First time To Disney World with my 6 girls! Help please!

[Lilly08]

My 6 girls and I are going to Disney World for the first time December 21-30 this year.
I went through a local travel agency and that was my first huge mistake. I’ve had so many hair pulling out situations with them.
My concern is where to stay in Disney Saratoga Resort. I’ve read a lot of Saratoga comments and their recommendations are all over the place.
My main concern is getting to the parks in time for the FastPass Times. Plus, Restaurant Reservations in other areas.
Please help in regards to the best place to stay in Saratoga and the best transportation to use with a large group of kids. All of my girls are under the age of 16yrs. I am not a member of any Disney membership.
Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[DisAl]

First, congratulations on your first trip! We have never stayed at Saratoga so I can't offer any insight on where the preferred locations are. However, considering the size of your group I think I would try to get near the bus stop.
As for transportation, especially since this is your first trip and you a probably not familiar with the area, I suggest using the Disney buses. We use Disney transport for everything except a resort to resort trip for dining. In general we try to be at the bus stop at least an hour before our first FP or meal just to get to the park gate. If your destination is at the far end of a park, like the back of EPCOT or Liberty Tree Tavern, allow an extra 30 minutes for walking once you get to the park.
The MOST important thing is that if have not already done so, get your dining reservations made ASAP!

 

[TiggerDad]

You can phrase your room request as "close to transportation" and let the reservation people take care of you. If someone convinces you to request building 73 and that is not available, they won't know how to help. But if you specify why you want a particular area, they can do their best to meet your request. Like @DisAl I've never stayed at Saratoga, so I can't offer specific advice. If you want advice on a specific resort, you might want to include that in your thread title.

What we find is that in most resorts the distance to the bus stop is far less important than other factors affecting the ability to get our family awake and ready to go in the morning. As the father of three girls, I can only imagine getting six ready. We're not early risers, so we plan accordingly.

Good luck and enjoy your first visit. That time of year, expect long lines, including for the ladies' room, so make sure people use them when available, even if they think they won't need to for a while.

 

[Pixieish]

Don't be afraid to rent a car if you lean towards wanting to take care of your own transportation and are familiar with GPS...we found it extraordinarily easy to get around WDW and the resorts with a car. (Google Maps was our best friend during our trip!)

 

[Dave B]

Rent a car for sure, do NOT rely on the Disney Bus system, you will only get even more frustrated, and you get free parking for staying on resort

 

[Pixieish]

Not to mention the time saved...the longest ride between destinations for us was something like maybe 20 minutes. Relying on the buses can be convenient, but it costs you huge in regards to time.

 

[larryz]

Your first trip... with your 6 girls... over Christmas... shazam! That's a lot on your plate (no pun intended)!

My suggestion -- make your dinner reservations (ADRs) as soon as possible, and if you can't get them in the park you'll be in, don't be afraid to check one of the close-by resorts. For example, both the Poly and CR are close enough to the MK that they make a good choice for lunch or dinner options. Epcot -- you'll have no trouble making ADRs, as long as you don't want LeCellier or Garden Grille. DHS, you have good counter service options, but also lots of capacity in the table service restaurants -- for a group of 7, try the 50's Prime Time.

You will need to have a good group management plan, and I'd recommend a buddy system, with each group of two carrying a cell phone in case you get separated by crowds. And set a fall-back meet-up time and location just in case the phones fail.

It Will Be Crowded and There Will Be Long Waits. Just expect it and prepare mentally for it.

 

[RoyWalley]

Congratulations!
Your first trip, take the bus system as it will be a lot easier on you and your girls. It will be busy, but leave the driving to WDW.
It will be so busy during that time you are there and driving will just add that much more to your plate.
Don't be in a hurry, plan ahead and you will be fine. Ask the cast members questions, they can be your No. 1 asset.
Hope you have a great time and make many wonderful memories.

 

[Dave B]

How will the buses be easier?

 

[Lilly08]

I’m sorry, I didn’t put the Resort name in headline.
Thank everyone for the suggestions.
The girls and I went to Barns & Nobles searching for Disney World Guides. Well, we walked out with 7 different Disney World Guides! Lol
The first thing I started with was the dinner reservations October 5! Now I’m having to adjust the girls FastPasses around them.
I got tickets for Mickeys Very Merry Christmas, Jingle, Bell, Jingle BAM, Holiday Dessert Party.

Has anyone used lyft or Uber within Disney?

So, maybe I should rent a mini van. Everything I read in the Guides and online. It’s suggestive that the Disney buses aren’t reliable. With just the stress of organizing this trip, packing, for 6 girls. I don’t want to fall apart at Disney over not getting my girls to their dream rides on time!

 

[DisAl]

How will the buses be easier?

1 - You don't have to know where you are going. (Have you ever tried to get to CR and missed that place where you have to stay in the right lane, end up going by the TTC and parking, and making a long loop around the parking just to get headed back to CR? I have...)
2 - You don't have to worry about driving in heavy traffic. If you are from somewhere like Atlanta, that may not bother you at all. If you are from a small town like me, driving in very heavy traffic is a nightmare.
3- You don't have to walk as far from the bus stops to the park gates as you do from parking. (Well, maybe at EPCOT.)
I'm sure there are others too. We have done it both ways. For us, as aggravating as it can sometimes be, we take the buses which results in a considerably lower stress level for me.

 

[Lilly08]

Thank you DisAI!
I live in Massachusetts and will not drive into Boston!

 

[Pixieish]

Thank you DisAI!
I live in Massachusetts and will not drive into Boston!

I'm from MA too - Florida doesn't even come close to driving in Boston...even with traffic. Seriously - it was a breeze with Google Maps. I live on the South Shore, and even Route 3 South during rush hour was WAY worse than FL.

 

[Lilly08]

Thank CherylM!
We live in South Shore as well and know Route 3 well.
I’m just making self a basketcase over ever little thing...
Once there, I will feel it out. If need a rental. I can rent one easy at the resort.

 

[DisAl]

I'm from MA too - Florida doesn't even come close to driving in Boston...even with traffic. Seriously - it was a breeze with Google Maps. I live on the South Shore, and even Route 3 South during rush hour was WAY worse than FL.

Different people have different needs and preferences. I am happy for you that you don't mind heavy traffic, but I feel like a fly at a spider's convention when I drive in places like Orlando or Atlanta.
Our group of eight last trip was four generations from my (then) 1 1/2 year old grandson to my 87 year old mother. Since it would have taken two vehicles for us the bus system even with all its faults was by far the best solution for us. With Lilly08 having a group of seven that may be her best solution too.
Make "keeps your whole group together" number 4 on my list above about how the buses will make it easier.

 

[Pixieish]

Different people have different needs and preferences. I am happy for you that you don't mind heavy traffic, but I feel like a fly at a spider's convention when I drive in places like Orlando or Atlanta.
Our group of eight last trip was four generations from my (then) 1 1/2 year old grandson to my 87 year old mother. Since it would have taken two vehicles for us the bus system even with all its faults was by far the best solution for us. With Lilly08 having a group of seven that may be her best solution too.
Make "keeps your whole group together" number 4 on my list above about how the buses will make it easier.

I wasn't knocking you not liking traffic...I'm from the same state she is, so I wanted to give her a real life basis for comparison. I didn't mind traffic when I was a kid, but as an adult it makes me all kinds of ragey (especially since the majority of traffic I deal with now is simply people having no clue how to merge).

EDIT: The traffic we experienced in Florida was basically just a large amount of cars. It was never stand-still traffic like we get on the main route to the exit to our house every day.

 

[Dave B]

1 - You don't have to know where you are going. (Have you ever tried to get to CR and missed that place where you have to stay in the right lane, end up going by the TTC and parking, and making a long loop around the parking just to get headed back to CR? I have...)
2 - You don't have to worry about driving in heavy traffic. If you are from somewhere like Atlanta, that may not bother you at all. If you are from a small town like me, driving in very heavy traffic is a nightmare.
3- You don't have to walk as far from the bus stops to the park gates as you do from parking. (Well, maybe at EPCOT.)
I'm sure there are others too. We have done it both ways. For us, as aggravating as it can sometimes be, we take the buses which results in a considerably lower stress level for me.

1. No, this has NEVER happened to me, its just following directions, seems pretty simple
2. I am from a smaller town in Colorado, I don't ever see any traffic, some congestion, but I'm from Los Angeles originally, now that is traffic, but not near DW, unless you are talking about at the end of the night, but I wouldn't call that traffic
3. What do you mean walking further, you park in the lot and the Tram takes you to the water taxi or monorail and then to the front gate, not much walking at all
4. Rent a lager car, or you are right, you might need two cars, not concerned about keeping the family together for20 minute drive and [park, when we are together on vacation 23+ hours a day

Waiting at the end of the night for hour or longer to get a bus ride home doesn't seem worth anything you mentioned to me at all to be worth it, just my opinion

 

[DisAl]

Well, the number of differing opinions just proves one thing.... Different things work (or are preferred) for different people, and you have to figure out what works best for your family.
That being said, I hope you all decide to drive during the first week of June 2018. That way I will not have to wait as long for the bus!
Lilly08, you may be even more confused with the diversity of opinions, but I think WDWMagic is one of the best places you can find to get input from those of us who love to spend time at WDW. At least you have some different ideas to help you figure out what works for you.

 

[Pixieish]

Thank CherylM!
We live in South Shore as well and know Route 3 well.
I’m just making self a basketcase over ever little thing...
Once there, I will feel it out. If need a rental. I can rent one easy at the resort.

I'm a total worry-wart too, lol...our first trip after having kids I was a lunatic!!!

We've used both the buses and a rental, and we adore the buses, but hate that it seems to take so dang long to get anywhere. On the flip side, we love talking to people on our Disney trips, so it really doesn't bother us THAT much to spend the extra time. Our choice basically depends on the type of trip we're planning. If we're on a tight budget, we do the buses. If we're splurging, we rent a car. (I also enjoy having someplace to lock up stuff that won't fit in the room safe - they're tiny!)

Where there's seven of you, you may run into instances of heavy travel (like park close) where you end up waiting for a bus a little longer than normal so your whole group can fit together. That's really the only drawback I can think of other than the time factor.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I think there is a balance between using Disney Transportation (bus or boat) and driving. Certain places just make more sense.

MK - For me is always Disney Transportation. Just to not have to deal with walking a mile from the parking lot to get to TTC; and then wait in line for the monorail or ferry. Getting out through TTC can be an equal nightmare.

EPCOT or DS - I'll go with the Disney Transportation over driving. More of a personal responsibility choice rather than for convenience. I usually practice moderation (key:usually) but I like the peace of mind of relying on a bus or boat on those occasions when I'm imbibing.

Everywhere else...I'll drive. It's more convenient and opens up options to get to places within the gates a lot quicker (resort hopping), and also conveniently let's you explore outside the gates if you so desire.