheaper than a villa, but I do not know for sure. Need your dates to really be able to figure that out.

Don't want anything too fancy -- So no Grand Floridian or anything elaborate like that. We're park commandos and don't spend a lot of time in our rooms -- nor do we want a resort that's really crowded (crowds can upset our youngest if they're too large and noisy). We have our own car, so transportation isn't an issue.

Hubby doesn't like the cabins, btw...so they're out. He has no desire to feel like he's camping.

Here's what we're considering: Pop Century (seems to have the best "reviews" of the values) - Art of Animation - Port Orleans Riverside - Coronado Springs.

Of the deluxes, I adore the Beach Club (but, boy is it expensive!! ) My daughter would love that sand-bottom pool, but my hubby would faint if I told him how much they cost! My sons are interested in Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is still more than I'm hoping to spend, but it doesn't seem as pricey as the Beach Club.

Any suggestions?? And if anyone has any tips on how to make the Beach Club more affordable, let me know!

Every place you're considering has it's +/-, just like every other resort!

POP is nice. We stayed there two years ago and we loved it - our room was SO clean! The food court is really good. The rooms are very small - 260 sq ft - but as you said, if you're not spending a ton of time there anyhow, the small size wouldn't bother you. Because loud noises upset your son, if you choose POP I would recommend not getting a pool view room because the pool activities can be quite noisy, and people tend to swim even after the pool has officially closed. The food court here can be crowded and noisy as well, difficult to find a table during rush hours.

AoA is new and fresh, but I've heard their food court is a bit of a letdown. I can't give you any personal perspective on it whatsoever. Lots of people here have loved their stay though because of the pool and decor, and the newness of it all. From what I gather reading the Resorts board, the LM rooms can be quite a hike from the main building, so keep that in mind (but that's all a matter of personal perspective, too).

POR is a large resort. We stayed at FQ this past September so we visited POR while we were there. My brother and his family stayed there last Summer. They hated the food court. They said the food choices were GREAT, but it was often crowded and the service lines slow/hard to find a table. That being said, the resort itself is absolutely beautiful! The landscaping is lush - it's just gorgeous over there.

Coronado Springs is also a very large resort - in case you aren't aware, they have a convention center where many large groups meet. I've read good and bad reviews of the hotel and food courts, much like everywhere else. We have considered staying here ourselves because we love the look of it. I have heard it can be a long walk back to El Centro and the food courts if you're stuck back in the Ranchos section.

--------------------------------------

I hope that gives you a few things to think about and consider, but it's all just my opinion and mostly based on what I've read here. I feel like I'm not much help because I've only stayed at one place you're looking into, but hopefully others will chime in soon to give you more info.

 

[hsmamainva]

We'd be going the same time. The first week or so in May...which seems to be Value II season.

I appreciate your input on the resorts! There's sooo much information on the resort section of these boards that it makes my head spin!

So - yes, posters! What's your favorite disney resort and why? Our topic of the evening!

 

[BearcatsFan]

We'd be going the same time. The first week or so in May...which seems to be Value II season.

I appreciate your input on the resorts! There's sooo much information on the resort section of these boards that it makes my head spin!

So - yes, posters! What's your favorite disney resort and why? Our topic of the evening!

I have stayed at (3) WDW resorts - POP, POFQ, and SSR. My favorite of the three would be, hands down, SSR.

Why? Very simply, it felt like home. Having the kitchen and a separate livingroom area really made a difference to us. Room to spread out, a balcony to sit on at night, fantastic staff, better-than-average choices in the food court (limited menu, but the food was so good) ... all make it #1 in my book. Boat service to DTD is also a plus. This resort is large, however, and very non-Disneylike in decor, if that makes sense.

#2 of the ones I've stayed in would be POFQ. Why? Two words: double vanity. We had a river front room, and the view from the windows was outstanding. It is a very small resort, so no room is very far from the food court/bus stop. I did not like the food court here, however, and some of the staff are not up to par IMHO. I still rank it second above POP because of the larger room size and smaller resort size overall. The boat service to DTD was also a great plus, AND you can share all the amenities at POR (yes, including the pools).

#3 of the ones I've stayed in would be POP. Why? Only because the room size was smaller than FQ. The food court here was great. The room was so clean, I actually climbed on the bed and wiped my finger across the top of the picture frame - NO DUST! The decor is lively and this resort does not share busses with any other resort, which is nice. All the staff we dealt with here were very nice.

That's my .02 cents worth ... FWIW! Next!

 

[Funfire240]

We'd be going the same time. The first week or so in May...which seems to be Value II season.

I appreciate your input on the resorts! There's sooo much information on the resort section of these boards that it makes my head spin!

So - yes, posters! What's your favorite disney resort and why? Our topic of the evening!

I've only stayed on site twice - both in value. All Star Sports and AoA Little Mermaid. Of course I'm going to say AoA was my fave because it was brand new when we were there. We were in the LM rooms a week after they opened.
Sports was nice, we liked that we were the first on the bus line of the 3 all stars. The pizza was good too
But, after saying at AoA it can't compare. I loved the theme and decor. It was nice not sharing a bus with any other resorts. We only ate in the food court once but we were very pleased with the food there.
With the kids being young, the size of the rooms were just right for us.

 

[angelmichelle]

Now that my friend & I are looking at airfare, we're planning to leave between May 13-15 and come back exactly seven days later. Airfare, man.

 

[gracer9977]

We'd be going the same time. The first week or so in May...which seems to be Value II season.

I appreciate your input on the resorts! There's sooo much information on the resort section of these boards that it makes my head spin!

So - yes, posters! What's your favorite disney resort and why? Our topic of the evening!

We stayed at CBR back in 2006 and it was SO quiet it felt like we were the only people at the resort. Sometimes we had the pool all to ourselves during the day. My sister and I did laundry twice and we never saw anyone else in the laundry room and the bus stop was never crowded. The Food court was a pretty far walk, at least from the room we had, but it was pretty. Walk on the sand around the lake to get to the food court.

We are planning to stay at CBR again in Jan 2014 when we go back. We are celebrating my niece's 16th birthday party and she really wants to stay there again.

We stayed at POFQ in 2011 and I just adore that resort. Also seemed very quiet. More people in the pools and while doing laundry and at the bus stops but still not that crowded. I LOVE the food court at POFQ. I know people have said it was crowded and service was not that great but I did not have those experiences. We were a group of 12 and the 3 meals (2 breakfasts and 1 dinner) that we all ate together we had no trouble finding tables at all. The food was sooooo good, large portions and lots of choices. The main pool was very large and never crowded the few times we had a chance to swim. Our pool that was closest to our room was closed for refurbishment but we never had any trouble with the main pool. The walk to the food court was a bit long but such a nice walk. Pathways under trees so nice and shady. We were in one of the new refurbished rooms and we had plenty of room for the 4 of us and love the "Princess and the Frog" theme of the room.

Love staying on site. Hope this helps.

 

[mamabear0222]

I'm pretty sure we're staying at Windsor Hills. I want to book it now but airfare doesn't come out for months....

 

[Holly324]

So I figured out I can't quote from the mobile app so bare with me please. I am celebrating 2 very special birthdays. My littles want to go sooooo bad. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've saved since they were born for this trip. I was only going to do one character meal but now I might say screw it and spring for 2. You only turn 5 once. my DH thinks a lot if it is a waste of $$$$ because he thinks they will be too young to remember. I told him I guess we will have to go back when they turn 10 lol.

Can you guys give me the rundown of the special shows at night not to miss please? I remember the electrical parade and can't wait to see that again. I'm thinking of getting us 5 day MYW passes. We will be in Florida for 2 weeks but I don't want to live and breathe Disney.

Illuminations at Epcot is awesome, but the fireworks at MK are AMAZING!!!! Don't miss!! Fantasmic is great, but we didn't see it on our last trip, as we thought it might be a little scary for our kids who were 3 and 5. Might try it next time, they will be 6 and 8 then.

Have a question and figure ya'll might be more helpful than the general resorts section.

As usual, my girls only trip seems to be quickly dissolving as now it's turning into a "but I want to go!" scenario from my boys!

Had even considered a Disney trip for us and a Myrtle Beach trip for later in the summer...but now DH has introduced a new suggestion!

A split stay between St. Augustine (for 4-5 days) and Disney (for 4-5 days). Knock out both beach & Disney in one fell swoop.

I said fine with me, but I *want to stay on-site*! I've never stayed on-site before and I really want to try it. I'm a Disney-addict...the hubby can take it or leave it. He knows I love it and the kids love it...he merely tolerates it. He loves the beach so this seems the best of both worlds. He gets what he wants and I get what I want. Kids get both.

Can anyone suggest a good on-site resort for us? Let me explain our situation:

There would be me and the hubby and we will probably share a room with our youngest (who has autism, and will be 12 for next year's trip). Would like to then have a connecting room for our three oldest kids (one who will be 23, one who will be 19, and one who will be 14). So 2 rooms, each with 2 adults, 1 "child". At least it pops up as "child" where I can put their ages in.

We figure two connecting rooms would be less expensive than a villa?? Is that correct?

Don't need a kitchenette or anything like that -- the kitchen in our off-site townhouse is wonderful when we're staying in Disney for a week or more. For a 4-5 day stay? I'm fine without it. A minifridge is all I would need.

Don't want anything too fancy -- So no Grand Floridian or anything elaborate like that. We're park commandos and don't spend a lot of time in our rooms -- nor do we want a resort that's really crowded (crowds can upset our youngest if they're too large and noisy). We have our own car, so transportation isn't an issue.

Hubby doesn't like the cabins, btw...so they're out. He has no desire to feel like he's camping.

Here's what we're considering: Pop Century (seems to have the best "reviews" of the values) - Art of Animation - Port Orleans Riverside - Coronado Springs.

Of the deluxes, I adore the Beach Club (but, boy is it expensive!! ) My daughter would love that sand-bottom pool, but my hubby would faint if I told him how much they cost! My sons are interested in Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is still more than I'm hoping to spend, but it doesn't seem as pricey as the Beach Club.

Any suggestions?? And if anyone has any tips on how to make the Beach Club more affordable, let me know!

Just a though, have you looked into renting DVC points? There is a thread here for that. We did it in 2011, and we LOVED it! We paid a little more than we would've paid for a value resort, and we stayed at Bay Lake Tower. It was perfect! You have to be careful to make sure you are renting from someone reputable (there is a website, anyone know what it is??), but you can get a great deal!

We'd be going the same time. The first week or so in May...which seems to be Value II season.

I appreciate your input on the resorts! There's sooo much information on the resort section of these boards that it makes my head spin!

So - yes, posters! What's your favorite disney resort and why? Our topic of the evening!

We were there the beginning of May 2011, and it was great! Warm enough for the water parks, but nice, too. Crowds were not too bad either.

My favorite resort that I have stayed at? Bay Lake Tower, hands down. I would walk from BLT to the CR for drinks every morning, and there is nothing like sitting and watching the castle during sunrise!

 

[BearcatsFan]

Now that my friend & I are looking at airfare, we're planning to leave between May 13-15 and come back exactly seven days later. Airfare, man.

I know what you mean! I've been looking into airfare for our May trip and it is a scary, scary thing. (Of course, I'm still waiting to find out if my husband gets those days off from work so we can actually GO, but that's another thread entirely. )

 

[hsmamainva]

We think we've decided to stay with AOA -- the pool and setting is just adorable! 2nd runner up is POR -- but only if we get another 25% off of room discount.

If we can get another one of those for next May, 2 standard rooms at POR is $50 less than 2 standard rooms at AOA for our 5-day Disney stay!

Question --- do they let you go in for a tour of the resorts? My hubby would like to visit both resorts and walk around them during our May trip this year. He figures that's the best way to see how large each resort is, how much parking is available, how far it is from each of the buildings to the food court, etc.

 

[BearcatsFan]

We think we've decided to stay with AOA -- the pool and setting is just adorable! 2nd runner up is POR -- but only if we get another 25% off of room discount.

If we can get another one of those for next May, 2 standard rooms at POR is $50 less than 2 standard rooms at AOA for our 5-day Disney stay!

Question --- do they let you go in for a tour of the resorts? My hubby would like to visit both resorts and walk around them during our May trip this year. He figures that's the best way to see how large each resort is, how much parking is available, how far it is from each of the buildings to the food court, etc.

Congrats on picking your resort! Make sure you give me the dates and other details so I can update the list.

As far as touring the resorts, absolutely YES! You can tour any resort, wander the grounds, eat in their restaurants ... the only thing you cannot do is swim in their pool. When you arrive at the gate, just tell the guard you're there to tour the resort. Depending upon where you want to go, please remember there may be a 3-hour time limit imposed, especially at any deluxe resort you might happen to want take a peek at (mostly due to limited parking availability there). If you want to valet park your car at any deluxe resort, however, there is no time limit for that.

HTH Glad to see your plans are coming together! Just wanted to remind you that connecting rooms are never guaranteed - they are a request. If you want them, make that your ONLY request when you make the reservation - that gives you a better chance of getting them.