Help me plan Disney vacation (Full Version)

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TammyIsBlessed -> Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 12:22:05 AM)

I really had no idea where to post this - we need a vacation forum or something. But, I figured, since women usually do most of the vacation planning, I'd post it here.

We want to take the kids down to Florida this coming winter - either November or late January - but probably November (depends on when I get pregnant[:D])

We'd like to rent a house. I've been checking out www.vrbo.com and it looks great - but how do I know which would be best? Are they all reputable? Any recommendations as far as that goes?

We'll probably only to Disney type stuff 3 days max out of 7. Our kids are still young (6 1/2, 4 1/2, and 2 at the time of travel). Still - any tips on what days are best to go where, where's the best place to buy food, etc.

Also - anything that we just HAVE to do or see with our kids ages?

And restaurant recommendations? Since we're renting a house, we'll pretty much eat there for breakfast, lunch and then either bbq, order in or eat out for supper. So, we won't need to do too much, but I'd like some options.

I guess we'll likely have to rent a car. Though if we stay in a resort community (like Windsor Hills), I think they often have shuttle service to the parks. But, still, a vehicle would give more freedom.

Anyway - if anybody has tips, suggestions - anything at all, fire away!

Thanks!



song -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 1:42:06 AM)

Don't go to Disney on the weekend! (I just went with my Mom a few months ago.) I've heard Wednesday and Thursday are the best days. :-) With three little kids you might decide that one day at the Magic Kingdom is more then enough for you. And I'd have to say, the Magic Kingdom is the best! Your 6 year old will love it. [:)]

If you have money for it, I've always been told that swimming with the manatees is fun!

Otherwise (unless you're only going to be in Orlando) the best thing about Florida is the beach! And so I'd definitely recommend spending as much time there as possible. [:D]



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 2:45:25 AM)

I can't say for sure about Disney, but when I worked at a theme park (Dollywood in TN) I found that tuesday is not a good time to go either. It was almost as bad as saturday. The best we could figure out was that everyone thought that it would be a better day so it turned out to not be. Every week was the same thing...tuesday and saturday being the most visited park days.



EmilyAnn -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 6:43:28 AM)

I think your girls might really enjoy Sea World and Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Epcot and MGM are boring for little kids.



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 8:39:44 AM)

Tammy,
This is one of my favorites. We always stay on the grounds because there are more advantages. I have been to Disney pregnant, with a baby and we are leaving next week with the youngest being three. There are so many things to do pregnant or not.

If you go in November, be careful of the time of the month you go. It starts to get busy around Thanksgiving. January is a great time to go because all families already had a vacation from Christmas, that nobody goes there in January.

I was 8 months pregnant when we went for the first time, and the only things I missed out on were the roller coasters which there are only like three or four, and the River Rapids ride in the animal kingdom. Plus it was not too hot and eventhough we ate on a meal plan which was very generous, I actually lost four pounds from all of the walking we did. It didn't bother me at all.

If you are pregnant, you will be able to go on almost everything. There are only 4 or 5 things that you can't do. You will still have fun.

We always stay on the grounds because there are more benefits and it is just easier for us. So as far as renting a house we have never done that.

I think you should plan for your favorite time and don't worry about being pregnant. For me, it was actually a good break. I had a great time eventhough I was huge.

Go to their website and look up the dining. We love the crystal palace, chef mickeys, libertry tree, the ethnic resturaunts in epcott are great. Just choose the type of food you would normally like. We liked the chinese place there. Pick out some resturaunts and post them here. You might be able to get alot of responses from people who have been to them.
Tracy



car2ner -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 8:54:30 AM)

My grown daughter planned out a Disney week for us a couple of years ago. We stayed at the campsite (which is wonderful BTW).

She figured that we would eat breakfast at the site, Eat Lunch in the Park and then have dinner at the site. Lunches are less expensive than dinners and having a big lunch kept us from snacking our way through the park. A light dinner in the evening was all we needed. It worked very well.

If the girls like Animals, you can spend an entire day at the Animal Kingdom. The zoo is very nice. If they are still do the Lion King act, that is a must see for kids and adults.



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 11:57:24 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrsTracy72

If you go in November, be careful of the time of the month you go. It starts to get busy around Thanksgiving.

Yes! We'd make sure to go before Thanksgiving.

quote:

January is a great time to go because all families already had a vacation from Christmas, that nobody goes there in January.

End of January would be my preference.

I'm not worried about going there pregnant. I know that'll be fine (as long as I'm still ok to fly). The thing is if I'm pregnant now (which I'm suspecting as I'm 4 days late, just haven't had time to go get a test!), then I'd be due in January which would make January not a possibility and therefore we'd go in November, while I was about 7 months along.

But, if I miscarry again (like last time), then we'd still be able to go in January. So, I need to wait till I'm sure the pregnancy will "stick" before booking.

quote:

We always stay on the grounds because there are more benefits and it is just easier for us. So as far as renting a house we have never done that.

What are the benefits?



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 12:11:29 PM)

quote:

What are the benefits?


I think the magic hours are only for the resort guests, and I am not sure about the food plan but I think that you might also have to be a resort guest to take advantage of that. We do that because if you look at the prices of the food, even burgers and fries are expensive. We figure that we can eat much healthier at the buffet resturaunts, and there are alot of them with great food.

You also get your transportation to the parks for free so you don't have to drive, find parking, and pay for it, only to get on a bus to get into the park anyway. That also makes it easier to come and go from the parks because when you are ready to leave, you just jump on a bus or monorail and go.

They also run shuttles to other places though or at least they used to. We never did it, but we could go to seaworld if we wanted. You can call their 407wdisney number and ask. Also, if there are no discounts offered by disney, we found that it was cheaper to pay the AAA fee for the year and book through them.

But, if you already have other things planned, rented house or timeshare might be the way to go. We are leaving in two weeks to drive down there and my kids had a fit when I mentioned that I might want to go to the space center or somewhere else during that week. But I have to admit, I could spend a year there and still not get sick of it. There really is that much to see.

Congratulations on your probable pregnancy by the way. I went in January when I was pregnant and due in February. I also have had miscarriages. You are good to wait because even if you don't miscarry, since you have a history, you just might want to make sure that everything is ok to travel at all. And you can always get the travel insurance so that if you do have to cancel and reschedule, you don't lose your money.

Let us know for sure when you do get time to take a test. I am afraid to get pregnant again so I like to hear about others who can have babies.



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 3:49:17 PM)

Well, I finally had time to run to the town pharmacy and pick up a test (totally expensive, but we're not going to the city soon enough for me to want to wait!) - and it's positive!

Due date - January 20.

So, providing we don't have another miscarriage - we'll be planning for early November now! I only have a history of early miscarriage (both at 8 1/2 weeks exactly), so we should know in about 1 month if everything seems fine.



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 5:06:54 PM)

Congratulations, Tammy!

Definitely, Wednesday and Thursday are the best days. And in your planning, don't forget that Veterans Day is in early November and the public schools have off that day, which would really make the parks crowded.

With your little ones, one major advantage to staying on property is that you can go back to the hotel during the middle of the day, take a nap, play in the pool, and rest before going back to the park in late afternoon. I've seen too many parents drag a poor kid through all the parks and never give them a chance to rest. Then they wonder why the kid is screaming all the time.

If you do rent a house, make sure it's close to Disney. The Orlando area is actually a huge region of a bunch of towns. Depending on where you stay, it could take you an hour (or more, with traffic) to get to Disney. Try to stay near Kissimmee. Traffic is really bad between about 7-9 AM and 4-7 PM, so try to avoid being anywhere near downtown Orlando during those times.

Depending on how long you're down here, you may want to consider taking a day to go to the beach. Cocoa Beach is about an hour and 15 minutes away.

Another idea for dinner one night might be to go to Medieval Times. It's one of those dinner show type places with jousting and knights and all that stuff. Your kids would probably get a kick out of the food-you eat it all with your hands.

Orlando also has a good science museum, with a lot of hands on stuff for the kids. It's called Orlando Science Center.

There are a bunch of places to eat and shop along International Drive (locals call it "I Drive").

As for Disney itself, there are also character breakfasts and other programs designed specifically for young children. Check their website, though because they change all the time.

Ooo, now I'm wishing I could go! Hope that gives you enough to get started.



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 6:20:44 PM)

When we were looking at houses to rent I was checking out Kissimmee only - the neighbourhoods of Windsor Hills and Windsor Palms. How do I which are reputable? Or are they all pretty much the same?

One advantage I can see of having the house is because we're not planning to do Disney every day, we also have our own private pool and hot tub, we can relax with lots of space. Especially with the little kids it's nice when they have their own rooms. And we can be lounging at the pool, while they're napping. Plus we can make our own breakfasts, lunch and even dinner if we want - which would cut down on cost considerably I'd imagine.



peace77 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 8:00:26 PM)

Bring your own drinks into the Disney park(s). You are allowed one drink per person.

It gets pretty expensive to pay $2 or more for a drink of water (or whatever you like to drink).

If your hotel room has a freezer (most have a mini-fridge), it works best to partially freeze your drinks before you go.

Using the Disney website or tour books, plan your route ahead of time. If the crowd is entering the park and heading toward the left, it can be best to head to the right and go counter-clockwise around the park.

You may want to prioritize the attractions that you want to see. Must see attractions - it may be worth it to get a reservation time to get in. A low priority attraction could be skipped if the line is long or everyone is tired.

Medieval Times is a neat dinner theater show if you have never been. Be aware they will also try to sell you pictures. It can get pricey if you buy all the pictures and do the costumes too.

Peace,
Anne



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 10:46:39 PM)

quote:

Due date - January 20.



HOORAY!!!!! That is my birthday! Congratulations!!!



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 10:49:57 PM)

We forgot to tell her about Fast Passes!

You can get one at a time. You go to the ride you want and there have a kiosk where you scan your resort card or ticket. Then you get a ticket with a time printed on it. When it is your time, you go to your ride and and skip the line to get on.

Also, if you have little kids who can't go on certain rides, you can do a child swap. Your husband can take the older kids and then when they get off of the ride, you can go on it. The great thing about the child swap is that you can take two or three people with you and your kids can go on twice in a row without waiting in line twice.



peace77 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/17/2007 11:38:31 PM)

quote:

Fast Passes


Yeah, that's it. I couldn't remember what they called having a reservation time for the rides.



Anne



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 12:58:39 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrsTracy72

Also, if you have little kids who can't go on certain rides, you can do a child swap. Your husband can take the older kids and then when they get off of the ride, you can go on it. The great thing about the child swap is that you can take two or three people with you and your kids can go on twice in a row without waiting in line twice.


I don't quite get how this works. Can you use our family "dimensions" to give me a concrete example of that would work? (me, dh, 6yr, 4yr & 2yr old).



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 12:59:42 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peace77

Bring your own drinks into the Disney park(s). You are allowed one drink per person.


Is there a max size allowed? Or can we all bring 2litres? [:D]



sunshine4God -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 1:06:21 AM)

I am storing all this info away.Next year my family is going to Disney World.
I will be looking in this thread for all the info I can get.



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 11:40:12 AM)

Yes, I forgot about the fast passes, too! Also, I was thinking of you last night because I saw a magazine article that mentioned THIS LINK. I haven't had time to check it out yet, but from what the article said, it might help some.

As for the neighborhoods you mentioned, I'm not familiar with either one, but that doesn't really mean much because there's so many!



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 1:27:31 PM)

quote:

I don't quite get how this works. Can you use our family "dimensions" to give me a concrete example of that would work? (me, dh, 6yr, 4yr & 2yr old).


Ok, Soarin is the greatest ride in Epcott, but the two year old is too small to go on it. What you do is this. You make that the first ride you go on in epcott because the wait can be up to two hours or more. When you get to the ride, either you or your husband takes the 6 and 4 yr old on it. You go the the attendant with them at the beginning of the line with your two year old, and tell them that you are together and you need to child swap.

Then that attendant will give you a fast pass. They go on the ride, and when they get off, whoever waited with the two year old gets to go on the ride, but you also get to take two people with you so that means you can take the 6 and 4 year old again. Plus if you are smart about it, while they are on the ride, you can take their resort cards or park tickets and get fast passes for everybody. Then if you really love the ride, you can go on it again. I am not sure if you are planning on going to epcott, but that ride is that good.

You can do that with any ride that the 2 year old can't go on. Even for the rides you can't go on, you can still child swap and your hubby can take them again.

Also, all of the rides are going to say pregnant people cannot go on them. Remember that is just because of liability. You can go on everything that is considered a gentle ride. Stay off of the rollarcoasters and out of mission space and Kali river rapids in Animal Kingdom. I think that as far as that goes, everything else is safe. You have been pregnant before, you will know what is safe and not safe. Talk to your doc anyway, but I am sure they will tell you the same thing.

I also think that you need to know this. You plan on renting a house and spending most meal times there, but keep this in mind. You and or your kids are probably not going to want to leave the park once you get there to go back for a meal. There really is that much to see and do. I thought we would do the same, but what ended up happening is my son who was 4 at the time and my husband who thought he was 12 at the time, stayed out until well past midnight. Then they got up early the next morning and started over again. I didn't see them much that week.

If you get park hopper tickets and your husband wants to take the older kids, you can take the two year old and spend the day in the countries in epcott. It is nice and quiet. It is situated around a lake and you can visit with people from those countries and try some of the food.

Am I telling you too much??? I know that I sometimes talk alot.



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 3:17:38 PM)

You can never tell me too much - keep it coming! [:D]

I know that on the days we do Disney we'll definitely be eating out for lunch and supper. I just meant on the other days it'd be cheaper.

The "plan" would be to alternate park days with relaxing days or beach days.

We're also going to be going with my in-laws so they might be ok with keeping the 2yr old with them for a day while we go to the parks - that would be nice!

Thanks for explaining the child swap thing - that sounds great!



Harvie -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 6:51:52 PM)

I am currently on vacation in Florida.

Bring sunscreen AND insect repellent. LOTS and LOTS of insect repellent.

[sm=funny.gif]



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/18/2007 11:34:28 PM)

I will be there next week!!!



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/19/2007 1:12:34 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harvie

I am currently on vacation in Florida.

Bring sunscreen AND insect repellent. LOTS and LOTS of insect repellent.

[sm=funny.gif]


As in mosquitoes? I thought we had the market cornered on those pests.[:D]



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/19/2007 3:19:37 PM)

Tammy,
There are also classes you can enroll your kids in. One of the hotels The Grand Flouridian (sp?) They have this little chefs class that you can put the older kids in for the morning. They get to plan and cook a snack. They learn about handwashing and kitched safety too. Then they get to give samples out to people in the lobby. It is pretty cool.

There is also a pirate or treasure island one too. They go to the island and go on a treasure hunt. They get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

Both adventures are about 2 and 1/2 hours I think. It will give you and hubby time alone for a while.



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