Disney World

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[gemini 3]

I'm starting to look into Disney world vacation and I always come to this site when I need some good advice.  Does anyone have any great deals on hotel and hopper passes that you stumbled upon. 

Looking into going the week of June 21st or July 11Th.  We are kind of flexible so if there's a great deal at a different week let me know.  We have three kids so alto of hotels accommodate 4 so I kind of need a bigger room or I can just go for the rollway for 25 a day.  We just need to visit the 4 parks no waterparks or anything like that. 

Let me know if anyone found any great deals,  I appreciate it.

Gem

[ucancme2]

I am in the middle of planning our 2nd trip there right now. We are going May 5-10. There are alot of tips I could give you, probably to many to put on here!
As for a hotel, we have 5 people also and it is a challenge! It depends if you want to stay at a Disney resort or not, if so, the only value resort that can accomdate 5 people is All Star Music resort in a family suite, and those are pretty pricey. In the moderate catergory you can stay at the Port Orleans Riverside. They do not have roll aways, and they have a strict occupancy limit.
If you are renting a car and want to consider a non disney resort, we are staying at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek which is still on the Disney property. I found this room on Craigslist for $99 per night. We are staying in a 2 bedroom condo with a full kitchen. Hoping to save a little money on meals! This is a time share resort, but we are renting directly from the owner so, no presentation necessary.
I do not really know where to get the cheap tickets, my husband is military, so ours are cheap right now.
June and July are VERY busy there, and HOT,HOT,HOT! Unfortunatly, rooms, flights, and rental cars will be more expensive during this time. We went in May of last year also, and only waited at the most 10 mins for rides. We went in July of 2002 and hardly got on any rides because the lines were 1-2 hrs long. May was hot, but July was MISERABLE! I guess it just depends on if you can handle the heat or not. I, cannot!
There are a few good websites that can give you great info and advice. They are tripadvisor.com for hotels and such, and Disney has a mom's panel where people ask any questions they have and they get answered disneyworldforum.disney.go.com

Good luck and hope you have a great time!!

[lotsofkids]

I have a great agent I work with that I got thru allears.net.  She is great on updating me on the best values.  Our last trip was in October and we were able to get free dining plus an extra day on park hoppers for free.  She even called us back and offered us the chance to switch from free dining to getting extra days for free (we stuck with the dining.)  She can quote you any hotel you want on the grounds and offer suggestions about where to eat, what to see, etc.  If you'd like her info, IM me and I'll send it to you.

If not, check out www.allears.net.  It is the unofficial Disney sight and gives tons of info including menus and hotel rates.

And just a suggestion:  Universal should have it's Magical World of Harry Potter open by then.  You may want to take a side trip there as it looks to be really interesting!

PS-  We had 5 of us stay at the Polynesian.  They have two double beds and a fouton.  Worked out fine for us.

[sgtdisney]

Ah one of my most favorite subjects!    HAHA.   I have been to Disney more times that I can remember and if you count both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, I would have to guess I have been more than 30 times.   There are a lot of good sites out there for information.   

As lotsofkids mentions, www.allears.net is a very good one.  Lots of great information there.   Another one that can come in very handy is www.mousesavers.com.   Lots of good discounts and if you subscribe to their newsletter, you will get a link to a very honest and trustworthy ticket broker that I have used a number of times, who has some pretty fair discounts.    Finally, if you want to visit a community forum, similar to NewElgin but for Disney fans you can try www.disboards.com.   It is set up similar to New Elgin, in that there are different forums for different Disney Parks (and other) topics and lots of helpful people with some good information.   

 I sent you additional information in a PM.   In the summer it can be hot, but it depends on how well you tolerate the heat.   We have gone numerous times in the Summer and it is hot, but we make it work and I do not like heat, but for me just being at Disney, it'is all good.   Disney offers fastpass for free (so far...) and it is very helpful to use that to keep your wait times down if possible.   Also as Ucancme2 mentions the value resorts sleep 4 and they do not have rollaways.  You can get 6 in a family suite at All Star Music.    You can get 5 in some moderates and many deluxes.   Disney also has it's "home away from home" resorts, which are basically their Disney Vacation Club resorts but those can be pricey.   They are nice thought with full kitchens in the 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units and can sleep anywhere from 4 to 12.   We are Vacation Club members at Old Key West and stay there often.    There are also a lot of good options that are just off property, depending on if you can pass on some of the Disney Resort 'perks', like the dining plan, bus transportation, etc.

[gemini 3]

As always,  I can count on new elgin for anything.  Thanks so much.

G

[prickly pear]

I am by no means a Disney expert, but I feel I have logged enough hours on the internet to share some things.  Here are some helpful websites:  definitely www.allears.net, www.explorethemagic.com, www.plan-a-magical-vacation.com, www.themouseforless.com, www.mousesavers.com, www.wdwmagic.com.

www.wdisney.co.uk has a calendar with "times to go".

We went last spring break, and just booked to go the second week in May.  There are deals right now at the Disney website, offering money back or discounted rates.  We have 5 in our family and find staying at the Port Orleans to fit us fine.  This hotel has 2 double beds, with a trundle bed underneath one.  Not exactly the most comfortable, but for a small child, it is fine.  And, cheaper than the family suite at the All Star Music or the Villas.

Staying on property has its perks...transportation, buying into the meal plan, and magic hours.  That said, we would choose to stay on Disney property for that alone.

Right now too, there is the "Give a day, get a Disney Day" where you volunteer (more information on the Disney website) and in return you get a Disney day.  You have to be 6 to participate, but worth it to get some free tickets for big siblings or parents.  We signed up and not only is it teaching my kids to give back, but they get a great reward in return.  With this, you need to use your free ticket by December 15, 2010, which prompted us to return again this year. 

We learned little tid bits of helpful info too as we went along.  Buy rain ponchos at home (Target sells them in the camping section) as you can usually count on a rain shower during your stay.  They charge $8-9 for a poncho in the parks, $40 for an umbrella), when you can buy one at home for a few bucks.  If you are traveling with a stroller, buy one to cover your stroller with when you go in a exhibit or on a ride.  You can also take small coolers into the parks (dimensions on the website).  We found it easy when traveling with small kids to pack juice boxes and water instead of using our Disney snack points towards that. We loved the quick service dining plan...with small kids, we weren't interested in the sit down places, so this allowed us 2 quick service counter meals, plus 2 snacks a person a day.  Well worth it. 

I have celiac disease - the special diets team at Disney help you plan your meals and can accommodate just about any allergy so you can eat safely in the parks, hotels and in downtown Disney. I cannot say enough good things about that!  At a character breakfast , the chef even made me gluten free mickey waffles!  There is more information on the websites (allears in particular) that list who to contact if you have any food allergies.  Another reason they allow small coolers, in case you need to bring in "safe" food to eat.  They do search through bags, but worth it. 

If you are flying, there are several local grocery stores in the area that deliver groceries to the Disney hotels.  We had water and juice shipped from home( sometimes you can find good deals at shipping water from staples).  You can even buy diapers,etc. if you don't want to carry it on the plane.

I hope that helps! 

[prickly pear]

One more thing, go to youtube and type in the rides, parades, about Disney World. People video rides, parades, character breakfasts.  We went here and spent lots of time showing the little ones the rides so they would know what to expect.  (as it can be dark in many and we didn't want them to get scared).  For ours, last year was the first time they went to Disney World.  It is hard to explain what to expect, so a little glimpse of what is there is always good.

And, on the Disney Website there is a place under plan, where you can create your own keepsake maps. You mark what you want to see, and they will either send them too you (a nice keepsake) or you can print in your home.  Sign up for the free video too to show your kids. 

Also, we had laminated name tags with my husband's cell, my cell, and someone at home's phone number (a hint from the Fodor's book) that we pinned in my boys' shorts each day. Just in case we were to ever get separated, they had this important information on hand.  I was also a bit concerned about the crowds, so I dressed my kids in the same color shirt each day for easy spotting. This avoided us saying, what color was he wearing, etc.  It was easy to know they were all in blue, green , etc.  A bit over the top, but you can never be too safe.

The photo pass....there are people around the parks dressed in khaki vests (altough on Main Street they are in Blue and Red uniforms) who will take your picture. They give you a credit card and each time you want more pictures, you hand the card to a photographer.  They will not come up to you and ask, you have to talk to them. They are not pushy at all.  We got some great family shots, close up of the kids meeting the characters, and even pictures of just me and my husband. When you get home, you go to the website provided and you can add things, make your pictures black and white, etc. and order by print or a CD of all prints.  Well worth it too.

OK, enough said ...I could go on and on...

[sgtdisney]

Gem, I found some more websites that may offer additional help.   

http://www.mouseplanet.com/mp/sitemap.htm
http://www.laughingplace.com/default.asp
http://www.wdwmagic.com/

For those Polynesian Resort fans this site is awsome..  ( I spent my honeymoon here and loved it..) http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/

[Summer :)]

My family was recently there over 4th of July in 2008... We stayed at the Doubletree located in downtown Disney...they are apart of Disney, so you still get the disney ticket prices as well as transportation and early/late hours.  They have a couple of suites with a private bedroom (king size bed), separate living space with pull out double bed couch, and frig, micorwave, and sink, with dining table... we did get a roll away cot as well, and it worked out great... good luck

[CrazyWheaten]

I am getting ready to plan our FIRST trip to Disney and reading this post is giving me a headache... lol  Because of work, I cannot go in the months I really want to go which leaves us taking our son out of Kindergarten in September or October.  Are schools weird about this--even in Kindergarten?  Again, this isn't my first choice, but it's our present to our son for his 5th bday so we'll have to make it work somehow!

[sgtdisney]

CrazyWheaton, honestly, in my opinion taking kids out of school for a week has never been an issue, especially when they are younger and in lower grades.   In fact my daughter's kindergarten teacher told us during our first meeting that we should take her out of school for a vacation if we had one planned, as it was just as beneficial to the student to have family time as it was to be in school.   She qualified her discussion however by saying it wasn't good idea to take middle school and higher grade children out of school, as they have much more homework.   I really liked that teacher.

Some people will have differing opinions, but it really depends on how your child is doing in school, and what you feel is right.   We tend to go to Florida for 2+ weeks when we go since my wife has family there, and we have an older child, so we usually go in summer.   I personally would not hesitate taking a child out of kindergarten for a few days.    Plus in September and early October it is a slow time at Disney so the discounts are MUCH larger and many times they offer the free dining plan with a reservation in their resort.

Don't let this post give you a headache...   HAHA.   There is a LOT of information on the net about Disney, so it is always best to have as much information as you can.   Some people will plan their trips down to the second (literally) with a firm itinerary.   Disney people call it 'going commando'   Others (like me) prefer a laid back plan taking things as they com.   It depends on a lot of things, and your individual vacation style.  With young kids, in my opinion however, flexibility is key.   

[sgtdisney]

Mousesavers.com has a good rate on the Doubletree Suites in Downtown Disney, 99.00 a night including a free continental breakfast for everone in your party this summer.    As  Go Cubs mentions, they do have the bus service and early morning entry/and extra magic hours after park close.   You can't get the dining plan there, but I personally don't think the dining plan is such a good deal anymore (unless Disney is throwing it for free which they usually do in the fall)

[lotsofkids]

CrazyWheaten - We went to Disney in October this past year - hit their incredibly hot heat wave (106 in Magic Kingdom!) but had a blast.  Last year, If you booked your stay by October 2, you got the dining plan for free which is wonderful...  much cheaper than paying for character meals!  Also, if you go towards the end of September, beginning of October, make sure you attend Mickey's No So Scary Halloween Party.  It does cost extra but it is wonderful!  Be warned - the parks are not open too late and they will close early twice a week and once on weekends for MNSSHP (Mickey's party).  We took our kids out of school and they had no problem catching up (4th grade, first grade and kindergarten).  We have our trip planned for this year and again are hitting it in October...however, as stated in my early post, we will be going to Universal to see the new Harry Potter World!  With young kids, I'd suggest bringing your own stroller as the rentals can get pricey. If you bring your own stroller, take a clean diaper, roll it up and put it in a plastic bag.  Then, tie the bag to your stroller.  No one will ever take your stroller with a "poopy" diaper hanging from it.  Also makes the stroller easier to see at the stroller park areas.  Also, with a small child, be prepared to ride Small World 20 times.  It's a great ride, but can get a little boring.  Toy Story Mania 3 is worth the wait.  The fast passes are normally gone by 11 am, but the wait is really not bad-  they said 90 minutes for us and it took 30. I like buying my ponchos at the park, but I also like having Mickey on my poncho!  I could on but I would take 3 pages. Good luck and have fun!

[belster]

Disney expert here!!!! Visit intercot.com

PM me with any questions! I have spreadsheets and tabbed books that I have made with a ton of info in them.

[CrazyWheaten]

Lotsofkids: I will pay you to plan our trip.     Ok, I do feel better about shooting for September/October now.  We have to board our 2 dogs so I don't think a super-long trip is doable.  What length of time would you recommend?  Is there a certain number of days you "have" to go in order to really experience Disney?  I'm thinking 5 days but maybe I'm wrong.

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