keepinitsimple

Hi

Me and my wife (both of us in our late 20s) are planning a visit to the US. After business meetings, we will be free for personal travel within the US from 23 May - 11 June. Would like to spend time at WDW and take in the entire experience.

We would like advice on:
-- What date range and #days is optimum
-- Suggested places for staying. We cannot drive. In terms of budget, we are not fussy about the rooms - just that it has to have a king bed and non-smoking! Essentialy looking to get some good deals on the hotels, but keeping in mind that we cannot rent a car and drive
-- Are there any deals on passes to the parks. Any special passes to cut the queues?
-- We can also consider flight+hotel+park-ticket packages


Thanks in advance

Mary2e

There's a current active thread that you might want to read that will give you a general idea what's available for your time frame and answer some of your questions. It's called "Help me plan a trip to Disneyworld."

After you go through that, and it's not that long, come back with some more specific questions and I'm sure you'll get the answers you need!

jrgators

if you're not able to drive then you'll need to stay at the magic kingdom or a nearby hotel that has a shuttle to the park although magic kingdom is more convenient. To minimize cost you could always stay at the lower cost all-star resort area. There are no deals to "cut the queues". Disney calls it a Fastpass and its free. Many of the popular rides have a fastpass line. There's a machine at the entrance to the ride and you essentially get a "reserved time" for when you can get on the ride. The earlier in your schedule timeframe the better since you're getting close to schools starting to let out. You could probably see the bulk of the things at disney in 4 days (one park per day). The price of tickets is essentially minimal the more days you stay so the biggest cost will be hotel/food should you decide to stay 4 or 5 or 6 days.

maeboyce

Hi keepinitsimple

We are just back from Orlando. We were driving so stayed at a villa, but had to check out a day before due to fly home and found fabulous accommodation at the Homewood Suites on International Drive. The suites are at a very nice part of the I-Drive with lots of nicevery reasonably priced eateries within comfortable walking distance. (including Bahama Breeze - good food and also live music at night).
The suites themselves are made up of a small sitting room, couch, TV fridge, etc which leads through to the bedroom (unbelievably comfortable king bed with lots of lovely down pillows).
As an added plus, the hotel provide a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning, and during the week, also offer a light meal with wine, beer and soft drinks included.
This was the biggest bargain of our holiday - fantastic value and of course, they also offer complimentary transport to the parks - just book in advance.
Hope this help and have a great trip when the time comes.

luvntony14

First off there is no staying at the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom is one of the parks in Disney World. You will want to stay onsite at Disney World though. If cost is a factor look into staying at one of Disney's Value Resorts (All-Star Movies, Sports or Music or Pop Century). Pop Century was recently renovated and you can request a King Bed and ALL Disney resorts are non-smoking. These would be the cheapest resorts Disney has to offer, however, they have others in higher price ranges that offer more amenities and easier transportation to some of its parks via monorail or boat or walking.

You can use Disney's transportation to/from the parks and Downtown Disney.

Offsite hotels may save you some money, but the shuttle services they provide can be somewhat annoying and hit or miss on timing. Disney's shuttles run pretty much round the clock, based on park hours. You'll be able to take a break from the park and go back to your resort.

For some more in-depth information I suggest using the forum sight www.disboards.com lots of information there from lots of Disney's frequent visitors.

happymommy

Another option for hotels with shuttle service is the Downtown Disney hotels. The Holiday Inn just reopened, and gets good reviews. They all provide shuttles to the theme parks, and also you can walk to the Crossroads shopping center, which has a few dining options (McDonalds is one, plus some low priced places).

I'd definitely start with disboards, and maybe buy a good guidebook (not the Birnbaum official one, but an unofficial one). Disneyworld is NOT a vacation where you can wing it - you really do need some good information before you go.

I'd go earlier in your timeframe - in June many schools let out, and the crowds get a little bigger. Plus, the weather may be better.

Since you won't be driving, I would also use a towncar service from the airport to your hotel - one that provides a short grocery stop. That way, you can pick up items for your room, like breakfast foods, snacks, bottled water, drinks, etc... I like quicksilver tours and transportation - the drivers were very professional and prompt. They meet you at baggage pick-up with a sign so you know who they are, and then I like to stop at super Target - very low prices and enough selection for the week.

elkhornne

If possible check out Epcot. Going from country to country and trying the food and drink is a lot of fun. I would try for 5 days at all the parks if possible. There are some inexpensive Disney resorts offering great deals. We've been 17 times and love it. Have fun.