Hi, new her and needs loads of help

[harri2000]

Hi
I am new here.I took the plunge and booked our first ever holiday to WDW. Me, my hisband and our three children, 5, 3, and 1 and a half go Feb 5 2005.
We fly from Gatwick and will be staying in Quality Inn on International drive.
There is so much info around, I dont know where to start.
So,
How did parents of young children find the flight?
HOw much spending money for 14 nights?
Which passes and parks?
Whats the hotel like?
Any other info would be great from you experienced lot.
Thanks
Sarah

 

[Brown]

Sarah - I would seriously consider staying on Walt Disney World property (if WDW is your main objective) so that you can use the Disney transportation. It will most likely cost more but it will save in time, directions, car seats, and general operations.
http://www.disney.co.uk/usa-resorts/waltdisneyworld/

will give you more info about lodging that is on WDW property.

-Steve

 

[Brown]

Oh yea... Welcome to the forum! Soak up info as you will become a WDW expert! - Steve

 

[GoofyFan1]

Welcome.

I have to agree with Brown. To truly enjoy the whole experience, there is no better way than to stay on property. This becomes especially true with little ones. There's nothing like taking a mid-day break for a little energy boost.

It may cost more, but you can customize your trip and in the long run, save some money.

Good luck and enjoy the "World." Soon you'll see why boards like this one exist.

:wave:

 

[Slinky Dog]

Hi Sarah,

When we first went 15 years ago, we found the Birnbaum Guide to WDW invaluable - of course this is before great sites like wdwmagic were around! You should be able to find it in most big bookshops in the UK, if not, here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...29238/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_9_2/202-4882366-5371821

He also does one "for kids by kids".

The great thing is that you have time on your side, plenty of time to plan and get excited. The great thing about Birnbaum is that it really gives you an idea of the scale of WDW and all that is on offer - has plenty of valuable tips too.

Have a good dig around on wdwmagic and it's forums, as you can pick up nuggets of info that you wouldn't necessarily find anywhere else.

My main pieces of advice would the same as Brown above, if you can afford to, I would stay on property. Also don't try and cram too much into each day, especially with young kids, the advantage of staying on property is that most of the time it's easier to return to your hotel for a rest in the afternoon if you or the kids need it - no one's going to enjoy the parks if they're tired and miserable! Remember, you've got two weeks to enjoy it all.

We have our trips to WDW down to a tee now and spend most of our time park hopping rather than just spending each day in one park - you can work this so that you hit the most popular attractions when they're less busy. Again this is something that Birnbaum is good at offering advice on - he'll also give you a good idea on where to eat and how much it'll cost you.

As for the kids and the plane journey, we used to always go during the Autumn half term time and the plane was always full of young families, and 99% of the time, I found that the kids didn't have a problem with the ride at all, yes the could occasionally get crabby, but then who wouldn't cooped up in a tiny cabin! - and if you get a good headwind, it can knock a lot of time off the flight.

I hope you have a wonderful time planning it all and I hope that it pays off and you and your family have a magical time. Might be worth stocking up on those dollars now while the pounds so strong

Andy

 

[barnum42]

Sarah

Sarah

I see you have already booked your hotel, so where you are staying is not the question. For what it’s worth I have never been able to afford to stay on property at Disney World and have always had a blast. So don’t worry about staying offsite.

As far as books go I liked The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. It’s probably the most honest.

Website wise, Deb's Guide has a shed load of information that will probably answer most of your questions that will arise in the run up to the trip.

HOw much spending money for 14 nights? - Lots! Debs guide will have ticket prices and menus to give you a clue. I’ve not travelled with children (I’m my own kid) so could not guess.

Which passes and parks? Here, everyone will tell you to spend all the time at Disney (which I do). Debs site will tell you of the standard tickets, though we can get slightly different ones from the UK. Personally I have a year pass – breaks even at about eight days, not including the savings on parking. Though it does not include the water parks.

Whats the hotel like? – It’s a generic hotel. Clean, has a pool and tons of places to eat within walking distance.

There is a lot to take in, so take your time, you have a year to investigate all the options. Read the books, surf the sites and check out what’s going on in here.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Well 1st I will agree that staying on prop can make a world of differnce. Most people who I have talked after there 1st trip and feel like it was too much work for the fun did not stay on property. It really makes staying with kids much eaiser. Having said that it ins't always can option, (espcially for 14 nights and that many people.) You might want to consider staying at an all star resort or pop centery (value) for at least 5 days or so and doing most of your WDW stuff then and venturing around other orlando places during the other 9 days. I don't know how many days you want to go to the parks, but Annual passes normally break even at 8 days (also they often have room discounts at up to 40 % so that might help staying on property.) But you won't be able to book the rooms at that rate until much closer to the time of your trip (I would guess Nov 2004.) Staying on prop is much eaiser with younger kids because you can take breaks mid day and get more into your trip. If you don't plan on spending most of your time at WDW, then staying off prop isn't bad.

I would ask some of the folks also from England about any special park passes, I think I remember hearing about some for long trips. My DD does ok on the flight, but it is only a little over 2 hours for us. I would look into dimatap or something to keep the little ones ears open and help them rest. (bring it and give as needed talk to Dr 1st.)

As far as spending money goes, it adds up really fast. For the older kids have them start saving there own spending money now or give as specal rewards for good behavior. Be sure to get some food from the store, that alone can save many 100's. (the food on prop can be expensive. Having said that be sure to eat a few meals on at WDW, trying at least one charator meal. (children under 3 are free!)

 

[AliciaLuvzDizne]

Let me jump in here and clear something up for you
I have been to WDW many many times and I have never EVER stayed on the property. And I turned out okay

saving some bucks and staying at the Quality Inn will give you just as nice an expierence (which by the way...Quality Inn's are some pretty nice places)

Sure someday i'd LOVE to stay on property. But its just not economical for me.

Thats all I have to say about that... I dont have any child raising expierence

 

[imagineer99]

Staying off propert won't hurt your experience...however, staying on property WILL make your trip that much more magical. C'mon it's a vaction, stay on property!

 

[ogryn]

We've stayed On-Site (All Star) once, and Off-Site four times (Marriott/Wyndham). The differences are minimal, apart from the feeling of staying in the magic.

Only you can weigh up if you want to pay extra for this (well.... and ultimate park hopper passes, they were cool)

As for kids on the plane, it depends on the kids. My half-brother went when he was 3 and he was fine, although he is the type of child that ammuses himself. My Mum got him some "presents" that were opened at strategic points in the plane. > MicroMachines - So he could play cars and diggers on the planes lap-tray
> Colouring materials

Spending money depends on what you want to buy (presents for others, starting a PIN collection, etc). For the Pins I would take £100 to get youself a nice little starting collection. Probably about £100-£200 presents for others (grandparents, neighbours, cat, dog, etc).

Money for food is difficult, as you could eat expensively (TGI Fridays) all the way down to eat as much as you want for $5. Personally, I'm budgeting £400pp for Food for 14 nights when I go. That should cover a good breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and plenty of bottles of water.

 

[Pippa]

Hi Sarah! Welcome to the madness!
Are you flying with Virgin, if so check out www.virginatlantic.com as it has info on the flight, films you will watch etc.

As for spending money, I go with my man (no kids) and we can easily get through about £2000 in a fornight, what with food,tickets and shopping. The exchange rate for us Brits is great at the moment so start getting a few now if you can!

All this info can be very overwhelming so it may be wise to get a book to write all the tips and hints in!

:wave:

 

[Zipadeedoodah]

Everybody keeps saying that staying off-site will be cheaper, and acting like staying on-site brings loads more money into the picture....Everytime I go to WDW...which is about 3 or 4 times a year, I stay on-site at an All-Star resort. I've only stayed offsite once...and REALLY regretted it. And, I definatly don't have a lot of money to waste. C'mon...the All-stars are really not much (if any) more money to spend then staying at an off-site hotel. I mean...you can't really beat $79-$100/night can you? Especially getting Disney quality service...surrounded by the Disney feeling 24/7!

That is my BIGGEST piece of advice...stay on-site if at ALL possible...its SO worth it.

Have a great time, whatever you decide to do!

:wave:

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
Everybody keeps saying that staying off-site will be cheaper, and acting like staying on-site brings loads more money into the picture....Everytime I go to WDW...which is about 3 or 4 times a year, I stay on-site at an All-Star resort. I've only stayed offsite once...and REALLY regretted it. And, I definatly don't have a lot of money to waste. C'mon...the All-stars are really not much (if any) more money to spend then staying at an off-site hotel. I mean...you can't really beat $79-$100/night can you? Especially getting Disney quality service...surrounded by the Disney feeling 24/7!

That is my BIGGEST piece of advice...stay on-site if at ALL possible...its SO worth it.

Have a great time, whatever you decide to do!

:wave:

Do the math - my last trip:

All Star Resort for two would have cost £2000
Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista for two cost about £985

No competition. If you affluent enough to stay onsite, good on you and enjoy it. It's your money to do with as you please.

For the rest of us off site is a no problem choice. I still have a blast.

 

[Djali999]

I think it all comes down to how much time you're really gonna spend in your hotel room.

I've been off site many times and it never lessened my vacation a bit. some places can be kind of cheap, but others (generally large chains) offer a pretty consistent expirence. Quality Inn is a good chain, if slightly "bare bones" in effect.

I've generally found the Marriots and Ramada Inns to be of high quality, but remember that I've also been to a Marriot that was so miserable I seriously considered checking out. and it was on-property.

be sure to rent a car. especially because you're staying off-site. it'll free up your life a bit if you want to go visit Universal or Sea World someday.

honestly, if it came down for me to be a choice between a chain hotel right outside the property or a "budget" Disney resort secluded from the rest of the property... well... Quality Inn is def. the way to go.

 

[johnvree]

Originally posted by AliciaLuvzDizne


saving some bucks and staying at the Quality Inn will give you just as nice an expierence (which by the way...Quality Inn's are some pretty nice places)

Alicia, I have to disagree with you on this. I have stayed both on and off site. Quality Inns are great hotels. But staying off site, in my opinion, gives you a better experience.

I want to qualify this a little bit though. As I have expressed in other posts, if you look at WDW as a collection of parks and your goal is to spend as much time as possible in the parks as possible, than any hotel will do. But if you are looking for a complete experience from the minute you get to the World to the time you leave, then I think staying on property is the only way to go.

Harii2000 is going to be at WDW for 2 full weeks. They are going in February when the parks will be closing earlier. So there is a good chance that they will be spending a lot of time out of the parks. For me, I'd rather spend that time in a themed resort, with multiple heated pools and access to hundreds of restaurants.

However, I guess the flip side of my position is that since Harii2000 will be spending a lot of time not in parks, staying in Orlando makes sense, provided they will have a car, since they can take advantage of Orlando's other attractions and restaurants.

OK, I see both sides. I still prefer staying on site. But I guess off site in February makes sense too and may give you a broader experience.

 

[ucf disneyfan]

Originally posted by barnum42
Do the math - my last trip:

All Star Resort for two would have cost £2000
Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista for two cost about £985

You also have to add in the price of a rental car for 14 days, gas, and the $7 a day to park at Disney. If you stay on property you can take a shuttle from the airport and can skip the rental car, saving you alot of money.

 

[epcotisbest]

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
I mean...you can't really beat $79-$100/night can you? Especially getting Disney quality service...surrounded by the Disney feeling 24/7!

Yes, you can, easily. There are many fine accomodations available just outside the world. I have stayed on-site at most of the deluxe resorts, a moderate, and for one day at the new Pop Century just to try it out. All are nice, all are fun, and all costs significantly more than staying off property. There is much more to the Orlando area then just Disney too! Don't get me wrong, WDW is great, and staying on-site is nice, but saving money on accomodations and having more to spend on meals, shopping, recreation etc...is nicer.

I think everyone should have the treat of staying on-site at least once, but is it necessary to have a wonderful trip? No. Now, we always drive so we don't have to worry about a rental car, but even with a rental car and parking, you can save a significant amount staying off-property if you plan right.

I say do what you can afford and have a wonderful time no matter where you stay.
Ricky

 

[imagineer99]

I may be biased...but I've only stayed offsite a couple of times when I was little. Since then, it has always been in the world. Also, my family and I have always stayed at a deluxe resort, so it has been really great experience.

You can stay off site...its not like anything bad is going to happen to you. In fact, you WILL still have a fabulous time.

However, nothing beats waking up to the sounds of Giraffes grazing on your private Savannah! Disney Theming is something that cannot be matched anywhere outside the world.

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by ucf disneyfan
You also have to add in the price of a rental car for 14 days, gas, and the $7 a day to park at Disney. If you stay on property you can take a shuttle from the airport and can skip the rental car, saving you alot of money.

Comfort Inn (and many others) have free buses. Not as frequent as on property, but they get you there.

The car added £240, which still makes a difference of £775. The car was more convenient for park hopping - especially traveling with a wheelchair, and as I bought an annual pass I did not have to pay for parking.

My only gripe (if that is not too strong a word) with many pro-onsite posts is that they seem to indicate you will have a substandard vacation for staying anywhere but on the property. Most visitors can not afford this and I would not want people planning their first visit to be put off because they can not afford to stay onsite.

 

[pepsistar]

:sohappy: Yah!!! Your Going to Walt Disney World !!!! :sohappy:

Well, for me it is not Disney unless I stay on property, but that is just me. Although for a first trip I would say stay on property "IF" you can. The feeling is sooooo much different! We have stayed at the deluxe, moderate, and value resorts--- All are great! The value resorts are wonderfull for families, and you will find a lot of them their. We just got back from Pop Century and my daughter who's favorite was Port Orleans, French Quarter now likes Pop!! No sit down resturant but the Food Court is larger than the All Stars and has many new and different items!!

Plus the accesiability (sp) of returning to the resort is a blessing especially with small children. You can still hire/rent a car for a few days to do some food shooping/site seing if you need to. I can not imagine getting up, getting everyone together then having to drive to the Park, park the car, get the strollers, bags, take a tram, finally get to the entrance, all before your special first day at Disney starts!!! Whew, I am tired all ready. Then every day the same?? Oh My!! :lookaroun

Just a thought, Maybe some others from the UK may have some more info on this for you--- Everytime we go we always meet some people from England and etc. that are staying for 2-3 weeks, and upon talking to them find that their stay with airfare, room, tickets and some other extras cost less than our 6 night stay with Fl resident discounts?? Must be some travel agency that has these offers?? You have the advantage of time so maybe you can check on this!!

No matter where you stay. Have a wonderful time!!

Your Going to Disney! Going to Disney!!!! :lol: YAH!!! :sohappy:

OH ! You did send for the free DVD/Video from Disney, didn't you????? If not this is one thing you MUST do!!!

Have Fun!! I am sure you will create/have many wonderful memories!! Do not forget the camera, lots of film, unless you have a digital, and of course a camcorder!! :wave: