NFT: Disney Trip recommendations

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I'd say staying in a Disney resort is the best way to go...but your budget is going to limit your options. Look at AirBnB or other sites for private party rentals for a week or so.

Find out what park passes are going to cost for the time you are there, budget for food, incidentals and what is left is your budget for lodging.

If you can afford them. They will allow you to avoid buses to both Epcot and MGM. They provide boat service. Espn bar is also there. Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin and two others can use the boats. If your at Boardwalk you can actually walk to Epcot and use the side entrance.

It's best for younger kids so that's perfect. The access to the park from the park hotels as great and there are some other perks as well if I remember. On the other hand they aren't the greatest hotels ever. Perfectly nice but they make sure there is nothing there to keep you from going to the park in terms of pools or food.

BTW if you want something for you the Epcot fireworks are great but there are fireworks almost everywhere.

In comment 13654712 AnnapolisMike said:

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I'd say staying in a Disney resort is the best way to go...but your budget is going to limit your options. Look at AirBnB or other sites for private party rentals for a week or so. Find out what park passes are going to cost for the time you are there, budget for food, incidentals and what is left is your budget for lodging.

I am sorry, I meant four grand for just hotel and park admission to all four Parkside, I am not including food, souverneirs, plane tickets, transport in that part of budget.

3 is young for Disney...I think you should wait 3-4 years. Make it an experience they will actually remember.

on the 3 year old. To young.

In comment 13654724 AnnapolisMike said:

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3 is young for Disney...I think you should wait 3-4 years. Make it an experience they will actually remember.

You’re are probably right, but My wife and I discussed this, we will most likely have to go again in 3-4 years for the little one, but my 7 year old really wants to go and I kind of am leaning toward just doing it.

I mean they have value hotels, moderate hotels, and luxury. I definetely don’t need luxury since we won’t be in the room that much.

magic kingdom is probably the park you want to go to the most. Maybe animal kingdom.

Epcot isn't great for little ones in my opinion neither is Hollywood studios IMO - at least not for the price of admission.

So I'd stay at a hotel with easy monorail access to magic kingdom which I think is the Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian.

I stayed at the Grand Floridian (where the kid was eaten by an alligator) and I think that might be out of your price range, so I'd look at the other two.

If you stay at the Epcot hotels you can take the boat or walk to epcot and then take the monorail from epcot to magic kingdom, but with a 3 year old and 7 year old I'd opt for convenience

They have several hotels at differing prices. Luxury, moderate and value. All are nice, but obviously the more you spend on the hotel, the more niceties you will find. All have access to Disney's public transportation which makes getting around the park very easy. My family has stayed primarily at the value resorts because our plan was stay at the parks mostly. The hotel is only for resting and recovery. Why spend big on that when you don't have to?

I would recommend making your restaurant reservations as early as possible. I think they allow you to begin making them 6 months out. The character meals sell out very fast. And since you are with kids, I imagine you will want to go to at least one while you are there. Plan which parks you are going to by the restaurant reservations you make. I would recommend getting Park Hopper. It is very useful for visiting more than one park in one day.

Going in February is an excellent idea. It won't be too hot and the parks won't be too busy.

Take advantage of FastPass. It is a great way to avoid lines and ride as many attractions as possible. Disney World allows you to reserve your FastPasses well in advance. I think it is 3 months prior to your vacation.

I have a few websites you can check out which can be very helpful.

MouseSavers
https://www.mousesavers.com/walt-disney-world-vacation-discounts-and-deals/step-by-step-guide-to-planning-a-disney-world-vacation/

WDW Prep School (great for parents - planning with kids)
http://wdwprepschool.com/how-to-plan-a-trip-to-disney-world/

AllEars.net (amazing overall planner)
http://allears.net/pl/planning.htm

Disney Food blog - reviews and menus
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/disney-world-restaurants-guide/

Forum - DIS Boards
https://www.disboards.com/

However if you want to save money you can pick something like Carribbean Beach Hotel. They are all pretty nice. One other option is to rent a condo on Disney property. People who own them rent them out when they are not there. Try a site like mousesavers.com to get started.

You should be able to do this for $2k-$2.5K, hotel and park passes.

I'd go with Wilderness Lodge if the budget allows. It's not on the monorail line, but you can take a boat over to Magic Kingdom. It's about a 10 minute ride. It's a very kid friendly hotel with good restaurants and a great pool.

There is a lot for the young one to enjoy and have fun. The park is perfect for young and older kids. They are going to have a blast, no matter what.

with better access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. We love Yacht Club, but it's in the higher price range and not as kid oriented as you'd probably want.

But your asking for trouble...Disney days are long days. My kids were 12-10 so my experience was different than yours is going to be. You may just want to kill yourself now and get it over with ;-)

Consider the other parks with bus shuttles or water taxis. We stayed at the Beach Club and took either shuttles or water taxi's to the resorts.

is free transportation and parking. You also get the extra magic hours either before the park opens or late night when it is just open for people staying at a Disney resort. So lines are much shorter and the park is empty. Check in advance to see what days what parks are doing it.

You can save a little money by staying off site a night or 2. Maybe stay off site your first night, then park at your Disney hotel the next morning and get the free transportation. Or if you are going to have a relaxing pool day one day you don't need to stay onsite. Let's you check out more places for next time too. Question being is the hassle of moving worth it? Have fun

have been there 50+ times both on business trips as well as family vacations. I am in the food and beverage side of their business so I can speak to that if you need restaurant advice.

I agree with the others that I would wait maybe 2 years before taking this trip. Your kids will be of the age to enjoy more of the attractions and rides vs what they can enjoy today based upon their ages and the age/height restrictions on some of the rides. They will also remember more of course.

Time of year - consider pulling the kids out of school to take advantage of the seasonality at Disney. Dont go when it is most expensive and when most crowded. Your kids are young. I am sure they will still get into college if they miss a week. Check on the Run Disney schedule and consider going a full week after one of the races. They will be empty. September may be the best month.

Lodging - with kids that young, on property is the best option. Enables you to shuttle back and forth as kids get tired. If you stay off property, consider the residence Inn my marriott. I have rate codes if you need it.

Dining - it may not make sense since your kids are really young, but the Disney dining plan really is a good deal. You can only get it if you say on property though.

It would be a very good idea to rent a stroller. The kid generally will pass out from all the excitement, and you will need a place for him to nap. Just don't forget where he is. Ha!

There are companies that partner with Disney to provide stroller rentals. You pick them up at the hotel, and at the end of the vacation, they pick them up from the front desk. Very convenient. Not to mention, it can carry stuff you need in the park for the kids like snacks, ponchos, and water. Really helpful.

In comment 13654730 Essex said:

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In comment 13654724 AnnapolisMike said: Quote: 3 is young for Disney...I think you should wait 3-4 years. Make it an experience they will actually remember. You’re are probably right, but My wife and I discussed this, we will most likely have to go again in 3-4 years for the little one, but my 7 year old really wants to go and I kind of am leaning toward just doing it. I mean they have value hotels, moderate hotels, and luxury. I definetely don’t need luxury since we won’t be in the room that much.

The best part of staying at a resort is it is easier to take breaks, go back to your hotel's pool area, and still make it back to a park for the evening. This is especially good for the little one. Disney parks can be a bit much for a 3yo to do all in one day. He/she can be wiped out or cranky by 3pm if you don't break the day up.

And if you are staying out of the park, you can waste 2-3 hours just going to your car, leaving the resort area back to your hotel, heading back in later and parking/taking a shuttle back to the park.

go to your local dollar store and stock up on glow sticks. Cheap glow sticks are a fun toy for the kids at night, and you won't have to spend outrageous prices for Disney light-up toys.

Get to the parks at the openings, rope drop. The parks are generally not crowded, it isn't hot, and if you time it right, you can go back to the hotel after lunch to nap, rest and recharge. Then you go back to the park in time for dinner and the fireworks. My 3 year old fell asleep in the stroller after the fireworks as we walked back to the buses. Perfect timing.

and now have been going with my kids. Regardless of what others have said here, your kids are NOT too young to go. You just need to plan your trip accordingly to maximize their enjoyment.

Plan on spending 2 full days at Magic Kingdom. This park has the most attractions for young kids, and if you want to hit them all you'll need 2 full days. Book your fastpasses early for the most popular kids rides/attractions. That way you can guarantee you'll get on them without wasting time in lines.

Plan on spending 1 full day at Animal Kingdom. It's the 2nd best park there for kids. Plenty to do for kids, especially if they love animals. They even have a scavenger hunt type of game you can play thats very educating but fun as well.

Epcot and Hollywood Studios are both half day parks for kids. Hollywood Studios is basically half under construction right now. Honestly, its not worth the price of admission until Toy Story Land opens next summer, and Star Wars Land opens in 2019. Epcot is worthwhile for a few attractions for kids currently (Frozen Ever After, Journey into Imagination) but its more of an educational park with attractions that appeal to adults more. The other half of Epcot is the World Showcase, which is great for adults.

As far as where to stay, I'm always recommending staying on Disney property so you can take in the entire Disney experience. Plus, you can use their transportation to get back to your resort (monorail, boat, busses). With kids your age, you are probably going to want to come back to the resort for naps or rest time during the day, so staying at one of the 3 monorail resorts would be easiest to get to and from the parks. Keep in mind, they are the most expensive. A little cheaper alternative (but just a nice) is the Wilderness Lodge. You would take the ferry to and from Magic Kingdom from there. If your kids love animals, then you should definitely think about Animal Kingdom Lodge. They'll get to see animals up close and personal every time you are back at the hotel.

The value and moderate resorts will save you money, but will also be a lot less space and will take a little more effort to get to and from the parks (those resorts are more crowded). When your kids are older, those will be fine since you won't be spending a lot of time there anyway. If you do opt for those, Port Orleans(right next to Disney Springs) at the moderate level and Pop Century/Art of Animation are the better options.

Hope this helps!

Really thoughtful and nice recommendations.

I took my 2.5 year old to Disney a couple years back, and was very nervous that it was going to be a disaster, but since grandparents were paying we decided to give it a go. It was phenomenal. He knew Disney characters going in (from books/movies/shows), which definitely helped, but he loved it (rides, shows, and the overall environment). Now he is 5, and still has very vivid memories of the trip and how much fun he had. In order for it to be a success though, I would definitely stay at a park resort, as you want easy access to the park, especially if there is a day or two where someone has to come back to allow for a child to nap. We stayed at Art of Animation, which is one of the cheaper hotels, and have zero regrets.

which will be important for young kids. For example, you can go to Epcot for 1/2 day, which may be all they will want, and then head back to the hotel for some time in the pool.

You get your own house, there's daily food delivery, transportation to all the parks, the BBQ with characters, two pools for smaller kids.


Fort Wilderness Cabins and Campsites - ( New Window )

can you get the park hopper and meal deal separately? united vacations provides the park hopper but not the meal plan.

thoughts?

Definitely stay on property. There are just so many perks to not do it. I've done both. My mom owns a condo in Orlando which is the only reason we stayed off property one year. And for the great cost of free, it still wasn't worth it.

I agree with the above posts on the Epcot hotels. Very convenient to everything.

Oh and your kids aren't too young. Especially the time of year you're going. It wont be hot and they wont be burned out and miserable from the heat.

I bought the The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger. Best thing I ever did. So much information and advise on when to go and what rides to ride when. Even what shows to see at what times. I planned all three of our days ahead of time and we maxed out our fun. We didn't stand in too many lines for long thanks to doing fast passes and timing rides.

Was well worth the money for me.

or beginning of December to avoid lines is a smart move. Do not go during any holiday or 3 day weekends. It is a lot more fun when the lines are shorter.

im trying to plan an easter one but staying near the magic kingdom is close to 8k...

im not sure where to stay anymore

You can probably score 15% - 25% on Swan or Dolphin through Ebates combined with Expedia or Orbitz.

Also my littlest took his first steps at Hollywood Studios years ago. 3 is fine so long as you plan correctly.

If you get upgraded to the concierge floor, you barely need the meal plan because there's free food (and beer) in the lounge.

2nd favorite is Contemporary. Gets a little noisy if you're on the Chef Mickey's end, but the views of the fireworks is awesome if you stay on the bay side.

was the week before Mother's day (mid May).

Early December is a bad idea. Crowds flock there for all the Christmas lights/shows.

With kids that young, you may want to go Contemporary Resort. Closest to Magic Kingdom, has a very nice pool area and trust me, You will want a midday nap.

it was very easy to stay at a Disney resort for me. We went to the MK 3 out of 4 days and stayed at the contemporary. Although one of the more expensive ones, it was so easy to walk to the MK. By staying at a Disney place we didn't have to rent a car.

Use Disney magic express. They shuttle you to and from the airport and they also bring your checked bags from the airport to your room and from your hotel back to the airport. You can also check in and get your boarding passes at the hotel. Very helpful thing. I believe at the hotel they offer this check in service only until 12 noon.

You will be clise to the 4k for 5 days, especially with the price of park tickets. That will be 2k alone I think.

old key west... any good?

In comment 13654916 Chip said:

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or beginning of December to avoid lines is a smart move. Do not go during any holiday or 3 day weekends. It is a lot more fun when the lines are shorter.

Yep. We are going this year December 7-14. Riverside Port Orleans.

We are doing the meal plan and park hopper. My 5 year old is psyched

In comment 13655356 GMAN4LIFE said:

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old key west... any good?

Old Key West is a nice place, more like a condo if I remember. It has transportation to the parks via the Disney Bus which is fine. The only thing is some hotels are close enough to one park to walk, if you care (for example The Boardwalk to Epcot or Contemporary to MK). By the way, I think they were doing some construction on this property. You may want to ask about that.

You will need one!

went to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. Man, it’s fun but $$$$$$$

In comment 13654776 MadPlaid said:

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Get to the parks at the openings, rope drop. The parks are generally not crowded, it isn't hot, and if you time it right, you can go back to the hotel after lunch to nap, rest and recharge. Then you go back to the park in time for dinner and the fireworks. My 3 year old fell asleep in the stroller after the fireworks as we walked back to the buses. Perfect timing.

This. 100% this.

You cannot drag little kids around the park all day. By the second day there will be a complete meltdown. Take a midaday siesta for nap/pool/recharge depending on age.

Heck, you'll burn adults out trying to do consecutive 10-12 hour days at the parks.

(And kudos to the posters stating that 3 is too young...while conveniently forgetting that you have a 7 year old. Typical unhelpful BBI response.)
I've been there with 2&4 year olds...and then 4&6 year olds. You'll be fine.

The wait times at the parks are completely screwed up because of the FastPass system. Disney issues too many FastPasses, so the standby lines are horrifically inflated. Do your three FastPasses during the day, nap in the afternoon and then go back to the park at night and try to get additional FastPasses. The standby lines are a lot shorter 1-2 hours before park closing.

The park admission price drops significantly after the 5th day.
If you can only do 5 days, then stay at a Disney resort. With two kids, it doesn't make sense to stay off campus.
Stay anywhere except the value resorts. Don't stay at Fort Wilderness.
If you can afford it, stay at a monorail resort...the transportation is a bit easier on the monorail.

If you can do 7+ days, then stay off campus for a much cheaper rate and only go to the park once per day and take it easy.

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In comment 13654757 AnnapolisMike said:

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But your asking for trouble...Disney days are long days. My kids were 12-10 so my experience was different than yours is going to be. You may just want to kill yourself now and get it over with ;-) Consider the other parks with bus shuttles or water taxis. We stayed at the Beach Club and took either shuttles or water taxi's to the resorts.

Mike, you don't have to stay all day. We would come back after lunch, take a nap and go to another park in the afternoon. Strollers solve tiredness issues, also.

Love Fort Wilderness - cookout grill, laid back your own private space with a kitchen...

In comment 13656252 GMAN4LIFE said:

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Boring. Least favorite of the moderate priced places. Food was good.

DO NOt go to All Star Sports or the other low end places, Rooms are tiny and it just sucks....

In comment 13656266 section125 said:

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In comment 13656252 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: . Boring. Least favorite of the moderate priced places. Food was good. DO NOt go to All Star Sports or the other low end places, Rooms are tiny and it just sucks....

so my 5 year old and 7 year old wont like this place?

In comment 13656275 GMAN4LIFE said:

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In comment 13656266 section125 said: Quote: In comment 13656252 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: . Boring. Least favorite of the moderate priced places. Food was good. DO NOt go to All Star Sports or the other low end places, Rooms are tiny and it just sucks.... so my 5 year old and 7 year old wont like this place?

Kids don't care where the sleep. I live in FLA and stayed there a couple times. To me it is just boring. But the eating area is big and IIRC they have 3 or 4 places to eat.
If you get a good price, it will not be a bad experience. I'm very partial to Fort Wilderness.

will be good. For a moderate resort I prefer The Caribbean Beach hotel. For more of an upscale hotel I like The Boardwalk.

In comment 13654724 AnnapolisMike said:

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3 is young for Disney...I think you should wait 3-4 years. Make it an experience they will actually remember.

I waited till my youngest was 7, was a great experience.

Disney is great, but they hide the need to do this up front (for some reason). You'll regret it if you don't do this right away. Once you're there, it's impossible to get in anywhere without a reservation.