Disney Vacation (6 Viewers)

[Disco Stu]

My memories of my Disney vacations when my kids were younger are having a feeling of total exhaustion, arguing with my wife because we were both hot and tired, and the kids crying and begging to go back to the hotel swimming pool after two hours at the Magic Kingdom.One thing I see at Dinsey is people trying to force fun on their kids and themselves..."Look at me and my family..we are having the time of our lifes"When in reality on a busy day at Disney you will probably see more spouses arguing and in a bad mood than on any other vacation.

Yes, you do see this at Disney. These people are doing it wrong.

 

[snogger]

My memories of my Disney vacations when my kids were younger are having a feeling of total exhaustion, arguing with my wife because we were both hot and tired, and the kids crying and begging to go back to the hotel swimming pool after two hours at the Magic Kingdom.

One thing I see at Dinsey is people trying to force fun on their kids and themselves..."Look at my famile..we are having the time of our lifes"

When in reality on a busy day at Disney you will probably see more spouses arguing and in a bad mood than on any other vacation.

I was worried about this but maybe it was just the "magic" of my wife & Daughters first time seeing Disney (I had gone to Disneyland as a kid) But we never had one argument the whole week :WHEW:. If we got hot we found shade and took a break.. if we got tired we found a bench and rested. If one of us was "worn out" but the other one wasn't, the worn out one rested while my daughter and the "non worn out one" took off for a ride or two.

My wife's idea of vacation is to go somewhere and not do much of anything but rest & relax.

While my idea of a vacation is one in which you get back home and need a vacation from your vacation.

Yet Disney offered both of us plenty to do. There were a couple of times my wife stayed back at the room while my daughter and I went swimming, walking the grounds, etc...

If I had the we'd go back each year.

We do go every year. We try our best to get their twice a year if we can. When you take everything into account, everything you can do, see and eat and drink, and how it's available, there isn't a better place to go on vacation if Disney type stuff is your thing. OBviously, if you hate big mice, ducks and dogs, not the place for you.

Well, we could probably afford it, but there are so many other places in America I want to see with my daughter before she "grows up"<< read A couple years ago it was The Black Hills in South Dakota, than Disney, this year is Glacier National park in Montana.

Next year is Disney and the following year is Arches National Park in Utah and the Grand Canyon area in Arizona.

 

[Godsbrother]

Didn't go back to read through 11 pages to find if this was mentioned, but wait and buy tickets while you are down there from the "brokers".We just went a month ago and bought tickets for Sea World's water park from the guys on the street selling leftover days from 7-day multi-passes. Paid $25 a ticket, got into the park for the day and then sold them back to the guy for $10 with a day or two left on them.Also, we bought Universal Studio tickets (7-day pass) online for $80 a piece, went for a couple of days and then sold them on craigslist while we were down there for $40 each.The whole "fingerprint" thing wasn't a problem. They didn't even ask when it didn't match the ticket.

This is risky because there is no way to know how many days, if any, are left on the passes.

Depends on the ticket. If they are the plastic kind, then it probably won't work. But the paper tickets have the date the tickets were bought on them and also "7-day" so you'll know when they expire. There were 10 of us so it saved us a ton of money.

You can tell how many days the pass was originally purchased for but you cannot tell how many days have been used just by looking at them. Not all tickets have expirations on them (we always buy 10-day passes with never expire option). I guess if a 7-day expiring pass is only 4 days old you can assume there are 3 days left but I wouldn't trust it. I guess it just depends on how comfortable you are buying from ticket brokers.

 

[Tat]

I have been twice with the wife and kids the past 3 years.IMO, if you are going for the 1st time with your kids, spend the extra $$$ to get a personal VIP tour. It's pricey, $100 an hour minimum of 5 hours, but for my daughter who was 4 the first time and 6 this time, it was the nuts.No lines, no waiting for anything (although they tell you not to expect it ), plus the guide will plan out the rest of your trip there, where to go, when to do it and so on. Both times, our VIP guides were really cool guys that can make your kids really feel special and in turn tell you where the best beers are in each park.....We also stayed @ the Grand Floridian, which, for the money was well worth it. The first time we went was just with our daughter who was 4 at the time. The hotel was the last stop leaving the MK, but the first stop getting to the MK. The service/rooms was top notch. We stayed there again ;ate last year with my daughter (6) and my 15 month old. Staying that close allowed us to jump on the boat or monorail and be back at the hotel in less than 15 min.

I've been to Disney lots of times but never did the VIP tours. It was my understanding that you aren't given any special treatment regarding waiting in lines for attractions (other than preferred seating for shows, parades, etc.).We did the keys to the Kingdom tour and they took us in private lines for 2 attractions (Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise). Are you saying they let you skip the lines for every attraction? If so how did they do this ? Did they give you an unlimited fastpass or take you through the handicap entrances? Just wondering...

Our guide got us in every fast pass line for every ride.We never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a character picture, unless the characters were out in the park, then we'd wait like everyone else.But, for the princesses, Mickey/Minnie etc... we always went through a different door to meet the characters.

 

[Team]

Earlier this week they announced free Dining plan for trips late august to sep 20th.we re-booked with free dining.8 days, 7 nights, free dining, park hopper passes (8 days) $2045

Link to free dining? Is that for DVC members to or is that through a package?

It's not for DVC members and it's not really "free dining." The only way to get the "free dining" is to pay rack rate for the rooms.... rooms that you can normally get some kind of discount on throughout the year.

 

[Team]

Going in about 6 weeks for the first time as DVC members. Staying in a 1BR villa at Old Key West Resort.

 

[OddibeMcD]

By the way, Y23F is definitely correct about early reservations.

Booked Ohana and the Coral Reef for a month away and it was all filled up. Had to take off days.

 

[Good_Ags]

I used to work at the Magic Kingdom back in the summer and Christmas of '96.

Was always told in training that the average family of 4 spent $4800 for the trip to Disney (including airfare/rental car/etc) Now this was back in 1996 so I suspect that the average price has gone up.

My reading comprehension is horrible, and I don't remember if you stated when you are going. Good times to go are in February-March (avoid spring break time tho) and September-November to avoid the largest crowds. True the parks aren't open the longer hours as they are in the summer, but the crowds aren;t nearly as large then. If you go during the off time, expect the crowds to be bigger on weekends due to the local Floridians coming down then.

I always liked staying at the resort (the All-Star resorts aren't too terribly pricey comparitvely) and with them you get the free transportaion shuttles to the Disney Parks and avoid the parking fees. I have stayed off site a couple times and had mixed feelings about the shuttles to/from the offsite hotels. Also if you stay at the resorts one park per day opens earlier for resort guests.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

I used to work at the Magic Kingdom back in the summer and Christmas of '96.Was always told in training that the average family of 4 spent $4800 for the trip to Disney (including airfare/rental car/etc) Now this was back in 1996 so I suspect that the average price has gone up.My reading comprehension is horrible, and I don't remember if you stated when you are going. Good times to go are in February-March (avoid spring break time tho) and September-November to avoid the largest crowds. True the parks aren't open the longer hours as they are in the summer, but the crowds aren;t nearly as large then. If you go during the off time, expect the crowds to be bigger on weekends due to the local Floridians coming down then.I always liked staying at the resort (the All-Star resorts aren't too terribly pricey comparitvely) and with them you get the free transportaion shuttles to the Disney Parks and avoid the parking fees. I have stayed off site a couple times and had mixed feelings about the shuttles to/from the offsite hotels. Also if you stay at the resorts one park per day opens earlier for resort guests.

I've been there at least 10 times - probably more. Never came close to spending 5 grand there.If I actually sat down to figure out the most we've spent, including room, flight, food and toys/clothes to buy, I'm betting we've never gone that much over $3,000. But then again, not a family of 4. Only 3. I guess I could see it. But if you get a good deal on the room and do an eating plan of some kind, it's really hard to spend a ton of money on that stuff.

 

[azgroover]

I used to work at the Magic Kingdom back in the summer and Christmas of '96.Was always told in training that the average family of 4 spent $4800 for the trip to Disney (including airfare/rental car/etc) Now this was back in 1996 so I suspect that the average price has gone up.My reading comprehension is horrible, and I don't remember if you stated when you are going. Good times to go are in February-March (avoid spring break time tho) and September-November to avoid the largest crowds. True the parks aren't open the longer hours as they are in the summer, but the crowds aren;t nearly as large then. If you go during the off time, expect the crowds to be bigger on weekends due to the local Floridians coming down then.I always liked staying at the resort (the All-Star resorts aren't too terribly pricey comparitvely) and with them you get the free transportaion shuttles to the Disney Parks and avoid the parking fees. I have stayed off site a couple times and had mixed feelings about the shuttles to/from the offsite hotels. Also if you stay at the resorts one park per day opens earlier for resort guests.

I've been there at least 10 times - probably more. Never came close to spending 5 grand there.If I actually sat down to figure out the most we've spent, including room, flight, food and toys/clothes to buy, I'm betting we've never gone that much over $3,000. But then again, not a family of 4. Only 3. I guess I could see it. But if you get a good deal on the room and do an eating plan of some kind, it's really hard to spend a ton of money on that stuff.

Here's the pre meal/souvenir tally for our trip in June. It's pretty damn good value for as entertained as everyone will be.4 RT tickets to Orlando (from Phoenix)- $6007 night condo rental at Windsor Hills - $525Priceline Car Rental - $1104-5 day Magic Your Way tix - $798TOTAL: $2,033

 

[Team]

I used to work at the Magic Kingdom back in the summer and Christmas of '96.Was always told in training that the average family of 4 spent $4800 for the trip to Disney (including airfare/rental car/etc) Now this was back in 1996 so I suspect that the average price has gone up.My reading comprehension is horrible, and I don't remember if you stated when you are going. Good times to go are in February-March (avoid spring break time tho) and September-November to avoid the largest crowds. True the parks aren't open the longer hours as they are in the summer, but the crowds aren;t nearly as large then. If you go during the off time, expect the crowds to be bigger on weekends due to the local Floridians coming down then.I always liked staying at the resort (the All-Star resorts aren't too terribly pricey comparitvely) and with them you get the free transportaion shuttles to the Disney Parks and avoid the parking fees. I have stayed off site a couple times and had mixed feelings about the shuttles to/from the offsite hotels. Also if you stay at the resorts one park per day opens earlier for resort guests.

I've been there at least 10 times - probably more. Never came close to spending 5 grand there.If I actually sat down to figure out the most we've spent, including room, flight, food and toys/clothes to buy, I'm betting we've never gone that much over $3,000. But then again, not a family of 4. Only 3. I guess I could see it. But if you get a good deal on the room and do an eating plan of some kind, it's really hard to spend a ton of money on that stuff.

Same here. Most I've spent was just over $2,500 our last trip(2007). That was family of 4, 6 nights in a Moderate resort, with Dining Plan, and 7 day Park Hopper + Water Park & More.

 

[parasaurolophus]

leaving tomorrow for one week of Disney/work/etc

Son is 5 and wants to see the ocean. Is it better/closer to go Gulf side or Atlantic side?

 

[Team]

leaving tomorrow for one week of Disney/work/etcSon is 5 and wants to see the ocean. Is it better/closer to go Gulf side or Atlantic side?

Well if he wants to see the "ocean", then it has to be the Atlantic side. It's also closer and better.

 

[Al Czervik]

When it comes to the Dining Plan, I've gotten great ideas from this thread for my Table Service restaurants. However, I'm having problems figuring out the whole Snack/Quick Service thing. Is it best to use the Quick Service on breakfast everyday because you are on the run during the day, or is it better to use the Quick Service for lunch in a park? Also, anyone have some good recommendations on some Quick Service restaurants?

 

[Early_10]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

 

[FFTBrownsFan]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

We've booked through Magical Memories - the amount of money you can save is crazy, and makes it well worth booking off the resort. Definitely recommended!

 

[Team]

When it comes to the Dining Plan, I've gotten great ideas from this thread for my Table Service restaurants. However, I'm having problems figuring out the whole Snack/Quick Service thing. Is it best to use the Quick Service on breakfast everyday because you are on the run during the day, or is it better to use the Quick Service for lunch in a park? Also, anyone have some good recommendations on some Quick Service restaurants?

Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom has some awesome items that will only cost you a snack credit, but are plenty enough for breakfast.Tusker House and Flame Tree BBQ in the Animal Kingdom are good counter service. Other than that, we mostly use our Counter/Quick service at the resorts food court. Which meal we used it for varies depending on what we have planned that day.

 

[wefcpa]

When it comes to the Dining Plan, I've gotten great ideas from this thread for my Table Service restaurants. However, I'm having problems figuring out the whole Snack/Quick Service thing. Is it best to use the Quick Service on breakfast everyday because you are on the run during the day, or is it better to use the Quick Service for lunch in a park? Also, anyone have some good recommendations on some Quick Service restaurants?

Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom has some awesome items that will only cost you a snack credit, but are plenty enough for breakfast.Tusker House and Flame Tree BBQ in the Animal Kingdom are good counter service. Other than that, we mostly use our Counter/Quick service at the resorts food court. Which meal we used it for varies depending on what we have planned that day.

Flame Tree BBQ is definitely some good quality counter service.

 

[Al Czervik]

When it comes to the Dining Plan, I've gotten great ideas from this thread for my Table Service restaurants. However, I'm having problems figuring out the whole Snack/Quick Service thing. Is it best to use the Quick Service on breakfast everyday because you are on the run during the day, or is it better to use the Quick Service for lunch in a park? Also, anyone have some good recommendations on some Quick Service restaurants?

Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom has some awesome items that will only cost you a snack credit, but are plenty enough for breakfast.Tusker House and Flame Tree BBQ in the Animal Kingdom are good counter service. Other than that, we mostly use our Counter/Quick service at the resorts food court. Which meal we used it for varies depending on what we have planned that day.

Thanks! Surprised you can make a meal on a snack. I thought snacks were just water, ice cream and popcorn. I would assume most the Counter/Quick Service places don't require a reservation?

 

[Broncoholic]

I just booked plane tickets for Presidents week next Feb (had a bunch of United miles that were going to expire.) Looks like I've got some reading to do.

I'm trying to decide if I want to stay on the resort or save some money and get a condo. We're there for 9 days. I'm afraid that a hotel room wil get very small.

 

[Why Me?]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

We got back a week ago from a 9 night stay at this place:Lighthouse Key Resort

I can't say enough about how great this place is. We paid $199/night for a three bedroom/3 bath condo, though after one night we got upgraded to a 4 br for no additional charge so we could be on the same floor as the 4 other families we went with.

It's very close to the parks, the rooms are huge and very nice - full kitchens, laundry, flat screens in every rom, etc. If you're not interested in staying on the park property, which we were not, I can not imagine there is a better place than this for the money.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

We got back a week ago from a 9 night stay at this place:Lighthouse Key Resort

I can't say enough about how great this place is. We paid $199/night for a three bedroom/3 bath condo, though after one night we got upgraded to a 4 br for no additional charge so we could be on the same floor as the 4 other families we went with.

It's very close to the parks, the rooms are huge and very nice - full kitchens, laundry, flat screens in every rom, etc. If you're not interested in staying on the park property, which we were not, I can not imagine there is a better place than this for the money.

These are the kind of places to look for.

 

[Early_10]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place.

Talk about exciting rides!

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place.

Talk about exciting rides!

Theme Park Insider ranked it above The Hulk, Spiderman, Dueling Dragons, Kraken, Expedition Everest, AND Space Mountain.

 

[Godsbrother]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

We got back a week ago from a 9 night stay at this place:Lighthouse Key Resort

I can't say enough about how great this place is. We paid $199/night for a three bedroom/3 bath condo, though after one night we got upgraded to a 4 br for no additional charge so we could be on the same floor as the 4 other families we went with.

It's very close to the parks, the rooms are huge and very nice - full kitchens, laundry, flat screens in every rom, etc. If you're not interested in staying on the park property, which we were not, I can not imagine there is a better place than this for the money.

We prefer staying onsite but this looks very nice. Excellent value for the money.

 

[Early_10]

Most places charge extra per person so with 8 of us, the rate goes up quickly.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Most places charge extra per person so with 8 of us, the rate goes up quickly.

That's why a 3 or 4 BR offsite townhouse makes a lot of sense.

 

[Why Me?]

Most places charge extra per person so with 8 of us, the rate goes up quickly.

That's why a 3 or 4 BR offsite townhouse makes a lot of sense.

Then sit through a one hour timeshare pitch and get free Sea World tickets - biggest no-brainer in the history of Earth.

 

[Kiddnets]

Just returned from a week in Disney - what a great time

2 kids - 6.5 yrs and 3.5 yrs - old enough to have a great time.

Some thoughts and experiences if anyone is interested

Hotel - Stayed at the Grand Floridian which was amazing. The proximity to the Magic Kingdom made it worth the extra money. 10 minutes door to door to MK - kids love dmonorail. Nice room - private balcony so wifey and me could have a beer when the kids crashed. we stayed in a sugar loaf concierge hotel little more expensive butt he breakfast, snacks, booze and pvt front des made it well worth it.

Meal Plans - hated the meal plan - too restirctive and confusing for us - we would pay as we go next time.

Restaurants - I wasn't thrilled with the food at the restaurants - it was all the same to me. OK but not great - we went to one of the signature restaurants at the hotel which counted as 2 sit down dinners as it was supposed to be that great and it was just ok. I would rather just spend less and go to the decent sit down cafe or character dinners. Food is just as good and kids have more fun. O'Hannah's was the best food I had and the most fun - we'll do that twice next year. Best lunch was the drive in theater in HS.

Parks - got the park hopper which was nice - we stayed 6 days - 1 day at Animal Kingdom; 1 day Hollywood Studios; 1/2 day Epcot - rest at MK. Didn't like Epcot that much. We spent most of our time in the MK and loved it. AK and HS were worth the trip though and a good one day trip.

Pools - loved the pools in the Floridian - we made sure to take an afternoon off every other day to recharge and we really enjoyed the pools during this time.

Rides - MK was great - my 7 yr old rode everything. My 3.5 yr old stayed on the smaller rides but had fun. Fast pass was really nice but some of the waits were 2-3 hrs so not even worth it. Not a fan of those motion simulator rides - I almost puked after Star Wars. The Stitch ride was freaky and not fun IMO. Usual MK rides were great as always - rode Small world 4 times with my daughter - almost lost my mind but she loved it! Switch pass was nice since my daughter was too little to ride many of the bigger rides.

Characters - forget the rides - the kids loved the characters - we met every character and they loved it each time. We had two character dinners - one with Cinderalla characters and the other with all the princesses - both kids loved it. Dinners are worth it - you can drink and they come to you rather than waiting in line.

Pirate and Princess party - the best deal out there - park was closed by 6pm and we had literally no lines at every ride in the MK for 5 hrs. It was awesome - we rode space mountain back to back then buzz without even stopping in line. Plus the kids loved dressing up!

photos - getthe photo pass - they took 400 pics of us in the 6 days! We never would have gotten pics of the 4 of us without it.

All in all a great week - we'll be returning with our 6 month old included in 2 years I figure. Weather was excellent crowds not awful - good time to go!

 

[Team]

Just returned from a week in Disney - what a great time2 kids - 6.5 yrs and 3.5 yrs - old enough to have a great time. Some thoughts and experiences if anyone is interestedHotel - Stayed at the Grand Floridian which was amazing. The proximity to the Magic Kingdom made it worth the extra money. 10 minutes door to door to MK - kids love dmonorail. Nice room - private balcony so wifey and me could have a beer when the kids crashed. we stayed in a sugar loaf concierge hotel little more expensive butt he breakfast, snacks, booze and pvt front des made it well worth it. Meal Plans - hated the meal plan - too restirctive and confusing for us - we would pay as we go next time. Restaurants - I wasn't thrilled with the food at the restaurants - it was all the same to me. OK but not great - we went to one of the signature restaurants at the hotel which counted as 2 sit down dinners as it was supposed to be that great and it was just ok. I would rather just spend less and go to the decent sit down cafe or character dinners. Food is just as good and kids have more fun. O'Hannah's was the best food I had and the most fun - we'll do that twice next year. Best lunch was the drive in theater in HS. Parks - got the park hopper which was nice - we stayed 6 days - 1 day at Animal Kingdom; 1 day Hollywood Studios; 1/2 day Epcot - rest at MK. Didn't like Epcot that much. We spent most of our time in the MK and loved it. AK and HS were worth the trip though and a good one day trip. Pools - loved the pools in the Floridian - we made sure to take an afternoon off every other day to recharge and we really enjoyed the pools during this time. Rides - MK was great - my 7 yr old rode everything. My 3.5 yr old stayed on the smaller rides but had fun. Fast pass was really nice but some of the waits were 2-3 hrs so not even worth it. Not a fan of those motion simulator rides - I almost puked after Star Wars. The Stitch ride was freaky and not fun IMO. Usual MK rides were great as always - rode Small world 4 times with my daughter - almost lost my mind but she loved it! Switch pass was nice since my daughter was too little to ride many of the bigger rides. Characters - forget the rides - the kids loved the characters - we met every character and they loved it each time. We had two character dinners - one with Cinderalla characters and the other with all the princesses - both kids loved it. Dinners are worth it - you can drink and they come to you rather than waiting in line. Pirate and Princess party - the best deal out there - park was closed by 6pm and we had literally no lines at every ride in the MK for 5 hrs. It was awesome - we rode space mountain back to back then buzz without even stopping in line. Plus the kids loved dressing up! photos - getthe photo pass - they took 400 pics of us in the 6 days! We never would have gotten pics of the 4 of us without it. All in all a great week - we'll be returning with our 6 month old included in 2 years I figure. Weather was excellent crowds not awful - good time to go!

I cant imagine how much that trip must've cost. Jealous.While the Dining Plan may have helped some people who normally can't afford to experience Disney dining, I agree that it has brought the quality of food down as a whole.

 

[Godsbrother]

While the Dining Plan may have helped some people who normally can't afford to experience Disney dining, I agree that it has brought the quality of food down as a whole.

You can have some great meals at WDW but I don't think the quality was ever in line with the cost. That said if you want excellent dining try Victoria & Alberts or the California Grill.

 

[kneeshooter]

FYI, I'd highly recommend checking out renting a Disney Villa from a DVC owner as this will enable you to stay at a Deluxe resort (Beach, Boardwalk, Animal, Wildenerness) for about 50% off the bDisney price for a comparable hotel room. Check out disboards.com in the folder marked DVC Rent/Trade.

How much is a "point"? If somebody was selling 200 ponts at, say $8 a point, what kind of accomodations would that get you? BTW this post is great.

 

[Early_10]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

EG, I'm looking online and the prices at Emerald Island are great. Is there a St Petes/Tampa equivalent?I'm going to call Emerald Island today to get nightly prices. We may even switch and stay there for a week and St Petes for 3 days, the weekly prices that are good.

 

[chet]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

EG, I'm looking online and the prices at Emerald Island are great. Is there a St Petes/Tampa equivalent?I'm going to call Emerald Island today to get nightly prices. We may even switch and stay there for a week and St Petes for 3 days, the weekly prices that are good.

Why don't you stay with EG? That'll be one less person your group will have to pay for, and you might get some action!

 

[Early_10]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

EG, I'm looking online and the prices at Emerald Island are great. Is there a St Petes/Tampa equivalent?I'm going to call Emerald Island today to get nightly prices. We may even switch and stay there for a week and St Petes for 3 days, the weekly prices that are good.

Why don't you stay with EG? That'll be one less person your group will have to pay for, and you might get some action!

Of course I'd get some action. I'd also get some action from any divorce attorneys on the board.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

EG, I'm looking online and the prices at Emerald Island are great. Is there a St Petes/Tampa equivalent?I'm going to call Emerald Island today to get nightly prices. We may even switch and stay there for a week and St Petes for 3 days, the weekly prices that are good.

Really not sure.. the only reason I know about Emerald Island is that I rented some places to put up family/friends for my wedding. The weekly rates are sick - you can't beat places like that. Plus, that surrounding area is very touristy - lots of restaurants and stores to get stuff at, plus Old Town Kissimmee is not far away (carnival rides, laser tag, thrill rides, classic car shows, bars, eateries, candy shops, souvenir stores, etc.. etc... etc..)

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

EG, I'm looking online and the prices at Emerald Island are great. Is there a St Petes/Tampa equivalent?I'm going to call Emerald Island today to get nightly prices. We may even switch and stay there for a week and St Petes for 3 days, the weekly prices that are good.

Why don't you stay with EG? That'll be one less person your group will have to pay for, and you might get some action!

I'll billet her with a vengeance.

 

[chet]

Wheres the best place to stay in Orlando on the cheap? 4 adults, 4 kids ages 14 to 3.

For you? My place. For the rest of the group? Look into renting a house or condo in Emerald Island. You can get a 3 BR condo as low as $109/nt plus taxes and cleaning fees and probably fit the whole crew in there. Plus, they have a pool and tiki bar, and shuttles to the parks.

EG, I'm looking online and the prices at Emerald Island are great. Is there a St Petes/Tampa equivalent?I'm going to call Emerald Island today to get nightly prices. We may even switch and stay there for a week and St Petes for 3 days, the weekly prices that are good.

Why don't you stay with EG? That'll be one less person your group will have to pay for, and you might get some action!

I'll billet her with a vengeance.

Who uses the word billet?j/kMy wife is busily working on our summer billets as we speak!

 

[Morton Muffley]

FYI, I'd highly recommend checking out renting a Disney Villa from a DVC owner as this will enable you to stay at a Deluxe resort (Beach, Boardwalk, Animal, Wildenerness) for about 50% off the bDisney price for a comparable hotel room.

Check out disboards.com in the folder marked DVC Rent/Trade.

How much is a "point"? If somebody was selling 200 ponts at, say $8 a point, what kind of accomodations would that get you? BTW this post is great.

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one week stay at a similar DVC villa. Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

 

[Kiddnets]

Just returned from a week in Disney - what a great time2 kids - 6.5 yrs and 3.5 yrs - old enough to have a great time. Some thoughts and experiences if anyone is interestedHotel - Stayed at the Grand Floridian which was amazing. The proximity to the Magic Kingdom made it worth the extra money. 10 minutes door to door to MK - kids love dmonorail. Nice room - private balcony so wifey and me could have a beer when the kids crashed. we stayed in a sugar loaf concierge hotel little more expensive butt he breakfast, snacks, booze and pvt front des made it well worth it. Meal Plans - hated the meal plan - too restirctive and confusing for us - we would pay as we go next time. Restaurants - I wasn't thrilled with the food at the restaurants - it was all the same to me. OK but not great - we went to one of the signature restaurants at the hotel which counted as 2 sit down dinners as it was supposed to be that great and it was just ok. I would rather just spend less and go to the decent sit down cafe or character dinners. Food is just as good and kids have more fun. O'Hannah's was the best food I had and the most fun - we'll do that twice next year. Best lunch was the drive in theater in HS. Parks - got the park hopper which was nice - we stayed 6 days - 1 day at Animal Kingdom; 1 day Hollywood Studios; 1/2 day Epcot - rest at MK. Didn't like Epcot that much. We spent most of our time in the MK and loved it. AK and HS were worth the trip though and a good one day trip. Pools - loved the pools in the Floridian - we made sure to take an afternoon off every other day to recharge and we really enjoyed the pools during this time. Rides - MK was great - my 7 yr old rode everything. My 3.5 yr old stayed on the smaller rides but had fun. Fast pass was really nice but some of the waits were 2-3 hrs so not even worth it. Not a fan of those motion simulator rides - I almost puked after Star Wars. The Stitch ride was freaky and not fun IMO. Usual MK rides were great as always - rode Small world 4 times with my daughter - almost lost my mind but she loved it! Switch pass was nice since my daughter was too little to ride many of the bigger rides. Characters - forget the rides - the kids loved the characters - we met every character and they loved it each time. We had two character dinners - one with Cinderalla characters and the other with all the princesses - both kids loved it. Dinners are worth it - you can drink and they come to you rather than waiting in line. Pirate and Princess party - the best deal out there - park was closed by 6pm and we had literally no lines at every ride in the MK for 5 hrs. It was awesome - we rode space mountain back to back then buzz without even stopping in line. Plus the kids loved dressing up! photos - getthe photo pass - they took 400 pics of us in the 6 days! We never would have gotten pics of the 4 of us without it. All in all a great week - we'll be returning with our 6 month old included in 2 years I figure. Weather was excellent crowds not awful - good time to go!

I cant imagine how much that trip must've cost. Jealous.While the Dining Plan may have helped some people who normally can't afford to experience Disney dining, I agree that it has brought the quality of food down as a whole.

it was pricey - but i haven't taken a real vacation in years so we went all out - it was worth it!

 

[kneeshooter]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

 

[Broncoholic]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

I found this on eBay for the Disneyworld Coronado Springs Resort. Price is right. Is there a way to make sure it's legit?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...E:X:RTQ:US:1123

Edited to add appologies for hijacking your question.

 

[Morton Muffley]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

You can try placing a post on the DVC Rent/Trade board doing it this way, but owners prefer to deal with individuals who already know what they are looking for. For example, they'd prefer you look at the chart and decide which days you are going, where you'd prefer to stay (2 or 3 choices ideally) and how many points this will require. Then seek out a renter who has that many points to offer. Again, while this is preferred by the owners they will work with rubes too The way DVC works is that ownners buy points in a "home" resort and are able to book at this resort up to 11 months in advance. For resorts other than one's home resort, reservations can be made up to 7 months in advance (these are referred to as the 7-month and 11-month windows). Since you are within the 7-month window you needn't concern yourself with the home resort allocation - any points will e sufficient for any of the 6 DVC resorts at Walt Disney World (Wilderness, Animal Kingdom, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs).

Lastly, reservations are made by the owner in your name. You PayPal the owner and he sends you the confirmation from Disney detailing your reservation (arrival, departure, etc.). Like anything purchased online, there is some risk. But there are many DVC owners who have made a business of this and can furnish you with references and a proven track record.

Hope this helps.

 

[Morton Muffley]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

I found this on eBay for the Disneyworld Coronado Springs Resort. Price is right. Is there a way to make sure it's legit?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...E:X:RTQ:US:1123

Edited to add appologies for hijacking your question.

Coronado is not a DVC property and therefore has no owners, so nI'm unsure how this offer can be made by someone other Disney. I didn't read it closely so perhaps the seller explains how he came by this voucher (15 of them apprently). Sorry, I can't be of more assistance on this.

 

[Broncoholic]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

I found this on eBay for the Disneyworld Coronado Springs Resort. Price is right. Is there a way to make sure it's legit?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...E:X:RTQ:US:1123

Edited to add appologies for hijacking your question.

Coronado is not a DVC property and therefore has no owners, so nI'm unsure how this offer can be made by someone other Disney. I didn't read it closely so perhaps the seller explains how he came by this voucher (15 of them apprently). Sorry, I can't be of more assistance on this.

No problem... I looked more closely at his feedback, and even though he's at 100% no one has left feedback after they have traveled. Seems pretty fishy. I might risk it if it were just me, but I cant risk buying a bogus travel certificate with the kids.God that would be horrible. Pack up the kids...get on a plane...drive to the hotel...show the front desk clerk my "travel certificate" from Bomdigity trave...get laughed at....pack up the kids and drive to the Motel 6 in Apopka.

 

[Team]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

I found this on eBay for the Disneyworld Coronado Springs Resort. Price is right. Is there a way to make sure it's legit?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...E:X:RTQ:US:1123

Edited to add appologies for hijacking your question.

Coronado is not a DVC property and therefore has no owners, so nI'm unsure how this offer can be made by someone other Disney. I didn't read it closely so perhaps the seller explains how he came by this voucher (15 of them apprently). Sorry, I can't be of more assistance on this.

While Coronado Springs is NOT a DVC resort, it can be booked by a DVC owner using his DVC points.

 

[Morton Muffley]

Typical DVC rental rates are $10 per point and what accomodations you can obtain per point varies by hotel, season, and day of the week. But generally, you can figure that a seven night stay at a DVC villa studio (similar to a standard hotel room) will run you around 130 points (+/- 30 points). An equivalent hotel room has a RAC rate of around $300 per night (plus tax of which t.here is none for DVC rentals) ..so doing the math for you that means you could expect to pay $2100+ for a one week stay at a Disney Deluxe hotel or $1300 for a one night stay at a similar DVC villa.

Now, I realize that no one is paying RAC rates, but still if you want Deluxe accomodations at Disney (and I understand not everyone does), I think DVC rentals are the way to go.

Disney World RAC Rates

DVC Point Charts

OK, so excuse me for being a rube, but I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.If I know I'm going for 6 nights in October, I can post that and someone will (maybe) offer me XX points at X dollars? I can than use that chart to figure out what type of room those points will be able to secure?

Are the points restrictive to certain Villas? How does the transaction unfold - I Paypal the $$ to the owner and they make the reservation? Do I need to assume his identity while I'm there? Any risk involved or does this sort of thing go down all the time?

Thanks in advance

I found this on eBay for the Disneyworld Coronado Springs Resort. Price is right. Is there a way to make sure it's legit?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...E:X:RTQ:US:1123

Edited to add appologies for hijacking your question.

Coronado is not a DVC property and therefore has no owners, so nI'm unsure how this offer can be made by someone other Disney. I didn't read it closely so perhaps the seller explains how he came by this voucher (15 of them apprently). Sorry, I can't be of more assistance on this.

While Coronado Springs is NOT a DVC resort, it can be booked by a DVC owner using his DVC points.

It CAN be, but it won't result in sig savings and as such I wouldn't recommend using a DVC owner to book a standard hotel room.As always, just my opinion.

 

[Al Czervik]

In our book, at least for us and for anyone with kids, Whispering Canyon Restraunt at Wilderness Lodge is a "Must See". The meal was GREAT but the atomosphere was 2nd to none. We had a blast there and would highly recommend it if you like to be entertained during your meal.

Planning to add Whispering Canyon to my dinner reservation list. We had one guy that goes to WDW yearly tell us that it will take too long to get to Wilderness Lodge (we are staying at Beach Club -- he said it would take an hour to get there). This true?

 

[Disco Stu]

In our book, at least for us and for anyone with kids, Whispering Canyon Restraunt at Wilderness Lodge is a "Must See". The meal was GREAT but the atomosphere was 2nd to none. We had a blast there and would highly recommend it if you like to be entertained during your meal.

Planning to add Whispering Canyon to my dinner reservation list. We had one guy that goes to WDW yearly tell us that it will take too long to get to Wilderness Lodge (we are staying at Beach Club -- he said it would take an hour to get there). This true?

Using Disney transportation, an hour is probably about right. If you have a car, it'll be much faster.Do you have to go back to your resort before dinner? It'd be more convenient to book the reservations on a day you plan to be at Magic Kingdom. Lodge is a simple boat ride from that park.

BTW, I've never been to Whispering Canyon, but Artist Point (also at Wilderness Lodge) is very good.