| Okay we are going on a big trip to Disney-three adults and two kids (one under two)--we wanted to go all out but I am in sticker shock. The price I got for January at the Grand Floridian is 11, 500 for a two bedroom suite (theme park views) with five day park hopper and meals. Is this good? This is for four nights five days. I am trying to understand since I had to pick myself off the floor with the price but my hubby really wants to be on the monorail and we want a suite for comfort--we haven't traveled in years so this is a big deal but I need perspective. |
| Does that include airfare? |
| Stop!!! Go somewhere else for that kind of money. The kids are too young to even know where they are and a real place will make for much better pictures. Think of Baby Ava in front of the Eiffel Tower or Aidan at the Grand Canyon. F Disney. |
| With kids that young you do not need 5 days in Disney. Or theme park views. |
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I do not understand why parents need to scurry to Disney with little kids in tow, unless they intend to make this a yearly outing.
Until they are 10 (give or take a few years), they will not be able to enjoy the most thrilling rides, and will not be able to appreciate the "make-believe" extravaganza. They will not have seen or completely understood most of the stories represented there. I went to DisneyLand Paris several times a year as a teen since I lived in Paris, but unless you plan on going there all the time, please reconsider: your children will enjoy it so much more in a few years. |
| I know I asked for this and I definitely thought f disney with these prices but my dd has been asking and I have to admit that hubby and I want to go..we did a lot of traveling prior to kids but with kids..just the beach so we wanted to do something different and Disney is different for a couple that has already been everywhere once upon a time. I am hoping to get some feedback from the people who do travel to Disney--would this be a good price if you want a suite??? This includes everthing but airfare. |
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That is crazy.
I went to disney before with a family of four and spent probably in the neighborhood of 2k at most. |
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You have picked the most expensive resort in all of Walt Disney World, and a two-bedroom suite... Yes, that is going to be extravagantly expensive and you can do it smarter.
1. There is no need to be on the monorail. All of the Disney resorts connect to the parks by bus and/or boat, and these work great. For that matter, driving yourself through the World is easy too, though you do have to pay ten bucks to park. 2. The two-bedroom suite is what is killing you on price. Several of the deluxe resorts have "villas," which are condo style. E.g., Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom. Consider a two-bedroom villa, I'm sure it would be way cheaper. Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom are less expensive than the other Deluxe Resorts. I would try Wilderness Lodge - you can take a short boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, plus it apparently has one of the best pools in Disney. 3. You absolutely do not need park hopper tickets. One park a day is all you will have energy for, especially with young kids on a first visit. Get the regular Magic Your Way tickets instead. 4. Another hotel option is the Swan and Dolphin hotels, near the Boardwalk and Epcot. They are run by Starwood, but use the Disney boats and buses. I stayed at the Dolphin last March with my family and it was great. Are you a Starwood Preferred Guest? If so, you can use points and save thousands of dollars. Good luck OP. We had a wonderful time with our two-year old, but I also felt like I got a great value because I was able to use points for the hotel, and we didn't mind sharing one room. Disney is a wonderful, well-run place for kids of all ages. I am looking forward to my family's next visit. |
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I totally agree with PP.
I just priced out our Feb vacation for 2 adults and 2 kids for 5 nights and the prices were between $1832 for the French Quarter (includes hotel, tickets (4 days), and dining plan) to $1430 for All Star Movies (includes hotel, tickets (4 days), and quick service dining.) I also could get a Wilderness cabin for $1664 (included cabin and tickets, but not food.) Airfare will be another $630 for all 4 of us. Basically, I could do a 5 night vacation for under $2500 all inclusive. |
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1:17 here again. OP, here is the link to Disney's website where they list all of the deluxe villa accommodations. I'm sure that all of these would be much less expensive than a two-bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian. If you must be on the monorail, you could choose the Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary resort. Personally, that wouldn't be my first choice because it doesn't have a fun "theme" for kids. There are lots of options to consider.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/benefits/groups/ Also, I would not do the meal plan if I were you -- from everything I have read, it is not a good value anymore unless you are huge eaters, plus it can be a pain to navigate the system. Just my opinion. |
| Thanks for these options..I think I was getting sucked into the Disney fog.. |
agreed. go to sanibel island with kids that young. save the money in their 529. |
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I am a Disney convert. I thought I would hate it but it is a great vacation. Our kids were 3.5 and 20 months for our first trip and this was great. My 20 month old had a good time too just seeing everything. He loved small world and Pooh's playhouse. It was magic for my 3.5 yr old. We go each year and now at 3.5 and 5.5 they are even more into it. As an adult, I liked how easy and kid friendly everything was there. No need to drive, lots to do and all kid friendly,and the accomodations are much nicer than most kid places.
On prices, we always go off season. OP you may want to check the site as you could be crossing over a date threshold where the room jumps up several hundred dollars. The rates are extremely lower and since the kids are not in public school yet traveling during the school year outside breaks is fine. I would discourage the park hopper if you are there for several days. This just lets you go to different parks on the same day which is not practical or necessary with little ones. When the kids are past 10 I actually think this is getting old for Disney and hope that we can switch to traveling to Europe again. |
| So many Disney haters on this site!!! We love disney and have been going very year since the kids were 2 and 4. Love it! Op, we are staying at the GF for a week in January and our total package is around $3600 . That includes 8 days of park hopper passes and a regular room, and airfare too. We booked a few weeks ago when they were running a special. I am pretty sure the special is still on. Google it!! |
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Instead of the meal plan I would do a club level floor...you get breakfast every morning and snacks all day.
Kids that young will never be able to do park hopper...one park a day is fine. |