DisneyWorld newbie

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Discussion

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

211 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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I'm also looking into going in April next year. Probably a 2 centre break with a beach resort for a week. What are the thoughts on Sarasota or St Petersburg?

aka_kerrly

12,415 posts

209 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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Hang on, to do Disney 'properly' especially with young kids why not stay in a Disney hotel?

I have tried the 'All Star resort' & 'Dixie landings - which I think is called 'Port Orleans' now and stayed in the Downtown Disney resort and always gone all inclusive.

I appreciate it is difficult to take a child out of school on holiday during term time ( in less your name is Jeremy Forrest) but some of the deals Virgin are doing with free passes to all the Disney Parks included, free dining and other perks do make these packages rather attractive.

Also consider that you don't really need a car in Florida if you are mainly interested in theme parks as nearly all the major hotels offer shuttle buses to Disney/Universal/Sea World etc etc.

pherlopolus

2,087 posts

157 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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If you just want to do Disney, then a Disney hotel would be fine...

Countdown

Original Poster:

39,686 posts

195 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Sorry yes – perhaps I should have made that clearer. As it’s the first time and there seems to be shedloads to do just at Disney, I was thinking about a resort hotel (on the grounds that it would be easier to stay on site).. But nobody mentioned it so I thought I was missing something.

So – anybody recommend a resort for 4 kids aged between 6 and 21? Youngest 2 love Disney cartoons (princesses, mermaids etc), teenage son likes things that go fast, and eldest won’t be particularly bothered,

Cheers thumbup

pherlopolus

2,087 posts

157 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Sorry yes – perhaps I should have made that clearer. As it’s the first time and there seems to be shedloads to do just at Disney, I was thinking about a resort hotel (on the grounds that it would be easier to stay on site).. But nobody mentioned it so I thought I was missing something.

So – anybody recommend a resort for 4 kids aged between 6 and 21? Youngest 2 love Disney cartoons (princesses, mermaids etc), teenage son likes things that go fast, and eldest won’t be particularly bothered,

Cheers thumbup
now dont get me wrong, but we tend to do disneyland paris - gives better access to cast etc.

But you also dont get epcot and all the other stuff though.

EPcot is a good 2 days and an evening for the fireworks, Ditto Disneyworld, Animal Kingdom a day, couple of water parks and a studio visit (or 2)

thats 10 days if you have a rest day or 2, then you have the Boardwalk/Shopping etc.

and you have to do sea world!

In all honestly you could go for a month and still not get bored!

How old are your kids? in to harry potter?

Deva Link

26,934 posts

244 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Sorry yes – perhaps I should have made that clearer. As it’s the first time and there seems to be shedloads to do just at Disney, I was thinking about a resort hotel (on the grounds that it would be easier to stay on site).. But nobody mentioned it so I thought I was missing something.

So – anybody recommend a resort for 4 kids aged between 6 and 21? Youngest 2 love Disney cartoons (princesses, mermaids etc), teenage son likes things that go fast, and eldest won’t be particularly bothered,
Someone else mentioned The Dibb earlier and I suggest you search / ask on there for guidance. I've been to Disneyworld probably 20 times but with two kids (girls) who are within a couple of years of each other and I honestly wouldn't know what to recommend to you for the best.

I will say that we've stayed in villas and off-site hotels but for our last few trips we've stayed in Disney resort hotels (and we have a villa in the family we could use free) - it really does change the holiday. With a car (we always have one for the whole holiday) you can do other things and it doesn't feel like you're trapped.

You could have a look at resorts like Old Key West and Saratoga Springs for apartments with multi-bedrooms. I haven't looked at 2013 rates but these are rated Deluxe by Disney but for the last few years Disney has done rooms here in the summer for similar prices to the moderate hotels - but with the major benefit that they include the standard Disney Dining package free (the moderate hotels offer the quick service dining package, which means 2 weeks of fast food unless you upgrade it).

Both those resorts offer easy access to DownTownDisney which is handy.

If your kids are picky eaters though then a resort with a food court might be better - I'm not sure where you could get room for 6 and a food court though. (They probably exist, I just don't know).

The other thing I would stress is not to skimp on park tickets, especially Disney - if you're going for 14 days then get 14 day Ultimate ticket. The main thing is they allow you to come and go without worrying about wasting a day if it rains or you only feel like staying for a couple of hours. You can move btween parks too, including the water parks.


We always book it all separately - I know you said you wanted less hassle, but it's probably more hassle having to deal with a tour operator. I guess you could book the whole thing through WDW UK. We use them for accommodation and tickets, Virgin for flights from MAN to MCO and vary a bit with the car, but used Hertz the last couple of times. Book the car in the UK for an all-inclusive rate - if you get a car as part of a package holiday you'll find the essential add-on insurances will total as much as a car booked independantly.

NB: If you do book everything independently, make sure your travel insurance gives adequate cover for independent arrangement - most assume you'll be on a package holiday.

aka_kerrly

12,415 posts

209 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
pherlopolus said:
now dont get me wrong, but we tend to do disneyland paris - gives better access to cast etc.

But you also dont get epcot and all the other stuff though.
I completely disagree. There is only one ride at Euro Disney which is better than the equivalent at Disney World - Space Mountain. In all other areas the Paris Disney cannot be compared to the PROPER experience that Disney Florida delivers, literally everything is on a larger scale, you really do get more bang for your buck!

OP: Your kids have a pretty good age range where there are attractions for everyone!!!! Don't forget that in between the Disney parks you also get the water parks - blizzard beach and typhoon lagoon - also very good days out.

I've stayed in the All Star resort and Dixie Landings - which is Old Orleans now. Both were great fun, the All Star hotel is the 'cheaper' version but is rammed full of Disney characters so character breakfasts were easy to book.


LuS1fer

41,082 posts

244 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Deva Link said:
NB: If you do book everything independently, make sure your travel insurance gives adequate cover for independent arrangement - most assume you'll be on a package holiday.
I'm certain they don't assume anything. They have financial limits for claims and that is it.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

244 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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LuS1fer said:
Deva Link said:
NB: If you do book everything independently, make sure your travel insurance gives adequate cover for independent arrangement - most assume you'll be on a package holiday.
I'm certain they don't assume anything. They have financial limits for claims and that is it.
I'm not going to derail the thread by a discussion about it, but the ash cloud a couple of years highlighted limitations in the scope (not the finanacial limits) of cover that had never occurred to many people.

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Original Poster:

39,686 posts

195 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
pherlopolus said:
now dont get me wrong, but we tend to do disneyland paris - gives better access to cast etc.
Problem is I think you need to spend £5-600 to have a good time at DP. I thought I might as well go the whole hog and go to Orlando (assuming it would be £1k each. I realise now that it's a bit more but tbh I'm sure the experience will be worth it smile

pherlopolus said:
EPcot is a good 2 days and an evening for the fireworks, Ditto Disneyworld, Animal Kingdom a day, couple of water parks and a studio visit (or 2)

thats 10 days if you have a rest day or 2, then you have the Boardwalk/Shopping etc.

and you have to do sea world!

In all honestly you could go for a month and still not get bored!
yes Therein lies the problem. I'd always assumed that DW was like Alton Towers but a bit bigger. It's probably 10 times as big eek

pherlopolus said:
How old are your kids? in to harry potter?
Not really into HP. They're 21F/13M/10F/6F.

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Original Poster:

39,686 posts

195 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
aka_kerrly said:
I completely disagree. There is only one ride at Euro Disney which is better than the equivalent at Disney World - Space Mountain. In all other areas the Paris Disney cannot be compared to the PROPER experience that Disney Florida delivers, literally everything is on a larger scale, you really do get more bang for your buck!

OP: Your kids have a pretty good age range where there are attractions for everyone!!!! Don't forget that in between the Disney parks you also get the water parks - blizzard beach and typhoon lagoon - also very good days out.

I've stayed in the All Star resort and Dixie Landings - which is Old Orleans now. Both were great fun, the All Star hotel is the 'cheaper' version but is rammed full of Disney characters so character breakfasts were easy to book.
Cheers thumbup

Countdown

Original Poster:

39,686 posts

195 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Right folks - I need to do this in chronological order. Step 1 - what's the best time to go? My options are;

Go 1 week before Easter (for 2 weeks)
Go summer half term plus 1 week after
Last two weeks in August

I need
minimum queuing
reasonable weather (we're OK up to 30'C)

Thanks again - I didn't realise how much choice there was.

Crafty_

13,248 posts

199 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Last two weeks in August, edging in to September if you can with school holidays etc.

ChrisBMW

328 posts

147 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Disney won't be the thing for older kids, all the bigger roller coaster rides are in universal/islands of adventures and bush gardens.

You can if you choose to spend all your time in Disney but I think it would be the wrong thing to do, the other parks are much better and limiting yourselves to Disney would mean that you miss out on a lot of great things

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Crafty_ said:
Last two weeks in August, edging in to September if you can with school holidays etc.
Rains a hell of a lot at that time of year, of course - by a lot I mean daily.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

244 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Go 1 week before Easter (for 2 weeks)
Easter is DisneyWorld's busiest time of year. The parks close sometimes due to reaching maximum capacity.

My daughter went last 2 wks of Aug last year as her new husband is a teacher - she's always been in April/May or October with us before and said it was very hot, but not as bad as she feared.

It can be very busy almost anytime, as Disney actively markets to groups to fill quiet periods. Just after Easter used to be good, but they now have multiple whole schools visiting at that time and they swamp the place.

98elise

26,366 posts

160 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Crafty_ said:
Last two weeks in August, edging in to September if you can with school holidays etc.
Rains a hell of a lot at that time of year, of course - by a lot I mean daily.
This, we were there this year for the last two weeks in August, and it stormed most days, late afternoon. We've been about 5 times now, and its the most rain I've seen.

We normaly go either May or late September, which is the best time for weather. Not too hot, and not much rain.

pherlopolus

2,087 posts

157 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
aka_kerrly said:
I completely disagree. There is only one ride at Euro Disney which is better than the equivalent at Disney World - Space Mountain. In all other areas the Paris Disney cannot be compared to the PROPER experience that Disney Florida delivers, literally everything is on a larger scale, you really do get more bang for your buck!

OP: Your kids have a pretty good age range where there are attractions for everyone!!!! Don't forget that in between the Disney parks you also get the water parks - blizzard beach and typhoon lagoon - also very good days out.

I've stayed in the All Star resort and Dixie Landings - which is Old Orleans now. Both were great fun, the All Star hotel is the 'cheaper' version but is rammed full of Disney characters so character breakfasts were easy to book.
I guess its a personal thing, but in Disney Paris there was much shorter queue's to see characters etc,

I'm not saying Florida isn't special, because it really is, and as long as you don't mindpaying for (really very excellent) tea parties you will have an excellent time and all the character face time you could ever wish for, but for general round the park character access Paris seemed to be better...

Last year we only did 1 day in a Disneyworld and felt it was enough, probably because we had had a trip to Paris the year before, but the we are harry potter fans (and Seuss), and could quite happily live in sea world so that was the plan...

You have to remember we tend to go bat the busiest time of the year too so that might have been an impact


LuS1fer

41,082 posts

244 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
98elise said:
This, we were there this year for the last two weeks in August, and it stormed most days, late afternoon. We've been about 5 times now, and its the most rain I've seen.

We normaly go either May or late September, which is the best time for weather. Not too hot, and not much rain.
Yep, definitely April/May. Never seen a drop of rain when we've been and the weather is ideal. Only downside is the splattered lovebugs stuck all over the car.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

244 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
98elise said:
This, we were there this year for the last two weeks in August, and it stormed most days, late afternoon. We've been about 5 times now, and its the most rain I've seen.

We normaly go either May or late September, which is the best time for weather. Not too hot, and not much rain.
Yep, definitely April/May. Never seen a drop of rain when we've been and the weather is ideal. Only downside is the splattered lovebugs stuck all over the car.
A bit wider than that is better for avoiding rain - April or October. We went in May one year and it rained for 3 days - not 3 days of hour long showers, but 3 days non-stop! Sept has had plenty of hurricanes in the past.

It's still plenty warm enough in October - the forecast for the next few days is 30C every day.

Edited by Deva Link on Wednesday 10th October 09:08