You'll find this on the other threads but we booked a 2BR townhouse at Like Tiki Village (great name, huh?) with a full kitchen, w/d, screen porch, etc and a very fun waterslide/splash pool with a pool bar/grill that the kids will love. There's also a playground and some other activities (basketball court, paddleboats, jitney bikes, multiple pools) you are 1/3 mile from a grocery (Publix) and the road is lined with family restaurants. Other than not offering room service and a lazy river the resort was great for our family with two young kids.
Windsor Hills was also on our radar but we didn't need a whole week and really weren't comfortable with having a pool right outside the sliding glass with kids this age.
If you are driving, there are so many fun places you could stop to visit! Amelia Island, Charleston, Savannah, etc. If you have AC, a great pool, and don;t try to do EVERY park, you'll have a great time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes and no. You can very likely still get this trip put together, but with some major caveats:
- reservations for sit-down restaurants will be hard to get, possibly impossible for the most popular spots and character meals
- there is currently a discount available on Disney resorts for summer dates, but it expires in two days. Not sure how much availability is left with the discount.
- this is a PEAK season for crowds and incredibly HOT. I love Disney, but I wouldn't set foot there in July unless that were the only time I could ever go. I especially wouldn't want to go there in July without some Disney-navigating experience or at least a lot of research.

Possibly useful links:
July crowd calendar/park recommendations: http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/07-july-2013-crowd-calendar/
General comparison of different seasons for visiting WDW: http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/crowdcalendar/

I would have thought the same for late june when we went and were pleasantly surprised. The heat was do-able, there are a lot of places to sit an rest, heck ride the train around the park a few times! lots of shade, we found one area that had water sprays so we could get wet. And we went with NO disney navigating experience and still had a lot of fun. PS I am the one who posted about making our plans in 5-6 weeks time.

Not the PP, but late June is different than July - kids are right out of school, and many people don't want to go on vacation the first week of summer break. I expect july is much busier.

OP, this may not be an option, but my favorite is October - small crowds, cooler (though still really warm sometimes) and it's the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, which exceeded my every expectation.

I'm with those people who are saying it's not a good idea because of the ages of your kids. I just went to Disney in February and had a fabulous time. The youngest kids in our group was 4 and that is the youngest I would go. Disney is an amazing and wonderful place but it is also expensive, hectic, super hot in the summer, and super crowded in the summer. I just don't think these factors jive with bringing really young children who won't even remember the trip anyway.

I have always had good luck planning last minute trips. If you can't book the hotel you want start calling 5 days out and there will likely be a cancellation and they will change your reservation. I often get a room in the Contemporary on the way to Disney.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I guess it does depend on the personalities involved. My SIL's family is very easy-going and always happy, so they would be okay...it's really ME that would be the one who would suffer

SIL's family is from another country and they don't visit often, and I know that her kids (5 and 7) are really excited about the chance to visit Disneyworld, so i'd really like to make it happen. I think the Contemporary would be the best choice but it's expensive and i don't even know if they have any availability. Does anyone have any experience with calling the 800 number on the Disney site? I'd rather talk this reservation thing through with someone than try to figure it out online, but I don't want to be pressured into booking, or up-sold, etc.

So SIL has a 5 and 7 year old, and you have kids that are 3, 2, and 11 months?

You are going to have a TOUGH time, honestly. SIL and her kids will be fine though. The good news, 2 of your kids won't have to pay to get in. I'd have SIL and her family take a side trip and visit on their own.

You're already looking at the Contemporary, so there's not much more to up-sell to! I haven't had that problem with Disney phone agents, though. I usually just research online because I find it easier. You could also call a Disney-specialized travel agent and have them figure out what's still available at what rate. I haven't used one myself but one name I often see recommended is Dreams Unlimited Travel. Too bad I don't know you or I would love to help, as I have no Disney vacations of my own on the horizon...
Try and book before the summer discount expires - if they still have discounted rooms, it's 30% at the Contemporary and at Bay Lake Tower (the condo-style resort next to the Contemporary).

OP here. I guess it does depend on the personalities involved. My SIL's family is very easy-going and always happy, so they would be okay...it's really ME that would be the one who would suffer

SIL's family is from another country and they don't visit often, and I know that her kids (5 and 7) are really excited about the chance to visit Disneyworld, so i'd really like to make it happen. I think the Contemporary would be the best choice but it's expensive and i don't even know if they have any availability. Does anyone have any experience with calling the 800 number on the Disney site? I'd rather talk this reservation thing through with someone than try to figure it out online, but I don't want to be pressured into booking, or up-sold, etc.

We went once when our kid were that age. So very hot and uncomfortable. never again.

We went late june as first timers with a 2yo and almost 3 yo and we all had a blast. I think you are going to find a wide variety of opinions/answers. What works best for one may not for another.

We are not conditioned to going back to the hotel for naps, so staying at one of the resorts wasnt a plus for us. Both kids napped in their strollers once for about an hour during the day, otherwise we went pretty non stop from 9am-almost midnight. When we got back to the room, they both bathed and slept soundly through the night only to get back up and enjoy Sea World the following day.

You know your kids best as does the other family. If July is the only time you all can get together then go for it and just be prepared as best as you can!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really only the 5 and 7 year olds will enjoy anything about this trip. The rest will be hot, cranky, tired of waiting or sittingi n the stroller, and not sleeping well in the hotel room.

I have to agree. I LOVE Disney. LOVE it--but I don't think you should do this. It will be expensive, and hot, and crowded. And you are most likely will be too late to reserve the fun character meals and other popular restaurants. And it sounds like you don't really know much about Disney World. I think if you planned a trip for say...October, you would have a FABULOUS time. Still warm enough for the pools, but crowds will be much less extreme, and you will have time to reserve specific restaurants, and do a little research...and rates should be lower too.

+1

Yes, the fall has low crowds, lower resort rates, and better weather. The summer is pretty miserable with the heat and the crowds. The summer will not be an enjoyable trip for a first timer.

Anonymous wrote:Look into renting a house or condo at Windsor Hills. More space, less money.

I totally agree! I absolutely love Windsor Hills! I love having a private pool home with all the extra space.

I've been going to Disney for years and I prefer the off-site options like Windsor Hills and any of the Marriott or Hilton resorts. Even with a rental car, I still save a ton than staying at a Disney Resort. The rooms at the Disney Resorts are just too small, noisy, crowded, and expensive for what you get. For many years I was hestistant about staying off-site, but Windsor Hills and Wyndham Bonnet Creek both blew me away. I couldn't believe how much nicer and cheaper the off-site options could be.

Anonymous wrote:Really only the 5 and 7 year olds will enjoy anything about this trip. The rest will be hot, cranky, tired of waiting or sittingi n the stroller, and not sleeping well in the hotel room.

I have to agree. I LOVE Disney. LOVE it--but I don't think you should do this. It will be expensive, and hot, and crowded. And you are most likely will be too late to reserve the fun character meals and other popular restaurants. And it sounds like you don't really know much about Disney World. I think if you planned a trip for say...October, you would have a FABULOUS time. Still warm enough for the pools, but crowds will be much less extreme, and you will have time to reserve specific restaurants, and do a little research...and rates should be lower too.

Really only the 5 and 7 year olds will enjoy anything about this trip. The rest will be hot, cranky, tired of waiting or sittingi n the stroller, and not sleeping well in the hotel room.