What will we love about WDW ??

[ILOVEDLP]

Hi everyone
First post on this forum
Iam a mother of 5 from the north east who loves all things Disney we have been to Disneylandparis 8 times already and in less than 2 weeks will be there again yes no getting up for work .
We have decided not to have any other trips this year and visit WDW next February for the Twins 5th birhtday.My daughters won't be coming along because of work etc they are 21 and 18 now, so just me and my 3 sons pos SIL so 5 in total.My DH doesn't do long haul .
I drive but only in England !.
So when is this best time to book ?
Where is the best place to stay for none drivers ?
where are great places to eat ?
Do you all love universal ?
What so much better about WDW than Disneylandparis?
I will have loads more questions but this will do for now
Rachael x

 

[willieboy]

hi rachael, you will love everything!!!!!! it is amazing!!!!!!! i would defo stay on site and try to get free dining plan its a great deal.... universal and seaworld are not hard to get to and you get free transportation in disney...Happiest Place On Earth?....by a mile!!!! Enjoy

 

[cooks]

Woop another North East diser. If I were you try to stay onsite you'll love it and the cast members make Disney in my opinion.
Happy planning

 

[Bastia]

Hello , it's a very good planing , WDW it's marvelous , today DLP is no good place WDW is amazing for you , best place to eat , very good CM , .... Enjoy your trip

 

[ILOVEDLP]

Thanks for all replies
Hope for many more
Rachael xxx

 

[jen_uk]

For a start the weather will be better!! WDW is huge, plus you have the benefit that there is so much more in Orlando than just Disney. Make sure you plan, plan and plan some more! If you are not going to drive I would stay onsite, you can easily arrange either transfers or a taxi for Universal etc.

 

[VailaTigger]

Welcome!!

You'll love it!!! All the Disney magic, wonderful cast members, and fab weather (although in Feb I believe you may need to take a sweater for the evenings...)

There is just more of everything in WDW - more theme parks, more water parks and pools, more resorts, more shopping...

If you're a non driver I would suggest staying on site - Disney can pick you up from the airport and take you back, there is free transport around the whole of WDW, and if you want to go offsite taxis or shuttles are easily organised.

Free dining plan (if it is offered) is a great deal. Get stuck into the Walt Disney World web site and take a look at all the resorts! Good place to start.

 

[JoyB-UK]

We have been several times in February. It is probably the cheapest of the school holidays. The weather is usually very nice but not too hot and it doesn't rain as much as the summer. However it can get cold but this doesn't usually last more than a day or two. Take long trousers and sweaters in case you get a cold patch. Crowd levels are low apart from presidents day/weekend (not sure of dates) towards the end of the month.
Flights should be available to book from the end of this February so start pricing up then. Virgin flights for school holidays start to sell out quickly so if you want to fly with them book early. We are trying Aer Lingus this time as the price was very good but I am a little nervous over what we will get.

You know you love Disney so stay on site. They cater for all budgets, provide free transport around the WDW and free Magical express transport to/from Orlando international airport. Disney doesn't provide transport from Sanford airport so this might affect flight decisions.

With 5 year olds I wouldn't worry too much about Universal, it generally seems to cater for older kids. The service also comes as a bit of a shock after you have experienced Disney. But maybe that's just me I know plenty who prefer universal to Disney. Sea world is a must for young kids, make sure they get to touch a dolphin in the feeding area, they won't forget it.

If you do decide to stay on site that look at booking direct on the Disney website as all the offers will be clear and they often have the best price for accommodation and ticket packages. We usually book lights separately.
Hope this helps, Joy.

 

[Elise79]

WDW is sooo much better than DLP IMO

WDW is so much bigger and the atmosphere is just amazing

If you don't want to drive onsite at WDW will probably be best and if you wait a few weeks to book there could be a free dining offer. With the size of your group (if your SIL joins you) your onsite locations will be limited however the last couple of years they have had 42% discounts on Saratoga Springs & Old Key West which are DVC villa resorts and the OKW one bedroom villa will sleep 5 however you would have a king bed in the master bedroom the a queen sleeper sofa and single sleeper chair in the living room.
If they offer the discount they are worth considering as you get the full DDP instead of the QSDP and a studio is not much more expensive than a moderate.

The standard resort are 2 double or queen beds depending on the resort and some of the deluxes have a day bed in their rooms so sleep 5.

You may want to consider driving - may be just hire a car for a few days in the middle of your holiday? It is soooo easy to drive out there - I was so scared first time but now DH doesn't get a look in - I love it

 

[queendisney]

Hi everyone
First post on this forum
Iam a mother of 5 from the north east who loves all things Disney we have been to Disneylandparis 8 times already and in less than 2 weeks will be there again yes no getting up for work .
We have decided not to have any other trips this year and visit WDW next February for the Twins 5th birhtday.My daughters won't be coming along because of work etc they are 21 and 18 now, so just me and my 3 sons pos SIL so 5 in total.My DH doesn't do long haul .
I drive but only in England !.
So when is this best time to book ?
Where is the best place to stay for none drivers ?
where are great places to eat ?
Do you all love universal ?
What so much better about WDW than Disneylandparis?
I will have loads more questions but this will do for now
Rachael x

I would def stay on resort if you are not going to drive. Wait for the free dining offer to come up before you book though. At WDW your transport is all free between the disney parks and you will be able to get to Seaworld by Lynx bus very easilly and cheaply from there. Universal resort is another matter by bus but you could either go by taxi or get the Mears Shuttle from your resort hotel. You will need to plan well for this with small children because depending on the time of year you go it can be VERY hot. By staying on the resort you can nip back to your hotel for a swim and a nap, then hit the parks again in the evening. There are loads of nice places to eat with lots of different choices in food. What you have to remember is that WDW is HUGE, MASSIVE etc etc and don't try and fit everything into 2 weeks. Pick what you want to do (this board is fab for idea's, better then google as we have all been loads of times and have experience) to fit into the ages of your children and look up and smell the roses. Take VERY comfortable shoes that you have broken in and lots of sun screen.!! Honestly in IMO you will see DLP in a different light once you have been to WDW.

edit..by the way the new resort Art of Animation is opening soon at WDW and it is a value resort but has suites that sleep 6 people.. that maybe a good option...

 

[Ciorsdah]

Hiya!!!

WDW is amazing, its the only holiday that I've been on where I've smiled every day!!

We are staying on site in Port Orleans Riverside this September, firs time since I was a kid that I've stayed onsite. But from all the chatter here it certainly seems the best way to do it, the dining plan seems great value and the free transport and extra magic hours makes it so easy.

I've never been to Universal Studios, hoping to go this year, however I am a bit of a rollercoaster chicken and the coasters there seem a bit for me!!!!

Happy planning, and (as I'm learning) the people here are an amazing resource!

C xx

 

[ILOVEDLP]

Thanks to willieboy ,Cooks ,Bastia, jen_uk, vavlia tigger, joyb_uk ,Elise 79, queen disney (art animation on my list), ciorsdah. I have alot to think about you have all been very helpful.
Rachael xx

 

[starrysky]

We are trying Aer Lingus this time as the price was very good but I am a little nervous over what we will get.

You know you love Disney so stay on site. They cater for all budgets, provide free transport around the WDW and free Magical express transport to/from Orlando international airport. Disney doesn't provide transport from Sanford airport so this might affect flight decisions.

We have used Aer Lingus twice and found them to be great. The pre Clearing immigration at Dublin to the free soft drinks on board are great. Seats good and the choice of movies and TV were good too.

We are looking at booking with them again as the prices are good. We object to the sky high fees that Virgin charge for a direct flight. If you get a stop in dublin the new aerlingus lounge in terminal two is lovely, good showers (the provide mini toiletries and towels) and a good selection of food and drink. Cost us 25 Euro each but it was well worth it.

ILOVEDLP you will love WDW, I have never been to DLP but my mother and sister took my niece and said while it was nice it will never in their opinion beat WDW.

I agree about staying on site its great and there are so many options to choose from. With a group of your size the art of animation might work well for you. Its not open yet but will be by the time you go next year.

Food options are multiple and varied from typical burgers to more exotic options from around the world. If you get free dinning its an added bonus as you will get loads of food on that.

Overall plan in time during your trip to take it easy and not try and run around, plan out each day and as you know what some of the rides are going to be like then that makes deciding on what rides you want to do easier.

Have fun planning and let us know how you are getting on. Allears.net, mousesavers and easywdw are great sites to help you plan.

 

[micksn]

We book flights and disney separately. Flights from Newcastle tend to be very expensive. It was just Thomson for a while but now Monarch are doing them again. We are flying from Manchester this time with Thomas Cook to save money. I would book flights early as they tend to go up! We booked Disney for August last July, but we would have got a better deal if we had waited till September. We have been twice and only done Disney (4 parks plus 2 water parks)with a trip out by taxi to the premium outlets. This time we are having a day at Islands of Adventure to do Harry Potter. We only use Disney transportation and book a town car for airport transfers.
The magic Kingdom is similar to the Disneyland Park, but the studios are quite different and everything else is extra! WDW is much bigger than DLP; you can't walk anywhere! and the resorts are bigger and better than the DLP ones. Make sure you get free dining as this is a huge saving and lets you try lots of different character meals! Have fun planning

 

[MrRomance]

Hi everyone
First post on this forum
Iam a mother of 5 from the north east who loves all things Disney we have been to Disneylandparis 8 times already and in less than 2 weeks will be there again yes no getting up for work .
We have decided not to have any other trips this year and visit WDW next February for the Twins 5th birhtday.My daughters won't be coming along because of work etc they are 21 and 18 now, so just me and my 3 sons pos SIL so 5 in total.My DH doesn't do long haul .
I drive but only in England !.
So when is this best time to book ?
Where is the best place to stay for none drivers ?
where are great places to eat ?
Do you all love universal ?
What so much better about WDW than Disneylandparis?
I will have loads more questions but this will do for now
Rachael x

Hi Rachael!

The first thing that came into my mind when I read your post was "EVERYTHING, YOU'LL LOVE EVERYTHING!!" but I know that everyone else will probably give you that answer!

I will be at WDW for the 10th (I think) time in 3 weeks! Despite living really close to the Eurostar station, I have only been to DLP once and I can honestly say I wouldn't go there again if they paid me! I'm not saying it's bad (although that is my personal opinion) but I think for anyone who has been to DL California or WDW, DLP is "the poor relation". It just isn't up to the same standard of WDW at all.

To answer your specific questions...

You say you're a non-driver and I know this is a personal choice for a lot of people, but driving in Florida is easier than driving in the UK by a LONG stretch. It really isn't as daunting as you'd think, the roads are bigger, wider, very well sign posted and I absolutely love driving out there. If you are determined not to drive, my suggestion would be to stay on-site at Disney.

If money is a factor (because on-site is usually more expensive than staying off) choose one of the lower end resorts (Pop Century and All Stars), if money will stretch to it, go for a moderate or deluxe if you can because they usually offer free dining for February which saves you a lot of money in the long run because you don't have to pay for any food.

The best time to book is when they are offering free dining! They do this periodically throughout the year, but it can save you quite a bit of money and a lot of hassle. The Dining Plan gives you the flexibility to eat what you want when you want and not have to pay out of pocket. It's all on your Key to the World card (which is also your tickets and your room key).

If you stay off site, without the dining plan. Good places to eat which are good value for money are chain restaurants like Ponderosa (good for breakfast especially) IHOP (breakfast), Olive Garden (Italian Lunch or Dinner). I lived in the US for about 5 years (my wife is from Detroit) and these are all great options. Others are Bob Evans (home style cooking), Red Lobster (seafood), outback or Texas Roadhouse (steak).

What's better...

There are a lot of significant differences. The biggest thing you will notice is that things are a lot more organised and a lot more pleasant. We found it very irritating at DLP that no one seemed to know or adhere to smoking rules or queuing! At WDW everything is very organised. There are a lot more CM's around who are always really helpful (and all speak English) and there it's a lot cleaner than DLP.

The parks at WDW are significantly bigger, but I'm sure you know that. It is also significantly cheaper (comparatively) at WDW than at DLP. Wherever you go for food, it's bigger, better and cheaper than it is at DLP.

Orlando is great because you're not just talking about Disney. Universal, (not so much Islands of Adventure if your twins are only 5), Seaworld are great days out. Transport can be an issue if you're not driving but there are shuttle services available.

My prediction (and feel free to update me!) once you go to WDW, you will not go back to DLP! I would rather save for 3 years and go to WDW than go to DLP twice a year.

 

[flortlebap]

DLRP and WDW can't really be compared, IMO

At DLRP, the staff are pretty rude. We laughed it off, because it was actually kind of expected, but we would NEVER expect that to happen at WDW.

DLRP is also kind of boring at night. The park hours are much shorter, and the Village is tiny, so really after a day or two it just becomes repetitive and dull. At WDW, the hours are longer and there's ALWAYS more entertainment than you could possibly fit in. For short park days, DTD at night is awesome

The calibre of the on site hotels at WDW is far higher than at DLRP, too. And a lot of general care is taken with the parks and walkways at WDW. The food also kind of sucks at DLRP, there's little or no choice whatsoever. At WDW, there is always something new.

I do miss the dragon under the castle, and crushs coaster. But overall, WDW is far superior

I don't hate DLRP, btw we actually enjoyed our trip there. But it's not in the same league as WDW. You'll be blown away.