Need Help planning MNSSHP trip

[lebeau]

Hello all,

First of all, I just want to say thanks in advance for all of the helpful suggestions I know I will get. This board always comes through for me when I am looking for planning help.

We're not planning to do a full-on theme park vacation for a while. But, we are seriously considering a trip to Orlando to do the Halloween party - which we have never done before.

Here is where we stand. Currently, the trip would include myself, my wife and our 3-year-old daughter. We may also invite my wife's parents, but we haven't made up our minds about that yet.

We are planning to go in late September. The 20th will be our 5th anniversary and we may do something special that day. If we invite the grandparents, we'll probably have them keep our daughter so we can do something.

We are planning to drive to Orlando. It'll probably be a rough drive (12 hours) because our daughter hates being in the car seat. We plan to drive at night so she will hopefully sleep through most of it.

I am hoping to keep the budget for the trip right around $1,000.00. A little over or under is no big deal. We can probably pay for the MNSSHP party with accumulated Disney Rewards Dollars from our Chase Visa.

To accomodate that budget, I am looking for nice places to stay off site. I've never planned a trip off site before, so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

We're also thinking about a day at Sea World. My wife really wants to go. If the grandparents come along on the trip, I'm cosidering surprising my wife with Discovery Cove on our anniversary.

Other than that, we're planning to mill around the pool. I'm sure we'll go to Downtown Disney. We may book a character meal at one of the resorts. But our only theme park activity will be Sea World and the Halloween party.

So, after all that info, here's what I am looking for:

- Any suggestions on places to stay
- Any info about MNSSHP in late Sept (never been to this before)
- Any info about Sea World and/or Discovery Cove
- Any suggestions for any other non-theme park activities in Orlando
- Anything else you guys think I should be aware of. I know you'll collectively think of things that never would have occurred to me.

Again, thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[DisneyJoe]

How long do you want your trip to be? How many days?

 

[lebeau]

How long do you want your trip to be? How many days?

I knew I'd forgotten something.

Not counting travel time, I'd say 5 days.

 

[marinoalulema]

help with trip

you should consider staying at the Pop Century, a base room with out any park admission is very very reasonalble

we are going sept 11 - 19 and the entire trip including air fair, park tickets, and room is apx $1600 staying at pop century, it comes out apx 100.00 a person a day for the entire trip

also you can take advantage of the free transportation

 

[gettingsmaller]

about 3 years ago, we got a timeshare condo for a week off of ebay for about $400.
It was something like Westgate Villas... I can't remember for sure, but it was a VERY short distance from Disney, and the room was really nice (2 bedroom, bigscreen TV, foldout couch, a pack and play that we requested--their version of "crib").
The listing said that there was no timeshare presentation. That turned out to be wrong, but it wasn't too bad (got free breakfast while we were pitched) and I'd do it again to get 8 days/7 nights in there for $400.

So, my suggestion would be to look into ebay. It's a little scary, but it worked out well for us.

I won't get into the whole buy/don't buy a timeshare thing, but I will say that--for MY situation--the math did not work out to make it beneficial... BUT the room was really nice.

Also, I know you didn't ask for my opinion on this, but my family didn't really find the MNSSHP to be worth the expense. Of course, it DID rain cats and dogs when we went... but still... that's a lot of money for some candy and long lines for characters... They did hand out something saying that we could use our tickets to get into the Magic Kingdom one more time for the next year, but--being in Texas--I'm not likely to make a one-day trip back to the MK. Anyway, we DID get to do some trick-or-treating before the rain hit, and it was okay, but we didn't find it to be so exciting. I would rather have had another day in the MK for the money--and Sept is a good time to visit... I am sure I will be contradicted by many on these boards... By the way, our kids were 8, 6, and 4 when we went. Some of the activities (dance party, e.g.) are more geared to older kids/adults, I think... My kids did enjoy it, but I can tell you that our kids would probably have enjoyed just going to the MK for a longer day than they did staying up late and trying to trick-or-treat.

 

[lebeau]

about 3 years ago, we got a timeshare condo for a week off of ebay for about $400.
It was something like Westgate Villas... I can't remember for sure, but it was a VERY short distance from Disney, and the room was really nice (2 bedroom, bigscreen TV, foldout couch, a pack and play that we requested--their version of "crib").
The listing said that there was no timeshare presentation. That turned out to be wrong, but it wasn't too bad (got free breakfast while we were pitched) and I'd do it again to get 8 days/7 nights in there for $400.

So, my suggestion would be to look into ebay. It's a little scary, but it worked out well for us.

I won't get into the whole buy/don't buy a timeshare thing, but I will say that--for MY situation--the math did not work out to make it beneficial... BUT the room was really nice.

Also, I know you didn't ask for my opinion on this, but my family didn't really find the MNSSHP to be worth the expense. Of course, it DID rain cats and dogs when we went... but still... that's a lot of money for some candy and long lines for characters... They did hand out something saying that we could use our tickets to get into the Magic Kingdom one more time for the next year, but--being in Texas--I'm not likely to make a one-day trip back to the MK. Anyway, we DID get to do some trick-or-treating before the rain hit, and it was okay, but we didn't find it to be so exciting. I would rather have had another day in the MK for the money--and Sept is a good time to visit... I am sure I will be contradicted by many on these boards... By the way, our kids were 8, 6, and 4 when we went. Some of the activities (dance party, e.g.) are more geared to older kids/adults, I think... My kids did enjoy it, but I can tell you that our kids would probably have enjoyed just going to the MK for a longer day than they did staying up late and trying to trick-or-treat.

The feedback on the Halloween party is actually very helpful. One of the main reasons we don't want to spend a full day at the parks is that our daughter doesn't have the patience for lines. She likes the characters, parades and fireworks very well. She enjoyed trick-or-treating very much last year (and asked to do it several times after Halloween was over), so I thought this party would be right up her alley. But if everything has long lines, that could be a problem.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

There are a number of people who aren't crazy about MNSSHP, and surprisingly voicing it here doesn't cause the usual flame wars. I myself thought it was fun to do, but wouldn't do it every year or every other. I'm not big on costuming, but many have a lot of fun with that. It is a special evening, with a totally different feel to the park, fun parade and fireworks. Characters in their costumes are clever/comical.

Going at your time will not be crowded, so you can really enjoy the evening. It can get a little late for a 3 yo however. I do believe it is worth experiencing at least once.

As for other activities, Seaworld has a new water park opening next door. Discovery cove is a nice idea for a special day. It may break the budget, but you might consider Victoria and Alberts for a very romantic dinner for the two of you. There are a number of other very nice restaurants at Disney hotels that don't require admission. California Grille at Contemporary, Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge, Boma/Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge (and you can visit out back to see some of the animals for free).

There is Cirque at DTD, also Hoop de do Review at Fort Wilderness. Both are entertaining for all.

Don't know much about hotels/lodging outside. Off season/AAA discount can get you a moderate at POR or Caribbean for about $100/night that can sleep 5. You may want to give Kingdom Konsultants a call as they will probably have some good options for you.

 

[MichWolv]

In September, I would guess that lines will be fine during the party. We've done VMCP a couple times in late November/early December and had virtually no lines on anything. September for MNSSHP should be about the same.

As for where to stay, depends what you want. If it's just the three of you, a room at the All-Stars or Pop Century might do the trick. There will likely be some discount available, so you might snag a room for $80/night. Plus your park transport will be taken care of (very useful for the MK, as it's much quicker than parking and taking the monorail/boat). And you get the Disney magic while you hang by the pool. Who knows, if free dining is offered, you could hit the jackpot -- pay $100/night for the room and get your food taken car of. April is when the free dining promotion has been announced in past years, so you should know about that in a month.

If you like more room, or if the grandparents are coming as well, a Value room won't do it for you. When my wife and I go with our son and my parents, we usually shoot for a 2-bedroom condo unit off-site. Check out some sites like All-Star homes or www.vrbo.com for some listings. In September, I'd guess you can get a unit for $90/night or so if you hunt. Another alternative might be the Doubletree Guest Suites near DTD. Rooms can often be had for around $100, including breakfast, and there is transportation to the parks, although not nearly as convenient as being truly on site.

 

[lebeau]

In September, I would guess that lines will be fine during the party. We've done VMCP a couple times in late November/early December and had virtually no lines on anything. September for MNSSHP should be about the same.

As for where to stay, depends what you want. If it's just the three of you, a room at the All-Stars or Pop Century might do the trick. There will likely be some discount available, so you might snag a room for $80/night. Plus your park transport will be taken care of (very useful for the MK, as it's much quicker than parking and taking the monorail/boat). And you get the Disney magic while you hang by the pool. Who knows, if free dining is offered, you could hit the jackpot -- pay $100/night for the room and get your food taken car of. April is when the free dining promotion has been announced in past years, so you should know about that in a month.

If you like more room, or if the grandparents are coming as well, a Value room won't do it for you. When my wife and I go with our son and my parents, we usually shoot for a 2-bedroom condo unit off-site. Check out some sites like All-Star homes or www.vrbo.com for some listings. In September, I'd guess you can get a unit for $90/night or so if you hunt. Another alternative might be the Doubletree Guest Suites near DTD. Rooms can often be had for around $100, including breakfast, and there is transportation to the parks, although not nearly as convenient as being truly on site.

Wow, thanks. That's exactly the kind of suggestions I was hoping I would get.

In the past, when they offered the free dining plan, did you have to buy park tickets as well? Or could you just get a room? Because if you can get the free dining with a value resort room, that seems like a bargain!

If the gran parents come, I'll definitely check out some of your offsite suggestions. I've heard good things about All Star homes in the past.

 

[lebeau]

As for other activities, Seaworld has a new water park opening next door. Discovery cove is a nice idea for a special day. It may break the budget, but you might consider Victoria and Alberts for a very romantic dinner for the two of you. There are a number of other very nice restaurants at Disney hotels that don't require admission. California Grille at Contemporary, Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge, Boma/Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge (and you can visit out back to see some of the animals for free).

There is Cirque at DTD, also Hoop de do Review at Fort Wilderness. Both are entertaining for all.

Oh yeah, Discovery Cove will bust the budget wide open. If we wind up doing something special for our anniversary, that won't be included in thr trip budget.

We've saw Crique on our honeymoon and loved it. The Hoop de Do is an idea. I've even considered blowing out the bank account at Victoria and Albert's because we won't have an excuse to do that for a long time to come.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Whatever you choose, hope you have a great time...and be sure to report back to us!

Again, you may want to get in touch with Kingdom Konsultants. There is no fee, and they can give you a broad spectrum of choices for lodging.

 

[DisneyMomof2]

The whole family has been to MNSSHP for the last two years and had a BLAST each time. The first time my duaghter went she was 3 and just about made it through the parade, before falling asleep in her stroller, which was OK. We typically attend on one of the first few nights and have rarely encountered a very long line. When the party first starts @7 you will see lines because alot of the younger kids will fall asleep, but if you can hang on till a little later you will have little/no line.

My one suggestion is to dress your little one up as Cinderella and get her picture in Cinderella's Coach. This is the only time of the year it is on display and you can take pictues sitting in it. It is usually right next to It's a Small World - in the stroller parking area. Be prepared there is always a line for this no matter what time. Maybe have someone get some food or snacks to nibble on while waiting. ALso, the CMs were great and let my husband play running games with my duaghter in the courtyard while I waited on line for her.

Have a fantastic time and we are going to be at the POP from 9/26 thru 10/2 and at MNSSHP hopefully on 9/28 (3rd time)! Kungaloosh:sohappy:

 

[gettingsmaller]

When I mentioned lines, I was talking more about lines for meeting characters. They weren't terrible, but we happened to be right at the front of a line for Tigger and Pooh. After we left, I looked at the line and was glad that we were not at the BACK of that line.

You have to make your own decisions about what to do, but I doubt that you'll find long lines during the day at the parks in Sept. (esp. on the 'right' days). When we went (sept 11-22), we used fastpasses for the "big" rides, and probably didn't wait more than 10-15 min for any of the rides. One exception was when Space Mountain had a problem, and only one side was working. Things like Buzz Lightyear, It's a Small World, Carousel of Progress, TTA were all basically walk-ons. Pirates was about 10 minutes, Big Thunder and Splash about 5 minutes.

That's great that your little one likes trick-or-treating. I'm sure she'd love the path between Toon Town and Tomorrowland (if it's the same this year)--lots of people to get candy from.

Just keep in mind her age and the lateness. Maybe make sure she (and maybe YOU) gets a good nap that day. The Disney magic kept my little ones going pretty well--even pretty late--but nothing feels like money wasted like having your whole reason for being there asleep 1 hour into it. Of course, she might not be your WHOLE reason for being there...

To answer your dining plan question, you have to have a room onsite AND at least 1 day of park tickets. However, you CAN have (at least in the past) 10 nights in your room, but only 1 day of park ticket and STILL have 10 nights worth of free food (I know you said 5, but I'm just making an example here).
For that reason, even people with annual passes would sometimes book a room for xx days and buy 1 day of park tickets.

One more thing: DECIDE EARLY about your dining. If free dining gets announced (and maybe even if it doesn't), timeslots in the restaurants will fill up pretty quickly. You can make reservations 180 days in advance, and I'd do it about as early as I could.

 

[MichWolv]

Wow, thanks. That's exactly the kind of suggestions I was hoping I would get.

In the past, when they offered the free dining plan, did you have to buy park tickets as well? Or could you just get a room? Because if you can get the free dining with a value resort room, that seems like a bargain!

If the gran parents come, I'll definitely check out some of your offsite suggestions. I've heard good things about All Star homes in the past.

When they had free dining the past three years, you needed to buy park tickets as well, but just one-day base tickets. So stay 5 nights at $100 per night, buy a 1-day base for three of you at another $70 per person, for a total of $750 including tax, and you're set on room plus food. If you don't want to hit the parks for even that 1 day beyond your MNSSHP, save the tickets for a future trip.

 

[lebeau]

Whatever you choose, hope you have a great time...and be sure to report back to us!

Again, you may want to get in touch with Kingdom Konsultants. There is no fee, and they can give you a broad spectrum of choices for lodging.

Once grandma and grandpa have decided whether or not they are coming, I will most likely do that. Afterall, there's no downside!

 

[lebeau]

The whole family has been to MNSSHP for the last two years and had a BLAST each time. The first time my duaghter went she was 3 and just about made it through the parade, before falling asleep in her stroller, which was OK. We typically attend on one of the first few nights and have rarely encountered a very long line. When the party first starts @7 you will see lines because alot of the younger kids will fall asleep, but if you can hang on till a little later you will have little/no line.

My one suggestion is to dress your little one up as Cinderella and get her picture in Cinderella's Coach. This is the only time of the year it is on display and you can take pictues sitting in it. It is usually right next to It's a Small World - in the stroller parking area. Be prepared there is always a line for this no matter what time. Maybe have someone get some food or snacks to nibble on while waiting. ALso, the CMs were great and let my husband play running games with my duaghter in the courtyard while I waited on line for her.

Have a fantastic time and we are going to be at the POP from 9/26 thru 10/2 and at MNSSHP hopefully on 9/28 (3rd time)! Kungaloosh:sohappy:

Wow. Great suggestion! We actually already have a Cinderella costume ready to go. But I didn't know about the Coach. What a cool picture that would be!

Thanks!

 

[lebeau]

When I mentioned lines, I was talking more about lines for meeting characters. They weren't terrible, but we happened to be right at the front of a line for Tigger and Pooh. After we left, I looked at the line and was glad that we were not at the BACK of that line.

You have to make your own decisions about what to do, but I doubt that you'll find long lines during the day at the parks in Sept. (esp. on the 'right' days). When we went (sept 11-22), we used fastpasses for the "big" rides, and probably didn't wait more than 10-15 min for any of the rides. One exception was when Space Mountain had a problem, and only one side was working. Things like Buzz Lightyear, It's a Small World, Carousel of Progress, TTA were all basically walk-ons. Pirates was about 10 minutes, Big Thunder and Splash about 5 minutes.

That's great that your little one likes trick-or-treating. I'm sure she'd love the path between Toon Town and Tomorrowland (if it's the same this year)--lots of people to get candy from.

Just keep in mind her age and the lateness. Maybe make sure she (and maybe YOU) gets a good nap that day. The Disney magic kept my little ones going pretty well--even pretty late--but nothing feels like money wasted like having your whole reason for being there asleep 1 hour into it. Of course, she might not be your WHOLE reason for being there...

To answer your dining plan question, you have to have a room onsite AND at least 1 day of park tickets. However, you CAN have (at least in the past) 10 nights in your room, but only 1 day of park ticket and STILL have 10 nights worth of free food (I know you said 5, but I'm just making an example here).
For that reason, even people with annual passes would sometimes book a room for xx days and buy 1 day of park tickets.

One more thing: DECIDE EARLY about your dining. If free dining gets announced (and maybe even if it doesn't), timeslots in the restaurants will fill up pretty quickly. You can make reservations 180 days in advance, and I'd do it about as early as I could.

Sounds like very good advice.

Our daughter typically doesn't get to bed until 10. I know! I never thought I'd have a three year-old stay up till 10! We even talked to the doctor about it and were told she just requires less sleep than kids her age. So, I'm not too worried about her falling asleep. Mom, on the other hand...

My wife and I honeymooned at Disney in September 2003. I know what you mean about the lines. We used FP a few times, but never really needed to. I don't think we waited more than 15 minutes for anything.

If they do offer the free dining and I can get it for several days with only 1 park ticket, that sounds like it might be the way to go. Twist my arm and make me go to a Disney park!

Depending how things go, we may actually extend our stay. With the free dining, you want to take advantage of that as much as possible. This will probably be our last trip for a few years. So if the deal is good enough, I could see staying longer than 5 days.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[lebeau]

When they had free dining the past three years, you needed to buy park tickets as well, but just one-day base tickets. So stay 5 nights at $100 per night, buy a 1-day base for three of you at another $70 per person, for a total of $750 including tax, and you're set on room plus food. If you don't want to hit the parks for even that 1 day beyond your MNSSHP, save the tickets for a future trip.

That would totally work.

To tell you the truth, I'd love to spend a day at MG... I mean Hollywood Studios. Tower of Terror is my wife's favorite attraction. My daughter loves the Playhouse Disney stuff and would love to see Playhouse Disney Live with the new show. Plus, I'd love to see Toy Story Mania now that it is up and running. The 50's Prime Time Cafe is one of our must-dos every trip.

And, believe it or not, we've never seen Fantasmic!

So, if I *have* to go to a Disney park for a day to get the deal, well, I guess I can live with it