first trip in 15 years

[Kim Bonetti]

Hi,
I'm planning my first trip in 15 years...were not planning on going until May of 2019, I know its early to post but a lot has changed since I was there last and I want to research it all. I was planning on going in May of 2018 but both my daughters just got married, one in Hawaii and now I'm broke and need to save up. My last trip to WDW was in 2003 when my girls were little. I was a single mom at the time, now I've been remarried for 6 years and my hubby has never been to Disney and he's not a fan....yet. He knows I love Disney and agrees to go but I can tell he isn't thrilled about it. I'm hoping if I plan this trip well, he will become a Disney fan. He does watch Disney movies with me and I've caught him singing "your welcome" a few times. LOL. Were 50 and 58, our kids our grown, so our WDW trip will just be the two of us. I was planning on staying at Port Orleans, its where I stayed in 2003 and my husband likes jazz, I hear there is a jazz band that plays there and I think he will like that. The food plan is new and so are the wrist bands since I was there. I'm sure there are many new things to see. I would like to hear from people who have traveled without kids on things to do at Disney, I think my hubby will like Epcot. We don't drink and are not into the night life anymore. I'm wondering if the food plans are worth it? I noticed the food plans include a refillable mug...do you carry these around with you all day at the parks? I don't think I would want to do that. The transportation shuttles from the airport are new to me also. Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and I'm open to suggestions on how to make this enjoyable for my hubby. I would also like to hear some feedback on the new things. Thanks.

 

[larryz]

I was planning on going in May of 2018 but both my daughters just got married, one in Hawaii and now I'm broke and need to save up.

Hi, Kim. Welcome! Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you're trying to save money, WDW is NOT the place to do that.

 

[Gelatoni]

Hi, Kim. Welcome! Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you're trying to save money, WDW is NOT the place to do that.

Agreed wdw is no way meant to be a bargain trip in fact disney seems to be trying to weed out people who want to be cheap.

 

[Kim Bonetti]

Oh, I realize Disney isn't a cheap vacation. I just meant that after paying for 2 weddings, one of which was in Hawaii, that I can't afford to go next year. I just need time to save up some money (after spending it all on 2 weddings) and I should be able to afford another vacation by 2019. I was looking at some Disney package deals, Delta Disney and I think the other was actually through the Disney website and I'm expecting to pay about 5,000 (ballpark), thats just for round trip airfair from Detroit, lodging, park hopper tix and food plan. I realize I will need spending money once I'm there too. So much has changed since I was there last. The food plan is new and I wonder if its worth it? I was researching it last night and my co-worker used to be a travel agent and she recommends getting the food plan. There are a few new restaurants I would like to eat at. Also, the bus service from the airport is new and these wrist bands are new to me also. The good thing about going to Disney without young kids is I wont have to pay for a ton of stuffed animal souveniers, face painting, hair wraps, like I did last time I was there. I'll save money that way. I'm really trying to sell Disney to my hubby. He asked if we ever leave the property when we go and I said no, last time we just used the bus service to get to all the parks so we wont need to rent a car. He knows its an expensive trip, but if I can throw any money saving tips his way it makes him happy. I also explained that at some restaurants we need to make reservations months in advance, so he is expecting to have to book the trip next year for a May 2019 vacation. I'm just looking for tips to make this enjoyable for my hubby. I saw that Disney Springs has a house of blues that he is interested in eating at. I also need to figure out all this new stuff and how it works. Thanks.

 

[Driver]

Oh, I realize Disney isn't a cheap vacation. I just meant that after paying for 2 weddings, one of which was in Hawaii, that I can't afford to go next year. I just need time to save up some money (after spending it all on 2 weddings) and I should be able to afford another vacation by 2019. I was looking at some Disney package deals, Delta Disney and I think the other was actually through the Disney website and I'm expecting to pay about 5,000 (ballpark), thats just for round trip airfair from Detroit, lodging, park hopper tix and food plan. I realize I will need spending money once I'm there too. So much has changed since I was there last. The food plan is new and I wonder if its worth it? I was researching it last night and my co-worker used to be a travel agent and she recommends getting the food plan. There are a few new restaurants I would like to eat at. Also, the bus service from the airport is new and these wrist bands are new to me also. The good thing about going to Disney without young kids is I wont have to pay for a ton of stuffed animal souveniers, face painting, hair wraps, like I did last time I was there. I'll save money that way. I'm really trying to sell Disney to my hubby. He asked if we ever leave the property when we go and I said no, last time we just used the bus service to get to all the parks so we wont need to rent a car. He knows its an expensive trip, but if I can throw any money saving tips his way it makes him happy. I also explained that at some restaurants we need to make reservations months in advance, so he is expecting to have to book the trip next year for a May 2019 vacation. I'm just looking for tips to make this enjoyable for my hubby. I saw that Disney Springs has a house of blues that he is interested in eating at. I also need to figure out all this new stuff and how it works. Thanks.

Welcome I think it will be easier if you ask specific questions rather than just have random information thrown at you.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

In regards to the souvenir mugs you buy at the resorts, those are only used at the resorts. You can carry them around with you all day, but you aren't really able to get the free refills, unless you just use them at the water fountains. Normally, we just leave those in our hotel room after we had breakfast at the resort's cafe. Less baggage to carry around with you while at the parks.
Also, tell your hubby to keep an open mind for the trip. My hubby was very skeptical too about going to Disney and one trip was all it took. The guy is now hooked. And you planning it out like what you will do what day will DEFINITELY help out a lot!

 

[DanielleOG]

Hey Kim, I did Disney world with just my boyfriend and I and we love it. You can go at the pace you want to and don't have to worry about kids. I highly recommend getting an early start to the day, and taking a break midday to go back to the resort. Weather or not you get the dining plan has to do with how the two of you eat. If you are big eaters I would say it is worth it provided you take the time to check out restaurant prices, and what you get for your dining credits. I would recommend the regular dining plan as opposed to deluxe (you won't have enough time to have three sit down meals a day!) Our second trip we didn't get it and ended up regretting it. Even though I'm sure we saved some money, we ended up hungry a lot. The shuttle form the airport is amazing and super convenient. If you want to save a bit of money maybe try a value resort instead of moderate? I feel like it makes sense to either save and stay at a value, or splurge and stay at a deluxe. If you are spending most of your time at the parks or disney springs I'd recommend a value, particularly Pop Century (great bus service!) Also, the great thing is you can plan for a more adult trip! Maybe focus less on rides at magic kingdom and more on the world showcase at epcot! We aren't drinkers either and had a great time there exploring all the countries.

 

[zurgandfriend]

Hello and welcome. Our DS is in college so DW and I went down to WDW down for a visit and some warm weather last January, and are planning it again this January, and we loved it with just the two of us. It was a real second honeymoon without the little souvenir from our first honeymoon, who is in college now, but I digress. As other have stated a lot has changed which is good as there will be lots to see and do. My suggestion is invest in the unofficial guide to Walt Disney World. You get it on line or at most bookstores. The guide will help you decide where to stay, what to see, where to eat and provide a rough estimate of cost. Enjoy.

 

[Figgy1]

Hello and welcome. Our DS is in college so DW and I went down to WDW down for a visit and some warm weather last January, and are planning it again this January, and we loved it with just the two of us. It was a real second honeymoon without the little souvenir from our first honeymoon, who is in college now, but I digress. As other have stated a lot has changed which is good as there will be lots to see and do. My suggestion is invest in the unofficial guide to Walt Disney World. You get it on line or at most bookstores. The guide will help you decide where to stay, what to see, where to eat and provide a rough estimate of cost. Enjoy.

^^^^^^This Get the UG ASAP!!!!! as for dining plan for the most part it doesn't pay unless you both get the most expensive meal or eat at a lot of buffets. The value of it has gone down IMHO. Before getting it check out the menus of the places you'd be eating at and do some math before getting it. Menus can be found here and at allears. I would book all dining at the 180 day mark as some places fill that quickly. Also stalk here and happy planning

 

[21stamps]

There are seceral neat tours available that you may want to look into.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/

I haven't done it, but Wild Africa Trek receives great reviews!

Also another small tip- post in the Trip Planning forum. There's a lot of great advice and helpful people there as well.

 

[Fantasia Gardens]

If you don’t drink, the dining plan won’t be a good value for you. In 2018, and I assume 2019 also, the plan has been modified to include alcohol, and has had a price increase to match. The dining plan was always difficult to come out ahead on before, but for non drinkers, I’d say it’s simply a bad value.

 

[Phonedave]

Some advice.

Avoid the dining plan.

You have to decide what type of food and atmosphere you and your husband like, but for the most part, the restaruants in the resorts are more adult (better choices and not character meals) than the choices in the parks. There are exceptions - Brown Derby, much of EPCOT, and dome in AK - but it holds true as a guideline.

Make those ADRs (dining reservations) and also FP+ reservations, as soon as you can. If you asked me what has changed the most with WDW in 15 years, I would say - price and the need to advance plan. If you want to enjoy your trip, you really need to do some advanced planning. Not saying every second of every day needs to be planned out, but lets say the two of you think dinner at California Grill and watching the fireworks afterwards would be a great time - that needs to be set up well in advance. Or if you think a particular hot atraction (7DMT, SM, anyting in Pandora, etc) would be fun to do, then make a FP+ reservation for it - unless you like to wait on lines.

Disney does an excellent job of holding you captive and making it seem like they are doing you a favor. DME and resort bus service are their major weapons. IF you have no desire to leave property, then by all means take advantage of them.

POFQ also has boat service to Disney Springs. Disney Springs has some great restaruants, shopping, and activities that can break up an "all park" trip. That may be an ejoyable thing for your husband. A boat ride down the Sassagula River to Disney Springs, a nice dinner, maybe hit some of the interesting stores, and then ride the boat back. You say you dont drink, does that mean you never touch alcohol, or that you dont go out drinking. If you do have an occassional drink, then a nightcap at one of the interesting bars, such as Jock Lindsay's at Disney Springs would be in order as well.

When my wife and I go without our kids (which we do from time to time) we like to relax, shop, and we take time to look at things that may not be quite as interesting for kids - history, cultural, or food and wine. When we go on our own, we rarely go to MK - don't get me wrong, its fun, but we tend to spend a lot of time in EPCOT and some time in AK and DHS.

-dave

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Some advice.

Avoid the dining plan.

I second this. Last year after our WDW trip in April, we saved all of the receipts from every place we ate (and we were on the Premium DDP). After adding everything up and comparing it to actual food costs, we actually lost money because we didn't use up the DP in its entirety. We never went back to a DDP. Not saying it isn't bad, but we tend to be more frugal in our spending especially when it comes to food.

It may or may not work for you and your circumstances. It just depends which route you want to go with the food costs. The Disney World main website has links to the DDP definitions and lists what they can and can not be used for.

 

[DfromATX]

I hope no one else has already said this, but Fast Passes have changed since you last went. Be sure to look into that and make sure you do your fast passes 60 days out (unless you like waiting in long lines). I also agree the dining plan is not worth it. My advice is to get on their website and look at what is offered, decide what you want to do, then at 180 days before your trip, make your dining reservations. To me, those are pretty important parts of planning your trip. I bet you are very excited!

 

[Phonedave]

I second this. Last year after our WDW trip in April, we saved all of the receipts from every place we ate (and we were on the Premium DDP). After adding everything up and comparing it to actual food costs, we actually lost money because we didn't use up the DP in its entirety. We never went back to a DDP. Not saying it isn't bad, but we tend to be more frugal in our spending especially when it comes to food.

It may or may not work for you and your circumstances. It just depends which route you want to go with the food costs. The Disney World main website has links to the DDP definitions and lists what they can and can not be used for.

You can save money with the plan, if you eat at single credit table service places and eat the most expensive item on the menu, and (and this is key) you would normally eat all of the food that the plan provides, in the quantities and types it provides.

The OP is going for the first time in 15 years. There is no need for them to get a dining plan, and then try to maximize the value. You will have a more relaxed time, and save money by paying out of pocket. They only thing the plan may help with is sticker shock. If you are not going to enjoy your meal because you are fixated on menu prices, then maybe the extra cost of the plan may be worth it. Just be aware it is actually costing you more.

-dave

 

[dreamfinder]

Definitely pick up a good book on WDW and read it. The Unofficial Guide is still one of the best around, even if it may seem long. Even the Official book from Birnbaum's can give you some info. If you are planning for 2019, you have plenty of time to do your research and get questions answered.

But to some of your specifics - Dining Plan is somewhat polarizing, either people love it or hate it. If you eat to the plan, IE exactly what the plan provides and maximize your spend, you can come out ahead. But if you don't eat to the plan, IE don't always want dessert or drink water instead of soda, you will be hard pressed to make it worth your while. You can eat at any resort on property without using the dining plan, so don't need to buy it if it won't fit your dining habits. Yes, it includes a refillable mug, but you can buy that separately if you wish, but it only works at the resort.
Packages at WDW will typically not save you money over buying the pieces individually. The rare occasions where a package will save you money is a) if the TA selling the package did a bulk buy on rooms or flights and passes the savings onto you b) WDW is offering a discount that requires a package buy, IE free dining. You can get tickets through 3rd party ticket agencies such as Undercover Tourist for less than WDW would charge.
I can't say that POFQ has a jazz band that plays with any sort of regularity any more. Think there might be entertainment nightly at the bar, but as far as just having one playing in the lobby, can't say they do. It still is a great resort, just don't count on that as a deciding factor.
DME and Magic Bands are really just convenience and ways to help keep you on property and spending more. The cost of DME is built into your hotel room, so if you don't use it you pay for it anyway. So unless you plan on going off property multiple times, you will almost definitely save money by using DME and on property buses/monorail/etc and not renting a car. Getting an Uber or Lyft is easy enough (and cheap enough) if you decide to venture off for one day, 2 or more a rental may be cheaper. The Magic Band is really just a fancy room key. The old key to the world cards worked in the same way, let you do room charges, served as your park tickets etc, Magic Bands just put that on your wrist and add a few new features.

Read some books, and then come back and read the forums. By the time books get printed now they are already out of date. And even the Disney information online is often wrong.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Hi Kim: My husband and I go every year without grown kids/grandkids. We absolutely have a blast. I know what you are asking regarding the dining plan. The first few times it was offered we took it and loved it. However, last year I talked my husband into going without it. Why? You see it is A lot of food, for us. Our appetites have changed and we just don't want or need all that food. We found that we were wasting a few ts meals and quite a few qs meals on our last 2 trips, so we decided to give without the dining plan a try.............It was the best thing we have ever done. We don't do character meals anymore and most of them take 2 credits. We don't like being tied down each day to a certain park and a certain restaurant. What if we don't want Chinese or to travel to Epcot for supper? Things change all the time. We also tried to eat the most expensive thing on the plan whether we wanted it or not just to "get our money's worth" out of it. We never had time or were hungry enough for any extras including the yummy treats along the way or even QS meals. So, for us, it has worked out wonderfully to not use the dp. We also save money and have more energy to tour the parks instead of feeling "stuffed" all the time. Now if I had teenagers or kids, I would probably reconsider, but for the 2 of us it has worked out.
We are also probably the only other couple who goes to Disney who does not drink alcohol or do the late night scene. Just not us. We enjoy touring the other hotels; maybe your husband will like seeing all the architecture of other resorts? We love Disney springs and go there at least 2 times a visit, usually via the boat at POR. I think the jazz band you mentioned is at French Quarter, but not sure. If so, it is a quick walk or boat ride to the FQ. There are so many things to see and do without riding rides all the time that we have not even come close to finishing our "bucket list" and we are in our late 60's. So, go and have fun. As for all the changes in the past 10 years, there have been many. Just read through the posts here on fp's and adr's. Lots to learn.

 

[DfromATX]

Hi Kim: My husband and I go every year without grown kids/grandkids. We absolutely have a blast. I know what you are asking regarding the dining plan. The first few times it was offered we took it and loved it. However, last year I talked my husband into going without it. Why? You see it is A lot of food, for us. Our appetites have changed and we just don't want or need all that food. We found that we were wasting a few ts meals and quite a few qs meals on our last 2 trips, so we decided to give without the dining plan a try.............It was the best thing we have ever done. We don't do character meals anymore and most of them take 2 credits. We don't like being tied down each day to a certain park and a certain restaurant. What if we don't want Chinese or to travel to Epcot for supper? Things change all the time. We also tried to eat the most expensive thing on the plan whether we wanted it or not just to "get our money's worth" out of it. We never had time or were hungry enough for any extras including the yummy treats along the way or even QS meals. So, for us, it has worked out wonderfully to not use the dp. We also save money and have more energy to tour the parks instead of feeling "stuffed" all the time. Now if I had teenagers or kids, I would probably reconsider, but for the 2 of us it has worked out.
We are also probably the only other couple who goes to Disney who does not drink alcohol or do the late night scene. Just not us. We enjoy touring the other hotels; maybe your husband will like seeing all the architecture of other resorts? We love Disney springs and go there at least 2 times a visit, usually via the boat at POR. I think the jazz band you mentioned is at French Quarter, but not sure. If so, it is a quick walk or boat ride to the FQ. There are so many things to see and do without riding rides all the time that we have not even come close to finishing our "bucket list" and we are in our late 60's. So, go and have fun. As for all the changes in the past 10 years, there have been many. Just read through the posts here on fp's and adr's. Lots to learn.

We used to do the DDP every trip - that is until last year. Taking the advice from here, we did a little experiment. Instead of doing the DDP, I charged everything to my credit card (with the intention of paying it off as soon as the bill came in). We still ate good as I am one who likes to plan and we pick new places to eat each visit. We usually eat lunch in the parks, but dinner is always nicer. I don't remember the exact amount, but I remember when I got the credit card bill thinking, "That's all?" I thought for sure another bill would come but it never did. So long story short, we learned the DDP is NOT cost effective. It is way cheaper to pay oop. I had a savings account already designated for paying any vacation bills so when the bill came in I just paid it in full. Easy peasy!

 

[TiggerDad]

Port Orleans is now the name for two different resorts - Riverside and French Quarter. Not sure which one you stayed at 15 years ago, but back then one of them was called Dixie Landings. French Quarter is often considered the more romantic of the two, and is a bit more compact, with only one bus stop. I think that's probably what you want, but just make sure you book the one you prefer.

The wrist bands are simply an electronic way to identify you, so that you don't have to carry a room key and a park ticket and a fastpass and a credit card with you. They're all tied in together through the magic band.

Plenty of people have weighed in on the dining plan, but the correct answer is it depends on how you plan to do Disney. Some people want to have sit down meals and focus on eating and drinking. For them, it may be worth it. Others will do some of that, but have more emphasis on doing rides or shows or relaxing by the pool. We fall into the camp of not wanting to spend a couple of hours for a sit down meal all the time, so we tend to eat lighter and more quick-service food. If you do that, you will lose money on the meal plan.

You need to think about what type of experiences you want to get out of Disney, and it sounds like you are already doing that, which is good. What does your husband like to do? If he is a big Star Wars fan, you might want to wait until later in 2019 to go.

 

[DfromATX]

If he is a big Star Wars fan, you might want to wait until later in 2019 to go.

Is Star Wars supposed to be done by 2019? That would be great, but I could have sworn I read by 2021 (in time for the 50th). Maybe I misunderstood. While I'm asking, what about all the other new stuff? 2019 or later?