Needing Information

[howell1588]

We have already spent one day in Magic Kingdom, and we are wanting to go back to WDW soon. We took our daughter, 5 and son, 2, just last year, and we miss it. We went on vacation to Florida, and were not even going to go to WDW but the in laws gave us money to take the kids to WDW.

We really would love to go back but we are wanting to know much more information. We are thinking that when our son is 4 that it will be better because he will be able to do more, like ride more rides. When we went the first time we had to take turns riding rides with our daughter, and we do not want that this go around. We would like to enjoy the trip and spend more of our time riding rides together. Our next trip we would like to be able to do all the parks as well as experience all of the fun things that Disney has to offer. Just spending one day in Magic Kingdom was amazing.

What are your suggestions?
What is the cheaper route staying on resort or off?
Flying or Driving?
Going when our son is 4, and our daughter is 7, or waiting another year?

I would just like to hear from you other experienced WDW people. I would like to start saving for our trip as well as putting together a plan as to when we will go, and what we will do. Thanks!

 

[Annielkd]

We started going when my son was 5. At that age he was able to walk without using a stroller and he wanted to go on every ride. We prefer to stay on site but, it's not cheeper. I love the early morning hour and as he's getting older I'm starting to appreciate the late nights as well. I always drive and find that part of the trip. It's much cheeper to drive. (We travel from Connecticut) We gone about 7 times. I've done the dining plan many times and now just get what I want and get food/drinks from Walmart. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask.
In order to know my son was ready to go we used to go for 5 miles walks. When he was able to do that with no problem several days in a row, we knew he was ready. I think it's a hassle to have to use a stroller... maybe that's not something you worry about. If it's not you would have to go by behavior. Wait till your daughter can sit still without fidgeting for 1/2 hour. (Some rides last have wait times that long) You really will have to decide based on your children. I can't imagine having to do a kid swap... but, many people go and enjoy this.

 

[journ116]

My DH and I have been taking our children (DD6 & DD2) to WDW since the oldest was 11 mos. old. Granted, whenever we went, we took the in-laws, which was great because they would watch our girls while we rode rides. Our first experience without the in-laws was when the youngest was 8 mos. old. We've survived and are excited for our Nov. 2012 trip (it will be DH's 15th, my 13th, DD6's 11th & DD2's 6th).

Here's what I've learned:

1. If you can swing it, stay on-site. We're used to the Deluxe resorts and villas (we're DVC members), but would be willing to stay at Caribbean Beach again. The benefits out-weigh the negatives when you have small children. My younger sister has stayed at Pop Century and says, "Never again. Opt for moderate." Also, having the option to return to the resort for a siesta is a bonus and a must!

If you stay off-site, you might save some money. Make sure the resort has their own shuttle to WDW or have a car handy. Keep in mind you'll have to pay for parking if you drive (save receipt if you want to park hop - WDW is kind enough not to charge more than once per day). You will have access to off-site meal options as well, but for us, the whole point of going to WDW was to escape the "everyday fast food."

2. "Flying or driving" is all about costs and time. We were really hoping to drive in November, but my DH has to pay someone to run his delivery route and tack on 2 extra days. It will be cheaper to fly than drive overall. Having access to our own car, or a car period, would be nice, especially having to run off-site to a pharmacy or grocery store for our DD's favorite yogurt. Soooo, since we're flying (which will save us 24 hrs. of travel time vs. driving), we might rent a car.

When looking for flights, look first thing in the morning Mon.-Thurs., and travel on a Tues., Wed. or Thurs. for the cheapest fares. Also, keep on eye on "Sales." I would hawk-eye AirTran's prices, and even after I purchased our tickets, AT would honor the price difference as credits (to be used to pay for bags, seats or future flights WITHOUT a fee, so long as we weren't switching days).

3. When deciding what age to take your kids all depends on you really and how you feel about the situation. Even if your youngest is tall enough to ride most of the rides, would he really want to? Our oldest will only ride Soarin' and she's 45" tall. She's a bit of a timid kid, while our youngest is extremely outgoing, but is only 35" tall (too small for most rides). My DH and I are aware of this and make plans, take turns, and move at a slower pace (especially with a stroller in tow, but in Nov., we'll opt for a single one).

So, the decision in short doesn't really depend on age or height, but behavior and mental readiness. You know your children best.

4. Under 3 is FREE!! (which is why we tried to take as many trips possible to save on park tickets)

5. Waiting to go = more time to save and plan.
Go within a year = satisfy the WDW urge, but might not get what you want.

I hope this helps and happy plannings!!!:wave:

 

[tralin]

In addition to the flight information PP provided, I would also check out Bing Price Predictor. It not only compares prices but also adivses you on the best time to purchase based on historical data. I had a price in my head and once it got there I bought even the predictor advised not to. I still go a great deal this site really helped me. New prices come out on Tuesdays at Noon Eastern time so that 's the best time to check weekly. Also, we saved $100 per person by flyng on Saturday rather than Friday. No kidding! It's always a crap shoot when getting airfare, but this site really educated me so that I could feel good about my decisions.

Also, In my experience, the advantages of staying onsite far outweigh staying offsite. IMO it's better to plan and save and have better more successful trip than to rush it just to satisfy the urge. (Unless you can go every year which I can't). There is soooo much information out there and so many sites to help you plan your trip. Good luck.

 

[DisDadEddie]

For us we do it the easy way. We go on Disneyworld.com and book our trip. We put down our $200 deposit and pay a little each time we get paid until it is paid off.After this trip in August we'll put $200 down on a bounceback offer if available and start paying toward our next trip.We don't do anything in one lump payment besides the airfare, which we book separately.

 

[bethymouse]

Staying on-site is best I believe.
We drive, but have considered flying.
Age 4 is a good age. Check to see if he's 40 inches so that he can ride BTMRR and such if he's up to it.
Good luck!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We have already spent one day in Magic Kingdom, and we are wanting to go back to WDW soon. We took our daughter, 5 and son, 2, just last year, and we miss it. We went on vacation to Florida, and were not even going to go to WDW but the in laws gave us money to take the kids to WDW.

We really would love to go back but we are wanting to know much more information. We are thinking that when our son is 4 that it will be better because he will be able to do more, like ride more rides. When we went the first time we had to take turns riding rides with our daughter, and we do not want that this go around. We would like to enjoy the trip and spend more of our time riding rides together. Our next trip we would like to be able to do all the parks as well as experience all of the fun things that Disney has to offer. Just spending one day in Magic Kingdom was amazing.

What are your suggestions?
What is the cheaper route staying on resort or off?
Flying or Driving?
Going when our son is 4, and our daughter is 7, or waiting another year?

I would just like to hear from you other experienced WDW people. I would like to start saving for our trip as well as putting together a plan as to when we will go, and what we will do. Thanks!

- I prefer to drive and stay onsite. It's just so much more convenient (which is a big thing if going w/younger kids... we feel that mid day break is vital to us), you get the perks like 180+10 and EMH, and it's really nice to never have to leave the property during our trip.
- We went with DD3 twice when she was 2. DD5 didn't hit 40" until right around her 5th bday, so we didn't have to worry about DD2 not being able to ride things until her 2nd trip. When it did become an issue- we split up. i.e. I took DD5 on Splash and BtMM and DH took DD3 on Magic Carpets and a few other things. This way we get our own one on one memories with the kids...it really changes the dynamics of things and is fun to us. We really feel there is enough to do that you don't need to be over 40" to have an amazing trip.
- As for saving, I put down the $200 for a pkg and then put my $ in an interest bearing savings or money market acct. The divs are small, but it still adds up to a dollar or two I wouldn't have if I just handed over my $ to Disney before the 45 day mark. Obviously, you also need to keep an eye out for PINs and discounts to the public. Then do the math and see which is the better savings. If you stay deluxe, room discounts are often a much better savings. You also need to really look at DDP, see what's offered and see how much of it you would actually eat if you were paying OOP. i.e. we're more appetizer people who don't normally do much in the way of CS meals- so DDP usually isn't a deal for us unless there are no other discounts. Buying MYW park tickets before the annual increase (or locking into the price w/a booked pkg) OR getting a deal on Undercover Tourist (sometimes their tickets are cheaper- sometimes much cheaper- you'd have to do room only if using UT for tix) can also help cut costs. Obviously, deciding when to go is also a HUGE cost saver.

Ultimatley, I'd go sooner rather than later...even if it means still needing a stroller. I guess since our nearly 6yr old child is the size of a large 3 yr old- having to bring a stroller just doesn't phase us. It will be fun no matter when you go!

 

[lakegeorge_mom]

I stayed off site last time, we had a 2 bed/2bath condo on Lake Brian at Blue Heron Beach Resort, about 2 blocks from Downtown. They had free shuttles back and forth, and it was gorgeous, considering the suite was just over $100 a night I thought it was sooo much better than staying on property. Well, I saved $$ in the beginning, but spent a lot on transportation in the end, because the shuttles were limited, only a couple times there in the am, and a couple back at night. With little ones, you need the flexibility to go back to your resort to cool down or nap as needed. If it's space you want, consider all star music family suites or AOA suites they are the least expensive for suites. I WILL NEVER STAY OFF PROPERTY AGAIN! Unless they have hourly shuttles back and forth, and the only one I know that does that is Nickelodeon Resort, we saw that bus a lot.
My son rode almost everything at 5, he was 42 pounds and about the same in height. Splash mountain, and Haunted Mansion didn't bother him one bit.
Try for the free dining, you save so much on food and drinks it's a great savings! If you all are not into character meals and want to eat on the go while seeing as much as possible, then skip the DDP unless it's free! We found kids meals were more than enough to eat for all of us other than my Marine husband who eats a lot lol. My daughter is 16, and preferred the kids meals since they come with cool sides like fruit, carrots, yogurt, etc. That saves a lot out of pocket. We only spent about $550 on food that week doing that, which was cheaper than paying for the DDPQS.
My son is 5, and hyper, but we still needed a stroller often. I rented one for a week for $50 from A baby's best friend. They deliver it and pick it up. With a stroller, you can also store that heavy diaper/day bag! We had a refrigerator, so we bought soda and water outside of the park and brought our own water and soda, and some snacks, saving $, because we did not have the free dining plan.
I can't say fly or drive, because I don't know how far away you live. We flew from NY and had a great time. My son thought we were on a Little Einsteins rocket ship and sang the song at take off lol. If you don't live far enough for the cost of flying to be worth it, then drive and it won't matter so much where you stay. Parking is $14 at each park, and free in Downtown Disney. They have shuttles that take you everywhere on property often though, so you won't need a car much if you have an on property resort. I hope this helps! Have a great trip!

 

[lovetheears]

I was suprised how fun it was to go with toddlers, there is that babyswap which means the whole family cant ride together but your daughter ends up going twices as a ridepartner for the parent that waited (my kiddo loves that!). Also although some dislike the stroller I love it you can walk as fast as you want and you dont have to worry about the 'where is DS' all the time. Our family has stayed at moderate and value resorts as well as off site, we always travel in the off season and for the savings of staying off site it wasnt worth the hassel for us as we love the buses at disney. Due to 5 members in my family we cannot stay in a regular room in the value anylonger however I look forward to going back to Pop once the kids are a bit bigger and we need more space. Something you may want to look into is the cost of 2 rooms in a value resort vs a suite or moderate. There are so many great times to be in Disney whether you go sooner or later bc it is a magical vacation.

 

[l4dybu6]

We have already spent one day in Magic Kingdom, and we are wanting to go back to WDW soon. We took our daughter, 5 and son, 2, just last year, and we miss it. We went on vacation to Florida, and were not even going to go to WDW but the in laws gave us money to take the kids to WDW.

We really would love to go back but we are wanting to know much more information. We are thinking that when our son is 4 that it will be better because he will be able to do more, like ride more rides. When we went the first time we had to take turns riding rides with our daughter, and we do not want that this go around. We would like to enjoy the trip and spend more of our time riding rides together. Our next trip we would like to be able to do all the parks as well as experience all of the fun things that Disney has to offer. Just spending one day in Magic Kingdom was amazing.

What are your suggestions?
What is the cheaper route staying on resort or off?
Flying or Driving?
Going when our son is 4, and our daughter is 7, or waiting another year?

I would just like to hear from you other experienced WDW people. I would like to start saving for our trip as well as putting together a plan as to when we will go, and what we will do. Thanks!

While it IS cheaper to stay off site, staying on site has many more benefits! You get the extra magic hours (time before the park opens or after it closes just for on-site resort guests!), Disney transportation, and it's just that much more magical

The flying or driving situation would depend on how far away you live/ willing to spend. If you live more than a day away, i would suggest flying, since your son is pretty young.

I think going to disney with them that age is fine!

Tips and suggestions: Sometimes Disney does a free dining plan with a magic your way ticket and staying at a hotel. Try to shoot for that because it will save you TONS in food! (Food at disney is NOT cheap)

 

[woody98]

My suggestion....go back ASAP...I started going with my kids when my DD's were 2 and 8 months. They are now 12 and 8 and never used there age as a reason not to go but went back and found new thing to do according to their age. Off site prolly cheaper but onsite better for reasons already mentioned. We fly but for us that is the better route. We have drove in the past but since DS3 came along (opps) flying is the only way. I have stayed in every type of resort and they were all fine for us most of the time it comes down to cost for people. Do whats best for your family.

 

[SAV]

What are your suggestions? Plan, Plan, Plan. And if you think the 4yo will need one, bring your own stroller. They are expensive at WDW. I also suggest visiting Magic Kingdom later in the trip. Why? Because that is a kids paradise and they may be underwhelmed by the rest of the parks. As and adult, I love them all, but in a kids mind they may think the others aren't as cool because they don't have as many rides.

What is the cheaper route staying on resort or off? For base room costs, it is cheaper staying off site for an equivalent "value" sized room. Generally, the off-site rooms are larger than the on-site ones at a value resort. I guess my question back is will you have a car or be renting one? That should be figured into your total on vs off site costs. If your off-site accommodation is cheaper by $15 per day and you have your own vehicle, then it will still be cheaper to stay off-site and pay the parking. Do you do the parks "commando" style and not leave once you get there or do you leave the parks for an afternoon break/nap? The convenience of on-site transportation may be more beneficial(still debatable and depends on if you have a car or would be using the off-site hotel's transportation). As for the other benefits of on vs. off, you will need to decide those. With kids that age, you will most likely not be using the Extra Magic Hours as they will require you to wake up, be out the door and at the park early or they will have you stay late into the night. With little ones, that isn't normally feasible. I'm not a "magic" person for a reason to stay on-site. It's cool theming, but not any "magic" in it. Do you want to be immersed in Disney 24/7? Remember part of that immersion is a lot of people. Will you be doing the Dining Plan? That is only available on-site.

Flying or Driving? Where are you coming in from? For us, driving the 2 days and over 1000 miles vs a 2.5 hour flight is a no-brainer. We fly down. It does cost a bit more, but it is not 4 days on the road with 2 kids. It isn't putting any extra miles and wear & tear on the car. It isn't having to hear "are we there yet" or "I have to pee" for 4 days on the road. If it was a 4 hour drive, then we would be driving down.

Going when our son is 4, and our daughter is 7, or waiting another year? Great ages. There will be plenty to do and start great memories.