<p>You guys are SO wonderful!!!</p>
<p>Look for Disney packages, stay on Disney grounds, go with the meal plans. If its your first trip, forget Universal this trip, plenty to do on the grounds. You can get airport transportation included no charge if you go with a Disney package. They have budget resorts all the way to upscale, according to your budget. On the grounds and with a meal plan, you don’t need a kitchen or a condo/house, just a refridgerator in the room. Your teens can roam disney property, pool hop, etc,. If they are bored with one park they can go to another,. They can get up early or late. You can go separately and meet up for meals, etc. So many options. But for only 4-5 days in summer, look for the packages to stay on Dishey grounds. It is its own city,</p>
<p>abasket: if any of you has a birthday during the time you’re thinking about taking the trip, sign up for free birthday admission day (or whatever they call it). Just note you have to go in ON the actual birth date, and proof is required (driver’s license). Considering just getting in the door will cost about $65 per person, that’s a savings right there (note, this freebie is ONLY for the birthday person, age doesn’t matter). Sign up here: [Walt</a> Disney World Resort](<a href=“http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index]Walt”>http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index)</p>
<p>If you go to Animal Kingdom, go early, get there half an hour before stated opening time (actually that’s a good idea for any of the Parks). The animals are more active 1st thing and the lines are shorter. AK is the smallest of the DisneyWorld Parks and the streets are much narrower than any of the others, so even a few thousands fill it up fast. There are relatively few restaurants in AK as well so avoid ‘classic’ mealtimes like 12 noon. We usually go at opening and leave by 12 to eat elsewhere. </p>
<p>EVEREST is a must! State of the Art Roller Coaster! </p>
<p>We are Disney Vacation Club members and go at least every 2 years if not more. I’m going again in May to the Epcot Flower/Garden show, something I’ve always managed to miss somehow. </p>
<p>If you stay on Disney property, you can make Priority Seating arrangements from your hotel phone…all though if it’s a busy time of year, you can also make them in advance. </p>
<p>Expedia books the Disney Properties but if you go to [Disney.com</a> | Travel & Vacations | Family Vacation Getaway | Home](<a href=“http://home.disney.go.com/parks/]Disney.com”>http://home.disney.go.com/parks/) you can see what’s available. If you make your reservations through Disney, you must ask very specific questions about deals and specials because they do not volunteer that information. They are very nice, but they do not volunteer anything. </p>
<p>We love to stay on-site, though we have not always done so, because the details are fabulous. That being said we once stayed at a townhome with 3 bedrooms for about the same price, though you do need a car for that option. Check some of the British sites…the British love to come to DWorld but they stay for weeks and weeks and bring the whole family. You can sometimes find better deals through them than through American sites.</p>
<p>We have found that about 1/3 of the time, the park opens before the stated opening time. That is, if they say the park will open at 9, they let you in the gates at say 8:30 - occasionally as much as an hour early. So definitely get there early…</p>
<p>abasket</p>
<p>To answer your question, it has been so long now, I can’t remember a lot of specifics. I do know that most of our savings were on lodging and food. We have a family of five, so it is hard to do on property lodging reasonably for a family over 4 members. We stayed very close at a Radisson. Through Mousesavers, we received a 2 rooms for the price of 1 deal. It was great to have 2 bathrooms. The park transportation was very good. We also had a refrigerator and went to a local grocery store for snacks, cases of water, etc. We minimized the eating in the parks as much as possible. Our kids were old enough to be okay with no character breakfast. We had one nice dinner in Epcot and the Fantasmic/meal package at MGM that was recommended by Mousesavers. We had to eat very early to make it work, but we just snacked for lunch and were all ready for dinner early. I think we saved a little on the park tickets as well with a Mousesavers suggestion, but I can’t remember what it was. </p>
<p>I agree with getting up early and to the parks for the opening to maximize what you are able to do each day. Each night we planned the next days itinerary: what order we were going to see and do each thing in the parks. We followed sample itineraries from one of the Disney books out there, again, I can’t remember which one. Since we weren’t staying on property, we planned which park we were going to each day based on the early admission for Disney property visitors. Whichever park had early admission, we did not go on that day to avoid crowds already there.</p>
<p>We are leaving for Disney in 9 days (Yeah!!) on a long-delayed HS graduation present for DD (who is now a 2nd semester sophomore). We last went in 2000, and always promised her that we would go back at least 1X as a family. It is just the three of us - DH, me and DD. We are staying on-site at Port Orleans Riverside (which we stayed at years ago when it was Dixie Landings). With 5 people in your party, I think most of the Disney properties will be too small - you may have to get 2 rooms. I think one of the All-Star resorts have some Family Suites, but I hear they are expensive.</p>
<p>We will be doing the Disney Dining Plan (one table service, one counter service, and one snack per day per person). This sounds like more than enough food. We usually only eat 2 meals a day when we are on vacation, so this should be fine. Being very busy (or semi-lazy), I decided to go back to our AAA travel agent and had her do all the arrangements. With the flights included, it is about $800 pp for 5 days/4 nights. Unfortunately, we were not able to take advantage of the buy 4 nights, get 3 free because of work/school. Otherwise, that would have been a fantastic deal. I think it is still available to book through 1/24, but not sure of when the dates end for the promotion. We have always gone to Disney during April school vacation, so it will be different being there in January. It is kind of hard to pack - even looking at extended forecasts it seems we will still need some warm clothes along with some summer clothes (I am hoping for the latter, of course!).</p>
<p>To save $$, we decided not to rent a car and will rely solely on Disney transportation - Magical Express to and from the airport, and Disney buses while there. I’ll be more than happy to answer any other questions you may have - feel free to PM me either now or after we return on the 27th.</p>
<p>allie’smom, have a great time! Yes, the food plan that you are on is definitely more than enough! I have been there Christmas week and the first few days of January and it can be very cold, as in a hat and gloves are needed along with a winter coat!</p>
<p>One way to do Disney on the cheap is through a timeshare as a potential buyer. Marriott has a nice one but closer to Sea World. My mantra: Just say no…</p>
<p>northeastmom: I have already got the scarf/hat combo ready to pack for DD and I. Our clothes are just about ready to put into the suitcases, with the exception of a few things that we will be wearing over this coming week. DH, on the other hand, has NOTHING ready, despite my repeated pleas that he decide what he wants to bring and I will wash/iron/fold/pack for him (yes, I am one of those “wackos” that irons everything before putting it into a suitcase). He is just so-so about Disney, but I can see some glimmers of excitement when we talk about the trip. I am sure that he will have a great time once we get there - LOL!</p>
<p>Been there twice and this site was a lifesaver…[Deb’s</a> Unofficial Walt Disney World Vacation Information Guide - WDW Planning Guide - Walt Disney World](<a href=“AllEars.Net - The Unofficial Disney Vacation Planning Guide - Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line”>AllEars.Net - The Unofficial Disney Vacation Planning Guide - Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line)<br>
I spent so much time looking up things to do and what to avoid. They have the menus for all restaurants and you can plan ahead and make reservations.</p>
<p>Both times we stayed on site to take advantage of entering the parks early, stay late. We didn’t have a meal plan but did stop at Walmart and bought a $5 toaster and had bagels for breakfast before heading out. (We aren’t much for breakfast). We also brought our soda/coffee mugs along from the first trip for the unlimited drinks.</p>
<p>Both times we stayed at All Star Sports since it’s relatively inexpensive and really, how much time do you spend in your room?? We don’t…but maybe you do.</p>
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<p>They change the color and design of them constantly, and last time we were there they had put out a sign letting you know that they are for length of stay only. So, you might feel strange still doing that.</p>
<p>$5 toaster is great idea. We bought a big box of cereal and if we did not have a fridge in the room we bought a styrofoam cooler for some juice and fruit.</p>
<p>Because of my dh has serious allergies, he must be very careful what he eats. The minute he’d mention this in <em>any</em> of the sit-down places, the server would summon the chef from the depths of the kitchen to discuss any and all modifications to the menu. We never met so many chefs before in our lives. The whole experience was extremely pleasant and my dh had no ‘episodes’.</p>
<p>I just went to D-World on Christmas so I don’t know what advice to give.</p>
<p>First, I’m pretty surprised nobody has mentioned this yet, but do take advantage of the fastpass for certain rides. I think you get one every one to two horus or something. The next suggestion might be to take advantage of the single rider’s entrance for certain rides if you don’t mind getting separated for the rides.</p>
<p>I guess here are my suggestions for fastpasses for each of the parks:
Epcot: either Test Track, Mission Space
MGM (Hollywood Studios): Rockin Roller coaster, Toy Story Mania
Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest
Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan</p>
<p>As far as other people are telling you about entering the park early, it’s basically they let people get “inside” the park but don’t officially let you go on any of the rides until opening time. My guess is that the gates don’t get as crowded when it hits opening time or whatnot.</p>
<p>I just wanted to add that we’ve only gone once or twice but between Mouse Savers, Deb’s Unofficial, and the book “The Unofficial Guide” we were able to keep it inexpensive and avoid long lines. Fastpasses are great. Unless you are staying on a monorail hotel (which is expensive), I strongly recommend a rental car.</p>
<p>(Laxmom, I absolutely love the “buy a $5 toaster at Walmart” idea. My mom would love it too. On any trip, she and I both really like to have coffee and some sort of danish at the hotel before venturing out.)</p>
<p>Definitely stay inside. We live 3 hrs away and have visited hundreds of times since the park opened in 1971. I have stayed inside and out and at each and every hotel on the grounds, including a tent on the campgrounds. Nothing beats staying inside. </p>
<p>The value resorts will run "officially"around $115 but ask when you book if there are any specials going on. I have paid as little as $69 a night. Also, AAA may get you a little bit of a discount on the room, although Disney’s specials are usually better (when they have them). If you need more than one room you may want to check the cabins at Camp Wilderness Resort. Depending on how busy the parks are, you can get some great deals and they are very comfortable and peaceful. If they are busy, the cabins will be pricey. However, Disney is suffering from the economic slump and better hotel rates have been available lately BUT YOU NEED TO ASK.</p>
<p>By staying inside you will get a break on the admission tickets and will be able to visit the parks at special hours in the morning before everyone else comes in and after hours when everyone else has left depending on the dates that you choose to visit. The poster who says that you cannot do the rides during the early hours is incorrect. If you are a resort guest you can get on the rides. Your hotel key is your admission clearance for the rides. A different park opens early each day for rides for Disney resort guests. Perhaps the poster was not staying inside. The beauty of early admission and late hours is that you can ride the popular rides without having to wait in huge lines. </p>
<p>Another benefit of staying inside is that you will not need to carry anything other than your room key. If you add charging privileges, the room key is accepted througout the park for everything. Anything that you buy will be sent to your room so you do not have to drag things around.</p>
<p>You do not need a travel agent. Save the fee. Go to Disney’s own site and play around with dates, resorts, packages, etc: disneyworld.disney.go.com - - You will see that it is probably worth it to stay inside. But when you book, call and do it with a live person so that you can ask about special rates which may not show on the website. </p>
<p>Bear in mind that it is extremely difficult and time consuming to leave the park to rest if you are not staying on the grounds, specially during the summer months when the parks gets crowded. So you may find yourself opting not to leave the park and will feel exhausted. That is where staying inside pays off. Add the water parks options. It is a great way to spend the hot afternoon. Relax and cool off in the parks or by your hotel pool. You can also use pools at other Disney hotels and you will have access to transportation to all the parks and “Downtown Disney” where you can shop, eat, dance, go to movies or just people watch if you get tired of the parks. - - If you stay inside, you will not need a car at all. Disney has great free transportation from the airport and runs their local buses constantly throughout the resorts</p>
<p>Check the dates for “grad night” and avoid coming then. On those nights Fla hs seniors descend on the Magic Kingdom and the park stays open all night just for them but many kids come extra days and the parks get overrun by hs kids. Also, look at Disney’s calendars so that you can plan to come when they have extended hours. </p>
<p>All of the Disney parks have rides and shows so you will easily spend all of the time that you have alloted and not have time to go other attractions outside the Disney grounds. If you do decide to squeeze Universal, go to Islands of Adventures which has a number of rides and roller coasters. The “regular” Universal park is very similar to MGM so no sense in duplicating the experience. </p>
<p>If you have questions, PM me. I can walk those parks with my eyes closed. For a number of years we had annual passes and I took my kids just about every other month. Last summer before my daughter went off to college, my son who was finishing grad school flew down and the three of us did a Disney trip for old times sake. (My husband hates Disney, so we left him at home so we would not have to hear him complain.) When I made the reservation it blew me away, the Disney agent knew how long it had been since we had visited and the guy said, “I see that you have stayed with us over 300 times at all of our resorts.” It was scary that they keep such records but it is truly a magical vacation place. I am sure that your whole family will enjoy it.</p>
<p>What great tips! We don’t plan on going to Disneyworld this year but it’s a possibility for next year. We’ve been a few times but our youngest, now 15, would like to go back. I’ve started a word document with the link for this thread (I have trouble searching for past threads too) and the sites mentioned too. </p>
<p>I used the unofficial guide to Disney last time we went and it was very helpful. </p>
<p>I don’t know if this is still possible, but one of the tips that we used was to ask for the seats next to the conductor on the monorail. For some reason, there is room up there.
From Wikipedia: </p>
<p>Riding Tips
When entering the station, riders may ask a cast member (employee) if there is room to ride up front with the pilot. Such inquiries may be directed to another cast member who may ask the monorail pilot if there is room.</p>
<p>There is seating room for four individuals. In the case of the Resort train, riders in the front may not be leaving at the next station; for the other monorail lines, those riding in front must disembark at the next station. Monorail pilots may give out souvenir co-pilot licenses to guests riding in front with them.</p>
<p>Our favorite restaurant was the Cape May Cafe.</p>
<p>Florida resident here - we are expecting very cold (for us) weather starting this Thursday. Weather people are doing the “cover the plants and bring in the pets” announcements. Please check the temps for the time you will be in Orlando. It may be more jackets than shorts weather.</p>
<p>Definitely check out Universal. We’re here at the Hard Rock Hotel right now (typing this from the lobby-waiting for son to wake up.LOL). It’s great! A five minute walk to the Park via connecting paved trail. For some strange reason, when we checked in on Saturday the hotel gave us a free upgrade to their Club level—has a lounge with free breakfast, free snacks (afternoon), free beer and wine (evening), and free desserts from 8:30pm-9:30pm) and priority seating at the restaurants. We also have to use our room key in the elevator to get it to stop on the Club Level. Only those staying on the Club Level (7th floor) have access to the floor. I must say that we do feel like we’re being treated like Rock Stars. We took advantage of the Stay 4 nights and get 2 free passes to the Universal Parks deal. For old times sake, we took a ride to Epcot yesterday and the 18 year old realized that he’s totally outgrown Disney. </p>
<p>If at all possible, try to stay at one of the hotels in the parks. It’s so much easier to go back and forth and your room key (at least here at Universal) acts as your Express line ticket at the parks. You get to bypass the long lines. </p>
<p>We booked through Southwest Airlines website–“vacations tab”. So far, everything has gone smoothly plus the surprise of the free upgrade when we checked into the hotel. </p>
<p>It’s unexpectedly cool in Orlando right now. It’s sweatshirt weather but still much better than what we’ll experience when we get back to New York tomorrow.</p>
<p>Son just walked into the lounge. Time to sign off and enjoy our last day. Bye.</p>
<p>We just got back from Disney a couple of days ago. We stayed at Disney’s Coronado Springs - a beautiful resort. We did the 4-3 deal, which until March also gives you a $200 gift card. One major advantage to staying on site is the transportation. I did some calculations and realized that any savings I would gain from staying off-site nearby would be lost by needing to rent a car and pay for parking at Disney ($12/day). While nearby hotels do have shuttles to Disney, I’ve never found them to be efficient. Last week, we never had to wait for more than 10 minutes for a bus, either between parks or from the hotel to the park and back.</p>
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This is an extremely dangerous idea. Once a normal ticket is used, it is valid only for the next 14 days. Additionally, Disney takes a finger scan that is attached to the ticket and is often not usable if the scan doesn’t match. Finally, there’s no way to tell if there are still days left on the ticket - you need to trust the sellers. This is the easiest way on e-Bay to get scammed.</p>
<p>We’ve also stayed at the Value resorts (All-Stars and Pop Century). They’re more “motel-like” and they do scream “Disney.”</p>
<p>We didn’t do the meal plan. Our budget wasn’t as tight, and I often prefer appetizers to desserts, or two appetizers without an entree. We spent a few bucks more than the meal plan would have cost us, and shared some entrees/appetizers (which we wanted to do - we didn’t do it to save money), and enjoyed ourselves immensely. If the meal plans really fit the way you eat, they can be fine. Just remember that Disney’s not giving anything for free - they expect to be making money.</p>
<p>When you make your reservation, you’ll have two choices - room only, buying tickets elsewhere and no dining plan allowed, or a package, with at least a one-day ticket (but you can buy more) and a meal plan. If you book a room-only you pay one day’s room as a deposit, can cancel with no penalty within 5 days of arrival, and pay the rest when you check in. If you book a package, you give a $200 deposit and pay the balance in full within 45 days of arrival, with varying penalties if you cancel after that.</p>
<p>I also can’t recommend [The</a> DIS Discussion Forums - DISboards.com - Powered by vBulletin](<a href=“http://www.disboards.com%5DThe”>http://www.disboards.com) more highly - it’s like the College Confidential for Disney goers. And I get the Mousesavers newsletter. There’s a link there to get discount tickets at a real Disney ticket broker. The discount isn’t much, but every little bit helps!</p>
<p>PM me if you have any questions. I could write a book about it, but others already have!</p>