disneyworld/ epcot recommendations
 

We are planning to go to Disneyland for Thanksgiving. Does anyone have recommendations for reasonable hotels and discount on Theme Parks? We think we'd prefer to stay at the park... but don't want to pay a fortune. Any advice would be appreciated. Also,we plan to be there for 5 days. Is this too much or too little time? We don't have lots of available vacation time. Also does anyone know how busy the parks might be Thanksgiving weekend and the first few days after the weekend? Thanks for your help. By the way, we are two adults that like playing.... no kids will be joining us.

Historically, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, except for the few days around the Holidays themselves, is one of the best times to go to the House of Mouse. Combination of cooler weather, and a natural lull between "vacation" periods, etc. Also one of the prettiest times to be at WDW, IMHO, as they really make that parks look lovely with their decorations. We will be there in conjunction with a Disney Cruise this year. As for places to stay, we've been very dedicated fans of the on-site properties, until this year, when we experienced the Wyndham Palace Resort, just outside of the Downtown Disney area. The original lure was the low rate ($45/night (actually $20 due to bonus money) via PriceLine), but we were very happy with the location, accommodations and convenience of this property. I've also been very impressed (when not traveling with the kids) with the rooms at the Old Key West Resort. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by BIM (edited 10-04-2000).]

i will be there(here) also during that time. i am told it is very busy here.

i am currently working in orlando and will be bringing my family out at that time.

if you know a florida resident, they can buy a discounted ticket for you for most of the major parks.

if i find anything out, i will post it back here.

make restaurant reservations now for that week. they are booking up quick.

f

Definitely stay at the park - it makes everything a lot easier - you get free easy transport and you can have packages sent back to the hotel rather than having to carry them.

If you stay at the budget prices hotels (Music Resort, Movie Resort, Sports Resort) it's very cheap during the period you're talking about. The accomodation is decorated in a rather fun kitsch fashion (it the resort for kids after all) and it can be slightly louder than the other resorts BUT the truth is at Disney you spend VERY little time in the rooms anyway, and by the time you get back to your rooms you'll sleep very soundly and then be up and at the parks again the next morning.

IMHO it's just not worth the expense of anything but the onsite Value resorts, because you spend so little time at the resort itself. Have an awesome time!!!

Epcot is two full days if you have any variety in your interests...and could be three on a slow pace. DisneyWorld has more to do with how long you are willing to stand in line.

FWIW- CO Vacations is now offering a "Free Dinner & Movie" when you book a Fall 2000 Orlando vacation package. This offer is available on packages of 3 nights or more.

The dinner and movie are for two at CityWalk, Universal Orlando’s entertainment complex. Eligible bookings must be made by 10/15, for travel through December 15, 2000.

As a sample of the packages, a four-day/three-night deal, including roundtrip air from Boston, hotel accommodations at the Quality Inn Plaza, hotel tax, a compact rental car (including car taxes and unlimited mileage), and the dinner and movie, starts at $399 per person, double occupancy.

The lowest prices are for travel originating Sundays, Mondays or Tuesdays.

Travelers can choose from among more than 40 resorts and hotels, and Continental Airlines Vacations offers many add-on options including passes to Orlando's theme parks and attractions.

For reservations, call (888) 898-9255; or
www.continentalairlinesvacations.com.


AND: Perhaps something interesting I recall at:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum94/HTML/001251.html

BTW- Hope your NY/NJ trip was a real good one! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 10-04-2000).]

I agree that the "lull" between Thanksgiving and Christmas is an excellent time to go. Avoid the holidays themselves (since you are obviously not constrained by school holiday dates!)

My best advice is to get my favorite book on the subject: the Unoffical Guide to Walt Disney World. It covers every possible angle on when to go, where to stay, what to see in what order, lodging ratings, etc.

Here's a link at Amazon.com, perhaps you can find it cheaper elsewhere:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...944173-0672816

I've been there several times with my boys right after Thanksgiving. It's a great time to go - the lines are short and crowds are not very big. I highly recommend staying on Disney property. There are several advantages: first, if you're there during the Thanksgiving weekend you can get into the parks earlier and even if the parks are closed (because of the number of people) you'll be admitted; second, the Disney transportation system works well to/from anywhere within Disney World property; third, you can buy "length-of-stay" passes to the parks rather than the 1 or 5 day passes that are the standard (You can even book a package which includes the hotel room and the park admissions and some or all meals and incidentals - needless to say, the absolutely all inclusive gets quite expensive.) Disney has rooms in just about all price categories but book now as they often sell out of specific types.

As to whether 5 days is appropriate, it's great for a first visit. There are several theme parks - Magic Kingdom, Disney Studios, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom - each could take one or more days to really "do" well but one day is enough and then return to one you would like to explore more. In the evenings there's Disney Downtown and Pleasure Island. The show not to miss is La Nouba by Cirque de Soleil in Downtown Disney. If you plan to see the Hoop Dee Doo Revue you should book now as it is usually sold out. The water parks may not be a lot of fun at that time of year as it may be bit cool. If you arrive on Thanksgiving weekend note that all the decorations will change overnight to a Christmas theme immediately after the weekend.

Regardless of how many times we go, there always seems to be something new or something we didn't get to see to encourage a return visit. Have fun. You'll enjoy it.

5 days can be just right -- depends on what you want out of the vacation.

for a balance between rest/relaxation and higher-energy entertainment, consider:

-- booking one of their moderate-price resorts (Port Orleans is the best of the three). Unless you hit a ferocious cold snap, the pool and will provide enough entertainment for two days, or you can take the riverboat to downtown Disney. There's enough at the hotel to keep kids entertained, and a great spot to pull up a lounge chair for sleepy afternoons.

-- buying ParkHopper passes for three days; try for at least a full day at Epcot, and then jump between MGM, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom and the water parks as you like.

Minimum duration for a Park Hopper Passport is 4 days. But this is still the best way to go as you can hop between parks and only be docked for that one days usage. A one-day ticket ($46 plus tax) is expensive by comparison and is only valid at one park that one day. No hopping.

Unused days on Park Hoppers never expire (except for special time limited tickets like some Florida Resident tickets, etc.)

If you stay at a Disney owned resort you can get a "Length Of Stay" Passport that is valid from check-in through the entire day of your check-out, and might be a good option if you are stay on property. Disney resort guests also get early admission to the parks on a rotating basis, and guaranteed park admission with valid ticket (which could be a factor around Thanksgiving which traditionally sees the parks reach capacity and stop admissions).

One thought - Go surfing - www.disneyworld.com - obviously it's all one big ad, but it'll give you a look at most of the properties and ammenities, and info about packages, etc....

Re having a resident buy you a ticket: Be advised that I saw staff requesting proof of residence from guests using Florida resident discounted tickets. This was as of August, so use discretion...

I have to second BIM's recommendation for teh Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa. It is right across the street from Downtown Disney. They have a free shuttle to all the parks, and it's a 5 minute walk to Pleasure Island, and all the other joys of DD. On top of that it's a FANTASTIC hotel, with beautiful grounds and great service. I spent $50 a night there due to my Priceline bid. They're even kind enough to remove the resort fee of $7 per night. Go to Sheryl's Priceline board for info on scoring this hotel. It's here: http://pub4.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

I second the recommendation on The Unoffical Guide to Disney World. Its one of the best travel books around, and can really save you loads of waiting on line time, not to mention money.

As for hotels, its not clear what your budget is. I tend to skip the on-site hotels - they are consistently overpriced, and the free transportation lure is somewhat of a scam - generally you can get to the parks faster, or just as fast from many off-site, but nearby properties. How much do you want to spend on the hotel?

Thanks for all of your great advice. I think it would be good if we could pay somewhere between $75-$100/night. It seems a shame to pay a lot for a room when you will hardly be there to enjoy it.

I recommend Steve Birnbaums Walt Disney World book :http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786853174/o/qid=970723788/sr=2-1/103-2815023-2143855 which tells you how to avoid long queues for the most popular rides.