We have begun researching a holiday trip (!2/28) to WDW and would like some suggestions from board members on a few items.

We are planning two days in two parks (Animal & Magic Kingdom). We understand there is No 2 day hopper pass and will probably have to get a 3 day hopper pass. I was wondering if these passes are transferrable as I have looked into buying one on ebay from a highly rated seller. Is this a good way to get a WDW Hopper pass? Does Disney require an ID to match up to a Hopper pass?

Also we would like to read some comments on which rides in the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom to use the "fast pass" on. We understand certain rides have huge lines and 12/28 is right in the heart of the busy holiday season for disney.

Additionally, can someone post some information regarding the best restaraunts to eat at, Which Preferred Seating we should try and get for a 3 year old and at which locations (chef Mickey, Cinderella Seating, etc). Furthermore which of the park restaraunts in the Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom seems to have the best food.

Many Thanks in advance :) :) :)

Welcome to flyertalk...

While I could start answering your questions, it would serve you far far better to go to a disney specific website and do your research there. You have many options to chose from and you will be able to make a far better decision using specific sites rather than FT. A search of this site may also offer you some very high level info.

I can offer:

www.wdwinfo.com
and
www.wdwig.com
and
www.mousesavers.com

You have selected the single busiest week of the entire year, and fastpass, or not, you will be waiting on long lines. You can also just about forget any of the Princess breakfasts... they're already sold out for your dates.

Sorry to be negative, but sometimes going to WDW can overwhelming, and the sites I've listed above will help you better get a picture of what to expect and what to have planned in advance to make the most of your trip.

Mary

Mary gives some excellent advice. The only thing I would disagree on is that even though it is the busiest week of the year, FastPass will really cut down on your line-waiting time. Use it every place it's offered! Now for your questions...

According to Disney, park passes are nontransferrable. They do not check ID except on annual passes, but going the eBay route is taking a risk. The passes you buy could be legitimate and work fine, or they could be stolen or bogus, leaving you stuck. My personal recommendation would be to buy real Disney passes when you get there (and I think 4-day is the shortest length of park-hoppers). The passes NEVER expire, meaning you can keep them indefinitely and use them on a future visit.

As for food, you've picked the two parks with the least choices for decent dining. A lot depends on what you're looking for: buffets or sit-down, inexpensive or one-of-a-kind, etc. Take a break from the parks to have a meal at a nearby resort can often be a great decision for many reasons. But if you're dead-set on eating in the parks then I would recommend the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom and either the Tusker House or the Flame Tree Barbecue in the Animal Kingdom. The only sit-down place at the Animal Kingdom is the Rainforest Cafe, which your 3 year-old may love but which I've always found overpriced and under-qualitied. Provide some guidance on what you're specifically looking for and I can give more detailed recommendations.

The passes you buy could be legitimate and work fine, or they could be stolen or bogus, leaving you stuck.

Right. And even if you were buying them from someone face-to-face, there's no way of telling by looking at them that they've been used or if they have any remaining days on them at all. You wouldn't know if you've been had or not until you got to the gate.

[QUOTE=DJ_Iceman]Mary gives some excellent advice. The only thing I would disagree on is that even though it is the busiest week of the year, FastPass will really cut down on your line-waiting time. Use it every place it's offered!

THANK YOU....We have changed our plans based on everyones comments and are going to stay on Disney, eat at one of the resorts and we did get a Reserved Seating dinner this late. Yes we know it will be busy but it is the Christmas Holidays. I cannot think of a more lovely time to see disney, crowds or not.

We will hopefully get to go in early at least one day now that we have adjusted our schedule and get in at least some popular rides. Any suggestions on which are always most the most busy and to use our fast pass at first while we go ride something else?

You're right that Christmas is perhaps the best time to see Disney, but I'd recommend the BEGINNING of December, not the end! ;)

Anyway, which resort did you choose? That will help with restaurant recommendations.

As for popular attractions, you can pretty much count on the fact that if Disney bothered to FastPass it, it's popular. At the Magic Kingdom, you'll want to get them for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. At the Animal Kingdom, get them for the Kilimanjaro Safari, Dinosaur, and the Kali River Rapids. I might even be forgetting a couple--just grab a FastPass when you see an attraction that offers it that has a long stand-by line, and then take some time doing something else.

And you should know that if you fastpass a ride, you cannot get another fastpass until after the first ride -- meaning plan carefully. At busy times, I have seen fast pass 4+ hours or more later.

Also, utilize the single rider line whenever possible -- it usually moves pretty quickly. If it's two adults and a three-year old, you will have to do the baby switch anyway, since the child will not be allowed on some of the rides.

Another suggestion is to get to the big-crowd rides during parade times, especially in the Magic Kingdom. Most people know this trick, but it is usually a little faster at those times.

Check for an e-ticket night while you are there -- these are special nights offered to Disney resort guests -- for usually $10, you can stay in the park a few hours later -- only the big-crowd rides are usually running. You could check with your hotel before you arrive, and plan accordingly -- take the 3-year-old back for a nap in the afternoon when lines are longest and stay later in the park.

Have a great time -- Christmas at Disney is beautiful.

All good suggestions. We took our (then) 2 1/2 yr. old (now 5+) daughter to WDW 3 years ago over new years. wdwinfo.com proved invaluable . Our daughter really liked Animal Kingdom. They close earlier than the other parks though and there is plenty to do there so get an early start that day.

The parks will be super busy during your visit so I suggest you get there as early as possible. If you are staying on Disney property, find out ahead of time which day the Magic Kingdom opens early for you. (It used to be Mon, Thurs and Sat but please check for current info.)

Plan to GET to the park well before the scheduled opening. When it's crowded the gates may open sooner. Walk straight through Main Street, to the back of the Castle (I won't say through the Castle as it is sometimes closed off early in the morning.) Resist any temptation to take more than one picture of your family with the castle in the background right now ;) and don't look in any shops.

Behind the castle you will find Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh ride, Peter Pan and Snow White. I would do them in that order. The Carousel is there as well, if that interests your child. Dumbo is invariably the longest line and, as of July of this year, did not offer FastPass. Both Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan offer FastPass so only get those if you want a second ride.

If Mickey's PhilharMagic interests you, head there next. It's a cute show but will take time and when you come out, ride waits will be longer.

Now, if the park is still somewhat tame, head to the Teacup ride. Usually not a long wait here in the mornings. From here, you have a decision to make. Do you want to head to Mickey's ToonTown? If so, check if your child is too small for the barnstormer (I think 3 is too small.) ToonTown may excite a 3 year old and may not.

Obviously, the child is too small for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, so my advice would be to head towards Frontierland. Only you know if your child will tolerate the Haunted Mansion well. It's dark and can be intense if you are 3, so I'd bypass that and go right to Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride (much like Dumbo but shorter lines). Then head to Pirates of the Caribbean. If you've done the Park early and in the order I've outlined, this will probably be your first place to encounter a real wait.

The one ride that your 3 year old will probably love and hasn't been covered is the Buzz Lightyear ride. It's near Space Mountain and does have FastPass so you may want to split, send you or your spouse with the 3 admission passes to get a Buzz FastPass while you head to another ride line.

The new Stitch's Great Escape ride just opened but I am not sure of the intensity so check before you travel to see if it's appropriate for a 3 year old. It is near Buzz Lightyear.

For meals, if your child likes the Winnie the Pooh characters, make breakfast (optimally, if not, get dinner) reservations at the Crystal Palace for the day you plan to do the Magic Kingdom. Best character meal in the Park (well, Cinderella's Castle is great but you are too late to reserve that.) I usually reserve for the latest breakfast (1030a?), that way you can knock out a bunch of rides before eating. If your child can do without Winnie the Pooh, pass on character dining while in the Magic Kingdom and concentrate on rides.

On days when you don't go to the Park, you can eat with the characters at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. Make a reservation (we like dinner, as they have Prime Rib and a kids buffet). You can also get character dining at the Polynesian (Minnie's breakfast in O'Hana was nice) as well as fun breakfast dining (non-character) at Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge.

A pointer.....our kids always love Downtown Disney. There is no admission fee (though admittedly parking stinks). If you have a "down" day with no parks planned, head there early (10a)....it's empty. There is a great Legoland Store with tons of outdoor interactive areas and your child will be entertained for hours. There are also several large Disney souvenir shops to browse through, as well as a McDonalds, Ghirardelli and Rainforest Cafe amongst others, to catch a bite to eat.

As fasr as the Animal Kingdom, again, arrive early. Plan well and go straight to what you really want to see first (safari?). The lines at the Animal Kingdom get long fast so you'll want to work at a good pace. Your child might enjoy down time at the Boneyard play area. The AK is usually not an all day thing, so if you have the park hopper pass you can use it to spend the evening at another park, possibly watch the fireworks at Epcot or Fantasmic at MGM.

Have a great time....remember to get to the parks EARLY!

The parks will be super busy during your visit so I suggest you get there as early as possible. If you are staying on Disney property, find out ahead of time which day the Magic Kingdom opens early for you. (It used to be Mon, Thurs and Sat but please check for current info.)

Plan to GET to the park well before the scheduled opening. When it's crowded the gates may open sooner. Walk straight through Main Street, to the back of the Castle (I won't say through the Castle as it is sometimes closed off early in the morning.) Resist any temptation to take more than one picture of your family with the castle in the background right now ;) and don't look in any shops.

Behind the castle you will find Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh ride, Peter Pan and Snow White. I would do them in that order. The Carousel is there as well, if that interests your child. Dumbo is invariably the longest line and, as of July of this year, did not offer FastPass. Both Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan offer FastPass so only get those if you want a second ride.

If Mickey's PhilharMagic interests you, head there next. It's a cute show but will take time and when you come out, ride waits will be longer.

Now, if the park is still somewhat tame, head to the Teacup ride. Usually not a long wait here in the mornings. From here, you have a decision to make. Do you want to head to Mickey's ToonTown? If so, check if your child is too small for the barnstormer (I think 3 is too small.) ToonTown may excite a 3 year old and may not.

Obviously, the child is too small for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, so my advice would be to head towards Frontierland. Only you know if your child will tolerate the Haunted Mansion well. It's dark and can be intense if you are 3, so I'd bypass that and go right to Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride (much like Dumbo but shorter lines). Then head to Pirates of the Caribbean. If you've done the Park early and in the order I've outlined, this will probably be your first place to encounter a real wait.

The one ride that your 3 year old will probably love and hasn't been covered is the Buzz Lightyear ride. It's near Space Mountain and does have FastPass so you may want to split, send you or your spouse with the 3 admission passes to get a Buzz FastPass while you head to another ride line.

The new Stitch's Great Escape ride just opened but I am not sure of the intensity so check before you travel to see if it's appropriate for a 3 year old. It is near Buzz Lightyear.

For meals, if your child likes the Winnie the Pooh characters, make breakfast (optimally, if not, get dinner) reservations at the Crystal Palace for the day you plan to do the Magic Kingdom. Best character meal in the Park (well, Cinderella's Castle is great but you are too late to reserve that.) I usually reserve for the latest breakfast (1030a?), that way you can knock out a bunch of rides before eating. If your child can do without Winnie the Pooh, pass on character dining while in the Magic Kingdom and concentrate on rides.

On days when you don't go to the Park, you can eat with the characters at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. Make a reservation (we like dinner, as they have Prime Rib and a kids buffet). You can also get character dining at the Polynesian (Minnie's breakfast in O'Hana was nice) as well as fun breakfast dining (non-character) at Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge.

A pointer.....our kids always love Downtown Disney. There is no admission fee (though admittedly parking stinks). If you have a "down" day with no parks planned, head there early (10a)....it's empty. There is a great Legoland Store with tons of outdoor interactive areas and your child will be entertained for hours. There are also several large Disney souvenir shops to browse through, as well as a McDonalds, Ghirardelli and Rainforest Cafe amongst others, to catch a bite to eat.

As fasr as the Animal Kingdom, again, arrive early. Plan well and go straight to what you really want to see first (safari?). The lines at the Animal Kingdom get long fast so you'll want to work at a good pace. Your child might enjoy down time at the Boneyard play area. The AK is usually not an all day thing, so if you have the park hopper pass you can use it to spend the evening at another park, possibly watch the fireworks at Epcot or Fantasmic at MGM.

Have a great time....remember to get to the parks EARLY!

EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS !!! Thank You :) :) :)

We had not considered the height limits or scare factors of splash & space mountains and big thunder mountain RR. We had planned to go to those and will now just do a baby swap while one of us rides them. Since Buzzlight year is his favorite, we will go there first and then over to fantasyland and ride the rides there.

We have reservations now at the Crystal Palace for one night (5:25p) and Chef Mickeys (6:10P) for the next night. We think having a breakfast at the all star hotel is the way to go and will just use quick and easy passes for lunch and sit down at places like Tom Sawyers, the boneyard, ect while the little one plays.

We also hear that being near the rose garden or main train station is a great place to watch the fireworks though I know they can be seen from everywhere well.

The 2nd evening I think we will stroll over to MGM to watch Fantasmic so I would appreciate suggestions for that.

How about the parade floats at the 7 seas lagoon. Is that worth seeing? Also, what is things we need to avoid considering we have a 3 year old with us. (I have heard mickey philharmagic and Its a bugs life are a bit much for kids)

How about the parade floats at the 7 seas lagoon. Is that worth seeing? Also, what is things we need to avoid considering we have a 3 year old with us. (I have heard mickey philharmagic and Its a bugs life are a bit much for kids)
Flyerwife gave you some excellent suggestions! You'll do well following them.

The parade floats in the lagoon are nice, but you have to leave the MK to see them or be staying at a MK hotel. I enjoyed them from the Polynesian when I happened to be in my room, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see them. They reallly are geared toward the hotel guests and they get the best view, even though they pass the MK.

As for Philharmagic... I don't know WHO told you that it might be much for a 3 year old, but I think it's one of the absolute best 3D shows they have created. We discovered it in May and managed to get in to see it twice. We've been back to WDW twice since (& about to go again in a few weeks) and have seen it ANOTHER 4 or 5 times. Fastpass is a must for this, particularly with young children, if you don't want to wait in the standby line or go during parades & firework times (which we favor).

What child wouldn't love seeing their favorite character in 3D come right up to them as they sit in their seat? Heck, I love it. But, if your 3 year old is afraid of cartoons and or periodic loud music, there may be some cause for concern, but I have never heard a single child cry out during the show.

I'm really hesitant about giving you too much advice. Why? Because, as you can see, we go alot (4 times this year), have annual passes, and quite honestly, don't think twice about saying "I don't feel like waiting for this, we'll do it next time." I'm afraid of telling you the wrong thing to do.

The way we do WDW is far different than the way a first timer should do it, which is why I pointed you toward the boards specifically geared for disney travel.

As for the best spot to see the fireworks... for a first timer, anywhere along main street is excellent. It doesn't matter if you're close to the castle or not, the view is essentially the same. Also, you don't have to stand there to save a spot. Anywhere in the street is just fine. The rose garden area is also nice. Where do we watch them from? Depends on several factors for us - how crowded is it? What rides to we want to catch? and How fast do we want to get out of the park?

For you, I definitely recommend anywhere along Main Street & forget about any other considerations. The Wishes show is one of their nicest.

Mary

Since your little one loves Buzz Lightyear, remember to get a FastPass while you are there, so that you can go back and enjoy the ride a second time. It is the type of ride that you'll want to do twice (it has a laser-shooting game in it, and you all may want to try and beat your original scores).

I checked, and Stitch's Great Escape is NOT for a 3 year old, so don't bother there.

You've made great choices on the meal plans.

As far as the MK fireworks, we watched the Wishes show from the bridge spanning from Tomorrowland to the center court/castle area, and that was a great spot. If your little one still has stamina by the time the fireworks appear at 9 (occasionally 10p), I'd plan to see them from Fantasyland.....the view there is very good, and I've always found that, by that time of night, many of the little guys have petered out, or the parents want to head towards the park exit. That can work in your favor, because around 9, Fantasyland is empty, and you will once again be able to go on Dumbo/Pooh/Carousel/Teacups with no wait.

There is a spot where you can see the Lagoon light parade from the MK....head out of the park towards the Monorail entrance, and the light parade will be in front of you (you can hear the synthesizer music). The parade is a lot of fun. If you have extra nights, you can also view the lagoon light parade from the Polynesian or Grand Floridian.....go to the hotel as a guest (tell the parking attendant you are either going for dinner without a reservation, or just going to look the place over for future visits) and head out to the lagoon, and you'll have a great view without having to enter the parks. Check ahead of time to be sure of the viewing times for the parade, no matter where you plan to view it from. It moves in the water so the viewing time changes depending on your location.

If you are considering heading towards MGM, you might want to eat a meal at Pizza Planet. It's a replica of the restaurant from the Buzz Lightyear movie....it has good quality pizza and salads, and a game room complete with giant claw machine and other fun things to tire a 3 year old out.

There are also character greetings with Buzz and Woody in MGM so you may want to find the times for that, since your son is such a Buzz fan.

For Fantasmic, I suggest being at the gate one hour before the show starts. By 45 minutes before, the only seats left are at the far ends. Be prepared with soda and snacks as you will be in long, bleacher type seating (=backless) and you won't want to have to get up, as you will lose your spot. There are vendors walking through the stands, but I bought 2 sodas from them and paid $20, so come prepared (ok, the sodas had light-up ice cubes....did we really HAVE to have that???) You can get up and get refreshments in the stadium, as long as one of you stays behind in the seats. One Fantasmic starts, you will love it, and will forget about the long wait. And remember to hit the bathrooms before you get into your seats.

Will let you know if I can think of any more tips. Have fun!

If you really want to do Fantasmic, consider reserving a Fantasmic dinner package. You'd have dinner at one of the MGM restaurants and then have seating in a reserved area at Fantasmic.

You'll have to do a bag check before you go into the parks if you're carrying a backpack, fanny pack or purse. Plan on adding that bit of time to your morning.

The Animal Kingdom park has some areas with cobblestone like walkways. If you're thinking that your three year old might want a stroller, then you might want to either bring a bigger wheeled stroller or rent one of Disney's.

One thing which I would remind you to do is enjoy yourselves! Make sure that everyone has enough to drink, eat and rest.

techlady

I am exhausted even reading this! :D Isn't vacation time supposed to be relaxing? Does Disney cater to those who want to relax? All I hear is rush, rush, rush. It sounds like you need a vacation after spending your vacation at WDW.

My husband loves WDW so whenever we go there, we rush like crazy people to keep on pace with the rides. Personally, I'd rather go skiing if I want to do anything other than relax during vacations! :D

I am exhausted even reading this! :D Isn't vacation time supposed to be relaxing? Does Disney cater to those who want to relax? All I hear is rush, rush, rush. It sounds like you need a vacation after spending your vacation at WDW.
:D

Actually, Disney can be relaxing...the Beach Club offers a great babysitting center if the parents want a night alone. They watch videos, bring in dinner for them, and sometimes characters come in to read bedtime stories. My kids are older now (13 and 18) but they used to give parents beepers just in case there was a problem. Not sure if they still have it, but we once signed up for a behind-the-scenes program at EPCOT where the kids slept overnight in the Living Seas attraction, right next to the tanks. They got a tour of EPCOT after it was closed, and a special viewing area for Illuminations. My kids still talk about it!

Two comments to add to the great advice above (apologies if these were mentioned and I missed them):

As noted above, the parkhopper passes do not expire. If you have an unexpired pass, on your next visit you can turn it in for credit on purchasing another pass, although the credit will not be 100%. Another option will be to purchase length of stay passes. I think the Disney dedicated websites above have the prices.

I seem to remember that there is an exception or 2 to having only one Fastpass at a time. Check the details. It may be if you allotted time is more than so many hours off. I also seem to remember that you can get another Fastpass once your time on the first one has arrived. So if you have a FP for Ride #1 for 2:00, you can get another FP for Ride #2 at 2:00; thus, you can get the Ride #2 FP at 2:00 and then go in to Ride #1, thus eliminating some dead time.


A few other suggestions:

Take time out during the day. Go back to your hotel and crash, take a nap, go to the pool, etc. That will make it feel like more of a vacation.

One strategy I have not tried but others have recommended is to go to the park with the early admission for the first hour and then change to a different park after that, under the belief that the park with the early admission with be busier than average on those days.

Assume you'll be back. If you don't get to everything, fine. You're saving it for the next trip.

Even a 3 year old might enjoy parts of Epcot. Especially in World Showcase, there are parades of people in costumes from the countries, musical performances, boat rides, etc. Living Seas has an aquarium and (I think) a touching pool. Also, more of Epcot is indoors than AK or MK, so if weather is not ideal, you're not outside as much. If you go to the evening show, always be upwind, even if its not the best view. There can be a lot of smoke from the fireworks.

Some people seem to think that Fantasmic is too much for little kids, with witches, dragons, etc. I don't have a strong opinion; it probably depends on the kid. It's probably on a level with the Sleeping Beauty movie, from which many of the scenes appear to be taken.

On one prior visit, the restaurant in the Polynesian dimmed its lights and piped in the music from the MK so that you could watch the MK fireworks while seated comfortably in a restaurant. Very nice experience.

Some of the rides, such as Haunted Mansion, are not rough but do operate in the dark and may have some sound effects that are unsettling to a youngster. Pirates of the Carrib. is one you might try to get a sense as to how your kid reacts to in-the-dark rides.

There are several earlier threads on WDW that would be worth reading as well.

Most important, have fun.

One more piece of info: Unused days on parkhopper passes from WDW can be used at Disneyland in California.

One more piece of info: Unused days on parkhopper passes from WDW can be used at Disneyland in California.
Is that new? I know I called and asked if my annual pass was good in CA and they said no.

Also, aren't the tickets to Disneyland less expensive than WDW? It would be a waste of an admission to use it in CA, IIRC.

Disney with small children can be done two ways.....

standing in long lines, in the heat, with a 3 year old in your arms (yes, no strollers allowed on the lines), and getting to see 2 or 3 attractions for your entire day

or by preplanning what is important for you to see, what you can and cannot miss, what works for your children's ages, and what gives you the maximum value for your dollar.

The tips I've given are for families who are not that familiar with the Disney layout (first-timers for sure), have one young child, are going at the ultimate in busy seasons, and only have 2 days to spend at the Park.

Relaxation and Disneyworld are not words that usually go together, that's just a fact. There is no slow season. Schools throughout the US have gone to full year terms, therfore the summer break for me may be NO break for kids in California. Their break may be the 2nd week of September. Also, so many Disney visitors are foreigners from Europe and Latin America that the concept of a slow season no longer exists. You will NEVER have the Disney parks to yourself.

My suggestions are really for those who simply want to maximize their money, time and enjoyment. That's why I was able to knock out 21 attractions and shows in the Magic Kingdom in one day (a few summers ago) with 4 kids (ages 11, 10, 10 and 6) whereas a friend who went over Easter break and was a "novice" only got to see 4 attractions (and consequently, will never go back, as she feels Disney is too crowded, and a rip-off.)

Different experiences for different folks.

YMMV :)

Is that new? I know I called and asked if my annual pass was good in CA and they said no.

Also, aren't the tickets to Disneyland less expensive than WDW? It would be a waste of an admission to use it in CA, IIRC.

I don't think it's new -- but it does not apply to annual passes, just unused days on Parkhoppers...and yes, Disneyland tickets are less money, but in my case, my son now works at Disneyland, so I'd rather go there, :)

IMO, it's only a waste of admission if you are planning to go back to WDW and will remember to bring the passes. Disney says they're good forever because in most cases, people forget and just buy new ones. Those unused days are a big $$$$ for Disney.

Flyerswife, a further question for you about dining. I was lucky and got some preferred seating at Chef Mickeys and the Crystal palace but when I asked if they took the premium or VKL certificates, they replied no. Whats the story on the certificates for food? I know the difference between the VKL and the Quick and Casual but where do people purchase these? Ebay seems to have them overpriced in most cases. Thanks again...27 days and counting. :) :) ^

You can get these meal vouchers through Disney by booking one of their premium vacation packages. As good as these vouchers are, the packages offer vouchers for 3 meals a day per person for the entire length of your visit....and frankly, it's a heck of a lot of food that you ultimately are paying for.

The Quick and Casual certificates are for just that, the quicker, more 'cafeteria' style meals.....though I must say, we've eaten at many of those restaurants and the food quality is very good. The VKL vouchers only seem to include one character restaurant, and that location isn't one that you've chosen.

A few more points....though Disney food can seem expensive at first glance, the quality of the food is always very good and the portions are more than generous. Depending on your family preferences and needs, you may not even have to order full meals for your 3 year old. He may be satisfied to eat a few fries and a chicken finger from your plate. (The kids meals, however, are usually good portions and under $5 in most cases. Always ask, even if you don't see kids portions listed on the menu or board.)

I won't say that *I* have ever done this ;) ..... but friends have been able to sneak their 3 year old in (especially if you plan to bring a stroller; I'd suggest an umbrella one) without buying him or her an admission ticket. Children under 3 are free. Just FYI. Same with the buffets. If you are comfortable saying that your child is 2, it might result in a smaller bill. Just telling you what others have done, not advising you to be dishonest.

No matter what, you'll have a great time. Please fell free to ask any more questions or send me a PM if I can help you with anything else.

I am exhausted even reading this! :D Isn't vacation time supposed to be relaxing? Does Disney cater to those who want to relax? All I hear is rush, rush, rush. It sounds like you need a vacation after spending your vacation at WDW.

My husband loves WDW so whenever we go there, we rush like crazy people to keep on pace with the rides. Personally, I'd rather go skiing if I want to do anything other than relax during vacations! :D

It's funny how many of the "rush rush" threads here are posted by people from NY and NJ! ;)

One of the wonderful things about a WDW vacation is that, much like a ski trip or a cruise, you can be content at your activity level of choice. One person can tear up the slopes while another sips hot toddies in the lodge or gets spa treatments all day. One person can do active shore excursions while the other visits the buffets and lounges by the pool. At Disney, you can be as busy as you want to be, but the range of activities is even wider.

I just got back from a quick weekend. Our purpose was to see the holiday decorations & attractions only. Anything above that was considered gravy :D.

Much to our surprise it was very crowded Friday & Saturday night with the Magic Kingdom open until midnight and 2 runnings of Spectromagic with the fireworks in between. The place was mobbed, even with the 45 degree temps (burrrr). I can only imagine what it will be like the week between Christmas & New Years.

Here are a few tips that popped into my head...

Bring warm clothes and/or clothes you can layer. We put on our winter coats we normally wear at home on Saturday night. Yes, it was that cold. I wished I had brought my gloves. The weather is very unpredictable at this time of year. It was in the upper 70s just the day before.

The fast passes are going to go quickly. We arrived at 7pm and ran for our our Mickey's Philharmagic fastpasses. We got 10:40pm as our return time!!! We waited until the parades were running & walked right in at about 8:30pm. In other words, the earlier AND later you get to the Magic Kingdom, the better. DO NOT miss this show. Your children will not be frightened. I paid particular attention because of your posting, and the kids loved it & I didn't hear a single one cry out at any moment.

Epcot - we did this on Friday night & it was not nearly as crowded as the Magic Kingdom, but still very crowded for this time of year. We watched the Candlelight Processional from outside behind the theater. This is the reading of the Christmas Story by a celebrity accompanied by a 50 piece orchestra and a HUGE choir. If you can't get a seat, standing in the back is perfectly ok.

A note about Illuminations with the Holiday Addition.... Now this one may scare young children. While illuminations itself is very loud and I've often heard children cry, the holiday addition is even louder. It is spectacular, and if you warn your children it's going to be very loud I don't think it would be a problem.

MGM studios & the Osborne Spectacle of Lights - This is the huge attraction at MGM for the holidays. It's a sight to see. My advise... get to the park about 1-2 hours before they turn the lights on. Have a quick dinner and then get yourself to the NY street area AND STAY THERE. You will be there for the initial lighting AND WILL NOT HAVE TO WAIT ON A HUGE LINE TO GET IN TO SEE IT. They turned on the lights at 5:50pm - we got to the NY street at 5:15 and were out of there by 6:15. The lines to walk through were enormous. The lines to get into the park at that hour were very long (and it closed at 8pm).

If you have any questions... either post here or PM me.

Mary

And you should know that if you fastpass a ride, you cannot get another fastpass until after the first ride -- meaning plan carefully. At busy times, I have seen fast pass 4+ hours or more later.Here's a tip: If you go during a busy period and your Fastpass return time is more than 90 minutes long, you CAN go to a second Fastpass dispensing machine and get a Fastpass for a different attraction 90 minutes after you get your first one. This is definitely the case for Disneyland, and I believe this also works at WDW.

BTW, Deb Wills has changed her URL quite a while ago. It's not longer "WDWIG," but is now "All Ears Net" (http://www.allearsnet.com). Deb is a terrific lady, and I finally had a chance to meet her last weekend at the Mousefest Mega Mouse Fest at WDW. :) She does a great job of maintaining the huge amount of static data for the resort.

If I may make a plug, visit MousePlanet.com, too. On Fridays, we always run WDW-specific content, and on Mondays, we always have a WDW Park Update so you'll know what the most recent news and happenings are.

-- Lani

One more piece of info: Unused days on parkhopper passes from WDW can be used at Disneyland in California....and I thought I knew a lot about Disneyland. I think I'll have to double-check with my sources on this one.

As noted above, the parkhopper passes do not expire. If you have an unexpired pass, on your next visit you can turn it in for credit on purchasing another pass, although the credit will not be 100%. Another option will be to purchase length of stay passes. I think the Disney dedicated websites above have the prices.This is changing with the start of the new year. WDW is introducing a new "Magic Your Way" ticket system instead of the de facto park hoppers. If you buy park hoppers TODAY, they will EXPIRE on January 8, 2005.

Magic Your Way passes are length of stay. If you don't want them to expire, you have to pay a fee (I think it's equivalent to $5 a day). If you want to be able to hop between parks in a day, it's also an extra fee of $35 on your ticket!

Suffice it to say, this is causing an uproar among those who are planning travel in 2005. We've run a preliminary analysis over it in our MousePlanet WDW Park update earlier this month (link (http://www.mouseplanet.com/parkupdates/wdw/wdw041206.htm)) if you want to read about it. We hope to have a longer evaluation soon.

-- Lani (MousePlanet staff)

MGM studios & the Osborne Spectacle of Lights - This is the huge attraction at MGM for the holidays. It's a sight to see.Due to some changes in Residential Street where they used to have this (the area is being converted into a car stunt show attraction), Disney has moved the Osborne lights into the Streets of America (but at least it's up now; it was dark last Christmas). What was probably five blocks worth of lights has been compressed into one block. It's... um... reminiscent of Liberace. I think if you've never seen it before, you'll be wowed. But if you're used to the original version, this one is... um... a Reader's Digest version.

...and I thought I knew a lot about Disneyland. I think I'll have to double-check with my sources on this one.

It definitely works, my family used WDW passes in October. It takes a long time at the gate if they're old, because they need to actually call WDW. My son works at Disneyland and told us to do this, as he was still on 3-month-probation, and couldn't sign us into the park yet.

It definitely works, my family used WDW passes in October. It takes a long time at the gate if they're old, because they need to actually call WDW. My son works at Disneyland and told us to do this, as he was still on 3-month-probation, and couldn't sign us into the park yet.
It would be interesting to know if they let you in this way because your son was a CM.

So far, those I have spoken to have all said "no" on doing this.

Let me email a friend of mine who used to work the entrance gate at DL.

RE: the fastpass issue & getting a second one.

I was shocked to see the time on the FP so far away. Our intent was to get several of them to see the more popular rides. I asked a cast member if having to wait so long was a mistake and he said no. The next FP time was more than 2 1/2 hours later, IIRC.

It worked out for the best. It was so cold that night that many people stayed for the first running of Spectro, saw the fireworks and abandoned the park.

Those of us who were prepared for the colder weather and stayed until closing were rewarded with being able to walk on to any ride with no wait.

Our new strategy - see the more popular rides as late as possible while the parades & fireworks are going on. We go so often that missing either of them isn't a big deal.

Due to some changes in Residential Street where they used to have this (the area is being converted into a car stunt show attraction), Disney has moved the Osborne lights into the Streets of America (but at least it's up now; it was dark last Christmas). What was probably five blocks worth of lights has been compressed into one block. It's... um... reminiscent of Liberace. I think if you've never seen it before, you'll be wowed. But if you're used to the original version, this one is... um... a Reader's Digest version.
We hadn't seen any version of Osborne. The last time we were there at christmas was about 10 years ago, and the parks were far far different at that time. The decorations were amazing at all parks. We, quite honestly, were very disappointed at the decorations, or lack thereof. We went home & looked at pictures from that trip and can't believe how much Disney has cut out. All areas of the parks used to have decorations. Now only the "main" streets have them. Also, that "arbor-like thing" at Epcot that changes to the music is awful. We were there last month when they were putting it up and were looking forward to seeing it all lit up. What a disapointment.

I guess they put them all on the streets of America. It was quite overwhelming in incredibly crowded, even right after they were turned on.

Still, it was a nice time to go for the weekend. I had wanted to stop by at mousefest but never had the chance.

Mary

It definitely works, my family used WDW passes in October. It takes a long time at the gate if they're old, because they need to actually call WDW. My son works at Disneyland and told us to do this, as he was still on 3-month-probation, and couldn't sign us into the park yet.OK, I just talked to the former gate CM person. As of 3 years ago, you could use your WDW admission media to gain entrance in DL. However, it wasn't valid the other way around. Plus, this is not considered a routine admission, so like you, others have to talk to a gate lead/manager and they have to verify the validity of the pass. That may very well become a moot issue after the Magic Your Way program kicks in, but we'll see.

BTW, my friend was wondering (out of curiosity) why you chose to use your WDW park hopper for DL instead of getting your son to pick up discounted passes for you guys.

It would be interesting to know if they let you in this way because your son was a CM.

So far, those I have spoken to have all said "no" on doing this.

Let me email a friend of mine who used to work the entrance gate at DL.

No, it's not because he's an employee...we've done it a few times -- here's info from mousesavers.com: (http://www.mousesavers.com/dltickets.html)

"Interesting, unpublished fact: you can use leftover days on a Walt Disney World Hopper pass at Disneyland or DCA! This is probably because Disney World Hopper passes cost much more per day than Disneyland passes, so Disney is actually coming out way ahead on the deal. Present the WDW Hopper at the gate on arrival -- they will take it somewhere, deduct a day from it, and give you a one-day pass. This information was confirmed as of April 2004.

Disneyland passes are NOT accepted at Walt Disney World, and Annual Passes are only good at the park where they were purchased (WDW Annual Passes are NOT good at Disneyland, and vice versa)."

We, quite honestly, were very disappointed at the decorations, or lack thereof.Oh, I'm glad we aren't the only ones who noticed this!

If it at all matters, we both agreed that Disneyland does a far better job at decorating for the holidays. :D

BTW, my friend was wondering (out of curiosity) why you chose to use your WDW park hopper for DL instead of getting your son to pick up discounted passes for you guys.

Well, it probably wasn't the prudent financial choice, but since my son is living in CA now, we don't go to WDW anymore. We have quite a few "leftover" days, and we really only wanted to watch him push the green button, so we went in for "free" and didn't feel like we needed to stay all day and get our money's worth.

One more piece of info: Unused days on parkhopper passes from WDW can be used at Disneyland in California.


I just joined flyertalk today and can't believe how helpful the info has been. We are booked at the Swan for 5days/nights in April for our first trip to WDW. We are going with friends who are going on a package that includes ultimate park hoper tix. I was going to buy the 5day park hopper plus but because of this forum will now buy the 7 day park hopper plus and use the extra days at Disneyland back home.
Based on what I read on mousesaver.com it seems that the current pricing is better (since I can use my extra days back home) than the new pricing. Any thoughts?

Also I noticed the park hopper plus does not include DisneyQuest but it is included with our friends UPH. I have two girls 7 and 4 is this a must do?

thanks

My kids always enjoyed Disneyquest, but they were a little older. My (now 18 year old) son LOVED the part where he was able to design his own roller coaster and then they run the program on a simulator so you get to "try it." We would drop them off there and then have a peaceful adult dinner, so I've never been in. Hope someone can add some more info for you. Have a great time, and when you are in Disneyland, say hi to my son Tom, who works at Peter Pan, Casey Jr's train, or Dumbo!!

Also I noticed the park hopper plus does not include DisneyQuest but it is included with our friends UPH. I have two girls 7 and 4 is this a must do?

thanks

No opinion on tickets, yet, but as to DisneyQuest:

It is probably a good standby for a rainy day. There are many activities in the building. Some are obviously geared to older kids, teens, and adults (the design-your-own roller coaster being one example). There are several group video simulations which my 5 year old (at the time) nephew really enjoyed (being on a pirate ship and shooting at other pirate ships, rafting down the Amazon, etc.). There are many, many video games. There are also a lot of carnaval/county fair/arcade type games. And there a number of other type games. So it depends on the type of activities your girls like. Other than the sophisitication of some of the games and simulations, this is not especially Disney-equese. There are also no windows; much of it has limited lighting for effect. Unless the weather was bad, I would not shortcut MK, Epcot, AK, or a waterpark to take kids that age to DQ.

A few thoughts about the Swan: (1) you are within easy walking distance (or boat ride) to the back entrance to Epcot. That makes it easy to go see the laser show or otherwise pop into the park for a quick visit or meal even if you're not in that park all day. (2) Other than the resorts on the Boardwalk, you may find it a long and frustrating process to get to other Disney resorts using Disney transportation, several of which are worth visiting (Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, maybe Animal Kingdom lodge). Either drive yourself or visit those directly from the MK (AKL in the case of AK); they make a nice rest stop for a meal or break. (3) Getting to the Epcot monorail was also a hassle in my prior visits: (a) go into the back entrance of Epcot and walk through the park or (b) take the boat to MGM and then take a bus to (the front of) Epcot.

Thanks for the advice about Disneyquest. I think we will give it a shot. I am sure this board will help us plan a great trip to WDW.

Thanks for the advice about Disneyquest. I think we will give it a shot. I am sure this board will help us plan a great trip to WDW.

IMHO, the hype about DisneyQuest is lost. Having my father work at Disney, I find DisneyQuest not as exciting and entertaining as any of the other attractions. I like the Water Parks the best during the summer and there is always some type of event at one of the theme parks. I definitely find DisneyQuest lacking for anyone who are in their teens. Maybe it is just me.

IMHO, the hype about DisneyQuest is lost. Maybe it is just me.

Yep, it's just you. What does your father working for Disney have to do with it? Anyway, DisneyQuest is an absolutely amazing place; I call it the "theme park in a box". Anyone who grew up on video games or who appreciates virtual experiences will lose track of time in this place.

And my advice is to go there on days when the weather is BEAUTIFUL outside, because everyone else will be at the parks. If it's rainy, go to the parks because everyone's afraid of getting wet and DisneyQuest will be crowded.

Iceman - I couldnt agree more!!! Gwen

Good advice overall on this thread, but I definately disagree with two things posted:
A- That the Liberty Tree Tavern is the best choice in the Magic Kingdom--Absolutely not true. The food barely rises to mediocre and is served "family style"-- group portions on the table of two meats, two veggies, one starch and rolls. That is it! The Crystal Palace is VASTLY better- offering better quality food and a wide selection of items. Our family always books a late lunch at the Crystal Palace for the best service and more time with the characters (the lunch rush is over and the place empties out, leaving you with Winnie, Tigger, piglet and sometimes Minnie Mouse).
B--That there is no longer a "season". It is definately MUCH slower in the first two weeks of December and virtually all of January. Post spring break to mid May was fine when we were there as well. You could not pay me to go during the Christmas break or the summer months.

B--That there is no longer a "season". It is definately MUCH slower in the first two weeks of December and virtually all of January. Post spring break to mid May was fine when we were there as well. You could not pay me to go during the Christmas break or the summer months.
One caveat to this... Prepare to be cold if you decide on early Dec or Jan. We were there the second week of Dec 04 and it was COLD. So cold I wish I had gloves. I was so happy I brough my winter coat. I believe it dropped to the upper 40s at night.

Yes, it's not crowded, but some people would rather have a few crowds than cold weather.

I've found that early Nov and early May to be almost perfect - weather and crowd wise.

Ahhh - for the good ole days when we could go to disney world in Oct, Nov, April & May and not have any crowds at all ^^.

Good advice overall on this thread, but I definately disagree with two things posted:
A- That the Liberty Tree Tavern is the best choice in the Magic Kingdom--Absolutely not true. The food barely rises to mediocre and is served "family style"-- group portions on the table of two meats, two veggies, one starch and rolls. That is it!

No recent experiences, but years ago LTT was a terrific place to eat. A more recent experience changed my opinion. I think it is now run by or sponsored by Stouffers, so much of the food may be the same stuff that's on the food bar at Ryans Restaurants, etc., or in your grocer's freezer. In my most recent visits, I went by to look at the menu, became convinced that most of the items on the menu could easily come from Stouffers frozen dinners, and kept walking. One of the biggest downgrades of restaurants in the park that I know of. (Note: before I get blasted, I find Stouffers frozen fare to be better than most; I just can't rationalize paying Disney dining prices for someone else to cook it.)

Hello. I am planning a trip to WDW in just a couple of weeks. My aunt, who is a Disney vet, said for us to purchase the park hopper pass for 2 days. The only problem is they are pretty pricey. I found a "deal" on the disney web site to buy them for cheaper than usual for group meeting/convention participants. How strictly do they enforce this policy? The cost would be $308 for traditional Park Hopper for 2 people for 2 days vs. $218 for the discounted group travel option.

Here's the info on the tix:
http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/ticketpages/ticketGroupSelect?id=WC05

The fine print says that "verification of attendance" at the convention is required but does anyone have experience with this requirement?

I dont know about the convention tix per say but Disney is pretty careful about ticket stuff-hence the move to bio scan folks with their tickets.

It might be a great deal and you dont have a problem but what happens if you spend that cash get there and they wont let you in? You are out the cash and the tix.

Hello. I am planning a trip to WDW in just a couple of weeks. My aunt, who is a Disney vet, said for us to purchase the park hopper pass for 2 days. The only problem is they are pretty pricey. I found a "deal" on the disney web site to buy them for cheaper than usual for group meeting/convention participants. How strictly do they enforce this policy? The cost would be $308 for traditional Park Hopper for 2 people for 2 days vs. $218 for the discounted group travel option.

Here's the info on the tix:
http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/ticketpages/ticketGroupSelect?id=WC05

The fine print says that "verification of attendance" at the convention is required but does anyone have experience with this requirement?


Gee, if you can cut out the need to Park Hop, you can save $70. Can you narrow it down to one park a day? If you've never been to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot or MGM, each of those parks can be a full day (at least) in itself.

(And personally, I wouldn't chance the tickets that might require you to show proof of something you don't have.)

Good advice overall on this thread, but I definately disagree with two things posted:
A- That the Liberty Tree Tavern is the best choice in the Magic Kingdom--Absolutely not true. The food barely rises to mediocre and is served "family style"-- group portions on the table of two meats, two veggies, one starch and rolls. That is it!

Did you go for lunch, perhaps? Because I recently went for dinner, and there were 3 meats (ham, turkey and beef), gravy, rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, mac and cheese and plenty of veggies, as well as a great apple cobbler and ice cream dessert. I recall a salad, too. It resembled a Thanksgiving feast, Disney style. We loved it and would return. Best meal in Disney? No, but I'd never say mediocre. In fact, I cannot think of any restaurant in Disney that I'd describe as 'mediocre'. In my experience (over 20 visits) the food, while expensive at time, is always excellent quality.

I don't like anything food served in Magic Kingdom. Take the monorail and head to one of the resorts instead for lunch.

Ahhh, but you're talking advanced WDW ;). Most infrequent visitors are caught up in trying to see & do everything they can. I don't blame them, it's a very expensive vacation.

The food at the MK is very good for what it is - fast food for the masses intended to be served very quickly. I'll take a WDW cheeseburger over a McDonald's burger any day of the week.

You are correct, the hotels have excellent lunches (tho still not cheap). FWIW - I'm very rarely even in a park at lunch time. Advanced WDW dictates you get the heck out of there at the height of the day, when crowds & heat are at their worst. I'm usually at a resort pool somewhere ^^

I am going to recomend you not try anything "sneaky", they tend to be pretty carefull about this stuff, and you will be really bummed if you get stuck wasting your vacation arguing with some cast member about why you tickets don't work.

I go to Florida once a year for a timeshare, I found a website that talks all about Orlando and has never done me wrong. www.mousesavers.com which tells you and I have double checked on this to be correct. DO NOT BUY DISNEY TICKETS ON EBAY. You really do end up paying more money for them than if you were to buy them through Disney

I'm visiting the first week of Oct for 4.5 days (arrive at airport late morning on Saturday and leave Wed evening) with my wife and two daughters ages 5 and 9. I've decided to stay on property and considering Polynesian, Contemporary Garden Wing, or Wilderness Campground Cabins. The main thing I like about the cabins is the fact that there are two rooms and a kitchenette (I like the idea of having a separate room when it's time for kids to go to bed). I'm concerned about the possible downside of being further away (bus and boat to get to the parks). I'm also planning on getting the meal plan.

I'd appreciate input from anyone here. I've already checked the suggested WDW fan sites but trust the opinions I usually get here.

I'd also appreciate strategies & suggestions for what to visit and when with the girls. Any recommendations on which character breakfast is a don't miss (the girls, of course, love the whole princess thing)? This is the first visit for our kids. I was planning 2.5 days of Magic Kingdom and 2 days of Epcot. I'm thinking we'll want to head back to the hotel mid-day for some rest and pool time.

I liked the Polynesian. The Contemporary is undergoing much-needed major renovations so please keep that in mind when booking. I cannot give input on the cabins.

Our favorite of all the hotels is the Wilderness Lodge. Rooms are on the small side, however.

A few things....if you are getting the meal plan (which unless its the super package they recently offered where it's almost free), why do you care about a kitchenette? All of your meals will be included.

I personally wouldn't opt for the meal plan (again, unless it's that special low low package I saw a week or two ago) because you are NOT going to want to eat 3 big meals a day, nor will you want to take the time to.

One important piece of advice.....if you want the Princess breakfast called Cinderella's Royal Table in the Castle (best one for you, since you have kids who are interested in this) call 1-407-WDW DINE right now and find out when you can book. It used to be 90 days in advance, which would just be hitting the beginning of Oct right now. They will tell you what day you can start calling to get your reservation. You'll have to call for the reservation at 6:55 am and be persistent (and fast) as the reservations fill up within minutes. If you don't get in for your first day, try again the next day, and the next.

If, heaven forbid, you aren't successful with the Castle Character breakfast, you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner with the Princesses at Restaurant Akershus in EPCOT. Again, make your reservation as far in advance as possible.

You may want to go to www.disneyworld.com and check out the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It's a Halloween party they run after hours at the Magic Kingdom that will be going on during your visit. It begins at 7p and requires a separate admission ticket. The kids (and you too if you wish) can dress in costume; they have characters giving out treats; some special events like family photos and a great fireworks show. It does get crowded (though admissions are limited) but if you can hold out til around 930p, the crowd goes home and you'll have the rides to yourself. We did it last year and enjoyed it.

Our family goes to Disney at least once a year so we've just about done it all. Since your girls have never been there, I think they will love almost everything. Do a search on this forum under the word Disney and you'll find some posts that may be of more help.

Have a great time! And feel free to come back here and ask more questions.

A few things....if you are getting the meal plan (which unless its the super package they recently offered where it's almost free), why do you care about a kitchenette? All of your meals will be included.

I personally wouldn't opt for the meal plan (again, unless it's that special low low package I saw a week or two ago) because you are NOT going to want to eat 3 big meals a day, nor will you want to take the time to.



Many thanks for the suggestions Flyerwife.

We're not getting the 3 meals a day plan but rather the Magic Your Way with Dining option(description from Disney web site):

Dining Plan that provides Great Disney Dining*** at over 100 participating Disney restaurants with a full range of dining experiences at substantial savings:
1 table-service meal including appetizer, entree, dessert, non-alcoholic beverage and gratuity
1 counter-service meal including entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage
1 snack including either a frozen ice cream bar, popcorn scoop, 20 oz bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani Water or a medium fountain soft drink
You may also exchange 2 table-service meals for 1 Signature Dining Experience.


For 4 nights, the cost is $260 extra for all 4 of us. It seems like this is a pretty good deal given the flexibility. I still think the kitchen is nice (but not essential) to be able to use for breakfast or snacks. I mainly liked the idea of having a separate living room area for when the kids go to bed. Is this the super low plan to which you were referring? If not, can you provide a link?

FYR, total cost for 4 nights and a 5 day park pass (also includes transfers to/from airport) with dining is:

$1990 for Wildnerness Lodge standard room
$2,146.00 Ft Wilderness Cabins
$2,460.00 Plolynesian standard room

Why do you like the Wilderness Lodge versus Polynesian?
Also, is it worth going for the extra hours if staying on property? I've heard from some that the crowds are larger on the days when there are extra hours. I'm hoping first week of Oct will be relatively quiet, at least compared to some other peak times.

One important piece of advice.....if you want the Princess breakfast called Cinderella's Royal Table in the Castle (best one for you, since you have kids who are interested in this) call 1-407-WDW DINE right now and find out when you can book. It used to be 90 days in advance, which would just be hitting the beginning of Oct right now. They will tell you what day you can start calling to get your reservation. You'll have to call for the reservation at 6:55 am and be persistent (and fast) as the reservations fill up within minutes. If you don't get in for your first day, try again the next day, and the next.

If, heaven forbid, you aren't successful with the Castle Character breakfast, you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner with the Princesses at Restaurant Akershus in EPCOT. Again, make your reservation as far in advance as possible.
.

I can start making reservations on July 4th. When I spoke to the reservations people, they said they've also added a Cinderella's Castle Character lunch. Any opinions about whether the Cinderella breakfast/lunch is superior to the Epcot Akershus breakfast/lunch? Is it worth doing both? From talking to the reservations people, it's hard to tell the difference...actually it sounds like the Akershus lunch has a slightly larger variety of characters.

I just booked a package for a co-worker. The meal plan special is such a good deal I convinced him to change his vacation dates to take advantage of it.

He's got 6 days/5 nights; a 4 day park hopper, and the meal plan at the Wilderness Lodge in a standard room. Total cost - $1990 for 2 adults and 2 children. This is close to the price you got. Double check it, because if you're arriving before Oct 4, the special will be valid for you also.

Most people with young children absolutely love the Wilderness Lodge because of the fairly easy access into the Magic Kingdom via boat from the hotel.

My personal preference is the Poly, but quite honestly, it has become WAY overpriced. I've been going there for over 10 years and I'm finding it's just not worth the money any longer. The big plus is direct access to the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and it's just a short walk to take the Monorail to Epcot. Depending upon the season & our length of stay, we will now stay at an Epcot resort if it's a short trip during the off season and (horrors) stay at the Hyatt at all other times. I never thought I would ever say those words, but quite frankly, the value for the money cannot be beat at the Hyatt.

BUT - you've got 2 young children and being on property will most definitely make your life easier. With this current special, the price differential is not all that much, considering the amount of food you will get. BTW - you CAN purchase the package for more nights and less days in the park. That's what my friend did - he built in a day for the pool and visiting other areas of the resort. You still get the meal plan for each of your days. You may want to also consider doing something like that.

My friend will start calling tomorrow morning for the princess breakfast or lunch. I've never been, but, in general, people still prefer the one in the castle to the one in the Norway pavillon. One of the fan sites should be able to give you far more particulars.

He's got 6 days/5 nights; a 4 day park hopper, and the meal plan at the Wilderness Lodge in a standard room. Total cost - $1990 for 2 adults and 2 children. This is close to the price you got. Double check it, because if you're arriving before Oct 4, the special will be valid for you also.


That is definitely a better deal than what I got on the website. How do I get the special? I was planning to contact a couple of the specialist Disney travel agents and also check through AAA. My $1990 price on the webiste is for 5 days/4 nights and a standard pass (not park hopper) with meals. I am arriving before Oct 4th.

That is definitely a better deal than what I got on the website. How do I get the special? I was planning to contact a couple of the specialist Disney travel agents and also check through AAA. My $1990 price on the webiste is for 5 days/4 nights and a standard pass (not park hopper) with meals. I am arriving before Oct 4th.
Go to disneyworld.com and click on tickets & reservations. On the left hand side select "specials." The dining plan free package is listed there. I don't know if there are any real specialist disney travel agents.. most of the information is easily available on the web on the fan & information sites. But, if you feel more comfortable using a travel agent, there's no harm in it as long as they book you into this same package. Note: I'm not 100% certain it's valid BEYOND Oct 4 even if you check in before Oct 4. USUALLY, disney will honor the rate in effect when you check in, however, they've changed so much in the past 6 months that I'm not sure that this statement is still valid.

A few items to add to the great advice you've already received:
(1) with the Magic Your Way dining plan, at some table restaurants (such as Artist's Point in Wilderness Lodge), it takes 2 coupons/person; however, some very good rest. are only 1 coupon last time I checked (including Akerhaus (Norway in Epcot) and O'hana in Polynesian). So it may or may not be worth a substantial extra cost, depending on how you plan to use it.
(2) Consider transportation time: I have not stayed at the cabins, but my impression is that the bus transportation from there to just about anywhere in WDW would be the slowest of the properties you list. The rooms of Poly. near the TTC would probably be the best.
(3) As with the others above, I think you would have a great experience at either WL or Poly. If you haven't, you might want to look into availability/cost for the 1 BR Villas at WL. That would give you a separate room. If you choose Poly, I'd request a room on side near the TTC/Epcot monorail (see Allearsnet.com for detailed descriptions). Both WL and Poly have a good restaurant for breakfast and a good one for dinner.
(4) Request a frig for your room; not guaranteed unless needed for medicine, but I've generally been successful. It's really handy for chilling bottled water to take with you into the park (which you probably want to try to pick up outside of the park, since all I was able to find last time in the park was the Desani bottled tap water).
(5) Even if you use Mears or other transportation between MCO and WDW, think about getting a rental car for a couple of days (esp. if you go with the cabins). Some of the rental car companies have locations in or near Disney and may pick you up. Disney generally doesn't provide transporation between hotels, so if, for example, you decide to stay at WL and want to go to O'hana in Poly for dinner and to watch the MK fireworks, driving would be much faster than any Disney provided alternative, most of which would require a connection at the MK or TTC. AK or the water parks can also require a long bus ride.
(6) Once you make a reservation, call Disney periodically to check prices, as their prices may move based on how full they are. Of course you don't want to mention that you have a reservation until they give you the current price. At times, you can see some price movement on Travelocity, but I don't think the best deals generally get listed there.
(7) One more plug for AllEarsNet.com: lots of great information, pictures of the properties, advice, etc.

Have a great trip.

jtrader,

you have gotten really good advice from Mary2e and TRRed as well.

I prefer the Castle breakfast because, well....you are eating in the Castle! And the kids will love it. From now on, when you see a pic of the Castle, your girls can say "remember when we ate breakfast there with the Princesses???" It's worth the steep breakfast price. (Just ignore the bill and pass your CC.)

Make sure the lunch and dinner at the Castle also feature the Princesses walking around. If not, don't go.

The characters featured when I was there for breakfast last year were a mix of Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Mary Poppins, Wendy, Snow White (ok, not all technically Princesses). They all come to your tableside to chat and take a pic. Don't miss your chance when they come, as they have a room rotation they must stick to. After your breakfast, you go downstairs to meet Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother and take a pic. It's a can't miss.

By all means, if you are unable to book the Castle breakfast, go for the EPCOT Akershus character meal. Your daughters won't know that they missed anything, and they will love meeting the Princesses.

If they are at all into the Pooh/Piglet/Tigger/Eeyore characters, consider doing a meal at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom as well.

As far as the extra hours in the park, I enjoy taking advantage of those, but you know your own family best. They may just have Disney overload at that point. If you are early risers, you may not relish staying at the parks late. In that case, be sure to arrive at the gates early (830a is not too early).

With my suggestion about the Halloween party, that runs from 7p-midnight and requires a separate pass. You could do that on the day you arrive (say your flight gets in at 2p. You don't want to waste a whole days park admission, but with the Halloween party pass, you are only buying for the evening anyway. IIRC, that pass was around $30 for adults.)

As far as the Wilderness Lodge v. the Polynesian, here's my pros and cons:

The Polynesian is older. The rooms are more spacious (can easily accomodate 5) and have large bathrooms. Room cost is usually higher than the Wilderness (in fact, if you are considering staying here, check out the Grand Floridian prices as well. Sometimes the GF is the same price or only $20 higher than the Polynesian and is a much better hotel.) Polynesian is on the monorail line. Poly also offers a view of the nighttime fireworks and Electrical Water Pageant.

The Wilderness Lodge is newer and is a beautiful resort. Great pool. Rooms are much smaller, as are the bathrooms. Some rooms do offer bunk beds, which might be fun for your girls. Transportation options more limited and mostly by bus.

Both have a private beach area. Both offer a boat to the MK. Both have good restaurant choices on-site. Both offer evening babysitting (expensive, but worth it. The kids won't want to leave.)

I have never stayed at the Wilderness Lodge Villas but if they are within your price range, I'd jump on that.

However, with all things considered, especially because you are first-timers, I would opt for the Polynesian, as the location and access to the monorail can't be beat. (Once, when we were staying at the Polynesian, we got to the Magic Kingdom gate, only for my husband to realize he had left his wallet at the hotel. We said we'd meet him at the Castle in 15 minutes, and sure enough, he just hopped the monorail back to the Poly, grabbed the wallet, and was back in less than 15 minutes. You could never do that staying at most any other hotel, certainly not an off-site one.)

Let us know if you need any further input!

OK, I'm narrowing down the options. I checked into this promotion with the dining plan added free. Not all the resorts are available. These are my choices for 4 nights (5 day standard park pass) the first week of Oct, 2 adults and 2 kids under 10:

Contemporary garden wing standard view: 1,832
Ft Wilderness Cabins: 1,955 (42/day for golf cart included)
Wilderness Lodge Villa (studio): 2,010
Contemporary tower room: 2,282
Grand Floridian garden view: 2,300
Wilderness Lodge concierge level (standard sold out): 2,339

Out of the above, I guess I'm leaning towards the Ft Wildnerness Cabin or the Wilderness Lodge Villa. I like the idea of kitchenette for simple breakfast stuff. If stay in the Cabin, I guess we need the golf cart so we don't have to rely on the Campground buses. I'm assuming boat transportation from Ft Wilderness is reasonably speedy and convenient. At this point, we're not planning on visiting anywhere except Magic Kingdom and Epcot (unless I get strong recommendations from others to try something else). The convenience pfthe Contemporary is a bit enticing but the hotel itself sounds kind of depressing. I'm not sure the Grand Floridian is worth the money.

Still very much appreciating the advice of people here.

Does anyone know how late the parks are usually open first week of October? I'm trying to figure out a logical schedule (we arrive around 11:15am at Orlando on Saturday and leave 7:30pm on Wednesday. The Halloween Party is on Sunday evening and looks something we definitely need to do. I'm not sure how late the kids will last most evenings, even with a rest break in the afternoon.

Finally, anyone have experience with the complimentary transportation Disney now offers to those staying on property?

The WDW transportation is definitely more convenient than staying off property, no matter what the savings. It eliminates the need to stop at the transportation center, since only WDW buses drop off at the main gate (at least this used to be true). However, that said, if you will primarily be in the Magic Kingdom, the extra dollars to stay at the Grand Floridian might be worth it -- the bus rides get long and tedious after a couple of times. You can take the monorail directly to the GF from the MK.

We always stay at the Beach Club, primarily because you can walk to Epcot or take a boat to MGM. This makes it easier to get back to your room in the afternoon and avoids any long waits for buses after Illuminations.

As far as park hours are concerned, you can call WDW or check online. Expect a relatively early closing for the MK except on weekends. Epcot closes at 9 pm, and the fireworks/laser show starts then.

The important thing to remember -- no matter where you choose to stay -- is that this will not be a luxury, relaxful vacation.

I probably wouldn't choose the Cont. Garden Wing. Nothing too exciting there. If you didn't, you might want to specifically confirm that the WL Villa 1 BR was not available. From prior diagrams, the Studio looked a little cramped, but I never compared it to a standard room. Remember, availability changes all the time, so keep checking even after making your reservation.

On your last question, probably every one on the board who has stayed on Disney property has experience with the transporation. Buses are the predominant form, supplemented with the MK monorail (Poly, TTC, GF, WK, & Contemp.), the Epcot monorail (TTC-Epcot), and some boat transportations (some MK resorts to MK and some Epcot resorts to Epcot and MGM, etc.). For some of the longer rides with a couple of stops (WL to Blizzard Beach, maybe), the wait for the bus and the ride may take as long as an hour. In the several times I have been to WDW, I don't think I've been asked more than once to show my WDW ID. I think either WDW's website or All Ears has a list which shows how frequently buses and boats run.

In general IIRC, buses don't run between resorts or between the parks and Pleasure Island. Thus, you may have to go to an intermediate point and wait for a connecting bus, which can also be a slow process. The exception would be if several resorts were on the same route (for example, there may be one bus from all the MK resorts to Typhoon Lagoon, so if you wanted to go from WL to Contemp., you would be able to use that bus if the route went in the correct direction); however, that info generally isn't published, so you have to call Disney Transportation or ask a bus driver if you want to do something like that. Thus, the prior recommendation to get a rental car.

continued thanks to everyone for their useful suggestions and advice.

We've got provisional reservations at both Fort Wilderness Cabins and Grand Floridian. The Grand Floridian is only $300 more for 4 nights (assuming we rent golf carts for 4 nights at the Cabins).

We're leaning towards the Cabins at this point. We see the pros/cons as follows:

Pros - separate sleeping living area which is nice after kids go to sleep; lots of things to do at Ft Wilderness (nightly campfire & movie; pony rides; trails, etc.); kids will have fun on the golf cart; full kitchen for breakfast & snacks

Cons - longer boat ride to MK and TTC (probably additional 10-20 minutes compared to Grand Floridian); pools aren't themed and less fancy (no water slide); double bed vs. queen at GF

From reading the various bulletin boards, I don't get the impression that the Grand Floridian is really all that luxurious an experience (e.g. Marriott versus Holiday Inn) so convenience and the nicer pools are really the big difference while Ft Wilderness seems to have other activities which we are more likely to prefer to the restaurants at GF. I would choose the GF if I really thought the difference in convenience was going to be a huge factor. However, in our case, we are going to spend most of our time at Magic Kingdom and secondarily at Epcot. We might go to MGM our last day. We need to make a decision by the end of this week.

I'm working on the character breakfast reservations starting in the morning...

Two points (caveat: I'm straying away from actual and/or recent knowledge here): First, it has always been my impression that GF was considerably above the quality of most Marriotts (and I generally prefer Marriotts when traveling on business, so my comment is not anti-Marriott). See the site referenced below and its comment on GF. My impression is that a Ritz Carlton would be a better comparision point for the GF, if that difference matters in your decision.

Second, my guess is that the time difference you estimated in getting to/from MK is a best case estimate and assumes no waiting for the transportation to arrive. I expect from FW, you will see some 20 min. waits for buses or boats to arrive (as you likely would from WL also, based on my experience there). You may also wait a few minutes for a monorail at GF, but I think it only takes 10-15 minutes for the monorail to run the entire track; if they have 2 monorails running on that track . . . (well, you can do the math). IIRC, the next stop after GF is MK (which means on the return, you stop at Contemp., Poly, and TTC before returning to GF).

From http://allearsnet.com/acc/faq_gf.htm

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a Monorail Resort, in the Magic Kingdom resort area of WDW. It has received AAA 4 Diamond, Mobil 4 Star, and was voted one of the top 50 resorts in the world by readers of Conde Nast Traveler.

Really appreciated all the comments from everyone here. Thought I would post the results of our trip:

-stayed in the Fort Wilderness Cabins. Didn't rent a car but did rent a golf cart for our entire stay. The Cabins worked out well for us since we could eat a quick breakfast there before leaving and kids had their own room (one afternoon, they stayed played in their room while Mom & Dad took a much needed 1 hour nap). It's also nice being in something different from a regular hotel (like most here, I get enough of hotels on business trips).

-my major concern had been transportation to/from parks. We found it was really pretty good. Having the golf cart was key - I would have hated having to walk from the cabin to a bus stop and wait for the internal bus. The girls liked riding in the cart and it was easy to get to the transport locations. It ranged from around 25 to 45 minutes from our cabin to inside the park depending on how long we needed to wait for transportation (usually closer to 30 minutes). I had feared multiple stops at other resorts but all the buses went either direct or with a stop only at Fort Wilderness. We only had one incident where we had to wait 30+ minutes for a boat back from MK.

-We had booked a special deal where the dining plan was thrown in at no additional cost. It was phenomenal. We didn't even use all of the snacks and included meals and had more than our fill (it did help that we brought some breakfast stuff to have in the cabins). Enjoyed dinner at Les Chefs de France (wouldn't survive in NYC but very good for a theme park) and had an excellent meal at Artist's Point. The food at Hollywood & Vine (MGM) was mediocre but the kids (and I) loved the dessert make your own sundae buffet and the included reserved spots at Fantasmic were worth it. It was great being able to use the included snacks to purchase stuff from the Epcot Food & Wine festival booths. Almost all of the special festival items were great.

-My girls loved the Cinderella Royal Table breakfast.

-Crowds were not at all bad, all things considered. We followed the advice in "The Unofficial Guide to WDW" (a highly recommended guidebook) and got to all parks at or near opening. We took afternoon breaks. I'd recommend this time of year to anyone. While it was pretty warm (shorts weather for sure all the time) it wasn't brutal like the summer. It rained almost every day but only briefly. Reasonable lines made it worthwhile.

My daughters are already asking if we can go back again next year.

jtrader,

Glad you had such a great Disney trip. It sounds like you did your homework well. I am sure you will take your girls back again and again.

The best thing about going to Orlando is that you can ALWAYS find a hotel room somewhere ;) .....and on any budget, from $50/nt to $500/nt. We've stayed in all ranges :D

We also went to Disney recently (Aug) and I was able to get the same Magic Your Way package that included the food. It was more than enough, for sure, and we also had leftover credits that went unused.

For 3 of us for 3 days, I estimated that the food package saved me around $400. Not bad at all.

(PS- that particular food package is no longer available. Here's hoping they'll offer it again. Disney rarely throws a bone, but this was a GREAT one!)

The Food and Wine Festival is the BEST!

:)

The dining package was truly a great deal. I also figured our savings at easily $600+ for 4 of us over 4 days compared to what we would have probably spent anyway. With the package, we ate some meals we otherwise wouldn't have. I would strongly recommend it even if you have to pay list for it.

Is there any coupon for Disney World tickets ? We 're going to WDW on december 17 and 18. is any one interested in sharing a 5 day pass with us ?
we are a family of 4, 2A + 2C.

Is there any coupon for Disney World tickets ? We 're going to WDW on december 17 and 18. is any one interested in sharing a 5 day pass with us ?
we are a family of 4, 2A + 2C.


There really isn't any way to share admission passes.....Disney uses a biometric hand scan system that prohibits anyone but the original passholder from using the admission days.

Unfortunately, two day passes for you are going to be mighty expensive, about $120 per adult, and that allows no park hopping (kids over age 9 are considered adults).

If you have any reason to believe you may visit again in the future, you might want to look into a longer pass (5 days perhaps) with the no expiration feature.

Have fun. We head to Disney again in 2 days.

You also might want to look at mousesavers.com and see if there are any deals through the ticket brokers - sometimes they have convention passes for shorter time periods. I agree that there's no way to share passes.

If you plan on being at WDW multiple times over a 365 day period, look into Annual Passes. You can also get VERY good resort discounts with one, generally 50% off whats available. Quite a few people book annual pass rates and activate their AP's on their first day in the parks.

Another one to look into is Disney's Dining Experience. $50/year for Annual Passholders (Although with the delays in receiving your card, you can generally get 15-16 months out of a one year card) it gets you 20% off almost all full service restaurants (alcohol included) and all Animal Kingdom counter service. It also gives you free valet parking at any of the deluxe resorts.