Where do I begin?

[familyvacation]

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to have found this board!!!!!!

We live in DFW (My husband and our 2 children 5 and 3) and will be going to WDW from Nov 26-Dec 3rd.. We have no idea where to begin.. I am bursting with excitement and questions...

On Site - Best place to stay?
Any good books to start with or just the wonderful people here?
Park Hopper Pass - Yes or No? How many days?
Dining Pass- Worth it?
Top 5 things I have to know?
Top 5 Things not to see or worry about?
If staying on site - Rent a Car?
Travel Agent or better dealson your own?

I am so sorry to ramble on.. But I am lost... Please Help me! I have so many more questions.. I am probably not making any sense!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

 

[MeMom]

You won't stay lost for long. You've found a wonderful place here. Lots of good people with lots of good advice-yours to take or throw out. Did you plan to stay value, moderate, or deluxe? I'd defintely say a big yes on the Park Hopper. Get a Birnbaum's and hang around these boards. In my opinion, and you will get many opinions, since you asked, Magic Kingdom is a given, and MGM has a lot of things for the little ones-lots of character interaction opportunities. We hop all the parks and some members of the famiy do the waterparks, as well. I would skip Stitch for two reasons-your kids are pretty small, and I didn't see any point to it. Most people will tell you they're waiting for it to do something, and suddenly it's over, and people are just looking around wondering what it was all about? Again, just my opinion. Plan some time for breaks in the afternoons-naps and/or swimming. Give yourself time to check out Downtown Disney-the Lego Store and World of Disney. Have you or your husband ever been before? If not, you are in for a fabulous experience!

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

I wanted to say hello first.

I don't do the books I just come here, but my MIL gets the Unofficial Guide Book. Onsite depends alot on your budget and interest. What type of themeing would interest you and your family (Mexico, Hawaii,New Orleans,the Caribbean, the Beach/Boat,the Boardwalk). We do the park hoppers b/c you just never know what a park will be like or dining options. I like the dining plan it allows me to pay for my two meals a day and snack before I get there plus you get to try alot of the Table Service(TS) rest. for a lot less. Are your children boys, girls, or both? How many days do you want to be there.

 

[LVSWL]

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to have found this board!!!!!!

We live in DFW (My husband and our 2 children 5 and 3) and will be going to WDW from Nov 26-Dec 3rd.. We have no idea where to begin.. I am bursting with excitement and questions...

On Site - Best place to stay?
Any good books to start with or just the wonderful people here?
Park Hopper Pass - Yes or No? How many days?
Dining Pass- Worth it?
Top 5 things I have to know?
Top 5 Things not to see or worry about?
If staying on site - Rent a Car?
Travel Agent or better dealson your own?

I am so sorry to ramble on.. But I am lost... Please Help me! I have so many more questions.. I am probably not making any sense!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

First, to the disboards! You will find lots of help here.
In answer to your first question, I would say yes, definitely stay on site. Using the Disney transportation just makes things so much easier, especially since it's your first time, and staying onsite allows you to access the Extra Magic Hours in the parks. Those are usually certain parks open one hour early on certain days and or stay open 3 hours late. As you get closer to your time you will be able to see the hours(about six months out) by going to the top of this page and clicking on Disney World Information. On the left hand side you will see Park hours and you should click on that. It should tell you the hours for the month and the Extra Magic Hours. You can also find tons of other info in these links at the top of the page.
Good book- our favorite is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disneyword. The 2007 is out now. Be sure to read his info about what parks on what days. He will direct you to a website he runs where you can see his advice on which park to go to on which day. This is especially helpful during crowded times.
Park Hopper Pass- yes definitely, because there will be times when a park, like Animal Kingdom may close at 5 or 6 and you may want to go on over to Epcot to enjoy that park til 9, or over to Magic Kingdom because it has Extra Magic Hours til 11. Number of days depends on what time your flight gets in and when it leaves and how much time you have to be in the parks on those days. In some cases, after about 5 days, it doesn't cost much to add another day or two. We can help you with that after you have your airline tickets.
Not sure what you mean by dining pass. Do you mean the Disney Dining Plan? That requires each person in your room to pay a set price each day. Check the link above under dining. It can be a bit expensive for kids. Depends on your family's eating habits.
You will want to make reservations for at least one table service meal a day. Deb Willis has a website with menus from all of the restaurants. Once you know which park you want to do on which day, then you can think about that, and we can help you. The moderate and deluxe disney hotels have a small frig in the room and some people like to just have breakfast in their room, especially with small children. I don't know if that would work for you since you are flying, but if you had room to bring some cereal, you can get milk in the mercantile or food court at the hotels and keep it in your rooms or have pop tarts. There are coffee pots, taking the round filters and you can bring coffee and get half and half, so if you eat in the room while you are getting ready then it saves the time of sitting down and eating each morning.
I have never used a travel agent. There are lots of specials that get listed on these boards as soon as they come out. If you have AAA, you could go ahead and book a room I guess, as long as there is no penalty for adjusting it. Most people book a room at a rate that they can live with and then hope that a really good lower rate or package will come out. If it does then they call, and ask that the code or what ever be applied to their reservation.
Where to stay depends upon your budget. Everyone on these boards has their favorites. The value resorts have lots of theme for the least money. The moderates have more charm, a frig, a little more space, my favorite is Port Orleans French Quarter mainly because it is the smallest, so it is easier to get around to the food court and bus stops.
The deluxe resorts have more restaurants and amenities and enclosed hallways. Some are more expensive than others. The two least expensive are the Wilderness Lodge(my favorite) it is like a big lincoln log lodge in the northwest complete with geyser, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge,where if you get a savannah room you can see the animals from your room. After that you have the Beach and Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, and Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. Without knowing a little more about your budget, its hard to know what you might be interested in.
5 things-let me think about that for a while
Hope this helps to get you started

 

[familyvacation]

Thank you for the quick replies... It just helps me get even more excited!!


I "think" the beach theme would fit us the best... But I keep hearing a lot about the Wilderness one??? How did everyone decide on their first trip? I bet once you have been there once, you have more of an idea.. I am clueless! I feel like I just have a million questions.. Thank you for being patient with me! I am learning that I keep changing my mind, just by reading all the posts! We are fortunate enough that my parents are paying for this trip.. I would say we are somewhere between moderate and deluxe... We don't want to go overboard.. but want to feel comfortable and enjoy our first family vacation. They will be joining us.. But They will stay in their own room! My dad would like to stay somewhere where he can get the extra concierge type of extras.. Does that make sense? We all don't have to stay in the same place, but I think I would like too... We will probably spend most of our time at the parks, but want to have a nice pool and or room to relax in.. Especially with two little ones!


Keep the tips coming.. I really appreciate anything I can get my hands on! Trying to save (my parents) some money.. but also want to have the best vacation possible!!!!

We plan on being there for 7 days, 6 nights..

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

Have you been to disney's website for and pricing? I booked through a TA in Aug and I was not overly excited about it the only reason I used them was because they could get me into a value during free dining and disney couldn't. Later I found out that they just used a wholesaler (funjet, expedia, orbitz) and this made things harder for me. You have to go through your TA to make changes and this was frustrating b/c mine lacked communication skills.

You know you are staying 6N7D's. The Beach Club is a deluxe resort that has a club level. Is you dad interested in staying club level or just somewhere that offers better amenities. This will make a big difference.

I think first you will need to decide what price is good for your family. You can do this by going to www.disneyworld.com and entering your party info. You will then be given a list of the resorts and starting prices. When do you plan on going, what month and year?

You can also checkout www.allearsnet.com this site has photos of all the resort, restaurant menus,prices and where they are located. You can also checkout mousesavers.com for they update the site daily with any discounts that may be available for packages or rooms.

 

[Goofysmate]

Welcome new family.
You'll find out everything here in the forums and things you never thought of asking.

 

[MeMom]

Our choices have been based on what we could afford, since I'm a teacher and income is, well....low! No matter what you choose this time, be sure to spend some time just resort hopping so that you can get a feel for all of them to make your next trip's choice. I predict you will be going again, and again, and again. When I walk into the lobby of Wilderness Lodge it is hard for me not to want to stay there. It is massive and so warm and cozy. It's my oldest son's favorite resort. However, another teacher at my school calls it "that old rustic one" and doesn't like it at all. She's all for the Contemporary right on the monorail. So much is just a matter of taste, so I would advise you just to spend a little time resort hopping. Check out the Polynesian for the beach atmosphere, too. You could plan to go sit on Poly's beach one night and watch the Electric Water Parade with the kids. Definitely keep hanging around these boards and spend some time on AllEars looking over the resorts and menus. You'll find out "so many things you never knew you never knew"...get your Disney brain in gear and name the Disney movie that was sung in. (Forgive me, please, and remember I spend my days with third-graders. I'm kinda silly with stuff like this!) It is overwhelming, because there is so much to Disney. The great thing is, you get to just keep going back again to get it all in.

 

[mx55mom]

We haven't stayed at the WL but visited it and fell in love. It's also a nice boat ride to the Magic Kingdom. I have used rhonda@dreamsunlimitedtravel.com the past two trips and I can't say enough about her. Very knowledgeable and she will get right back to you with any questions you might have. We actually don't like the Disney transportation because it takes so long to get from point A to point B. If you do rent a car and you're staying on site you park at the parks for free. Transportation is really a personal choice so that's hard to answer. Have fun planning your wonderful family vacation!

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Well my mom (MeMom) posted before me but didn't answer everything you askd so I will fill in her gaps with my knowlegde and experience. Definitely stay on site extra magic hours and the transportation makes it worth it. Since your children are small I would suggest a value resort (Pop Century or All Star Movies). Pop is my favorite and is great for both adults and kids. As for the moderates I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside. The main pools have waterslides but other than that they just didn't seem to be geared to little kids as much as the Value Resorts. The Park Hopper is definitely worth it and I would get it for as many days as you will be there. The difference between 5 days and 7 days is just a few dollars and even though you don't think you will get there until 7:00pm you might arrive at 5:00 and want to go to the park. As my mom said do't worry with Stitch. Your 5 year old would probably like Buzz Space Ranger Spin. Our favorites are Peter Pan and Mickey's Philharmagic (in MK), the Safari at AK, Soarin' and Test Track at Epcot, and Fantasmic at MGM. You will probably want to do the Playhouse Disney show at MGM too. The dining plan probably won't be worth it to you unless you plan on having a sit down meal every day. You can call the wonerfu people a Disney ad they can help you book your trip.And stay on these boards and ask questions. You can PM me if you have any specific questions you want to ask me.

And mom (MeMom) the answer is Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas.

 

[warriorboy648]

Thank you for the quick replies... It just helps me get even more excited!!


I "think" the beach theme would fit us the best... But I keep hearing a lot about the Wilderness one??? How did everyone decide on their first trip? I bet once you have been there once, you have more of an idea.. I am clueless! I feel like I just have a million questions.. Thank you for being patient with me! I am learning that I keep changing my mind, just by reading all the posts! We are fortunate enough that my parents are paying for this trip.. I would say we are somewhere between moderate and deluxe... We don't want to go overboard.. but want to feel comfortable and enjoy our first family vacation. They will be joining us.. But They will stay in their own room! My dad would like to stay somewhere where he can get the extra concierge type of extras.. Does that make sense? We all don't have to stay in the same place, but I think I would like too... We will probably spend most of our time at the parks, but want to have a nice pool and or room to relax in.. Especially with two little ones!


Keep the tips coming.. I really appreciate anything I can get my hands on! Trying to save (my parents) some money.. but also want to have the best vacation possible!!!!

We plan on being there for 7 days, 6 nights..

Good Luck!! I found this forum a couple weeks ago and it is fabulous. I have changed my mind everyday about what I want to do. I started with a Dolphin reservation ( cheap teacher rate). Then decided I wanted a Disney resort, so I booked CSR then the Swan came out with $125.00/night and I thought that I would be nuts not to book that then I read that the Poly has daybeds (and I have 5 kids) and the search goes on... I've decided to just enjoy the ride, but the hard part is that I can't think about anything else....

 

[eliza61]

I'll tackle a few. Definitely stay on site, nothing beats the first time with small children. Since you are going early dec, most of the Christmas decorations will be up, so my vote is the WL. It is by far the best themed resort at the holidays and it is also very close to the MK (quick boat ride away.) If you can spring for the park hopper option, I would do so. When my kids were small, we would go back to the resort for a quick break and then hit a park after dinner. We rent a car now that we have been a number of times but I would not recommend it for first timers. You'll have enough to enjoy.

Good luck!

 

[pepe of ohio]

I'll tackle a few. Definitely stay on site, nothing beats the first time with small children. Since you are going early dec, most of the Christmas decorations will be up, so my vote is the WL. It is by far the best themed resort at the holidays and it is also very close to the MK (quick boat ride away.) If you can spring for the park hopper option, I would do so. When my kids were small, we would go back to the resort for a quick break and then hit a park after dinner. We rent a car now that we have been a number of times but I would not recommend it for first timers. You'll have enough to enjoy.

Out of all the deluxes, except AKL, WL is one of the cheapest and as stated in the quote, the decorations and location is second to none for the price. The resort is beautifully done, pool is fantasitc and the view over Bay Lake and the EWP at night grand in itself. A short boat ride to FW, petting farm and horse barn has a great buffet throughout the day and evening and a good place to expend any leftover energy one evening. Boat rides as transportation are great and relaxing and a big break then being in a car. Boat to the CR and you're into some great shopping and gameroom and have access to the monorail to zoom to 2 other deluxe resorts for dining and looking. We've been to WDW over 38 trips and still use Disney transportation, its great to relax on a bus or boat for 10 days and let someone else worry and haul us around, all for free. We always have either an annual pass but sometimes do have regular but always hoppers. If the park we pick is crowded or gets crowded we hop to another and we always split parks everyday with a resort lunch and dip in the high noon hour. Hope this helps but remember to just enjoy the time and experience with your children and parents, there will be alot more trips once you get the taste of Disney.

Good luck!

Enjoy the magic.

 

[kimis]

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to have found this board!!!!!!

We live in DFW (My husband and our 2 children 5 and 3) and will be going to WDW from Nov 26-Dec 3rd.. We have no idea where to begin.. I am bursting with excitement and questions...

On Site - Best place to stay?
Any good books to start with or just the wonderful people here?
Park Hopper Pass - Yes or No? How many days?
Dining Pass- Worth it?
Top 5 things I have to know?
Top 5 Things not to see or worry about?
If staying on site - Rent a Car?
Travel Agent or better dealson your own?

I am so sorry to ramble on.. But I am lost... Please Help me! I have so many more questions.. I am probably not making any sense!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

Hello! I am so glad you found us! Disney has every kind of resort you could want. Each resort is done to a different theme. We always stay at Port Orleans Riverside. It is southern mansions and so beautiful. There are extra perks for staying on site like the extra magic hours at the different parks and the free transportation. There is no need to rent a car (my dh loves that part of the trip). We use the AAA discounts and it helps a lot. The dining plan is a must. You eat like kings and you eat much healthier.
Yes you would want a park hopper pass. For how many days? Usually for all the time you are there however if your flight lands late in the day on your first day or early in the morning on your last day than you don't need a ticket for that day. For example if you check into your resort around 4 or5 in the afternoon than go to Downtown Disney (you don't need a ticket for it) and don't bother going to the parks until the next day. I would recommend that on top of reading you check out the websites. This one is extremely addicting but that isn't a bad thing! Another helpful website is
www.allearsnet.com Enjoy

 

[byoung]

Welcome to the DIS!!!

 

[ransom]

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to have found this board!!!!!!

We live in DFW (My husband and our 2 children 5 and 3) and will be going to WDW from Nov 26-Dec 3rd.. We have no idea where to begin.. I am bursting with excitement and questions...

On Site - Best place to stay?

On site is definitely regarded as best. You get free access to Disney transportation from your resort to the parks and other destinations. You get access to early entry and late stays at the parks ("Extra Magic Hours" - offered for one specific park each day). And, you never leave the magic of WDW during your vacation!

Any good books to start with or just the wonderful people here?

I was a newbie last year, and what helped me the most was the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It's a huge tome, but that's only because it has a ton of useful information in it.

Park Hopper Pass - Yes or No? How many days?

It depends on if you want to go to more than one park on a given day. Keep in mind that the fee to add the park hopper option onto your pass is a fixed fee. That is, if you're planning on 3 days at the parks or 10 days at the parks, the cost for making all 3 or 10 of those days "hopping" days is the same: $45 plus tax per person.

As far as the park tickets themselves, they cost less per day the more days you buy them for. I think it's something like $75 for the first day, then it decreases pretty rapidly until you're paying something like $2 for the sixth day and beyond. Here's an article on the current ticket prices: http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwticketprices.html

Dining Pass- Worth it?

If you plan to eat a table service meal every day, then it's generally regarded as a bargain to get the Dining Plan option. If you plan to stick to counter service, it's generally regarded as to expensive to use the Dining Plan. But there are subtleties and shades in there. For example, if your kids would likely share your meals, then again, it's not economic to use the DDP even if you plan to go to table service restaurants. There's a whole sub-board of the Restaurants board about the Dining Plan that you can read.

Top 5 things I have to know?

When you're going, how long you're going for, what you plan to do, where you plan to eat, and what days you plan to go to each park.

Top 5 Things not to see or worry about?

That's too much a judgment call for me to tackle!

If staying on site - Rent a Car?

Many say no (and I'm one of them). Disney provides free transportation around Disney World. Others say yes, rent a car, because it can be much quicker to get to some destinations using your car rather than Disney's transportation.

Travel Agent or better dealson your own?

It depends. AAA can get you good rates if you're a member and you go through their travel agencies ... and if there are rooms at AAA rates available while you plan to be there. You can also call Disney and request the AAA room-only rates if you're a member, but you can't get those rates on your own through Disney if you're planning on doing a package deal (with the dining plan, for example). AAA's travel agency can do that, though.

If you decide not to use the dining plan, then it's likely you can assemble a less expensive package on your own if you are flexible on your travel dates and don't mind waiting for a "code" to be released that might allow you to book lower rates without AAA. Some travel agents that are well versed in Disney may also be able to do such things on your behalf.

Many people who use the dining plan choose to simply book through Disney because it's easy and there's no way short of AAA to get a discount on a package deal with the Dining Plan (since the Dining Plan is, in itself, a discount if it's used as intended).

I am so sorry to ramble on.. But I am lost... Please Help me! I have so many more questions.. I am probably not making any sense!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

I hope I was able to help you. But you've got a long learning curve ahead of you. Good luck...and have fun!

 

[DisnyMama]

Hi there and WELCOME!! My vote for you is the Wilderness Lodge. It is beautiful and the transportation back and forth to the MK is a nice boat ride. I would suggest not renting a car for your first trip and it's not necessary. The concierge level at the WL is very nice. Definately get "The 2007 Ultimate Guide to Walt Disney World". You can find it at most book stores and Amazon.com. It has a ton of detailed information. Let me also give you another peice of really helpful advice. Read lots and lots of trip reports between now and your vacation. You will gain tons of insight from hearing about other peoples WDW vacations. Each report will give you different knowledge of what things you may want to check out and may not want to miss out on. Also spend time on the resort board. Ok, I do not believe in using a regular TA for a WDW vacation. I made that mistake for my 1st trip and he new nothing of WDW. BUT.... The exception to this rule, and if you do some reading on the resort board you will hear people speak of them is Dreams Unlimmeted Travel. They specialize in Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruiseline Vacations. My TA is Sue Ellen and she is a moderator on the resort board and she is just fantastic. She will go to the ends of the earth for you and literally handle every detail for you. The only thing they don't due is book airfare. That you would need to do on your own. I've done it myself and I will be honest with you in that dealing with Disney Travel on your own can be very daunting. If they make a mistake it can sometimes take many phonecalls and a lot of persistence to get it straightened out and I have heard this from others on these boards. If you have Sue Ellen or another DU agent handling things for you it will be just that, taken care of for you and you will never have to worry. (sueellen@dreamsunlimetedtravel.com) FYI
I hope you enjoy all the fun your going to have!

 

[mikymouse]

Yeah! Your going to WDW!!!! Welcome to the DIS. Here are some of my tips

1.) Stay in WL for a Xmas time stay it is suppose to be beautiful and easy to get around! It is a more affordable deluxe. I haven't been but it is on my list!

2.) Borrow all the books from the library, read the DIS.. especially Trip Reports, have FUN planning!

3.) Get the Park Hoppers,flexiability is priceless with little kids/first time trip.

4.) Get the Dinning Plan, gives you the ability to pick a restrauant for the daily Table Service and then plan your park touring around that which made it easy for me. My Kids were a little bit older than yours and it was very good that we have some planned sit down time...this is a high energy vacation!
a.) We Loved Dinner at Chef Mickeys we thought it was the best charcter meal
b.) We loved Dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe at Animal Kingdom you can make reservations directly but not through disney

5.) Go to the Parks Early there was such a difference in crowds/lines between early morning and afternoon. We almost always went early, back to the resort after lunch, had a late night or had a late start with a busy afternoon (the Early Start Days with a mid-day break were much easier in the parks and with my kids).

6.) Plan a mid-vacation day with NO Plans just resort time. You might miss some of the parks but everyone will be in a better mood for the ones you do.

7.) Consider taking the kids to the Kids Club for a night while the grownups have a nice dinner. My kids loved the Kids Club and wanted to go everyday. The have games/movies/dinner/bed time snack and they just loved have down time with other kids

8.) Use Disney Transportation... it was a no-brainer and made our first tirp easy

9.) Wear extremely comfortable shoes and train for the walk a thon, the place is huge!

10.) I would highly recomend taking your own umbrella strollers for the kiddos. They might not need them all the time but they are priceless for the few times you need to keep them close in the crowd, need to make good time, or have unexpected tired little ones.

Have a wonderful time!!!