Need Disney World family vacation tips/advice

[CodeRedR51]

Has anyone here taken a large-ish family to Disney World for several days? My family is looking at putting together something for mid to late 2017 for about 5-6 days and I am unsure of where to start. Is it best to book through Disney or through a third party? We know we want to stay in the Animal Kingdom Lodge (yes I know, expensive) and have access to all 4 major parks.

Right now it looks like it'll be 4-6 adults and at least 2-3 kids.

 

[Pupik]

There about a half-dozen unofficial Disney blogs and forums which could be of use. I only say this because they've changed things around a lot over the past five years, and prices have jumped as well (plus, I was used to Florida Resident discounts on Seasonal and Annual Passes).

I think you're essentially stuck buying any vacation resort and ticket packages through Disney. My experience seems to be that you start to see better savings on rooms and tickets (like Park Hopper) by your 5th or 6th day, since not that many people stay that long.

Best bits of advice: Dress light, be comfortable, drink lots of water, apply sunscreen, wear a hat, go early, plan on a 11:30 lunch, be patient, and expect the peak busy times of 2:00pm to about 5:00pm to drag things to a bit of a halt. If you have late hours, make the most of it as it gets dark.

Animal Kingdom's lodge is really cool; there's animals in the center of all the resorts for daytime viewing pleasure and the usual pools and nighttime activities. There's a pricy but really good restaurant downstairs (Sanaa), but the rest of the resort is set far away from everything other than the Animal Kingdom park itself.

I wouldn't waste much time with Disney Springs (aka Downtown Disney), it's a glorified outdoor mall with higher prices. The lack of admission means more riff-raff, but if you're looking for the biggest Disney gift shops, they're right there.

Unless you eat 3500 calories a day, it's hard to come out a ahead on the pre-paid dining plans. Yes, all food is a tad overpriced, but the better fare is actually pretty good and the service is never found wanting. The theory is that you don't count it all up, but if you're frugal and/or dieting, and bring your own snacks and drinks, you'll save more money and not worry about a round of water bottles for the family costing as much as a steak dinner.

 

[Swagger897]

Bring rain gear too when you go.... it's Florida you know..

 

[CodeRedR51]

I think you're essentially stuck buying any vacation resort and ticket packages through Disney. My experience seems to be that you start to see better savings on rooms and tickets (like Park Hopper) by your 5th or 6th day, since not that many people stay that long.

I guess we'll just go through Disney. I looked at the park hopper last night and that's probably the route we will go. Though 6-7 days there sounds like a lot, trying to spread your time through 4 of the Disney parks plus trips to Kennedy Space Center and maybe 1-2 others and you run out of time quickly. So we may have to really sit down and pick out the essentials.

Best bits of advice: Dress light, be comfortable, drink lots of water, apply sunscreen, wear a hat, go early, plan on a 11:30 lunch, be patient, and expect the peak busy times of 2:00pm to about 5:00pm to drag things to a bit of a halt. If you have late hours, make the most of it as it gets dark.

My mom wants to go in October since she works for the public school system and can center the trip over her fall break. I'm hoping the temps will be a little better around that time.

Animal Kingdom's lodge is really cool; there's animals in the center of all the resorts for daytime viewing pleasure and the usual pools and nighttime activities. There's a pricy but really good restaurant downstairs (Sanaa), but the rest of the resort is set far away from everything other than the Animal Kingdom park itself.

Yeah I know all about it, that's where we stayed for the first GT Academy national finals. We actually ate at the African cuisine place around the back. As far as travel, we're hoping we will only need a rental car for the last part of the trip for KSC or other places and can just use the shuttle system while at Disney.

Thanks for the info. After I posted this thread my brother brought up actually going to New York instead so they're trying to figure out what they want to do. I wouldn't mind either place, but for my nephews the choice is obvious. I don't think they would have much fun in New York City.

 

[Wolfe]

If you go anywhere else, consider Universal Studios, it's got some great rides/attractions and is the better park for older kids or adults who want to get in on the fun, IMHO.

 

[wfooshee]

And if you don't bring rain gear, they have flimsy ponchos for only 12 bucks apiece. Maybe 16 by now..... And they run out of them fast.

I can't advise about how to book. We've done big family groups, but most of us are Floridian so we do the resident passes for admission. The in-laws always got the rooms.

They have buses all the time from all of the parks to all of the resorts, so transportation is not an issue. Between EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom, the monorail is the way to go, no question. The bus schedules hardly keep up with everyone coming out at once when it closes, so if you're out of the park then, the wait might be longer than you expect.

Finally, don't expect to even try to keep everyone together all day every day. You'd spend most of the time waiting for the rest of your group to finish what you just came out of, and not everyone wants to do the same stuff. I despise Small World and will not never enter it again as long as I live. I didn't even ride it with my 5-year-old granddaughter! Once in 1971 was more than enough! I could do the Jungle Cruise ten times, though, hokie as it is!

Make dinner reservations if you want to eat together in the evening, and make sure everyone knows when and where. Otherwise let it break up into groups. If nobody wants to see what you want to see, go your way, let them go theirs, and set a place to meet back after.

Do NOT buy a bunch of those family-band radios and expect to be able to keep track of each other. EVERYONE AND THEIR DOGS will have those things, and all attempts at conversation will be heard or interrupted by 30 other families. If you have to communicate, phones are best, but background noise is high throughout the parks, so expect top have trouble hearing. You have to turn the ringers off or you'll be hated, possibly expelled from theater-type attractions, and you might have trouble with just vibrating ringers, not feeling them.

Also, take a look at the things down the road in Kissimmee. Some of those dinner theaters, like Medieval Times, are incredible, with incredible food.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I think what I may have everyone do is write down their top 5 or 10 things they want to see, then we'll compare lists and go to the ones that match up first, then tack on others if we have time.

If you go anywhere else, consider Universal Studios, it's got some great rides/attractions and is the better park for older kids or adults who want to get in on the fun, IMHO.

This is on my list. 👍

 

[Swagger897]

I looked at the park hopper last night and that's probably the route we will go.

Park hopper is definitely the best deal to see a lot of stuff. And +1 on the space center as well... been forever since I've gone...

If you go anywhere else, consider Universal Studios, it's got some great rides/attractions and is the better park for older kids or adults who want to get in on the fun, IMHO.

US is very... very pricey...

 

[TB]

My wife and I have been to Disney World twice, the first time with our two boys and the second with the boys and both our moms, so on par with your 4 adults and 2 kids.

For both trips, we booked everything through Disney - the flights, the rooms, the bus from the airport to the resort, everything. Mostly because it's the easiest way as there's only one check to cut and everything just works. Disney really does have everything down to a science.

As for the "extras" like Park Hopping and dining plans, obviously it's your call but here's my take on it.

Park Hopper - The transfer from one park to another (I believe MK or Epcot to Animal Kingdom) was a huge pain in the ass. Unless we did something colossally wrong, there was no bus that would take you straight from one to the other. You had to be taken to a central terminal and wait for the bus you needed to show up, which for us was at least 30 minutes, plus travel time to and from the terminal. That killed no less than one hour of prime ride time with a 5 and 7 year old. The second time we went, we skipped the Park Hopper and just spent one day at each park. It was SO much better that way.

Dining Plans - Both times we've gone we've done the dining plan, again because it's easy. You cut one check up front and you know that your meals and snacks are covered instead of paying another $20 for a few snacks and $50+ for lunch.

Bring water bottles and if you're not a fan of water, bring something like MiO to flavor it. That $4 bottle of flavoring will last the week and save you tons not buying drinks. We've done that on our last few trips, including the last one to Maui and it's worked beautifully.

I'll second bringing ponchos. If/when it starts raining, they'll be sold out in minutes. Or you'll only get 3 when there's 4 of you and your wife will have to take your camera backpack and you'll be soaking wet by the time you're at the car/bus/vehicle.

I will also second Universal Studios. For me and my boys, it was WAY better than Disney World. The rides were right up our alley. The only downside was my wife got food poisioning when we ate at Krusty Burger, but that's because she had a salad.

One does not make friends with salad.

 

[Pupik]

October

Not a bad time of year to visit - it still gets warm (or hot, but you're from Arizona, so not that hot) and there's usually less chance of rain, and thus, less humidity.

I'm also not a fan of the busses; while it saves you the trouble of parking and catching a 5-minute tram, I can get to the parks faster overall. I've never waited more than 5 minutes for a tram. The busses always seem to take 15-20 minutes to arrive, and they're never in a hurry. If you do park, do yourself a favor and take a picture of the lot name and number. Remembering that you were in Aladdin 64 sounds easy enough, but it's easy to forget. In short, we take the kids on the bus or monorail once each for the novelty factor, and that's it.

While not as busy as summer, there's still plenty of tourists. While tour groups do swamp rides and attractions sometimes, I notice they also tend to have lots of downtime where they are figuring out what to do next. And that's a big advantage of having 5-7 days to go; there's no rush to pack every last second in or be wistful about missing something on the first few days. Although Lights, Motors, Action! is going away after April 2nd, 2016.

Universal Studios is worth 2 days if you like rides. Maybe 1 1/2, if you skip the kiddie stuff.

Medieval Times is fun - pricey but fun.

Take in an airboat ride and see some alligators. Do not taunt happy fun gator.

Take half day at a pool and do nothing.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

Try and visit toward the end of the year. Epcot usually has a food and wine festival. Great excuse to drink
Plus the Halloween and Xmas celebrations are very very well planned and put together.

 

[Swagger897]

Pontoon boat ride in the lagoon and putting around at downtown is also pretty fun... If you're into that.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

Also to make the most of the waterparks, plan your trip around the time they're both open. There are times during the year one is closed for refurbishment.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Also to make the most of the waterparks, plan your trip around the time they're both open. There are times during the year one is closed for refurbishment.

I don't think we'll be visiting the water parks.

Thanks everyone for the replies, I will respond when I get home from work and have more time to do so.

 

[PureAlpha1206]

Everyone has given great advice for you! I live in the Orlando area and you should prepare yourself for it to be busy no matter what time of the year you go... BUT, going around October or November will probably be your best bet.

I tried to skim through what everyone else said, and didn't notice anyone mention the fast pass (sorry if this is repeat info). Fast Pass has changed very much over the past few years and you must now reserve certain times for certain rides on your smartphone, otherwise you'll deal with the regular long lines. FastPass is very irritating imo, as you have to choose kind of what they give you.

If you can, use FastPass on the newer and more popular rides where the lines are an hour and half or more.

Last thing, there is a Disney World App you should download. It's available on all smartphones, but it will tell you the estimated current wait times for each ride/attraction and also when mascots are out etc.

Most important, just enjoy!

 

[PARAGON GT]

If I were to suggest one thing to do ... give your self 1 day to rest and recover somewhere in the middle of the trip.

Go shopping ... let the wife go to the spa ... go golfing or even just sit by the pool all day. Do something where you aren't running around with a group of people or waiting in lines. It really does help keep the trip fresh.

Walking around the parks really does wear you down more than you realize. Last year we did 4 straight days at the parks and I could tell that on that 4th day that my wife and kids were just spent and no one really cared that we were even there.

 

[Pupik]

I tried to skim through what everyone else said, and didn't notice anyone mention the fast pass (sorry if this is repeat info). Fast Pass has changed very much over the past few years and you must now reserve certain times for certain rides on your smartphone, otherwise you'll deal with the regular long lines. FastPass is very irritating imo, as you have to choose kind of what they give you.

If you can, use FastPass on the newer and more popular rides where the lines are an hour and half or more.

We found this out recently, and from experience, don't waste the FastPasses early on, unless you prefer to arrive at noon. If you go to Epcot or Magic Kingdom at opening (9am is standard, 8am for DVC and some resorts), you can knock out a few rides with much shorter lines by 10:30am. Then, you can time the FastPasses for later in the day when Space Mountain or Test Track or Toy Story hits max waiting times of 75-90 minutes. And then chill out in Carousel of Progress for A/C and a short line and some relative quiet at around 3pm.

Next month, I'll try out the Magic Band process for the first time; it's kind of like the old A-Through-E ticket system they used until the early-90s. You use the limited number of Passes, but across the family, we set it up so people who don't like one ride can borrow bracelets and do something else. It's a trick, and if you schedule it right, it works (I guess after a dozen visits, you kind of know how far something is from another attraction).

 

[Driving Park]

I'm convinced Space Mountain is a different ride for FastPass users. Last time I went (I've been many times, as I used to live in Florida), I went on it several times, mostly in the normal line because it was at a low hour so there wasn't a long line. But the one time it was and I went in the FastPass entrance, the line room was mirrored from what the normal line was and I'm convinced the ride itself was different and shorter. I don't think I was hallucinating, but it was summer in Florida so I might have been.

If you want a quick break from the heat and walking while in Magic Kingdom, get on the Transit Authority in Tomorrowland. It's got lots of covered areas for shade and cool air, and you can just sit and chill.

Maximum fun in the teacups is attained if you have a couple of your buddies with you and you spin the wheel as fast as humanly possible. Having at least 2 (ideally 3) with you is essential so that a) you can go faster and b) you won't get dizzy at all because you can focus on the nose of the person opposite you.

If you go to Epcot, if you've already seen the fireworks and laser light show in the evening it's prime time to hit all the big rides like Test Track and Mission: Space (or whatever they call it now). I was able to get on over and over again without having to wait for a single person. That said, if you haven't already seen the show in the center lake it's the coolest part of Epcot (in my opinion).

Medieval Times is the best.

If you take an airboat ride as @Pupik suggested, be sure to try some alligator if they offer it to you! It's delicious.

MGM (I guess they call it Hollywood Studios now) doesn't have a lot, but it has Rockin' Roller Coaster and I enjoyed the Indiana Jones show they had going on when I was there last so much that I saw it twice in a row. Also, Pizza Planet.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

A lot of great advice already covered in here. Food, drinks, and parking will kill you financially at the park. Especially parking (I believe parking was about $18-$25 per car, per day. So if you can get package deals that cover the cost of those up front, take those deals. Some places also offer special cups that you can refill for much cheaper than buying individual drinks. Also be prepared for some long wait times for rides at Disney World. You said October so it shouldn't be too bad. Most important, MAKE SURE YOU WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!!!! Very important because you will be walking and standing a LOT. Good luck. Hopefully the weather cooperates and you have a great time. 👍

 

[Akmuq]

Went to Orlando once, enjoyed Universal Studios way more than Disney to be honest, would highly recommend it, although I wouldn't be surprised if both places have changed a lot in the 6 years since I've been.

 

[PureAlpha1206]

Went to Orlando once, enjoyed Universal Studios way more than Disney to be honest, would highly recommend it, although I wouldn't be surprised if both places have changed a lot in the 6 years since I've been.

I think both are great tbh. The difference is that Disney is more family and kid oriented, as to where Universal has more adult rides and extreme roller coasters and simulators. Really kind of a preference thing...

 

[CodeRedR51]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Too many to reply to completely, so I'll just answer a few.

Park Hopper - The transfer from one park to another (I believe MK or Epcot to Animal Kingdom) was a huge pain in the ass. Unless we did something colossally wrong, there was no bus that would take you straight from one to the other. You had to be taken to a central terminal and wait for the bus you needed to show up, which for us was at least 30 minutes, plus travel time to and from the terminal. That killed no less than one hour of prime ride time with a 5 and 7 year old. The second time we went, we skipped the Park Hopper and just spent one day at each park. It was SO much better that way.

Thanks for this, now I think we will pass on it. I'm thinking we will also skip using the shuttle system which sucks because we'll have to rent a car and pay for parking, but it might just be worth it to avoid missing so much time between activities.

Last thing, there is a Disney World App you should download. It's available on all smartphones, but it will tell you the estimated current wait times for each ride/attraction and also when mascots are out etc.

Awesome, thanks!

If I were to suggest one thing to do ... give your self 1 day to rest and recover somewhere in the middle of the trip.

Yeah, I think a hang around the hotel and/or pool for a day should be in order. And the more I read from you guys the more I think this trip should be more about checking out things in the area and less about Disney World in particular.

Go shopping ... let the wife go to the spa ...

No wife.

Went to Orlando once, enjoyed Universal Studios way more than Disney to be honest, would highly recommend it, although I wouldn't be surprised if both places have changed a lot in the 6 years since I've been.

I'm mainly thinking about my nephews when it comes to Disney World, but I am sure us adults would love Universal Studios more. Though as I said above, we may not even spend a lot of time there and will probably focus on the essentials. I think a couple days at Disney, a day or two at Universal, and then random stuff around the area for the rest of the time will be good enough.

👍

 

[Pupik]

If you stay at the Disney World Resorts, you won't have to pay for parking. You can technically park at most any resort or place at WDW. This excludes the "Good Neighbor" hotels which might offer off-site transportation, but pick up and drop off at weird and sometimes inconvenient locations (if you have kids or large groups).

So you'll pay an extra 15-20 for parking per day if you stay off-site, but that's washed out by the $30-100 more you'd pay per day for the WDW hotels/resorts (which also have other perks). Also, if you watch every penny, the hotels will comp you breakfast...good luck getting that with Disney World; heck, free Wi-Fi at their hotels only came about a few years ago. There's hundreds of restaurants around the Orlando area, so there's no shortage of that.

Be aware that most exits around the I-4 corridor near the theme parks get backed up massively during the hours of 7am-7pm. There's loads of other folks trying to go places, and they're just as unsure where to go as well. Florida's wide road designs are also a tad unfriendly for crosswalks, and drivers aren't exactly the most competent nor patient at spotting and legally waiting for pedestrians.

 

[wfooshee]

I second the motion of driving and parking if you park hop, rather than using the buses, but between MK and EPCOT the monorail is better, other than having to return just to get the car(s). Giving up the park hop just doesn't do it for me. I might want to spend the day at EPCOT and see the night show at Magic Kingdom. (BTW, personally I despise the night show at EPCOT! Some cool stuff, but also an awful lot of dead time while that globie-Earth thingie barge gets moved out to the middle of the lake. Boring.....)

With the monorail, you can also ride the one that stops at the resort hotels, get out for dinner or just to wonder around and tourist. You can go. They're not going to throw you out!

 

[Omnis]

Don't book through hotwire or stay at any of the floridian hotels. They bait and switch you and make you stay in a roach crack house of a hotel. And then hotwire can't do anything to help you because they're incompetent. The last time I was in Orlando I was trying to get another hotel at 7pm. After being on the phone for 4 hours, they finally refunded me but wouldn't help me find another place. By then everything else was full for the night, so I got pissed and drove home all through the night. Ruined my vacation.

 

[Danoff]

Maybe check out ordeal kingdom:

http://www.theonion.com/article/disney-world-opens-new-ordeal-kingdom-family-meltd-52230

 

[Pupik]

Maybe check out ordeal kingdom:

http://www.theonion.com/article/disney-world-opens-new-ordeal-kingdom-family-meltd-52230

Pretty much how I feel after an eight-hour airport delay and then going to the 'Kingdom the following day.

 

[WhoosierGirl]

A couple recommendations from a Disneyaholic,

Staying at the Animal Kingdom you should definitely take advantage of the extended hours for on-grounds guests.
October is still going to be high humidity and the Florida heat will take it's toll on a week long vacation, planning around the larger crowds and weather (afternoon rain) will make your vacation so much more enjoyable.


Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios all have extra evening hours, you can so more in those two hours than six hours during the day. Also if your vacation is during Halloween absolutely make time for Mickey’s annual Halloween spooktacular.

Animal Kingdom has early start hours and you can get a jump on the crowds for the must do rides.
If you have young girls in the party, plan a breakfast with the princess's at Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom's Castle, they will love it.

Wanyama Safari and Dinner at Animal Kingdom is wonderful and relaxing, Rainforest Cafe' is enjoyable also for a meal if you want a break from the resort restaurants.

My plan for Disney is always park in the morning, pool in the afternoon and back to the park for the evening. Watching the firework shows and then doing the evening hours as the masses leave the park is so nice.

Kennedy Space Center will take up an entire day and is better to do on a weekday.

Sunscreen!!! Sunscreen!!! Sunscreen!!!

 

[Danoff]

@WhoosierGirl

You're addicted to Disneyahol?

 

[WhoosierGirl]

@Danoff

It's the happiest place on earth, lol. I first started going while competing in gymnastic and softball tournaments back in college, fell in love with the place. Now that I'm living in Florida I get as much use as I can out of my annual resident pass. My personal record was 37 days attended back in 2009, the most attended that year was 71 days by a Japanese couple, lol.