What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Disney Vacation (4 Viewers)

Payne said:
2Young2BBald said:
Heading there later this year & caught this recently. Knew about 4 of th 5 and am wondering if anyone has done and can recommend #3:

3… Hollywood Studios: Know how to get the VIP treatment.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a study in movie magic - for example: how forced perspective can make a one-story billboard look like a skyscraper; the way a 30-foot high roll of film in the children’s play area-can make a boy look the size of an ant; or how a stunt driver can make a decimated car look like it’s driving itself. Best of all, you can feel like a VIP here. But there’s a trick to it.

Here’s the scoop: come for the day, play, go back to your hotel and relax like the VIP you are. But before you come to Orlando, make reservations for the Fantasmic dinner package. Why? With the special dinner reservations at chic Brown Derby, Italian Mama Melrose, or buffet Hollywood & Vine, you’ll get a reserved seat in the VIP section at the super cool Fantasmic evening show at no additional cost. Unlike the massive overhead firework displays at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the evening spectacular here is seated, and the queue for seats for the laser, water, and pyrotechnics show can be massive. But with your advance Fantasmic dinner package reservation, you’ll waltz right up to the special reserved section of seats with its own separate entrance. Hello VIP!
Click to expand...
We've done this on two different occasions. Works great. But I don't think it saved us much time in line or gave us that much better seats.But if you plan on eating there, why not take advantage of it??
Click to expand...
What do you mean by this? I thought if you took advantage of it, you waited on NO lines. It says you even have your own entranceHopefully, you see this tonight. We get to book our dining tomorrow and were going to bypass a character dinner for this package. But if it is not worth it, we will go to Crystal palace or somewhere like that

Hoping for dinner at China, Cinderellas castle for lunch, Chef Mickeys and either breakfast at the tusker house or Fantasmic.

 
Dr. Doofenshmirtz said:
Payne said:
2Young2BBald said:
Heading there later this year & caught this recently. Knew about 4 of th 5 and am wondering if anyone has done and can recommend #3:

3… Hollywood Studios: Know how to get the VIP treatment.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a study in movie magic - for example: how forced perspective can make a one-story billboard look like a skyscraper; the way a 30-foot high roll of film in the children’s play area-can make a boy look the size of an ant; or how a stunt driver can make a decimated car look like it’s driving itself. Best of all, you can feel like a VIP here. But there’s a trick to it.

Here’s the scoop: come for the day, play, go back to your hotel and relax like the VIP you are. But before you come to Orlando, make reservations for the Fantasmic dinner package. Why? With the special dinner reservations at chic Brown Derby, Italian Mama Melrose, or buffet Hollywood & Vine, you’ll get a reserved seat in the VIP section at the super cool Fantasmic evening show at no additional cost. Unlike the massive overhead firework displays at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the evening spectacular here is seated, and the queue for seats for the laser, water, and pyrotechnics show can be massive. But with your advance Fantasmic dinner package reservation, you’ll waltz right up to the special reserved section of seats with its own separate entrance. Hello VIP!
Click to expand...
We've done this on two different occasions. Works great. But I don't think it saved us much time in line or gave us that much better seats.But if you plan on eating there, why not take advantage of it??
Click to expand...
What do you mean by this? I thought if you took advantage of it, you waited on NO lines. It says you even have your own entranceHopefully, you see this tonight. We get to book our dining tomorrow and were going to bypass a character dinner for this package. But if it is not worth it, we will go to Crystal palace or somewhere like that

Hoping for dinner at China, Cinderellas castle for lunch, Chef Mickeys and either breakfast at the tusker house or Fantasmic.
Click to expand...
Correct. There is a special entrance.And to be fair, I have never stood in the "other line". But from what I saw, it wasn't too bad.

Do the package. You will not be disappointed. Great show.

 
Just got back last night after a week down there. It was hotter than blazes but I suppose that's to be expected somewhat. We only got a little rain on our last two days, so can't complain about that. A few highlights and observations:

- Thanks to all who turned me on to 'Ohana. What an insane amount of food, and very tasty. We felt bad, because even though it was delicious, there was no way we could eat what they brought. Of course, my kids weren't feeling it that much and didn't do their share, in between limbo games and coconut races.

- I can't remember if it's been talked about much but we had a blast at Mickey's Backyard Barbecue at Fort Wilderness. We were staying at FW in the cabins, which we also really enjoyed, or else I don't know if we would have paid much attention to the BBQ. Although it was still in the 90's that night, the kids had a blast. While I'm no huge fan of country music, they have a good band playing, and the kids get to go right out and dance with the characters. When we went it was Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale and maybe one other. It's all you can eat burgers, dogs, bbq ribs, cornbread, and it lasts a couple of hourse. The place really started to thin out after a while, and the kids loved dancing and having a good time. We had the dining plan, and it cost us 2 table service meals, but it was worth it.

- My girls loved the experience of eating at Cinderella's castle, but man, they rush you through that meal. The food was good, but there wasn't a whole lot of it, and it was on our table within a few minutes of sitting down. Normally, especially with 3 small kids, that would be a good thing, but it just felt like they were trying to hurry you along. Most of the princesses that stopped at our table were only there for a minute or so. All in all, it was a cool experience, but probably not worth the money.

- Even though the crowds seemed huge, most of the rides had minimal waits. It only seemed as if the headliners had a wait of any significance. We found that the posted time to get through the standby line was typically on the high side, and most rides seemed to be less than 15 minutes. At Epcot, Soarin and Test Track typically had waits of over an hour. We went to Space Mountain after the 10 p.m. fireworks one night and it was a 90 minute standby wait. We said screw that and headed over to Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain and walked right onto both of them without a wait. As has been said earlier, I'm amazed repeatedly by how many people choose to wait in those huge lines instead of getting the Fastpass. Unless, of course, they have the experience we did, which was getting to Hollywood Studios by 11 and the fastpasses for Toy Story Mania being gone for the day already.

All in all we had a great time and sweated through about 12 shirts each. The upside of the hot weather were lots of chicks in racktastic tanktops and halters.

 
Shaft41 said:
Unless, of course, they have the experience we did, which was getting to Hollywood Studios by 11 and the fastpasses for Toy Story Mania being gone for the day already. All in all we had a great time and sweated through about 12 shirts each. The upside of the hot weather were lots of chicks in racktastic tanktops and halters.
Click to expand...
Yeah, if you don't get to TS Mania right around the time the park opens you are screwed.My step-mother and wife waited 30 minutes just for fast passes and we were there at the drop of the rope.
 
cowboymouth said:
Since our beaches are closed due to the oil spill, the wife has decided we are going to Disney (family of 3, daughter will be 7 at time of trip). She's looking at a 4 day, 5 night stay in the Contemporary Tower Resort late July/early August. I know it will be hotter than hades but its the only time we have to go. Has anyone stayed in the Contemporary Tower's lately? Are the meal plans worth the extra money? Is the park hopper worth the extra money? If we don't get the park hopper, will we still be able to get into certain parks early? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Park hopper is an absolute must for us.
 
Going next summer for the first time since I was a kid (1990). Looks like I have a lot of pages to catch up on in this thread!

 
Heading to Disney World for a week in August. This thread has been invaluable!

ETA - does anyone know if the preferred parking pass you get when buying tickets through AAA include the cost of parking, or whether it just allows 'front row' parking? If you buy 4 day passes, do you get 4 parking passes or are they re-usable?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I read that if you did the "Give a day, get a day", you can upgrade that ticket to a multi-day pass by paying the difference in price between a 1 day ticket and a multi-day ticket. This is a nice savings, because you get the first day for free, not the last day.

Does anyone know if the Florida Hospital for Children promotion can be upgraded in the same way? The savings aren't nearly as good as the Give a Day promotion, but it'd be nice to give the first $150 to the hospital rather than $158 to Disney.

 
Dragons said:
I read that if you did the "Give a day, get a day", you can upgrade that ticket to a multi-day pass by paying the difference in price between a 1 day ticket and a multi-day ticket. This is a nice savings, because you get the first day for free, not the last day.

Does anyone know if the Florida Hospital for Children promotion can be upgraded in the same way? The savings aren't nearly as good as the Give a Day promotion, but it'd be nice to give the first $150 to the hospital rather than $158 to Disney.
Click to expand...
According to this thread, the answer is no. :lmao:
 
Heading to Long Beach / Disneyland in Sept. It will be the wife and I plus our 2 daughters (2 yo and 4 yo). We only have 1 day at Disneyland - should we do park hopper and hit both parks or will the original disneyland be enough for one day / would we miss out on something at Calif. Adventure?

 
Dragons said:
Can anyone give me the low down on the minor parks? Are they worth it?
Click to expand...
I assume minor= everything except Magic KingdomMy personal order (which will be different for everyone)Hollywood StudiosAnimal KingdomEpcotNow this will change depending on how old the people are that you are going withHS- Great for teens and older crowd. Has Tower of terror (free fall ride) and Rock n Roller coaster (one of best coasters I have been on). It also has Toy Story 4d ride and Star Tours. And my favorite store, the star wars store. It used to have Indiana Jones stunt spectacular and a stunt car show. There is also a small backlot tour that has some cool effects (nothing like Universals backlot though). They have a 3d muppets movie also. AK- This one might take over as number one for me after our next trip. I am a big safari guy so the safari is top notch in my opinion. I was able to get some great pics last time and am psyched to take my DSLR with me. We had a great breakfast with Donald where the food was great and the characters were great. The dance around and brought a birthday cupcake for my daughter unprompted. The Finding Nemo show is outstanding. The two big rides are Everest and the Dinosaur one. They have a nice play area for the kids in dino land and a pretty good lion king show. Could probably be done in half a day thoughtEpcot- Epcot is fun. But it is split into two parts. The fun park and the countries. There are a few rides in Mexico and Norway I think. Otherwise, you walk around, take in the sites and eat great food (I love the Golden Dragon in China- That will be where we eat for my birthday but I heard the steak house in Canada is awesome too). In the park part, they have rides like Soarin (riding with a huge screen so it feels like you are flying), test track (testing a car), finding nemo (my daughters favorite) and Ellens Energy ride. (cool) Epcot is great because you can learn a ton while you are there in places like the living seas and spaceship earth. They also have a honey I shrunk the audience movie and a figment ride. Epcot is great for little kids (well, they all are to be honest)Im sure I left out a ton of things but hope that helped
 
ODoyleRules said:
Heading to Long Beach / Disneyland in Sept. It will be the wife and I plus our 2 daughters (2 yo and 4 yo). We only have 1 day at Disneyland - should we do park hopper and hit both parks or will the original disneyland be enough for one day / would we miss out on something at Calif. Adventure?
Click to expand...
California Adventure is a lot of fun. It reminds me of them trying to take some of the best stuff from florida and putting it in one park in California. They have a playhouse disney show that my daughter loved. Magic Kingdom in Cali is much smaller then Orlando. I would check the times for the parks. If they are open late, park hop. The parade in adventure was fun also. Sorry I wasnt much help re reading my post. Probably wouldnt be missing too much if you skipped adventure.
 
Thinking about a trip there -- first time with kids -- this winter. Really intimated by how much there is to see and do. Anybody have advice or know a travel agent/service we can work with to build a trip agenda?

 
Michael Fox said:
Thinking about a trip there -- first time with kids -- this winter. Really intimated by how much there is to see and do. Anybody have advice or know a travel agent/service we can work with to build a trip agenda?
Click to expand...
I think I remember something about Hams wifeSeriously though, I usually book thru disney. They usually offer the same things as any outside travel agent.
 
AcerFC said:
Michael Fox said:
Thinking about a trip there -- first time with kids -- this winter. Really intimated by how much there is to see and do. Anybody have advice or know a travel agent/service we can work with to build a trip agenda?
Click to expand...
I think I remember something about Hams wifeSeriously though, I usually book thru disney. They usually offer the same things as any outside travel agent.
Click to expand...
Wow, this is actually good advice. I didn't expect any serious comments, this was a just a big drunken fishing expedition. Jokes about Ham's wife never fail to make me laugh.Anyway, thx for the advice. I really would like to visit Disney with kids - in a couple years.
 
Michael Fox said:
AcerFC said:
Michael Fox said:
Thinking about a trip there -- first time with kids -- this winter. Really intimated by how much there is to see and do. Anybody have advice or know a travel agent/service we can work with to build a trip agenda?
Click to expand...
I think I remember something about Hams wifeSeriously though, I usually book thru disney. They usually offer the same things as any outside travel agent.
Click to expand...
Wow, this is actually good advice. I didn't expect any serious comments, this was a just a big drunken fishing expedition. Jokes about Ham's wife never fail to make me laugh.Anyway, thx for the advice. I really would like to visit Disney with kids - in a couple years.
Click to expand...
This will sound corny as heck, but as a family we've had fun holding a "meeting" the night before we visit each park to plan the day. We've been down there 3 times and have The Green Folder that I've kept and added to, that includes all kinds of tips, tricks, info that has been secured over the past 7 years. We share The Green Folder with whoever wants to borrow it, with the informal rule that anyone can add to it and remove whatever is obsolete or doesn't work. The folder has made over 20 trips and is an awesome reference & tool. For the "meeting", we pull out the park map and all of the prints, notes, etc and plan the day. First thing we do is pick the must dos that I need to run like heck to, to get fast passes, while my wife and the kids get in line for others. We make it very fun and when the kids were younger they got to take turns running the meeting. If nothing else, it is a way to make sure you get in the must dos early each day. We have always got the most out of our trips. This next trip will be real interesting, as the kids are now 12 & 14 and we'll allow them to go off on their own (together) for the first time, if they'd like to. I haven't been able to find much on "Disney for Teens" to set them up with special things for them. Anyone have anything here? Part of the "plan" will be to let them sleep in if they wish and meet up with us, using the resort shuttle & park busses. I could see me being at Disney Studios grabbing Fast Passes to The Tower of Terror and/or Rocking Rollercoaster (and riding them as a single a few times) and having them meet me for the passes when their time comes).

 
AcerFC said:
Dragons said:
Can anyone give me the low down on the minor parks? Are they worth it?
Click to expand...
I assume minor= everything except Magic KingdomMy personal order (which will be different for everyone)Hollywood StudiosAnimal KingdomEpcotNow this will change depending on how old the people are that you are going with
Click to expand...
I wouldn't consider any of these "minor" parks. When I think of minor parks at WDW I usually think of the Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, Wide World of Sports and the now-closed Pleasure Island.BB & TL are both water parks that are amazing -- definitely worth it.DQ - is cool if you are into virtual reality & video games. I think it appeals more to pre-teens & teenagers.WW - never been there so I can't really comment. PI - was Disney's nightclub area. It had lots of great clubs, my favorite being the Adventurer's club. It no longer has an admission, you can just wlak through iy when you are at Downtown Disney. Some stores are still open but the nightclubs are gone. Supposedly Disney is rethinking Pleasure Island....
 
Godsbrother said:
AcerFC said:
Dragons said:
Can anyone give me the low down on the minor parks? Are they worth it?
Click to expand...
I assume minor= everything except Magic KingdomMy personal order (which will be different for everyone)Hollywood StudiosAnimal KingdomEpcotNow this will change depending on how old the people are that you are going with
Click to expand...
I wouldn't consider any of these "minor" parks. When I think of minor parks at WDW I usually think of the Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, Wide World of Sports and the now-closed Pleasure Island.BB & TL are both water parks that are amazing -- definitely worth it.DQ - is cool if you are into virtual reality & video games. I think it appeals more to pre-teens & teenagers.WW - never been there so I can't really comment. PI - was Disney's nightclub area. It had lots of great clubs, my favorite being the Adventurer's club. It no longer has an admission, you can just wlak through iy when you are at Downtown Disney. Some stores are still open but the nightclubs are gone. Supposedly Disney is rethinking Pleasure Island....
Click to expand...
Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. :coffee:Trying to decide whether it's better to buy the water parks and more add-on ($52) to get extra entrances to the minor parks, or to just spend that money for more visits to the big 4.
 
AcerFC said:
Dragons said:
Can anyone give me the low down on the minor parks? Are they worth it?
Click to expand...
I assume minor= everything except Magic KingdomMy personal order (which will be different for everyone)Hollywood StudiosAnimal KingdomEpcotNow this will change depending on how old the people are that you are going withHS- Great for teens and older crowd. Has Tower of terror (free fall ride) and Rock n Roller coaster (one of best coasters I have been on). It also has Toy Story 4d ride and Star Tours. And my favorite store, the star wars store. It used to have Indiana Jones stunt spectacular and a stunt car show. There is also a small backlot tour that has some cool effects (nothing like Universals backlot though). They have a 3d muppets movie also. AK- This one might take over as number one for me after our next trip. I am a big safari guy so the safari is top notch in my opinion. I was able to get some great pics last time and am psyched to take my DSLR with me. We had a great breakfast with Donald where the food was great and the characters were great. The dance around and brought a birthday cupcake for my daughter unprompted. The Finding Nemo show is outstanding. The two big rides are Everest and the Dinosaur one. They have a nice play area for the kids in dino land and a pretty good lion king show. Could probably be done in half a day thoughtEpcot- Epcot is fun. But it is split into two parts. The fun park and the countries. There are a few rides in Mexico and Norway I think. Otherwise, you walk around, take in the sites and eat great food (I love the Golden Dragon in China- That will be where we eat for my birthday but I heard the steak house in Canada is awesome too). In the park part, they have rides like Soarin (riding with a huge screen so it feels like you are flying), test track (testing a car), finding nemo (my daughters favorite) and Ellens Energy ride. (cool) Epcot is great because you can learn a ton while you are there in places like the living seas and spaceship earth. They also have a honey I shrunk the audience movie and a figment ride. Epcot is great for little kids (well, they all are to be honest)Im sure I left out a ton of things but hope that helped
Click to expand...
Thanks, this helps on where to spend time with the main tickets. :thumbup:We're going with my brother's family (2 adults, 3 children (10, 8, 7)). My family (2 adults and a 1 year old). 4 of them did the Give a day promotion for the free ticket, so they're thinking of upgrading to 2 day passes (magic kingdom & hollywood studios) and then adding the water parks and more upgrade and go to one of the water parks and Disney Quest. For 4 total days, this saves them $7/kid and $17/adult. They'll make full use of the water park and enjoy Disney Quest it sounds like.For my family, my son would probably enjoy animal kingdom the most (if anything - he's too young, so our trip isn't intended specifically for him). It sounds like I would enjoy the water park. My wife would most like to go to SeaWorld, but I convinced her Animal Kingdom will be as good or better. So I think we will be going 3 or 4 days to the main parks, while my brother splits it up with the minor parks. My question was mainly to find out if I should encourage him to go the way we're planning to go.
 
We got the email deal that was going to select previous guests and have decided to hit the World once again this winter. The deal my wife put together is silly insane. We decided to stay at Pop Century again just to get a little more bargin for our buck and because we really just don't spend that much time at the hotel, but we've got a whole week there plus park passes (no hopper for now although I will likely change that once we get there) and they opened the free dining plan for the time are there so add that for a grand total of only $1,300. Just too cheap to pass up.

Reservations are already tough. Couldn't get Le'Cellier which bites but got O'Hana - divorce is a possibility if she didn't. Pretty sure she got the Coral Reef again and there were a few others but after I hear O'Hana I travel to lala land of meat on stick, honey corriander wings and banana's foster bread pudding.............. where was I?

 
AcerFC said:
ODoyleRules said:
Heading to Long Beach / Disneyland in Sept. It will be the wife and I plus our 2 daughters (2 yo and 4 yo). We only have 1 day at Disneyland - should we do park hopper and hit both parks or will the original disneyland be enough for one day / would we miss out on something at Calif. Adventure?
Click to expand...
California Adventure is a lot of fun. It reminds me of them trying to take some of the best stuff from florida and putting it in one park in California. They have a playhouse disney show that my daughter loved. Magic Kingdom in Cali is much smaller then Orlando. I would check the times for the parks. If they are open late, park hop. The parade in adventure was fun also. Sorry I wasnt much help re reading my post. Probably wouldnt be missing too much if you skipped adventure.
Click to expand...
Thanks - that is helpful. I'm leaning toward doing Magic Kingdom early in the week and then, depending on how that day goes, think about a return trip later in the week.
 
Yankee23Fan said:
We got the email deal that was going to select previous guests and have decided to hit the World once again this winter. The deal my wife put together is silly insane. We decided to stay at Pop Century again just to get a little more bargin for our buck and because we really just don't spend that much time at the hotel, but we've got a whole week there plus park passes (no hopper for now although I will likely change that once we get there) and they opened the free dining plan for the time are there so add that for a grand total of only $1,300. Just too cheap to pass up.Reservations are already tough. Couldn't get Le'Cellier which bites but got O'Hana - divorce is a possibility if she didn't. Pretty sure she got the Coral Reef again and there were a few others but after I hear O'Hana I travel to lala land of meat on stick, honey corriander wings and banana's foster bread pudding.............. where was I?
Click to expand...
Yay! Glad you guys get to go! We are going in September and it started as a week and we are now up to 11 days, lol. I just can't stop adding days then I added 4 days in St. Pete to the end of the trip to relax on the beach. I am contemplating adding the waterpark option to our tickets but haven't decided yet. We have a lot of time there so I'm sure we could fit both in if they are worth it. I saw they extended FD to Dec. so I am trying to figure out if we want to make a short (6-7 days) trip in Dec bc I want to go to the Christmas party. I know your love for 'Ohana...we love it too but have you ever been there for breakfast? We are going for breakfast on our last day this trip and I'm excited to try it. We have dinner there night #1 then on night #6 our friend is flying down to meet us so we are going again for dinner then breakfast on day 11. I have alternate options in case we decide that is too much 'Ohana but I really don't see how that is possible, lol.
 
FBGirl79 said:
Yankee23Fan said:
We got the email deal that was going to select previous guests and have decided to hit the World once again this winter. The deal my wife put together is silly insane. We decided to stay at Pop Century again just to get a little more bargin for our buck and because we really just don't spend that much time at the hotel, but we've got a whole week there plus park passes (no hopper for now although I will likely change that once we get there) and they opened the free dining plan for the time are there so add that for a grand total of only $1,300. Just too cheap to pass up.Reservations are already tough. Couldn't get Le'Cellier which bites but got O'Hana - divorce is a possibility if she didn't. Pretty sure she got the Coral Reef again and there were a few others but after I hear O'Hana I travel to lala land of meat on stick, honey corriander wings and banana's foster bread pudding.............. where was I?
Click to expand...
Yay! Glad you guys get to go! We are going in September and it started as a week and we are now up to 11 days, lol. I just can't stop adding days then I added 4 days in St. Pete to the end of the trip to relax on the beach. I am contemplating adding the waterpark option to our tickets but haven't decided yet. We have a lot of time there so I'm sure we could fit both in if they are worth it. I saw they extended FD to Dec. so I am trying to figure out if we want to make a short (6-7 days) trip in Dec bc I want to go to the Christmas party. I know your love for 'Ohana...we love it too but have you ever been there for breakfast? We are going for breakfast on our last day this trip and I'm excited to try it. We have dinner there night #1 then on night #6 our friend is flying down to meet us so we are going again for dinner then breakfast on day 11. I have alternate options in case we decide that is too much 'Ohana but I really don't see how that is possible, lol.
Click to expand...
The breakfast is good - if I recall it's family style and all comes in this huge skillet. There are dancers there to play games and sing songs with the kids. You can never have too much O'Hana.As for the Christmas party we are going the week after Thanksgiving - our favorite week sans food and wine festival. There are Christmas parties those week, but not all the days. We will likely hit one since the last time we did it our son was a baby didn't get to enjoy all the little things they do for you.
 
Less than two months officially now before our annual September trip.

Far more excited about this trip than I remember being in a while. Can't wait.

 
Walk up at Le Cellier for an early lunch...you will get in for sure. Mmmmmmm.....chicken habernero sausage......mmmmm

 
Osaurus said:
Walk up at Le Cellier for an early lunch...you will get in for sure. Mmmmmmm.....chicken habernero sausage......mmmmm
Click to expand...
We have an ADR for an early lunch at LeCellier bc everything else was booked. We saw many people get turned away last year at breakfast, lunch and dinner time for not having ADRs and not taking walk-ups. Now I will say that this was during Free Dining so the restaurants are always busy but it is still a slow time of year. I would suggest making ADRs for the places you really want as soon as you book just to be safe.ETA..we had dinner there last year but when I said people getting turned away I meant at various restaurants throughout all the parks not just the typical hard to get or popular ones.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
-jb- said:
Parents are footing the bill for a Disney cruise in September for me, my two sisters, and everyone's family (twelve people). We're responsible for airfare and hotel on either side of the cruise. That said, can someone recommend a hotel that offers suites? Budget of $200/night or less that will allow us to book a single night. Doesn't need to be on-property, and my kid is a toddler, so we don't need a petting zoo or space theme or anything. thx.
Click to expand...
Off site try Hilton Grand Vacations. www.hgvc.comParc Soleil is the newest property ranked #2 out of all the hotels in Orlando on trip advisor.My family really enjoys the Sea World property.
 
Does anyone know if the parking fee is for the day, or for each entry? We're in Orlando and going to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. If we pay the $12 in the am, leave at noon and come back around dinner time, will we have to pay the $12 again?

 
Dragons said:
Does anyone know if the parking fee is for the day, or for each entry? We're in Orlando and going to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. If we pay the $12 in the am, leave at noon and come back around dinner time, will we have to pay the $12 again?
Click to expand...
Haven't been in 3 years, but it has always been a day pass at any of the 4 parks (pay once and have access to any of the 4 parks all day). We count on it as we move about the parks. Nice to know they upped the ocst by a buck since the last time we were there. We are heading there for 10 days starting on Sunday.
 
2Young2BBald said:
Dragons said:
Does anyone know if the parking fee is for the day, or for each entry? We're in Orlando and going to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. If we pay the $12 in the am, leave at noon and come back around dinner time, will we have to pay the $12 again?
Click to expand...
Haven't been in 3 years, but it has always been a day pass at any of the 4 parks (pay once and have access to any of the 4 parks all day). We count on it as we move about the parks. Nice to know they upped the ocst by a buck since the last time we were there. We are heading there for 10 days starting on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the fast reply!$12 is secondhand info, so I'll verify tomorrow. They also just raised ticket prices a couple days ago, so maybe this was bumped at the same time.
 
I forgot to also ask which rides have the longest lines? We are planning to be there when the gates open, which rides should we grab a fast pass for and what rides should we try to ride immediately?

 
Dragons said:
2Young2BBald said:
Dragons said:
Does anyone know if the parking fee is for the day, or for each entry? We're in Orlando and going to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. If we pay the $12 in the am, leave at noon and come back around dinner time, will we have to pay the $12 again?
Click to expand...
Haven't been in 3 years, but it has always been a day pass at any of the 4 parks (pay once and have access to any of the 4 parks all day). We count on it as we move about the parks. Nice to know they upped the ocst by a buck since the last time we were there. We are heading there for 10 days starting on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the fast reply!$12 is secondhand info, so I'll verify tomorrow. They also just raised ticket prices a couple days ago, so maybe this was bumped at the same time.
Click to expand...
It's now 15 to park, maybe 14. If you re-enter it's either free or I think $3.I'm still pissed I paid 90 to freaking park for the week after dropping $$ on tickets....ETA: The re-enter may have been Universal not Disney. Sorry I forgot... :bye:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Anyone down there have a handle on the weather in February? we want to take our 4 yr old for her first time but will also be dragging an almost 1 yr old. not a big fan of super heat/long lines while shouldering a huge backpack of diapers, baby food and the like.

Feb or spring break are really our only 2 opts besides summer b/c the wife is a teacher.

my other thought would be that first week in june as soon as school lets out.

we have not been down there for about 10 yrs. We went xmas-New Yr week 2000 and it was damn cold—and thats coming from a NYer

 
glvsav37 said:
Anyone down there have a handle on the weather in February? we want to take our 4 yr old for her first time but will also be dragging an almost 1 yr old. not a big fan of super heat/long lines while shouldering a huge backpack of diapers, baby food and the like. Feb or spring break are really our only 2 opts besides summer b/c the wife is a teacher.my other thought would be that first week in june as soon as school lets out.we have not been down there for about 10 yrs. We went xmas-New Yr week 2000 and it was damn cold—and thats coming from a NYer
Click to expand...
Weather is great in the winter months (Nov-Mar). Lows in the 50s, highs in the 70s.
 
Just booked reservations for Le Celier based on what you guys said. Switched from China

What is good there? It is a bit pricey so we may have to use a sit down for it.

We also saved $100 by switching to the free dining plan from the % off our hotel

 
AcerFC said:
Just booked reservations for Le Celier based on what you guys said. Switched from China

What is good there? It is a bit pricey so we may have to use a sit down for it.

We also saved $100 by switching to the free dining plan from the % off our hotel
Click to expand...
May have to? If you have the dining plan you definitely use it there. Only other option is paying out of pocket, which would be a mistake.It's a steak place, so the steak is good.

Just saw that beginning March 1, 2011 Le Cellier is going to require two dining credits for dinner. Lunch will still be one.

 
Disco Stu said:
AcerFC said:
Just booked reservations for Le Celier based on what you guys said. Switched from China

What is good there? It is a bit pricey so we may have to use a sit down for it.

We also saved $100 by switching to the free dining plan from the % off our hotel
Click to expand...
May have to? If you have the dining plan you definitely use it there. Only other option is paying out of pocket, which would be a mistake.It's a steak place, so the steak is good.

Just saw that beginning March 1, 2011 Le Cellier is going to require two dining credits for dinner. Lunch will still be one.
Click to expand...
yeah, just worked it out. Will use the dining on Le Celier and will pay for dinner at Chef Mickeys. Would work out great but we have to use two meals for Cinderellas castle.
 
Parking is now $14. Re-entry is confirmed still free to any of the parks.

Pickles' link was great. We got to the park close to opening. We picked up a speed pass for Space Mountain (which was down for technical difficulties) and walked right on thunder mountain then splash mountain. We hit pirates, the jungle safari and haunted mansion before heading over to space mountain around noon. Walked right on past a 40 minute line. We had the android app, Park Hopper, and saw slash mountain had a wait of 100 minutes. Hit Monsters Inc. and came back to the resort for a break. Picked up another fast pass for Space Mountain on the way out for when we return after an early dinner.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wow it's been a long time since I checked this thread. Kind of threw it out to the family to go down to Florida for vacation come xmas. Think that is short notice or plenty of time to get it all figured out. Man there almost needs to be a wiki for this thread.

 
Headed down to Orlando from NJ on Saturday. Getting to FL on Sunday. Doing Universal on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday not sure yet and then checking into Disney for 6 days. Got a great deal. 6 Days, 5 nights, 6 day hopper passes for all 3 of us, plus one sit down meal, one quick meal and one snack per day for $1475. It will be my kid's first time, but I think I'm more excited than him.

These are our reservations:

8/20 - Shutters for dinner

8/21 - Ohana's for dinner

8/22 - Biergarten for dinner

8/23 - The Wave for dinner

8/24 - Lunch @ Hollywood & Vine

These places any good? Thanks.

 
Usual21 said:
Headed down to Orlando from NJ on Saturday. Getting to FL on Sunday. Doing Universal on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday not sure yet and then checking into Disney for 6 days. Got a great deal. 6 Days, 5 nights, 6 day hopper passes for all 3 of us, plus one sit down meal, one quick meal and one snack per day for $1475. It will be my kid's first time, but I think I'm more excited than him.These are our reservations:8/20 - Shutters for dinner8/21 - Ohana's for dinner8/22 - Biergarten for dinner8/23 - The Wave for dinner8/24 - Lunch @ Hollywood & VineThese places any good? Thanks.
Click to expand...
'Ohana is universally loved around these parts, so I dare not speak ill of it. If you enjoy eating a lot of food, you'll probably be happy.I haven't been to any of the others.
 
Dragons said:
Does anyone know if the parking fee is for the day, or for each entry? We're in Orlando and going to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. If we pay the $12 in the am, leave at noon and come back around dinner time, will we have to pay the $12 again?
Click to expand...
It's a day pass.
 
glvsav37 said:
Anyone down there have a handle on the weather in February? we want to take our 4 yr old for her first time but will also be dragging an almost 1 yr old. not a big fan of super heat/long lines while shouldering a huge backpack of diapers, baby food and the like. Feb or spring break are really our only 2 opts besides summer b/c the wife is a teacher.my other thought would be that first week in june as soon as school lets out.we have not been down there for about 10 yrs. We went xmas-New Yr week 2000 and it was damn cold—and thats coming from a NYer
Click to expand...
Went in March and the weather during the day is short and t-shirt. It gets cold at night so you need to pack sweatshirts or something to keep you warm. When I went it was warm enough to swim during the day.EDIT: We now go in May. The weather is nice for swimming both night and day, and there are no lines for any rides (except Toy Story).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Usual21 said:
Headed down to Orlando from NJ on Saturday. Getting to FL on Sunday. Doing Universal on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday not sure yet and then checking into Disney for 6 days. Got a great deal. 6 Days, 5 nights, 6 day hopper passes for all 3 of us, plus one sit down meal, one quick meal and one snack per day for $1475. It will be my kid's first time, but I think I'm more excited than him.These are our reservations:8/20 - Shutters for dinner8/21 - Ohana's for dinner8/22 - Biergarten for dinner8/23 - The Wave for dinner8/24 - Lunch @ Hollywood & VineThese places any good? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Been to Hollywood and Vine, food was blah. If you're gonna do lunch at Hollywood Studios and want better food for lunch, I recommend Mamma Melrose's (it's near the Muppets 3D). Get the chicken parm. Really good. You don't need advanced reservations for it either. It's not a character meal if that's what you're looking for.
 
Usual21 said:
Headed down to Orlando from NJ on Saturday. Getting to FL on Sunday. Doing Universal on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday not sure yet and then checking into Disney for 6 days. Got a great deal. 6 Days, 5 nights, 6 day hopper passes for all 3 of us, plus one sit down meal, one quick meal and one snack per day for $1475. It will be my kid's first time, but I think I'm more excited than him.These are our reservations:8/20 - Shutters for dinner8/21 - Ohana's for dinner8/22 - Biergarten for dinner8/23 - The Wave for dinner8/24 - Lunch @ Hollywood & VineThese places any good? Thanks.
Click to expand...
We are also going to try and drive the bulk of the trip on Saturday. I'm thinking we could make it to South of the Border, SC, AT LEAST. That would be about 10 hours. I want to try and make it to Savannah. That would be 12-13 hours driving with a 3 year old. Is this doable?
 
Usual21 said:
Usual21 said:
Headed down to Orlando from NJ on Saturday. Getting to FL on Sunday. Doing Universal on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday not sure yet and then checking into Disney for 6 days. Got a great deal. 6 Days, 5 nights, 6 day hopper passes for all 3 of us, plus one sit down meal, one quick meal and one snack per day for $1475. It will be my kid's first time, but I think I'm more excited than him.These are our reservations:8/20 - Shutters for dinner8/21 - Ohana's for dinner8/22 - Biergarten for dinner8/23 - The Wave for dinner8/24 - Lunch @ Hollywood & VineThese places any good? Thanks.
Click to expand...
We are also going to try and drive the bulk of the trip on Saturday. I'm thinking we could make it to South of the Border, SC, AT LEAST. That would be about 10 hours. I want to try and make it to Savannah. That would be 12-13 hours driving with a 3 year old. Is this doable?
Click to expand...
I drive from Philadelphia straight through, my 3 year old is no problem. I do an overnight drive and the kids sleep for 80% of the trip. Here was the itinerary:4pm: Departure8pm: Dinner at Burger King10pm: Kids all fell asleep12pm: Took 5 hour energy5am: Took 5 hour energy8am: Kids woke up9am: Arrived in Orlando and got breakfast
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Courtjester
Board Games--I know there is another thread but I can't find it
Replies
18
Views
467
Wildcat
Wildcat
ghostguy123
What's a good short vacation destination (solo)?
2 3 4
Replies
160
Views
4K
nirad3
nirad3
Senor Schmutzig
Chicago Winter Sports Trifecta Coming Up! - Help wanted
Replies
2
Views
275
Senor Schmutzig
Senor Schmutzig

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 5 (members: 0, guests: 5)
Top