Need help in planning first trip

[joan237]

I am hoping for some input here as I am really confused in trying to plan a trip for my daughter, her husband and their 4 year old girl.

They will be in that general area in March so were hoping to be able to spend one or two nights at an onsite resort.
I have looked at disney site and cannot figure out which resort would be better for them.
Since they will be there a short time, is there one that I should be looking at.
Swimming in not a priority. Mostly to spend time at the Magic Kingdom doing what would entertain a 4 year old would be what they want.

We (the grandparents) will not be going but we would be picking them up at airport and dropping them off at Disney.
Is their anyway to even do this by car, I imagine we can drive to front gate and drop off but I am not sure.

Anyways so what I am asking is
1) what resort do you all suggest?
2) would they have time to pretty much see all of Magic Kingdom in the short time.
3) Time frame would be dropped off around 3pm on a Thursday, sleep there Thursday and Friday Night and be picked up at gate around Saturday around 6 or 7
4) If they had 2 day passes, does that go hourly. Meaning if they arrived Thursday around 3 could they go that Night or is that considered a day used of their pass.

I hope I am making sense here with my questions. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[SteamboatStitch]

1) Well I can't see available prices so can't weigh in there, but if you are looking for a value resort then I would personally suggest Art of Animation, if only from my experience being there, it seems to be great for the kids and would go over very well with the 4yo. If you want a Moderate, I would go for the Coronado, I couldn't recommend it enough.

2) Depends on how much you want to see and do. If you really wanted to hit everything, take it slow so nothing is rushed, it will take you 1 full day at least if you hit everything at the right times and know where everything is etc. and could depend a lot on the child in regards to things like Tom Sawyer's for example.

3) Do you mean 6-7 AM or PM?

4) If you went on Thursday and used your tickets, that is one of the 2 days yes. If you plan on being in the parks on 3 separate days, you're gonna need tickets that cover 3 days.

If you are seeking to drive them right up to the park to drop them off, I don't think you can. If you are talking about the resort, then yes. The resorts have bus transportation to and from the parks, so dropping them off at the resort so they can get that sorted and picking them up there would be optimal.

 

[joan237]

SteamboatStich,
Thanks for that reply , that is a good start for me.
I meant 6-7pm

My concern is that Thursday evening they will be quite tired with the travelling and all, so maybe they could get away with just going all day Friday, Friday Night for abit and then Saturday till 6pm.

Then I am assuming 2 day pass is enough.
Also if they are only doing the magic Kingdom, then I guess you can get tickets that just include that.

So much to look at, I don't know if it is only me but I find it very difficult to plan this.

 

[bjlc57]

BUY the UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO WDW book and there will be a ton of answers there for you.. at your local book store...

 

[SteamboatStitch]

SteamboatStich,
Thanks for that reply , that is a good start for me.
I meant 6-7pm

My concern is that Thursday evening they will be quite tired with the travelling and all, so maybe they could get away with just going all day Friday, Friday Night for abit and then Saturday till 6pm.

Then I am assuming 2 day pass is enough.
Also if they are only doing the magic Kingdom, then I guess you can get tickets that just include that.

So much to look at, I don't know if it is only me but I find it very difficult to plan this.

The first trip can always be a pain, more for some than others. In my opinion, if they are arriving via flight or car from a long trip, going around in a theme park may not be the most relaxing way to spend an afternoon, and since you are picking them up in the afternoon on Saturday, a 2 day ticket would be more than enough time depending on the individual.

They sell multi-day tickets (example being a 2-day ticket, 1 park per day of your choice on 2 consecutive days) and have the option to go Park-Hopper, but this may not be something you want if Magic Kingdom is your only goal.

 

[DoleWhipDisney]

The site fiverr.com has people that will plan your vacation to your liking, with park hours, what restaurants to go to and the best rides to Fast Pass. I used them around a year ago and just received an email they are best planning disney vacations. You can't beat it for the price $5. Good luck!

http://www.fiverr.com/jimboslice601...=shared&utm_source=get_url&utm_term=&view=gig

 

[joan237]

Thanks again for replies.
I am wondering about booking rooms. Do most people just book directly with WDW or do you use discount methods or agents.

We do not need airline tickets or passes for entry so only room is needed for 2 nights, what is the best way (cheapest) to go about this?

 

[Tinkerbell397]

It can be just this simple.....go to the Disney website and book 2 nights at the hotel of your choice and include a 2 day Magic Your Way park ticket. You can drive them to the hotel on Thursday evening and then pick them up on Saturday evening. Your other option is booking "room only" and then buying your tickets at AAA or at the gate of the MK when they get there. I personally would do everything ahead of time so avoid confusion.
As far as the accommodations......you did not mention a budget of any kind. There are value to deluxe resorts. They all have wonderful pools even if you do not use them. Check out the Disney website and www.allears.net. They are a great resource. You can also look for individual hotels on www.youtube.com and actually take a tour to get a feel for what you may like. The 3 deluxe hotels that have direct and convenient monorail service to the Magic Kingdom are the Contemporary, Polynesian and The Grand Floridian...but they will cost you. The rest of the hotels will be boat or bus service. I know it can be quite confusing. It may be a good idea for you to use AAA if you are a member or a travel agent if you can find one anymore. Most people, I think, go directly through Disney and when you call, the cast members are very very helpful. It's with a call to be sure that you are getting the best deal for the 2 days they will be there.

 

[joan237]

tinkerbell,
thanks for that info.
My budget would be approx. 300. to 350. per night
I am trying to find art of animation on the map of the complex but do not seem to find it.
Is there a site online for a good map of the entire complex.
I believe we can use our over 25 year old passes that I have never used and kept all these years.
I still have to confirm that.
The least amount of walking would be the ideal of what we are looking for in resorts.
But then again i do not want to pay 700-800 a night

 

[cw1982]

Passes count down towards expiration once activated, which happens the first time you use them, so you should be fine there. I would call Disney, though, and find out how you can link those to a MDE account so you can prebook your fastpasses. They may need to cancel those passes and issue you new ones if the ticket numbers aren't compatible with the new system or something (since they are that old).

Art of Animation is adjacent to Pop Century. Both are near the Wide World of Sports complex. They're not incredibly far from Downtown Disney, but far enough from everything that you'll either drive or take the WDW bus system to get around.

 

[joan237]

I could spend a bit more on hotel but looking at AOA it looks really fun for a four year old girl.
But I cannot figure out the transprtation to MK
Is it very long to get over there.
If you could afford a closer hotel would you do that just for the convienience or would the AOA be ok.
Also you talk about Fast passes and I am again confused, what exactly are they and do I need them?
Also with our entry passes to MK , do we pay for rides once inside or other events?
Thanks again all.

 

[cw1982]

1. Buses at AoA are typically very reliable. If you're wanting the Mermaid theming, I would absolutely stay there!

2. Once you have your hotel reservations and tickets linked to an online account you'll need to create, you will be able to book three fastpasses in advance per day of park visiting. This gives you front of the line access to rides that tend to have long waits. Setting up the account is free and very easy. If you're staying at a Disney hotel, you can pick your fastpasses up to 60 days in advance, giving you first dibs on those popular rides

3. All standard attractions are included with park admission. The only things that would be extra would be VIP tours, but I wouldn't recommend those with a little one.

 

[fugawe09]

Art of Animation sounds like it would be a great choice for your family. I would suggest using the balance of your arrival day to take a dip in the pool.

Buses to Magic Kingdom run every 15-20 minutes and the trip takes maybe 10-15 min. Sometimes it is faster than driving yourself to the MK parking lot because the resort bus goes right to the front gate of the park. You don't need fool around with the monorail.

In terms of dropping your family off, just let the security host at the resort gate know what you are doing (need to show a photo ID) and they should let you through without a problem.

Many people purchase their resort stays and tickets from resellers or travel agents and everything goes fine. One of the advantages to buying directly from Disney is that if something unexpected happens they can fix it more quickly.

If you are planning to use old tickets, definitely call them ahead of time to make sure they are valid. If the entitlements are valid, just keep in mind that paper tickets are not accepted at the gate anymore, so they will need to be exchanged for new RFID card media or the entitlement associated to a MagicBand. Each guest registered to stay at the resort hotel will get a MagicBand and it is usually as simple as linking the code numbers off the paper ticket to the MagicBand on the My Disney Experience website. This will also allow you to pre-select some FastPasses ahead of time.

 

[joan237]

Thank you again. You are all being very helpful and making this easier for me.
A few more questions.
I was looking at having either breakfast or lunch at the castle with princesses.
It would be too early for me to make reservations now because you have to be 180 days before so I just tried to make a mock one to see.
Thee months from now, it keeps saying nothing available for the time or number in my party (3)
I find this odd because I tried many different days and every hour in day.
So my question, am I doing something wrong.

 

[fugawe09]

Cinderella's Royal Table is one of THE hardest restaurants to get into. Like people lose their mind trying to get in. You're probably doing it right, it's just the reservations go that fast. When your window opens if you don't get one at first, you can keep trying because sometimes things open up based on cancellations. Also keep in mind the restaurant is closed early Jan 2015-early Mar 2015 for a refurbishment. If you are willing to go to Epcot, Akershus has princess dining. Or if you want to stay near Magic Kingdom, look at dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

 

[Tinkerbell397]

The value resorts are especially child friendly in theming. The moderate resorts have their own theming so if you wanted to venture into the moderates, Port Orleans Riverside has Royal Guest Rooms which I think have a princess theme that would appeal to a 4 year old girl. The resort itself is lovely and the transportation to the parks is by bus. As I stated above, your monorail deluxe resorts will be the most convenient to the MK but they are quite expensive.
After reading your posts, it sounds like you really should enlist the help of a travel agent or AAA to help plan your trip. It sounds like you have not been there in years and so much as changed, including Fast Passes and Magic Bands. A travel agent can make this all easy to understand.
My question for you would be.....are you daughter and son in law at all participating in the planning of this trip? If not....they should. It is a very expensive trip and to go without helping with the planning might make it more confusing.

 

[bjlc57]

again.. try doing research.. trust me, we buy this book, or read it, EVEN THE YEARS WE ARE NOT GOING TO DISNEY WORLD. you have a limited amount of time.. this book, makes a difference on everything. every short cut , and reviews and discussions of every hotel.. and touring plans for every family style. the questions I ask here, I can't get from this book. that's why my questions, can at time be obscure.. because we have a resource for most questions.. if you had read my previous trip posts, this past trip, we waited in line FOUR TIMES for more then 20 minutes.. in 10 days.. all by choice and never by chance.. this family has a time crunch.. and you need solid advise.. and YOU GET GREAT ADVISE HERE.. but .. there is more available.. but , I do respect the advise I get here.. we just need more..

 

[joan237]

I did not realize that the royal table was being closed, maybe that is why I just kept getting no.
I imagine they are not even looking at the dates I am putting in since they are closed.
But one my real dates are arriving the March 5 leaving March 7
It says the royal table is scheduled to open on the 6th.
Do you think I could phone Disney and try and get a reservation for that day.

Tinker bell, you might be right about a travel agent.
I just find that they usually have packages to sell and since as mentioned they already have their flights to Florida for something else that is planned and I have the old passes, I really only need a room for 2 nights.
Plus maybe some reservations. But I will try to find one.

 

[Tuvalu]

You can only make dining reservations 180 days in advance, so for a March 5th arrival you can't make any reservations until September 6th (this is why you are seeing no availability.) Phoning Disney won't help yet.

@Kingdom Konsultant will be very happy to assist you in your planning and answer your questions at no cost.

 

[smk]

I agree with Kingdom Konsultants to help with the planning, send them an email and they do all the work. It is all very simple when the right people get to know what you want and they will handle everything for you! I hope you all have a very good time in WDW, making memories with your grandchild!