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[sunshinewolf]

Hey All,

I wanted to introduce myself.
One of the things my Grandma and I always planned to do was go to Disney World. This was after we went to Disney Land back when I was 6 (in 1986). She passed away back in 2008, and the trip never happened.

Well, now that I am in my mid 40s, I am finally able to fully plan out a real trip to Florida and Disney World! YAY!

I am looking to go sometime in 2024. I am not sure about total budget ATM, but I working on a MAX of $1k day for this initial planning phase, including travel from Cali to Florida and back.

I will be taking the trip with my wife, also mid 40s. We have no kids (she is not able). She also have a major medical condition. I don't really want to get into details about it, other than it will make cross-country travel difficult (probably have to do it by car) and she will need special accommodations while in the park (wheel chair - NOTE: She doe not require a chair for day to day tasks, but she is also unable to stand/walk for any length of time. This is assuming she is even able to get out of bad and not having a "bad day".).

I am looking at a 4-7 day stay, with 2-3 day drive each way.

I am sure I am missing some details, but if anything, ask away! And suggestions, please suggest away!

 

[Stupido]

What are you trying to accomplish in this post? It seems like mainly an information dump.

Are you looking for help planning your trip? If so, specific questions might help. Also, there's a trip planning subforum.

 

[sunshinewolf]

What are you trying to accomplish in this post? It seems like mainly an information dump.

Are you looking for help planning your trip? If so, specific questions might help. Also, there's a trip planning subforum.

Basically yes, that is all it is. I wanted to introduce myself and what my intentions are.

As I am in the very early stages of planning, I do not even know WHAT specific questions to ask...
Like What Time of Year is the Best? Busy vs Less Busy? Weather? Humidity?
What Attractions each park offers and how many days should I plan on each park?
Where to Stay? At the Park or off property? Is it worth it to try and also hit Universal?
What kind of issues should I expect with my wife's medical requirements?

I didn't want to make a whole bunch of threads asking what seem like overly asked questions, instead, hoping someone can point me in the direction needed to do the proper research.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Probably more helpful if you share a budget. I suggest:
1. staying on Disney property
2. renting a scooter (from an offsite company, I think ScooterBug is popular here),
3. don't plan to do everything, prioritize what you want to do
4. get a guide book (Unofficial Guidebooks are pretty good)
5. look at the Disney website to see what you want to see and stay
6. download the WDW app and sign up for an account, you will need your phone a lot for WDW
7. Contact a travel agent, one that has a specialty of Disney. The one that helps support the site is good, I have used them. They are Kingdom Konsultants. You won't pay for their services, Disney pays them. @Kingdom Konsultant

 

[sunshinewolf]

Probably more helpful if you share a budget. I suggest:
1. staying on Disney property
2. renting a scooter (from an offsite company, I think ScooterBug is popular here),
3. don't plan to do everything, prioritize what you want to do
4. get a guide book (Unofficial Guidebooks are pretty good)
5. look at the Disney website to see what you want to see and stay
6. download the WDW app and sign up for an account, you will need your phone a lot for WDW
7. Contact a travel agent, one that has a specialty of Disney. The one that helps support the site is good, I have used them. They are Kingdom Konsultants. You won't pay for their services, Disney pays them. @Kingdom Konsultant

Awesome!! Thanx for the suggestions!!
I did share the budget - I am not sure about total budget ATM, but I working on a MAX of $1k day for this initial planning phase, including travel from Cali to Florida and back.

1 - This is kinda a must. It may be more epensive, but I really do what that full Disney experience.
2 - IDK. With my wife's medical issues, we will need something more than a scooter. She, at least, will need a wheelchair to make it thru the day.
3 - 20 years ago, it was starting to get tough doing that at Disney Land in a single day. At that time, I was there just about every weekend. I can only image what its like now. Rides are not so much an thing for us. I really only want to the the StarWars one with the gunners and pilots (sorry, dont know the name of it). I figure this is gonna be more of a hangout, take LOTS of pics, just enjoy being there kinda trip. The only off site thing I'm kinda interested in, is Universal - Super Mario. But IDK how to integrate that in to the trip...
4 - Guide Books. Knowing me ill probably get 2-3 or 20 of them... lol..
5 - This is one of tose topics I will need more help with. Too many choices.
6 - Does anything not use your phone today?
7 - I plan on doing this. But wanted to get more info before going there blind.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

You're giving limited details.
I'd recommend coming up with specific questions and then ask away and people can more easily give suggestions based less vague info.

 

[sunshinewolf]

Mods: can this post be locked or deleted. It obviously is being misunderstood as asking for advice on trip planning when it was ment to introduce myself….

Thank you.

 

[kimberlymautz]

Mods: can this post be locked or deleted. It obviously is being misunderstood as asking for advice on trip planning when it was ment to introduce myself….

Thank you.

No need to lock or delete your post. This forum is for trip planning, which is what you're doing.
Not everything in trip planning has to be asking for advice, though based on your answers here's my contribution. I hope it helps.

When to go: That really depends on you and your wife. Does her condition get worse or better with higher or lower temps? If so, I would plan accordingly. We personally avoid going in the summer because my son has asthma and the heat makes it worse.
My personal favorite time to go is winter, but you have to be mindful of when you look at. Early December is nice because while it's still semi-busy the temps aren't too high (think mid 70s) and we can go to the Christmas Party. We've also gone the last week of January and the mornings/evenings were cold enough we needed our winter coats (coming from PA), but during the day we were in shorts and t-shirts.

We've also been: Mid-May and it POURED the entire trip. September was quieter crowds wise, but it was HOT.

So again, really depends on your preferences.

If you have a wheelchair for your wife I'd definitely bring it or plan to rent one. I saw someone above recommend Scooter Bug and I would agree. They have wheelchairs and a variety of scooters so I would check them out and see what the best fit for her may be.

Disney resort recommendation will really depend on what else you plan on doing. If you're planning a 2 week trip and estimating about $14k in spending, I would suggest one of the moderate resorts at Disney World. I would also suggest splurging for a preferred room so that you're close to the food court, buses, etc. As far as which to choose, I HIGHLY recommend working with a travel agent. The ones in this group don't charge ANYTHING above what Disney would charge you if you booked yourself, but you get use of all of their knowledge and expertise - Disney pays them instead of you doing it. They'll be able to help you figure out which is the best fit for you.

Depending on your vehicle you'll likely spend less than $1000 total round trip on gas (but I'd maybe estimate $1500 to be safe). Staying two nights each way at a hotel will probably run you about $200(ish) per night depending where you stay.
I just picked a random week and chose Sunday-Saturday in a preferred wheelchair accessible room and for 7 days of park tickets you'd be looking at about $4200. Give or take obviously depending on when you go and which resort you choose. I would only suggest planning 4 or 5 park days though. Give yourself some time to relax and also time so that if your wife is having a "bad day" you don't feel like you NEED to go.

I'd suggest planning: 2 Days Magic Kingdom, 1 Day Hollywood Studios, 1 Day Animal Kingdom, and 1-2 Days at Epcot.

If you aren't huge on rides and/or LOVE Harry Potter than I would probably skip Universal. While it's really fun and normally I'd suggest it, most of the rides are on the rough side and there aren't a ton of shows.

I hope that some of this helps.

 

[Eric Graham]

Hey All,

I wanted to introduce myself.
One of the things my Grandma and I always planned to do was go to Disney World. This was after we went to Disney Land back when I was 6 (in 1986). She passed away back in 2008, and the trip never happened.

Well, now that I am in my mid 40s, I am finally able to fully plan out a real trip to Florida and Disney World! YAY!

I am looking to go sometime in 2024. I am not sure about total budget ATM, but I working on a MAX of $1k day for this initial planning phase, including travel from Cali to Florida and back.

I will be taking the trip with my wife, also mid 40s. We have no kids (she is not able). She also have a major medical condition. I don't really want to get into details about it, other than it will make cross-country travel difficult (probably have to do it by car) and she will need special accommodations while in the park (wheel chair - NOTE: She doe not require a chair for day to day tasks, but she is also unable to stand/walk for any length of time. This is assuming she is even able to get out of bad and not having a "bad day".).

I am looking at a 4-7 day stay, with 2-3 day drive each way.

I am sure I am missing some details, but if anything, ask away! And suggestions, please suggest away!

I'm very sorry that you weren't able to fulfill your Disney World trip with your Grandma. That is very sad! I'm so very happy that you can now go on a trip to Disney. I'm sure your Grandma would be so happy for you.. I would advise you to go on the Disney World page and explore the various hotels/restaurant (menus etc) and rides you would like to explore. Disney World hotels offers many budgets from value, moderate to deluxe. See what resort would be a good fit for you. Different people have different choices. You may want to get a Disney Card from Chase that offers you 1 percent on purchases and offers you a flexibility to pay over time of 6 months. They also offer perks like character photos in a couple of the parks. You'll end up making a reservation for dining if you stay on property for 60 days in advance. I believe it's at 5 am during that time, but I may be mistaken about that. There are various festivals throughout the year that might interest you. You can find this information on the Disney World site. They offer fun things like small plates at Epcot, a butterfly house at certain times of the year. Epcot can be kind of fun because you can walk around the world and experience many different cultures. I'm not sure how much travel you have taken in your lives.My favorite park is the Magic Kingdom because I feel oftentimes that this is the Disney experience with the rides and atmosphere that I've grown up to really enjoy. It is very nostalgic to me. I would also read about the Genie app on the Disney World page. Although, it may change at the beginning of next year. I hope this is of some help and will offer future guidance if you need it. Happy travels to you both!