Teams
Forum List
Toggle sidebar

Disney vacation question

Jeremy said:
Has anybody here rented a car and used it to get around the parks? Last year we found that we spent about an hour a day waiting for the bus and with a 3yr old that likes to go to bed at 7, that's a big chunk of time. We are renting a car this year, but I'm wondering if that will really help much. I know if you stay onsite like we are that parking is free at the parks, but not sure about how close you get.
Click to expand...


we have done this before not for an entire trip but for some parks depending on our schedule, or if we were going to dinner at another resort etc. You do not get any closer in my experience. So in a car you are going to park at the Transportation and Ticket Center on the way to MK. Park, walk to the tram, wait for tram, ride the tram to the center, walk to the monorail/ferry, wait for said monorail/ferry and then ride monorail/ferry to the park, then walk to the front gate. (Obviously reversing that order on the way home after a long day in the park with a tired toddler is murder too). It can take just as long or longer than waiting for the bus. I wouldn't do it for MK because of that. With HS or AK, you can park a lot closer (especially if you get their early) so in some cases it might be worth the effort. Epcot is an enigma to me. The parking isn't bad I don't think, but it always seems like there's hardly any bus service coming home. Plenty going there, but we always have to wait and wait and wait for a ride home.

If you get up later in the morning and try to drive, regardless of the park you may fight traffic getting into the parking lots and can be stuck clear out in the boondocks too but that shouldn't be a problem that time of year.
 
Been to both many times. I like the original Magic Kingdom in California better, but we really like Epcot and Hollywood studios. I'd opt for Florida and look for hotel deals. I'm a Disney insider, PM me if you want information.
 
So it sounds like we're still good renting a car for use to Downtown Disney (parking seemed plentiful and close there) and use the bus for Magic Kingdom (we'll be going there 3 or 4 days).

I love all the help and info sharing on threads like this, it really is what has made me the most proud of the CF community.
 
Driving to Downtown Disney can be a good option, especially if you are just going for a quick trip. But only if parking is open. On a crazy Friday night it can be impossible to find a spot. in those cases we either just avoid it all together or ride the bus. If I remember correctly when we were there in December they were doing some construction and large parts of the parking lot and DOwntown Disney blocked off. I think they might be building a parking garage. This is what I found online, although I don't know how current it is.

Parking lots H, I, J, and K are closed. Lots E, F, G are partially closed starting 3/18/2014. During busy times Disney will open the Team Disney parking lot and provide a shuttle to Downtown Disney. They are preparing to build a parking garage in this location.
  • The section of road between AMC Theatres and Disney Quest will be closed from 10/21/2013 until Fall 2014. This is for work being done on the parking garage.
 
I was reading an article earlier in the year about huge plans to remake all of Downtown Disney - looked really cool in the sketches and renderings. My guess is the parking garages are the first phase. We typically do things at off-peak times naturally (eat at 4:30 or 5, do things as early as they open, etc) so it sounds like we should be fine driving to Downtown Disney.
 
Yes they are doing some crazy work at Downtown Disney remaking it virtually from one end to the other. I don't think people understand or appreciate how much value "off-peak" adds to the experience. Whether that is going there during the off peak time of the year (early may, early Nov, early dec etc) or getting up early enough to be at the parks before the crowds, or eating a little early or late etc. Like you said going at the right time off year is like getting 40% more time. Getting up and being there when they open can be like getting 30-40% more time just because you can do so many things in the first two hours before things pick up.
 
BTW, if you are going in late May or June they apparently opened some fast passes for meeting Anna & Elsa from Frozen, which apparently has become the hardest to get deal. Apparently if was a three hour wait the other day. (Seriously, who waits three hours?)
 
tec71 said:
BTW, if you are going in late May or June they apparently opened some fast passes for meeting Anna & Elsa from Frozen, which apparently has become the hardest to get deal. Apparently if was a three hour wait the other day. (Seriously, who waits three hours?)
Click to expand...

We were there in mid-March over spring break. At that time the Anna and Else meet and greet was still in Epcot and there were no fast passes available. We didn't do it, but I did ask the cast member how the wait was. It was a 5 hour wait, and it was only 11 AM, so I'm sure it got even longer. If this is something on your agenda, plan ahead and schedule a fast pass.
 
If you're a twenty something and you're thinking about having kids you should pay a lot of attention to this thread. I'm all for others having kids but it sure is nice that my biggest worry about vacation is trying to decide what beer to try in Belgium as opposed to which theme park to go to.

I had a co-worker take his wife and 2 kids on a Disney cruise and it cost as much as my wife and I going on 2 10 days vacations to Europe.

Let the hate roll in....

On a positive note, I enjoyed Epcot/Disneyworld when my parents took me about 30 years ago.
 
Last edited:
dmclone said:
If you're a twenty something and you're thinking about having kids you should pay a lot of attention to this thread. I'm all for others having kids but it sure is nice that my biggest worry about vacation is trying to decide what beer to try in Belgium as opposed to which theme park to go to.

I had a co-worker take his wife and 2 kids on a Disney cruise and it cost as much as my wife and I going on 2 10 days vacations to Europe.

Let the hate roll in....
Click to expand...

taking 2 kids on a Disney cruise has 100x the return paid, compared to any 10 day vacation without kids.
 
Thread resurrection!

We had a few unscheduled expenses last year and ended up holding off the vacation until this year. I think it should be better since my daughter will be 8 and should hold up a lot better. I just finished booking the trip for Dec 19-26 (yeah, over Christmas - I'm a glutton for punishment).

I ended up getting non-stop round-trip flights from KC on Delta for $1100 for the three of us, which I thought was pretty decent. I don't travel for my work, so I don't get the points perks that some of you do. A friend of ours is a Disney regular (a Disney freak) and clued us into a decent deal at the Disney Beach Club with a meal plan (not the biggest one). I'm a big fan of having the bulk of this paid for well in advance.

I debated staying off-site, but when I think of how worked up my wife can get in day-to-day traffic, I decided that the convenience and piece of mind were probably worth a little extra. Being first-timers, I liked the idea of not having to worry about a rental car and where to park as well.

I ended up getting the Unofficial Disney Guide and holy hell, that sucker is thick. There is a ton of info in there, so I appreciate the resource. I've got to read up some more on the fastpass and magic bands and see which apps work best yet, but I am definitely seeing the advantages to planning ahead.

I'll likely read up on it, but what are the transportation options from Disney to Universal Studios? We are going with a few of her older cousins and they are wanting to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Also, if anyone has any specific info about the Disney Beach Club and can't-miss things to do over Christmas, I'm all ears. TIA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nj829
I would guess you are on your own getting to Universal, I couldn't even get them to give me the phone number for SeaWorld before smart phone days. They aren't too hip to people leaving the compound. Disney does go nuts at Christmas with decorations and parades, I think they even had fake snow. Should be fun, especially for 8 yr old.
 
My biggest recommendation given you are going over Christmas which is Disney’s busiest season, is to read and understand the hints they provide in the Unofficial Guide on how you plan your day so as to avoid long lines as best you can. Follow to a T one of their plans for getting round the park and download their associated app so your plan will update automatically as needed as things change in the park or you get held up somewhere. I can’t stress enough, this is a MUST!

Also, get on their associated website that tracks and very effectively predicts volume at the parks so you can plan which day to visit a particular park (or avoid one). It also helps you determine which rides make sense to get a fastpass for and which they would be wasted on.

I don’t’ want to reign on your parade, but it will be busy…very busy and there is no way to avoid that however you’ll make it a lot less painful if you stick with the unofficial guide and their methods for maneuvering around the parks to avoid the longest lines.

(smart move staying on property. Yes it is more, but it is a huge benefit not having to hassle with driving and you’ll get the benefit of extended hours at certain parks on certain days because you are staying on property. During a busy time like Christmas, this will be gold.)

Have fun!
 
FastPass: Sign up for those in advance from the Disney site (your account and ticket numbers). It allows you quick entry to 3 three attractions each day within a window of time ... VERY helpful.

The bands are very helpful and make getting around, ordering or into rides a simple task.

The Disney park app is great to seeing where long or short waits are for attractions. They have free wifi that works well. We used the app on our iPad so all could easily see and offer feedback.
 
If you have the dining plan, make sure you do your research NOW on what it includes and what restaurants you are interested in making reservations for, you will need to book your dining reservations at the 180 day out mark, which for you is going to be this weekend.

Christmas is crazy-town and if you wait to book them you are going to either get stuck with miserable dining times or not great options. Beach club dining package is 1 quick service, 1 table service, and 1 snack, and for the table service if you have little ones I highly recommend the character dining. Other than Hoop-de-do and Cinderella's Royal table, it should be 1 credit per person.

Universal your best bet is to take a taxi or rent a car for the week, although being able to enter the Disney bubble at the airport and use their transportation all week long is really pretty cool.

Feel free to ask questions here or PM me, we are going to be there 12/17-12/26 and have done a few Christmas season trips so can provide some input.
 
People nailed it on working reservations early, especially over the holiday season. Dining reservations 180 days early, and fast passes for rides 60 days before your first night. One item of note on dining, I think you can cancel up to like a week before with no penalty. So if you aren't sure which parks you will be at on which days, you can try to make a couple reservations and then cancel the extras once your plans firm up (likely when you get your fast passes scheduled at the 60 day mark).

Crowd calendars can be your fried for setting the agenda. I have used easywdw.com in the past. Unfortunately, it looks like they haven't posted park recommendations around Christmas yet as Disney probably hasn't posted park hours yet.
 
We just returned from Disney World a few weeks ago and have made several Christmas trips and have another scheduled 12/17-12/26. Christmas is ridiculously crazy busy but the last two years we have actually found the days up to Christmas Eve to be manageable. Between Xmas eve and NYD its almost unbearable for crowds. Christmas Day usually ends up with crowds big enough to cause restrictions on entry to magic kingdom. Last year it was closed at 9:30 am I think at least to those staying off property. So plan accordingly.

With thy dining plan I assume you got a package so you should be able to do fast passes 60 days in advance of your first day of arrival. I highly recommend doing your research and laying out your plans in advance. You should be doing that anyway this week for dining purposes because as nj829 mentioned it's a 180 days out. Remember it typically opens at midnight and for Christmas time some people will get on right away to be sure to get the reservations they want (especially character meals). It doesn't hurt to make those reservations then. I'd get the profile on mydisneyexperience set up before that night if you are just so you don't have any problems when you try. If you wait inevitably there's a proble, where it can't find your reservation or something.

As as was said beach club is one table service, one quick and a snack. Many character meals are two table service credits. They recently made a few changes to allow more substitutions and flexibility when it comes to snack/drinks/desserts. I haven't looked at it closely yet but this article works. http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/changes-taking-place-to-the-disney-dining-plans/

staying on properrty is the way to go at Christmas. I recommend touringplans.com for crowd calendars. I have had great luck with their accuracy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Help Support Us

Become a patron
Top Bottom