Planning a Disney trip - basic questions

[Anonymous]

I gues that one is a little further away from Disney, but still drivable. This one is closer: https://www.vrbo.com/341700

It's a 4 br house with a pool for $142/night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who gave the Contemporary prices here.

OP, did you have a specific budget in mind for your resort? Maybe if you told us your price point, we can suggest resorts that will work for you, and also help ease your mind about the transportation to/from the parks with that resort.

I have stayed at all of the moderates and most of the Deluxe resorts, and never really felt like transportation to the parks was a major inconvenience with any of them. The only place I felt was a pain to get to/from is Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney.)

Thanks, PP (OP here). I don't have a budget yet. I am starting from scratch and don't know if this is a $4,000 vacation, a $10,000 vacation, a two-day vacation, or a six day vacation (with ample time to relax). I definitely can't afford $1,000/night. That I know for sure. One of the reasons I've posted here is I don't know who to ask. My friends haven't done Disney and our family is newish to the area, so i can't yet grab one of my kids' classmates' moms and ask them 1,000 questions including budget.

A Savannah view room at Animal Kingdom lodge is $475/night for that time frame...so OP, I think if you really want two rooms, you are going to be close to that $1000/night mark at any of the Deluxe hotels.
Even two rooms at a moderate will likely run $500 ish/night
The family suites at the "Art of Animation" resort are $365/night--there is a Queen bed in the bedroom, and then various chairs/tables/etc. convert into beds in the living room. There are also two bathrooms, which is really convenient.

[Anonymous]

I recently told a friend who crowdsourced her first Disney trip to listen to 1 or 2 people and disregard everyone else because after a while the chatter gets overwhelming. Everyone who loves Disney wants to share their secrets, and there are precisely 2.8 million unique ways to do Disney.

After reading all of the responses, your gracious response to them, and going back to your original question, here is what I would like to propose to you.

* Stay at the Contemporary (or Bay Lake Towers suite) to walk to the Magic Kingdom. This is nice especially if you are using a stroller.

* Take a cab to Animal Kingdom. The buses really aren't bad but cabs aren't too expensive and it will cut down on that wait time and address your main concern. (And I'll reassure you that your main concern won't be food so bad that you need to go to McDonald's for relief. )

I would also suggest making this a short trip, maybe 3-4 days. That way you don't get Disneyed out and can focus on the things you really want to see (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks). If you end up getting sucked into the Disney magic as many of us do, plan on returning after getting a taste of things.

(That's what we did -- I went kicking and screaming on an extended family trip, and once I got home I got to thinking about what I liked about WDW and what wished I'd done, did the research, and planned a fabulous second trip that cemented my Disney love. Now we know exactly what we can't miss and what we can easily skip. For example, now we know we leave the parks when people get cranky, and we know we need a relaxing place to unwind, so hotel matters. We know we don't do well on the dining plan. Etc. Etc. Etc.)

You provided clear parameters and this response addresses them, I hope! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently told a friend who crowdsourced her first Disney trip to listen to 1 or 2 people and disregard everyone else because after a while the chatter gets overwhelming. Everyone who loves Disney wants to share their secrets, and there are precisely 2.8 million unique ways to do Disney.

After reading all of the responses, your gracious response to them, and going back to your original question, here is what I would like to propose to you.

* Stay at the Contemporary (or Bay Lake Towers suite) to walk to the Magic Kingdom. This is nice especially if you are using a stroller.

* Take a cab to Animal Kingdom. The buses really aren't bad but cabs aren't too expensive and it will cut down on that wait time and address your main concern. (And I'll reassure you that your main concern won't be food so bad that you need to go to McDonald's for relief. )

I would also suggest making this a short trip, maybe 3-4 days. That way you don't get Disneyed out and can focus on the things you really want to see (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks). If you end up getting sucked into the Disney magic as many of us do, plan on returning after getting a taste of things.

(That's what we did -- I went kicking and screaming on an extended family trip, and once I got home I got to thinking about what I liked about WDW and what wished I'd done, did the research, and planned a fabulous second trip that cemented my Disney love. Now we know exactly what we can't miss and what we can easily skip. For example, now we know we leave the parks when people get cranky, and we know we need a relaxing place to unwind, so hotel matters. We know we don't do well on the dining plan. Etc. Etc. Etc.)

You provided clear parameters and this response addresses them, I hope! Good luck!

OP has clearly stated that the Contemporary is not in her budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently told a friend who crowdsourced her first Disney trip to listen to 1 or 2 people and disregard everyone else because after a while the chatter gets overwhelming. Everyone who loves Disney wants to share their secrets, and there are precisely 2.8 million unique ways to do Disney.

After reading all of the responses, your gracious response to them, and going back to your original question, here is what I would like to propose to you.

* Stay at the Contemporary (or Bay Lake Towers suite) to walk to the Magic Kingdom. This is nice especially if you are using a stroller.

* Take a cab to Animal Kingdom. The buses really aren't bad but cabs aren't too expensive and it will cut down on that wait time and address your main concern. (And I'll reassure you that your main concern won't be food so bad that you need to go to McDonald's for relief. )

I would also suggest making this a short trip, maybe 3-4 days. That way you don't get Disneyed out and can focus on the things you really want to see (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks). If you end up getting sucked into the Disney magic as many of us do, plan on returning after getting a taste of things.

(That's what we did -- I went kicking and screaming on an extended family trip, and once I got home I got to thinking about what I liked about WDW and what wished I'd done, did the research, and planned a fabulous second trip that cemented my Disney love. Now we know exactly what we can't miss and what we can easily skip. For example, now we know we leave the parks when people get cranky, and we know we need a relaxing place to unwind, so hotel matters. We know we don't do well on the dining plan. Etc. Etc. Etc.)

You provided clear parameters and this response addresses them, I hope! Good luck!

OP has clearly stated that the Contemporary is not in her budget.

Huh? Where? She "clearly stated" she can't afford $1000 a night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently told a friend who crowdsourced her first Disney trip to listen to 1 or 2 people and disregard everyone else because after a while the chatter gets overwhelming. Everyone who loves Disney wants to share their secrets, and there are precisely 2.8 million unique ways to do Disney.

After reading all of the responses, your gracious response to them, and going back to your original question, here is what I would like to propose to you.

* Stay at the Contemporary (or Bay Lake Towers suite) to walk to the Magic Kingdom. This is nice especially if you are using a stroller.

* Take a cab to Animal Kingdom. The buses really aren't bad but cabs aren't too expensive and it will cut down on that wait time and address your main concern. (And I'll reassure you that your main concern won't be food so bad that you need to go to McDonald's for relief. )

I would also suggest making this a short trip, maybe 3-4 days. That way you don't get Disneyed out and can focus on the things you really want to see (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks). If you end up getting sucked into the Disney magic as many of us do, plan on returning after getting a taste of things.

(That's what we did -- I went kicking and screaming on an extended family trip, and once I got home I got to thinking about what I liked about WDW and what wished I'd done, did the research, and planned a fabulous second trip that cemented my Disney love. Now we know exactly what we can't miss and what we can easily skip. For example, now we know we leave the parks when people get cranky, and we know we need a relaxing place to unwind, so hotel matters. We know we don't do well on the dining plan. Etc. Etc. Etc.)

You provided clear parameters and this response addresses them, I hope! Good luck!

OP has clearly stated that the Contemporary is not in her budget.

Huh? Where? She "clearly stated" she can't afford $1000 a night.

Exactly. And she also clearly stated that she needs either 2 rooms OR a suite, both of which will be $1000+ a night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently told a friend who crowdsourced her first Disney trip to listen to 1 or 2 people and disregard everyone else because after a while the chatter gets overwhelming. Everyone who loves Disney wants to share their secrets, and there are precisely 2.8 million unique ways to do Disney.

After reading all of the responses, your gracious response to them, and going back to your original question, here is what I would like to propose to you.

* Stay at the Contemporary (or Bay Lake Towers suite) to walk to the Magic Kingdom. This is nice especially if you are using a stroller.

* Take a cab to Animal Kingdom. The buses really aren't bad but cabs aren't too expensive and it will cut down on that wait time and address your main concern. (And I'll reassure you that your main concern won't be food so bad that you need to go to McDonald's for relief. )

I would also suggest making this a short trip, maybe 3-4 days. That way you don't get Disneyed out and can focus on the things you really want to see (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks). If you end up getting sucked into the Disney magic as many of us do, plan on returning after getting a taste of things.

(That's what we did -- I went kicking and screaming on an extended family trip, and once I got home I got to thinking about what I liked about WDW and what wished I'd done, did the research, and planned a fabulous second trip that cemented my Disney love. Now we know exactly what we can't miss and what we can easily skip. For example, now we know we leave the parks when people get cranky, and we know we need a relaxing place to unwind, so hotel matters. We know we don't do well on the dining plan. Etc. Etc. Etc.)

You provided clear parameters and this response addresses them, I hope! Good luck!

OP has clearly stated that the Contemporary is not in her budget.

Huh? Where? She "clearly stated" she can't afford $1000 a night.

Exactly. And she also clearly stated that she needs either 2 rooms OR a suite, both of which will be $1000+ a night.

If that's what she wants to do, then fine. But I don't see why anyone with a 4 year old and a 7 year old can't get a hotel room with 2 queen beds like everyone else on the planet. Stay on property, take the buses, use early magic hours, use fast passes, use the app to find rides and shows with short waits, and do lots of stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Huh? Where? She "clearly stated" she can't afford $1000 a night.

Not the PP, but this is from OP, on the previous page.

Anonymous wrote:I definitely can't afford $1,000/night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Huh? Where? She "clearly stated" she can't afford $1000 a night.

Not the PP, but this is from OP, on the previous page.

Anonymous wrote:I definitely can't afford $1,000/night.

Right. That's what I pointed to. Have you not had your coffee yet this morning?

See sensible PP about only one room needed.

[Anonymous]

As others have stated- I think your concerns about transportation are overblown. The disney property is huge- there is no way to avoid busses. If your concern is getting to the parks early- you don't need to stay at the contemporary for that, they start busses running from every resort early enough to get to the parks before they open.
The only time I have waited as multiple busses went by to full to get on is when I was staying at all star music after the evening show at Epcot many years ago.
I think your bigger sticking point is that you don't want to sleep in the same room as your kids. How firm are you on that? That is going to bust your budget really quickly. 2 rooms might be cheaper than a suite, but they won't be connecting, and your kids are too little to be down the hall. Disney takes the view that as long as their are two adults, the adults can split up and each be in the room with a kid.
One of the cheapest ways to get a suite is the cabins at fort wilderness. We stayed here and loved it.

[Anonymous]

Basically it comes down to

A) Plenty of space (multiple rooms or large suite)

B) Location (resort is walking distance to parks like Contemporary/Magic Kingdom or Beach Club/Epcot OR has awesome views like the Savanna at Animal Kingdom)

C) Reasonable price (less than $1000/night)


OP gets to pick 2.
She has to decide which two are most important for HER family. That might not be what is most important to other posters' families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you, PPs! This is really helpful. Like I wrote initially, it's hard to plan the details when you don't even have the big picture. We'll be looking to go the end of August (perhaps the week before Labor Day). We'd rather spend more money on a shorter trip with less commuting than a longer trip with hours spent in bus lines. I think. Maybe I'll feel differently when I start to price it out. I love the idea of staying at the animal lodge but looking at the map (and a comment from a PP), it looks like it might be a pain to come and go to MK. I'm currently thinking of the Contemporary with a suite or 2 rooms. (We all sleep poorly, so we can't all be in one studio room.) I don't care about the food so much, so I'm fine with the kids eating chicken fingers for three days. I'm a vegetarian but I usually can find something edible. I know the heat will be brutal, but I'm more anxious about waiting hours in lines for rides. I guess this is where fast passes come in. I will return with more questions when I start getting into the details. However, if you have more wisdom to share, please do! Thank you!

You don't spend hours in bus lines if you stay in an on property hotel. Seriously, I wouldn't factor the inconvenience of Disney inter-park transportation into your planning. It is generally pretty convenient.

Op here. Thanks. Having never been, and hearing about endless lines, I don't know what is a minor inconvenience and what is a gigantic pain.

The lines issue is if you went 20 years ago. Disney has worked hard to make it so, if you plan, you don't wait on lines. What do you consider a long line?

There were some two hour lines when we went (a week ago) for some of the rides like the Dwarf Mine Train. Others were 30-50 minutes and a few 20 minutes. Last time we went in September or Early October and the lines were generally 15-30 minutes. One day we were only able to go on a few rides.

That's why you need to plan and utilize fast passes. I went last moth and never waited. That said, op seems preoccupied by transportation lines not ride lines.

Maybe I am (OP here). I've just heard people say they waited two hours for this line, 90 minutes for that ride, etc. To me that's not worth it. So I trying to get a sense of how I can maximize time and experiences if I plan well. Meaning, if I can spend a little bit more and stay in a hotel that's one stop from MK and be at a very popular ride early, that seems to make sense. I'm not picky about food or hotels, so I'm valuing my time and experiences more than good dining options or hotel amenities. i love the ideas of some of the theme hotels, but I'm not sure its worth choosing a specific hotel. It sounds like some people just go to their rooms to sleep while others spend time enjoying the hotel amenities. I love what I've read about the animal lodge with the savannah views, but it seems like it might only be worth it if we plan for some time to relax at the hotel. Basically, I've just dipped my pinky toe into the Disney waters (bad metaphor, sorry), and I'm just learning how it all works. So thank you for the helpful information. Youve all given me places to start.

OP if you plan you won't have to wait in ride lines that long. You will NEVER have to wait at transportation lines that long. You can still get to the parks by rope drop no matter where you stay. All have transportation that starts at least an hour before the park opens and even before that for guests who have early dining reservations. Animal Kingdom Lodge is beautiful but not convenient to any park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who gave the Contemporary prices here.

OP, did you have a specific budget in mind for your resort? Maybe if you told us your price point, we can suggest resorts that will work for you, and also help ease your mind about the transportation to/from the parks with that resort.

I have stayed at all of the moderates and most of the Deluxe resorts, and never really felt like transportation to the parks was a major inconvenience with any of them. The only place I felt was a pain to get to/from is Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney.)

Thanks, PP (OP here). I don't have a budget yet. I am starting from scratch and don't know if this is a $4,000 vacation, a $10,000 vacation, a two-day vacation, or a six day vacation (with ample time to relax). I definitely can't afford $1,000/night. That I know for sure. One of the reasons I've posted here is I don't know who to ask. My friends haven't done Disney and our family is newish to the area, so i can't yet grab one of my kids' classmates' moms and ask them 1,000 questions including budget.

I think you need to figure out budget and time first. If you stay longer you can do a more relaxing trip with time at the pool and resort but if you go for anything less that 5 days you will be go go go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can save a ton of cash by renting a house off property. Look around the area of Celebration. It has grocery stores, restaurants and easy access to Disney. You can save yourself a boatload by eating a real meal at the house, instead of $15 chicken nuggets.

This 3 bedroom is $87 per night:
https://www.vrbo.com/193887

There isn't a lot of traffic. The only thing that I don't like about staying off property is paying $20/day for parking. Car rentals at the airport are cheap too. I got a car for $15/day last time I was there.

It's all about the type of vacation you want. Yes, this may save money but I'd never do this because this doesn't sound fun to me. I rather wait a year or two and save up some more money so we could have the ease of staying on property, enjoying a Disney hotel and the convenience and perks and not having to cook!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who gave the Contemporary prices here.

OP, did you have a specific budget in mind for your resort? Maybe if you told us your price point, we can suggest resorts that will work for you, and also help ease your mind about the transportation to/from the parks with that resort.

I have stayed at all of the moderates and most of the Deluxe resorts, and never really felt like transportation to the parks was a major inconvenience with any of them. The only place I felt was a pain to get to/from is Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney.)

Thanks, PP (OP here). I don't have a budget yet. I am starting from scratch and don't know if this is a $4,000 vacation, a $10,000 vacation, a two-day vacation, or a six day vacation (with ample time to relax). I definitely can't afford $1,000/night. That I know for sure. One of the reasons I've posted here is I don't know who to ask. My friends haven't done Disney and our family is newish to the area, so i can't yet grab one of my kids' classmates' moms and ask them 1,000 questions including budget.

A Savannah view room at Animal Kingdom lodge is $475/night for that time frame...so OP, I think if you really want two rooms, you are going to be close to that $1000/night mark at any of the Deluxe hotels.
Even two rooms at a moderate will likely run $500 ish/night
The family suites at the "Art of Animation" resort are $365/night--there is a Queen bed in the bedroom, and then various chairs/tables/etc. convert into beds in the living room. There are also two bathrooms, which is really convenient.

I did a lot of research on Savannah rooms and came to the conclusion they aren't worth it. You can't guarantee you will see any animals and you may not even be in the hotel to see them when they are there. Use touringplans.com to see views from all rooms so you can request the room you want. I did that last month and got a standard view room at the Wilderness Lodge that I could still see Magic Kingdom fireworks!