& Jen P:
So I think it’s time to take the plunge! I’ve only been to Disney once – and I was 10. Now, nearly 3 decades and 2 kids later, my husband and I are toying with the idea of planning a trip down there in the Feb/March timeframe (definitely before the spring-breakers invade!). Jake will be 5 so we’d like for him to experience Disney while it’s still so magical. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he meets his idol, Mickey Mouse. And Ryanne would only be 8 months … very portable (ride/nap in a stroller) vs having to worry about a toddler running around. We’re also hoping to take advantage of some great deals since the economy has turned south.
But the whole thought of planning a Disney trip completely overwhelms me!!! I recently did a Google search on “planning a Disney trip” and found that there is SO much information out there… I don’t even know where to begin! That’s where you all come in … I KNOW there are plenty of Smarties out there with some great tips to share … or better yet, lessons learn of things to avoid! I know NOTHING about Disney, so consider me a blank slate …
– Where is a good place to stay?
– Are there better days of the week to go than others?
– What’s the ideal number of days in the Park?
– Which parks are best for little kids (5-years and almost 1)?
– Any tips on ways to save money? (I know “Disney” and “economical” don’t really go hand in hand, but I’m guessing many of you have some super Smarty ideas here!)
– What activities should we sign up for?
– Are there any good online resources for panning a trip?
Any advice is welcome … please share your own Smarty tips or experiences in the Magic Kingdom.
Jen P here! OK, so I’m totally hijacking Tracy’s post, but she asked for advice, and well, we just got back from Disney last week, so here goes:
I consider Disney World a rite of passage for all parents. We planned our Disney trip a while back and tried to be strategic about crowds. So we decided to go the week after Thanksgiving and it worked out to our advantage (although Monday was still a bit crowded due to leftover Thanksgiving visitors). I would recommend going way before Spring Break and remember, Spring Break pretty much covers March and April. Or wait until after Thanksgiving but before Christmas. You will have Chamber of Commerce weather and the least amount of crowds (if there is such a thing at Disney World!).
When I first set out to plan my Disney trip, I too was completely overwhelmed and canceled my first attempt back in the spring. Actually, this was all because I missed out on the breakfast and/or tea at Cinderella’s castle since this thing books out 4 months in advance, literally to the minute! So I tried again for our trip last week and missed it again. So we chose a character breakfast instead. That was great – actually, the best food we had in the park and the Mickey Mouse waffles (available at all Disney breakfast restaurants) are to-die for!
We stayed on Disney properties at the Disney Caribbean Beach Resort. It was pretty basic, inexpensive (thanks to my friend who somehow hooked me up with a Disney employee discount!) and perfect for this trip since we were in our hotel room from 10:30p until 8a ( 2 1/2 year old twins stayed at my in-law’s house – very good strategy here!). We had to use the Disney busing system and I have to say, I was less than impressed. If it operated like they advertise, then the buses are supposed to come every 20 minutes, which is perfect. However there were two different times where we had to wait in excess of 45 minutes for a bus, plus a 15-minute bus ride. Next time, which won’t be until the twins are old enough to ride roller coasters, we will definitely stay on the monorail system (however not the Contemporary – this place is true 70’s vintage and has not been remodeled since I was born!). This is the ticket, especially if you are there for a short trip (3 days or less). I can’t imagine staying longer than 3 days – you and your kids will get plenty of Disney in 3 days!
Disney tickets to the park cost a FORTUNE – this is where we spent the most money so be prepared. However, one of my Smarty friends and avid-Disney goers just informed me that Disney is currently running a special in Jan/Feb – something like, buy 4 days and get 3 free? You may want to look into that. To try and minimize spending a zillion dollars while in the park (because trust me, these Disney marketers are brilliant and they route you through a gift shop every where they can!), we set up guidelines before we entered the park. The girls were allowed to pick out one small thing on the 1st and 2nd days – it had to be within reason and something that they could carry throughout the park. This worked well – we spent maybe $50 total on treats for the girls. You could bring your own Wal-Mart/Target Disney toys in and give them to your child each day, but I thought it would be extra special if they picked out their own authentic Disney toy, only available at Disney World. Funny thing about that was that Isabel was determined to pick out a Webkinz unicorn and I flat out refused. We could get that thing anywhere! So she settled on a Lady dog from Lady in the Tramp!
Extra Magic Hours are key. If you are staying on a Disney property, they have “magic hours” where you can use the park exclusively. Plan on getting to the park when the magic hours first open and hit Fantasy Land immediately. Here you will need to quickly familiarize yourself with the Fast Pass system. This allows you to make a reservation (1 per hour) on popular rides and if you come during your reservation, you can go right to the front of the line. You should try to Fast Pass Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean. You wait in line at another ride and send your hubby off to fast-pass – works beautifully! By the time you finish the ride, you will exit and should be off to the ride you have a Fast Pass for. You will also want to Fast Pass Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. This will save you a TON of time.
Roller coasters – many rides have a 40″ – 48″ minimum height. We rode everything except my petite Isabel could not ride Space Mountain or Mt. Everest/Yeti in Animal Kingdom. She is a thrill-seeker and was really bummed out.
Parade/Fireworks – this was my favorite part of the trip but plan accordingly. We seriously almost got crushed b/c people were pushing from all sides of the crowd. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early and stake your spot. Remember, you have to be on or behind the red line for the parade. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there. There will be sidewalk cops everywhere policing this law. The parade truly was magical and the fireworks too. Definitely worth all the trouble.
Princess/Disney characters – I was extremely disappointed in the lack of characters walking around the park. I grew up going to Disney and I have fond memories of Mickey tickling my ear from behind or bumping into Goofy. Not the case at all anymore. Every character has a designated time/location and you have to wait in a LONG line to talk to them, well actually, to just get a signature. Disney has marketed this quite well and they try to getcha with collecting the character pins and autograph books that are super expensive. We waited for 2 hours to meet the princesses and the fairies (since I failed my girls on the tea at the castle!) and that was kind of annoying to me. Here we were, waiting in line again and again just to smile, take a photo and get an autograph. It all seemed pretty forced to me, but the girls were totally content with the process. We bypassed the Bibbitty-Bobbitty Boutique – am I a terrible mom?! We saw little girls in princess costumes and updo’s everywhere and my girls were unphased. I was sure that would cost a small fortune so we just avoided it. I figured if they really felt slighted (which they didn’t even notice), then I would treat them later on to an updo at Libby-Loo’s or Sweet ‘n Sassy when we got back to Charlotte!
Food – you have to plan your dinners in advance and make reservations. There is no lolly-gagging at Disney World – everything you do must have a strategic plan involved. We planned an evening at Downtown Disney which was pretty fun. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe (kinda pricey but cool atmosphere – actually, it was pricey because it was the first meal where I could sit down and enjoy an adult cocktail so I may have gone a little overboard!). Downtown Disney has great shopping, Cirque de Soleil and good restaurants “off campus” so it was a nice change of scenery. Smarty tip: you can bring in snacks and drinks to the park. Drinks might be a pain b/c they are heavy. But don’t be afraid to pack granola bars and trail mix. We ate only two meals a day and brought in snacks. We did not buy the dining package. I feel like we came out ahead since we didn’t eat that much. Who has time to eat in that place?! It was go, go, go!
The third day, we went to Animal Kindgom – this was CRAZY crowded for a Wednesday. I think it’s always crowded because of school field trips. The safari was cool. Mt. Everest was the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on. But overall, I was not that impressed with the park. I truly believe that you can get a much, much better animal safari experience at our own Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville.
OK, sorry to write a book! Do share your experiences!!
P.S. Don’t forget to register for the Paper Twist Smarty Giveaway:
Paper Twist is giving one lucky Smarty the perfect mommy package, valued at $195. You’ll be organized, dressed in a sassy tee and ready to send out a darling thank-you note from you and your precious child. Click here to enter – contest ends at 11pm on Wednesday, 12/17.
23 comments
Great topic!! We have not taken our 4 to Disney yet and are hoping to afford to go soon!! I have not been to Disney since I was in middle school and my hubby has never been- so we will need all the help we can get!! I have heard of soome many places to stay-it's hard to know which to chose. I look forward to reading everyone's advice!!!Jennifer,Mommy to Alexis-7, AJ-6, Carson & Dylan-3.
Tracy-my four year old has been twice and we have been without her to run the marathon. We always go in January since the crowds are low (except marathon weekend). This past year the weather was great. I too stayed at the Carribean resort-it was fine but i think i would try to stay closer to the parks the next time. the animal kingdom lodge is wonderful but a long bus ride to the other parks as well. We skipped the boutique too since it is really expensive. We did do two character meals-one at the Grand Floridian with Cinderella and her family. The other was at the movie park( they changed the name of it). The meal was at the diner with the Little Einsteins. They were fun. Make sure you tell your son he will not be able to play with the characters. My daughter want to just hang out with them. So that was hard to explain to her. We brought our own journal for them to sign. We also planned ahead and brought her a snow white dress to wear to the parks and the princess dinner. She loved it! Fass pass is great but we only had to use it once. Our daughter has a nut/peanut allergy and the staff is very knowledgeable at all the eating establishments, even the low-end ones. One of the best things is when you fly into Orlando, you never have to stop at baggage claim. You just get on the Magical Express, go straight to your hotel and your luggage appears-it’s great.
The reason you don’t see Mickey and other characters walking around the park anymore – like they did when we were young – is because Mickey was actually “pants” on Main St, I’ve been told. So now, all characters have their own entourage – as I’m sure you’ve noticed – and you can only see them and get pictures in designated areas after waiting in lines. I know, it’s a disappointment, but it’s how it is now.-Katie M
We loved animal kingdom with a 5 and 3 year old. It was like the zoo only cooler. I also packed lunchables and drinks for the kids. Kids meals are like $6 and adults $8 and they don’t give you tons of food either.
What a great post! My sister lives in Orlando and just took her 2 1/2 year old & 4 month old daughters. She said it was the best experience ever! Too see the pure joy on your child's face is priceless….The only advice I can give, which you already talked about is the timing. My sister definitely said the best times to go to Disney World is during the fall when all the kids are back in school and late winter/early spring (before spring break). She went the day after Thanksgiving and she was pleasantly surprised that the park was pretty empty. They didn't have to wait in long lines at all. Supposedly Thanksgiving day was packed, so they got lucky!I can't wait to take our daughter to Disney World.
My husband and I went recently for our one-year anniversary and had the time of our lives! We stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort – very economical. They have a central dining area, similar to a cafeteria, along with a gift shop. There are also two pools on site for some down time. We checked in on a Monday and checked out on Saturday – and that worked well, as we visited a different park each day. We also took one day to go to Universal Orlando, since it’s just down the road. The things that we loved about our trip were the following:1. Meal plan. We did a meal plan that included one quick meal – this is a cafeteria meal (i.e pizza), one sit-down meal and one snack per day. This was so great, as we didn’t have to worry about bringing a card or cash with us. One thing we didn’t take into consideration was the tip – this is not included in the meal plans. We did find it all very convenient though, as each park clearly identifies what eateries qualify as a quick meal vs. sit-down meal and there are a TON of great options.2. Fast Pass – this is such a great thing that Disney started. When you go to a popular ride, i.e. the new Toy Story ride, you can either wait in line – or – go to the “Fast Pass” station, insert your park pass and it will give you a ticket that allows you to come back through the “fast pass” line during a certain time frame. The “fast pass” lines go quicker and tend to get let in prior to the standard lines. This was very helpful for Animal Kingdom. Right when we got to the park, we got a “fast pass” for the Safari (very neat!), went and had breakfast and by the time our breakfast was done – our “fast pass” time was ready -so we went right on the ride!Good luck with planning your trip, it’s alot of fun. We can’t wait to go back again!
we are going to Disney the first part of May with our daughters, one will have just turned 4 and the other not quite 2. We are staying at pop century (value resort). we are also flying, so that was our trade off, flying but less expensive hotel. I figured we won’t be in the hotel that much and flying sure beat 10+ hours in the car with a 4 year old and a toddler. My parents are also going with us. I have heard from many friends that have been before that having other people there to help is the way to go, if that is an option. We booked a while ago but when the buy 4 get 3 free came out, our travel agent at AAA quickly credited our account and we were able to save about $300. We are going for 6 nights, but probably will take a day off and won’t go visit a park every day. we also did the meal plan. Works out to be about $35/day for an adult and $10/day for a child. That includes snack, quick meal, sit down. One of the main reasons we did this was that you can trade in sit down credits for character dining. we were able to use 2 table service for the princess breakfast in the castle, which will save us money than to pay out right. Plus $10/day for a child to eat seems pretty cheap to me at Disney. We also didn’t have to pay for our other daughter as she won’t be quite 2, so the girls will be able to share, which is even better. We are excited as I went many times as a child and can’t wait to see the girls’ faces when we walk into Magic Kingdom!! anybody have any advice on renting their stollers vs. bringing your own?
I am also planning a trip to disney in 2009. We are going to go the week of my husband’s birthday. In 2009 you get in free on your b-day. his birthday is the only birthday in our family not in the summer, its in early dec. Also I signed up to receive their free disney planning dvd, its pretty cool shows new attractions , hotels, downtown disney info etc..
We are doing the buy 4 get 7 deal, it is saving us around $1600 for the week, it includes tickets to the park (not hopper passes but the boys would not have the energy to go to more than one park a day). We have gone once with the oldest and the meal plan was great. We booked ours through small world travel company, a travel agency that does only Disney and they were super, will even book your meals for you if you know where you want to eat. We did the parks based on who opened early and meals in the parks. Worked great. Since we are going for a week this time we will not be so rushed and plan to do the parks in the morning, eat our sit down meal at lunch to fill up, come back to the hotel after lunch for naps and then do the pool or water parks in the afternoon. We are also staying in one of the villas so that we have a kitchen and an extra bedroom so my husband and I dont have to go to bed at the same time the boys do. Cant wait
Also if you are not staying on the monorail I suggest using a car, makes it easier rather than waiting for the bus all the time
allears.net
We went thru a local travel agent, flew round trip,stayed 8 days and 7 nights at the yacht club,7 day park hopper plus water parks, everything taken care of by travel agent and saved 1500.00 by not doing it online myself.
This may sound ridiculous, but we went to DisneyLAND during the second week of September. It is TINY compared to Disney World and is perfect because of that! The flight with an almost 2 year old and 4.5 year old was long, but we survived. There were absolutely no lines that week. No need for fast pass at all. We rode everything several times and never waited more than 5 minutes to have an autograph signing with Pluto, Goofy, etc. We had breakfast with Minnie, which I booked exactly 60 days out (earliest possible). We got most of our signatures then. Our longest wait was to see 4 princesses – about 30 minutes. The castle is small compared to DW, but my daughters didn’t know the difference. It was good for us that there were not all the other parks. We used dividend miles to get there and saved a ton in the end. If you have another excuse to go out there (friends, family, etc.), I would highly recommend it. It makes a Disney experience as simple as going to Carowinds for a day!
Disney is also doing a deal on 3 day cruises, kids 12 and under are free.
We took our kids to Disney last summer. I HIGHLY recommend the Princess Lunch at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway at Epcot. You get to see ALL the Disney Princesses in one place. They come around to your table to say hello and pose for a picture. No lines and even though they say they do not guarantee which characters will be there, when we were there we saw Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Jasmine. My three year old daughter was in heaven! I think they offer this at Breakfast and Dinner as well.
There is a website http://www.mousesavers.com which sends you emails when Disney is having deals. It also gives you alot of advice on planning your trip. I found it very helpful when planning my trip. We are going on a cruise and staying at Disneyworld in January.
We took our 2-year-old last May, she had turned 2 in February. My husband had a conference in Orlando so we met him for the weekend and I actually had some free passes to the park. She was a little young but we couldn’t pass up a free trip. I was surprised at how much she could ride and we all enjoyed it (it was my first time too). She did not like the characters though. We took our own stroller and I put a luggage tag on it assuming there would be people with the same strollers and the staff will move the strollers to keep the crowd moving. She and I went to Sea World while Daddy was working that Friday and she LOVED that too. I can’t wait to go back!
We just came back from DisneyWorld in October, and it was magical! We stayed at the Polyesian which was Excellent and where we plan to stay again when we go back. We upgraded to the Magic Kingdom view and when we checked in, the Resort upgraded us to the Conceirge lounge which was amazing. We actually ate breakfast there every morning for free and they had snacks and appetizers and adult beverages during the evening. We loved it. It was also key being on the Monorail IF you are going to bringing a stroller. You can just roll it on and off. This was important, because if you have kids who are tired, sleeping or you have stuff in your stroller, you have to take them all out to fold it up to get on a bus, then carry everything plus the kids. We brought our Double Jogger Dreamer Design and it was fabulous! My son was only 15 months when we went and for him to nap in the stroller was key. He would not of been able to do that in the ones you can rent. The busses (while convenient) were less than desirable. We waited at our resort for over 30 minutes for the bus to take us over to Hollywood Studio’s and almost missed the show we went to see. It was also about a 20 minute ride..Definitely book your meals and activities well before hand. You can book Cinderella’s castle 180 days in advance, which I did to the day. The breakfast was amazing and the food was really good. We also did Chef Mickey’s but it was just buffet food, not all that great in my opinion. Definitely eat at OHANA at the Polynesian, it was amazing and fun for the kids! Fast Pass is great and some of the Rides (I know Aerosmith has it) does the single rider’s. With just me and DH, one of us had to ride while the other stayed with our two kids, but we got to go on and off within 15 minutes with the single rider option. We actually went a few times and didn’t have to wait in the 45 minute long line! Saturday nights Fireworks were amazing, and you got to see Tinkerbell. It was magical!We also did Mickey’s not so scary Halloween Party and that was a fun extra. We did take DD to the BBB, but only did the hair and make-up. She has so many princess dresses already and I honestly didn’t see the point of her wearing it around the park all day. She however loved here hair up-do and her make-up. They gave us the palatte to bring home and she still wears it almost every day! Extra Magic hours were great! We went to Epcot to watch the fireworks one night and stayed to see some of the rides and there was literally no one there! Check out AllEars.net for GREAT tips! Awesome sight for planning. Again, I highly recommend the polynesian, it was just remodeled and the rooms are much larger than some of the other resorts because it is older. It was great!
Well you have received tons of information, but I will contribute alittle:1. With small children, I would stay in a hotel that is on the monorail; you can come and go as you please without waiting for buses all the time.2. Three days is more than enough at the parks. I know they entice you with special offers for 5 days or more but everyone will be worn out. 3. Magic Kingdom is great for your age children and Animal Kingdom if they love animals.4. MUST have lunch at the Crystal Cathedral in Magic Kingdom. Buffet lunch with Disney characters for the children to greet as they eat. Book now! These are just a few recommendations as you have received many. Hope it helps!Teri Pantier
One more comment about strollers…You can rent a single stroller for $15/day and a double for $30/day. The only negative to the Disney strollers is that there is no basket underneath, just a mesh sleeve on the back that can’t hold much (not even close to holding a diaper bag or small backpack). So if you’re traveling with an 18m old or younger, you probably want to bring your own.
We ahve been twice. Character dining is a must… Breakfast or lunch in the castle worth every dime you pay. Chef Mickey’s for dinner you eat and see all the main characters. IT’S a MUST. Otherwise you will not see anyone. Stay on the Tram line. Have reservations for dinner every night. use fast pass when you can.
I am a Disney Travel Specialist. I have lots of tips to share with anyone who is interested. I worked at Walt Disney World on the college program many, many years ago. I’d love to help you! Anna Swenson 803-487-2234disneyaladdintravel@gmail.com
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