[kv0304]

hi everyone! I am new here! I have a couple of questions for the Disney experts...

I was looking at the Disney MYW vacation packages and I really liked the premium one where I can get the tix w/ park hopper, plus pack, and no expiration options, and also get the dining experience. However, I don't really care much for their value resorts, which seem to even be above my nightly hotel budget. I actually would like to stay at Coronado Springs Resort because it's beautiful on the outside but I've seen pictures of the rooms and I'm not really thrilled with those either (not to mention the crazy expensive prices). My problem is that I want to stay at a Disney resort for the extra benefits such as the Extra Magic Hour and easy transportation to/from the parks but they seem to be so very expensive! I am an unemployed stay at home mom functioning on the income of my fiance, but his birthday is coming up and he's NEVER been to Disney so I wanted to take him and our kids for a surprise. I have a little money saved up but it doesn't seem to be enough because of the costs of the attractions. SO - (sorry this is getting long-winded) my questions are:

1) Has anyone stayed at a Disney value resort and which one would you recommend? Are their rooms better looking than the CSR? I think I'd rather like to stay at the All Star Movie rather than the All Star Music or Sports... Is it worth it (regarding the extra magic hour) to stay at a Disney resort or should I stay at another hotel and have the same experience but save money?

2) Does anyone know if I can purchase a dining plan without staying at a Disney resort? I am not going to be buying annual passes (so can't get any disounts related to that) because I live in Atlanta, which is why I want the no expiration tix... Any tips or hints or "secrets" to meals and prices (what I can expect to pay for 2 adults for 8 days - our kids are 2 and 1 so they will eat off our plates), and discounts would be greatly appreciated!

3) I was thinking of the Holiday Inn Nikki Bird Resort because they offer a neat little kid suite for - the cheapest I've found! - only $89/night... has anyone stayed at this hotel before?

4) Where can I get the best deal on the MYW 10-day Premium No Expiration tickets? The cheapest I found is $362 including tax (per adult - our kids get in free! woo hoo!)... anyone know how to beat that?

5) Since my kids are so young....will they even enjoy this experience? Or am I getting in too deep over my head trying to take them to Disney at such a young age? I have found a website that gives a breakdown of the best rides for little ones about their height, so it might not be so bad, but what about me and my fiance? Will WE have fun? This is for HIS birthday...I want him to have fun too! I heard about the Child Swap at rides, and the FastPass seems like it will help cut back on any drama we might experience by two toddlers being kept still in a long waiting line...

6) One thing that sucks is that my 2 yr old and 1 yr old can't go to any of the child care centers in any of the hotels because they aren't potty-trained (and they all say they have to be 4 yrs old anyway)...but has anyone heard of and used the Kid's Nite Out for in-room childcare? Anyone know how much that costs? Are those nannies trustworthy? Would they go through our stuff?

7) Has anyone ever been to The Holy Land Experience? I have only seen it on ONE website... is it just another attraction in Orlando to see/do or is it a part of Disney?

Thank you soo much for taking the time to read this and respond to it! I really really need help creating this trip so it will be fun and memorable for all of us, but without breaking me. I don't want my fiance to have to pay very much out of pocket...I want to at least have the hotel and attractions covered and meals if possible to get a dining package without being a Disney resort guest and buying their package. Any tips as to daily agendas like what to see 1st or what parks to go to 1st would be a great help! I want this trip to be fun for the kids (rides during the day) and fun for me and my fiance (or romantic) too. I've read about lots of parades or fireworks shows that I can't keep them all straight! I want to do it all but I know that won't be possible with a 2 and 1 yr old and on 8 days/7 nights. I also wanted to take him to the Holy Land Experience and the kids to Sea World and Universal during our stay. Can Universal be "done" in 1 day? I don't think Adventure Island would be suitable for our young kids...would it? I mean, Disney has enough rides for them, right?

Thank you sooo much for any and all help... feel free to e-mail me with answers and suggestions/comments to candles_consultant@yahoo.com

Have a blessed day and look forward to your responses!!!

[kv0304]

I forgot to ask...since I want to go to Universal and Sea World... should I cut my stay in 1/2 and move from a hotel near Disney to one closer to Universal? Or would that be a bigger hassle than just driving in the car to and from Universal/Sea World from our Disney area hotel? How far is the drive?

[queensmama]

1. This is my first year staying onsite and we are going all out at a deluxe so I can not recommend a value to you, though I hear only good things about all Disney resorts.
2. It is my undertanding that the dining plan must be purchased as part of the MYW package.
3. Never been to this hotel, but I have stayed at Fairfield Inn Lake Buena Vista paid $46 a night and it was a great hotel.
4. Seems to be a good price. Check out mousesavers.com for other deals.
5. You will get an overwhelming response at this site that your children are never to young to play at WDW. And you can never be to old. Your vacation will be fun if you make it that way.
6. I would feel safe knowing that these are screened and approved. That is something you would have to check into with whatever company you use.
7. Nope sorry.
8. You will be fine staying close to WDW the entire time if that is what you choose. The drive is short about 15 minutes.

Now as for your vacation have you gotten a price quote from our own Mickey at Mouseketrips. He is great at planning it for you and he always gets the best price, if he finds it better he lowers it. They have plenty of rave reviews so you may wanna check with them if you really wanna stay onsite.
Have fun and let us know what you decide.

[EmpressJenny]

My little cousin Shane has been going to WDW since he was a baby and you can see the look in his little face when he's there, so no, I don't think your kids are too young.

[gatour]

A possible option maybe the Hilton in Downtown Disney. For all practical purposes it almost like a Disney-owned hotel in regards to perks (like early entry etc). The weekend before last we stayed there for $99 a night and is definetly a step above the value resorts. The rates can fluctuate widely so you would obviously see how much they are for when you are planning to go.

[MissDisney]

Your kids are a great age! The CMs are very skilled at interacting with little ones of all ages! They are going to love, love, love the parades! And the Characters! And if they can stay up late enough for the fireworks, they will love those too!

Helpful hint: Make sure you plan on plenty of "down time" with them at the parks, and even back at the hotel. My babies got a lot more out of the parks wif we went from 9-12 and then back again from 3-7 or so. In between, we would go to the hotel and swin or hang out in the room trying to nap!

If you need a rest at the parks, lay out a blanket on a little grassy patch and sit them down with a cookie... even a half hour of relaxation can recharge their batteries, if they are like my kids!

Also, take a stroller for two! One of those cheap folding double-wide kind, so you can roll them all the way out into the parking lot or to the busses! Plus, they are easy to recognize at the parks!

[MissDisney]

I wanted to double-emphasize the importance of taking the umbrella stroller... a Disney hotel can be vast... you may have a fair walk ahead of you to get to the room. The parks, too... You will be much more relaxed if you aren't trying to juggle tired kids, the last half of a Mickey bar, and a couple of bags of souvenirs at the end of the day... all the bags hang on the handles, the kids are comfy in the seats, and you are only pushing instead of carrying!

You are about to have the greatest vacation ever! Take PICTURES!!! You will treasure the pics forever!

[cinderbella]

Originally Posted by kv0304

hi everyone! I am new here! I have a couple of questions for the Disney experts...

I was looking at the Disney MYW vacation packages and I really liked the premium one where I can get the tix w/ park hopper, plus pack, and no expiration options, and also get the dining experience. However, I don't really care much for their value resorts, which seem to even be above my nightly hotel budget. I actually would like to stay at Coronado Springs Resort because it's beautiful on the outside but I've seen pictures of the rooms and I'm not really thrilled with those either (not to mention the crazy expensive prices). My problem is that I want to stay at a Disney resort for the extra benefits such as the Extra Magic Hour and easy transportation to/from the parks but they seem to be so very expensive! I am an unemployed stay at home mom functioning on the income of my fiance, but his birthday is coming up and he's NEVER been to Disney so I wanted to take him and our kids for a surprise. I have a little money saved up but it doesn't seem to be enough because of the costs of the attractions. SO - (sorry this is getting long-winded) my questions are:

1) Has anyone stayed at a Disney value resort and which one would you recommend? Are their rooms better looking than the CSR? I think I'd rather like to stay at the All Star Movie rather than the All Star Music or Sports... Is it worth it (regarding the extra magic hour) to stay at a Disney resort or should I stay at another hotel and have the same experience but save money?

2) Does anyone know if I can purchase a dining plan without staying at a Disney resort? I am not going to be buying annual passes (so can't get any disounts related to that) because I live in Atlanta, which is why I want the no expiration tix... Any tips or hints or "secrets" to meals and prices (what I can expect to pay for 2 adults for 8 days - our kids are 2 and 1 so they will eat off our plates), and discounts would be greatly appreciated!

3) I was thinking of the Holiday Inn Nikki Bird Resort because they offer a neat little kid suite for - the cheapest I've found! - only $89/night... has anyone stayed at this hotel before?

4) Where can I get the best deal on the MYW 10-day Premium No Expiration tickets? The cheapest I found is $362 including tax (per adult - our kids get in free! woo hoo!)... anyone know how to beat that?

5) Since my kids are so young....will they even enjoy this experience? Or am I getting in too deep over my head trying to take them to Disney at such a young age? I have found a website that gives a breakdown of the best rides for little ones about their height, so it might not be so bad, but what about me and my fiance? Will WE have fun? This is for HIS birthday...I want him to have fun too! I heard about the Child Swap at rides, and the FastPass seems like it will help cut back on any drama we might experience by two toddlers being kept still in a long waiting line...

6) One thing that sucks is that my 2 yr old and 1 yr old can't go to any of the child care centers in any of the hotels because they aren't potty-trained (and they all say they have to be 4 yrs old anyway)...but has anyone heard of and used the Kid's Nite Out for in-room childcare? Anyone know how much that costs? Are those nannies trustworthy? Would they go through our stuff?

7) Has anyone ever been to The Holy Land Experience? I have only seen it on ONE website... is it just another attraction in Orlando to see/do or is it a part of Disney?

Thank you soo much for taking the time to read this and respond to it! I really really need help creating this trip so it will be fun and memorable for all of us, but without breaking me. I don't want my fiance to have to pay very much out of pocket...I want to at least have the hotel and attractions covered and meals if possible to get a dining package without being a Disney resort guest and buying their package. Any tips as to daily agendas like what to see 1st or what parks to go to 1st would be a great help! I want this trip to be fun for the kids (rides during the day) and fun for me and my fiance (or romantic) too. I've read about lots of parades or fireworks shows that I can't keep them all straight! I want to do it all but I know that won't be possible with a 2 and 1 yr old and on 8 days/7 nights. I also wanted to take him to the Holy Land Experience and the kids to Sea World and Universal during our stay. Can Universal be "done" in 1 day? I don't think Adventure Island would be suitable for our young kids...would it? I mean, Disney has enough rides for them, right?

Thank you sooo much for any and all help... feel free to e-mail me with answers and suggestions/comments to candles_consultant@yahoo.com

Have a blessed day and look forward to your responses!!!

Okay here are my answers..
Stay on-site.....no matter what you won't regret it...esp. if you're on a fixed income we've found that the gas we save by not driving from park to park everyday makes up for the cost of the room. PLUS if you do stay at a hotel near by that has shuttle service..most of the time those are just a mess. My advice, stay at POP Century. It is a great value and MUCH nicer than the ALL Stars because it is newer!
I have done the add on dining plan and I dont reccommend it to someone who is on a budget because we just broke even...and we ate A LOT...and i mean A LOT of food. 10 times more than what we would have normally eaten without it! I have heard of the Holy Land experience, but never seen it. If your in Orlando...i'd recommend to just do disney, or maybe a day or two of universal...the holy land experience just dosnt match disney..sorry jesus..

[cinderbella]

And the drive from Universal to Disney is about 20 minutes on a good day

[talyea]

We have stayed at a couple different WDW Resorts including the Coronado Springs. The last two time we have been we stayed at the Pop Century and had nothing but great things to say about it. I also agree with Cinderbella's comment about "saving gas". When we park the car - we never get in it again until we check out. I have a 3yr old and 4yr old and the also enjoy this hotel. From playing Twister in the 70's building, walking around the lake, deciding which pool to swim in today, or just sitting in the lobby and watching the movies, there is always something you can find to amuse the little ones. I was not as impressed with the Coronado Springs - it seemed to be designed more for company's that held meetings on the property. There is a beautiful lake and pool, but we did not find much more than that. And the rooms are about the same size with the same features - just different colors. We will be back at the PC for a 3rd time at the end of the month.

We have also been traveling to WDW since I was preg with 2nd child. We have always found ways to enjoy it. When the children were younger I will admit that there were things that we wanted to do that we had to pass on. However, looking back, we remember how much fun the girls did have and the shows and parades that they enjoyed, not what we did not get to ride. You can usually find a playground in the parks - Toontown @ MGM and a Bugs Life I think was at MGM.

[ddoll]

My advice would be to hook up with a Disney travel agent and let them book your vacation for you. They'll find the best deal for you. Packages usually aren't the best way to go, even though they're getting to be better deals than they used to.

If you're going to be spending a lot of time off Disney property, have you looked into renting a pool villa near Disney? They can be a great value as well as having lots of amenities.

[tiggerfan74]

I can make a few suggestions for you. I would like to recommend some sites to you that I know we all use. Mousesavers (which was already mentioned ) and www.allearsnet.com. They are both full of information. Also, I would agree w/ DDoll that if you are not planning on spending the entire trip at Disney you may want to stay offsite. Or maybe split it up, a few nights on property and then a few nights off. As far your kids ages, My DD has been going since she was 14 months old and we have always had a great time with her. I would absolutlely bring strollers! AS far as the babysitters, I did look into it once, and I remember thinking it was a little out of my range, but I am sorry to say I don't remember what it cost. Hope I was a little helpful.

[phayes93]

How rude of us.....


Welcome to DC!

[kv0304]

Thank you soo much to everyone who has replied! You've helped me out a lot!

I purchased something on eBay and I think it will actually save me money on accomodations. It is for 7 nights stay at Vacation Village at Parkway in a one bedroom condo. In addition to what I paid for the auction, I have to pay $20/pp (adult) per night, so it'll only be $280 for me to stay there the whole week. I figured next time I'll save up more to stay at an on-site Disney resort with ALL the perks! :o) I realized I couldn't afford $1000 on just the hotel expense alone plus the cost of attractions ($724 just for Disney not counting Universal, Holy Land, and Sea World!) plus the cost of dining. Man, I can't believe how expensive the food is there! I might invest in the $75 to get the dining pass to save the 20% on meals...and then let my fiance pay for the meals! LOL The meals might not be so bad though because any time we go out we always only order one entree and it'll feed both of us AND our kids! (guess our stomachs are small!).

Anyway, has anyone been to the Arabian Nights dinner? I'd love to take him to see that, plus I THINK the kids will like it too (?)...the cheapest tix I've found are $24/per adult... anyone know any different?

[gingita]

Originally Posted by kv0304

I might invest in the $75 to get the dining pass to save the 20% on meals...

I am pretty sure that the Disney Dining Experience is only available for Florida Residents ($75) and Annual Passholders ($50). You mentioned you live in Atlanta, so you may not be able to get it. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but that's what I read on AllEarsNet.com. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dde.htm