O.K. 25 more days....

[confusedone]

I am trying very hard to get everything line up in my head. We will be arriving around 3:00 on June 19th and leaving on June 25th. We are renting a van at the airport, they told us we would have to pay Florida taxes when we got the van. Any idea how much this is? Ball park figure anyhow. We are planning on checking in the cabins at Fort Wilderness and settling in. We are going to find somewhere to get some groceries and supplies. Any thoughts? Monday we have PS seating for a breakfast buffett at Donald's place and then spend a few hours at AK. We will be heading back to the cabins for lunch and nap/swim, and then back to the park. We will follow that routine while at all of the parks we are seeing. Tuesday we are going to MK, this is the day I expect to be the busiest for us. Wednesday we are going to Sea World, this is the one thing we haven't bought ahead of time. Does anyone know if you can get a cheaper price? I assume the Sea World price of around $300 is the best price? Oh, BTW we are 2 adults, and 4 kids, ages 2, 5, 10 and 16. Thursday we are going to MGM, and we will eat lunch at the Pizza Planet, the boy's request. Friday is 1/2 day to Gatorland and 1/2 day for somthing else. I am considering going to the beach or just going shopping at Downtown Disney. I don't know yet. Someone told my 10 yr old son that there is a Nascar restaurant somewhere by downtown? I can't find anything on this. He sleep, eats and breathes NASCAR. I know most people don't think Gatorland is worth the trip , but the tickets are free with our package and my 2 and 5 yr old LOVE gators! My 16 yr old daughter is really excited about the big rides, but also upset because no of us will ride that stuff. Now my 5 yr. old is fearless but not tall enough for most of them. I guess I am just looking for some reasurance that this stuff is going work out like I am thinking. And as for my husband, all he says is I could have built a garage for what this is costing us! Men! I just want everyone to enjoy this trip and have a great time, with my daughter almost out of high school this will probably be our only big vacation together. Oh, the parades and fireworks? Kids will be asleep for the fireworks, so that is o.k. with me. The only parade I think I would be able to get the little ones to watch is at MGM. They are very impatient people and I don't like parades at all, but if they want to I will. What time is there parade at MGM? Sorry if I am rambling here, but I just keep thinking I am missing something or I will forget something. Thanks in advance!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Wow - its like a trip report in questions :lol: :lol:
1) Can't help with the van rental taxes - try logging onto the companys website, that should explain everything.
2) SeaWorld - you'll probably save a few $$ by booking your tickets in advance online. I'm not aware of anyplace offering great discounts.
3) Trip to the beach will be about 90 minutes drive each way !!
4) NASCAR restaurant is at Universal - not DownTown Disney
5) MGM parade is at 5:30pm
MK parade is at 3pm with Wishes at 10pm - SpectroMagic parade is at 9pm on 20th,22nd,23rd & 25th
AK parade is at 4pm
Hope this helps

 

[polynesiangirl]

OK, here's some of my thoughts:

1. As mentioned before, the beach will be a haul of a trip and given that you'd only allot half a day for it, it's probably not worth it. Stick to just hanging out around DTD and relaxing.

2. Your daughter will love the bigger rides, but rest assured that many of the "big rides" at WDW aren't as "big" as they seem or sound. There are a couple of scary ones, but the majority at, for example, Magic Kingdom, are pretty tame in the grand scheme of coasters and amusement park rides. I think you'll find that you or your husband or your 10 year old will get in on the fun at one point or another. I personally fidn that WDW has the perfect blend of thrilling and fun in their rides without being too crazy.

3. This one is totally just my opinion, but you might consider splitting your group up in the evening one night so that at least your older children get to experience the fireworks (as in, your husband or you can stay back with the youngest ones and one of you could go with the older kids.) The fireworks shows at WDW are among the best in the world and it's really something that if you can, you should try and see at at least one of the parks. Also, I find that a lot of little kids will suprise you and keep going a lot longer each day than they normally do at home (especially if you break for naps.) At the average fireworks showing in the MK there are tons of toddler-age children, and as someone that went to her first MK fireworks in that age group, it really is something that kids love. (Of course, there are also plenty of toddlers that are totally asleep by the fireworks time, so it's your call as to whether or not they can or should stay.)

4. Plan, but don't overplan (it doesn't sound like you have, but this is just a warning.) The way I see it, the two worst ways to go to WDW are with NO plan whatsoever, and with every last minute scheduled. Just take a deep breath and know that you're going to one of the best vacation spots in the world, and that as long as you stay relaxed you'll all have a great time. If you miss a ride because the line was too long, or because you just didn't get over there, don't let it bother you - as long as your family is having fun, that's all that matters!

 

[inafog]

Okay, take a deep breath. You are going to Disney World. It is going to be a good time, even if the plan doesn't work the way you intended. I sometimes have to consciously back off my plan; we are there to have fun, not to make sure my plan gets carried out.

I don't know about FL car rental taxes. We generally rent a car; it seems like it isn't excessive.

We usually buy groceries on I-Drive. If you go to MapQuest, you can put in your resort address and also the name of a grocery store (Publix or Albertson's, for example) and it will give you directions. I highly recommend this; my DH gets lost all the time driving around WDW. CMs are good about these kinds of questions, too.

I'm having trouble with Sea World tickets, too; there are many options for admission. We're considering annual passes to Sea World which pay for themselves in 2-3 visits (we'll be going again next summer).

I second the suggestion of splitting the group. With such a wide disparity in ages I think that's the only way everyone gets to do things they want.

Fireworks and parades: My small ones love both but I refuse to spend an hour sitting on the pavement holding a spot. DS (5) stayed awake at the parks much longer than we thought he would; DD (2) did also but fell asleep while on line for Dumbo during Wishes, slept through fireworks going off right over her head, riding Dumbo, and the Spectromagic Parade.

Oh--the beach will be a long haul. CBR has a beach on a lake that my kids enjoyed playing on, even though they couldn't go in the water due to watercraft. They didn't care it wasn't the ocean, they just had a great time playing in the sand. Maybe your younger children would be happy playing by the lake (I don't know if FW has an accessible beach area).

I'd also like to suggest my own personal favorite planning tool, The Notebook With the Answer to Everything. I take a small notebook along to WDW and it never leaves my side. I keep a list of must-sees in each park, the rough daily plan, PS locations and numbers, FPs in the pocket. It mostly helps me feel less frantic.

Have a great time! We aren't going until late July and already my DS is packing his backpack!

 

[Boray]

The only other thing I have to add is for groceries and supplies. We usually go to the WalMart Superstore on 192 (I think) near Midevil Times. They have all of the food and other supplies you'd need.

 

[JPVonDrake]

Since you mentioned you are staying at Fort Wilderness, there is a beach area on the north end of the campgrounds. Swimming is not recommend in Florida lakes, but there is plenty of sand for castle making! Unless you want to add a beach stay to the end your vacation, I agree a single day trip to either coast is not worth the drive.

Do be sure to reserve a Van in advance, or you may not be able to get one once you arrive. When you do, they will provide you will all the cost involved.

I'll second the suggestion to go to the Super Walmart on US92. Easy to get to and will have everything you need and as they say "always low prices".

Disney is the largest consumer of pyrotechics in the world and as a result does produce the best firework shows you will ever see anywhere! I would highly recommend you let your little ones (and big ones too) nap during the heat of the day, then everyone can return to the parks in the cooler night hours to enjoy more attractions plus the evening firework spectaculars!

Hope this helps and Enjoy your stay! :sohappy:

 

[righttrack]

Just a suggestion... If this is your first trip to WDW, definitely eliminate the beach trip, and possibly Seaworld or Gatorland. There is so much to do in "the world" that limiting your focus, at least initially, is a good idea. Play it by ear, and maybe on the second to last full day of your trip, consider going to one of those other places if you still feel you need to. That way, by then you may have had "enough" of WDW, but still have another full day to come back to.

Disney rides are generally tamer than most carnival/amusment park rides. They are truly age 6-60 attractions for the most part. Everyone should be able to get in on the action, height and health permitting, of course.

 

[wilary]

I'm going to be down there about a week before you. I'm renting a car and these are the taxes/surcharges that have been quoted to me:

Concession Fee Recovery Charge = 9.8%
FL tire & battery fee = $2.05 a day
License Recoupment Fee = .49 a day
State Tax = 6.5%

I'm renting from National. So, it might be different from place to place.

BTW, There is a pretty good coupon in the Entertainment.com Passbook. 10% off plus another $20 off for a weekly rental. Definitely something to look at...

As for the beach...the closest east coast beaches (Cocoa, Patrick AFB and Satellite) are about an hour to an hour half away. Take the Greeneway to the Bee Line and go until you hit A1A. And don't forget your toll money.

To go or not to go is your choice. I don't live where there's an ocean nearby, so I take the trip sometimes. An hour from Disney is a lot closer than the six from Dallas to Galveston. Plus it allows me to go to the actual Ron Jon's, not the one in the airport.

Hope this helps!

 

[confusedone]

Wow, thanks for all of the great responses. We already have the van reserved and paid for expept the taxes of course. I will probably skip the ocean. I will be taking notes for each park with what we are planning on doing everyday. We might try and get a chance to see the fireworks once. I still think if we do a parade it will be the one a MGM. Thanks for the idea about Mapquest too, I will get those directions for Wal-mart or a grocery store before we go. I don't want to waste a bunch of time driving around aimlessly. Thanks again.

 

[Nemo14]

If your son is into Nascar, there's a neat restaurant on International Drive (not too far from SeaWorld) called RaceRock. They have a lot of neat memorabelia there - my son and his cousins love it. The food is good and we've always had good service there.

Also, check with your local AAA office for SeaWorld tickets. We've saved a lot doing it this way - more than the discount they'll give you at the gate from AAA.

As far as fireworks go, I agree that you should not miss them. Disney puts on the best by far - I've been known to shed a tear or two during Illuminations. Your kids may surprise you with their stamina once they get to WDW, and your older kids will love the show.

Anyway you do it you'll have a magical vacation. Enjoy!

 

[confusedone]

Thanks for the tip. I will have to check out the Nascar place. I think we are planning on going out of Sea World to eat anyhow, so maybe we can go there.