help please planning trip from australia

[marge]

hello everyone,
I am starting to research planning our 1st and only trip to Disney world. It will be our family of 3, my husband and I and our daughter (will be 4 1/2 when we plan to visit 2019). We can only afford to do Disney once, so we want it to be really special and fun without dramas. I was there only once 30 yrs ago on the only family vacation we took - when my mum was diagnosed with MS when I was 8 and it was the best trip of my life and such great memories. my mum has since passed and she really loved Disney, my daughter already loves all things Disney and my husband, too.. his mum (single parent) saved for years and took him when he was little for a similar trip and we want this experience once for our daughter. so any advice would be really appreciated.

first, we are trying to decide when to go. originally I thought September with the lower prices and crowds, but now worried about hurricane season/bad weather. wouldn't want our one and only trip to be ruined. so not worth the risk?? it would have been perfect because it would be right before my daughter started school. we cannot go nov-feb. then I was thinking maybe april or may? I don't want to go june-aug because of the crowds. any advice on this?

now, probably most important, where to stay. we are most concerned about convenience, the amount of time and ease getting to and from the parks. not sure if my daughter will still be napping then, but my husband will need a rest and want to go back to the hotel. he's a pretty low energy guy and has anxiety, so it would be nice to be close and have a break if he wishes. I really don't want to spend over $350/night (which for us is a lot -- but would be worth it if the travel time and ease to get back to hotel quickly is a big difference) but was thinking if we could find contemporary (is this possible at this price?) on a deal maybe that would be best? otherwise I've gone back and forth with the wilderness, French quarter, aoa and pop century..but how long do buses take?? or what is the best hotel for transport not on the monorail? as it will be our 1st and only trip, we will stay onsite. hubby doesn't drive and it'll be 10 yrs since driving in the states, so not that comfortable driving. haven't decided how many days, but I think we want to go to all the parks. i was thinking maybe 6 days so we can take it a bit easier rather than pack it all in. and was maybe thinking the park hopper would be worth it for us? not sure yet about the water park. and worth noting that our food is important to us on holidays, so we would like to eat most meals at epcot or Hollywood studios dining, if that makes a difference.

so i think we will start here. and any suggestions on help with planning. we will probably use a travel agent. i just want to figure out when we should go and where we will stay first. any advice would be fantastic. thanks so much in advance.

 

[Monty]

It's good tat you're planning early. I have had lots of people ask for help two months before their planned trip.

Contemporary's lowest prices are around $470/night, with a 30% discount, you could get it for $329, but you wouldn't know for a while. September is usually a good time for such discounts, but there's never a guarantee. I'd suggest booking something in your price range and trying to switch if discounts are announced. French Quarter is a lovely resort and would be under your max cost.

Set up a My Disney Experience account for each member of your party. Download the app to any phones you're taking [even if you don't have a data plan, WiFi is ubiquitous throughout most of WDW]. This helps with coordinating activities between you.

I'd recommend as long a stay as you can manage. There's enough to do to keep you occupied for longer than you'll be there anyway. Park Hopper is good if you need it, but a waste if you don't. The good news is that you can add it once you're there for the same cost as pre-purchasing it. If the park you're in is over-crowded or has enough rides go down that it's not fun, the ability to switch parks can be advantageous. If you're planning a day at one park but eating at another then pre-purchasing Hopper is the way to go.

Book your dining as soon as you can. 180 in advance of your check-in date you can book up to 10 days' restaurant reservations if you've already booked your onsite resort. Check which restaurants book up early and book them first for when you want them. Free Dining might be offered for the time you're there, I don't use it because Tables in Wonderland saves me more the way I eat and "free" dining means paying rack rate on your resort room, so that possible discount to get into Contemporary would be off the table.

Look at park hours for when you're planning to go and work out where you want to eat with park hours and fireworks schedules in mind.

Some folks [me included] have as much fun planning a Disney trip as doing it.

 

[Minnie Mum]

First thing, I'm going to recommend getting a good guide book, because WDW vacation planning is so complex. I really like The easy Guide to Your WDW Visit (2017). There is a companion website- your first visit.com. These can give you a wealth of valuable information: when to go, where to stay, how long to stay, where to eat, how to plan your park days, etc.

Sept is HOT. and HUMID. But if you can handle that, it also usually has good discounts on rooms or packages. It is in hurricane season, but WDW is not on the coast, so doesn't get the full brunt, even if one should happen during your stay. But you will likely experience thunderstorms, which tend to pop up for a short time almost every day in Sept.

We love to go in late April/early May. Easter and spring break crowds will be over, the weather tends to be good (before the heat and humidity of summer sets in), and the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is on.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

I recommend going in October. It won't be as hot and the crowd levels should be low. I would highly recommend looking into staying at the Swan and Dolphin. The only downside of the S&D is that those hotels do not have the Disney Magical Express (DME) from the airport and they don't have the magic bands for the rooms nor can you charge thing in the park on your magic band... Aside from that, it is a great proximity to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios as it is right next to the Yacht/Beach Club and the Boardwalk. It is comparable to the Disney Deluxe hotels but with a smaller price tag. Check it out.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I think you should look at a preferred room in the 60s at Pop for quick access back to the room while staying on budget. Paying for preferred there will still be cheaper than a moderate room, and the short walk back to the room would be a big advantage (although French Quarter is a pretty small resort in general). Pop's location is fairly central; the Magic Kingdom is only around 15 minutes away once you're on the bus, and I think all of the other parks are closer. You can also catch the Art of Animation bus if one pulls up first, and it's a short walk across the bridge to the preferred Pop rooms.

 

[Worldlover71]

Since you said this will be your only trip to WDW, I would suggest waiting an extra year or two. At 4 1/2, your daughter will have a wonderful time but I think she will have an even better one when she is slightly older and will remember it better. You will also not have to worry about naps if she is a little older and it is less likely she would become overwhelmed like some young kids do.

I also love the end of April, just make sure you check when Easter is that year and make sure you go at least a full week afterward. Any of the moderate resorts will fit your budget and they are all beautiful and convenient. It is rare that the bus from any resort to any park is more than 15-20 minutes.

 

[Disney planners]

Hi there fellow Aussie!

I was just wondering how your planning is going for your WDW trip?

I am in a similar situation to you, we are travelling in October 2018, with 3 children ages will be (5,7,9) and I am looking at where to stay and really trying to decide how long to stay for!!!! How are you progressing?

 

[Go.Nijntje]

I would suggest looking at the UK Disney site, you can book further ahead plus they have discounts for longer stays. 6 days sounds rather short to me, if you can manage it I would try for 10. WDW is huge and can be exhausting especially the first time so having a few more days will make it more manageable. Not sure what the rest of your plans are in the US, but I would try to have a few days before Disney World somewhere else in Florida to get over the jet lag etc.