Disney Vacations

[cougarfreak]

I'm looking for feedback on any of the resorts in Disney World in Orlando. We're planning a trip there next summer, for my me, my wife, and our two kids ages 6 and 4. I'm thinking of either of a deluxe resort, or the new animation resort they are opening up. Dining plan? Not sure what to do.

[Suburban Rhythm]

We did Disney last year, my daughter was nearly 6 and son 3 1/2.

We stayed at one of the All-Star resorts. You are still pretty close to everything, and have dedicated buses available. I can't think of any time we waited more than 20 minutes for a bus.

The deluxe resorts, I believe, you'll have access to the monorail, meaning even less of a wait.

We did get a dining plan, but whichever one included 2 meals + 2 "snacks" per day. We used the meals mainly for breakfast and dinner. The snacks can be used for bottled water, which is helpful. We'd have smaller meals in the parks for lunch.

We also bought our flights separate from booking through Disney, and found better deals that way.

[gstelmack]

Depends. If you're willing to spend, I highly recommend the Polynesian or Contemporary, as being on the monorail is super-convenient, and the kids will want to spend lots of time at the Magic Kingdom. Plus monorail access to Epcot. You only have to take buses to Disney Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Downtown Disney.

The All-Star resorts are just fine if you want to save money.

Go with the Dining Plan, it's generally worth it. They have several different versions now. The Table Service meals are great to use on the Character Dining experiences, do as many as possible with the kids.

Make sure you bring swimsuits. If you are going in the summer it will be very warm and humid, and you'll want to take the kids back to the hotel and let them loose in the pool for the afternoon. Do the parks in the morning and evenings.

And whatever you do, don't PLAN the trip out. Go with the flow, do what's fun and not completely packed. If you decide "okay, we'll hit Magic Kingdom on day one, doing rides X, Y, and Z, then Epcot Day 2..." etc up front you'll ruin the trip. Just get there and do what seems fun while you're there, let the kids check some stuff out, but don't push them too hard.

[JonInMiddleGA]

17 trips to WDW (and hopefully another one pending soon), so as you might expect I've got a few thoughts here ;)

Depends. If you're willing to spend, I highly recommend the Polynesian or Contemporary, as being on the monorail is super-convenient, and the kids will want to spend lots of time at the Magic Kingdom. Plus monorail access to Epcot. You only have to take buses to Disney Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Downtown Disney.

+1 on the Contemporary. Never stayed at Poly so can't comment. Among the next tier down, I recommend Wilderness Lodge from a kid's perspective & French Quarter from an adult's perspective.

The All-Star resorts are just fine if you want to save money.

Not a fan of the AS properties, at least not during busy season. The bus service is generally atrocious for them because of the ratio of guests:buses is the worst of all properties. "You get what you pay for" may very well apply to transportation moreso than any other aspect of the resorts. Unless of course you enjoy waiting more than an hour (and as much as 2.5 hr) while you're exhausted while carrying even more wiped out kids plus all of the stuff you've accumulated.

Incidentally, for the first few days of the trip (until about 48 hours before departure) having purchases delivered back to the resort instead of lugging them around is a helpful tip. If it's something the kid just has to have in their hands the minute you get back to the hotel fine, otherwise, have 'em delivered (no extra charge) to your resort gift shop & pick them up at your leisure usually about 24 hours later.

The Table Service meals are great to use on the Character Dining experiences, do as many as possible with the kids.

Big +1. At those ages character dining is almost certain to be a hit & the photos you'll take are likely to be among your most favorite. Reservations are a must at most of these, with Cinderella's Royal Table (inside the castle) being the toughest. AFAIK those reservations still become available 365 days out, and if you don't book that one about a year out then your odds of getting in are not good.

If you are going in the summer it will be very warm and humid, and you'll want to take the kids back to the hotel and let them loose in the pool for the afternoon. Do the parks in the morning and evenings.

Another +1 here, the midafternoon break is a near must in summer, otherwise you end up exhausted & miserable pretty easily. It also lets you avoid the typical mid-afternoon downpour.

And whatever you do, don't PLAN the trip out. Go with the flow, do what's fun and not completely packed. If you decide "okay, we'll hit Magic Kingdom on day one, doing rides X, Y, and Z, then Epcot Day 2..." etc up front you'll ruin the trip. Just get there and do what seems fun while you're there, let the kids check some stuff out, but don't push them too hard.

I largely disagree here. We found that the dining reservations were usually the best way to organize things, otherwise you're having fun at Park X only to realize you have to leave & frantically try to make it to wherever you're eating. Likewise having a general plan focused on your top priorities at Park X upon arrival is important, organizing your first few rides in a logical sequence will have you on more rides/attractions and spending less time trekking across the parks. (i.e. if Fantasyland at MK is your top priority then go directly to it when the gates open, don't dawdle & gawk en route. If you do, you're going to be facing 2x-4x the wait times. Our first trip featured a 3 hr wait in record heat just get my kid on Pooh.)

It's possible to overplan (did that on a couple of trips) but having plans built around your priorities is something I'd call a must ... at least if you want to accommodate those things with the least amount of wasted time & energy. With most WDW visits, time & energy become more precious commodities than cash (and at Disney, time is always money ;) ).

[gstelmack]

I largely disagree here. We found that the dining reservations were usually the best way to organize things, otherwise you're having fun at Park X only to realize you have to leave & frantically try to make it to wherever you're eating. Likewise having a general plan focused on your top priorities at Park X upon arrival is important, organizing your first few rides in a logical sequence will have you on more rides/attractions and spending less time trekking across the parks. (i.e. if Fantasyland at MK is your top priority then go directly to it when the gates open, don't dawdle & gawk en route. If you do, you're going to be facing 2x-4x the wait times. Our first trip featured a 3 hr wait in record heat just get my kid on Pooh.)

It's possible to overplan (did that on a couple of trips) but having plans built around your priorities is something I'd call a must ... at least if you want to accommodate those things with the least amount of wasted time & energy. With most WDW visits, time & energy become more precious commodities than cash (and at Disney, time is always money ;) ).

Yes, I'll agree here. Plan the dining ahead of time. Just don't come up with a down-to-the-minute itinerary with the parks, and be willing to change some plans based on what the kids want to do.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yes, I'll agree here. Plan the dining ahead of time. Just don't come up with a down-to-the-minute itinerary with the parks, and be willing to change some plans based on what the kids want to do.

The minute-by-minute version is always spoiled by the arrival of Mr. Murphy & his law ;)

What I really meant to add to my comments but failed to actually do was my belief that ultimately every family kind of has to find the level of organization/planning/etc that works best for them. I've got friends whose WDW style would make me insane, mine would do the same to them. The "right" way to do it is whatever fits your family best, definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of place.

Some of the stuff - like having an initial attack plan - strikes me as common sense based on waytoomany days of park experience. Other things - like dining reservations - are just practical realities, you either plan ahead or find yourself with limited options at best.

As a free bonus, one of the many little things we learned over the years was that the best last-minute dining trick was to call their WDW-DINE number the minute it reopens in the morning (7AM IIRC), you can sometimes catch a surprisingly decent same-day reservation as they've cleared out cancellations & what-not. Wait 'til 9am & you're probably s.o.l. in peak season.

[cougarfreak]

I'm really debating a deluxe resort, or the new Animation Studios that is opening up next year.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm really debating a deluxe resort, or the new Animation Studios that is opening up next year.

I might suggest that the opening date be a big part of your decision. As with anything new, even Disney has to deal with working out bugs/kinks. If your trip is 60-90 days after at least the "soft" opening of the new one, you'd probably be okay. Less than 30 days, I'd advise dodging it, no point spending that kind of coin just to beta test the property.

[cougarfreak]

I might suggest that the opening date be a big part of your decision. As with anything new, even Disney has to deal with working out bugs/kinks. If your trip is 60-90 days after at least the "soft" opening of the new one, you'd probably be okay. Less than 30 days, I'd advise dodging it, no point spending that kind of coin just to beta test the property.

Good point. Now I'm thinking Polynesian based on the monorail availability, and getting the dining plan with one sit down, and one quick service meal.

[Swaggs]

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

[OldGiants]

We are a Disney family with over 20 trips. Now my daughter is an architect in the Imagineering Dept and my son-in-law is in Guest Relations, giving VIP tours and often in charge of the Castle suite on weekends. So I tend to know what is going on.

Dining reservations are a must, the advice to get reservations and plan your days around them is sound advice. Meal plans are terrific and the folks at Disney will do what they can to accommodate you when you have choices to make. One important point I'll add is that top-of-the-line eating often takes TWO sit down meal points. They will point this out to you, but you need to be aware of this since you said you want the premium resorts. Ohana's at the Polynesian, California Grill at the Contemporary and several at the Grand Floridian all cost two table service meals. So be prepared.

With 6 and 4 year olds, EPCOT will be a long day with the kids getting tired and a bit bored. Hollywood Studios go early and directly to the Toy Story Fast Pass lines. The Fast Passes for Toy Story are gone by 11 AM which means an hour+ wait for what is a must-do ride.

I'd avoid the new Animation hotel until it goes through its shakedown phase successfully. We stayed at Coronado Springs when it first opened, and little things went wrong.

[OldGiants]

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

We took our first visit to DisneyLand when our daughter was 3 1/2 and she did well and does remember it--aided by photos, of course. There's lots of strollers in the Magic Kingdom, and lots to do and see for the young ones. There are always parades and characters roaming.

However, little kids need naps. Unless you are staying in a close by premium resort, getting back and forth to the parks is time-consuming, although the resort buses are convenient, they are slow and stop a lot.

[Uncle Briggs]

We just took our 10th trip last month. As somebody else said, you are really just going to have to figure out through experience what works for your family, but I'll share some things that work for us.

Don't do the all-star resorts. Fewer buses, longer walks to the bus, and no shelter at the bus stop at the hotel. Not having to stand in the hot sun or rain waiting for the bus makes the cost difference of the better hotels worth it.

We prefer the moderate resorts for the cost, since we really aren't there much anyway. From Caribbean Beach you can see the skyrockets from the Epcot fireworks. From Port Orleans you can take a boat ride to Downtown Disney.

Our experience with the regular meal plan was that you almost have to plan your day around the meals to make sure you used all your table services because of waits/reservations. We were much happier with the two counter service meals/day plan. The counter service meals are large enough for two if you aren't a big eater, and it's easier to just eat when you get hungry.

We took our daughter at just short of 5 yoa. When we went this last time (3 years later) I was amazed at the things she remembered.

This site has tons of good information:
www.disboards.com (http://www.disboards.com)

[cougarfreak]

Since there are so many vets of trips on here, are the bus lines at the moderate resorts ok?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Since there are so many vets of trips on here, are the bus lines at the moderate resorts ok?

Probably depends upon your tolerance for lines & buses, but for me (intolerant impatient SOB that I generally am) they're generally tolerable. I don't love 'em & I'll use things like the water taxi from Orleans to Epcot to avoid them when I can but I can live with them if I have to. There's definitely a noticeable difference in buses for moderates vs all-stars for sure. YMMV of course.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

It's a perfect age for the first trip. We're taking our 4 1/2 year old out for her second trip and our 2 year old out for her first trip this September. The 4 1/2 year old first went to Disney world at 22 months. She remembers more of that trip than her mom and I do. One of the biggest misconceptions by most parents is that they can't take kids from 2-4 years of age. I'd argue that there's not a better time to take kids given that they can ride so many rides and attractions even at that small age. They soak it up. Also, make sure to do character meals and get autographs. The pictures and autographs in those books are things that my older daughter still looks at regularly.

Make sure to go in the latter half of January after school gets back into session. You'll rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes for a ride and will walk directly on to most rides with no wait.

[JonInMiddleGA]

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

I've done it at around 18-20 months (been a long time, can't remember his age exactly). Truthfully, fun as it was & memorable as it was, that was a trip that turned out to be entirely for me & my wife, my son (a complete Disneyphile even now) has zero recollection of it. It's akin to baby's first Christmas.

I'd say 3 is the earliest they're going to have memory of it & along the lines of what MBBF said, 3-4 seems like a really good sweet spot.

[Uncle Briggs]

Since there are so many vets of trips on here, are the bus lines at the moderate resorts ok?

We stayed at Caribbean Beach from June 6-12. We had two waits over 20 minutes: one was an obvious busing screwup where an Epcot bus didn't come for almost an hour; the other was Friday night leaving Downtown Disney, so not unexpected. Other than those, I don't think we had a wait over 15 minutes, at the hotel or the parks. This (minus the screwup; that was a first) was consistent with our other stays at the moderates.

[Glengoyne]

I'm just here to say hello to my wife, who has probably setup shop in this thread. I'm fairly sure she visits the Front Office more often than I do these days.

Oh and yes, we're planning our trip as well. So thanks for posting this, and all of the advice.

[Hammer755]

I would recommend one of the All-Star or Pop Century value resorts. It's never made sense to me to pay for the premium hotels, as my family spends the overwhelming majority of our time in the parks themselves.

I also think it is an absolute necessity to pre-plan the trip as much as possible. You have to go to MGM knowing to hit the Toy Story line as soon as the park opens, or that Soarin's FastPasses run out very quickly, if you want to avoid waiting in line for over an hour. My wife uses a couple of the Disney websites like TourGuide Mike (which is not free, but totally worth it) and has our day planned down to who and when is getting a FastPass for a specific ride. Yes it seems like a pain, but it is absolutely worth it to minimize waiting in lines. Going with the flow just seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

Our first couple of times we didn't do the Dining Plan, but after doing it a couple of times, I really think it's the way to go. Also, Disney has been offering the Dining Plan for free a good bit recently, so be on the lookout for it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Disboards is a very good resource as well, and my wife has another one that she likes a lot but the name escapes me at the moment. Those larger fan run & fan focused sites are great for a lot of things including Hidden Mickeys (the popular & the obscure), daily on-site updates about ride closures/crowding/etc, emerging issues (or good stuff) at resorts, etc. While there's a lot of stuff that's from/for hardcore Disney freaks, I've always thought they were friendly enough for newbies & to this day I still learn new tricks almost every time I read them.

Also, since this thread has got some 1st timers (or 1st time with young kids) viewing, make sure you know about the "baby swap" (the official name eludes me). Basically you ride Everest or whatever while the wife holds the baby then you get off & hold the baby while she goes to ride w/out going back through the line.

When these trips get closer make sure you necromance the thread or start a new one, there's a lot of little stuff (like getting to wake Tinkerbell at MK or riding with the conductor up front on the monorail) that ought to be tipped off as well.

[OldGiants]

I would recommend one of the All-Star or Pop Century value resorts. It's never made sense to me to pay for the premium hotels, as my family spends the overwhelming majority of our time in the parks themselves.

I also think it is an absolute necessity to pre-plan the trip as much as possible. You have to go to MGM knowing to hit the Toy Story line as soon as the park opens, or that Soarin's FastPasses run out very quickly, if you want to avoid waiting in line for over an hour. My wife uses a couple of the Disney websites like TourGuide Mike (which is not free, but totally worth it) and has our day planned down to who and when is getting a FastPass for a specific ride. Yes it seems like a pain, but it is absolutely worth it to minimize waiting in lines. Going with the flow just seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

Our first couple of times we didn't do the Dining Plan, but after doing it a couple of times, I really think it's the way to go. Also, Disney has been offering the Dining Plan for free a good bit recently, so be on the lookout for it.

Heartily agree with all of this. On the Dining Plan being included, as well as other hotel specials, these get announced about 90 days ahead of the start date and run about 90 days. So as much as I agree with the 'plan ahead' talk, great deals at the resort hotels (including the 'free' dining plan) get announced a relatively short time ahead. Check the fan websites. They will instantly post the deal details as soon as they are available.

If your kids are Pirate fans, check out the new Pirate theme rooms at Caribean Beach. My daughter got us one of them last Novemeber. Cannons built into the beds, as well as pirate baseboards. Fixtures all pirate-y. I loved it, hard to imagine a kid not thinking it is the greatest room they ever saw.

[Glengoyne]

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

[OldGiants]

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic but definitely out of the way. If this will be a once in a lifetime trip, I would say stay more centrally located. Animal Kingdom Lodge is best for folks who want to live with the animals for a few days.

You will need a car to get to Universal or SeaWorld. There's also a dinosaur park that is better than you'd think off towards Tampa. My daughter likes it. Forget the beach, it is around an hour away--but so is Cape Canaveral if there is a launch. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are better than a day at the shore, so Disney takes care of that. Plus there are pools with big slides at all the resorts.

[Swaggs]

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

I don't know much about the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but if you are doing a once in a lifetime trip and want to get to Universal Studios, I'd consider staying onsite at WDW for however many days you want to visit their parks and then renting a car and staying somewhere closer to Universal.

We stayed 8-days a pretty nice Extended Stay, that was within walking distance to Universal, for what we paid for 2 days in a mid-range Disney hotel. And, by staying off site and in an Extended Stay, you can sneak in meals and a few daytrips (Drive to the Beach, although it is far/Sea World/Shopping/Go to a Movie/etc.) without feeling like you are blowing money at the resort by not going to a park.

[cougarfreak]

Has anyone stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (the pirate themed one)? I'd be curious to hear about experiences there.

[Uncle Briggs]

Heartily agree with all of this. On the Dining Plan being included, as well as other hotel specials, these get announced about 90 days ahead of the start date and run about 90 days. So as much as I agree with the 'plan ahead' talk, great deals at the resort hotels (including the 'free' dining plan) get announced a relatively short time ahead. Check the fan websites. They will instantly post the deal details as soon as they are available.

There are some special offers for free dining from time to time, but lately it has been available every year from late August to early October (aka "hurricane season"). If you don't have school age kids (or don't care about missing school), this makes early Oct doubly attractive. Hurricane season is pretty well over by then and our experience with that time of year has always been good (low crowds, less hot).

If your kids are Pirate fans, check out the new Pirate theme rooms at Caribean Beach. My daughter got us one of them last Novemeber. Cannons built into the beds, as well as pirate baseboards. Fixtures all pirate-y. I loved it, hard to imagine a kid not thinking it is the greatest room they ever saw.

We stayed in one of these our most recent trip (we booked last minute and it was all that was available). The room was cool, my daughter loved it, but it added over $100 for 6 days so YMMV.

Edit: somebody asked for specifics, so I'll give more detail.

Pros: Daughter loved the room, a smaller pool with no crowd was close, you can see the Epcot skyrockets from the "beach" nearby, slightly higher cost means quieter area and fewer people at bus stop.

Cons: extra cost, these rooms are farthest from the main area (i.e.the food) (but still less than 10 min walk), full size beds not queens so may be uncomfortable if you are tall/big.

Ultimately, I would say if the extra cost is justified to you for the cool decor, these rooms are as good as any. Simply for being able to see the higher fireworks without fighting the crowd I would probably pick Carribean Beach from among the moderate resorts.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

I'm staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September. We've got a 10-person room on the safari side. We've heard from others that it's well worth it. I've stayed at a room at the lodge before. Bus service is very good. We've found that the extra few minutes on the bus are more than offset by the frequency of buses that they send to the resort.

As a sidenote, anyone who doesn't use MouseSavers (http://www.mousesavers.com/) to plan trips is missing out. We use Undercover Tourist (referenced on MouseSavers) to purchase our tickets. I also have saved hundreds on nearly every trip just by watching the deals on MouseSavers and getting them matched once I see them. Disney allows you to book early and then call them back and get a price match if they drop the price on what you booked. The only catch is that the deals often are out within days, so watching a site like MouseSavers on a regular basis is key to getting that price match.

[Doug5984]

This thread is making me really want to go back for another trip.

[gstelmack]

On the age thing, we nearly lost our 2-year-old on her first trip to Disney (on her birthday, so at 24-months) when she broke away from my hand and took off to go see Pooh. Luckily there was a fence in the way. We got in line and she gave Pooh the biggest hug I think I've ever seen her give anyone. She had a GREAT time. Just remember that at that age it's all about the characters, it really wasn't until age 6 or so that our kids started caring about the rides at all.

[cougarfreak]

I'm having a hard time deciding. Seems like all the deluxe resorts are great, but pricey (with the ones on the monorail being my choice option), and all the moderates have pros and cons. Due to all the bad stuff I've read on the bus service (both here and on other sites), I've kind of ruled out the value resorts.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm having a hard time deciding. Seems like all the deluxe resorts are great, but pricey (with the ones on the monorail being my choice option), and all the moderates have pros and cons. Due to all the bad stuff I've read on the bus service (both here and on other sites), I've kind of ruled out the value resorts.

A couple of x-factors (that you've probably already considered)

1) How much room/resort time do you anticipate doing? If it's as little as possible, the price jump may not be worth it. If, on the other hand, you figure to include some non-park chill out time then the deluxe resorts are pretty cool. Grand Floridian (which isn't first choice for 99.9% of kids) is pretty swank stuff for adults, maybe the most relaxing of all the Dis resorts IMO.

2) There's character dining at some resorts (Contemporary has Chef Mickey's breakfast for example) as well as shows like Hoop De Doo (at/near Wilderness) and the Luau thing (at Poly, name escapes me). If any of those are on your agenda then that would be a point in their favor. After several days of running around like crazy, it's kind of nice to casually make your way down to something that only involves an elevator as transportation.

3) If your family includes a water bug or two, check out the various theme pools at the hotels you're considering. A matter of taste really but there are some differences (do the kids think any of the specific pools look like the greatest thing ever? If so, that's worth consideration IMO).

4) Do you plan/expect to be centered more on one park than the others (i.e. mostly MK or fairly balanced across them all?). If MK is a major focal point then it's hard to be any more convenient than Contemporary. If you're going to be everywhere about equally then a resort that's more centrally located might get an extra point or two (I can't recall which are which off the top of my head, you should be able to find an overall map that shows everything pretty easily thought)

5) Themes are typically pretty well executed across a specific property. I found that there really is a different feel to one place vs another after a few days there, and there is a tendency to kind of have the resort start to feel like "home", so be somewhere you're comfortable/happy even if it's just psychological. Is there something that's really got a strong appeal to your family; i.e. futurisitic, rustic, exotic, etc? It's little stuff but when giving Disney the kind of coin they're getting, I'm a believer in wringing as much as possible out of the experience.

Just some stuff I figured worth throwing out there. I'm the grumpiest SOB a lot of FOFC'ers know but WDW will always be special to me because of how much my son has loved it for so long. It's been too long since we've been able to go (although there's faint glimmer of hope for us within the next year) so it's fun for me to think about the good times.

[gstelmack]

I'm having a hard time deciding. Seems like all the deluxe resorts are great, but pricey (with the ones on the monorail being my choice option), and all the moderates have pros and cons. Due to all the bad stuff I've read on the bus service (both here and on other sites), I've kind of ruled out the value resorts.

That's because you're going during peak season. Try for an offseason trip and you can save a fair chunk. My preference is late January.

If the Polynesian is too much for you, stay at Port Orleans and you'll be fine.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That's because you're going during peak season. Try for an offseason trip and you can save a fair chunk. My preference is late January.

If the Polynesian is too much for you, stay at Port Orleans and you'll be fine.

Late January
Early February
Late September
Early October
Weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas

All are fantastic times with minimal crowds. MouseSavers.com has a full listing of prices based on season at the following link.

http://www.mousesavers.com/roomrates2011.html

[cougarfreak]

I wish I could, but as a teacher, that's pretty impossible for me.

[OldGiants]

We've found the best time to go is after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. The cheaper rates are still in effect up to around Dec 22 or so and the Christmas special parades and such have started. For us, going as soon as school ends (my wife is a teacher) and going home on the 23rd has worked very well at least twice.

In the Fall, don't forget the Food and Wine festival at Epcot. Lots of food and drink stands as you wander around.

Port Orleans is our favorite spot. Good mix of price and convenience. Evenings we take the boat to Downtown Disney and eat/roam around. Not every hotel has a boat.

Take the Magical Express from the airport. It is part of your package and handles you and your baggage coming and going. The best thing Disney has done to make it painless to get there.

[JonInMiddleGA]

We've found the best time to go is after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.

For those who can do those dates, I'll second that opinion.

In the Fall, don't forget the Food and Wine festival at Epcot. Lots of food and drink stands as you wander around.

Best adult-oriented time I've been at WDW.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Best adult-oriented time I've been at WDW.

+2 on that. We went to the Food and Wine Festival a few years ago. Let's just say the monorail and bus service came in very handy that week.

[cougarfreak]

I've settled on Wilderness Loge Resort
7/15-7/20 of next year
Quick Service Dining
Park Hopper Option

Any sit down, I'll pay out of pocket if need be.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I've settled on Wilderness Loge Resort
7/15-7/20 of next year
Quick Service Dining
Park Hopper Option

Any sit down, I'll pay out of pocket if need be.

Stayed there several times, I'd call it a good split of kid & adult attractiveness. Breakfast in the little restaurant right by the front door (Whispering Canyon Cafe) of the resort is one of the more filling meals I've had, underrated IMO & extremely kid friendly. Other meal times are fine there as well. Nothing fancy about the food but sticks to the ribs nicely & is a welcome break from the hamburger or chicken strip fare of the quick service.

I'd recommend shooting for a room assignment (if possible) in the main lodge, not because it's any nicer than the other rooms but rather because some of the outlying buildings are a little bit of a trudge back to the bus stops. Not nearly as bad as, say, Coronado Springs but every little bit helps. Can't always get it but it doesn't hurt to ask (IIRC you can't get the assignment more than 24 hours before check-in, but once you're booked it's worth a call to clarify/request).

The atmosphere of the resort in general (and especially the main lobby area) is pleasant & relaxing, and even if you aren't a smoker, the little balconies that are the designated smoking areas (hardly used in my experience) in each building provide a great escape if you need a few minutes of genuine quiet (doors are basically air tight so the only sounds you hear are ambient noise from the property which is minimal except very close to the pool in the daytime).

FWIW, there were plenty of good options for your situation but I don't think you'll regret your choice for a minute, it's a solid pick.

[JonInMiddleGA]

+2 on that. We went to the Food and Wine Festival a few years ago. Let's just say the monorail and bus service came in very handy that week.

Ah yes, the Epcot version of a pub crawl as you try to drink your way around the world ;)

[cougarfreak]

Stayed there several times, I'd call it a good split of kid & adult attractiveness. Breakfast in the little restaurant right by the front door (Whispering Canyon Cafe) of the resort is one of the more filling meals I've had, underrated IMO & extremely kid friendly. Other meal times are fine there as well. Nothing fancy about the food but sticks to the ribs nicely & is a welcome break from the hamburger or chicken strip fare of the quick service.

I'd recommend shooting for a room assignment (if possible) in the main lodge, not because it's any nicer than the other rooms but rather because some of the outlying buildings are a little bit of a trudge back to the bus stops. Not nearly as bad as, say, Coronado Springs but every little bit helps. Can't always get it but it doesn't hurt to ask (IIRC you can't get the assignment more than 24 hours before check-in, but once you're booked it's worth a call to clarify/request).

The atmosphere of the resort in general (and especially the main lobby area) is pleasant & relaxing, and even if you aren't a smoker, the little balconies that are the designated smoking areas (hardly used in my experience) in each building provide a great escape if you need a few minutes of genuine quiet (doors are basically air tight so the only sounds you hear are ambient noise from the property which is minimal except very close to the pool in the daytime).

FWIW, there were plenty of good options for your situation but I don't think you'll regret your choice for a minute, it's a solid pick.

How's the boat service to the magic kingdom from the resort? I'd really like a resort that was on the monorail, but I can't justify paying an extra $500 for it. I picked that week, it's the first of the value weeks after their peak in June/early July, it saved me about $300 bucks.

[Swaggs]

So, as a first time parent considering going back, what do you guys do for sleeping arrangements?

I absolutely hate sleeping in the same hotel room as my son, as I am a light sleeper and anytime he stirs I wake up. Plus, I'm am naturally a night owl and am usually good to go on 6 or so hours of sleep, while he obvioiusly needs 10-12 per night.

Are there any affordable suite-type or two bedrooms that are on-property? Do you guys get an extra adjacent room? Just suck it up and have ten or twelve hours of "lights out?" :)

[cougarfreak]

The new animation resort had a two room option, it would be the most affordable from the ones I was looking at.

[JonInMiddleGA]

How's the boat service to the magic kingdom from the resort?

Doublechecked my recollections with my wife's & got a nice tip from her in the bargain.

The boat service Wilderness to MK is fine, sometimes have to allow a few extra minutes for the trip but the relaxing atmosphere vs the bus insanity is more than worth it.

What I had forgotten that she brought up immediately was that you can take the boat over to Contemporary (there's one that goes straight there) and then take the monorail to Epcot. That way you get some easy to use monorail time even without paying the upcharge for it. The boat rides are pleasant enough that they almost become like a small attraction in & of themselves.

She also advised checking the discounts that are usually released in January to see if your same configuration is cheaper. You should be able to get them to do a price adjustment if that happens, could either pocket the savings or use them to upgrade somehow if that strikes your fancy after a few months of anticipation.

[JonInMiddleGA]

So, as a first time parent considering going back, what do you guys do for sleeping arrangements?

Exhaustion usually made sleeping a non-factor. In terms of arrangements I still prefer horizontal but after a couple of days in the parks I can live with vertical if I need to ;)

while he obvioiusly needs 10-12 per night.

I'm not gonna be much help on this one I'm afraid,by three my kid was closing down the parks at 2am & was back up ready to go back 8 the next morning.

[OldGiants]

As mentioned above, Mousesavers is a great site. They sent out the latest newsletter this AM, so check it out. It is too long to post all the content here.

Wilderness Lodge is outstanding. Be sure to have lunch in Whispering Canyon Cafe. All you can eat BBQ and they do great stuff for kids, too, like a race with stick horses around the room.

We took the boat from Wilderness Lodge to MK last month on our stay, and it is fun and quick. The boat to Contemporary is a solid choice, too. I think there is another boat that goes to Downtown Disney, too. Important note: they don't run in heavy rain and lightening and there will be heavy rain and lightening during your trip.

My son-in-law gets the daily attendance figures in the MK as part of his job, and he says attendance is up over last summer and growing, so be aware. In late June, the crowds were there, but not overwhelming.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I've settled on Wilderness Loge Resort
7/15-7/20 of next year
Quick Service Dining
Park Hopper Option

Any sit down, I'll pay out of pocket if need be.

Really fun resort for the kids. Lots to look at. Definitely will use the all-you-can-eat BBQ quite a bit. It's very good.

Don't forget to jump on Character Dining reservations right away. They should be just opening up for those dates.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm not gonna be much help on this one I'm afraid,by three my kid was closing down the parks at 2am & was back up ready to go back 8 the next morning.

+1. My 2 1/2 year old last trip was in the Magic Kingdom with me until 1:00 AM on the two nights where it was open late. Kids can sleep in the stroller during the day. You'll be very surprised how well they adapt to the whacky hours. You'll want to squeeze every last ounce of energy from them before heading back to the room.

[cougarfreak]

As mentioned above, Mousesavers is a great site. They sent out the latest newsletter this AM, so check it out. It is too long to post all the content here.

Wilderness Lodge is outstanding. Be sure to have lunch in Whispering Canyon Cafe. All you can eat BBQ and they do great stuff for kids, too, like a race with stick horses around the room.

We took the boat from Wilderness Lodge to MK last month on our stay, and it is fun and quick. The boat to Contemporary is a solid choice, too. I think there is another boat that goes to Downtown Disney, too. Important note: they don't run in heavy rain and lightening and there will be heavy rain and lightening during your trip.

My son-in-law gets the daily attendance figures in the MK as part of his job, and he says attendance is up over last summer and growing, so be aware. In late June, the crowds were there, but not overwhelming.

I'm booking through mousesavers, they automatically record the trip, and if any discounts come up between now and then for the week I'm going in July, they send me a notice and it gets applied. No charge for the service either. Great resource.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Don't forget to jump on Character Dining reservations right away. They should be just opening up for those dates.

Speaking of those, and since this thread seems to have caught the attention of several upcoming visitors, might as well throw some character dining preferences out there.

Sadly, it's been a few years since my last visit so some of these may have changed a bit (and always research, the fan sites like disboards & others are great for this sort of updated info) but among those that stand out in my mind are

Cinderella's Royal Table - in the castle at MK. Probably the pinnacle of c. dining because of the location. Cindy, of course, and an assortment of prince/princess style characters.

Chef Mickey - character breakfast at Contemporary. I'm a breakfast guy so unlimited bacon certainly put this one near the top of my list. Includes Mickey and a variety of main characters (i.e. Donald, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, etc. Chip & Dale were also mainstays IIRC)

Crystal Palace - MK ... buffet style (as most c. dining seems to be) featuring Pooh & friends. I'd probably recommend this as one of the best for younger kids, the characters work beautifully & since they're all oversized fluff, they're perhaps the most charming.

Another favorite of ours was Liberty Tree Tavern (ham/turkey with traditional sides served family style was a great relief vs counter fare & buffet) but I think it may not be doing c.dining at the moment, I'm not seeing it on some of the more current lists online.

Maybe some FOFC'ers with more recent experiences can add/revise this list.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Speaking of those, and since this thread seems to have caught the attention of several upcoming visitors, might as well throw some character dining preferences out there.

Sadly, it's been a few years since my last visit so some of these may have changed a bit (and always research, the fan sites like disboards & others are great for this sort of updated info) but among those that stand out in my mind are

Cinderella's Royal Table - in the castle at MK. Probably the pinnacle of c. dining because of the location. Cindy, of course, and an assortment of prince/princess style characters.

Chef Mickey - character breakfast at Contemporary. I'm a breakfast guy so unlimited bacon certainly put this one near the top of my list. Includes Mickey and a variety of main characters (i.e. Donald, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, etc. Chip & Dale were also mainstays IIRC)

Crystal Palace - MK ... buffet style (as most c. dining seems to be) featuring Pooh & friends. I'd probably recommend this as one of the best for younger kids, the characters work beautifully & since they're all oversized fluff, they're perhaps the most charming.

Another favorite of ours was Liberty Tree Tavern (ham/turkey with traditional sides served family style was a great relief vs counter fare & buffet) but I think it may not be doing c.dining at the moment, I'm not seeing it on some of the more current lists online.

Maybe some FOFC'ers with more recent experiences can add/revise this list.

I'd add a couple of other ones we've been to on a regular basis.

There's a princess-themed breakfast at Epcot in the Norway restaurant that's fantastic. It's a bit more intimate than other locations, allowing for close-up viewing of your favorite princesses (the dads like this part as much as the kids). Really good food with some nice Norwegian options like smoked salmon.

We've also been to the dinner at Chef Mickey's. The kids have their own buffet section filled with things like spaghetti, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. My kid loved that she had her own area. It's even a lower counter so they can serve themselves.

[stevew]

Is park hopper worth it on like a 4 or 5 day vacation?

[JonInMiddleGA]

There's a princess-themed breakfast at Epcot in the Norway restaurant that's fantastic. It's a bit more intimate than other locations, allowing for close-up viewing of your favorite princesses (the dads like this part as much as the kids). Really good food with some nice Norwegian options like smoked salmon.

Akershus rocks !

I didn't mention it mostly because I was thinking that my wife mentioned something about some changes to it (no clue about the details) and wasn't sure if most people would like the menu as much as I did.

Oddly enough, that princess driven c.dining experience provided us with single most memorable moment of all of them. To this day we still tease my son (at around age 4) about being so taken with Belle that he quickly ducked his head to avoid having her see him blush at her approach ... and efficiently plopped his hair straight into his orange juice. Maybe you had to be there, but it was comedy gold that still embarrasses him to this day :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is park hopper worth it on like a 4 or 5 day vacation?

Absolutely IMO.

I wouldn't even consider a trip of more than 1-2 days w/out using PH. Feels too restricting otherwise, no PH limits your ability to mix & match dining with park attractions, and there are simply some parks that don't warrant a full 2nd day but could easily be enjoyable for a 2nd trip of a half-day.

[gstelmack]

FWIW my kids HATED Cinderella's Royal Table, mostly because the food was a bit more upscale, not really a kid's menu. My daughter loved meeting the princesses but hated the dinner.

Crystal Palace is great. We also like the Hollywood & Vine diner over at Disney Hollywood Studios, if your kids like the Playhouse Disney stuff: Little Einsteins, JoJo, etc.

[Capital]

I appreciate all of the comments here regarding young children because it's a topic I have been pondering. I have a 5 month old and am a fan of going to Disney World, as it's always a relaxing and fun vacation. My thought on taking the little on way about 2.5 years old and some of the comments here may have sold me. Keep those comments coming...

[Tekneek]

May not be a factor for you, but for the indefinite future the monorails are stopping one hour after regular park closing for both MK and Epcot. Something to keep in mind if you are staying at a monorail resort and attending the evening Extra Magic Hours at either of those parks (taking the monorail back may not be an option).

[JonInMiddleGA]

May not be a factor for you, but for the indefinite future the monorails are stopping one hour after regular park closing for both MK and Epcot. Something to keep in mind if you are staying at a monorail resort and attending the evening Extra Magic Hours at either of those parks (taking the monorail back may not be an option).

I saw that earlier this week too, can't quite put my finger on the logic behind it though.

[stevew]

Monorail Carmageddon.

[Tekneek]

I saw that earlier this week too, can't quite put my finger on the logic behind it though.

Lots of speculation out there, but I'm leaning towards the maintenance angle. The only thing confirmed so far is that there is definitely a hard stop for them 1 hour after regular park closing time. If there is maintenance going on, that will come out soon enough. No doubt some local fanatics will drive up and down the roads looking for evidence of track maintenance in the middle of the night.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Is park hopper worth it on like a 4 or 5 day vacation?

It's an absolute must. Wouldn't even consider going that many days without it.

[Aylmar]

I highly recommend getting a pass to one of the DW tour guide websites (I use and can vouch for Walt Disney World Vacation Planner for Orlando, Florida Vacation TourGuideMiKE (www.tourguidemike.com)). The last two trips I've taken I've used the predicted crowd levels on his site to plan which days I'll be in which parks (usually morning in one park and evening in another) and it makes a HUGE difference. Also, he has simple plans of attack (broken down by the ages in your group in some cases) as to how to tour each park to get the most bang for your buck. Totally worth the $22 investment IMHO.

[Uncle Briggs]

Is park hopper worth it on like a 4 or 5 day vacation?

I'm going to be contrarian here. The parkhopper option is nice for some things, yes. But, it is simply not possible to do everything you might want to do in a given park in one day, particularly if you have never been before and want to try everything. So, there is no real need to be able to hit 2 or more parks in a day. In my opinion you can easily get by without this and save $100-200.

Another thing to consider: by the time you walk out, wait for the bus, ride the bus to your hotel, wait for a bus to the other park, ride that bus, and walk into another park, you've lost an hour or more out of your day. (There are no direct park-to-park buses). The only part of this that is restful is the bus ride, if you get a bus that isn't crowded and you can sit, so you can't really count this as taking a break, either.

We've tried it both ways and neither is bad. You can just get by fine without paying the extra money IMO.

[cougarfreak]

Character dining impressions? I think I'm going to go for the Cinderella's Castle one for my six year old daughter, and the Chef Mickey one for my 4 year old son.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Character dining impressions? I think I'm going to go for the Cinderella's Castle one for my six year old daughter, and the Chef Mickey one for my 4 year old son.

Both solid choices. Crystal Palace at MK makes a good 3rd choice if needed since you get entirely different characters (Pooh) than either of the other two.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Character dining impressions? I think I'm going to go for the Cinderella's Castle one for my six year old daughter, and the Chef Mickey one for my 4 year old son.

Yeah, that's great. You'll have a great time.

[Galaril]

I am also looking to do our first family trip with our kids in the near future 2012/2013. On the opposite side I have a 4 year old boy and 8 year old girl . Next year would seem to be the perfect time to take them but next year is also our 10 year anniversary so probably can't afford that in a trip to Disney all in one season. I am wondering from others experience is waiting till my daughter 10 a mistake? I am thinking more for the 10 year old?

[gstelmack]

I am also looking to do our first family trip with our kids in the near future 2012/2013. On the opposite side I have a 4 year old boy and 8 year old girl . Next year would seem to be the perfect time to take them but next year is also our 10 year anniversary so probably can't afford that in a trip to Disney all in one season. I am wondering from others experience is waiting till my daughter 10 a mistake? I am thinking more for the 10 year old?

Why not do them both at Disney? Most of the hotels have a place you can drop the kids off for a day of fun, or take the grandparents with you and let them watch the kids one night. My wife and I have a great time at Disney, both with and without the kids.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Why not do them both at Disney? Most of the hotels have a place you can drop the kids off for a day of fun, or take the grandparents with you and let them watch the kids one night. My wife and I have a great time at Disney, both with and without the kids.

I'm kinda w/gstelmack on this one ... at least as long as you don't have something else planned for the anniversary of course.

The dining experience at Victoria & Albert's (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/victoria-and-alberts/) seems almost tailor-made for such an occasion.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Why not do them both at Disney? Most of the hotels have a place you can drop the kids off for a day of fun, or take the grandparents with you and let them watch the kids one night. My wife and I have a great time at Disney, both with and without the kids.

+1. There's some fantastic adult-only options at Disney and the kids will hardly miss you if you put them in a program for an evening or two. Tons of great fine dining options and a night out at Downtown Disney with dancing, concerts, and adult drinks.

[OldGiants]

+1. There's some fantastic adult-only options at Disney and the kids will hardly miss you if you put them in a program for an evening or two. Tons of great fine dining options and a night out at Downtown Disney with dancing, concerts, and adult drinks.

An excellent one is the California Grill at night. They let all the diners walk out on an observation deck on top of the Contemporary and watch the fireworks in the MK. Quite a different perspective and fun way to see something that is now familiar to most.

Jelly Roll's or Atlantic Dance, both on the Boardwalk, are choices my daughter and son-in-law go when they want to dance. Younger crowd, too. I've only stuck my head in, so I don't know more.

[Uncle Briggs]

Character dining impressions? I think I'm going to go for the Cinderella's Castle one for my six year old daughter, and the Chef Mickey one for my 4 year old son.

Cinderella's Castle used to be (likely still is) hard to get in at certain times of day/year. IIRC they start taking reservations six months ahead, and you may very well need to call as soon as reservations are available for the day you want.

That said, the one time we ate there we were walkups. It was off season, mid-afternoon, and it was long ago (10-15 years). Don't know if you could still pull that off without being really lucky.

[Butter]

I am also looking to do our first family trip with our kids in the near future 2012/2013. On the opposite side I have a 4 year old boy and 8 year old girl . Next year would seem to be the perfect time to take them but next year is also our 10 year anniversary so probably can't afford that in a trip to Disney all in one season. I am wondering from others experience is waiting till my daughter 10 a mistake? I am thinking more for the 10 year old?

Yes, it's a mistake. Largely because adult prices start at age 10. If you go at age 9, she'll be less than half of your cost now than she will be a year later.

[OldGiants]

Cinderella's Castle used to be (likely still is) hard to get in at certain times of day/year. IIRC they start taking reservations six months ahead, and you may very well need to call as soon as reservations are available for the day you want.

That said, the one time we ate there we were walkups. It was off season, mid-afternoon, and it was long ago (10-15 years). Don't know if you could still pull that off without being really lucky.

Yes, the walk-up at the Castle still happens almost every day because people simply don't show up for reservations. That said, don't count on it, certainly not for more than four people.

[OldGiants]

Yes, it's a mistake. Largely because adult prices start at age 10. If you go at age 9, she'll be less than half of your cost now than she will be a year later.

Not true. Park Hopper is now $85 for 10+ and $79 for U-9. So $6 per day savings.

[OldGiants]

On tickets, we used to buy an annual pass that started, say Aug 23 and ran to August 22 of the next year. Then we would plan for the next trip to END on Aug 22 of the following year. That way we got two trips on one annual pass. Actually, we'd went down at Christmas, too, so we got three trips on the annuals, but that's excessive for most of you.

Looking at the Disney site, Annual pass is now $553 and 10 day No Expiration (I"ll let y'all look up the rules on that) is $571. If you plan on two 6-7 day stays (like we use to), the annual pass is a good deal over a ten day No Expiration. Used to be more, but things change.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think OldGiants is the same way I am since his family loves Disney World too. Our family looks forward to annual or bi-annual trips to Disney. It's a part of what we do to spend time together. Reading regular posts on this thread is getting me more and more excited about our trip in September.

I know that big kids aren't supposed to be this excited about Disney World, but I'm all fired up to head down. My 4 year old is now over 40", meaning she can now ride most of the rides at the parks with us. My 2 year old will get her first experience and she'll talk nonstop about it with her sister over the following months. It's going to be a blast.

[JonInMiddleGA]

For those who have a trip coming up, I'll mention that the official WDW page on Facebook is a pretty good way to help build & maintain excitement while you countdown the days.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

For those who have a trip coming up, I'll mention that the official WDW page on Facebook is a pretty good way to help build & maintain excitement while you countdown the days.

They actually have an iPhone app where you can enter the date and time when your flight to Orlando departs. Every time you get on your phone, you get a countdown until your Disney vacation.

[Galaril]

Thanks guys for feedback. Good info on the 10 year old price jump. I was planning a trip for a week somewhere between Thanksgiving and Xmas which would be a month before the girl turns 10. I am not going to worru to much on the anniversary as the wife wanted a new diamond as the one she got a decade earlier was fairly small and she also wants a boob job. Don't think they do those at the Magic Castle;)

[Butter]

Not true. Park Hopper is now $85 for 10+ and $79 for U-9. So $6 per day savings.

You're right. There are savings, but not a lot of savings. Not sure why I thought it was so much. But the kids meals if you eat inside Disney World are a fair bit cheaper for kids 9 and under.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I am not going to worru to much on the anniversary as the wife wanted a new diamond as the one she got a decade earlier was fairly small and she also wants a boob job.

This deserves its own thread.

Pics plz k thx.

[Galaril]

This deserves its own thread.

Pics plz k thx.

:)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

My girls got really excited last night. We're now exactly one month from our departure to Disney World. Mickey Mouse was nice enough to send us our baggage tags for the Magical Express along with a promotional pamphlet that included a 'Getting Ready for Your Trip' DVD! My four year old was thrilled that Mickey sent her a DVD to watch. We immediately threw it into the DVD player and watched the entire DVD from start to finish.

I was impressed by how many of the rides and attractions she remembered from our last trip when she was two years old. She spit out random comments about what we talked about while riding certain rides. She also started bouncing up and down when they showed the princesses and recommended getting an autograph book. She gave me specific instructions on which autograph book and pen was required for her visit.

My two year old just kept screaming 'Mickey!' and 'Minnie!' every time they popped on the screen. She gets to start making those same memories this year. We're really excited to get down there.

[OldGiants]

On the autograph book, remember which signatures she gets. If by chance it gets lost, head over to City Hall and check with lost and found. Tell them which book and the characters who signed it. It will take awhile, but they will find the book with the signatures you tell them. The Guest Relations people take classes in the character signatures (with the character actors) so they know how to do them. My daughter told me signing/replacing autograph books was among her favorite duties. Putting a smile on a crying, tear-filled face always makes the day.

Same thing goes for those propeller driven personal coolers. They have dozens in Lost and Found and really do want you to take one. Even if you've never actually bought one.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

On the autograph book, remember which signatures she gets. If by chance it gets lost, head over to City Hall and check with lost and found. Tell them which book and the characters who signed it. It will take awhile, but they will find the book with the signatures you tell them. The Guest Relations people take classes in the character signatures (with the character actors) so they know how to do them. My daughter told me signing/replacing autograph books was among her favorite duties. Putting a smile on a crying, tear-filled face always makes the day.

Same thing goes for those propeller driven personal coolers. They have dozens in Lost and Found and really do want you to take one. Even if you've never actually bought one.

Good info. Always good to find ways to keep the kids happy. :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Heading out for Disney at the end of the week. I've got a free countdown clock on my iPhone that counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until we leave. My four year old has been checking it 2-3 times a day. She's pretty fired up about it all. Her cousin (who is going as well) came by today to play and they talked non-stop about all the rides they wanted to go on.

Happiest Place on Earth, here we come! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Happiest Place on Earth, here we come! :)

Silly as it may sound, it really can be. I hope it is for you & your family the way it has been for mine.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My four year old has been checking it 2-3 times a day. She's pretty fired up about it all. Her cousin (who is going as well) came by today to play and they talked non-stop about all the rides they wanted to go on.Happiest Place on Earth, here we come! :)

Not sure if this was mentioned/you're already aware but just in case ... with a girl that young, "waking up Tinkerbell" could be an extra magical moment. Not sure if this still works the same way (it stopped while the shop was being refurbished, no idea if it's reopened yet/resumed the tradition) but this link explains it pretty well. Do some discreet checking on the status if you've got an early morning at MK.

DisneyDaddy: Tip Tuesday: Waking up Tinkerbell (http://disneydaddy.blogspot.com/2009/09/tip-tuesday-waking-up-tinkerbell.html)

Also, don't forget to learn everything you can about Hidden Mickeys. Great way to pass the time for young & old alike.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Also, don't forget to learn everything you can about Hidden Mickeys. Great way to pass the time for young & old alike.

I saw that there's actually an iPhone app that tells you where every single Hidden Mickey is located. Might be a fun way to help the kids look for extra Mickeys. Thankfully, we're going to Disney at a time when lines should be very short. We went the same week a couple of years ago and rarely had to wait more than 5-10 minutes on the rides.

[OldGiants]

I hope everyone had fun. We went down in mid-November and attended Party for the Senses, a great (but expensive) dinner event in EPCOT. While down there, our Imagineer daughter showed us the 'Secret Project' she has been working on.

It's "Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom" and the fixtures (her small part) are visible throughout MK. Here are recent links to the testing by cast members and such.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom play testing reveals map, cards, and more interactive Walt Disney World game details | Inside the Magic (http://www.insidethemagic.net/2011/12/sorcerers-of-the-magic-kingdom-play-testing-reveals-map-cards-and-more-interactive-walt-disney-world-game-details/)

UPDATED: First Full Look at Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – Photos & VIDEO | Disney Projects (http://disneyprojects.com/2011/12/01/first-full-look-at-sorcerers-of-the-magic-kingdom-photos-overview/)

Add this to the expansion/renovation of Fantasyland coming in February, and there is every reason to get down there this year.

[JonInMiddleGA]

We'll be there week after next for a few days, courtesy of several years worth of cash-back on our Disney Rewards Visa.

It'll be interesting to see how it goes after so many trips but not having been in several years.

[AZSpeechCoach]

Mrs. SpeechCoach and I have been to Disneyland each of the last two years. We didn't get to go this year, but my sister and her husband decided to take their 2 year old daughter, and I got to be the Uncle. We stayed at the Disneyland Resort, but we found that the niece was too young. She freaked out while waiting at the entrance to California Adventure, and nearly made us cancel the character breakfast when she threw a huge tantrum before going into Ariel's Grotto. She then hid under the table from the princesses, until Belle stroked her hair and gave her a big kiss. We had fun, but it really depends on the child.

[hoopsguy]

I've begun planning a Disney World trip for next October. Thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread, as it was one of my early starting points in doing some research. I'm sure I'll post a few times in here over the next month or so as I get closer to nailing down my plans.

[gstelmack]

Mrs. SpeechCoach and I have been to Disneyland each of the last two years. We didn't get to go this year, but my sister and her husband decided to take their 2 year old daughter, and I got to be the Uncle. We stayed at the Disneyland Resort, but we found that the niece was too young. She freaked out while waiting at the entrance to California Adventure, and nearly made us cancel the character breakfast when she threw a huge tantrum before going into Ariel's Grotto. She then hid under the table from the princesses, until Belle stroked her hair and gave her a big kiss. We had fun, but it really depends on the child.

Yeah, if a kid doesn't like characters, that age won't work. Some kids are scared of them, but I know my 2-year-old gave Pooh a bigger hug than I get when she got to meet him. So 2 years old isn't too young, taking a kid that is scared of people in costumes is going to be a problem.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah, if a kid doesn't like characters, that age won't work. Some kids are scared of them, but I know my 2-year-old gave Pooh a bigger hug than I get when she got to meet him. So 2 years old isn't too young, taking a kid that is scared of people in costumes is going to be a problem.

Yeah, my 20 month old was passing out hugs to anything in a costume, so you definitely have to know your kid to know whether it will work for you or not.

[hoopsguy]

The character thing is why we haven't gone to Disney before now. My 4 1/2 year old daughter was scared of Santa the last two years, as well as pretty much any "characters" that were life-sized rather than TV-sized.

This year, I've spent some time talking to her about Disney World (the castle at the start of the movie!) and how we want to make sure she has fun there with the princesses rather than being scared like she has in the past with Santa. She aced Santa last weekend, so either she is growing out of the fear or she is motivated by Disney. I'm not sure I care all that much which one it is, just happy that this is no longer an impediment for me booking the trip.

Just to be safe, though, we won't be going for another 10 months. So hopefully she continues to get more comfortable and confident in those kind of situations.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Leaving for WDW early in the morning, back late Friday. Staying at French Qtr, which was paid for (along with parkhopper passes & meal plans) entirely with reward points from our Disney Visa. Yeah, took about five years to pull that off and even then it was using the personal card for some company bills that actually did the trick.

Very uneasy about the trip tbh, our finances bear little to no resemblance to what they were 4-5 years ago when we were there last & that vivid reminder has me incredibly depressed. Never dealt with the meal plan thing before either, so from a purely Disney standpoint I'm not entirely confident that it will be as straightforward as it seems to sounds. Then there's the highly anticipated return for my son, but what differences will there be for him going at 13 rather than 8-9 as he was last time? His pre-trip excitement level is about the same as any of the other numerous visits, but how will it be after three days on site?

We shall see.

[Tekneek]

When I went to WDW at 13, I was really loving it. It was summer then, though, so some of the reasons I had a blast aren't going to be there in the winter (even in central Florida). Back then there were only two parks (and 1 water park), so it was easy to run into the same people (girls) many times during a vacation.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Quick break between AK & MK, dinner last night at Boma at AK Lodge was amazing. Free dining rocks anyway, but to get that as a throw-in for booking off-peak is unbelievable. One of the 2-3 best meals we've ever had here I think.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Quick break between AK & MK, dinner last night at Boma at AK Lodge was amazing. Free dining rocks anyway, but to get that as a throw-in for booking off-peak is unbelievable. One of the 2-3 best meals we've ever had here I think.

We ate at Boma when we were there in October. Really great stuff. The restaurant at Kidani Village is also very good.

[SportsDino]

I hope everyone had fun. We went down in mid-November and attended Party for the Senses, a great (but expensive) dinner event in EPCOT. While down there, our Imagineer daughter showed us the 'Secret Project' she has been working on.

It's "Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom" and the fixtures (her small part) are visible throughout MK. Here are recent links to the testing by cast members and such.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom play testing reveals map, cards, and more interactive Walt Disney World game details | Inside the Magic (http://www.insidethemagic.net/2011/12/sorcerers-of-the-magic-kingdom-play-testing-reveals-map-cards-and-more-interactive-walt-disney-world-game-details/)

UPDATED: First Full Look at Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – Photos & VIDEO | Disney Projects (http://disneyprojects.com/2011/12/01/first-full-look-at-sorcerers-of-the-magic-kingdom-photos-overview/)

Add this to the expansion/renovation of Fantasyland coming in February, and there is every reason to get down there this year.

When we we went earlier in the year they had some KimPossible thing in EPCOT that sounds similar to this. I think it would have been even more interesting if they played up the special effects, and if it is well integrated into the theming I don't think people would be too put off.

In fact, me and my future step-boy entertained the crowds when we set off a few of them. Particularly Germany has a couple interesting ones. Would be interested to see if they put some set pieces into the Magic Kingdom idea, or if it is all just cartoon windows.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Extra Magic Hours tonight at MK ... 3am finish is getting to be a bitch at my age, even with a midafternoon nap

[JonInMiddleGA]

My knees are starting to think this is something other than The Happiest Place on Earth. The rest of me is okay with that description. Osborne Family Christmas lights are spectacular. Crowds are summer-like at this point, lines are some of the worst I've ever seen (and this is my 18th visit), cast members say they've been surprised at the amount of bump they're seeing compared to what was expected in the run up to the holidays.

The changes (vs nearly 5 years ago) aren't as dramatic as I expected, more visual (Fantasyland revamp is pretty huge) than functional/practical as far as the experience. I'm not thrilled with the reduction in smoking areas, that's mostly because of some of the location choices they made rather than the actual change in number of areas though. (killed two of my most frequent go-to spots)

I can't emphasize enough just how much of a game-changing experience getting free dining is, that's been incredible (we around the $500 mark in savings already & we're a little past halfway). Food cost is up sharply since the last visit, easily the biggest difference I've seen.

[Chubby]

Has anyone done any of the driving packages at Walt Disney World Speedway? We are looking at maybe going down when Tyler is 4 next fall and this just caught my eye so was wondering on feedback

Exotic Driving Experience | Drive the Exotic Car of Your Dreams (http://www.exoticdriving.com/)

[Glengoyne]

Glen'sWifePosting (maybe I should make my own login)

T- 26 days.

Can someone point me to a link about when the Fantasyland expansion is opening? I think OldGiants said February, but I don't know a day. We are arriving Feb 11 and I would hate to have Grand Opening crowds to deal with!

[CraigSca]

I think the majority of the new stuff is much later in the year. This what I was able to find:

"When does the new Fantasyland open?
The new Fantasyland will be opened in phases, with the first opening in late 2012, and the remainder opening in 2013.

Disney confirmed in late September (http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland/News/30Sep2011-Disney-confirm-the-timeframe-of-the-first-attractions-of-the-new-Fantasyland-to-open-including-the-Dumbo-move.htm) that opening in early 2012 will be at least one half the new double Dumbo, "The Great Goofini", which is the rethemed Barnstormer attraction, and the completely rebuilt Fantasyland train station.

Dumbo will be closing in its current location on January 9 2012, to be relocated in Storybook Circus. Disney list the reopening date of February 18 2012, so it seems logical that this may be the opening date of the the very first part of the new Fantasyland."

For a site that shows the latest construction: http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland/News.htm

[OldGiants]

Yes, the Fantasyland changes are opening 'after summer' according to my daughter. I misunderstood what she'd said about Sorcerers to be all of it. The Sorcerers stuff should be there by the end of February.

[Chubby]

Yes, the Fantasyland changes are opening 'after summer' according to my daughter. I misunderstood what she'd said about Sorcerers to be all of it. The Sorcerers stuff should be there by the end of February.

My mom brought back maps of all the parks when she went in Sept, is that what is the grassy area on the map behind fantasyland and towards tomorrowland? I think she said when on the monorail this view was blocked as well.

[OldGiants]

My mom brought back maps of all the parks when she went in Sept, is that what is the grassy area on the map behind fantasyland and towards tomorrowland? I think she said when on the monorail this view was blocked as well.

Yes. It is the old "Toon Town" and the area that years ago had the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea ride, among others.

If I remember correctly there will be several new rides including a new Dumbo plus the old one. A Seven Dwarves mine ride that will be like an inside Big Bad Wolf ride (for those familiar with King's Dominion). Also Gaston's restaurant (lots of antlers, of course) and Little mermaid ride and Belle's castle, among others.

[OldGiants]

Here's a link to a copy of the map of New Fantasyland that is on the walls in the park:

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1585/mkeoverallfantasyland31.jpg

My daughter worked on several of the circus tents. Her group made them look like tents on the outside and inside, but they are designed to withstand hurricanes. She said if a Category 5 storm bears down on Orlando, that's where she's heading to ride out the storm.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Disney's "NextGen" plan is expected cut wait times for rides and more | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/04/18/whole-new-world-for-whole-new-disney/?intcmp=features)

[Eaglesfan27]

Very interesting. Almost makes me want to postpone our planned vacation to Disney, was about to make the reservations for December of this year.

[Aylmar]

Enforcing FastPass return times? Will have to tinker with my strategy a bit now. Guess that means the larger group "save what we don't use today to use tomorrow" method is off the table as well...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Enforcing FastPass return times? Will have to tinker with my strategy a bit now. Guess that means the larger group "save what we don't use today to use tomorrow" method is off the table as well...

They were enforcing them late last year when we went out there.

[JonInMiddleGA]

{scratches head} Within a little bit of reason (5-10 mins), I don't know that I've ever seen them not enforced with the exception of the absolute slowest seasons.

[stevew]

Cedar Point is introducing some new Fast Lane thing where you spend an extra 30-50 dollars to skip a chunk of line. I am unsure how much line, but if it drops you down to 30mins per ride it's a no brainer. Works all day, too.

[chadritt]

I went to Disneyland this weekend and I saw them enforce the fastpass time at least once. If they dont then whats the point of even having them at all?

[OldGiants]

I went to Disneyland this weekend and I saw them enforce the fastpass time at least once. If they dont then whats the point of even having them at all?

It has always depended on the cast member and what 'The Word' is that day. Mostly they let you go. The RFID stuff at EPCOT is the likely future, as is the playing cards used for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.

My son-in-law stopped by Space Mountain in Orlando to get a fast past first thing, got on a plane and flew to LA, then used that fast pass to ride Space Mountain in Disneyland that night. It's considered 'Coast to Coast Space Mountain' or some such thing by CMs.

[Aylmar]

{scratches head} Within a little bit of reason (5-10 mins), I don't know that I've ever seen them not enforced with the exception of the absolute slowest seasons.

Made a week long trip a year out there for the last six years and have never had anyone give me any grief about coming back after the return window had expired. Never had them stop us at Disneyland either (and I go there at least once a month). Guess you could still try to bury expired ones in a stack of good ones, but if they're checking return times, it'll be harder to do...and they're more likely to thumb through the stack to check all of them, which they never were in the past (which is how we used to use a different day FP - just put the ones from the different day at the end of the stack and fan them so the CM could see you had the right number - was easier to get away with that before they started printing the date in such a big font).

[Marc Vaughan]

My son-in-law stopped by Space Mountain in Orlando to get a fast past first thing, got on a plane and flew to LA, then used that fast pass to ride Space Mountain in Disneyland that night. It's considered 'Coast to Coast Space Mountain' or some such thing by CMs.

Much as I'm personally not into theme parks that is all kinds of awesome :D

(I didn't 'mind' them before we moved to Florida but my wife's insistence on us going to Disney about 6 times in our first year here has killed any interest me or my kids have in such things .... my wife however still loves them and I enjoy/endure an annual visit for her birthday most years)

[MrBug708]

I've had a season pass for 3 of the past 4 years and have never had a problem with using a fast pass, past the time on the ticket

I have seen them enforce the different day fast pass at Disneyland though

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Really special stuff here about a kid with autism and his favorite ride. It's a long read, but yet another great example why Disney is such a great place.........

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/53/SWSA-Final-Night-Prelude.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/54/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-the-End.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/55/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-2-The-Fairest-One-of-All.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/57/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-3-Counting-Up-Counting-Down.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/58/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-4-The-Big-Ending.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/59/SWSA-Final-Night-Epilogue.aspx

[Gary Gorski]

That's an awesome story - we found out 4 years ago that our son (who was just 3 at the time) had a gluten allergy. We never had heard of such a thing and had a trip planned to go to Disney for the first time. I nearly cancelled the trip because we had just started learning about all the foods he could have and not have anymore and I figured how on earth would we be able to feed him at Disney.

I contacted Disney and they said they could accommodate a gluten allergy and so we went ahead...best decision ever. Not only could they accommodate him, a chef came out at every place we ate to go over options with us or create something totally off the menu for him. On top of that they would frequently give us extra desserts to take along so he would have snacks for later and they gave us the names of all the companies who made the foods so we could find them back home. I had no idea we could find tapioca rolls and bread, gluten free brownies and cookies and breaded chicken tenders that were gluten free.

We've been back 3 times since then and I can't wait for another chance to go again. They've gone over and above time and again to make our son feel special with his allergy. I know its expensive but for a place we can go that we know the kids will have a blast and that they're going to look out for our son's food allergy Disney can't be beat.

[cougarfreak]

Man, I just did my online check in for my vacation that starts next Sunday. Disney makes it so fucking easy, and accommodates anything you need. It's no wonder people keep going back, and back.

[Poli]

We went on our honeymoon last year and I absolutely can't wait to get back there with Davin.

[Chubby]

I believe tomorrow is the 1st day you can start booking 2013 vacations.

[DaddyTorgo]

That's an awesome story - we found out 4 years ago that our son (who was just 3 at the time) had a gluten allergy. We never had heard of such a thing and had a trip planned to go to Disney for the first time. I nearly cancelled the trip because we had just started learning about all the foods he could have and not have anymore and I figured how on earth would we be able to feed him at Disney.

I contacted Disney and they said they could accommodate a gluten allergy and so we went ahead...best decision ever. Not only could they accommodate him, a chef came out at every place we ate to go over options with us or create something totally off the menu for him. On top of that they would frequently give us extra desserts to take along so he would have snacks for later and they gave us the names of all the companies who made the foods so we could find them back home. I had no idea we could find tapioca rolls and bread, gluten free brownies and cookies and breaded chicken tenders that were gluten free.

We've been back 3 times since then and I can't wait for another chance to go again. They've gone over and above time and again to make our son feel special with his allergy. I know its expensive but for a place we can go that we know the kids will have a blast and that they're going to look out for our son's food allergy Disney can't be beat.

That's all kinds of awesome. Talk about a company that just...gets it.

[DaddyTorgo]

Really special stuff here about a kid with autism and his favorite ride. It's a long read, but yet another great example why Disney is such a great place.........

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/53/SWSA-Final-Night-Prelude.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/54/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-the-End.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/55/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-2-The-Fairest-One-of-All.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/57/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-3-Counting-Up-Counting-Down.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/58/SWSA-Final-Night-Part-4-The-Big-Ending.aspx

http://www.shmoolok.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryId/59/SWSA-Final-Night-Epilogue.aspx

Fuck You :) . Now I'm tearing-up at work.

[Poli]

That's an awesome story - we found out 4 years ago that our son (who was just 3 at the time) had a gluten allergy. We never had heard of such a thing and had a trip planned to go to Disney for the first time. I nearly cancelled the trip because we had just started learning about all the foods he could have and not have anymore and I figured how on earth would we be able to feed him at Disney.

I contacted Disney and they said they could accommodate a gluten allergy and so we went ahead...best decision ever. Not only could they accommodate him, a chef came out at every place we ate to go over options with us or create something totally off the menu for him. On top of that they would frequently give us extra desserts to take along so he would have snacks for later and they gave us the names of all the companies who made the foods so we could find them back home. I had no idea we could find tapioca rolls and bread, gluten free brownies and cookies and breaded chicken tenders that were gluten free.

We've been back 3 times since then and I can't wait for another chance to go again. They've gone over and above time and again to make our son feel special with his allergy. I know its expensive but for a place we can go that we know the kids will have a blast and that they're going to look out for our son's food allergy Disney can't be beat.

That is all kinds of outstanding.

[Subby]

So we decided to take the family on an Orlando vacation in the spring, with a few days at Disney. My wife and I have four boys, ages 13, 11, 9, and 9. Our schedule set up so we spent a few days in St. Augustine at the beach, then drove to Orlando for four straight days of theme parks. We did the first day at Lego Land (where I would recommend staying away unless all of your kids are 6 or younger). We did the second day at Universal Islands of Adventure. Got there at 8am, left at 10pm, completely exhausted. The lines were pretty crazy, at least an hour wait for almost everything. We got around that a little bit by going single rider, but its not as fun for the whole family if you don't get to ride together.

We were a little worried about Disney. We bought two day park hoppers for six, so we had a ton of flexibility, but we were really concerned about the wait times. We could do some fast pass here and there, but that only gets you so far.

As some folks here might know, my 11 year-old has Down syndrome. His stamina, while impressive (http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/301396) at times, tends toward melt down when he has to wait in line or stand still for long periods of time.

But we decided to tough it out and just do as much as he could do, even if that meant riding just a few rides. Then a cool thing happened. We were waiting in line at bag check when my wife met another family with a little girl with Ds. They told us that we needed to head over to guest services with our kid and they would help us out. So we did. And they did, no questions asked.

We were given a ticket that, when shown to the host for each ride, got us in the fast pass line. For every single ride. Almost every ride for two days at every park had a wait of 60-90 minutes, but our son was able to ride everything. I felt a little guilty, but at the end of the day it was a nice little bit of recognition for him and he felt like a rock star. For a kid who was dealt such a shitty hand in this life, it was nice for him to be able to be king for two days. We weren't huge Disney fans before that, but they completely exceeded our expectations and have found fans for life after this experience. There was never any attitude or sidelong glances or anything from any of the cast members and there absolutely could have been with six of us hitting the fastpass line every time.

This picture is what happiness looks like and it is in large thanks to Disney and their willingness to go above and beyond accommodating a family with a boy with special needs (he loved Rock n Rollercoaster so much he got the shirt!).

http://www.fof-ihof.com/upload/Subby/738.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/opnwb58a9vdkchn/738.JPG

[digamma]

That's awesome, Subby.

We went to Disneyland out here a couple of weeks ago, and were pleased with the treatment and accommodation of our toddler. From the Ride Switch/Stroller Pass to the patience in getting him in and out of rides. It brought it home when we went to Legoland Discovery Center in Atlanta and saw the general lack of concern or customer service. Disney does know how to run a park.

And Carsland is really freaking cool.

[DaddyTorgo]

As some folks here might know, my 11 year-old has Down syndrome. His stamina, while impressive (http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/301396) at times, tends toward melt down when he has to wait in line or stand still for long periods of time.


FYI - your son wins at life. If there's a zombie apocalypse I want him in my corner. Calm, cool, and collected.

[CraigSca]

We were given a ticket that, when shown to the host for each ride, got us in the fast pass line. For every single ride. Almost every ride for two days at every park had a wait of 60-90 minutes, but our son was able to ride everything. I felt a little guilty, but at the end of the day it was a nice little bit of recognition for him and he felt like a rock star. For a kid who was dealt such a shitty hand in this life, it was nice for him to be able to be king for two days. We weren't huge Disney fans before that, but they completely exceeded our expectations and have found fans for life after this experience. There was never any attitude or sidelong glances or anything from any of the cast members and there absolutely could have been with six of us hitting the fastpass line every time.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/opnwb58a9vdkchn/738.JPG

We do this for my son who is on the autistic spectrum. Like you, I felt guilty about this, but my wife convinced me there was no shame in having Disney create an environment where you can actually enjoy yourself. Otherwise the trips would be absolutely miserable. Disney is awesome at this.

[Chubby]

And Carsland is really freaking cool.

we are going to disneyworld next summer but Carsland is the one thing that makes me want to go to disneyland

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

We do this for my son who is on the autistic spectrum. Like you, I felt guilty about this, but my wife convinced me there was no shame in having Disney create an environment where you can actually enjoy yourself. Otherwise the trips would be absolutely miserable. Disney is awesome at this.

Just a FYI to those of you who feel guilty about it. The rest of us don't mind at all. Disney is special for a reason and most people feel good about themselves when they see situations like yours where Disney gives that person 'rockstar' treatment. It's fantastic.

[DaddyTorgo]

Just a FYI to those of you who feel guilty about it. The rest of us don't mind at all. Disney is special for a reason and most people feel good about themselves when they see situations like yours where Disney gives that person 'rockstar' treatment. It's fantastic.

Indeed.

[cougarfreak]

Just a FYI to those of you who feel guilty about it. The rest of us don't mind at all. Disney is special for a reason and most people feel good about themselves when they see situations like yours where Disney gives that person 'rockstar' treatment. It's fantastic.

Exactly. I am so stoked. We have had a 20 night countdown with all different Disney movies. Screw that "no more than 30 minutes a day" TV stuff. :p My 4 and 6 year old are beyond excited.

[Gary Gorski]

Just a FYI to those of you who feel guilty about it. The rest of us don't mind at all. Disney is special for a reason and most people feel good about themselves when they see situations like yours where Disney gives that person 'rockstar' treatment. It's fantastic.

+1000....all this talk about Disney makes me want to book another trip :D

[dfisher]

Yeah, my parents are taking the whole family (total of 3 kids, spouses, and 2 grandkids) in June 2014. I'm pretty close to convincing my wife to take the little one (just turned 2) down next September when there will be no crowds and we can relax.

[cougarfreak]

Just got here. They let me go to my room 6 hours before check in time. I thought I'd just drop my stuff, and not get my room yet. Get to my room, they upgraded me to a woods view with a balcony, no charge. Wow.

[Ragone]

Just got here. They let me go to my room 6 hours before check in time. I thought I'd just drop my stuff, and not get my room yet. Get to my room, they upgraded me to a woods view with a balcony, no charge. Wow.

Thats very typical of disney.. If they aren't fully booked up and you get there way early.. they will get you into a room, and usually it ends up being upgraded.

It's good for customer satisfaction.. and good business sense as well.

[clemsonfan]

They have just announced a great deal:
Get a FREE dining plan when you purchase a non-discounted 6-night/7-day Magic Your Way room and ticket package at select Disney Resort hotels, for arrivals most nights September 30 through December 13, 2012.

[JonInMiddleGA]

They have just announced a great deal:
Get a FREE dining plan when you purchase a non-discounted 6-night/7-day Magic Your Way room and ticket package at select Disney Resort hotels, for arrivals most nights September 30 through December 13, 2012.

Had something like this on our last trip, have to admit that it was not only a great savings but also worked perfectly (much to my surprise)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Had something like this on our last trip, have to admit that it was not only a great savings but also worked perfectly (much to my surprise)

May have to do this on the next trip. I've heard good things about it generally speaking.

[JonInMiddleGA]

May have to do this on the next trip. I've heard good things about it generally speaking.

I remember the incarnations that were rolled out originally, not a good deal, pretty limiting, and crappy restrictions, so I had grave reservations about it. The current version (assuming it hasn't changed recently) went off without a hitch and worked very well for even food oriented visitors like us.

[ISiddiqui]

This thread is awesome. Me and fiance are doing our honeymoon at Disney this October (14th through 21st or round abouts - at least starting on the 14th) and I think French Quarter is a great option for us. Also going to be on the look out for dining plans after all the pushing for it :).

[hoopsguy]

They have just announced a great deal:
Get a FREE dining plan when you purchase a non-discounted 6-night/7-day Magic Your Way room and ticket package at select Disney Resort hotels, for arrivals most nights September 30 through December 13, 2012.

I had to move my trip back a couple of weeks to take advantage of it, with the hotel that I had previously reserved, but it represented over $1,000 savings so it was definitely worth making some adjustments.

[cougarfreak]

Man, we just got back. My 6 year old daughter looked at me after the Cinderella Royal table night and said, "Dad, that was the greatest night of my life". Brought a tear to my eye. My 4 year old son, who is as introverted as me, ran up to Donald Duck and jumped on him out of joy when we saw him last night. Needless to say, we'll be booking for next summer as well. I have to take advantage of this stuff before my kids are teenagers and don't want anything to do with me.

[Gary Gorski]

Man, we just got back. My 6 year old daughter looked at me after the Cinderella Royal table night and said, "Dad, that was the greatest night of my life". Brought a tear to my eye. My 4 year old son, who is as introverted as me, ran up to Donald Duck and jumped on him out of joy when we saw him last night. Needless to say, we'll be booking for next summer as well. I have to take advantage of this stuff before my kids are teenagers and don't want anything to do with me.

Awesome.

This is a big thing for me personally too - I've got my whole life to pay bills and work - time with my kids is finite.

Really really want to jump on this free dining offer. We didn't go in the spring this year like we have in the past so I'm really itching to get back and mid-October sounds like a great time to go.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another fun story. My friend's daughter has a syndrome that will cause her to die sometime between 12 and 20 years of age. They're currently on their third trip to Disney. She's now 10 years of age. While hopping on a ride on Star Tours, my friend realized they were taking the 'tour' with gold medal Olympian Dan O'Brien. They got to chat with him, get an autograph, and take some pictures. Great stuff.

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/252328_463317863704801_1047568751_n.jpg

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The new Fantasyland is open. Disney has a YouTube channel with a bunch of videos about the new attractions.

New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7C23A7E41055A9F9)

This one was my favorite of the bunch........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3DcB3shCZI&feature=share&list=PL7C23A7E41055A9F9

[cougarfreak]

We are booking to go back next year. Staying at the same place (wilderness lodge), same meal plan (plus dining). The only thing I'm not paying extra for this year is park hopper. We only used in once day last year. As long as my kids want to go back, and I can afford it, I'm going to do it annually. Great time was had by all.

[BrianD]

The new Fantasyland is open. Disney has a YouTube channel with a bunch of videos about the new attractions.

New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7C23A7E41055A9F9)

This one was my favorite of the bunch........

New Real Estate in New Fantasyland - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3DcB3shCZI&feature=share&list=PL7C23A7E41055A9F9)

I just got back from Disney and a tour of the new Fantasyland. Much of it looks like it came right out of Beauty and the Beast. Dining at the Beast's castle is very cool with both the decor and the food ordering/delivery technology. I spent a bunch of time trying to think through the logistics of the RFIDs and the background programming for the restaurant. Pretty cool stuff.

[Butter]

How is the food delivered at that place? That's the only thing I wasn't sure about. Do you have to pick up from a counter, or do they bring it to your table?

[BrianD]

You order from a computer kiosk and then sit at any table. The food is brought to the table by a server shortly after.

[Edward64]

Another fun story. My friend's daughter has a syndrome that will cause her to die sometime between 12 and 20 years of age. They're currently on their third trip to Disney. She's now 10 years of age. While hopping on a ride on Star Tours, my friend realized they were taking the 'tour' with gold medal Olympian Dan O'Brien. They got to chat with him, get an autograph, and take some pictures. Great stuff.

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/252328_463317863704801_1047568751_n.jpg

Pretty cool. Nice of him.

[Butter]

You order from a computer kiosk and then sit at any table. The food is brought to the table by a server shortly after.

How do they know which table? Do you take a number? A vibrating whatsit? Anything?

[BrianD]

How do they know which table? Do you take a number? A vibrating whatsit? Anything?

That was the fun part that had me totally geeking out. They give you a "magic rose" which is a plastic red disk with a rose printed on it. This rose was scanned at the meal ordering kiosk and placed on the table. I guess that it has an RFID tag in it, and I believe that the table has a different RFID tag. The tables transmit the ID of the rose that was placed on it, and the servers know to bring the meal associated with the rose to the table holding the rose.

I could feel heat coming from one portion of the table, so I am guessing that they are plugged in and networked. I really wanted to try to tip over a table and see what was in the base, but I wasn't brave enough to try it. I also wanted to sit at a table for a few minutes and then move to another table to see if their database would track the movement, but my wife wouldn't let me.

[DaddyTorgo]

I also wanted to sit at a table for a few minutes and then move to another table to see if their database would track the movement, but my wife wouldn't let me.

I bet you $100 it was. Disney's so fucking hi-tech, I bet if you move it tells them not only where you moved to, but also where you moved from, and that they send a server right over to you to ask if everything was okay at the old table (or just right to the old table to check it out/clean it).

[BrianD]

I bet you $100 it was. Disney's so fucking hi-tech, I bet if you move it tells them not only where you moved to, but also where you moved from, and that they send a server right over to you to ask if everything was okay at the old table (or just right to the old table to check it out/clean it).

You are probably right. My wife and I were discussing all of the stats that were probably generated in the restaurant. Time to order (is the computer program easy enough to follow), time between ordering and sitting down (how much time to people spend wandering around looking at the decorations, time between sitting down and food being delivered. The only thing I couldn't figure out is how they tell how long a table is occupied. They took the rose away after delivering the food, so either there would need to be weight sensors on the table, or the bus staff would have to indicate when a table opened up.

[dfisher]

In the next few weeks, they are testing out advanced ordering at that restaurant. People that take the Magical Express bus will get selected to place an order and a time they want to eat. They then scan themselves in (I think it is all on a wristband) to an express kiosk, pick up a rose, and their food will be delivered.

[Chubby]

heading there sept 8-14th, all bookedwith airfare.

does anyone know what characters are part of the disney jr dining? we're setting up one character dining, a dining with fireworks for the wife's birthday on the 11th and maybe a dine with an imagineer

[dfisher]

heading there sept 8-14th, all bookedwith airfare.

does anyone know what characters are part of the disney jr dining? we're setting up one character dining, a dining with fireworks for the wife's birthday on the 11th and maybe a dine with an imagineer

Handy Manny, Oso, Jake, and June. Lots of good info on characters here: Disney World Character Meals « Kennythepirate Blog (http://kennythepirate.com/disney-world-character-schedules/disney-world-character-meal-list/)

[Desnudo]

Anyone ever stay in the cabins at fort wilderness?

[Chubby]

Handy Manny, Oso, Jake, and June. Lots of good info on characters here: Disney World Character Meals « Kennythepirate Blog (http://kennythepirate.com/disney-world-character-schedules/disney-world-character-meal-list/)

awesome, thank you!

[CraigSca]

Anyone ever stay in the cabins at fort wilderness?

I personally haven't, but I do know of a friend who is planning to. Apparently the cabins themselves are pretty nice, but she mentioned something about the need to rent a golf cart (they rent them) in order to get around the resort. It seems odd to me, however, that Disney would let anyone feel they can't get around the resort without one.

[OldGiants]

What with all the negative news about Carnival Cruise Lines, I thought I'd post a bit about the Disney Cruise we took over Thanksgiving on the new Fantasy.

We left from Port Canaveral at the same time as a Carnival Liner boarded and left. Parked offsite and took a van to the port with a bunch of folks who were going on Carnival. They ragged us about Disney not having booze (not true) and gambling (other than bingo, true but so what?). Coming back, we also had a (different) Carnival crowd on the van, and they were rather jealous of our stories. So, no comparison.

First, if you Google Disney Sandy, you will see some videos of Fantasy when it was tossed about by the fringe of hurricane Sandy. If you see the fixtures in the stores being tossed around, those were designed by my daughter. She was amazed at the damage we could still see, and vowed they'd be bolted down in the future. The German shipyard wanted fixtures that could be moved around. Again, don't be put off, the Fantasy is amazing.

Our cruise was terrific: St Thomas, San Juan and Castaway Cay were the three stops on a Sat to Sat cruise that included Thanksgiving. That meal was turkey and a lobster tail, and wasn't even the best. Too much great food, liquor cost (a few free drinks) but wasn't required for enjoyment. Tremendous amount of programs for adults (cooking, travel, crafts, contests--won lots of hats) and tons more for kids. Free first run movies, we saw Wreck It Ralph and could have seen Lincoln but for other things to do. Characters all over the place. The Aquaduck is terrific, if a short ride. I was on it about ten times while most were ashore in St Thomas.

You rotate dinner over three main restaurants and can pay about $25 per head to eat in the two fine dining places, Remy's or Palo's. But reserve ahead of time for these. They are filled.

The Artist's Palette Restaurant had a terrific feature one night. When you came in, you drew a character. Head, torso, arms and legs were in five big boxes, easy for kids to figure out. Then, about 40 minutes later, they showed an animated movie in which each person's figure danced on the screen. To say kids loved this is like saying they kind of like Christmas morning.

Suffice to say, everyone had a great time and wanted to come back soon. You can't do everything on a one week cruise. Go if you can and bring kids.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Suffice to say, everyone had a great time and wanted to come back soon. You can't do everything on a one week cruise. Go if you can and bring kids.

I've heard nothing but fantastic things about the Disney Cruises. Will definitely do one eventually.

[Chubby]

tyler convinced us to go with Chef Mickey for character dining. waiting on not so scary dates now

[JonInMiddleGA]

tyler convinced us to go with Chef Mickey for character dining. waiting on not so scary dates now

Unless something has changed a lot recently, Chef Mickey has always been a solid choice for character dining (although I enjoy the breakfast buffet enough that I always begrudged the interruptions a bit).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Unless something has changed a lot recently, Chef Mickey has always been a solid choice for character dining (although I enjoy the breakfast buffet enough that I always begrudged the interruptions a bit).

Yeah, they get the characters around pretty quickly at Chef Mickey. Always nice when you have kids.

[Butter]

What with all the negative news about Carnival Cruise Lines, I thought I'd post a bit about the Disney Cruise we took over Thanksgiving on the new Fantasy.

I really want to go on a Disney Cruise, but we are going on a Carnival Cruise here in about 2 1/2 weeks... just couldn't afford the over 2x price difference right now.

[Samdari]

I personally haven't, but I do know of a friend who is planning to. Apparently the cabins themselves are pretty nice, but she mentioned something about the need to rent a golf cart (they rent them) in order to get around the resort. It seems odd to me, however, that Disney would let anyone feel they can't get around the resort without one.

You cannot drive to your cabin. Getting from one of the cabins to anywhere else can be done by bus (but you must walk to a bus stop) or, apparently, golf cart. One thing I would find maddening about the cabins is how long it would take to get somewhere. Without the golf cart, you need to walk to a bus stop, wait for then ride the bus, all just to get somewhere where you can connect to the normal Disney transportation system (boat to MK, bus everywhere else). Sounds to me like you'd be looking at ~twice the travel time as the regular resorts.

[Chubby]

Unless something has changed a lot recently, Chef Mickey has always been a solid choice for character dining (although I enjoy the breakfast buffet enough that I always begrudged the interruptions a bit).

thats what I have heard and when tyler wanted to do something mickey related i was all for it

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Great pic from the Disney Princesses Facebook page......

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/483731_363085457135758_1335445666_n.jpg

[Eaglesfan27]

This thread has been a great resource. Never did go last December, but we are definitely going this December. Mary will be 5 then and she loved the 1 day we did in Disney when on a cruise last year. I can't wait to spend a week there with her. Booking our room this week. :)

[GrantDawg]

My daughter is there now with her band. She was the most excited for one thing: to see Ariel's area. 17, and still my little girl. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

Finally, booking our trip for December. Which meal plan (if any) do most people recommend?

[cougarfreak]

Finally, booking our trip for December. Which meal plan (if any) do most people recommend?

We did the one with 1 sit down, 1 quick, and 1 snack a day, and it was plenty for us to eat. Most of the sit downs are buffets. The quicks are very large fast food type meals (quality is actually better). The snack is what we used for breakfast (big muffin, fruit, or something similar).

[Glengoyne]

Mrs Glen posting,

When we went last year, we did the same meal plan as cougar. A couple of things to remember is they will often swap out dessert for an additional side or appetizer. Also, you will most likely get a cup that you can refill at the hotels. That doesn't count toward your drink. We stocked up on bottles of water with the quick serve meal at the hotel, beats buying water in the park.

One more thing, listen to the cashiers, they would often make recommendations about how best to utilize your snack/quick serve allotments. Paying $.50 for a piece of toast and getting a bag of chips to snack on in the park makes more sense than just getting the toast for free.

Oh, yeah. If you are traveling with little ones, they aren't necessarily resigned to the children's menu all the time. I remember we had allotments for adult sit down, child sit down, and quick service... These were not broken down by age.

[hoopsguy]

Did same meal plan as cougarfreak and it worked well for us.
We did a character breakfast and one nice meal for just me/wife, so had to juggle a little bit over the course of the week to account for those "double meal" options, but I think this represented best value for our family.

[OldGiants]

Mrs Glen posting,

When we went last year, we did the same meal plan as cougar. A couple of things to remember is they will often swap out dessert for an additional side or appetizer. Also, you will most likely get a cup that you can refill at the hotels. That doesn't count toward your drink. We stocked up on bottles of water with the quick serve meal at the hotel, beats buying water in the park.

One more thing, listen to the cashiers, they would often make recommendations about how best to utilize your snack/quick serve allotments. Paying $.50 for a piece of toast and getting a bag of chips to snack on in the park makes more sense than just getting the toast for free.

Oh, yeah. If you are traveling with little ones, they aren't necessarily resigned to the children's menu all the time. I remember we had allotments for adult sit down, child sit down, and quick service... These were not broken down by age.

Yes, to all this. Be sure to check with Cast Members about what qualifies as a 'snack'. You'll be pleasantly surprised what counts as a snack item.

Also, bring back your hotel mugs from prior trips. You can use them them in future years. No one will ever say anything or even imply you are doing something underhanded. We always bring old mugs and look around to see who has ones older than ours. Seeing an 80-year old couple with 'Dixie Landing' mugs sitting in the Port Orleans food court playing cribbage during a squall was a great moment. My daughter keeps an old mug in her car so she can grab a drink if she has work in one of the hotel shops.

Lastly, Disney gets the soda syrup free in return for advertising, so you aren't 'stealing' a drink and costing them a profit.

[Eaglesfan27]

Thanks for all of the replies... our trip is booked with the 1 sit down, 1 quick, and 1 snack meal plan. I can't wait! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thanks for all of the replies... our trip is booked with the 1 sit down, 1 quick, and 1 snack meal plan. I can't wait! :)

FWIW (since you're already booked) I think you'll likely find that to be sufficient.

We're very food-centric on our trips -- dining reservations & availability largely dictate which park we hit which days, etc -- and that version worked out quite well for even us.

I was a raging skeptic about the meal plan prior to our last trip but didn't really hit a snag at all.

A couple of other tips that might be helpful to make the meal plan even more user-friendly (I can't remember atm if this is your first ever trip or not, so this may be old hat stuff for you)
1) Take a case or so of bottled water with you if you're driving or pick one up at a nearby Wal-Mart if you have access to a car during the trip. That's for use in the room, during breaks at the hotel, etc. Keeps you from burning up a snack in the food court, etc.

1b) Ditto a box/bag/etc of the family favorite snacks. Whether that's Little Debbie's or Cheez-Nips or whatever, even an overpriced box of Entenman's donuts from the gift shop will help keep you from wasting snacks from the meal plan when you're back at the hotel. Keep those suckers for the park (especially if you're a guy like me who needs a cup of coffee during the day)

[cougarfreak]

Thanks for all of the replies... our trip is booked with the 1 sit down, 1 quick, and 1 snack meal plan. I can't wait! :)

I'd DEFINITELY recommend making reservations for your sit downs. It's a must.

[dfisher]

I'd DEFINITELY recommend making reservations for your sit downs. It's a must.

You can make them 180 days in advance. Some of the most popular ones fill up really quickly (some on that 180 day mark). Since you are staying on Disney property, you can make your reservations for the whole trip (up to 10 days) 180 days from your arrival date.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'd DEFINITELY recommend making reservations for your sit downs. It's a must.

+10,000

[BrianD]

You can make them 180 days in advance. Some of the most popular ones fill up really quickly (some on that 180 day mark). Since you are staying on Disney property, you can make your reservations for the whole trip (up to 10 days) 180 days from your arrival date.

I'll add my +10,000 to Jon's 10,000.

I'd highly recommend eating a meal at the Be Our Guest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. Reservations are not taken for lunch and you may not be able to get them for dinner as the restaurant is new and popular. The atmosphere and technology used in the restaurant is worth experiencing.

[Glengoyne]

Oh, Mrs. Glen to pile on again!

When we booked we went through Small World Travel (?). Minnie, our agent was awesome and made several excellent dining suggestions.

If you are wanting to see IllumiNations at EPCOT, I think it was a 6:00 p.m. reservation at the Rose and Crown. When you make the reservations, tell them you want to see the show, and they will make it happen. Same applies on the day when you check in for dinner, make sure you let them know. We were right down on the waterfront. Also, the restaurant has its own private viewing area, so if you don't want to eat that late, you can eat, then go to that area and see the show.

We did Cinderella's Castle for lunch/dinner, and for a double credit meal, it was worth it. I know it is popular for breakfast, and OldGiants could tell you why I'm sure, but our experience was pretty neat.

Okay, I'll just run down the park-meal highlights:

Animal Kingdom: We ate at Tusker House. By far it was the best unique food we had. It's 'African' fare, but don't let that sway you away. It was buffet style, and there was something for everyone.

Hollywood Studios: 50's Prime Time Cafe. It was fun, but the food wasn't anything to write home about. Your food choices were along the lines of meatloaf and fried chicken. Although, the PB&J milkshake was AWESOME, (but you can make that at home).

We also had a couple of meals at the hotel (Wilderness Lodge). Breakfast one morning, and Valentines dinner at their signature restaurant.

We did a sit-down at Downtown Disney at the Cuban place, name escapes me right now, but I think Gloria Estefan owns it. That was our first dining experience with the dining plan. I will never forget when we were able to tell our 11 yo daughter that, yes she could have the 2 lobster tails with shrimp and clams dinner. (She thought she had died and gone to heaven!)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Oh, Mrs. Glen to pile on again!

When we booked we went through Small World Travel (?). Minnie, our agent was awesome and made several excellent dining suggestions.

If you are wanting to see IllumiNations at EPCOT, I think it was a 6:00 p.m. reservation at the Rose and Crown. When you make the reservations, tell them you want to see the show, and they will make it happen. Same applies on the day when you check in for dinner, make sure you let them know. We were right down on the waterfront. Also, the restaurant has its own private viewing area, so if you don't want to eat that late, you can eat, then go to that area and see the show.

We did Cinderella's Castle for lunch/dinner, and for a double credit meal, it was worth it. I know it is popular for breakfast, and OldGiants could tell you why I'm sure, but our experience was pretty neat.

Okay, I'll just run down the park-meal highlights:

Animal Kingdom: We ate at Tusker House. By far it was the best unique food we had. It's 'African' fare, but don't let that sway you away. It was buffet style, and there was something for everyone.

Hollywood Studios: 50's Prime Time Cafe. It was fun, but the food wasn't anything to write home about. Your food choices were along the lines of meatloaf and fried chicken. Although, the PB&J milkshake was AWESOME, (but you can make that at home).

We also had a couple of meals at the hotel (Wilderness Lodge). Breakfast one morning, and Valentines dinner at their signature restaurant.


C'mon now Mrs. Glen ... everybody knows that Sci-Fi Diner >>> 50's Prime Time ;)

The rest of her stuff, all pretty solid. The reminder about Rose & Crown for Illuminations prompts me to add a similar recommendation for tying dining together with any plans to Fantasmic at DH Studios. Makes seating a lot less of a hassle, less time spent twiddling your thumbs (which ain't real pleasant in December, even in Orlando).

[Eaglesfan27]

I was to Disney for 1 day about a year ago when I took a cruise, so I definitely understand the importance of reservations. I am using an agent from Small World Vacations and letting her know all of the details of where we want to eat and when... I've heard good things about the agency so I am hoping/trusting she will get us our reservations on the first possible day... But I will keep up with that as I've promised a meal at the Royal Cinderella table to Mary.

[cougarfreak]

I was to Disney for 1 day about a year ago when I took a cruise, so I definitely understand the importance of reservations. I am using an agent from Small World Vacations and letting her know all of the details of where we want to eat and when... I've heard good things about the agency so I am hoping/trusting she will get us our reservations on the first possible day... But I will keep up with that as I've promised a meal at the Royal Cinderella table to Mary.

I use the same service. They are very good. If you want to do the Royal Table, I'd definitely get on it 180 days out. I did that last year. I am doing the Be Our Guest and I made sure I booked out 180 days.

[Draft Dodger]

we literally just got back today from a week at Disney World (Art of Animation). We too did the meal plan and while I was skeptical it was worth it. Mostly. I did find that since we made the reservations in advance - a necessity - it kind of locked us in a little more than I would have liked at times. Some nights it worked out perfectly, others it was kind of chore to leave one park, grab a shuttle to another park and march all the way back to the restaurant. You can be looking at a solid hour there. AND, although the service was universally prompt for the dinners I found that the included desserts added a long time to the meals.

We did find, though, that they were fairly flexible with reservation times. It was pouring rain on Monday at the Magic Kingdom and we had reservations at the castle for the Royal Table and we decided to take a shot and see if we could get in about an hour early. We had no issue and it worked perfectly - by the time dinner was over the rain was done. Did something similar at the Biergarten despite the hostess telling us they were completely full and there was no chance to sit early. 5 minutes later, our pager was buzzing.

My favorite meal was O'Hanas at the Polynesian resort. They start you off with salads and other starters, then bring around endless meat on skewers. Super easy to get there - 5 minutes on the monorail from the MK.

The worst part of the dining plan was quick service eating in our hotel. The layout was terrible - 4 or 5 different stations, all with different food choices so if you want a burger and one kid wants pasta and the other wants a salad you have to split up or go wait in several different lines. It was confusing and if you're familiar with Disney World you know that a decent percentage of guests aren't exactly deep thinkers so it was usually a total madhouse. Quick service at the parks was always much, much better although it was sometimes hard to find a restaurant that had something that each of us was interested in.

[Draft Dodger]

oh and I did the grocery delivery thing to have bottled water, easy breakfast stuff and snack foods in our room. It was handy to have, but we had a lot left over. The meal plans give you almost too much food.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The layout was terrible - 4 or 5 different stations, all with different food choices so if you want a burger and one kid wants pasta and the other wants a salad you have to split up or go wait in several different lines. ... Quick service at the parks was always much, much better although it was sometimes hard to find a restaurant that had something that each of us was interested in.

On the latter, we've gotten so organized (some might say obsessive) that we usually have the QS restaurants figured out ahead of time as well :)

On the former, yeah, the resorts with the mall food court layout are just a nightmare a lot of the time. It's easier once the kid(s) are big enough to zip the line on their own & stuff. I think our last trip we managed to avoid meals there with the exception of me going down early so I could grab an actual breakfast, just brought back lighter fare for the wife & kid in the room after I finished.

I will say that the one food court style that's worth any of the hassle is the Pepper Market at Coronado Springs. I hate the resort itself but have actually gone there while staying elsewhere just to eat their quick serve.

[OldGiants]

we literally just got back today from a week at Disney World (Art of Animation). We too did the meal plan and while I was skeptical it was worth it. Mostly. I did find that since we made the reservations in advance - a necessity - it kind of locked us in a little more than I would have liked at times. Some nights it worked out perfectly, others it was kind of chore to leave one park, grab a shuttle to another park and march all the way back to the restaurant. You can be looking at a solid hour there. AND, although the service was universally prompt for the dinners I found that the included desserts added a long time to the meals.

We did find, though, that they were fairly flexible with reservation times. It was pouring rain on Monday at the Magic Kingdom and we had reservations at the castle for the Royal Table and we decided to take a shot and see if we could get in about an hour early. We had no issue and it worked perfectly - by the time dinner was over the rain was done. Did something similar at the Biergarten despite the hostess telling us they were completely full and there was no chance to sit early. 5 minutes later, our pager was buzzing.

My favorite meal was O'Hanas at the Polynesian resort. They start you off with salads and other starters, then bring around endless meat on skewers. Super easy to get there - 5 minutes on the monorail from the MK.

The worst part of the dining plan was quick service eating in our hotel. The layout was terrible - 4 or 5 different stations, all with different food choices so if you want a burger and one kid wants pasta and the other wants a salad you have to split up or go wait in several different lines. It was confusing and if you're familiar with Disney World you know that a decent percentage of guests aren't exactly deep thinkers so it was usually a total madhouse. Quick service at the parks was always much, much better although it was sometimes hard to find a restaurant that had something that each of us was interested in.

How did you like Art of Animation? My daughter designed most of the fixtures in the store there. She took us on the grand tour last August and pointed out that some of the ceiling art is signed by Pixar animators. The underwater music in the pool is a nice touch.

[Draft Dodger]

nice! We liked it very much. it was a beautiful resort (in a Disney way, of course). my daughter especially liked the underwater music.

[PurdueBrad]

We're starting to look at taking my 4 year old. Do you guys usually book through Disney or a travel agent?

[JonInMiddleGA]

We're starting to look at taking my 4 year old. Do you guys usually book through Disney or a travel agent?

Have always booked directly.

I'd say that just depends upon your patience/comfort level with doing the research and handling things like that yourself vs handing them off to someone else.

[cougarfreak]

We're starting to look at taking my 4 year old. Do you guys usually book through Disney or a travel agent?

I can't recommend the place I used any more highly than I can. It's called smallworldvacations.com/ I booked about 9 months out, tell them the dates and times for restaurants I want, etc. and pay $200 up front. They do all the booking, etc. about 45 days out I pay the balance. In the mean time, they get all the discounts applied to your account that come up. Last year, they saved me about $100. This year I received an email about 2 months ago that said they were knocking $420 off of my balance. That was more than 10%. They are fabulous, and don't charge any fees. The price I paid is the exact same price I was quoted on the Disney site. They got my luggage tags, etc. If you want the name of the agent I used, let me know. I swear there are no gimmicks, tricks, etc. They only do Disney vacations.

[CraigSca]

Heading there on Friday, just for a long weekend.

For those who care - I cannot recommend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival enough. Went there last year and probably had one of the best days ever with my family. My 12 year old even tried escargot - would never happen outside of that environment. If you have the ability to visit late September-early November, the festival is a must-do.

[Draft Dodger]

I can't recommend the place I used any more highly than I can. It's called smallworldvacations.com/ I booked about 9 months out, tell them the dates and times for restaurants I want, etc. and pay $200 up front. They do all the booking, etc. about 45 days out I pay the balance. In the mean time, they get all the discounts applied to your account that come up. Last year, they saved me about $100. This year I received an email about 2 months ago that said they were knocking $420 off of my balance. That was more than 10%. They are fabulous, and don't charge any fees. The price I paid is the exact same price I was quoted on the Disney site. They got my luggage tags, etc. If you want the name of the agent I used, let me know. I swear there are no gimmicks, tricks, etc. They only do Disney vacations.

we had a pretty similar experience going through AAA. really painless

[JonInMiddleGA]

Heading there on Friday, just for a long weekend.

For those who care - I cannot recommend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival enough. Went there last year and probably had one of the best days ever with my family. My 12 year old even tried escargot - would never happen outside of that environment. If you have the ability to visit late September-early November, the festival is a must-do.

Yep +1 for sure.

It's actually on the when-the-kid-eventually-goes-to-college-we'll-go-back- without-him list for us.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm using Smallworldvacations.com and have been thrilled with the service so far. They just sent me a reminder last week that the 180 day window to book restaurant reservations is coming up. I just sent them an email telling them my preferences for meals and my agent is on top of it. Feel very comfortable with their service so far.

[JAG]

Heading there on Friday, just for a long weekend.

For those who care - I cannot recommend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival enough. Went there last year and probably had one of the best days ever with my family. My 12 year old even tried escargot - would never happen outside of that environment. If you have the ability to visit late September-early November, the festival is a must-do.

Yep +1 for sure.

It's actually on the when-the-kid-eventually-goes-to-college-we'll-go-back- without-him list for us.

Would you guys mind expanding on that? Our family is going to be in Orlando during that timeframe (quite possibly with grandparent chaoerones for the kids) so you've got me intrigued.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Would you guys mind expanding on that? Our family is going to be in Orlando during that timeframe (quite possibly with grandparent chaoerones for the kids) so you've got me intrigued.

You know how a pub crawl works, right? Well imagine a pub crawl around the nations half of Epcot except instead of drinking yourself into a stupor you have the chance to eat yourself into a stupor :) (you could also easily drink yourself unconscious but that's kinda tough with the kids in tow sometimes)

Basically it's food carts/kiosks set up with small portions of signature items from not only the various countries with pavilions but also other nations that don't have pavilions. In past years I specifically remember an Ireland location & IIRC an Israel one as well. The setup is usually 1 meat dish, 1 veggie dish, 1 appetizer type thing, 1 or 2 desserts plus 1-2 alcoholic beverages at each stop. Sort of a global food fair kinda thing.

Nobody can eat that much of course, but there's fun to be had in just seeing all the additional stuff, what's being offered, etc. It's just a more fun atmosphere than vanilla Epcot.

edit to add: There's also special events tied to it, such as $$$ cooking demonstrations, product displays, etc. I've never bothered with those as I'm not a hardcore foodie or anything. But that's also an option if it's your thing.

[CraigSca]

Yes, each regular country (existing pavilions like France, Japan, England, Mexico, etc.) will have additional food-only pavilions. Think of a sample of 3 items per country, along with regular and alcoholic beverages. In addition the the regular pavilions, they have added countries - this year they're adding Scotland and Brazil (which has been there in the past), amongst others.

Basically, you walk from pavilion to pavilion, see what catches your fancy among the 3 items each pavilion has and sample away. Most can be shared (small bites), and they average about $5 per. Also, the beverages are pretty cool, too (distinctive drinks from the country).

Seriously, by the time we went around the world and got to Australia, I was feeling pretty good, had spent over $100 (mind you, we basically ate lunch and dinner for a family of four including drinks) and we ended up meeting some new people.

It's just a great opportunity to sample a lot of different things from each culture - and my kids were surprisingly open to it. They had a very "let's give it a try" attitude.

As John said, this is perfect for an adults-only trip, or if your kids are a little older. If your kids are ages 5 and 6, it may be a little more difficult to enjoy.

[CraigSca]

One thing I'll add - this year's Epcot Flower and Garden show added foods as well. It's nowhere near the size of the Food and Wine Festival, but was nice to see some kiosks up for food/drink. The german meatloaf was my favorite while my kids loved the "frushi" (sushi made out of fruit).

[JonInMiddleGA]

One thing I'll add - this year's Epcot Flower and Garden show added foods as well. It's nowhere near the size of the Food and Wine Festival, but was nice to see some kiosks up for food/drink.


Interesting, I didn't realize they'd done that. F&G is the other "best time" to hit Epcot, the additional landscaping & such is nice even weeks after the festival officially ends.

One of the things about Epcot, in my experience anyway, is that it can become a bit of "been there, done that" after a number of visits. The festivals add that something extra that elevates the park, probably moreso than the extras at most of the others (although Star Wars weekends are pretty fun stuff).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

We're starting to look at taking my 4 year old. Do you guys usually book through Disney or a travel agent?

Disney or travel site. Travel agents just don't offer much anymore.

Some new deals just hit MouseSavers today. Some good new deals in addition to the other great info they offer.

MouseSavers.com - Your source for Disney discounts, codes & deals! (http://www.mousesavers.com/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Heading there on Friday, just for a long weekend.

For those who care - I cannot recommend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival enough. Went there last year and probably had one of the best days ever with my family. My 12 year old even tried escargot - would never happen outside of that environment. If you have the ability to visit late September-early November, the festival is a must-do.

Huge +1. We always try to make it to the festival every 2-3 years. Just a whole lot of fun and it gives the parents something to be excited about while the kids still have a fantastic vacation. Top it all off by the fact that it's held during a slow period of the year and it's as good as it gets.

[Butter]

Crossing my fingers that Disney does the Free Dining Plans this October. My wife and I want to celebrate our 15th anniversary the same place we celebrated our honeymoon. We may still go even if they don't have it, but that would seal it up for us. I understand that historically they haven't revealed the fall discounts until July, so I've still got another month-plus to go before we know for sure. That doesn't make waiting any easier!

[Tekneek]

Disney or travel site. Travel agents just don't offer much anymore.

I used to always book Disney vacations myself. Having said that, we're using a travel agent for the first time and it has been very nice to just send her questions and changes without having to do all the work. I tell her what we want and she gets it. When I had a chance to get free dining for the trip, I mentioned it to her and she worked out the details. I didn't have to call Disney and work out the slight modifications required. I sent off one email and got all the revised arrangements back without doing any of the work.

I guess it depends on how much time you have. I've found that with 60+ hours of work a week and 4 kids, I really appreciate having the travel agent working out the tiny details.

[Tekneek]

Crossing my fingers that Disney does the Free Dining Plans this October. My wife and I want to celebrate our 15th anniversary the same place we celebrated our honeymoon. We may still go even if they don't have it, but that would seal it up for us. I understand that historically they haven't revealed the fall discounts until July, so I've still got another month-plus to go before we know for sure. That doesn't make waiting any easier!

So far the only people getting free dining for October are those selected by Disney from their reservation system. If they have an email address on file for you, they might send you a PIN code connected directly with your name. I received one and we're getting free dining for our trip in October/November.

[Tekneek]

One of the things about Epcot, in my experience anyway, is that it can become a bit of "been there, done that" after a number of visits. The festivals add that something extra that elevates the park, probably moreso than the extras at most of the others (although Star Wars weekends are pretty fun stuff).

Interesting to read your perspective. I am one of those who thinks the problem with Epcot is Disney's inability to stay focused on the original mission. They've watered it down from what it once was, in its first decade (probably peaking around 1990). Now it is just a generic theme park that hosts a couple of foodie fests each year with a bunch of concerts by has-been musicians and tribute bands.

[Tekneek]

Also worth mentioning, ticket prices at Disney's parks are going up today.

Disney Parks Ticket Price Update « Disney Parks Blog (http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/06/disney-parks-ticket-price-update/)

1 Day Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom tickets are 95.85 after tax.
1 Day Magic Kingdom tickets are now 101.18.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Also worth mentioning, ticket prices at Disney's parks are going up today.

Disney Parks Ticket Price Update « Disney Parks Blog (http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/06/disney-parks-ticket-price-update/)

1 Day Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom tickets are 95.85 after tax.
1 Day Magic Kingdom tickets are now 101.18.

Should always buy tickets at Undercover Tourist. They're an authorized reseller, always cheaper than Disney, and include free shipping.

Discount Disney World Tickets - Universal, Sea World (http://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/attractions/tickets.html?pid=w3bl1nksp3c14l)

Edit: They also usually have cheaper prices after price hikes because they keep the old prices until they exhaust their old allotment of tickets.

[Tekneek]

Should always buy tickets at Undercover Tourist. They're an authorized reseller, always cheaper than Disney, and include free shipping.

Discount Disney World Tickets - Universal, Sea World (http://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/attractions/tickets.html?pid=w3bl1nksp3c14l)

Edit: They also usually have cheaper prices after price hikes because they keep the old prices until they exhaust their old allotment of tickets.

I can vouch for them. We've bought tickets from them before and they would be our first choice when not getting a package or promotion directly from Disney/Universal/etc.

[Butter]

So far the only people getting free dining for October are those selected by Disney from their reservation system. If they have an email address on file for you, they might send you a PIN code connected directly with your name. I received one and we're getting free dining for our trip in October/November.

We booked today anyway, excited to visit during Epcot Food and Wine for the first time. Looks like they have some great stuff, at least looking through the 2012 blog about it. If we get free dining, we get it, but this is where we both wanted to go anyway, so really looking forward to it.

And I can 3rd Undercover Tourist, we bought our tix there last year, no hassle whatsoever.

[OldGiants]

Most of you know what a 'Hidden Mickey' is. My daughter has been in Imagineering for 5 years now, so she's gotten a few 'Hidden Beckys' in the parks.

You can find two in Tattooine, the Star Tours store. Here's her as a curly, red-haired Jawa at the edge of the sand cruiser at the main check out counter:

Curly red-haired Jawa 1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/75917869@N08/8940142891/)

Her name in Aurebesh is also in the Droid Factory, but it is hard to find because it is under the parts display, you have to scootch down and look up, and a CM is usually standing right in front of it.

The Jawa should be at eye-level for young 'uns so hopefully they can find it.

[Butter]

We booked today anyway, excited to visit during Epcot Food and Wine for the first time. Looks like they have some great stuff, at least looking through the 2012 blog about it. If we get free dining, we get it, but this is where we both wanted to go anyway, so really looking forward to it.

YES, got a free dining offer for the rest of the year in the mail last night, called in and applied it to our reservation, am saving nearly $400 on our already booked reservation at Pop Century with Standard Dining plan.

[Tekneek]

For the curious/interested, it sounds like Disney is about to change the way the refillable mugs work.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/refillable-mug/news/07jul2013-disney-resorts-to-offer-new-refillable-mug-program-called-%27rapid-fill%27.htm

It is a bit more complicated than before. Apparently they will be using RFID to limit access to the beverage station, and even valid mugs may have to wait at least 5 minutes between refills. Further, it appears that the refillable mugs will no longer be included with the Quick Service Dining Plan (nevermind that they just raised the prices for all the dining plans as well!).

[cougarfreak]

My family and I fly out in the morning for our stay in Wilderness Lodge again this year. I'm beyond excited. It's not only awesome to see your 5 and 7 year olds have an incredible time, but I get to be a kid for 6 days. :cool:

[PilotMan]

Yeah, it's great. I wish we could go back before the kids get to be too big. Have fun BTW. :)

[CraigSca]

My family and I fly out in the morning for our stay in Wilderness Lodge again this year. I'm beyond excited. It's not only awesome to see your 5 and 7 year olds have an incredible time, but I get to be a kid for 6 days. :cool:


Congrats - Wilderness Lodge is awesome!

[Eaglesfan27]

A little under 5 months until my trip. I think I'm even more excited than Mary! :)

Have fun Cougar!

[cougarfreak]

Anyone a vacation club member? I'm debating....

[OldGiants]

Anyone a vacation club member? I'm debating....

Check out the sites where DVC points are bought and sold first. You may find what you need there without the cash outlay.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

How to save at Disney theme parks - Jennifer Waters's Consumer Confidential - MarketWatch (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-save-at-disney-theme-parks-2013-07-16?siteid=yhoof2)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Think we're going to book a last-minute vacation. Going to head down the first week in October. With the free dining plan deal, we can get six nights at Port Orleans, tickets (two adult, two child), and three meals/two snacks per day for around $2,200. Can't beat that for a week vacation.

[OldGiants]

Think we're going to book a last-minute vacation. Going to head down the first week in October. With the free dining plan deal, we can get six nights at Port Orleans, tickets (two adult, two child), and three meals/two snacks per day for around $2,200. Can't beat that for a week vacation.

We just now got back from a week at Port Orleans Riverside in a new Royal Guest Room. These are in the Mansion units (Oak Mansion, for us), not the Bayou section. Excellent, with lots of great touches such as the faucets look like gold magic lanterns, lots of princess pictures on the wall and behind each bed is a mural with lights that turn on a fireworks display over a bayou scene.

They are converting to the new tickets this week. My daughter used her new passes for us and boggled the mind of the ticket staff who weren't expecting them yet. Old tickets will be honored, but you'll have to go to a Guest Relations window to have them verified/converted.

Once the front gate RFID is working smoothly, they will introduce FastPassPlus. This will allow you to get a FastPass for rides BEFORE you come down. They are talking 3 or 4 rides per day at one park, depending on how testing goes. So you can plan your day almost precisely.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

We just now got back from a week at Port Orleans Riverside in a new Royal Guest Room. These are in the Mansion units (Oak Mansion, for us), not the Bayou section. Excellent, with lots of great touches such as the faucets look like gold magic lanterns, lots of princess pictures on the wall and behind each bed is a mural with lights that turn on a fireworks display over a bayou scene.

They are converting to the new tickets this week. My daughter used her new passes for us and boggled the mind of the ticket staff who weren't expecting them yet. Old tickets will be honored, but you'll have to go to a Guest Relations window to have them verified/converted.

Once the front gate RFID is working smoothly, they will introduce FastPassPlus. This will allow you to get a FastPass for rides BEFORE you come down. They are talking 3 or 4 rides per day at one park, depending on how testing goes. So you can plan your day almost precisely.

We can still book at Undercover Tourist, correct? Just didn't want to buy a ticket there only to find it doesn't work.

Thanks for the heads up on the rooms!

[Tekneek]

Once the front gate RFID is working smoothly, they will introduce FastPassPlus. This will allow you to get a FastPass for rides BEFORE you come down. They are talking 3 or 4 rides per day at one park, depending on how testing goes. So you can plan your day almost precisely.

The bad thing about FP+ is that they will start booking those FP+ attractions 60 days out (once it is rolled out). You can easily imagine that the top attractions will have all their slots taken very early in that window. These will have to be scheduled online through the My Disney Experience website or smartphone app, or at kiosks in the parks if you don't do it before you're there. The limitations are 4 per day at Magic Kingdom and 3 per day at the others. You can also not schedule them at more than 1 park per day (potentially sucking some value from park hopping).

The current FP system in the parks will go away completely once this is rolled out. As far as I know, you're not required to change over to the new paperless tickets at this time (and according to Disney you will never be required to, but you won't be able to access the FP+ system without doing so).

[Flasch186]

My bracelet experience a few weeks ago at Disney while staying on site was an abject disaster wherein I had to spend numerous hours with their helpers reprogramming everything, syncing it to the app, etc. total cluster. So much so that at one point, out of an overload of frustration (I have a 3.5 year old) I ended up spiking mine at the entrance.

At one point I swear that they had forewarned every employee in the park that if the guy int he white T and black hat comes your way let him do what he wants. By 8:00 when the bracelet wouldnt work at a ride but my son and wife's would and the employee would put his hand up to stop me and 'hear my issue for feedback' for the 15th time, I told them I wasn't going to wait anymore, I was entering with my family, and if they wanted to hear about it they could ask any of the 10 other employees/managers I'd already wasted hours of my day with 'working it out.'

On the positive side, having the bands got us VIP front row seating for the electrical parade, show on the castle and fireworks which was cool but it was a long long long day.

[OldGiants]

We can still book at Undercover Tourist, correct? Just didn't want to buy a ticket there only to find it doesn't work.

Thanks for the heads up on the rooms!

Yes, you get the tickets when you arrive, no change to that. They will be wrist bands, not paper so you can tap the entry balls.

[OldGiants]

The bad thing about FP+ is that they will start booking those FP+ attractions 60 days out (once it is rolled out). You can easily imagine that the top attractions will have all their slots taken very early in that window. These will have to be scheduled online through the My Disney Experience website or smartphone app, or at kiosks in the parks if you don't do it before you're there. The limitations are 4 per day at Magic Kingdom and 3 per day at the others. You can also not schedule them at more than 1 park per day (potentially sucking some value from park hopping).

The current FP system in the parks will go away completely once this is rolled out. As far as I know, you're not required to change over to the new paperless tickets at this time (and according to Disney you will never be required to, but you won't be able to access the FP+ system without doing so).

A few comments from my family members who work there:

1) No park hopping is for starters. they hope to expand that.

2) The slots will be the same number as currently exist for FP now once the system is running.

3) The goal is to have every ride on FP+ so you can plan your day, but there will still be walk-on space for those so inclined.

4) There will always be cards instead of wrist bands if you want. They currently scan the cards with hand-held devices at the gate.

5) What CMs don't universally know yet is that if you park hop, you don't need to keep straight who used which band/pass to get in at EPCOT when you go over to MK, for example. The system knew that my finger matched up with my wife's pass and vice versa, when we deliberately mixed them up.

6) Doing away with the old FP system won't happen any time soon.

7) The somewhat secret Avatar land and Star Wars land projects are under way already, although in the blueprint stages only.

[OldGiants]

How to save at Disney theme parks - Jennifer Waters's Consumer Confidential - MarketWatch (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-save-at-disney-theme-parks-2013-07-16?siteid=yhoof2)

To follow up on the 'bad ticket' aspect of this story. I saw at least two booths in mall parking lots on the way to the airport that advertised they bought and sold tickets. I'd avoid those places.

[Tekneek]

We can still book at Undercover Tourist, correct? Just didn't want to buy a ticket there only to find it doesn't work.

Thanks for the heads up on the rooms!

You are supposed to be able to add them to MyDisneyExperience by scanning them using a smartphone and the MyDisneyExperience app, or by typing in the number. However, I've read reports of people having problems with this. I would say that you should be able to continue buying from UT as normal without any major problem. If you're unable to add it, you should be able to call someone at Disney and get it done. UT is reputable and stands behind their services, so unlikely they would be pushing fraudulent tickets.

[OldGiants]

Yes, reputable travel agencies like UT or AAA will have no issues.

All of us (5) in my group including 2 Disney CMs had trouble at times connecting to MyDisneyExperience while in the parks, but not at the hotel or traveling around. Lots of folks access this app while waiting in line, so band width (Verizon for all of us, but others around us were complaining, too) is an issue.

Also, don't necessarily believe the wait times at rides. We entered Toy Story around 11:15 AM with the sign saying a 95 minute wait already. But the line was not visible from outdoors. It we came out the door at 12:05 so much less wait. Why? Well my daughter spotted a timer card on the floor, picked it up, and handed it to a CM checking FPs. She said this happens often, and they aren't sure if people are doing it deliberately at the popular rides to make others think the line is much longer than it is.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yes, reputable travel agencies like UT or AAA will have no issues.

All of us (5) in my group including 2 Disney CMs had trouble at times connecting to MyDisneyExperience while in the parks, but not at the hotel or traveling around. Lots of folks access this app while waiting in line, so band width (Verizon for all of us, but others around us were complaining, too) is an issue.

Also, don't necessarily believe the wait times at rides. We entered Toy Story around 11:15 AM with the sign saying a 95 minute wait already. But the line was not visible from outdoors. It we came out the door at 12:05 so much less wait. Why? Well my daughter spotted a timer card on the floor, picked it up, and handed it to a CM checking FPs. She said this happens often, and they aren't sure if people are doing it deliberately at the popular rides to make others think the line is much longer than it is.

I use an independent iPhone Disney app to get ride times. Only cost 99 cents and you get much more accurate line times than the actual ride times posted.

Just got into My Disney for the first time today. Going to have to take a few hours one night and work myself through the whole thing. Lots of scheduling options.

[Tekneek]

The Lines app from TouringPlans.com is going to be the most accurate data available regarding wait times. They do a ton of research and constant crowd sourcing of wait time information.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New Belle interactive story. My daughter played one of the dancing plates, so she got to meet Belle......

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1380539_10201431947994889_1174861893_n.jpg

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1382929_10201431946314847_82097276_n.jpg

Showing off their ears.....

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1381281_10201432020156693_1383253117_n.jpg

Tigger and Eyore at the Crystal Palace.....

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1209001_10201432050437450_1392536256_n.jpg

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1378803_10201432029796934_1112061798_n.jpg

Luau with Mickey and Stitch......

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/29625_10201432136399599_1823756577_n.jpg

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1383510_10201432122439250_1014198943_n.jpg

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.......

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/536244_10201432166960363_1725520052_n.jpg

Playing in the fountains at Epcot......

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1383147_10201432259322672_172901729_n.jpg

Long day for Belle......

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1378048_10201432273403024_1137012595_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1374209_10201432271082966_1045679438_n.jpg

[Butter]

Did you do FP+? If so, did you have any issues with the Bands?

[Eaglesfan27]

How do you get fast pass plus? Is it still invitation only? We will be there in less than 2 months. Mary and I are both so excited!

[CraigSca]

EF27 - are you staying at a resort? Did you do your reservation online? I found that I received an email shortly after our reservation letting us know we could take advantage of FP+. I do know it's rolling out to Disney resorts on a week to week basis, some of them this weekend.

[CraigSca]

dola

The Food and Wine festival was incredible. More pavilions than I remember last year.

[Eaglesfan27]

EF27 - are you staying at a resort? Did you do your reservation online? I found that I received an email shortly after our reservation letting us know we could take advantage of FP+. I do know it's rolling out to Disney resorts on a week to week basis, some of them this weekend.

Yes, we are staying at the contemporary. We made a reservation via an agent recommended on here back in April.

[CraigSca]

I would check with the agent. I have only made my reservations online so have only had experience with that process. I would think, however, that the Contemporary will support FP+ at that time (if it doesn't already).