(Update in OP.)Please help a disney novice on a short time frame, family of 5

[brittone2]

Update: I am pretty sure we are going to book a preferred room in POR in early Feb. I keep looking at food and I think we're just going to pay OOP for food. Even if we go over what we would have spent with the meal plan, I think we'll still be okay with that and roll the dice. I suspect DS1 and DD or DD and DS2 may prefer to sometimes share an adult entree vs. kid food. DS1 and DD both love sushi, ethnic cuisine, etc. and my kids are kind of foodie, so I'd hate to limit them to kid menu options. I may regret that If stay, play, dine comes out then maybe we'll tweak things or rethink. She said there may also be a RO discount in that time period. Who knows. In any case, it is all within budget and any discounts will be an added bonus. We are going to do 7 nights. We couldn't find many good prices on direct flights, but DH is using miles and we're going to buy 4 tickets and use miles for the 5th, which makes direct only a few dollars more than a single stop flight. We should be able to arrive by like 1:30 to MCO, so I'm hoping til we get on the transportation to the resort, allow for any minor delays, etc. that should be okay. I guess I need to read up on check in (is it 4pm typically? I read but can't recall if that was WBC condos or the resorts at WDW). If we need to kill time, or for dinner that night, I assume we'll just hit Downtown Disney. If we feel compelled to enter the parks I guess we'll add an extra ticket day once we are there?

We have a dinner reservation at Cali Grill for one night when Wishes is going in MK. THat's the only dinner reservations we've set up so far. It is supposed to be a good day to be at MK, so that was just good luck. I am hoping that even though we are pretty far out we can piece together some decent reservations. I just need to figure out where yet. It looks like the first two days of our trip are the best two days for MK. Is it insane to do two days of MK back to back? Maybe I don't need to worry too much about crowd levels and recommended parks since it is a slower time of year based off of the crowd calendars I've looked at. Mostly 3s and 4s.

Thank you so much for the great start. I now have the book on my nook, so that should help with the incessant questions (maybe...).

I hope POR ends up going okay. I am a bit nervous about strollers and buses. Do you think I can lug an Inglesina zippy on there? It folds fast but is not a small fold like a maclaren. I would hate to buy something just for the trip since DS2 is 3.5 and almost never rides in a stroller anymore other than the occasional family walk that is longer, etc.

Thank you, thank you!
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So we've kicked around the idea of a Disney trip for a few months, but nothing serious. DH is suddenly on board. We thought about early Dec 2013 (very short notice) or early Feb. 2014 (still short notice). We have a tremendous amount of flexibility due to the kids being homeschooled, and DH has pretty good flexibility with time off from work. As a result, we could also do something like Sept 2014, Dec 2014, etc. and have more time to plan. Right now my kids are 9, 6, and 3. If we go in Feb. DS2 will still be 3, DS1 will still be 9, and DD will be 7.

That said, I could probably perseverate on the details to a degree that I will drive myself nuts. As a result, I almost think short notice may be better in my case I have not been to Disney other than one trip 30+years ago. Eeek. DH has never been. I have only a bit of familiarity from following discussions casually here and elsewhere.

My kids know the Pixar stuff, have watched limited Disney movies.

Right now I need to make some decisions. This morning DH called to price a suite at AoA (Cars or Lion King? I have no idea what i'm doing other than quickly trying to ballpark things). We are leaning toward just staying at WBC in some ways, but after talking to the agent, DH thinks maybe we should stay on site. Is AoA worth staying on site for, or would you just go WBC? I totally forgot to have DH price out Port Orleans. The AoA decor is making my head hurt looking at it online :/ How does POR compare in price to AoA suites, roughly?

I think we'll do a character meal or two. Since we are closer in than 180 days at this point, breakfasts look tough to get. I'm thinking maybe a late lunch (2pm?) would be easier to get, and the littlest ones will probably be ready to sit down in some AC and I'm sure will be burned out.

THoughts? Seriously, I need some direction and the various boards kind of overwhelm me as I have 1) a short time frame if we proceed with the current thought of going dec. 2013 or feb 2014) and 2)I have zero orientation to even start making sense of some of the various boards. WHen people talk about heading to X gate, etc. I'm completely and utterly clueless.

I am debating just working with a TA to plan things. Will they book out our meals and so forth?

I don't think we'll do a dining plan and will probably pay OOP, although we priced AoA, meal plan, etc. and it was within our budget. We have never been, my kids aren't big on intense rides yet (like they don't really do big rollercoasters yet even though I've tried to persuade them), they are not die hard Disney fans in general (yet).

We'd like to keep it to 4-5K. 4K plus airfare, really.

I looked at crowd level info and it looks like the wk of the first and eighth Feb are pretty calm.

Where would you start?

[kaharris83]

We have always gone during late January-Early February and it is great. The weather is good and the crowds are low. We could ride the big rides over and over with no wait so I think that's a great time to go.

I just decided to extend our family vacation in FL with a week tacked on at WDW in November last week so I totally know where you're coming from with the short time frame, though we've been twice in the last few years so I have a bit of an idea on planning. But I've never planned with kiddos so I'm in a totally different place now. DS1 was 6 months last time we went so there wasn't much to plan for him.

I love easywdw.com for planning. His touring plans are great. And he has maps that help you get an idea as well. http://www.easywdw.com/category/cheat-sheets/

It can all be terribly overwhelming I agree. I've never worked with a TA so I'm not sure what they can help you with. Good luck and have a great time!!

[megs4413]

That said, I could probably perseverate on the details to a degree that I will drive myself nuts. As a result, I almost think short notice may be better in my case I have not been to Disney other than one trip 30+years ago. Eeek. DH has never been. I have only a bit of familiarity from following discussions casually here and elsewhere.

I'm like this and for a first timer that's like this, I think there's something to be said for a short notice trip. We were within the 180 days when I booked our first trip. It went great and then I knew what I wanted when I had more time for planning our next trip, so I didn't get as bogged down with extraneous information that didn't pertain to me.

but after talking to the agent, DH thinks maybe we should stay on site. Is AoA worth staying on site for, or would you just go WBC? I totally forgot to have DH price out Port Orleans. The AoA decor is making my head hurt looking at it online :/ How does POR compare in price to AoA suites, roughly?

I haven't been to AoA. I would choose PO over AoA every time. Like you, I find the "fun" decor of AoA overwhelming even in pictures. Not to mention accessibility, features, room size, and food are better at PO. that's my personal take.

I think we'll do a character meal or two. Since we are closer in than 180 days at this point, breakfasts look tough to get. I'm thinking maybe a late lunch (2pm?) would be easier to get, and the littlest ones will probably be ready to sit down in some AC and I'm sure will be burned out.

do not fret! you will find good ressies still! maybe not perfect, dream ressies, but you will find great ones just the same.

I am debating just working with a TA to plan things. Will they book out our meals and so forth?

you know I'm a TA fan so I think this is generally a good idea. And yes, they can make ADRs for you.

I don't think we'll do a dining plan and will probably pay OOP, although we priced AoA, meal plan, etc. and it was within our budget. We have never been, my kids aren't big on intense rides yet (like they don't really do big rollercoasters yet even though I've tried to persuade them), they are not die hard Disney fans in general (yet).

Theres's a promo ending today for free dining in december...it's worth a look if you have time to look at it before midnight. otherwise, you can hem and haw about the ddp for awhile still.

We'd like to keep it to 4-5K. 4K plus airfare, really.

I don't know anything about air fare, but this is a very reasonable budget for a nice Disney vacation.

Where would you start?

I'd probably start by making the decision on a TA. Do you know one? If you choose not to use one, then I'd proceed with planning by first finalizing dates. A TA comes in handy here, because they will have a better idea of general pricing/specials that they expect at the times of year you're choosing between which may help you decide which is better. Personally, I find Disney very special at Christmas time, so I'd lean towards December. YMMV. I can go into that further if it's of interest to you.

I'll be back with more info. I'm gonna eat lunch.

[123LuckyMom]

I would run out right now and buy the Unofficial Guide to WDW. I'm a heavy library borrower, but with the amount of money WDW costs, the book is really worth it for a novice. The book will also help you decide where to stay. I can't help you there, because I've never stayed at the resorts you are considering. In my book, most everything pales in importance to ease and time of travel to the parks when considering a resort. Theming is of next highest importance.

If you have any specific questions about resorts, it really is worth it to ask on the Dis Boards. I know it's confusing and intimidating, but those people really do know everything there is to know.

Once you book your trip, if you have a smartphone, get the app "Lines". It will help you pre plan your ride routes and adjust on the fly. We saved HOURS in line using the app. Even on high crowd days, we never waited longer than 20 minutes.

February is a great time to go as far as crowds and weather are concerned. Usually there is at least one big ride down for refurbishment in the "off" times, though, so you might want to see the schedule of ride closures before making a decision on when you will go.

With character breakfasts (or meals at any time) the first thing to do is decide which characters are most important to you. Then choose your venue. Then start hunting for reservations. Folks on the Dis boards may be able to give you more advice about getting reservations. We don't do character meals, because it's just too much trouble, and the kids mostly enjoy the characters more far away than close up!

[megs4413]

OK. there's also a promo that's running into november for travel dates in december for 30% off the room rate, which is actually a really good promo. I would for sure take a long hard look at that.

POR (port orleans riverside) is a moderate resort that accommodates up to 5 guests. it qualifies on this promo for a 20% discount.

With a party of 5 (all over age 3) you will either need a suite or a room at POR (in alligator bayou where they have the fold down beds), or one of the deluxes (with the exception of AKL and WL). The most economical of those options is POR, but with the 30% discount, you can do OK with a deluxe.

If I run this scenario (just as an example):

POR
12/7-12/13 (6 nights, 7 days) with the discount, 7 day base tickets, no dining plan: $2896.79.

that's actually not bad at all. In your case, I'd lean towards not adding the dining plan because your 3 year old probably doesn't require that much food. So then you can work the remainder of your budget the way you want.

keep in mind, they may come out with similar promos for travel dates in february, they just don't have them publicly available yet. This is another area where a TA comes in handy.

[megs4413]

What are you looking for in a resort? It sounds a little like you don't envision being die-hard, all-day-long park visitors, is that right? Are you hoping for some unique/interesting experiences at your resort?

[WatchingThemGrow]

POR is way cheaper than AoA when I have checked. And just for the ease of it, I would do he dining plan. I hate weighing prices and decisions about food constantly. I long to do the dining plan and have a stress free vacation.

[megs4413]

Running a similar scenario for Disney's Contemporary Resort (CR is the abbreviation in board lingo)
12/12-12/18 7days, 6 nights with discounted rate and 7 day base tickets to the parks: $4237.79. I realize this is over your budget by a couple hundred but this is LIGHT YEARS different than staying at POR and POR is LIGHT YEARS away from staying at WBC. the Contemporary (a monorail resort) at Christmas time is fan-freaking-tastic.

[egoldber]

Everyone has a different philosophy.

I've never used a TA and can't (personally) see any reason to use one. I would stay at POR with the 30% off or at WBC. You'll get a much nicer room at WBC and a kitchen which I could see you guys really using. We prefer to eat breakfast before we leave the room, pack in snacks and even sandwiches for lunch, then eat dinner either in the park or out and about. I get really tired of all WDW food all the time and so do my kids.

I highly recommend early December or early February. December will probably be warmer. Also, if your youngest is not yet 3, they don't need a ticket and can eat free at sit down restaurants, which will save you $$$$.

[KrisM]

We are going in early April 2014. I did a bunch of debating and ended up with POR over AoA and WBC. I decided that since it's our first trip and potentially our only trip, we would stay onsite. POR is cheaper than AoA for our dates by over $1000, and we went with the Preferred rooms at POR to shorten the walk time. We priced the cabins in Fort Wilderness, too. Those were only slightly more than AoA and you get a full kitchen, which is great if you want to cook meals.