Planning a trip to Disneyworld!

[pritchettzoo]

We think we're going the first of December to hopefully avoid crowds and see Christmas decorations. We have no idea where to stay or the best prices on things. Of course I'm researching like a fiend and have found www.disboards.com and www.mousesavers.com and a couple of others.

BUT I would love to get tips and suggestions from my fellow BBBers. :)

Specific questions--where to stay (we are probably looking at Moderate level) and how to book (AAA or travel agent or ??).

I also posted this in the appropriate toddler forum, but the Lounge gets way more traffic.

THANK YOU! I am so excited! :)

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03) and Eli (July '05)

[houseof3boys]

Wow you crazy kid. You are adventurous. Actually we are planning a trip down there too, but we haven't decided what month yet. Perhaps we'll go around the same time!

A visit with Jamie is a must though so Kayla and Gracie can play together. You will love both of them. :)

[wagner36]

We are thinking of going for a couple of days in mid-January - part of a trip to the beach.

I must say, that I had ABSOULTELY no idea that there was this whole disney-obsessed world out there, and it kind of scares me a little bit. I went to disboards and mousesavers, and I was totally overwhelmed. There's like a separate universe with acronyms I don't understand - it is amazing.

So, I'm actually no help. I just want to spend 2 or 3 nights somewhere with a great pool for Charlie. I was thinking the Animal Kingdom Lodge (who doesn't want to see giraffes and zebras our their window?!), but the pool doesn't look that great. Plus, then we wouldn't be able to ride the monorail, which I remember being really fun when I was a kid. I think Charlie would be happy just doing that!

Are you thinking of going to lots of places, or just the Magic Kingdom? I had no idea that there were like 7 or 8 parks! I just thought it was Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.

Do you think Gracie would like Epcot? I haven't been there for like 10 years, and it was only for a day - we were at the beach and went to Orlando for a day. How long are you staying?

[searchdog]

We stayed at AKL last year and had a blast. I thought the pool was pretty cool. They have an area where kids can just walk in if I remember correctly and they also have a water slide. Oh yeah 2 hot tubs as well. I don't know if all disney pools have life guards on duty but this one did. As far as the hotel it is beautiful.

In past trips we have also stayed at Port Orleans and Coronado Springs and I have to say I liked AKL 10 times better, but it is one of the more expensive hotels that Disney has.

[hez]

Another vote for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I don't know if any of it rates as 'Moderate' though-- but we got an expensive room. We spent a night there and treated BIL and our two nephews to share the room with us last summer-- had king, a bunk bed for the boys and BIL slept on the couch (Payton slept with us). It was just enough room for one night.

The boys were in HEAVEN in the pool. And on our balcony watching the giraffes and other animals. Payton didn't really care (9 months old) but the bigger boys could live there, I think. If we took Payton now we'd have a hard time getting him off the balcony I bet.

[kensjen]

You are going at one of the best times. It shouldn't be too busy and the weather should be nice.

The DISboards are a great source of info, I really trust the people there. Not sure if you talking about staying at a Disney property or just off the property..there are some nice places right by downtown disney...you can stay at a nicer place for less. We have stayed at many of these places, most recently the doubletree suites
http://www.doubletree.com/en/dt/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=MCOFHDT

I really like to stay in a suite, so we have a room for Jonah to sleep in and we still can watch tv and have lights on in the other room. There is also an embassy suites, a Marriott that has suites...all of these are reasonably priced, usually at the disney moderate level.

We have also stayed at just about every disney property so if you have a question, LMK. We would probably stay at one of the more expensive disney properties if we went now, there is a difference in room size, service, amenities...and we really notice that now with a toddler. AKL is awesome, so is the Wilderness lodge...I think you would love both of those...but they are pricy.

As far as how to book...check the internet yourself, call the property, have a TA check prices for you...chances are all of the prices will be different. Usually we can book something ourselves cheaper than the TA, but not always. And if you are on the DISboards, someone there will know the most recent sales/specials.

I think Gracie would like downtown disney and also a character meal. The character meals are a great place to have the characters without paying so much for the parks (not sure if you were planning to do the parks or not...if you are....disregard!) We like chef mickey's, it was worth the overpriced dinner. Jonah had a blast and we got some great photos.

Again, LMK if you have any other specific ?s, although the mousesavers and DISboards will probably take care of all of that. You guys will have fun!

[Momof3Labs]

As far as moderates go, I highly recommend POFQ (Port Orleans French Quarter). POR (Port Orleans Riverside) is quite nice, too.

If you have AAA, you can get a small discount on the room, so that is a good way to book. Or they *may* extend the current free dining offer which is a nice deal if you want to do character meals and just generally eat a lot, lol.

Definitely search on the Lounge for Disney - there have been lots of tips related to rides, characters and such here over the last year or two. Colin's favorite parks were MGM and AK because of the shows and proximity to characters; last year in early December, MK was a lot more busy than we wanted to deal with whereas the other parks were relatively empty. May have just been the day we went, but we didn't have a lot of days to work with.

The weather can vary from cold (40's and windy) to quite warm (80's) that time of year, so pack and dress in layers and don't count on getting pool time. The good news is that there is relatively little rain in December, and the holiday decorations and parades are wonderful!!

[Momof3Labs]

We stayed at AKL last December and LOVED it!! It is so peaceful and serene, just the opposite of life at the parks. BTW, there are only 4 theme parks (Epcot, MGM, Animal Kingdom and MK), the rest are water parks. In January, it may be warm enough for the water parks or it may be too cool.

The pool at AK is nice, just not exciting. But the zero depth entry is wonderful for toddlers! Again, in January, it may be too cool for the pool anyways, so I wouldn't pick based on that alone.

And you can still ride the monorail if you stay at AK - just take a bus to MK or Epcot and hop right on for a ride! Colin was actually quite bored riding the monorail (surprised me) - he liked watching it, but liked riding the buses a lot, go figure!

Epcot has its offerings for little ones, you just have to do it differently than you do as adults. We spent probably an hour near the Imagination Pavillion dancing fountains. Colin danced with Figment and watched the monorails go by, in between playing with the water. There is a train garden near Germany, and some rides (like Mexico) that are cute. Colin is tall enough this year for Test Track, so he and Daddy will go on that if the line isn't crazy. I also remember him liking the topiaries at the entrance to Epcot. We did a few hours there and that was enough, but will try to spend a little more time there on our trip in September. Though if you are only going for a couple of days, the other parks are better for toddlers.

[dowlinal]

Anna,

December is a wonmderful time to visit Disney. AAA is a great way to go because if you book through them you get a AAA discount on your room and your tickets. Anyplace else can only give you a AAA discount on your rooms. I orignally booked with the AAA discount but then disney released the free dining plan. We were already paying for the dining plan so our AAA agent was able to switch the ressie to that. We lost the AAA discount but still saved money. Ok - this is my long winded way of saying that w/ AAA you can always get the AAA discount but you can always change your ressie through them to take advantage of any other deals that may come out.

As for the moderates - we love POFQ - we couldn't get it this trip so we are trying POR riverside for the first time. I'm really excited because it has a bunch of things for Madeline (like a butterfly garden, a catch and release fishing pond) I have never stayed at Coronado Springs, but I stayed at caribean beach once and hated it. A good thing about POFQ and POR is that they were just refurbished so the rooms are supposed to be really nice.

I've been to disney more times than I can count so if you have any specific questions let me know. Also, if you want I can send Gracie a postcard while I'm there from her favorite character.

A

[lisa56308]

You might want to check www.allearsnet.com also. We love to use this site when we plan our WDW trips. We went the first week in December 3 years ago and unfortunately it was very rainy and pretty cool for swimming. Don't forget to check out Epcot's World Showcase for all the different "Santa" presentations. We're waiting until Tyler is 5 before we go again and we can't wait! Have fun!

Lisa
Jacob 6/95
Tyler 10/03

[AngelaS]

We stayed at Port Orleans too and the other one that's like a 'sister' hotel to that one. It's name escapes me tho!

We booked our first trip thru AAA and that was great. The second time, we had my SIL in FL book our rooms 'cause at the time, FL residents got about 1/2 off rooms!

[jd11365]

December is a great time to come! Even though I live here, I have no Disney tips, because we locals avoid Disney like the plague. ;) I will say, don't buy any Disney stuff at the parks, go to the closest Walmart which has tons of Disney souveniers for much less. Also, don't buy gas anywhere near Disney. It's worth driving the 3 miles into Kissimmee to fill up. There can be a .50 cent per gallon difference! I also frequent Green Meadows Farm, and have always suggested it when people come to Disney with the little ones.

I know it's hard to meet up with Disney-goers because their days are jam packed with activities, but if you have a lunch to spare somewhere in the madness, give me a holler! I'd love to meet you IRL!!

Hope you have a great time! :)

[jd11365]

Aww, thanks Debbie. Why don't you guys carpool, and we can ALL get together! :)

[Buffys Mommy]

Hey Anna,

We're going down the 10th - 18th of December. How long are you staying?

As for where to stay, you've gotten a lot of great recommendations. We really like the Swan & Dolphin even though they are technically not Disney properties. They are managed by Starwood and are right by Epcot and about a 10 minute walk to MGM. Usually you can find discount pricing about the same as the Disney moderates. As for booking, I personally do it on my own and usually save money doing so. This trip we are staying off property at the Sheraton Vistana because I got such a deal from a friend. We also lived there for a few months back in 2001, so we know our way around well enough to feel comfortable with a rental car.

You will have such a wonderful time. I love Disneyworld at Christmas.

Tammie
momma to Sarah 10/03

[bostonsmama]

You're so right about the weather and pool issue. Unless there's an unseasonably warm front that moves into the area, you'll be wandering the park in long sleeves and pants. Trust me, two years ago DH and I went to Disney with Park Hopper tickets in mid December and most of the waterparks were closed. Also, our hotel's pool was open but it was FRIGGIN FREEZING! They said the pool was "seasonally heated," but December must not have been that season. Daily highs were 75 degrees w/ some shorts weather, but no half-naked swimming weather.

Larissa
who is still trying to give birth so she can have more to say

[bostonsmama]

I second your Kissimmee recommendations. Both times that DH and I went down to WDW we stayed on the strip (Irlo Bronson Pkwy-192), usually in Kissimmee. Once, we got a hotel room for $25/night (mid Dec), the other time $40/night (late July), and both places were pretty good (free breakfast, park shuttle, pool, computer access). Another time, I booked my dad & I a room for a convention (where we never wound up making it to Disney) but was wonderful and pretty high class for a good price for $67/night for a suite with daily hot breakfast, park shuttle, resort pool and cocktail hour for adults w/ complimentary drinks. If you'd like the names of any of these hotels, let me know. We had our own car the first two times and a rental car the third, and it was very easy to navigate the strip and drive into the parks (so close from FL-192)..and very well marked.

We mainly ate in the parks at food shacks along the way (french fries, hamburgers, ice bars, & carmel covered apples at MK). But we always left for dinner. Ouch, it's really expensive along that strip, so we drove north to Orlando to Sbarro in the business district where we used those neat welcome coupon booklets to get a whole cheese pizza for $8 (and took leftovers to our hotel room's fridge). Romano's Macaroni Grill, Ruby Tuesdays, IHOP....they're $5 more per entree than in my home town, and they're usually jam packed with tourists. So, we went to Arabian Nights (an off-Disney horse show which is spectacular) one night and some small local joints north of the city the rest. You could also turn a character dinner into one dinner night, b/c if you're going to be overcharged, you might as well do it in style.

I loved MGM the best, followed by MK...the parade was so awsome I cried the first time I saw it (there's something about Mickey that taps your inner child). Christmas is a gorgeous time to go. IF you go on their website, they'll tell you when their bussiest times are. It seems that 3rd week in December is actually the best (before and after it can get chaotic). We went from the 15th to the 19th of Dec and park hopped to all 5 parks. It only started to get crowded towards the end. The one thing that bothered me, though, were all the special events they have that charge extra admission during the holiday season. They shut down the parks early (like 4pm, instead of 7pm) for the Mickey's Magical Christmas Parade from 8-9pm. I couldn't believe it but it was sold out. If I had bought a ticket for just MK that day, I would have felt jipped. So, check the schedule online and plan accordingly. My next fav parks were Epcot b/c of fireworks show, AK b/c of safari, Mickey caravan and 3D theaters. There was a Beauty & Beast light show at one of the parks, but I can't remember where. It was AWESOME!! And Dh and I still have a mug from hot chocolate we bought there b/c it was chilly & the sun was down. It's pretty cheap, too @ $5.

That's all I have to say on that, but have a great time!

Larissa
who is still trying to give birth so she can have more to say