Disney World Vacation

[UNI1ISU2]

Looking at doing a Disney vacation for the family. 3 young kids and my wife and I. For those that have done it what are some good suggestions so it does not cost an arm and a leg? Flight and either rental car or some of the hotel will be covered from rewards points on cc.

Stay on Disney resort?
Stay off resort and rent a car?
How many days are a good amount of days to actually go to the parks? 2? 3? 4?
Get meal plan if stay on resort?
Ways to get discounted tickets?
Necessitys for hotel- pool? free Breakfast? etc.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

 

[throwittoblythe]

Been many times without kids. We are doing this next year with our 5 y.o. and 1 y.o. We're lucky because the in-laws have a timeshare in Kissimmee so rooms are free which significantly lowers the cost.

We usually have gotten the 4 or 5 day park-hopper pass. Our general schedule is to get to the parks around 9/10am (we like to take it easy in the AM since it's vacation). We stay until 3 or 4 when the kids get tired, then go back to the room. If we feel sporty, we'll go back, but usually we just do dinner and swimming or something.

We have always done 2 park days, then a beach day, then 2 park days. It breaks things up nicely. Of course, this all depends on your group though. I like Disney, but it gets to be too much pretty quickly for me, so that beach day in the middle breaks it up.

Not sure if you're flying or driving. If you're flying, try to get a direct flight if you can. Even if it's a little more expensive, it's worth your sanity, IMO.

 

[Cyched]

Have only gone a couple times as a kid, not as a parent. But if you have young kids I’d definitely recommend looking into one of the themed resorts. Your kids will have more fun and it’s an easy ride to the parks. Not sure on cost though.

 

[3TrueFans]

Stay on Disney resort?

I say yes just because driving back and forth to hotels off property would be a pain, also staying on property you get their free airport transportation which is nice. Between being at the parks or being at the pool you won't spend much time in your room so pick one that's affordable for you. Also if you get one that's a cool Disney theme the kids will love it.

Stay off resort and rent a car?

No car, the transportation to the parks from the resorts is easy to use, it's all clean and air conditioned. They do have their own Lyft system now if you want to pay for that.

How many days are a good amount of days to actually go to the parks? 2? 3? 4?

I say 4 minimum, a whole day or more could be just spent at Magic Kingdom. IMO the park hopper is nice because some parks you may not spend an entire day consecutively so you can do one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Which is another recommendation if you're going when it's hot, get out to the parks early, then go back to the resort to swim or rest during the heat of the day, then go back in the evening.

Get meal plan if stay on resort?

We've been once with a meal plan and once without. The meal plan is nice because you just pay upfront for your food so you don't have to think about it, but you can 100% eat cheaper if you plan a little without the meal plan.

Ways to get discounted tickets?

Don't know of any ways outside of promotions run by Disney.

Necessitys for hotel- pool? free Breakfast? etc.

Pool is required, none of the resorts will have free breakfast I don't think. If you can swing a resort on the monorail it makes getting to some of the parks way easier.

 

[3TrueFans]

Oh and make sure to stay for the fireworks at Magic Kingdom at least one night, it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen and my kids loved it.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

 

[AlaCyclone]

They run specials for the locals (with a Florida Drivers license) during the off-season. The last time I went to Disney was on a date in High School in the Off-Season on a Concert Night. I saw Paul Revere and the Raiders!

Even as a kid, I thought Disney was too crowded, too hot and the lines sucked during the summer time. I cannot even imagine how awful it would be to be a parent lugging kids around during the hot summer at Disney World. Total Hell.

Oh, have a Great Time! The Orlando Economy thanks you!

P.S. IMO, you would have a much better time taking your kids to the original Disneyland in California - which is much smaller, better weather and less clustered all the way around.

 

[Cyched]

Usually 1 day per park should be sufficient. Just make sure to get the Fast Pass if they still do it. 100% worth it.

Fun story, after my senior year of HS my family went on a cruise out of Miami, but we flew in and out of Orlando. We had one “day” left from our previous Disney trips (doesn’t expire) and barnstormed all 4 parks in one day. Fun time, but I was pretty tired by the end of the day haha

 

[SDCyclonesFamily]

Just went last December and planning our next trip for next year already. First recommendation is Disney Travel Agents are free and are very helpful- ours has been amazing helping us plan. The thing you will want to do first is pick your dates. Their are pros and cons for any month of the year whether it is high crowds/good weather, extremely hot weather/lower crowds etc. We've done May, September and December and are going October next year. We got free dining discount the last two trips (you pay full price on hotel room). This has been our favorite discount. If you choose to do sit down meals they require a reservation. Reservations open 180 days in advance (popular places will be booked at 6am on the day reservations open up). 3 Fastpasses per day are included free with your ticket. If you are staying onsite you can reserve 60 days in advance. Offsite opens up at 30 days. Again the big rides like Slinky Dog, 7 dwarves mine train and flights of passage will fill up very quickly. One recommended site for discounted tickets is undercovertourist. They are legit andused by quite a few. I've also heard discounts can be had through AAA, Costco and Sam's Club. We usually do a 7 day trip just because that's what works for our family. Just know that Disney world is very large and you will not be able to do everything in one trip. My best advice is pick a few must Do's and know that everything else you get done is bonus. Last thing to know is the more research and planning you do in advance, the better time you will have. A lot of the frustrated families we saw while there were those that thought they could just show up and didn't understand the reservation/fast pass system. Feel free to ask me any questions. Other than Iowa State sports- Disney is our family's other passion

 

[jsb]

Looking at doing a Disney vacation for the family. 3 young kids and my wife and I. For those that have done it what are some good suggestions so it does not cost an arm and a leg? Flight and either rental car or some of the hotel will be covered from rewards points on cc.

Stay on Disney resort?
Stay off resort and rent a car?
How many days are a good amount of days to actually go to the parks? 2? 3? 4?
Get meal plan if stay on resort?
Ways to get discounted tickets?
Necessitys for hotel- pool? free Breakfast? etc.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

Take the kids out of school and go first week or second week in December. Less crowds. Easy to drive to park if you stay offsite.

 

[josh4cy]

We went last spring. Rented a VRBO house with a pool. Cost of the house and car was cheaper than getting a room at Disney.
Nothing better after walking around all day then taking a dip in a private pool. Being around the crowds all day it's nice to have some peace with just your family.

 

[UNI1ISU2]

The reason I was thinking of renting a car is so i can take the family to the beach one day which is a long uber ride if we dont have a car

 

[Knownothing]

We have stayed at Disney at the All Star resorts. The kids when they were younger loved it. Free trans to the parks. Make sure you get park hopper passes. Also, I loved the meal plan. I think it actually saved us some money and got us into some of the resturants that people not staying at the parks could not get into. Make sure you set up all of your fast passes. I love Disney. I am thinking of going back at some point soon with them now being grown ups.

For some reason, Disney is kind of magical. The memories from when I was a kid and going to when I took my kids came flying back to me.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

I was talking to a gal my wife works with last month about Disney. She and her family go every year. She said that they save money by purchasing tickets through COSTCO, and even if they are only going to be there 4 or 5 days, its cheaper to buy the 7 day pass.
They always do the meal plan, that way they do not have to worry about food purchases, and always stay on site. That allows them to enter the park earlier in the morning, and stay later at night.
They fly into Orlando and since they are staying at the park, Disney has a free shuttle service to pick them up.
She said on average, a trip to Disney world cost them around $200 a day, per person. That does not include airfare.
So a family of 4 = $800 a day.

 

[Mr Janny]

Not Disney related, but if you want a different experience, food-wise, try to find a Mofongo restaurant in Orlando. There are several. It's not something you are likely to have encountered before.

Tropico Mofongo is the one we tried and it was amazing.

It's based around mashed, fried plantains, mixed with seasonings, and served with different proteins and sauces.

 

[Clonefan32]

Looking at doing a Disney vacation for the family. 3 young kids and my wife and I. For those that have done it what are some good suggestions so it does not cost an arm and a leg? Flight and either rental car or some of the hotel will be covered from rewards points on cc.

Stay on Disney resort?
Stay off resort and rent a car?
How many days are a good amount of days to actually go to the parks? 2? 3? 4?
Get meal plan if stay on resort?
Ways to get discounted tickets?
Necessitys for hotel- pool? free Breakfast? etc.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

We've been a few times, and here are my thoughts:


Stay on Disney resort?

Yes. The transportation and some of the hours perks are worth it.

How many days are a good amount of days to actually go to the parks? 2? 3? 4?

I'd do 4 days total. You may wind up spending 2 days at Magic Kingdom, but all the other parks can be done in a day.

Pro tip-- schedule a few beach days after Disney. You will appreciate some down time after the chaos that is Disney.

Get meal plan if stay on resort?

While it may not work out dollar-for-dollar savings wise, I like the meal plans. It's paid for and out of the way and you avoid the trauma associated with seeing how much a cheeseburger, fries and a drink costs. Plus some of the fancier "themed" restaurants can be very, very expensive, but are fun for the kids. Pay the piper, get it out of the way and enjoy yourself.
Ways to get discounted tickets?

Necessitys for hotel- pool? free Breakfast? etc.

Go cheap on the hotel. We did nothing more than sleep and shower. While some resorts are undoubtedly nicer than others, any Disney resort properties will be fine for what you need it for.

 

[UNI1ISU2]

We've been a few times, and here are my thoughts:


Stay on Disney resort?

Yes. The transportation and some of the hours perks are worth it.

How many days are a good amount of days to actually go to the parks? 2? 3? 4?

I'd do 4 days total. You may wind up spending 2 days at Magic Kingdom, but all the other parks can be done in a day.

Pro tip-- schedule a few beach days after Disney. You will appreciate some down time after the chaos that is Disney.

Get meal plan if stay on resort?

While it may not work out dollar-for-dollar savings wise, I like the meal plans. It's paid for and out of the way and you avoid the trauma associated with seeing how much a cheeseburger, fries and a drink costs. Plus some of the fancier "themed" restaurants can be very, very expensive, but are fun for the kids. Pay the piper, get it out of the way and enjoy yourself.
Ways to get discounted tickets?

Necessitys for hotel- pool? free Breakfast? etc.

Go cheap on the hotel. We did nothing more than sleep and shower. While some resorts are undoubtedly nicer than others, any Disney resort properties will be fine for what you need it for.

So the beach days is for sure a must and ive thought about that. The thing im running into is if you stay on disney resort you are not going to be renting a car. How do you get to the beach those days? Do you uber to airport or closes rental place and get a car just for the day? From what I read parking at the resorts cost a bunch so you dont really want a rental car sitting there the whole time

 

[Urbandale2013]

Start by saying Disney is probably the best vacation we have ever taken. I think that staying at one of the Disney hotels is a must. There are some perks that make it great but it also adds to the immersion. I have gone when I was 10 and when I was 18 so I haven’t planned a trip yet but I’m beginning to start to plan and save for another family trip once my sister graduates.

For the hotel I think it depends a lot on each family and their likes. I would maybe suggest one of the moderate resorts. I agree that you won’t spend a ton of time at the hotel but at least in my opinion the added benefit from a moderate is worth it.

If you are flying I’d say no car as you can take advantage of their shuttle. We drove down on our first trip and flew on the second one. We are probably going to fly again. We aren’t beach people so I wouldn’t find that necessary.

I don’t know about discounted tickets but we’ve done the park hoppers. For us that was great as we could go between the parks. If I’m remembering correctly we have done a day in each and then another day to two to go around to what we wanted to repeat or missed.

Fast pass is a necessity for certain attractions. I’m not familiar with their more recent changes.

I’d suggest particularly if they are younger doing one of the water parks for at least a half day. I don’t know that we will do one when we go as we are all older but the immersion there is cool. Loved the lazy river at one of them I can’t remember which. Super long and actual river like.

The biggest suggestion I have is to plan ahead. I think your plan depends on you but you need to have a plan.

 

[3TrueFans]

So the beach days is for sure a must and ive thought about that. The thing im running into is if you stay on disney resort you are not going to be renting a car. How do you get to the beach those days? Do you uber to airport or closes rental place and get a car just for the day? From what I read parking at the resorts cost a bunch so you dont really want a rental car sitting there the whole time

There is a car rental center on property, near Magic Kingdom, you can pickup and drop off rental cars there and there are shuttles from there to/from the parks and some resorts.

I looked at it briefly but ended up not using it because we ended up staying at Disney World the whole time.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/car-care-center/

 

[coolerifyoudid]

My two cents: The less you have to worry about while you're there, the better. If you can take time to plan things, can stay onsite and do the meal plan, it frees you up to actually enjoy the trip. We spent 7 days there during Christmas a few years ago. We hit each park for a day (we only spent half a day at Animal Kingdom). While it was super busy, I was able to just go with the flow and really enjoy it.

Your kids' ages will come into play for specific advice, though. If you still have kids that are in diapers/need naps, I'd recommend staying on site. You can break up the day and return to the room for some R&R if need be. We stayed at the Beach Club and loved it. We could walk to the back entrance of Epcot (much shorter line), which worked out well since we ended up having a large number of our scheduled meals there. The Beach Club also had a decent pool with slides nearby that wasn't very crowded when we were there, despite being over the holiday.

As many have said, take time to schedule your fast passes (60 days in advance I think). If there are certain rides you want to hit, this is probably the most important part of your trip that will literally save you hours of waiting. If you do the meal plan, schedule your meals in advance. The popular destinations fill up and you don't want to end up with 4 PM or 8PM being your only options if you have hungry kids. There are other options for food, of course, but I found scheduling a meal a day helped with planning other things.

Definitely give yourself a break. Two days at the parks, followed by a pool/beach day will help. We did the pool for half a day and then hit a park at night and it made a huge difference. If you choose to stay onsite and need to rent a car, I would get in touch with the concierge. They should be able to get you hooked up fairly easily. They were very helpful with any questions we had.

You can also check out the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. That book is overflowing with good tips, including age-specific ideas. Warning, the book is huuuuge and contains a ton of stuff you will never get around to looking at, but it is really really useful if this is your first time going.