CanuckTraveller
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 23, 2011
Time to introduce myself...DH and I have two boys, currently aged 6 and 3 yrs. We live near Ottawa, Ontario in beautiful Canada, where the weather is always a topic of conversation and definitely the reason we travel every winter!
The kids have decided it's time for us to visit the mouse
Our Jan, 2012 trip is already booked (cruise to Belize, Roatan and Mexico out of Tampa, with a few days in Tampa before we leave) so now looking for 2013. The cruise sites have me planning well in advance, although it looks like I don't have to be quite as vigilant with Disney.
So far we've decided we would like to stay at either the Grand Floridian or Polynesian resorts, as easy access to MK is key. I'm still completely confused about the dining plan options, but hopefully some leisurely reading bewteen now and Aug, 2012 will enlighten me.
A few questions:
1. When do the best deals come out? We will be travelling either late January or March, 2013, so should I book in Aug, 2012 when the dates are released, or wait? Can you call your booking agent to add deals released at a later date to your reservation?
2. When booking, do you reserve just the room, or the passes and dining plan too? I read somewhere that they suggest doing a sample budget for what you might spend on food while on-site, where can I find menus and prices for restaurants?
3. This might be a dumb question, but can you go to characture meals at other resorts, or are you limited to the one you're staying at? Is there anything restricting people from resort hopping (i.e. staying at a less expensive resort but using the facilities of the nicer resorts)? I'm not too keen on paying a premium for these resorts when others are using the common areas too.
4. (Another one that might get me slammed!) My kids are not huge Disney fans. They know some of the characters, but are not crazy about any one. A meal with Mickey would be very cool, but they don't want to become princesses or the likes. Any suggestions for neat things to do?
5. How loud are the fireworks from these two resorts? DS1 is VERY sensitive to sound and I would hate for him to dread every evening at Disney.
6. Airfare...the prices I'm seeing through Disney's site for this year seem quite reasonable, but I always hate leaving airfare to someone else. Can we still do the Disney transfers from the Tampa airport if I book the air separately?
Anything else I should know? (lol, I know that's a rhetorical question!)
The kids have decided it's time for us to visit the mouse
Our Jan, 2012 trip is already booked (cruise to Belize, Roatan and Mexico out of Tampa, with a few days in Tampa before we leave) so now looking for 2013. The cruise sites have me planning well in advance, although it looks like I don't have to be quite as vigilant with Disney.
So far we've decided we would like to stay at either the Grand Floridian or Polynesian resorts, as easy access to MK is key. I'm still completely confused about the dining plan options, but hopefully some leisurely reading bewteen now and Aug, 2012 will enlighten me.
A few questions:
1. When do the best deals come out? We will be travelling either late January or March, 2013, so should I book in Aug, 2012 when the dates are released, or wait? Can you call your booking agent to add deals released at a later date to your reservation?
2. When booking, do you reserve just the room, or the passes and dining plan too? I read somewhere that they suggest doing a sample budget for what you might spend on food while on-site, where can I find menus and prices for restaurants?
3. This might be a dumb question, but can you go to characture meals at other resorts, or are you limited to the one you're staying at? Is there anything restricting people from resort hopping (i.e. staying at a less expensive resort but using the facilities of the nicer resorts)? I'm not too keen on paying a premium for these resorts when others are using the common areas too.
4. (Another one that might get me slammed!) My kids are not huge Disney fans. They know some of the characters, but are not crazy about any one. A meal with Mickey would be very cool, but they don't want to become princesses or the likes. Any suggestions for neat things to do?
5. How loud are the fireworks from these two resorts? DS1 is VERY sensitive to sound and I would hate for him to dread every evening at Disney.
6. Airfare...the prices I'm seeing through Disney's site for this year seem quite reasonable, but I always hate leaving airfare to someone else. Can we still do the Disney transfers from the Tampa airport if I book the air separately?
Anything else I should know? (lol, I know that's a rhetorical question!)
