RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (Full Version)

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rcorson -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/19/2007 11:10:10 PM)

The last time we were there, we did Sea World and Animal Kingdom. Sea World was the favorite, hands-down! DD who was 4 at the time, loved it more than the animal kingdom. If you can afford it, Sea World is worth the cost. We are going to try and visit DH's mom next year (she lives north of Tampa) so we'll do 2 more of the parks and plan on hitting the Magic Kingdom and most likely Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, or Sea World again next time.



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/21/2007 4:28:29 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harvie

I am currently on vacation in Florida.

Bring sunscreen AND insect repellent. LOTS and LOTS of insect repellent.

[sm=funny.gif]


As in mosquitoes? I thought we had the market cornered on those pests.[:D]


Are you kidding?!?!? They're the Florida state bird! Skin-So-Soft oil from Avon (the original scent) works really well to repel them if you don't want the chemicals from commercial bug spray. Although you probably won't have nearly as much of a problem since you're coming in November.



Ontmomof4 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/22/2007 9:01:14 AM)

Hi

I am new to this forum and saw your question about Disney, I had to sign up so I could tell you about this great home we rented in Windsor Hills. Check out their web site at romancingthemouse.com They are close enough we went back in the day to make lunch have a nap and a swim in the pool.

Linda



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/23/2007 4:49:11 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: tiffanyctd

quote:

ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harvie

I am currently on vacation in Florida.

Bring sunscreen AND insect repellent. LOTS and LOTS of insect repellent.

[sm=funny.gif]


As in mosquitoes? I thought we had the market cornered on those pests.[:D]


Are you kidding?!?!? They're the Florida state bird! Skin-So-Soft oil from Avon (the original scent) works really well to repel them if you don't want the chemicals from commercial bug spray. Although you probably won't have nearly as much of a problem since you're coming in November.


When is the bad mosquito season down there? Summertime?



waychamom -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/24/2007 8:08:08 AM)

MY son (5 yrs) is visiting disney today with his grandparents... they left on Sunday and had a horrible trip pulling the camper. They had a flat tire 2 times on Monday putting them behind an entire day. I have been missing him so much and praying like crazy. Grandma and grandpa take all their grandkids to Disney when they turn 5. They take them one at a time even though we had 3 turn 5 this year. Ok... I am rambling... ya'll just made me miss my baby.. lol..

My advice... have extra tires [8D]



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/24/2007 10:05:41 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed

quote:

ORIGINAL: tiffanyctd

quote:

ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harvie

I am currently on vacation in Florida.

Bring sunscreen AND insect repellent. LOTS and LOTS of insect repellent.

[sm=funny.gif]


As in mosquitoes? I thought we had the market cornered on those pests.[:D]


Are you kidding?!?!? They're the Florida state bird! Skin-So-Soft oil from Avon (the original scent) works really well to repel them if you don't want the chemicals from commercial bug spray. Although you probably won't have nearly as much of a problem since you're coming in November.


When is the bad mosquito season down there? Summertime?


Usually from about now through about the beginning of October (although we've been in a drought so there haven't been too many yet). We usually get a cold snap (granted, cold is a relative term!) about half way through October that makes them go dormant.



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/24/2007 6:18:24 PM)

Vehicle rentals...

we never rent a vehicle so I'm at a bit of a loss here.

It's obviously convenient to pick up the vehicle at the airport - are they more expensive there?



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/25/2007 10:59:19 AM)

They usually are more expensive to rent at the airport because the airport charges a surcharge. Some of the rental companies have airport shuttle that can take you to an offsite location (but of course, you'll want to check with the company before you get there). If the company you choose doesn't have an offsite shuttle, it may be cheaper to get the car at the airport (and pay the surcharge) than to pay a taxi to take you to the rental company (again, check with the company. It's been a while since I've had to rent a car in Orlando, so I don't remember how much the surcharge there was).

Which leads me to my next point-make a reservation for one before you go on the trip. You never know what conferences might be going on that would make rental cars scarce.

Check with any organizations you might be a member of (like AAA, professional associations, and even your car insurance company). They might be able to get you a discount.

Also check with your insurance company to see if your policy would cover you in a rental car. Depending on your level of coverage, you may be able to decline the rental company's insurance, which will save you a significant amount.



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/25/2007 6:35:57 PM)

Are some car rental companies better or cheaper than others?



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/25/2007 8:26:02 PM)

quote:

Are some car rental companies better or cheaper than others?


Deifnately, but you need to shop around. I also heard that gas is much more expensive at the stations nearest the airport but I am not sure if that part is true



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/29/2007 2:39:35 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed

Are some car rental companies better or cheaper than others?


Yes to both, but not necessarily at the same time. I tend to stick with national chains like Budget, Avis, Hertz, and (sometimes) Enterprise. Hertz is probably what I use most. They're a little bit more expensive than some, but I've always gotten good service and clean cars. They also have GPS guides in some cars (you have to request it and they cost extra), which I've found to be immensely helpful when I visit new cities (but also take a good map!).



TammyIsBlessed -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/30/2007 12:45:17 AM)

What do you think of the Character Dining at Disney? Is it worth it? We're debating about going to the Cinderella/Fairy Godmother one....



Focusing -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/30/2007 1:12:02 AM)

Have gone onto Disney's website? We're planning a trip to Orlando next summer and just got our maps of the parks!! Very exciting!



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/30/2007 10:10:24 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed

What do you think of the Character Dining at Disney? Is it worth it? We're debating about going to the Cinderella/Fairy Godmother one....


I've never done it since I don't have any little ones to take, but I've heard it's fun.



coolfamily6 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (5/31/2007 4:30:32 PM)

We had lunch at the Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom) with the Winnie the Pooh characters. It was well worth the $100.00 it cost our family of 5. It was buffet style with selections for both adults and children.



rynthetyn -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/1/2007 5:21:48 PM)

My general theme park advice is to get the map of the park and plan out your route ahead of time. If you're in line before the park opens, you can hightail it to the ride you want to do before there's a change for a line to build up. If you do advanced research about which rides have long wait times, you can use that to plan which to hit early--keep in mind though, that sometimes rides on the far side of a park may open later than ones near the gate, since they figure it takes some time to get back to that part of the park.

Keep in mind, if you're not staying at a Disney resort, traffic on I-4 can be ridiculously bad, especially depending on time of day and whether the state decides that peak tourist season is a good time to embark on major road work. And, whether or not you stay at a Disney resort, if you decide to go to the beach, it could take a good bit longer than just an hour or so. Speaking of beaches, you'll get an entirely different beach experience if you head east to the Atlantic beaches or west to the Gulf beaches. The water's calmer at the Gulf beaches, so for younger kids, you might want go the the Gulf.



coolfamily6 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/4/2007 7:32:38 AM)

My advice is to head straight to Dumbo, it is in the back of the park and the line gets REALLY long. We try to make it our first ride. Most people have a tendency to turn right as you enter the park; so if you do not head to Dumbo go left.[:D]



tiffanyctd -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/4/2007 12:29:57 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rynthetyn

Keep in mind, if you're not staying at a Disney resort, traffic on I-4 can be ridiculously bad, especially depending on time of day and whether the state decides that peak tourist season is a good time to embark on major road work. And, whether or not you stay at a Disney resort, if you decide to go to the beach, it could take a good bit longer than just an hour or so. Speaking of beaches, you'll get an entirely different beach experience if you head east to the Atlantic beaches or west to the Gulf beaches. The water's calmer at the Gulf beaches, so for younger kids, you might want go the the Gulf.


That's a really good point! You can check on road construction projects at the Florida DOT website .



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/4/2007 7:11:13 PM)

quote:

What do you think of the Character Dining at Disney? Is it worth it? We're debating about going to the Cinderella/Fairy Godmother one....


Tammy,
If you have the money, look into a meal plan. The food can get very expensive and you actually do save money with a meal plan. I am actually here now, and as far as the traffic goes, once we got off of the interstate (75 I think it was) the traffic was pretty bad. Plus I didn't like the exit ramp that we had to get off on.

We have done the cinderella breakfast and it is good for the princess autographs that you will get for your kids. (you can buy autograph books, or bring your own), but I think there is another princess meal in Epcott or another hotel that is less expensive.

Tracy



Focusing -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/9/2007 10:05:50 PM)

Did you see on CNN Travel that they have an article "Disney World on a Budget"? It came out May 31st, but I just now caught it. [:D] Have fun!!!



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/10/2007 7:47:11 PM)

Tammy,

I know I told you to look into a meal plan, but while we were there, we met this guy who ordered his meals from garden grocer. He said that he gets his meals delivered to his room and it is about half the price of the meals in the parks and resorts. He said he picks one or two good resturaunts to eat at, but the rest of the time, he has his meals delivered.

This might be good for you since you are not staying on the property.

Also, you have to get your kids on Everest at the Animal Kingdom. You can't go on it being pregnant, but we didn't see anybody get off of the ride and complain. My six year old went on it 4 times in the first hour.

You do have to fast pass that ride though because the lines can get long. So anyway, I have attached a link to the site for you to look at. We just got back from Disney and we had a blast.

Tracy



Brandy -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/10/2007 8:49:53 PM)

Split your day up. Get to the park early and get as many rides/attractions done as you can. Leave the park around 2, get your hands stamped and go do something relaxing, like watch a movie or take naps. Go BACK to the park around 6, get some more rides in and stay for Fireworks at 9 that I THINK they do every night during the summer. Once the Fireworks are over, hit the rides you didn't earlier, they will start to move faster because people are leaving the park.

We do this at Disneyland here in Cali and it makes the day MUCH nicer than spending 12 hrs in a park. We also do dinner at a nice restaurant in the park, inside the Pirates Ride actually. Its fun but $$$ and a great time eater.

We love DIsney and are taking a friend who will be visiting there for 4th of July.



FunBetty -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/11/2007 1:48:12 AM)

I can't believe I just now stumbled on this thread.

Umm.. Tammy, I WORK at WDW (seasonally) and at one point I worked in Dining and Resort Reservations.

You got questions? Fire away.

(This is a blind post, I'm going to scroll through now and look for what I can add).



FunBetty -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/11/2007 2:20:13 AM)

Okay...here come the comments (I think I've got them all..hopefully I can remember).

Mission Space-- they now have a vehicle that does not move for people w/ motion sickness. I haven't been there since (ugh- can I just say that this is the ONLY ride I have ever gotten nauteous on?)- but you might be able to go on while pregnant.

Speaking of pregnant, each ride will have a huge sign of restrictions. If you're not sure, ask the greeter at the attraction.

Bringing drinks into the park-- I recommend bringing a water bottle for each person, then filling them up at the water fountains. If I grab a meal, I'll ask for ice water. If it's not bottled, it's free. But I hate going there and asking for water if I'm not ordering anything... too long of a wait. Drink a lot of water. All of that walking, standing, and (probably) heat-- many people get dehydrated. Bring snacks for the kiddos to avoid the "snack cart" temptations.

Rent strollers. The parks (all of them) have nice double strollers. If you take your own stroller, you run the risk of losing it- I've seen a few disappear while I have worked there. There's no way to know what belongs to who, so there's no way to monitor that stuff.

Fastpass fastpass fastpass. It is SO worth it.

The beginning of November should be a great time to visit. Personally, I've never noticed a huge difference between the days of the week (they all seem to be about the same to me) as far as amounts of people.

Where to stay: if you can afford to stay on property, by all means, I recommend it. The biggest perk (I think) besides the extra park hours- is being able to go back to your hotel mid-day to rest. If you stay off property, find a place with free transportation. It's worth the extra $$ to not rent a car (traffic in Kissimmee is AWFUL- I'm always late for work!), and let someone else do the driving. There are shuttle services available to get you from the airport to hotels. (Mears is the most popular I think).

Food- Disney really shines in this area. The cinderella/fairy godmother breakfast (I hear) is wonderful, but painstakingly impossible to get into (the restaurant - Cinderella's Royal Table is VERY small, and always "sells" out within the first 10 minutes of availability. There are numerous other character meals, including one with princesses (1900 park fare breakfast, I think). As for myself, I've eaten at (Epcot) Garden Grill, Alfredo's, Le Cellier, (Studios) Prime Time Cafe, Sci-Fi Drive-In, and (Polynesian Resort) Ohana's. I've never been disappointed with the table service restaurants. Here is a link to the restaurants with menus, characters (if applicable), and prices: Disney Dining

Also, Birnbaum's has a great book on Disney Vacations.

If you have other specific Q's, let me know!



FunBetty -> RE: Help me plan Disney vacation (6/11/2007 2:24:27 AM)

Oh, and Epcot has a fun Food and Wine festival Sept- Nov. 11. They have a bunch of carts where you can buy snacks from, and sample food from all over the world (for about $1-4 each item). Usually they give out recipe cards, too. I've done that for a meal-- go "around the world" and I'm full by the end (can get pricey though). They also have special demonstrations, etc. More info on the link I sent in previous post!



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