Looking at going to Disney World and Universal Studios (Florida) in mid-January. It'll be 3 adults and 2 children (3 and 10). We want to stay on property even though it's more expensive because this will be our first (and probably) only time to ever go so we're treating it as a once-in-a-lifetime trip. We're looking at 5 days at Disney and 4 days at Universal...possibly 1 day at SeaWorld and a Blue Man Group show, also. There is so much information that it gets very overwhelming, very fast. We're trying to decide things like if Park Hopper passes are worth the extra cost (in case we finish a park early or don't like one or want to go back to one) and if the dining package is worth it. Any advice, tips, tricks, etc would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!
OT: Disney Vacation
- Thread starter msudawg05
- Start date
Unless money is just immaterial, I’d lean against the park hopper. We went last year. We did a 7 day pass without the park hopper. To me it just wastes valuable time in your day trying to do 2 parks in a day. And you can spend literally all day in any of the parks and not run out of stuff to do. Honestly you might even come out better to see what the cost of a 6 day pass is versus a 5 day with park hopper for all days. It might be cheaper and give you the option to park hop 1 day of the trip.
We just paid for our meals we ate. We stayed in a rental house. Ate a real big breakfast. Ate lunch in the park. Took granola bars for a 6 pm snack. And then ate a late take out on the way back to the house every night after the fireworks.
We just paid for our meals we ate. We stayed in a rental house. Ate a real big breakfast. Ate lunch in the park. Took granola bars for a 6 pm snack. And then ate a late take out on the way back to the house every night after the fireworks.
Been few times. We always did the hopper. After the first 3 days it allowed us to let the kids pick what they wanted to do after we did each park a full day. Advantage of staying on property is there are early entry days to onsite guest. Say hello to my niece who works there!
We worked in a visit to Disney after the St. Petersburg Bowl last year. Mine were 5 and 8 at the time, and were more than worn out with one park per day. Staying on property is definitely the way to go if you can swing it. Sometimes you can enter parks early, and the short trips to and from the park are a huge plus.
Planning details and using the FastPass wisely is the key to having the best time. My advice is to arrive as soon as a park opens, hit a couple of attractions early in the morning without FastPass, and schedule your FastPass events for mid-morning at the earliest. Work in a lunch break early (11ish) or late (after 1) to avoid the big crowds at the restaurants. Take a look at the meal plans, and schedule restaurant reservations if you can, particularly for supper. Don't rely on using up your FastPass events and then grab another one...the selection available will be crap, and mostly for the evening. Walking around the parks goes swiftly for the most part (avoid parades if you need to move quickly), so don't plan to need half an hour to get between attractions...it's 10-15 minutes from one side of most parks to the other. I'm guessing you'll want a stroller for the 3 year-old unless you have a strong back.
If your kids are big on Star Wars, I have more detailed tips for that area.
Planning details and using the FastPass wisely is the key to having the best time. My advice is to arrive as soon as a park opens, hit a couple of attractions early in the morning without FastPass, and schedule your FastPass events for mid-morning at the earliest. Work in a lunch break early (11ish) or late (after 1) to avoid the big crowds at the restaurants. Take a look at the meal plans, and schedule restaurant reservations if you can, particularly for supper. Don't rely on using up your FastPass events and then grab another one...the selection available will be crap, and mostly for the evening. Walking around the parks goes swiftly for the most part (avoid parades if you need to move quickly), so don't plan to need half an hour to get between attractions...it's 10-15 minutes from one side of most parks to the other. I'm guessing you'll want a stroller for the 3 year-old unless you have a strong back.
If your kids are big on Star Wars, I have more detailed tips for that area.
I just got back from Disney a few weeks ago. A couple things - I'm not sure you really need 4 days at universal. You honestly could probably cover it in 2 (3 tops). This is just a suggestion but you know what your family is more interested in. I would do the park hopper. You'll use it more than you think you will. I went to more than 1 park nearly every day. Lastly, the dining plan is something I usually do. However, I do the quick service plan compared to the one that gives you a sit down meal. I did this because I have a 3 year old who is typically not interested in stirring down for long meals. Plus I went to Disney to do stuff not sit in a restaurant.
As for sea world, I would suggest this. I grew up in Tampa and sea world was always a favorite of mine and it still is. If you like coasters, sea world as recently built a few new ones. It's a fun park.
As for sea world, I would suggest this. I grew up in Tampa and sea world was always a favorite of mine and it still is. If you like coasters, sea world as recently built a few new ones. It's a fun park.
Honestly, the only reason we're looking at 4 days at Universal is because of a special offer they currently have. It's basically pay for 2 days and get 2 days free. Obviously, the catch is having to pay for the hotel room. Since you grew up in Tampa...how does the temp tend to be in mid January? Universal has the new Volcano Bay water park so we're wondering if it should be doable.
We go to Disney every year and this year, we went in January. It was hot outside. Without a doubt. I've been in the summer and that's just insane hot, but January was hot too. Maybe not as bad in the morning or evening, but still hot. That said, the pool at Animal Kingdom lodge was a little chilly. Kids didn't care because kids don't care about that stuff. But if I went again in January I'd definitely do a water park day. Kids will love it.
Do you have someone in the military in your family? If so, get them to buy the tickets on a base somewhere and take them with you. I'm military and that's pretty much the only reason we stay on property, do the hoppers, and get the meal plan.
My mother in law always books through a travel agent and gets the meal plan free if we stay on property. It seemed to be a good deal. I didn't really understand the park hopper. We only Hopped parks once. If you can get the one park a day passes cheaper then do that. Pace yourself. A 10 day theme park vacation could kill you. Make sure to have a couple of days to recoup when you come home.
Stay at one of the on site resorts at universal that gives you the free fast pass. You won’t need 4 days at universal with them
We always do park hopper, but, in January, most everything is closed by 9:00. You won't have many, if any, of the 8:00 am to 1:00 am days to power through.
The dining plan will hardly ever save you money. Just buy meals straight up.
The dining plan will hardly ever save you money. Just buy meals straight up.
It's typically warm. You may have a rouge day that drops in the low 50s but in general it'll get up in the mid 70s or low 80s for highs and lows typically hit low 60s. You should be able to enjoy the water parks.
Plus I think most all the water parks in Orlando have heated pools.
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I would recommend talking to a Disney trip planner. They save you money and help you make your experience better.
Do you mean a Disney agent or an independent travel agent? The one travel agency that was in Starkville is now closed, I think. And I've always just assumed that travel agencies charge for the services and therefore would cost more overall, but I could be wrong since I've never used one.
We're actually headed there first thing in the morning.
We are doing 8 days at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
]Stayed there last year too, and our 6 year old loved it so much, he wanted to go back. Had a Savanna view room, and the freaking giraffes come within like 10 feet of your balcony. It really was amazing.
We do park hopper, because we like to be able to send the youngster to Sand Castle Club or Lilo's Playhouse. It's like a daycare for kids. You pay $50 and they get to play from 4-midnight... it's great after a long day in the park, because he gets to play with kids his age/sleep/meet characters, and they give them a meal... and we get to head back to Epcot at night and have a few drinks and an adult dinner. We felt bad at first, but he's asked to go back two nights again this trip. Also, there's usually one park per night that has extended hours for people who stay on property... so you can spend most of the day at one park, then head to the extended hours park later in the evening. Park hopper is totally worth it to me.
We haven't done a dining package yet... considered it this time, but decided against it. Just didn't seem like it was cost effective... unless you can catch them at the right time when they are giving them away free with a stay.
We are doing 8 days at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
]Stayed there last year too, and our 6 year old loved it so much, he wanted to go back. Had a Savanna view room, and the freaking giraffes come within like 10 feet of your balcony. It really was amazing.
We do park hopper, because we like to be able to send the youngster to Sand Castle Club or Lilo's Playhouse. It's like a daycare for kids. You pay $50 and they get to play from 4-midnight... it's great after a long day in the park, because he gets to play with kids his age/sleep/meet characters, and they give them a meal... and we get to head back to Epcot at night and have a few drinks and an adult dinner. We felt bad at first, but he's asked to go back two nights again this trip. Also, there's usually one park per night that has extended hours for people who stay on property... so you can spend most of the day at one park, then head to the extended hours park later in the evening. Park hopper is totally worth it to me.
We haven't done a dining package yet... considered it this time, but decided against it. Just didn't seem like it was cost effective... unless you can catch them at the right time when they are giving them away free with a stay.
I would definitely recommended staying on Universal property for a couple nights, but you won't need to do it for 4 days. You can only ride all of their rides so many times. I just booked a Disney trip today for the 1st week of December. I would book thru a travel agent, we got a better deal doing that. I don't know if the meal plan is worth it or not, we chose not to do it this time. The park hopper isn't a bad deal at all. You won't want to spend a whole day at some parks. Animal Kingdom isn't that big, and would be tough to make a whole day out of it.
One thing haven't seen mentioned yet is meals. We've been 6-8 times plus 2 Disney cruises.
Best information we ever got was booking meals. Try to book one meal a day at whatever park you are in. Cary snacks as filler the rest of the day. Save you a lot of time and money if you have a reservation. Plus it's added fun for the kids. It already may to late for some places.
Best information we ever got was booking meals. Try to book one meal a day at whatever park you are in. Cary snacks as filler the rest of the day. Save you a lot of time and money if you have a reservation. Plus it's added fun for the kids. It already may to late for some places.
I must have visited an alternate world Disney multiple times. Did not find it that amusing or mind blowing for the kids. More like sweating it out between the long lines and $$$$ at the end of every ride.
I take my family to Universal every two years. My kids turn their noses up at Disney. My advise is when you go to Universals buy the both park tickets. Trust me you will appreciate it. There is a Harry Potter train that carries you from one park to the other and it is cool. You cannot ride it with out the two park ticket.
Went in October/November of last year with 4 adults and kids who were at the time 9, 7, 5, 5, and 4. <--2 families combined, not all mine.
We were in Orlando for 1 week and did 4 Disney days. That was so flippin much time spent, i dont know if anyone- adults or kids- would have wanted more. Holy hell those are long and overstimulated days. We broke the days up around other activities on off days to give them hang out time to gather the energy to be overstimulated again the next day.
9 days of actual parks?!?! You have seriously strong kids if thats the plan. Even my now 10yo would have been fried if we did 5 straight full days of parks.
But we also stayed off site in a 6 bedroom massive house with private pool and community pool- for less than what 2 hotel rooms(which would have been stupid cramped) on site cost, even when adding in parking and car rental.
advice-
- 17 Seaworld for all the emotional reasons that are plastered all over the internet. They may be emotional, but that doesnt mean they are wrong.
- Blue Man Group is something I havent heard about in a couple decades, but they were an awesome experience back in the 90s in Chicago when I saw them and it was fast paced and interactive- so perfect for kids.
- Orlando has a Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament right on the strip. Thats a helluvan experience for kids 10 and younger. Food genuinely isnt bad either. If you go, pay for the upgraded seats- its closer, kids will have better odds of interacting with characters, etc.
- Staying on site could be really good with a 3yo since i would imagine they will melt down from the stimulation of it all and how much activity and waiting is packed into each day. Easier to get back to the hotel when needed.
- Screw Parkhopper. You are planning 9 days of theme parks- if you park hop that means you dont even need full days at some of the parks. Maybe just dont go to 1 of them and instead take a day off to relax do something different?
- Epcot was underwhelming compared to the other parks. I say this from a kid's perspective. It has SOAR, which is friggin awesome, but they could have just moved that and 1 other ride to another park and basically gotten rid of Epcot. Again, this is from a kid's perspective. Epcot would be fun for a group of adults who wants to eat and drink their way from 'country' to 'country' or who want to sit inside an air conditioned building to learn about wines.
- For sure take advantage of Fast Pass. That place will be unbearable if you dont Fast Pass as much as possible.
- Take a day off work once you get back, if you can. 9 days of resorts- that deserves a day of actual vacation afterwards.
We were in Orlando for 1 week and did 4 Disney days. That was so flippin much time spent, i dont know if anyone- adults or kids- would have wanted more. Holy hell those are long and overstimulated days. We broke the days up around other activities on off days to give them hang out time to gather the energy to be overstimulated again the next day.
9 days of actual parks?!?! You have seriously strong kids if thats the plan. Even my now 10yo would have been fried if we did 5 straight full days of parks.
But we also stayed off site in a 6 bedroom massive house with private pool and community pool- for less than what 2 hotel rooms(which would have been stupid cramped) on site cost, even when adding in parking and car rental.
advice-
- 17 Seaworld for all the emotional reasons that are plastered all over the internet. They may be emotional, but that doesnt mean they are wrong.
- Blue Man Group is something I havent heard about in a couple decades, but they were an awesome experience back in the 90s in Chicago when I saw them and it was fast paced and interactive- so perfect for kids.
- Orlando has a Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament right on the strip. Thats a helluvan experience for kids 10 and younger. Food genuinely isnt bad either. If you go, pay for the upgraded seats- its closer, kids will have better odds of interacting with characters, etc.
- Staying on site could be really good with a 3yo since i would imagine they will melt down from the stimulation of it all and how much activity and waiting is packed into each day. Easier to get back to the hotel when needed.
- Screw Parkhopper. You are planning 9 days of theme parks- if you park hop that means you dont even need full days at some of the parks. Maybe just dont go to 1 of them and instead take a day off to relax do something different?
- Epcot was underwhelming compared to the other parks. I say this from a kid's perspective. It has SOAR, which is friggin awesome, but they could have just moved that and 1 other ride to another park and basically gotten rid of Epcot. Again, this is from a kid's perspective. Epcot would be fun for a group of adults who wants to eat and drink their way from 'country' to 'country' or who want to sit inside an air conditioned building to learn about wines.
- For sure take advantage of Fast Pass. That place will be unbearable if you dont Fast Pass as much as possible.
- Take a day off work once you get back, if you can. 9 days of resorts- that deserves a day of actual vacation afterwards.
4 Days is A LOT to spend at Universal.
The Blue Man Group is the most overrated show I've ever been to. I might say I enjoyed it. Still not sure.
I think you are trying to do too much with all those days, but maybe you can do it.
Also, that's like a $10,000+ vacation minimum I would guess if you stay on Disney/Universal property the whole time.
If you can pull all that off, it would be once in a life time I would think. Good luck!
The Blue Man Group is the most overrated show I've ever been to. I might say I enjoyed it. Still not sure.
I think you are trying to do too much with all those days, but maybe you can do it.
Also, that's like a $10,000+ vacation minimum I would guess if you stay on Disney/Universal property the whole time.
If you can pull all that off, it would be once in a life time I would think. Good luck!
We went last November. My first suggestion is get two strollers. Yes, I realize one child is 10, but he/she will still use it and I GUARANTEE you there will be people there with bigger children than yours in a stroller. We did Park Hopper, but when we go back, we won't be. We also did the dining package with sit down character meals. I'm glad we did, but again, next time we won't be. It was awesome, but it is expensive and we have already done it. One thing you might want to consider is doing less of Universal and adding more Disney. You can add a whole extra day for $50 total ($10 per person per day) to get all of your family in the parks after day 3. Obviously, you have to pay for hotel and meals, etc. but there is way more stuff to do in Disney than Universal.
If you have girls, you might want to consider signing them up for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. They get their hair done and you can bring a dress. You also get a photo shoot after they get their hair done. It makes them feel special, and as a dad, that was my favorite thing we did.
Try to get there at rope drop and go to the big attractions first, i.e. 7 dwarves Mine Train, Flight of Passage, etc. Also, you'll want to get to some of the night shows early as well. Fantasmic is fantastic and even though I didn't get to see Rivers of Light, I'm sure it is too.
Since you also have 2 different age groups, you might consider splitting up parties for certain rides. For example, your 3 year old can't go on Space Mountain, but your 10 year old might love to do it. You might get a grown up or 2 to go with him/her and someone else to go with the 3 year old on something a little more tame. You could even do fast passes for the same time at different rides. For example, while some are going on Space Mountain, you could schedule 2 to go on Peter Pan's Flight for the 3 year old. Just come up with places and times to meet up again.
As far as staying on site, you could look into David's Vacation Club. You can stay in a Deluxe Villa for WAY cheaper than you can by booking through Disney, if you can get it. It will be like an upgrade from a value/moderate resort to a deluxe villa for roughly the same price. Nice little upgrade, if you ask me.
As far as a Disney travel agent, I have a great one, if you are interested. It's GUARANTEED to be a lower cost than going through Disney directly, and she is great. Plus, she is a State grad, so that's a plus in my book. But, if you do go through David's Vacation Club, you will only need to get tickets and possibly meal plan through her.
I signed up for Touringplans.com last year. The fastpasses you want for each park are:
MK: 7DMT, Peter Pan's Flight, and maybe Space Mountain or Thunder Mountain. you might want to sub for the 3 YO in place of 7DMT and SM or TM, and a good substitute would be Enchanted Tales with Belle
EP: These are tiered, but Soarin is AMAZING. If you can't get that, get Test Track. You can also get meet a character at the Character spot and spaceship earth ( the big ball). We also added in Frozen. It was the most in demand FP at the time we went, but that's changed.
AK: The Jungle Safari was the signature ride, but Flight of Passage is what you want now. If you don't get FOP, either rope drop it or you will likely just want to miss it.
HS: Rockin Roller Coaster is my favorite ride, along with Soarin. Either this one or Tower of Terror. The rest are just shows, so you might want to get them to make yourself feel better, but they are just fillers and don't really free up time. In this park, the one show that we went in that I did for my daughters was the Frozen Sing Along. I did this, thinking I would just go along, but I surprised myself. It was really good and very enjoyable. Not saying you need a FP for it, but it was a show to see.
One souvenir that's very unique and surprisingly not expensive is the SIlhouttes. They have these artists that cut out a silhouette of whoever you want them to. It on;y takes them about 1 or 2 minutes, and they are fantastic. You get 2 prints for about $8-10 and you buy a frame for about $8 or so each. So 2 prints of one person would run around $24. We got 4 prints each for my 2 girls and gave them to grandparents for Christmas. We also kept one print. The total was around $100 including all frames. The frames are cheap, but they keep the paper from getting torn. It's amazing. Google image that stuff.
I hope I have been some help and if you need any more suggestions, please fire away. I kind of became a Disney nut when planning for our last trip. I'm ALREADY planning our next trip in June 2020.
Been to Orlando many times. My take...
What you go and what you do is largely determined by your families preferences but with that said....
1. I think you are trying to do WAAAAY too much at one time especially with a 3 year old. It is fun but EXTREMELY tiring. I cannot imagine trying to do 9 days of parks in a row. The only way you can do that is to spend a few hours in the park in the AM, go back to the hotel and nap or lay around the pool and then back in mid-afternoon. That is what we used to do when the kids were small and it worked better for us but given the shorter winter hours that might not be as tenable. We usually either did a universal/seaworld trip or a Disney trip and kept it around a week tops. You will get a break from the weather going in Jan however, we went in Feb once in an unusually cold winter. Had a couple of early mornings in the 30s/upper 20s but it always warmed up nicely. The parks will have some rides down for maintenance and reduced hours that time of the year.
2. Download the disney and universal apps on your phones. Lots of assistance, gives you ride wait times and you can do fastpass (disney). If fact, do your fastpasses as early and you reasonably can. Because of the apps, they run out of fast passes sometimes weeks in advance for some rides but that time of year you should be OK. If you download the apps now and start playing with them you will get a cadence for what rides tend to have the longest wait times and at what times of the day.
3. From the ages of your kids I think magic kingdom is probably worth a full day and maybe two. Next would be Hollywood studios 1 day, Epcot 1/2 to a day, and maybe 1/2 day at animal kingdom. This is where hoppers come in handy. Again, it depends on your families preferences.
4. If you are on property TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXTRA MAGIC HOURS!!. The schedule will be on the app or website. Use that time to ride the stuff you really like most or the more popular stuff.
5. For rides you cannot take your smaller child you can all go through the line and one parent can go on the ride while the other waits at the platform and trade places once the other comes back without having to go all the way through the line again.
6. I would do a character meal. We always do lunch at the crystal palace at MK. They have the winnie the pooh characters. Breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the contemporary resort is very popular but you have to make reservations well ahead usually. A princess meal at the castle has to be booked months in advance.
7. When you go into a park do not get on the first major attraction you come to. Everybody else does that too. Pick the one you want to do most more toward the back and go there first. Don't do a fast pass for that one.
8. Wait to buy souvenirs until you are ready to go or if you buy them earlier have the shop hold them and pick em up on the way out.
9. Take a backpack in with water, snacks and whatever else you might need. With a 3 year old a rented stroller is a must and can be used to carry other stuff.
What you go and what you do is largely determined by your families preferences but with that said....
1. I think you are trying to do WAAAAY too much at one time especially with a 3 year old. It is fun but EXTREMELY tiring. I cannot imagine trying to do 9 days of parks in a row. The only way you can do that is to spend a few hours in the park in the AM, go back to the hotel and nap or lay around the pool and then back in mid-afternoon. That is what we used to do when the kids were small and it worked better for us but given the shorter winter hours that might not be as tenable. We usually either did a universal/seaworld trip or a Disney trip and kept it around a week tops. You will get a break from the weather going in Jan however, we went in Feb once in an unusually cold winter. Had a couple of early mornings in the 30s/upper 20s but it always warmed up nicely. The parks will have some rides down for maintenance and reduced hours that time of the year.
2. Download the disney and universal apps on your phones. Lots of assistance, gives you ride wait times and you can do fastpass (disney). If fact, do your fastpasses as early and you reasonably can. Because of the apps, they run out of fast passes sometimes weeks in advance for some rides but that time of year you should be OK. If you download the apps now and start playing with them you will get a cadence for what rides tend to have the longest wait times and at what times of the day.
3. From the ages of your kids I think magic kingdom is probably worth a full day and maybe two. Next would be Hollywood studios 1 day, Epcot 1/2 to a day, and maybe 1/2 day at animal kingdom. This is where hoppers come in handy. Again, it depends on your families preferences.
4. If you are on property TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXTRA MAGIC HOURS!!. The schedule will be on the app or website. Use that time to ride the stuff you really like most or the more popular stuff.
5. For rides you cannot take your smaller child you can all go through the line and one parent can go on the ride while the other waits at the platform and trade places once the other comes back without having to go all the way through the line again.
6. I would do a character meal. We always do lunch at the crystal palace at MK. They have the winnie the pooh characters. Breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the contemporary resort is very popular but you have to make reservations well ahead usually. A princess meal at the castle has to be booked months in advance.
7. When you go into a park do not get on the first major attraction you come to. Everybody else does that too. Pick the one you want to do most more toward the back and go there first. Don't do a fast pass for that one.
8. Wait to buy souvenirs until you are ready to go or if you buy them earlier have the shop hold them and pick em up on the way out.
9. Take a backpack in with water, snacks and whatever else you might need. With a 3 year old a rented stroller is a must and can be used to carry other stuff.
I'll keep it short, because you'll be overwhelmed with advice. I can comment on disney & seaworld.
- Buy the disney memory maker in advance. This makes taking pictures so much more convenient, and it's cheaper if you buy it before your visit.
- We went during first week of Feb 2015. Weather was lows in 50s, highs 70-75. We stayed late at Epcot one night to watch the firework show & froze our tails off because the wind had picked up. So be prepared because it can get chilly after the sun sets.
- Disney is crowded 365 days a year. Even though you think you're going during a slow time, it will still be crowded - trust me.
- The advantage to staying on property: you can choose fastpasses & dining experiences sooner (you'd have to check, but I think dining can be selected 180 in advance or something like that - and the most popular ones fill up way in advance). You also get free shuttles to the parks and extra hours either before or after normal hours.
- Use the free shuttles... do not attempt to drive & park. You'll thank me when you're dead tired at the end of the day.
- If you don't stay on disney properties, still look for a hotel with free shuttle. Our most recent trip we stayed at a Holiday Inn near downtown disney that offered free shuttles every ~20 minutes.
- Take a stroller for the 3 year old. There are plenty of places to leave it if you don't want to push it around all day. Be sure to mark it so you can recognize it, and don't get pissed when the disney folks move it around - they are just trying to keep them organized.
- The meal plan is probably not worth it considering the age of your kids. It's only for people who plan to eat a lot. The kids will not want to stop to eat.
- Download the disney app now & get familiar with it. Has maps with your current location, ride wait times (usually accurate within +/- 10 minutes), and you can choose new / change fastpasses using it. You can become a FP king by using this app. And when you're choosing a new FP, keep refreshing it because times constantly change. We went this past Christmas - one of the busiest times of the year, and rode everything we wanted at MK using FP. You can look at wait times now to get a feel for what rides you want to sign up for your original FP.
- Plan a rest day, you could spend it at downtown disney or just somewhere small in Orlando.
- We've been to Seaworld & enjoyed it. I would recommend going.
- Park hopper... I don't know. I've been three times, and bought it twice. You'll probably make use of it at least one day. I don't remember how much extra it cost, but I'm not convinced it's worth the extra expense. Especially with everything you already have planned.
- Buy the disney memory maker in advance. This makes taking pictures so much more convenient, and it's cheaper if you buy it before your visit.
- We went during first week of Feb 2015. Weather was lows in 50s, highs 70-75. We stayed late at Epcot one night to watch the firework show & froze our tails off because the wind had picked up. So be prepared because it can get chilly after the sun sets.
- Disney is crowded 365 days a year. Even though you think you're going during a slow time, it will still be crowded - trust me.
- The advantage to staying on property: you can choose fastpasses & dining experiences sooner (you'd have to check, but I think dining can be selected 180 in advance or something like that - and the most popular ones fill up way in advance). You also get free shuttles to the parks and extra hours either before or after normal hours.
- Use the free shuttles... do not attempt to drive & park. You'll thank me when you're dead tired at the end of the day.
- If you don't stay on disney properties, still look for a hotel with free shuttle. Our most recent trip we stayed at a Holiday Inn near downtown disney that offered free shuttles every ~20 minutes.
- Take a stroller for the 3 year old. There are plenty of places to leave it if you don't want to push it around all day. Be sure to mark it so you can recognize it, and don't get pissed when the disney folks move it around - they are just trying to keep them organized.
- The meal plan is probably not worth it considering the age of your kids. It's only for people who plan to eat a lot. The kids will not want to stop to eat.
- Download the disney app now & get familiar with it. Has maps with your current location, ride wait times (usually accurate within +/- 10 minutes), and you can choose new / change fastpasses using it. You can become a FP king by using this app. And when you're choosing a new FP, keep refreshing it because times constantly change. We went this past Christmas - one of the busiest times of the year, and rode everything we wanted at MK using FP. You can look at wait times now to get a feel for what rides you want to sign up for your original FP.
- Plan a rest day, you could spend it at downtown disney or just somewhere small in Orlando.
- We've been to Seaworld & enjoyed it. I would recommend going.
- Park hopper... I don't know. I've been three times, and bought it twice. You'll probably make use of it at least one day. I don't remember how much extra it cost, but I'm not convinced it's worth the extra expense. Especially with everything you already have planned.
Only 1 tip to add. If you are interested in a character meal, and the one you want is booked (dinning in Cinderellas castle is supposedly the hardest reservation to get in FL), call while you are on site and ask if there have been any cancellations at the meal you are interested in. We got lucky and got in. Made my daughter's year.
I haven't been in years so they might not still have this feature, But one big advantage of staying at an on site hotel was that if you bought something at a gift shop in one of the parks, you can have it sent to your room. You do not have to carry that stuff around.
That's also my understanding - but then that understanding comes from a friend who is a Disney planner.
If anybody in your group is a Harry Potter fan, then be sure to spend at least 2 days at Universal. We went in April of this year, and our 10-yr old daughter LOVED it. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and the rides there, were very cool . . . and I'm an old man (50) who barely knows anything about Harry Potter. You'll feel like you're in the Harry Potter movies while you're there.
Volcano Bay (water park) had not yet opened when we visited, but it looks like it would be lots of fun.
Get the multi-park ticket, so you can ride the Hogwarts Express train.
If long lines are a problem, look for the "Single Rider" line at the ride. We did this on several rides and went right to the front of the line and quickly got on the ride. Alternatively, an Express Pass is available.
Also, in my opinion, you can do 4 days at Universal, especially if you're able to visit Volcano Bay.
You can get table service dinner reservations at 180 days. If you are staying onsite, it's 180 plus up to ten days for your visit. So if it's a 4 days visit, you can schedule a meal 184 days in advance, if it's a 7 day visit you can schedule it 187 days. You can only schedule 180 days from the first night, so you will be battling other people who have already stayed onsite for the early nights. The most in demand table reservations are character meals (specifically Cinderella's Royal Table) and Be Our Guest. The Beast only comes out at dinner at Be Our Guest and it's about the only time you'll see him in the park.
By the way, go to Gaston's Tavern when he makes an appearance. It's awesome. Challenge him to a pushup contest. He will crush you. Youtube that.
The fast passes can be reserved 60 days in advance if you are staying onsite, but only 30 days in advance if you are staying offsite. Another advantage to staying onsite, because all of the really big wait rides will be largely gone by the time you can reserve them if you are staying offsite, or at least they will be available very late in the day.
If you need to combine a day, do a park hopper and do Hollywood studios in the morning and Epcot at night. The studios is a smaller park and you will have a tough time filling out that day. Epcot is larger, but less kid friendly rides or at least not as kid focused. The world showcase is cool at night and I believe still has the fireworks show. Spend a whole day at Magic Kingdom, you will need it and spend a whole day at Animal Kingdom since it covers a lot of ground. Universal, Harry Potter area I hear is very cool for the kids.
We have been with our boys (now 5 and 8) about 5 times in the last 7-8 years and are planning a trip next summer as well as already have a Disney Cruise booked this February. Always have stayed on property and on the main monorail loop. It is the most expensive area to stay but makes a huge difference to get to and from Magic Kingdom quick and easy. We love the Polynesian and they have just completed a big remodel. I would strongly suggest the park hopper because it gives you the option to take the kids back to their favorite rides a few days into the trip as well as going to a different park in the evening for dinner or fireworks. Also, we always use a certified Disney travel planner. I have used Sandy at Small World Vacations ([email protected]) numerous times and she always gets you the best deal available and often gets the dining plan thrown in as well if you are going out of season.
Oh also if you don't want to go the agent route I know Disney has a special going right now for 30% off stays at select hotels between Jan 1 and March 10, but an agent like Sandy will be aware of that deal and others and get the best price possible as well as be able to make suggestions of which building and which rooms have the best views or are most convenient for whatever your needs may be.
TIPS:
(1) Buy the memory maker. Stop often to take pics - it only takes a minute. Best money we spent on the trip - got some great group pictures, and they're easy to view on your phone and save/download.
(2) STROLLER. You'll definitely need one for the 3 year old. And I would highly suggest getting a double-stroller, so that the 10 year old or your extra bags can sit in the extra seat. We rented a double-BOB. if you get one, go ahead and get a double, and spend the extra for a "jogger."
(3) We did the meal plan and liked it (it was either included or was discounted). DON'T get a meal plan for the 3 year old - There will be enough food from others to share. I liked the meal plan, because if I would've gotten a massive bill for food at the end, I would've been pissed. Especially that dinner at Cinderella's castle. Do quick service for lunch.
(4) YOU ALL NEED A DAY OFF. We did 5 days (or maybe 6?) at Disney. If I do it again, we will have 1 day in the middle with NO PARK. Lounge by the pool and relax.
(5) Stay on campus. The shuttles were fantastic. We didn't stay on the monorail though, because it would've been about twice as much. Still, I don't think I could handle driving to the park every day.
(6) FAST PASS. This should've been number 1. Use them wisely, on the rides that will have the longest wait times - don't waste them on something that usually only has a 15-20 minute wait time. If you can't get a fastpass for something you know you want to ride, then get to the park when it opens and go STRAIGHT to that ride. Go ahead and download the app that lets you see wait times - it's a must-have while you're there (and the pics from Memory Maker go to it also).
(1) Buy the memory maker. Stop often to take pics - it only takes a minute. Best money we spent on the trip - got some great group pictures, and they're easy to view on your phone and save/download.
(2) STROLLER. You'll definitely need one for the 3 year old. And I would highly suggest getting a double-stroller, so that the 10 year old or your extra bags can sit in the extra seat. We rented a double-BOB. if you get one, go ahead and get a double, and spend the extra for a "jogger."
(3) We did the meal plan and liked it (it was either included or was discounted). DON'T get a meal plan for the 3 year old - There will be enough food from others to share. I liked the meal plan, because if I would've gotten a massive bill for food at the end, I would've been pissed. Especially that dinner at Cinderella's castle. Do quick service for lunch.
(4) YOU ALL NEED A DAY OFF. We did 5 days (or maybe 6?) at Disney. If I do it again, we will have 1 day in the middle with NO PARK. Lounge by the pool and relax.
(5) Stay on campus. The shuttles were fantastic. We didn't stay on the monorail though, because it would've been about twice as much. Still, I don't think I could handle driving to the park every day.
(6) FAST PASS. This should've been number 1. Use them wisely, on the rides that will have the longest wait times - don't waste them on something that usually only has a 15-20 minute wait time. If you can't get a fastpass for something you know you want to ride, then get to the park when it opens and go STRAIGHT to that ride. Go ahead and download the app that lets you see wait times - it's a must-have while you're there (and the pics from Memory Maker go to it also).
Park Hopper
We had this last time we went, but never used it. Only purchased it because it was required to get Free Dining (probably the best promotion possible as even with the added cost of Park Hopper it's better than any room discount unless you are staying at the $1000 a night rooms, but even then it's close). I remember having it when I went with my parents when I was an older teen and we used it a lot. If you are going to go for 6+ days, it could be worth it because it's a fixed cost after a few days. Personally, I wouldn't get it for a 5 day trip. Just pick whichever park was your favorite for your fifth day.
Dining Plan
If you get free dining (not for your dates) it's good. You can easily beat the out of pocket costs with the dining plan, but only if you are strategic. You probably weren't going to buy the most expensive meal, but if you do it's worth it. One thing that will really screw you over is that your 10 year old is considered an adult for ticket and meal purposes. You won't get away with this at the table service places (yeah, you have to pay the adult buffet price for you 10 year old), but quick service places don't care. If you get the quick service plan, it's easily worth it as you can get some huge quick service meals and split them, and the 3 year old's quick service meal credit can buy an adult meal. The downside with the QS plan is that if you want to do any character dining you have to pay out of pocket. Also, I got tired of the QS places and actually liked the break provided by the table service meals. We also used a ton of the snack credits on pricey (~$6+) snacks at the Epcot food and wine festival.
The dining plan is easily the second most expensive part of a trip after tickets. Based on what you've said, tickets are going to average out to $305 per day and the dining plan (regular) is $252 per day or $179 per day for QS plan. You'll have to price out per day what you would get at the restaurant. You can easily spend north of $300/day if you buy everything you can get on the dining plan out of pocket. You can easily spend less and probably do it on your own for about $120 per day if you only do quick service with no snacks, or even less if you brown bag it.
This really is about personal preference. There's something nice about it already being paid for and getting what you want. If you want to do a sit down meal everyday and are willing to go the extra mile to max things out (have your two kids split QS meals or feed the 3 yo from your plate, using 3 QS credits for a single family meal), it's great. The snack credits can be used to get some good stuff too.
Get groceries for your room for breakfast most days. Eating breakfast at a park sucks unless it's a character meal that gets you into the parks earlier.
Sorry, that's probably the information overload you were wanting to avoid.
Stroller
You have a 3 year old. Either bring a stroller or rent one. You can rent through DW or through a 3rd party. We used Kingdom Strollers, which costs less and got us a better stroller. Only knock was we had to keep the stroller in our room, whereas the park strollers are picked up and dropped off in the parks.
Fast Pass
Make good use of Fast Pass. Try to get your three fast passes earlier in the day, but not all in the first three hours. You can get a fastpass for a ride right after the park opens, head to a different ride when the park opens, then ride your fast pass ride after you are done with that one. Once you use your third fast pass of the day you can get another fast pass. Once you use that one, you can get yet another, and so on. Once you get to this point in your day it's worth getting fast passes even for rides that have shortish (20-30 minutes) lines or rides that you might otherwise not have ridden. The crappy fastpasses available late in the day are not all that crappy when you consider the alternative.
There's also a trick where you pick a fastpass for a ride that breaks often (e.g. Test Track at Epcot). If you get a fastpass for a ride that closes down temporarily, it turns into a Multiple Experiences fastpass that can be used on any ride at any time. Fastpass is definitely the most 'hackable' part of the Disney experience and one I did not really figure out until the end of my last trip.
Staying on Property
Do it. If you want the dining plan you have to stay on property. The transportation system is great, but some resort/park combinations suck. Using the buses at Caribbean Beach was good for getting to the parks in the morning, but the ride back at night suuuucked from Magic Kingdom and Epcot. There's a reason the monorail resorts are much more expensive. You might want to consider driving to parks even if you are on property. The parking lots are scarily efficient and you can park for free if you are staying on property.
We had this last time we went, but never used it. Only purchased it because it was required to get Free Dining (probably the best promotion possible as even with the added cost of Park Hopper it's better than any room discount unless you are staying at the $1000 a night rooms, but even then it's close). I remember having it when I went with my parents when I was an older teen and we used it a lot. If you are going to go for 6+ days, it could be worth it because it's a fixed cost after a few days. Personally, I wouldn't get it for a 5 day trip. Just pick whichever park was your favorite for your fifth day.
Dining Plan
If you get free dining (not for your dates) it's good. You can easily beat the out of pocket costs with the dining plan, but only if you are strategic. You probably weren't going to buy the most expensive meal, but if you do it's worth it. One thing that will really screw you over is that your 10 year old is considered an adult for ticket and meal purposes. You won't get away with this at the table service places (yeah, you have to pay the adult buffet price for you 10 year old), but quick service places don't care. If you get the quick service plan, it's easily worth it as you can get some huge quick service meals and split them, and the 3 year old's quick service meal credit can buy an adult meal. The downside with the QS plan is that if you want to do any character dining you have to pay out of pocket. Also, I got tired of the QS places and actually liked the break provided by the table service meals. We also used a ton of the snack credits on pricey (~$6+) snacks at the Epcot food and wine festival.
The dining plan is easily the second most expensive part of a trip after tickets. Based on what you've said, tickets are going to average out to $305 per day and the dining plan (regular) is $252 per day or $179 per day for QS plan. You'll have to price out per day what you would get at the restaurant. You can easily spend north of $300/day if you buy everything you can get on the dining plan out of pocket. You can easily spend less and probably do it on your own for about $120 per day if you only do quick service with no snacks, or even less if you brown bag it.
This really is about personal preference. There's something nice about it already being paid for and getting what you want. If you want to do a sit down meal everyday and are willing to go the extra mile to max things out (have your two kids split QS meals or feed the 3 yo from your plate, using 3 QS credits for a single family meal), it's great. The snack credits can be used to get some good stuff too.
Get groceries for your room for breakfast most days. Eating breakfast at a park sucks unless it's a character meal that gets you into the parks earlier.
Sorry, that's probably the information overload you were wanting to avoid.
Stroller
You have a 3 year old. Either bring a stroller or rent one. You can rent through DW or through a 3rd party. We used Kingdom Strollers, which costs less and got us a better stroller. Only knock was we had to keep the stroller in our room, whereas the park strollers are picked up and dropped off in the parks.
Fast Pass
Make good use of Fast Pass. Try to get your three fast passes earlier in the day, but not all in the first three hours. You can get a fastpass for a ride right after the park opens, head to a different ride when the park opens, then ride your fast pass ride after you are done with that one. Once you use your third fast pass of the day you can get another fast pass. Once you use that one, you can get yet another, and so on. Once you get to this point in your day it's worth getting fast passes even for rides that have shortish (20-30 minutes) lines or rides that you might otherwise not have ridden. The crappy fastpasses available late in the day are not all that crappy when you consider the alternative.
There's also a trick where you pick a fastpass for a ride that breaks often (e.g. Test Track at Epcot). If you get a fastpass for a ride that closes down temporarily, it turns into a Multiple Experiences fastpass that can be used on any ride at any time. Fastpass is definitely the most 'hackable' part of the Disney experience and one I did not really figure out until the end of my last trip.
Staying on Property
Do it. If you want the dining plan you have to stay on property. The transportation system is great, but some resort/park combinations suck. Using the buses at Caribbean Beach was good for getting to the parks in the morning, but the ride back at night suuuucked from Magic Kingdom and Epcot. There's a reason the monorail resorts are much more expensive. You might want to consider driving to parks even if you are on property. The parking lots are scarily efficient and you can park for free if you are staying on property.
I'm the same way, especially now with kids. Need a day off so that you can really enjoy the last few days of any trip.