well, i consider myself to be one as I have not been to WDW since 1989 when I went with my family and my then boyfriend-now husband :)

we want to go now because we have children (a boy and a girl-7&8).

i know things have changed drastically since we were last there. when we did go last, we stayed off site. we obviously prefer to stay at a disney resort, as none of us have been.

considering the cost of such a trip, and the fact that it will be my kid's very first time on a plane, in a hotel and in WDW, what would u suggest to do/stay/etc to make this trip one we will never forget (in a good way!).

a few considerations...my H hates crowds, so less crowded the better. From what I've read about the value resorts, I really don't think they would be an option, without anyone getting hurt! :) We do not have the funds to stay at GF (sadly), but was wondering what combo could work to maximize fun and minimize cost (why we are all here, I'm sure!)

Anyway, any ideas, thoughts, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Tori

Well, if you want something between a value and the Grand Floridian, there are a number of choices - including all of the Moderate Resorts (Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Coronado Springs, and Caribbean Beach) as well as the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge which are deluxe, but not on the monorail or within walking distance of Epcot.

There've been some threads lately on people chiming in on their favorite moderates, so a quick survey of the thread titles should reveal a lot of opinions on that topic.

I also do not like crowds, is there such a thing as off-season at WDW? Also we are of the see everything/try everything once, go back and do some things again variety, how many days would be suggested (not counting water parks, but including Universal parks also)?
We've never been to FL, and there are 6 of us. DDs 15, 9, 6 DS 14. Some things we are cheap about (hotel, its only a place to sleep afterall), others we aren't (number of days at park, etc).

When planning our first trip a few months ago I looked at the wdw website. They have a list of weeks that have lighter crowds. We just got back from a 9 day stay at the pop century. We went from feb 26-march 5. The only time we ran into crowds were on the weekend at the parks during the middle of the day and our last day there around noon. Otherwise it was pretty empty. Especially extra magic hours at Epcot. We walked on so many rides throughout the trip it was unbelievable. Our hotel seemed empty too. It never felt crowded and we had a great experience considering it was a value resort. Of course I am anxious to try one of the more elaborate hotels but for the money I feel we got an excellent deal.

I would give yourself at least a week if you have never been. There is a lot to see between the 4 parks and you don't want to feel rushed. We had an 8 day park hopper because by the time we got there our first day it was 9pm. Our last day was cut short because we had to catch the ME back to the airport at 4pm. We also missed an entire day because I got the flu and was to weak to go anywhere. So in the end we had six and a half days and still didn't do everything on our list. Our plan was also to see and do everything once and go back for our favorites. We came close to accomplishing that but still missed out on some things.

Otherwise it was pretty empty. Especially extra magic hours at Epcot.
Did you go to evening extra magic hours, or morning extra magic hours at Epcot (or both)?

The first deciding factor in selecting a WDW hotel is budget. How much do you want to spend per night?

$90? Values
$150? Moderates
$225 & up? Deluxes

Once you specify that, you'll get no end of suggestions, as everyone has their favorite. I'm a moderate kinda guy, although I'll occasionally splurge for a deluxe, and I'll occasionally cheap out and stay at a value. I have my favorites in each category. So set the budget, & we'll give you lotsa options!

Agree with Dan. Decide what's important to you regarding your hotel/resort stay-and we'll all chime in.

Onsite ts place, bed size, room size, transportation options, pool options, cost, room amenities, resort theme.

And, yes, there is an off season-as well as peak, regular and summer. When you go will impact the amount you pay for the room as well as the crowd levels in the parks and around the resort.

One thing about crowds. Are you willing to take your kids out of school, or are they on a very non-traditional (i.e., year-round) schedule? If not - then you will hit crowds, because many parents aren't willing/able to take their kids out of school for vacations. I'm not making ANY judgements about that, but it's a decision you need to make. (And I'm just glad I don't have kids so I can go when most of the kidlets ARE in school :D)

Depending on your budget, you might want to consider renting DVC points and staying in a studio/one bedroom/two bedroom villa. We have started doing that as my kids are now teenagers and the additional space has been a gift from the vacation gods. Total cost depends on lots of stuff - when you go, where you stay, how big a villa, and who you rent from (cost averages around $10/point). Ends up being MUCH cheaper than booking directly from WDW, and you end up staying at a deluxe resort for less than a deluxe cost (not much less, but less). Just a thought!

renting points...great thought, do the villas have kitchens?
And YES we will take our kids out of school to avoid the crowds. Our school has a program where if they are out for more than 5 days they can do independent study and get counted as there. (maybe a state thing not sure) We do DL between spring break and summer and after labor day in Sept. for this reason. in fact the lower grades get a trip book as part of their homework so they can write draw pics, add pics, etc.. about thier trip to share when home.

To the opener...

There's not a right or wrong moderate.
You just need to figure out which one will suit you best.
So, what makes you feel like you are on vacation?

And candles71, it sounds like you would be open to a stay in a value resort.

I like both and have stayed in several value and several moderates.

It depends on the time of year and the cost to me.

I've stayed at many Disney hotels and have my favorites just like everyone else. Most recently, we stayed at All-Star Sports and loved it. Although it was considered a crowded time to visit (August), it really wasn't that bad. We didn't wait more than 20 minutes for anything and actually walked walked onto many rides. All-Star Sports is a budget hotel (very small room but great deal...we paid only $69 a night!) but clean and a great hotel overall. I've also stayed at Port Orleans FQ twice (bigger room, a little nicer than All-Star), Grand Floridian (WONDERFUL but expensive), and the Polynesian twice. Actually, we're going back to the Polynesian again this August. Stay on the monorail is you want quick transportation to MK and Epcot. If you don't mind the busses (which fill up quick and tend to take longer) then moderate or value hotels are fine. We have a three year old, so monorail service is worth paying extra for! Plus, we usually take a mid-day break (nap and swim) so we like the quick transportation. Price out some trips online to give yourself some ideas on cost. The meal plan is worth looking into as well...really saved us a lot of money. I requested the Disney vacation DVD online and a couple of days later, they emailed me a 20% off coupon code for the month we wanted to travel. That makes staying a a moderate or deluxe resort a little bit cheaper. :) Good luck!!!

renting points...great thought, do the villas have kitchens?
.

Yup, villas have kitchens. We have never stayed in a studio, but the one/two bedroom have full kitchens AND a washer/dryer combo in the room (double bonus!!). You can go cheaper (value, moderate resorts), but with 6 people you are probably looking at more than one room anyway. Look into renting points! It works out very well for us, at least until we can buy into DVC outselves ;)

With the ages of your kids, you might want the extra space. After spending the travel time together, and long days in the parks together, we need to spread out abit in the evenings. Plus the kitchen is a major bonus for heating up leftovers (Disney meals are always too much food) and fixing breakfast in the room. We're renting points in August and staying at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge - two bedroom. 157 days - Woot-woot!!

You know, for a moment there I thought that you were going to be staying at WDW for 157 days!

Then I figured it out...

But wouldn't it be nice?

You know, for a moment there I thought that you were going to be staying at WDW for 157 days!

Then I figured it out...

But wouldn't it be nice?

Oops! Freudian slip, I guess;) Actually, I'm waiting for my kids to grow up and then I'm moving to WDW for good. Really.

I know you said no to value resorts, but we stayed at Pop Century last summer and LOVED it! Clean, friendly and convenient. I would recommend staying in the 50s building, with a room near, but not facing the bowling pin shaped pool. It was a great stay. As for crowds, you might as well prepare your husband now -- Disney is crowded. If you accept this fact before you even go, you'll have a much better time and you will fortify your patience.

thx Wendy3. Yes spreading out is a good thing. We reheat leftovers when at DL also. and have breakfast in room, helps the budget!!) Can you pack snacks into WDW, like at DL?

How do you find info on renting points?

And yes I thought for a second you were staying for 157 days also, for a second.

And yes I thought for a second you were staying for 157 days also, for a second.


I WISH!! (and as we all know, Wishes do come true).

Anyway, yes - you can pack snacks into WDW (as long as you're not talking a cooler or picnic lunch basket or something). Snacks in your backpack are fine.

There are lots of people on the boards who know lots of good stuff about renting points, but the best place I've found is www.disboards.com. You can find out all the ins and outs and get lots of great advice, and people post their points for rent. Or you can post a request to rent points. There is trust involved (because you rent from a person, not WDW directly), but I've never had any problems at all. Have a great trip!!

I just wanted to mention that you could look into renting DVC points from someone who is looking to do so. The DVC properties are very nice and you can get a studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom depending on what you want to spend. The DVC choices are Animal Kingdom lodge, saratoga springs, boardwalk, beach club, old key west and the wilderness lodge. Beware, once you stay in a 1 bedroom you will never go back to a hotel room:)

oops someone mentioned that already!

I'm a bus driver at Disney and have stayed at several resorts on property and drive to all 21 everyday. I would check out each one online, but in the end I would stay away from the Pop Century and the All Stars Resorts unless your aim is to save money. For me, the best resorts for kids are the Yacht or Beach Club Resorts ( largest pools at WDW) or the Ft. Wilderness campgrounds. The campgrounds is great for kids because they can be kids. The cabins will give them a home like feeling and the entire resort is set up for families. Also I have read that some say to rent an auto for the entire stay. I would never do that it is safer to use the bus system and actually saves time. If you need to go off property, to go to the coast or go to other areas in cent. FL., then rent a car for the day from Alamo. The rates are great, and they will pick up at your resort.

My vote goes to the Animal Kingdom Lodge - your kids are at a great age for that resort. Bus service is fantastic and you're not too far from any park. The resort is just gorgeous and there are tons of activities to do there if you want some down time away from the parks for a while. The pool is really nice and there are a couple of hot tubs too.