first disney trip: how long to stay? where? other tips?

[boltfam]

We are going to WDW in April with our 3 kids, ages 8,5,and3. Unfortunately, we are going during our Spring Break, so it's going to be busy! We got a free 3 night/4 day stay at the Holiday Inn Universal Orlando. As of now, we will be at Disney Sun - Weds. and leave Thursday morning, with part of Monday being taken up for a time share presentation.

We usually vacation in IL's time share 1.5 hours away on the beach, and DH still wants to go there, too, so we were planning on going there Thurs. and Fri. This is our first (and maybe only b/c of finances) to WDW, so I'm wondering a.) if we should just spend the whole week at Disney, and b.) if we end up going to the beach, if we should stay the two extra nights at the Holiday Inn so that we don't have to switch hotels (and it's $100/nigh) or if we should stay at a Disney hotel the two extra nights we will be staying just for convenience and the fun atmosphere. I would like to be able to go back to our hotel room at least some of the days in order to maybe eat dinner or have some down time in the afternoons.

I have read through some of the Dos and Don'ts, but any other tips would be helpful!

Please give me some guidance! TIA!

[rkold]

We are going to WDW in April with our 3 kids, ages 8,5,and3. Unfortunately, we are going during our Spring Break, so it's going to be busy! We got a free 3 night/4 day stay at the Holiday Inn Universal Orlando. As of now, we will be at Disney Sun - Weds. and leave Thursday morning, with part of Monday being taken up for a time share presentation.

We usually vacation in IL's time share 1.5 hours away on the beach, and DH still wants to go there, too, so we were planning on going there Thurs. and Fri. This is our first (and maybe only b/c of finances) to WDW, so I'm wondering a.) if we should just spend the whole week at Disney, and b.) if we end up going to the beach, if we should stay the two extra nights at the Holiday Inn so that we don't have to switch hotels (and it's $100/nigh) or if we should stay at a Disney hotel the two extra nights we will be staying just for convenience and the fun atmosphere. I would like to be able to go back to our hotel room at least some of the days in order to maybe eat dinner or have some down time in the afternoons.

I have read through some of the Dos and Don'ts, but any other tips would be helpful!

Please give me some guidance! TIA!

Right now, the big plus of staying on property is booking fp+ attractions at 60 days out if you have tickets in advance. This can be a huge plus depending on what attractions you think your family will be interested in.

The Universal Holiday Inn is about ~15 miles from the TTC, which will take you 20 minutes in good traffic+parking time+getting to the TTC and then taking the monorail to MK. In bad traffic, it can take much longer. Your hotel is much closer to Universal, do you think your kids would like those parks? I've not gone since I've had DD because she just hit 40" and I'm not paying for tickets until she is 48" and makes more of the height lines. (and when she was free, I didn't have another adult to watch her in the park and what you can do with a baby is more limited there.)

I don't mind switching hotels, my mother who I travel with doesn't like it. She also doesn't go to the parks so.... Are you sure you want to take the kids with you to a timeshare presentation? That sounds sort of unpleasant, but maybe because I know my kid wouldn't enjoy it and would eventually act up. Are you doing it just to get the free rooms? If you're actually seriously considering buying a timeshare I would do more research, a lot of timeshares have poor resale.

Disney is insanely crowded in April. It's one of the time periods the new AP blacks out. The plus of being super crowded is the parks are open late and Disney doesn't offer free meal plans so it can easier to book restaurants on property.

If you do decide to do a split stay of Disney and the time share, can you switch the timeshare to the end of the week? Hotel rooms at WDW cost more on Fri+Sat nights and I would try to stay those nights somewhere free and pay out of pocket for other nights.

[boltfam]

Right now, the big plus of staying on property is booking fp+ attractions at 60 days out if you have tickets in advance. This can be a huge plus depending on what attractions you think your family will be interested in.

The Universal Holiday Inn is about ~15 miles from the TTC, which will take you 20 minutes in good traffic+parking time+getting to the TTC and then taking the monorail to MK. In bad traffic, it can take much longer. Your hotel is much closer to Universal, do you think your kids would like those parks? I've not gone since I've had DD because she just hit 40" and I'm not paying for tickets until she is 48" and makes more of the height lines. (and when she was free, I didn't have another adult to watch her in the park and what you can do with a baby is more limited there.)

I don't mind switching hotels, my mother who I travel with doesn't like it. She also doesn't go to the parks so.... Are you sure you want to take the kids with you to a timeshare presentation? That sounds sort of unpleasant, but maybe because I know my kid wouldn't enjoy it and would eventually act up. Are you doing it just to get the free rooms? If you're actually seriously considering buying a timeshare I would do more research, a lot of timeshares have poor resale.

Disney is insanely crowded in April. It's one of the time periods the new AP blacks out. The plus of being super crowded is the parks are open late and Disney doesn't offer free meal plans so it can easier to book restaurants on property.

If you do decide to do a split stay of Disney and the time share, can you switch the timeshare to the end of the week? Hotel rooms at WDW cost more on Fri+Sat nights and I would try to stay those nights somewhere free and pay out of pocket for other nights.

Thanks for your reply. No, we're not interested in buying a timeshare; just doing the timeshare presentation for the free nights that we earn at the hotel. We got that first, and then found out they had property in Orlando, which is what prompted our Disney trip. We were just going to do the free stay and then head to the beach, and then when the ILs decided they wanted to join us for part of it, it turned into a longer trip. Now I feel like we're in this awkward position of if we're spending 4 days at Disney already, maybe we just turn this into a big Disney trip and add a couple of more days onto our trip there and do it all.

My kids are a little wimpy when it comes to rides, so I don't think they will even really want to ride the popular MK rides like splash mountain, space mountain, etc., so maybe being able to book our FP 60 days in advance isn't that big of a benefit to us?

I find this whole WDW vacation planning so overwhelming!

[rkold]

Thanks for your reply. No, we're not interested in buying a timeshare; just doing the timeshare presentation for the free nights that we earn at the hotel. We got that first, and then found out they had property in Orlando, which is what prompted our Disney trip. We were just going to do the free stay and then head to the beach, and then when the ILs decided they wanted to join us for part of it, it turned into a longer trip. Now I feel like we're in this awkward position of if we're spending 4 days at Disney already, maybe we just turn this into a big Disney trip and add a couple of more days onto our trip there and do it all.

My kids are a little wimpy when it comes to rides, so I don't think they will even really want to ride the popular MK rides like splash mountain, space mountain, etc., so maybe being able to book our FP 60 days in advance isn't that big of a benefit to us?

I find this whole WDW vacation planning so overwhelming!

In MK the most popular FP+s which you need 60+ days to get IMHO are:
Anna and Elsa meet n greet
7 Dwarves Mine Train (38" height line, gentler than any of the mountains)
Festival of Fantasy parade
Wishes fireworks viewing
Electric Light Parade

In Epcot:

Soarin'
Test Track

In the Studios:

Toy Story Mania

I don't think there is anything in AK you need FP+ for or can't get something within 30 days. It's a very different sort of park.

It's possible things can change, Cindy+Rapunzel had longer lines than A+E in October, and with the new Star Wars movie, I bet Star Tours will be insane. It was already pretty crowded when we were there in Oct. Some people don't think it's worth a FP+ but I love the FP+ for the parades. DD is short and I am not holding her or saving a spot for 45 minutes ahead of time. The fact there now are FP+ spots for the parades and the fireworks changes where everyone else can stand and takes away various viewing spots for general guests.

I've never done a timeshare presentation, so what happens to your kids while you go? From everything I'm given to understand, it can take a few hours. My mom did a Disney Vacation Club presentation and it took a few hours. Some sellers are very pushy. We stayed at a Wyndham time share in Anaheim and the staff was always trying to get us to listen to their timeshare spiel and unwilling to do as much for us because we refused to go, though the Radisson which was trying to push the Sheraton timeshare was more easy going.

For the most part, it really helps to be at a park at opening and trying to go back to the hotel in the middle of the day, might be hard if you're staying all the way up near Universal. (When I4 is clear, it's not bad, but it can be busy, I hit awful traffic going to the Whole Foods in the Universal area a few times.) Disney will charge you $20 per day for parking at the parks.

I mean, I guess a lot is what are you hoping to do in the parks? The parks are rather expensive and it's good to have some idea what you want to do and what you think your family would enjoy.

[SnuggleBuggles]

My friends went to Orlando and sat through a time share pitch for a free room and free Sea World tickets. They provided childcare during the presentation.

Fwiw, we did Orlando during Easter week a few years ago. Advice- don't dally getting to the parks. They all hit capacity before noon and stopped allowing people in. We also (almost) got hammered on a rental car. Everyone at the airport was renting for $800+ for the week for an economy car. I called to each satellite office til we found one that forgot to jack their rate and rented there for $250. Dh took a taxi to pick it up. Be prepared if you will need to rent a car.

I'd probably do 5 days at the park. Once you hit a certain # of days, adding extra doesn't add much $.

[boltfam]

Thanks for all the info, ladies, especially the info on rides. It has been so long since I've been to Disney, and so much has changed! I think I'm going to pick up the Unofficial Guide to Disney 2016 edition, too, to hopefully get a better idea of how to maximize our visit. I was trying to look online at all the resources, but I think I just need to try to keep it simple for myself with one resource to start out with.

[rkold]

Thanks for all the info, ladies, especially the info on rides. It has been so long since I've been to Disney, and so much has changed! I think I'm going to pick up the Unofficial Guide to Disney 2016 edition, too, to hopefully get a better idea of how to maximize our visit. I was trying to look online at all the resources, but I think I just need to try to keep it simple for myself with one resource to start out with.

I really like Unofficial Guide, but because it is published, sometimes it is a little behind with information. I use their TouringPlans website, and I think it still hasn't realized that Town Square Mickey gets super long lines ever since he started "talking." I would definitely see if you can find some data on what FP+s are likely to completely overwhelm the standby line. (ex: I showed up 10 minutes before the Disney Jr show started and had no problem getting a place for me and DD, so not a good use for a FP+ vs. Star Tours, which was running hour long lines most of my stay.)

The FP+ is probably the biggest change. It can be really wonderful or really awful, and sometimes it is both.

I think the big thing you need to do is really and honestly think about what you think you and your family would enjoy doing at the parks and your budget. Everyone's taste is different. My DD likes meeting the characters the most and recently has gotten into motion simulator rides. I think AstroOrbiter and the Tomorrowland Speedway are the only actual rides she likes. But we still have a great time in all the parks. I also think it helps to be willing to split up sometimes. All of the parks except the Studios (which has the most shows) have activities that for lack of a better word have more flexibility. MK has Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, an interactive card game, where you fight villains to save MK. It involves cards you get to keep and make a nice free souvenir. Epcot has a Phineas and Ferb Adventure you use a fake cell phone and play around the World Showcase. The phone must be returned at the end. AK has a badge collecting program based on Doug from Up, where you get to keep the badges when yo are done. I think they are stickers. Epcot also has a "Passport" you can buy and get stamped in all the countries. My DD and I play Sorcerers and it's a lot of fun.

While I've never been to the parks during Spring Break, if you want someone to throw ideas off feel free to PM me, we just got back from an October trip and have been to Disney a lot.

[klwa]

Thanks for all the info, ladies, especially the info on rides. It has been so long since I've been to Disney, and so much has changed! I think I'm going to pick up the Unofficial Guide to Disney 2016 edition, too, to hopefully get a better idea of how to maximize our visit. I was trying to look online at all the resources, but I think I just need to try to keep it simple for myself with one resource to start out with.

Hmm. I would say that, as quickly as things change now, trying to follow a book may not be your best bet. I've had great luck with easywdw.com, using Josh's crowd calendars ( http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/04-april-2016-crowd-calendar/ ) & cheat sheets (http://www.easywdw.com/category/cheat-sheets/ ). I know a lot of people love the Unofficial Guide, but it's not all that for me.

[rkold]

Hmm. I would say that, as quickly as things change now, trying to follow a book may not be your best bet. I've had great luck with easywdw.com, using Josh's crowd calendars ( http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/04-april-2016-crowd-calendar/ ) & cheat sheets (http://www.easywdw.com/category/cheat-sheets/ ). I know a lot of people love the Unofficial Guide, but it's not all that for me.

I'm not sure I still like the published version of Unofficial, I use to use it more for hotels and restaurants, but I like the Touring Plans website since I can make my own customized touring plans. It also has many subscribers who are sharing actual current wait time and posted wait times and unlike My Disney Experience, doesn't crash or just stop working on my cell on a fairly regular basis.

I can already tell you, having just gone to WDW, that John's cheat sheets are inaccurate. Many rides/characters had much longer lines than he estimated while we were there and none of his touring plans are even close to fitting our needs. It's why I think it's so important to really figure out what is important to your particular group.

Disney is such a subjective place. I've read reviews where people complain that the food at Sanaa or Boma is "too" exotic. (I don't find either to be true.) Most pre-schoolers/K love Ariel's Under Sea Adventures, my kid is petrified of the 8 foot tall Ursula you see on the ride.) It's why it's really really important to think about your group and in the end why I like the TouringPlans customize option the best.

It's like I have done the dessert party a few times, and people ask me if it is worth it. Well, it really depends on your group and your tastes. Is it worth it for me? Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't keep signing up for it. But I am in different circumstances than you and have different priorities, so for your group it really might not be.

[boltfam]

Thanks so much, ladies! I did end up buying the unofficial guide as a starting point but I'm sure I will check out the other websites and be on here for more advice later. Yeah, we do have to figure out what we want to do/what we want our trip to look like. It's hard, too, because we are planning to tell our kids at Christmas time, since that will be their Christmas gift, so I really don't have their input and can't get it for a while(unless we tell them sooner), but my younger two are girls, and LOVE princesses, so I think we will definitely have to see some princesses and probably do a character meal.

[Mikey0709]

I agree with rkold above - - every family is different.

We just got back last weekend from a week there. I AM EXHAUSTED! We had a great trip, but i think i tried to overplan a little... and i was being very conservative by most of what i read! ( we werent rushing, no rope drop days, but did try to use fast passes as best we could) By day 3 in the parks my (ages 5,7,10) kids needed a break. AND - these were days parks closed by 7pm. I honestly don't think us trying to go back to hotel would have worked out for us either - i can't see wasting all that time?????? (even though we were VERY close on disney prop).... just getting to/from the parking lot can be a lengthy process at times! If we needed a break - we found a show to sit and watch. we carried ALOT of snacks/food into the parks with us to keep food costs reasonable. I actually thought the park counter service food was decent and not too overly priced!

I think if i were you, and this may be the ONLY trip - i would do a full week there instead of hitting the beach you have been to before. it makes sense to add on disney park days cause the more you add on the cheaper it gets. We bought the 4 day ticket from undercover tourist - and they added a 5th day for free. My mom bought a 3 day ticket and added on the 4th day while there for only $32 (normally $120 day)... so why not if you can get the 5th day park tickets for free?

Our crowd calender was about a 5-6 and i think we had plenty of time with a day planned in each park (4 disney parks). The only one we went back to was magic kingdom for 3 hours cause we had the free 5th day pass.... but we only went with our oldest who wanted to ride more thrill rides.

Crowd calenders from easywdw were close to accurate - but that doesn't mean every once in awhile you'll see a ride with a 70-80 minute wait even with a "5" crowd calendar day. And even though the crowds were a 5 during the day - each night the Mikey's not so scary halloween party was sold out - for the whole week!

I also learned that the most crowded day for magic kingdom is USUALLY a sunday - cause people start their vacations on saturday and do that one first.... so planning DOES help.

SO yeah - decide if your a "ride" family, "show" family... or would like a middle ground... cause there is alot to see and do.

We stayed at a timeshare also - but didn't do the presentation. I honestly don't think the perks of a disney hotel would be worth it for us compared to what we got (VERY spacious condo) for the cheap price we got! We were ok with no rope drop, early admission and the fast passes we were able to make at 30 days out were fine. Alot of the disney accomodations only went up to 4 people anyway - so the price to add our 5th kid just was way too much for us.

I did end up buying the book - but never really read it and did all my planning online and from easy wdw.com

[ang79]

Thanks so much, ladies! I did end up buying the unofficial guide as a starting point but I'm sure I will check out the other websites and be on here for more advice later. Yeah, we do have to figure out what we want to do/what we want our trip to look like. It's hard, too, because we are planning to tell our kids at Christmas time, since that will be their Christmas gift, so I really don't have their input and can't get it for a while(unless we tell them sooner), but my younger two are girls, and LOVE princesses, so I think we will definitely have to see some princesses and probably do a character meal.

We just got back on Tuesday from our trip. We went with friends and had 7 days of park hopper tickets. We got the free dining deal so did a ton of character meals (only because of free dining, I would not do them all again without the meal plan, most of our meals ran $100-$125 not counting tip!). My 6 and 9 yr. olds are huge princess fans and were on a mission to meet and get autographs and pics with every princess. We fast passed Anna/Elsa and managed to only wait a max of 20 min. in lines for the other princesses (some were only 10 minutes, Tiana had no line at all because they moved her meeting place). We got Jasmine & Aladdin, Tinkerbelle, Merida, and Cinderella/Rapunzel all within the first hour with little wait. We hit rope drop almost every morning and were able to get lots of the popular rides done with little wait (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, etc.). Would not have been able to ride Seven Dwarves Mine train without a fast pass though, the line didn't drop below 40 min. and that is too long for my kids to stand in a line and wait. We did use Fast Passes for some shows (Belle's Enchanget Tales, and shows at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) but probably didn't need them, as the shows run so frequently.

I had read that princesses were easier to see in the World Showcase at Epcot than at Magic Kingdom but that wasn't true for us. We always managed to find the line just as they were cutting it off and they would tell us to try again in 45 min. or 1.5 hrs. I did really like the set up of the princess meal at Akershus Castle in Norway. Belle greeted us and we saw Cinderella, Ariel (as a human), Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty during our meal. They chatted some with the girls but not quite as long as the ones we saw at a meet and greet. But if you choose to do a character meal this one gets you 5 princesses who will sign autographs and pose for pics. And I thought the food was good too.

We probably could have done w/o a park hopper ticket if we had planned our meals better. We spent the most time at Magic Kingdom but only had two dining reservations there. Our other reservations were at other parks. So we would start the day at one park and do our 3 fast passes then catch a bus or monorail to another park for an early dinner (we booked our trip a bit late and that was all I was able to get for dining times, late lunches or early dinners). I did manage to snag a lunch at Be Our Guest the day we left for our trip and then a breakfast at Crystal Palace while we were there. Oh, and dinner at Boma as well.

If I were to do it again I would plan most of our time for Magic Kingdom as that is the park my family enjoyed the most/found the most fun stuff to do. Hollywood Studios could have been done in less than 1 day (my girls loved the Frozen Sing Along, as well as the Beauty and the Beast show and the Little Mermaid show). Animal Kingdom could be less than 1 day too probably (it was way to hot to want to walk the trails when we went. Oh, see the Lion King show, it was very entertaining for all ages!) Epcot could have been one day, or maybe just evenings there (DH and I would have loved more time to walk around the World Showcase but the girls weren't big fans - too much walking and too crowded when we were there).

Good luck! We made all of our plans (dining, Fast Passes, etc.) before telling the girls and it worked out OK :) I think everyone in our party of 8 got to see/do what they wanted at each park.

[boltfam]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! It's very helpful to hear what works for other families. We decided to skip the beach this year and do five days at Disney (staying there probably) and then go to the timeshare at the end of the week and just relax.