Tips on where to start with planning our first WDW trip?

[FTMLuc]

I am a complete novice at this Disney stuff. DH and I decided to go the WDW for our vacation this year. I tried pushing Caribbean, but DH thinks it will be boring for our DD (2.5 years old). My wish is to veg on the beach somewhere, not likely to be granted at the speed that DD lives.

It will be just the 3 of us, we are looking to get there on Sunday Sept. 8 and stay through Thursday or Friday of that week, not sure how many days we will need. Where do I start? What is the best place to stay - DD still naps. Best parks to visit where DD can have fun? What to avoid because she is too young? Will we need to rent a car? This is not likely to be our one and only trip to Disney, and I'd like a somewhat slow pace to the vacation.

I have planned many vacations before, but this one totally overwhelms me.

Thank you for any and all ideas and comments!

[megs4413]

I am a complete novice at this Disney stuff. DH and I decided to go the WDW for our vacation this year. I tried pushing Caribbean, but DH thinks it will be boring for our DD (2.5 years old). My wish is to veg on the beach somewhere, not likely to be granted at the speed that DD lives.

It will be just the 3 of us, we are looking to get there on Sunday Sept. 8 and stay through Thursday or Friday of that week, not sure how many days we will need. Where do I start? What is the best place to stay - DD still naps. Best parks to visit where DD can have fun? What to avoid because she is too young? Will we need to rent a car? This is not likely to be our one and only trip to Disney, and I'd like a somewhat slow pace to the vacation.

I have planned many vacations before, but this one totally overwhelms me.

Thank you for any and all ideas and comments!

A lot of the answers here are going to come down to budget and personal preference.

Just based off what you posted about wishing for the beach and wanting to relax here are some recs:

Resorts:
beach club or yacht club: personally, i prefer the yacht club because i don't like the smell (the bc has a signature scent) at the beach club. it's overwhelming for me, but some people absolutely love it.
polynesian: one of the most convenient resorts in terms of location and you will feel like you are on an island vacation when you are at the resort. nothing but positive things to say about the poly!
grand floridian: supposed to be the nicest. has a beach. to me the downside is the theming, it's just NMS, but a lot of people feel that it's luxurious.

*to choose a resort, I recommend browsing the disboards forums and looking through the resort pics. :)

If you want a relaxed touring pace, I suggest a minimum of 6 days/5 nights. We toured once for 11 days and we had time to do ANYTHING we wanted and more. I think a 7/6 stay is a good balance between too short and too long.

I recommend budgeting for childcare so that you and your DH can do some fun grown up stuff on your trip. you can use in-room babysitting services.

For basic planning info, I like the official guide by the people who run touringplans.com. it has EVERYTHING in it. at the same time, most of this info is available online now, so purchasing the book is really just a matter of having it conveniently organized and accessible. you don't really have to spring for the book anymore.

in terms of what to avoid with a DD that young: Epcot, which is really too bad because epcot is awesome. but, not so hot for the under 4 set, IMO. for example: DS hated it when we went when he was 3.5. it was his favorite park when we went back when he was 5. *shrug*

DHS should be a huge hit with your DD with TONS she can do there. MK is just a total spectacle, so it should dazzle at any age. If your DD loves animals, AK is a good draw, though there isn't much for her to do there beyond the safari and the playgrounds, so it's not really a time-filler.

in terms of where to start: find a budget goal and then start to narrow dates/resort choices based on the budget. happy planning!

[FTMLuc]

megs4413, thank you so much for those details! Our dates are limited to September 8th start, with a 5 night stay it puts us at WDW through Friday. As this will be out 10th wedding anniversary trip and the only vacation since Jan. 2010, we'd like to enjoy it, so although the budget is not unlimited, we have some room.

Good to know about Epcot and that DHS would be the most fun for her.

[FTMLuc]

Another question: do we book directly through Disney or any other travel agencies?

[megs4413]

Another question: do we book directly through Disney or any other travel agencies?

you can go either way, but i highly recommend using a travel agent that specializes in ONLY disney travel. I used someone with a company called Mickey Travels, you can PM me for her info if you want. You can find mickey travels on Facebook, i think.

disney TAs can help guide your planning, are extensively trained and knowledgable about disney, will watch continuously for deals/discounts to apply to your trip (even after you first book), and can answer questions all the way through the process. Some even send freebies along as a thank you for using their service (our TA sent us autograph books, pens, bubbles, and little bags for each kid). The best part is that the service costs YOU nothing! They get paid by disney for the booking.

you can also book on your own with Disney. There's no real downside to it as far as I can tell, though there's no real upside either. I do not recommend booking through AAA or other agencies that are not specifically Disney trained.

[megs4413]

megs4413, thank you so much for those details! Our dates are limited to September 8th start, with a 5 night stay it puts us at WDW through Friday. As this will be out 10th wedding anniversary trip and the only vacation since Jan. 2010, we'd like to enjoy it, so although the budget is not unlimited, we have some room.

Good to know about Epcot and that DHS would be the most fun for her.

keeping that in mind, if you can arrive or depart early enough on either end, I would do 6 day park tickets. The park hopper option would be a GREAT bonus for you if you can spring for it (it's a pricey upgrade.) I recommend the 6 days over the 5, because adding the 6th day once you've gotten 5 days isn't all that much more expensive, so it's worth it even if it's only a partial day of touring, IMO.

I also pretty much always recommend the plus dining package if you intend to eat at least one sit down meal a day. If you are not a sit-down restaurant kind of person or your DD is not particularly restaurant-ready, then I would skip the meal plan unless they offered free dining during your stay (and even then, I'd be tempted to see if there was a better room discount than dining plan offer since you're a small family and your DD could probably get away with eating snack items or off your plate a lot of the time.)

For your anniversary, I think an in-room babysitter (if you're comfortable and budget allows) would be really awesome while you and your Dh do something special. the world showcase is great fun for adults and Les Chefs De France would be great for an anniversary dinner. The california grill would be my choice for an anniversary dinner, but it may not be reopened in time for your visit (it may be, but i don't think anyone knows yet, at least last i heard.) In any case, I would think about doing something special for the anniversary. When you book this trip, you can have them note that it's for an anniversary. :)

Make sure to watch the crowd calendars so you can get an idea of which park on which day. Get early starts at the parks so you can hit your must-dos and then relax for the rest of the day. let us know when you narrow down resort options!

[egoldber]

I have always booked ourselves by calling WDW directly. I always price out....

1) AAA
2) Annual Pass (sometimes worth it to buy one to get the discount)
3) ask for any other available discounts at that time

I hate using TAs. They annoy me. :o

We have never done the dining plan. Unless I planned to do a character meal every day, I don't personally think it is worth it. Even if you eat TS, unless you plan to order as much food as it offers, it may not be worth it. With a character meal, you are basically paying for the experience. It also does not include tip or alcohol. We also never order appetizers or dessert.

That's a very low crowd level time, but it will be very hot.

[kaharris83]

We have never used a TA either. I like to be in control of all of our travel planning.

I really like the www.easywdw.com website. It has crowd level estimates and recommendations for parks and best ways to get through the parks without long lines. I find the DIS boards overwhelming and scattered. The easywdw site is more concise.

We were planning to go this spring but ended up renting a house in Cape Coral, because like you we were looking for a relaxing vacation. Disney is lots of fun but I always feel compelled to see all I can and do everything while we're there so it doesn't leave much down time.

Be sure to tell the guest services it is your first time. They give you a button to wear and cast members acknowledge that. Extra special for your DD. Have fun!!

[megs4413]

I really like the www.easywdw.com website. It has crowd level estimates and recommendations for parks and best ways to get through the parks without long lines. I find the DIS boards overwhelming and scattered. The easywdw site is more concise.



This is a great tip! There's more general info, IMO, on disboards, but you can google search that without posting. If you want to post a question or get feedback, easywdw's forums are much better for that, IMO. the disboards really are overwhelming and I think the bulky siggies make it difficult to sort through posts.

[BayGirl2]

...
We have never done the dining plan. Unless I planned to do a character meal every day, I don't personally think it is worth it. Even if you eat TS, unless you plan to order as much food as it offers, it may not be worth it. With a character meal, you are basically paying for the experience. It also does not include tip or alcohol. We also never order appetizers or dessert.
...
This

We did not have access to the dining plan for our 7 night stay (conference rate). We did at least 1 TS a day, some days 2. We did 4 character meals and the Aloha show. I just did all the math and we still came out ahead paying out of pocket compared to any of the plans. The main differences that worked in our favor:
- We sometimes order appetizers but rarely/never order dessert. DDP includes dessert at every meal but no apps. I like apps
- We ordered a drink at most dinners, those would not be included
- We still would have paid for tips, the DDP doesn't include them
- None of the plans exactly matched how we ate. With the regular plan we would have run out of TS credits and paid a few hundred $ out of pocket, but still had CS and snack credits left over. With deluxe the cost would have been much higher and we'd have a lot of extra credits. We maybe would have adjusted how we ate, but we ate as we wanted so why adapt to the plan just to break even?

These factors may or may not apply to you, everyone eats different. Just a few things to consider. I'm glad I did the analysis after because now I feel justified in not feeling "guilty" with the way we ordered.
If free dining were offered the math would be different though, we would have still paid some out of pocket but not as much.

[megs4413]

This

We did not have access to the dining plan for our 7 night stay (conference rate). We did at least 1 TS a day, some days 2. We did 4 character meals and the Aloha show. I just did all the math and we still came out ahead paying out of pocket compared to any of the plans. The main differences that worked in our favor:
- We sometimes order appetizers but rarely/never order dessert. DDP includes dessert at every meal but no apps. I like apps
- We ordered a drink at most dinners, those would not be included
- We still would have paid for tips, the DDP doesn't include them
- None of the plans exactly matched how we ate. With the regular plan we would have run out of TS credits and paid a few hundred $ out of pocket, but still had CS and snack credits left over. With deluxe the cost would have been much higher and we'd have a lot of extra credits. We maybe would have adjusted how we ate, but we ate as we wanted so why adapt to the plan just to break even?

These factors may or may not apply to you, everyone eats different. Just a few things to consider. I'm glad I did the analysis after because now I feel justified in not feeling "guilty" with the way we ordered.
If free dining were offered the math would be different though, we would have still paid some out of pocket but not as much.

this is an excellent point. how do you eat? that's really going to be important in determining what's "worth it" for you.

Also, for me, I normally get water at restaurants, but I find the water at disney absolutely unpalatable, so i end up ordering drinks with every meal. not budget friendly if you pay OOP.

[westwoodmom04]

One of the disney books did the math on the dining plans. Only the deluxe saves you money and it saves you a lot if it reflects the way you would otherwise eat. Many people don't like/need appetizer and dessert with their meals. Once I figured out our ADRs, I did the math, and the deluxe plan did wind up saving us more than several hundred dollars. It is definitely not for everyone though.

[megs4413]

One of the disney books did the math on the dining plans. Only the deluxe saves you money and it saves you a lot if it reflects the way you would otherwise eat. Many people don't like/need appetizer and dessert with their meals. Once I figured out our ADRs, I did the math, and the deluxe plan did wind up saving us more than several hundred dollars. It is definitely not for everyone though.

the unofficial guide has a chart like this but it had savings at all levels if you used it to its maximum potential. the savings were pretty negligible in some cases, but I think it was around 18-20% at the plus level. we did deluxe the first go 'round and enjoyed it. it was just slightly too many meals for us, but if I had it to do over again I'd probably just add a couple extra signature meals (we only did 1) and use the credits that way. we stayed club level last time so we didn't find that we needed as many breakfast reservations, so plus was the right level for us with that.

[FTMLuc]

Thank you everyone for all the great ideas!


this is an excellent point. how do you eat? that's really going to be important in determining what's "worth it" for you.

Also, for me, I normally get water at restaurants, but I find the water at disney absolutely unpalatable, so i end up ordering drinks with every meal. not budget friendly if you pay OOP.

DH and I like appetizers but rarely order dessert. DH will not drink water, so we'll need a drink for him with every meal and if the water is not palatable, I will probably have one too. We would like to do several character meals for DD and at least one sit down meal per day. Definitely big breakfast eaters.

What is TS and ADR?

I think deluxe resorts are a bit out of where we want to be price wise, depending on what happens with our house selling/purchasing. On the WDW site deluxes are quoted at $380+ per night, we would like to be somewhere in the $200 range. So we'll most likely have to settle for a moderate or Swan/Dolphin. But is does not seem like the Swan/Dolphin have much theming going on, and I'd like to make it fun for DD. But I think we'd like to convenience of Swan/Dolphin for the walking distance to 2 parks. Any thoughts?

[megs4413]

What is TS and ADR?

sorry about that! TS=table service. restaurants at WDW are separated into two categories: quick service (some people call them counter-service. this is like a fast food place where you order and get your food from a counter and seat yourself) and table-service restaurants (which is where you wait to be seated and a server takes care of you). you do NOT need ADRs for QS restaurants, but you DO need them for TS restaurants (they do take walk ups, but the wait can be brutal!)

An ADR is disney lingo for a dining reservation (advanced dining reservation). ADRs need to be made for any TS meals you want to have as early as you know you want to have them. reservations can be made up to 180 days ahead of time and often the most sought after time slots at popular restaurants are gone within the first couple weeks of that 180 time frame.


I think deluxe resorts are a bit out of where we want to be price wise, depending on what happens with our house selling/purchasing. On the WDW site deluxes are quoted at $380+ per night, we would like to be somewhere in the $200 range. So we'll most likely have to settle for a moderate or Swan/Dolphin. But is does not seem like the Swan/Dolphin have much theming going on, and I'd like to make it fun for DD. But I think we'd like to convenience of Swan/Dolphin for the walking distance to 2 parks. Any thoughts?

I wouldn't marry yourself to a resort category just yet. the online pricing from disney is not the best. I would either call directly and ask what specials they have for the resort level you would like (say deluxe and see what they've got. then ask them to price a moderate if they still can't help you) or get hooked up with a TA who can search for discounts/promos for you. if you go on the website again, you can look up special offers and see if there is anything that would apply to your travel dates that is publicly available already.

because of the lack of theming, i have not wanted to stay at the swan/dolphin. they do have very convenient transportation options, though! if you run the #s and a car rental plus a moderate is more affordable than a deluxe, I would lean that way. really the big downside to the moderates for me is the pools aren't as nice, the restaurants aren't as nice, and you have to take the darn buses everywhere.

[BayGirl2]

Thank you everyone for all the great ideas!



DH and I like appetizers but rarely order dessert. DH will not drink water, so we'll need a drink for him with every meal and if the water is not palatable, I will probably have one too. We would like to do several character meals for DD and at least one sit down meal per day. Definitely big breakfast eaters.

What is TS and ADR?

I think deluxe resorts are a bit out of where we want to be price wise, depending on what happens with our house selling/purchasing. On the WDW site deluxes are quoted at $380+ per night, we would like to be somewhere in the $200 range. So we'll most likely have to settle for a moderate or Swan/Dolphin. But is does not seem like the Swan/Dolphin have much theming going on, and I'd like to make it fun for DD. But I think we'd like to convenience of Swan/Dolphin for the walking distance to 2 parks. Any thoughts?

I so wish the DDP included and App OR Dessert instead of only dessert. That would probably sell me on it. :-) I should add to my analysis above that although we are big water drinkers, I got a diet coke with my lunch every day and the kids got milks. I found the restaurant water palatable but used a filtered bottle for sink water. DH and I also had a wine or beer with dinner and several (ok many) exotic drinks at the Flower & Garden show booths around Epcot and various other drink stands. So our OOP even on the DDP would have been about $600 for drinks, tips, and other food that would not be covered.

ADR = Advanced Dining Reservation, Disney's version of a reservation
TS = Table Service, a meal where you sit down and are served (think nicer restaurant)
CS or QS = Counter Service or Quick Serve, a meal where you stand in line to order food, wait for the food, pay, get your own napkins/silverware/condiments, then sit down at a table. (think Fast food)
The only in-between I can think of is the new Be Our Guest, which is CS at lunch but you order at a kiosk then have food delivered to you. You still have to get your drinks, napkins and flatware but its kind of a hybrid. BOG is TS only at dinner.

[megs4413]

I just looked it up and there's a room only discount for your travel dates, so you need to be looking through that for more correct pricing. It is showing a standard view at AKL for $195/night.

ETA: it's also showing me wilderness lodge at 215! I love the WL and it has a boat launch to mk!!!

[westwoodmom04]

the unofficial guide has a chart like this but it had savings at all levels if you used it to its maximum potential. the savings were pretty negligible in some cases, but I think it was around 18-20% at the plus level. we did deluxe the first go 'round and enjoyed it. it was just slightly too many meals for us, but if I had it to do over again I'd probably just add a couple extra signature meals (we only did 1) and use the credits that way. we stayed club level last time so we didn't find that we needed as many breakfast reservations, so plus was the right level for us with that.

That's how we used it; we ate at a lot of signature restaurants and the Cinderella character meal. We used it for only two counter service meals; everything else was sitdown. We mostly ate breakfast in our room at BLT since we had a kitchen.

[FTMLuc]

We are going to book this week. The difference between Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge is $120 for the duration of the stay. Hit me with your best pros/cons for each, please. We are not planning on renting a car, will be using Disney transportation.

I sort of know we'll need a stroller, but DD is not the stroller type of child. She would much rather push one then sit in one. Do we REALLY need a stroller? I can see one of us pushing an empty stroller through the parks while the other is trying to catch up with runaway DD. Do we REALLY need a stroller? Any tips on this potential situation? I am definitely ordering 411 bracelets for her.

[megs4413]

We are going to book this week. The difference between Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge is $120 for the duration of the stay. Hit me with your best pros/cons for each, please. We are not planning on renting a car, will be using Disney transportation.

I sort of know we'll need a stroller, but DD is not the stroller type of child. She would much rather push one then sit in one. Do we REALLY need a stroller? I can see one of us pushing an empty stroller through the parks while the other is trying to catch up with runaway DD. Do we REALLY need a stroller? Any tips on this potential situation? I am definitely ordering 411 bracelets for her.

yes, I think you really need a stroller. depending on how you tour (and which park you're at) you could be walking more than 5 miles a day total. she'd be exhausted and you'd end up with her being carried a lot which will only make you more tired. you could try making the stroller more attractive by attaching toys or a fan and also having a designated "when you're in the stroller you can..." type of activity (this could be holding the map or blowing bubbles as you push her, etc. you know your kid...just throwing out some ideas. i wouldn't attempt a no-stroller trip...the rentals at the world are expensive. if you find you're not using your stroller a ton, you can always park it in one of the parking areas near an entrance and just pick it up on your way out.

man, AKL vs. WL is a tough call....what are the room categories for each? meaning, does either price include an upgraded view?

i would probably lean toward AKL. here's why:

-cooler views around resort in general, which since you plan to be at your resort a fair bit to relax, would be big. a savanna view room would be awesome.
-you're going when it's pretty hot still and the pool is killer at AKL.
-the food is better (IMO!)

[SnuggleBuggles]

never mind! I can't do math and said a 4yo and 2 adults could survive fine without a stroller. Seeing how it is a not even 3yo, my answer changed. :)

[FTMLuc]

AKL is a standard view room vs. wood view at WL - does that make a difference?

[KrisM]

If you only have 1 dc and 2 kids, I totally don't think you need a stroller for a 4yo. I think that if worse comes to worse, someone can do some carrying. I admit to not doing WDW with a kiddo but it's not like we have never gone to amusement parks, national parks, outings that involve walking and standing all day. I just don't see it as being different from a lot of other experiences (I know there are many that disagree and point out that WDW is a different beast...I just don't see it). As someone that loathed dealing with an empty stroller, I wouldn't bring one for a 4yo. We'd make do. We'd take breaks if needed, carry if needed, go slow...none of those was necessary for either of our boys as we ditched strollers permanently for everything by age 3. Take my opinion with a big grain of salt though. Just saying that I get you. :) People with more than 1 kid (or close together kids) have a different perspective. It's a lot easier with 1 kid in these types of places if you have 2 adults.

I assume you mean 1 DC and 2 adults, not 2 kids.

I tend to agree for a 4-5 year old, but by her signature, her child will not even be 3 yet, with a 12/10 birthday. At 3, we didn't use a stroller in a small park and still had to carry DS2. I cant imagine a not-3 year old walking at Disney all day.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I assume you mean 1 DC and 2 adults, not 2 kids.

I tend to agree for a 4-5 year old, but by her signature, her child will not even be 3 yet, with a 12/10 birthday. At 3, we didn't use a stroller in a small park and still had to carry DS2. I cant imagine a not-3 year old walking at Disney all day.

Terrible at math today, obviously. :) That does change my answer! I'd probably suck it up then and take one.

[ray7694]

We decided against the cost of the Polynesian since we wouldn't be in our rooms much. If you want a Moderate I highly recommend Coronado. The bus service is great and they have an amazing pool.

[peanut520]

We are going right around the same time 9/10-9/17. There is free dining offered for september as long as you book by 7/31 and pay non discounted room rates. i booked Caribbean beach but most likely going to switch to am switching to port Orleans for an additional $250 for the smaller resort. We did Disney for the first time when dd was 2.5. We stayed at the contemporary for the monorail and did the deluxe dining because I knew dd needed the down time. We saved a something like 35%, but that was 2 years ago. I probably would not buy the dining plan this time if I had to pay for it since we are only going to save maybe 10% if all goes according to plan. I would suggest looking at allears.net at the menus or the disney dining site to get an idea of what you are going to spend and if the dining plan will save money your family. It isn't any more convenient since everything is attached to your key to the world card.
We are going to bring our Mac quest. I would also make sure you can get the reservations you want before you decide on a dining plan since I had trouble getting exactly what I wanted a few weeks ago.

[FTMLuc]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I have booked our 1st trip, so very excited!!! Now to start a packing list! I am sure I'll be coming back with more questions as things get closer.

We'll be staying at AKL and I am trying for Tusker House and Akershus for character meals. We are not doing a dining plan as it is hard to predict DD's tiredness levels and whether she will be up for any TS meals.

peanut520 what are the chances that we'll pass by each other and not even know it :)

[megs4413]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I have booked our 1st trip, so very excited!!! Now to start a packing list! I am sure I'll be coming back with more questions as things get closer.

We'll be staying at AKL and I am trying for Tusker House and Akershus for character meals. We are not doing a dining plan as it is hard to predict DD's tiredness levels and whether she will be up for any TS meals.

peanut520 what are the chances that we'll pass by each other and not even know it :)

what room category did you book? (standard, concierge level, savanna view, etc) i could make a room request suggestion.

I absolutely LOVE AKL. you will, too!

[FTMLuc]

megs4413, thanks for all your planning help! We booked the pool view. Savanna rooms aren't included in the promo, but the pool view was only $45 more and at least I will not have to look out onto the pavement. Do we request a specific room through the travel agent?

[megs4413]

megs4413, thanks for all your planning help! We booked the pool view. Savanna rooms aren't included in the promo, but the pool view was only $45 more and at least I will not have to look out onto the pavement. Do we request a specific room through the travel agent?

With a pool view, you want to be careful with noise. If noise isn't a big issue for you, don't worry about it. For me, I would request a room on the highest possible floor. I prefer Zebra Trail. I think the only pool view rooms are on zebra trail or giraffe trail. Giraffe Trail is closer to the buses, but Zebra Trail has savanna views on one side and pool on the other, so when you walk down the hall you can see the savanna on the way to your room. it's also closer to the QS restaurant. If you used a TA, you can just ask them to put the room request in for you based on your wants.

[megs4413]

I forgot to mention that AKL is a balloon free resort (for the safety of the animals) so if you buy a balloon for the kids in a park, they will ask you to keep it in bell services for the duration of your stay there. this could be a BIG bummer of a surprise for your kids. For us, this is a huge advantage to AKL because my son is severely allergic to latex. You should know ahead of time, though, before you buy a $5 giant balloon and are told you can't keep it in your room!

[peanut520]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I have booked our 1st trip, so very excited!!! Now to start a packing list! I am sure I'll be coming back with more questions as things get closer.

We'll be staying at AKL and I am trying for Tusker House and Akershus for character meals. We are not doing a dining plan as it is hard to predict DD's tiredness levels and whether she will be up for any TS meals.

peanut520 what are the chances that we'll pass by each other and not even know it :)

Anything is possible at Disney!

[Still-in-Shock]

This is a great thread! Thanks everyone!