Need tips for Disney World Trip Apr 2007

I am planning to take my young daughters (who will be 4 and 5.5 years old at the time of the trip) to Disney World in Orlando FL this spring (early to mid April 2007) during my older daughter's spring break from Kindergarten.

I will research roadfood/eating opportunities in the area (what few there may be) at a later time, so please don't give me any of that in this thread. Instead, I am looking for money saving tips....coupons, offers, and specials that I don't know about, etc.

I am not sure if we'll go 1 day or 2 days, but I expect to go 2 days at the moment.

Any and all money saving ideas will be much appreciated.

Also - I understand that staying at one of the hotels right there at the park is a timesaver and further enables the possibility of eating packed lunches in a private room. This has its attractions for us....so realizing these rooms will almsot assuredly be more expensive than staying 50 miles away at a cheap motel, I am looking for deals on these as well.

I have stayed at the Marriott at the village at Lake Beaunevista or something like that.

When you check in, ask for the early moring tour of the vacation deals. It takes an hour and they give you a heck of a discount for Disney.

http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/MCOLY

Paul E. smith
knoxville, TN

I think you will have a hard time seeing Disney World in 2 days. I'm planning on going in Oct '07 and will stay a week. Probably with only 2 days (especially with the age of your children) you will do better just sticking to the Magic Kingdom part of Disney World (the girls will love the rides and shows there). There are several low-priced hotels in DW such as the sports themed ones or movie themed. I think they are available for about $85 a night or so. Keep in mind that the rooms are small, but nice pools and decor. Yes, it is easier to stay within DW as you can catch a shuttle bus from your hotel to the entrances to the theme parks, then you don't have to pay for parking or driving from one park to another.

There is a great book (an unauthorized book) about DW at book stores that is very informative.

Good luck and have fun.

My best advice would be to wait a few more years, for the most part the only rides for little kids are in the Magic Kingdom, there are a few in the other areas that little ones can ride with a parent. Of course there are a lot of visuals that the kids will enjoy all over the park (EPCOT, Small World etc)but for the amount of money a one or 2 day pass costs... personally Id wait till the kids where 8-10 at least. Most of the discounts you see will be attached to something, (timeshares being a big one)

research your hotel choice carefully, the ones with direct access to the park/monorail are $$$ even the ones that are on Disney properety but a 10-15 minute ride to the parking lot are rather expensive but then ALL hotels in the Orlando area are.

I cant say that you or the kids would be disappointed it is after all DISNEY WORLD but your wallet will sure be crying. Orlando is primarily a tourist city all the major chain restaurants are represented. Im sure there are a couple small single owner eateries but I avoid the entire area like the plague.

This may not be your cup o' tea, but when my family went, we stayed at Fort Wilderness, and camped. It was MUCH better than a usual camping experience. Very clean and close to facilities. Trams go right through and take you directly to the park. Pioneer Hall on property has buffet meals. In the evenings they have campfires with marshmallow roasts and outdoor Disney movies. It was really great for kids. Here's a link:

http://www.kingdommagictravel.com/disneyworld/resorts/ftwild.htm

Like dreamzpainter said, discounted tickets will end up costing you something like time out of your trip for a sales pitch. The one place that consistently gives a small discount on WDW tickets is AAA. Disney changed the whole ticket pricing structure in 2005 and when you buy a "base" ticket of the lowest price, it only entitles you to go to one park that day, which for your age children would be The Magic Kingdom. There is an additional charge to be able to access the various parks. This website has a good explanation of the complex ticketing system with prices and a lot of info and photos of the on-site accomodations. http://www.allears.net/

If you decide to Disney for only one day, an alternative for another day is the Orlando Science Center. It has attractions for children of all ages and is low key and hands-on. http://www.osc.org/

It's off the topic but the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore is another place young kids enjoy.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I am planning to take my young daughters (who will be 4 and 5.5 years old at the time of the trip) to Disney World in Orlando FL this spring (early to mid April 2007) during my older daughter's spring break from Kindergarten.

I will research roadfood/eating opportunities in the area (what few there may be) at a later time, so please don't give me any of that in this thread. Instead, I am looking for money saving tips....coupons, offers, and specials that I don't know about, etc.

I am not sure if we'll go 1 day or 2 days, but I expect to go 2 days at the moment.

Any and all money saving ideas will be much appreciated.

Also - I understand that staying at one of the hotels right there at the park is a timesaver and further enables the possibility of eating packed lunches in a private room. This has its attractions for us....so realizing these rooms will almsot assuredly be more expensive than staying 50 miles away at a cheap motel, I am looking for deals on these as well.

I have found a lot of good info here:

http://www.mousesavers.com/

Disney is the most wonderful place I can think of to take your grandchildren. It is pricey but the rewards that you can get with your grandbabies is beyound price.

I guarantee that the rewards you will get will far surpass the price.

food ain't that great but ain't that point, who cares. Make sure they see the fireworks at the end of the day. Beyound belief.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I feel that I should point out that you are picking the second busiest week of the year(only behind Christmas). You should be prepared for long lines and not too many bargains. We go to Disney often, and have been at most times of the year. I would suggest to you that you pick a less busy time to go. I would absolutly stay on the grounds. They have something for every budget. I would also plan on more time if at all possible. Early Feb is my favorite time. While the kids were in grade school we would always go during the school year. They would learn more at Disney than they would in school. I do not want to discourage you at all, but I want you to realize what you are getting into.

Feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance at all

Thanks
Scott C
Evansville IN

Not to discourage you, either, but I am thinking about the age thing. I took my daughter when she was the same age as yours (she was 5) and it was a mixed thing. She was still too young to really appreciate it, and in fact found some things scary! (surprisingly, the fireworks got her really upset, noise and all.) We had to leave a few rides and shows because she got upset in the dark, esp. if it was noisy, even if not "scary". My daughter's not really an anxious kid, mind you, but I think the whole thing was totally overstimulating for her. Its hot, long lines and tons of cranky kids and parents losing their tempers. My daughter is now 13 and doesn't even remember a lot of the trip. Probably the best part was wading in the swimming pools at the on-site hotel (but we could do that anywhere). I had to admit, I was taking her to Disney for ME, not her.....

I like the Wilderness Lodge, its got a Pacific Northwest feel to it. The hotel is a gigantic log cabin, you must see it to beleive it. If I go back, I still want to stay there.

The only money saving tip I can give you is get tired enough to come back to the hotel and order pizza in the room. That happened every night, we had pizza in the room, not because we wanted to save money, but we were so tired out that we just wanted to go back and order in. Everyone slept early, woke up early and it started over again.

Pick up Birnbaum's Walt Disney World official guide, its great.

My favorite places to eat, these are all buffet style with the characters, try to eat where the characters are and the buffet style is wonderful:

Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Hotel
Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness
Breakfast Buffet at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.
Polynesian Hotel breakfast is ok too, for a change.

After many trips with my kids throughout the years, and my hubby the dealfinder, we have come to find there are no deals at Disney, but there are ways to save money.

First, in my experience, sit down meals with little kids are not fun at WDW, the kids get tired and over excited and the behavior that goes with that is not pleasant. Plus being that the sit down meals are the most expensive, you could save money by minimizing those

Staying at Fort Wilderness is a great suggestion, in the cabins we have had our best times.

It is expensive, but you can get a AAA rate. There are full kitchens and when our kids were little, we ate breakfast in the cabin, packed lunches (with food my kids liked) and most times would go back in the afternoon/early evening to eat dinner (cookout in Feb was a big hit)

As our kiddos have gotten older(23,21,17), they prefer this as well. We swim, ride bikes, fish etc. There are many small kid activities . The Pioneer Hall cafeteria has a hefty breakfast buffet that is reasonable too.

For a treat, we would go to the Contemporary Mickey buffet for breakfast or the one at the Beach CLub is fun too. Buying a soda and french fries to munch on and an occasional Mickey ice cream kept everyone happy.

I agree that 2 days in April expect long lines and maybe only to see the Magic
Kingdom.

Also, go there to enjoy that which is Disney, if you stress about the cost, you will not have any fun. You may want to get a stroller for the 4 yr old, the 5 yr old will end up in it as well,you can rent them there.

Mousesaver.com- we have saved big on our rental car, although Disney now has free transport for WDW properties
Intercot.com- lots of info and a forum with many tips

Enjoy!

KB

I used my frequent flyer points a few months ago and flew my daughter, son in law and two grand kids to Orlando.

No doubt that they got tired, no doubt that it was not cheap and no doubt that they had a trip that they still talk about.

Paula took the kids early in the morning and let them wear them selves out, took them back to the motel for a nap, took them back for a few hours and let them wear them selves out again, took them back to the hotel for another nap and back for the fireworks.

To this day, this still discuss the trip.

I hope to do as others have done and take them myself. I guarantee, I will wear out first

I can think of no other place to take your grand kids and be a family for pleasure only.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by NYNM

Not to discourage you, either, but I am thinking about the age thing.

The age thing is a factor. As long as you go with the understanding you may not see or do as much as you'd like, it will be okay. I found the Magic Kingdom and Animal park were the only two my kids really liked. The MGM park has some things related to shows or movies they may have seen, but much of the nostalgia stuff is wasted on them. Epcot has a few things they'll like, but again, much goes over the heads of kids that age.

Pre-kids, I tended to go to such places with the idea to get "my money's worth", meaning I had to cram as much as possible into one day. That doesn't work with little kids. If that is okay, then you should have fun and make some nice memories. Just beware...they WILL want to go back!!

Thanks for all the great advice, and keep it coming.

That said, a question regarding

quote:

Originally posted by Scott C

I feel that I should point out that you are picking the second busiest week of the year(only behind Christmas). You should be prepared for long lines and not too many bargains. We go to Disney often, and have been at most times of the year. I would suggest to you that you pick a less busy time to go.

The wife is almost certainly not going to be OK with switching the week, but can you tell where I can find source material on what weeks are the busiest? I am not doubting your word, just looking for more detail

Busiest: President’s Day week ´ the last three weeks of March until the week after Easter ´ the second week of June until the third week of August ´ Thanksgiving weekend ´ the week of Christmas until just after New Years

Busy: the last two weeks of February until early March ´ the month of October ´ the week after Easter until the second week of June


Least Busy: the second week of January through the first week of February (avoiding the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in January) ´ the third week of August until early October ´ the month of November excluding Thanksgiving weekend ´ the week after Thanksgiving until the week of Christmas, a special time when the parks and resorts are festively decorated for the holidays


I would say that it is a waste of money to go when it is very busy.
Our favorite time has always been in the month of December before Christmas week. The weather is usually very nice and there are no lines. It is also the best time to get real deals on hotel rates.

Unfortunately, kindergarten Spring Break time also coincides with the same break time of numerous colleges and WDW will be swarming with them.

I have a few cents to add with the others here:
I have also stayed at Fort WILDERNESS AND loved IT
We stayed in the cabins, which actually are mobile homes, however they are not cheap.
If you CAN tent or have your own camper, the campsites are quite reasonable, and the movies are night are a total blast!
I have also stayed in the Disney all-star which is the low-price Disney hotels and they are fine, BUT the walks between the buildings and the bus stops and restaurants can be pretty far for little legs-
Hopefully you're planning on at least one stroller or wagon anyway.
As for taking kids that young, there are 2 schools of thought.
1. We never know what tomorrow may bring for any of us, so enjoy the moment now!
2. They are a bit young to enjoy some things or to go at a break neck pace, but then, you'll probably want a nap in the afternoon, too!
A website that is chockfull of Disney info that I LOVE for planning my trips is :
www.allearsnet.com I STRONGLY urge you to check them out- they send a great weekly newsletter thats fun to read even when your way in between trips (like me right now).
Remeber to try and see the most "popular" attractions first thing in the morning and the fast laoders and things that don't develop lines later in the afternoon-
Also don't miss Mickeys Philharmagic in the magic Kingdom, because the little ones should love that-and it takes in lots of people at once-
Learn about FastPass and USE it to your advantage-it's great
if the kids get scared, you can remind them it's only "Movie magic"
and if you ARE going to try and do any other park in addition to Magic Kingdom, (although with only 2 days and such little kids, I'd agree with the other posters to just stay there-
I'd recommend Animal Kingdom, because it's a little more compact (Epcot is HUGE) and more kid-friendly-but do NOT take the kids on the dark DINO ride (too scary)
Get Bernsteins book from the library and disney world for kids by Vicki someone or other- both very good for planning- also if you want to eat at any sit down restaurants make you reservations NOW, and if you can, try to have a meal in Cinderella's castle, it's is SO worth the splurge for the little ones!
HAVE FUN!

When Disney built the "All Star" resorts it changed the Orlando hotel landscape. Before the reasonably priced All Stars, folks would stay off Disney to save money, but still stay at a nice,clean hotel. Now, because of tough low end competition, some of the low cost off Disney places are real dives. My family stayed at Lxxxxxx's Lodge several times and loved it....clean, neat,,,,,pool well heated. The last time we stayed 10 yrs ago it was awful....duct taped carpet.....repaired doors that had been previously "kicked in"....a front desk behind bullet proof glass. We stay at the All Star resorts now. They are no longer $59 per nt as when they opened, but at about $80 to 130 per night depending on season, they are very fairly priced. Your hometown travel agent will get you the same price on the rooms as if you call Disney directly. AAA can save you 5% on your Disney Tickets, but may make it up on fees for other services.

If you are in Orlando, Disney is not the only game in town, although they have added enough stuff to fill a week. Universal has the characters that are more in tune with what today's kids want. With kids that age, I would consider a day at Disney, and a day at Universal. If you do that, I would stay at a mid range (not the cheapest) hotel over on International Drive. To do that, you really need a car. As others have said, avoid mid April. The northeast has school vacation week then, and it will be very busy, very expensive, and hard to book,

Keep it coming :-)

(not distrusting anyone, but I'm still interested in a link to what the peak weeks are for DW)

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Keep it coming :-)

(not distrusting anyone, but I'm still interested in a link to what the peak weeks are for DW)

TJ, Greymo's post has the information and so does the allears.net website and any Disney guidebooks. We've been going to WDW for at least 25 years (not every single year) and those time periods are right on target. The downside of the least busy times is that's when they close some attractions for refurbishing and the park closes an hour or two earlier.

If you're going to be staying in the Orlando area for longer than a day or two at WDW, you might want to purchase one of those KidStuff coupon books for that city.

You can trust my information. I went to Disney every year since they opened, except for the last two years. We had yearly passes for at least 4 years so I feel that I really know quite a bit about it. We have stayed on site at the most expensive places and least expensive places and off site .

My advice (to save the most money) is to stay on Rt 192 east or west where there are many inexpensive motels and hotels. You can find many nice places within 3 miles or less from the main gate. Go to AAA and pick up a Florida book and get a motel that offers free breakfast and where there are refrigerators in your room. Bring lots of baggies and pack your lunch. You can sit and eat in many places. I would also beg, borrow, or steal a double stroller for the children so that they do not get tired from all the walking (They do rent strollers there but I am not sure about double ones.)

Staying within WDW sounds very easy,but sometimes it is a very long walk to transportation. The lines can get long for transportation and the food is expensive for someone on a tight budget. Also, the economy rooms cost twice as much as what you can get outside the Magic Kingdom and be half the size. If you stay on Rt 192, you will find many inexpensive restaurants that will be great for the kids...................lots of chains and lots of "mom and pop" places.

I wish I had a hundred dollar bill for every time that we have been to Disney World......... I think that I know all the "ins and outs" of doing it on the cheap.

And if you can talk your wife into going at a different time (after all, a child is not going to miss that much of school), you can get some wonderful hotel deals. Feel free to email me if you want to know more.

The one splurge that I would do with little girls your age is breakfast at Cinderella's castle. The food is good; served at your table and plenty of it. They will be thrilled with all the Princesses that come around and it is just perfect for kids their age. Sometimes, small ones are frightened when characters approach them but they will love the ones who appear at the castle.

I'm all for staying on-site. Any of the All Stars. There are so many advantages, cost being one. You just take a Disney bus to the exact park you want that day. You have no parking fees, gas, etc. plus you save a lot of time getting there. They used to also have "special hours" where the park was open early/closed late for Disney on-site hotels. It was less crowded then and we got "more time for our money". You are also "part" of WDW all the time. Cost/benefit: I would never do it any other way.

As to the time of year, I'm not sure but have you considered taking your daughter out of school for a few extra days to make a longer week (like around MLK day or Election Day or any of those other holidays?) Not that it's for me to say, but I sometimes have my daughter miss a few days of school when we travel. I think its worth it and the school has never given me a problem (I just say we have to go "out of town" and that she will miss a few days).

My one and only trip there I also stayed at fort Wilderness in one of the cabins and if I had to do it again, thats the only way I'd go. It is a little pricey but it made the trip so much more enjoyable for us. I also rented a golf cart to take us to the landing for the ferry ride across the lagoon/lake to the magic kingdom, no waiting for the shuttle bus. Mid day if the kids need a little down time and something to eat back to the cabin for a rest and nourishment. Full kitchen, outdoor grills and picknick tables, TVs for sports and the Disney channel natch, full maid service and the paper deliverd to your door each morning. Great to be able to get up and have a good breakfast and pack snacks before headding out for the day. As we were loading in for the week people in the cabin across from us were leaving and gave us all kinds of food that they bought and never touched and we did the same when we left. If I remember correctly there was a Piggly Wiggly grocery store not far from the complex. Have a good time and send it. You never know what tommorow will bring. Chow Jim

TJ, YOU know how cheap I am, right? The Disney All-Stars is the way to go for lodging. We went back in March when Ava was 4 3/4 years old. She and us had a blast. It was very convient having Disney transportation buses taking us to the various parks and back to the hotel.

We also got the Disney dining plan which worked out well for us. It included so many counter service meals and so many sit down meals. It was well worth the money if you were going to eat in the parks.

With the All Star hotels you can get a small room fridge for a nominal charge. I got it free since I need to keep a Rx cold. You can easily store milk and sandwich fixings if you want.

Here is a link to another website that has a lot of WDW info.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/chat.htm

Take the girls to the Cinderella breakfast, it is fantastic. Book EARLY.

That week will be busy.

We're talking about a 4 day Disney cruise for that week.

MikeS.

Work is sending me to Anaheim next week, I'll be sure to say HI to Mickey for ya'all.

MikeS.

Wish MY work would send me to Disney

The age is issue is well-overrated. We've been going for the last 6 years, but we have always stayed on-site. We let our kids dictate the pace- more often than not, we come in pretty late- My kids are 12, 8, and 5 right now. If you remember that it is your kids trip, time is not an issue as long as they are having fun.

i know i'm not going to be any help but we found the best time to go was after jan 1st. never once had to wait in line.

What was the temperature like, Xannie?

How long after January 1?