Where to Start - Overwhelmed

[kiteboy]

Hi all

We have been thinking about going to disney florida for a few years now. Our son is just about to turn 8 and either September 2022 or maybe the following year would be the sweet spot so that he will at least remember going!

Anyway - where do you even begin. Ive gone onto main Disney site and costs as an estimate are coming in around the 8K mark with flights staying at a more basic disney resort for the three of us for two weeks and tickets.

I just find it all a bit overwhelming really ive done a bit of research previously but feel like Im starting again - I think I understand the options, ie fly, drive or disney hotel type thing....but where is the best place to begin theres so much advice out there

I dont know what fly drive hotels are good - how is that fly drive experience as Ive never done that too. Is it safe enough driving over there?

Weve done disneyland paris and that was great staying on site so I am a fan of that but the downside is that you have the disney prices to contend with for two weeks so Im thinking the cheaper option would be fly / drive / hotel near so we then have different food choices

Any advice of where to start I suppose would be great

Thanks

 

[plygph]

Yes Disney is expensive that said I openly admit I am a die harder who will not stay off site at any costs.
Packages pop up all the time for the period you are considering my personal favorite time to visit is Halloween. You get the fall experience then like magic on Nov 1 it’s Christmas so you get 2 seasons. You will get food and wine with both dates it is fun.

You could use different sites to rent DVC points for your stay for lodging this will give you moderate and deluxe level resort options. You may even be able to find a booking that an owner may have made but can no longer use at a good price. Staying on points with a car covers your $25 per day parking that is a savings that could be applied to a park ticket.
Fly is the only way we go and have use DME for transportation to and from airport but that has now gone away and the pricing for what has replaced it has me looking at other options such as a ride share or limo.

Hope this helped have a great trip and enjoy yourself by seeing Disney through your eight year olds eyes. I love doing adult trips but those with grandchildren(8,6,3,9mths) are the ones I enjoy the most because I watch it through their eyes and I see the magic that is Disney.

 

[Michelleybelle]

We always rent DVC points for our trips (once every two to three years; four this time because of covid). It allows us to stay at Deluxe level resorts for moderate prices (sometime even less!), and it offers a kitchenette/full kitchen depending on the size of travel group/room. It even includes free laundry, so those are all some great ways to cut costs. We always rent with a broker to help protect ourselves - The DVC Rental Store and David's Vacation Club Rentals are the two that we use.

Dis Unplugged is my go to youtube channel for resort tours and discussions about restaurants, attractions, etc. For thorough, well-written reviews/advice/photos, I love Disney Tourist Blog and Easy WDW.

 

[kiteboy]

Well this DVC points thing is new to me and something i have seen mentioned but again wasnt sure what it all means! Will try and look into what renting DVC means!

 

[DisneyDar]

Overwhelmed = use a Disney Authorized Travel Planner.

 

[Sakiki]

Hi all

We have been thinking about going to disney florida for a few years now. Our son is just about to turn 8 and either September 2022 or maybe the following year would be the sweet spot so that he will at least remember going!

Anyway - where do you even begin. Ive gone onto main Disney site and costs as an estimate are coming in around the 8K mark with flights staying at a more basic disney resort for the three of us for two weeks and tickets.

I just find it all a bit overwhelming really ive done a bit of research previously but feel like Im starting again - I think I understand the options, ie fly, drive or disney hotel type thing....but where is the best place to begin theres so much advice out there

I dont know what fly drive hotels are good - how is that fly drive experience as Ive never done that too. Is it safe enough driving over there?

Weve done disneyland paris and that was great staying on site so I am a fan of that but the downside is that you have the disney prices to contend with for two weeks so Im thinking the cheaper option would be fly / drive / hotel near so we then have different food choices

Any advice of where to start I suppose would be great

Thanks

A slightly different perspective from me…

As you intend to be in Orlando for two weeks or so, I would always recommend staying offsite and hiring a car. We prefer to rent a villa with a private pool - much lower cost, no intrusive security inspections, no reliance on housekeeping (and no strangers in your room if that’s an issue for you) and the ability to come and go to places other than WDW (unless you’re really hard core you might want to spend some of your 14 days outside the bubble (Universal, Seaworld, Kennedy Space Centre and so forth). You don’t have the benefit of onsite catering but the Kissimmee area is rife with places to eat at any time of the day or night if you don’t want to cook - and there’s nothing to prevent you booking specific meals in any of the WDW resorts or parks if you want to do so (we always do this a few times - we wouldn’t miss breakfast at Boma in AKL at least once during our trip).

You can create your MDE account, buy park tickets and make whatever bookings you need directly off the WDW website or in the MDE app whether or not you stay onsite.

I’m guessing you’re not in the US as you mention Paris and ask about driving. We’re in the UK and I would say that driving is no problem - unlike in most of narrow-streeted, cramped Europe, at least in America the roads, parking spaces and so forth are designed for cars; there always seems to be a huge sense of space even when the roads are crowded.

Just my two penn’orth, FWIW.

 

[Plague]

I dont know what fly drive hotels are good - how is that fly drive experience as Ive never done that too. Is it safe enough driving over there?

At the moment hire cars are expensive, and you'll also have to pay parking at the Disney parks which is $25/day. (And learn to drive on the wrong side of the road with strange signage.)
Unless you are going to travel more extensively it may actually be cheaper and easier/safer to use Uber and Lyft for 'commuting'. Probably be about $10-$15 each way.

For different food you can always go to Disney Springs - Disney buses go from the parks direct most of the time, so that's a free trip.

I always stay on site and use Lyft to go to Universal, etc.

 

[carol48b]

We've been going to Disney for many years now. I cannot stress enough how you will be better off to use an authorized Disney Travel planner. They will not only help you plan YOUR particular dream vacation, they will make all the reservations, monitor any specials and discounts that come up AFTER they make your reservations. This ensures that you will get the best deal possible. There are several really good ones - so check a few out. I have personally had good luck with Small World Vacations, but that's just one of many. Seriously, I am more than capable of making my own reservations, but I still use a company like this. They have the inside track to access reservations, and special deals when time is of the essence. Good luck, do some research but don't be afraid to ask for help.

 

[Karandak]

A slightly different perspective from me…

As you intend to be in Orlando for two weeks or so, I would always recommend staying offsite and hiring a car. We prefer to rent a villa with a private pool - much lower cost, no intrusive security inspections, no reliance on housekeeping (and no strangers in your room if that’s an issue for you) and the ability to come and go to places other than WDW (unless you’re really hard core you might want to spend some of your 14 days outside the bubble (Universal, Seaworld, Kennedy Space Centre and so forth). You don’t have the benefit of onsite catering but the Kissimmee area is rife with places to eat at any time of the day or night if you don’t want to cook - and there’s nothing to prevent you booking specific meals in any of the WDW resorts or parks if you want to do so (we always do this a few times - we wouldn’t miss breakfast at Boma in AKL at least once during our trip).

You can create your MDE account, buy park tickets and make whatever bookings you need directly off the WDW website or in the MDE app whether or not you stay onsite.

I’m guessing you’re not in the US as you mention Paris and ask about driving. We’re in the UK and I would say that driving is no problem - unlike in most of narrow-streeted, cramped Europe, at least in America the roads, parking spaces and so forth are designed for cars; there always seems to be a huge sense of space even when the roads are crowded.

Just my two penn’orth, FWIW.

I guess you’ll just get opinions based on what everyone is used to.
I have never stayed onsite…my parents always rented a villa - and now they have their own…I do enjoy the freedom of it as mentioned above.

However, again - the car rental prices are eye watering at the minute (I’m still yet to take the plunge for this summer)….but I think I have seen people get cars as part of a package deal and it not be *too* bad Driving over there is simple really.

Guess it all depends on what you want out of you holiday, and what suits you best.

 

[nuhusky123]

Check out the swan and dolphin. On Disney property for half the price

part of the Marriott chain

i would avoid renting points coming from the uk. Renting points are non refundable so one lock down and you are buggered.

go with a hotel that you can cancel

 

[Woodview]

Hi all

We have been thinking about going to disney florida for a few years now. Our son is just about to turn 8 and either September 2022 or maybe the following year would be the sweet spot so that he will at least remember going!

Anyway - where do you even begin. Ive gone onto main Disney site and costs as an estimate are coming in around the 8K mark with flights staying at a more basic disney resort for the three of us for two weeks and tickets.

I just find it all a bit overwhelming really ive done a bit of research previously but feel like Im starting again - I think I understand the options, ie fly, drive or disney hotel type thing....but where is the best place to begin theres so much advice out there

I dont know what fly drive hotels are good - how is that fly drive experience as Ive never done that too. Is it safe enough driving over there?

Weve done disneyland paris and that was great staying on site so I am a fan of that but the downside is that you have the disney prices to contend with for two weeks so Im thinking the cheaper option would be fly / drive / hotel near so we then have different food choices

Any advice of where to start I suppose would be great

Thanks

NOTE Driving is different in Florida & U.S.A. than driving in U.K. YOU drive on the RIGHT hand Side of road


The steering wheel is on the Left BUT Brake & speed pedals are in same place but on the left

There is No Clutch as Cars are Automatic

IF this Scares you Then Driving is not the way to go.


NEXT Visit your Local Travel agent And look up TUI & Trailfinders for Correct Info.

OR

Plan a Trip to DisneyLand Paris to start & get the feel of a Disney Theme Park

If you do go to Paris take a trip to Parc Astrix also in Paris

 

[Ruttangel]

Best advice I can give is don't try and do too much, it's the biggest error of new travellers. You'll just get stretched and annoyed. Keep it simple and build in lots of relaxation time at pool and at resort.

Personally, I wouldn't drive, just another thing to worry about for a first timer. Car hire costs are insane atm.

 

[bakerworld]

Back in the day, when planning a Florida WDW vacation, I would check the Disney site see the 'specials'. I sometimes even do that today. Random times of day I'd take a break from working and see what I could find. Yes, it is overwhelming but I just kept plugging away until I found something that made sense. The options make it even more overwhelming so I wouldn't try and spend a ton of time in one session when in the option plan stage.

If it makes $$-wise I would stay offsite the first week and then on site the next rather than the reverse. It usually always made sense to book the air and hotel/ticket/transfers package separately. Last year I was searching an airline site and actually found a really good package. That was unusual. I had both the Disney site and the airline site open so I could compare.

Sometimes it makes sense to purchase at least 1 annual pass so compare the ticket price to a annual pass. If the annual pass makes sense then about 90 to 120 days out Passholder discounts are offered at select venues on property. One year we stayed at the campgrounds in a trailer/cabin but that was dependent on food pricing as having a full kitchen with 3 children under 10 was a savings. I later learned how to do this in a moderate level hotel room, as value rooms didn't accommodate 5 people.

 

[Tony]

There's another thread running at the moment along the lines of DisneyWorld just being too expensive for Brits. The most important thing to remember is that the vast majority of visitors will only go for a few days. This idea of spending 2 or 3 weeks there is a very niche thing, and whilst you can say "it's a long way", that's true, but do something else in the US before or after the Disney bit.

On our next trip, we're spending the weekend in New York on the way home. The flight up from Orlando only cost about £50 per person and I'm paying less than £200 a night for a Crowne Plaza in mid-town. Not only will the money go further, but we get a bunch of other non-disney experiences, too.

 

[McCrae]

One thing to consider when visiting Disney is how do you few about having to wait for rides. Typically first thing in the morning the park is not that busy and you can get a lot done before the crowds arrive. If you are staying for two weeks you have plenty of time to do the parks and can do everything and avoid long waits. We never wait more than 20 mins. Typically we will do the parks first thing in the morning and leave about lunch time to enjoy other things. We tend to go back later in the evening for fireworks etc.
Staying on site makes it easier to get to the parks early and you can take advantage of early opening for guests. The onsite experience is very different to offsite and if you can afford it and especially if you wont go to Disney on a regular basis I would go for it.

 

[PeachyBubba]

I suppose it's what you find that overwhelms you. If it's the amount you are wanting to spend, then there are far cheaper options with compromises that you can make. For example, I've just costed up a 13 night break at the back end of the summer holidays (Aug 22 - Sep 4) staying at disney springs with 14 day disney tickets for 2 adults and 1 kid for under £4k, but there are compromises such as non direct flights.

 

[Liliovesstitch]

There are some great suggestions here and some that I would say are for more experience Disney/Orlando visitors.
ive been going every other year since I was 7 yo I’m 40 now so I’ve tried a lot of different places
I personally would book with a travel agent but online like travel republic is fine. I would stay on international drive Avanti, Rosen at point even universals endless summer is a good price at the moment. I’ve stayed in Disney and they are lovely but for me not worth it for the two weeks. Stay at I drive keep your cost down all the hotels do shuttles.
I would Uber from the airport and use Uber home from the parka and to the Florida mall.
that’s just my personal opinion.
Also age wise for your son I went first time when I was 7 and fell in love with Disney. My son went at 7 and my twins at 3 they all loved it so there is no right time but get him there soon so that he can enjoy Disney before he gets too old then you can do universal

 

[bex7583]

What do you want out of the trip?

Do you want total Disney ? Do you want beaches and exploring ?

When you travel to other countries do you book a package or book everything DIY?

Get a note book or a spreadsheet and start making a list of your must dos...look at prices from as many places as possible.

Once we had chose a rough date I booked the flights and then slowly added and built the holiday to our exact requirements.

Driving isn't that scary as no gears to worry about and the roads don't really have any roundabouts. Just stop and go and follow the line of traffic

 

[nicksinger8]

The unofficial guide to disney by Bob Sehlinger is a really good guidebook. It is independent of Disney and will tell it how it is. Feels overwhelming at first, but pick an issue at a time. So there is an excellent chapter on hotels, for example, including the issue of onsite or offsite.