I'm Back! - More Disney Questions

[Susan Bartolini]

Ok...so I got my Passporter and have read a good deal of it. I called Disney to get some rates and this is what they gave me. Can you guys take a look and tell me if this is overkill and where I could/should tweak?

My requirements are:

Dates: 5/9-5/13
5 nights stay (but only 4 in the park because we are arrive late on Wednesday)
Hotel should be on the monorail (my son has some mobility issues).
Would love a view of Cinderella's Castle
Park Hopper pass? (Not sure about this)
5 Day Meal plan (1 sit down, 1 quick service, 1 snack)

They recommended the Grand Floridian
The total they quoted me (not including air fair). $4846.72

Here are my questions:

1. My kids are young (8 & 5). My son tires very easily and needs frequent breaks. Does it make sense for us to get the park hopper pass? Since we are first time Disney-ers, will we really have enough time to get to the other parks? Do you think we will probably spend all of our time in the Magic Kingdom? Should/Can we get a park hopper pass valid for just one or two days?

2. Do we need more of a meal plan?

3. The Grand Floridian has a the Mouseketeer Club (childcare program). Have you guys ever used this? My husband and I would like to have one night to ourselves (possibly).

4. What do you think of the Grand Floridian?

5. Do you think 4 days in the park are enough?

6. Am I missing anything? Are there other options to consider (we are going to book a character breakfast for sure).

I would love any and all feedback! Thanks so much in advance for helping me (such a rookie).

[NeverendingJen]

Park Hopper is a MUST to me. With park hopper, this means you can do the day at Magic Kingdom, Dinner at Epcot, and fireworks at another park, even. It's well worth the money.

[nesser1981]

1. My kids are young (8 & 5). My son tires very easily and needs frequent breaks. Does it make sense for us to get the park hopper pass? Since we are first time Disney-ers, will we really have enough time to get to the other parks? Do you think we will probably spend all of our time in the Magic Kingdom? Should/Can we get a park hopper pass valid for just one or two days? You don't need park hopper, park hopper is only if you want to go to more than one park in the same day. Get 4 regular tickets and you can go to all 4 parks, just one different days, my kids are close in age and I'm honestly worried about doing 2 parks in one day, I think they'll be so tired and it won't go well. LOL! Keira is almost 7 and Cooper will be 4 when we go.

2. Do we need more of a meal plan? You don't need it, but it might make it easier to have the food figured into your total. When we go back I'm going to do the meal plan. Snacks are considered anything under $4. Quick Meal is the counter service restaurants, and a table service is anywhere that recommends reservations. These can also be used for Character Meals. FYI, certain character meals, like Cinderella's Royal Table is 2 table service credits.

3. The Grand Floridian has a the Mouseketeer Club (childcare program). Have you guys ever used this? My husband and I would like to have one night to ourselves (possibly). don't know, but I'm sure they'd be great.

4. What do you think of the Grand Floridian? Never stayed there or even been there, but its the best from what I understand and from what I've read.

5. Do you think 4 days in the park are enough? yes because you'll never be able to do everything in a single trip. LOL! We're actually doing all 4 parks in 3 days this time. 1 day each at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and combining Animal Kingdom and Epcot, because I think the kids will care the least about these.

6. Am I missing anything? Are there other options to consider (we are going to book a character breakfast for sure). I think you've covered it all, there is a character meal at the Grand Floridian I think, 1900 Park Fare, so that would be super easy for you guys. And Chef Mickey's is at the Contemporary Resort, the monorail runs right into there too, that would be another good one. We've been, it was great. It's the big 5 characters. Make your reservations now though for your meals.

FYI, I haven't ever stayed at a Disney Resort, but I have been reading nothing but Disney related stuff since we found out about Keira's Make a Wish trip.

I would love any and all feedback! Thanks so much in advance for helping me (such a rookie).

[nesser1981]

Susan, did you get a free Disney Planning DVD from Disney? You can get one online, I like watching it, gives lots of information and the kids like seeing the rides and such.

[Susan Bartolini]

Originally Posted by nesser1981

Susan, did you get a free Disney Planning DVD from Disney? You can get one online, I like watching it, gives lots of information and the kids like seeing the rides and such.

Nope...haven't done that yet. Thanks!

Also, what is up with the Water Parks - are they included in the Park Hopper pass?

[BrattyMeg]

I think it's a tad $$ personally...

you can stay at the Polynesian with the same specs (dining plan, 4 day park hopper-it is standard view room) which is also monorail resort..for about 1500 cheaper. It's about 1k cheaper with a theme park view but they can't guarantee what you see...The GF is more $$ than the Contemporary and the Poly

I would get the hopper..I mean if you don't it saves you 200 bucks but it limits your choices for food and such. I mean you can eat at whichever park you want to be at for the day but we really enjoyed taking a break during the day then heading to a different park in the evening.

Also--if your kids like to swim the pool at the Poly is this cool Volcano pool with a sandy zero entry area thats beachlike. I'm not sure what the pool at the Grand Floridian is. It's all really based on what you like too. The theming at the poly is more my style than the GF..it's very ritzy and proper vs Hawaiian and islandy

The water parks are sep from the regular tickets. Blizzard Beach looks pretty cool but one or the other is always pretty much closed for renovation/repairs so no guarantee both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon will be open.

I disagree with Vanessa on the Dining Plan and Hoppers...We enjoyed not having to price out meals and junk beforehand. The 1 table, 1 quick service, and snacks were perfect..we bought a few more snacks during the day but nothing major.

[Susan Bartolini]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

I think it's a tad $$ personally...

you can stay at the Polynesian with the same specs (dining plan, 4 day park hopper-it is standard view room) which is also monorail resort..for about 1500 cheaper. It's about 1k cheaper with a theme park view but they can't guarantee what you see...The GF is more $$ than the Contemporary and the Poly

That is funny because I asked them to quote me the exact same plan for the Contemporary and the Polynesian and they gave me this:

Poly - $4756.72
Contemp - $4891.14

What am I doing wrong? Could it be because I asked for Caste-View room?

[nesser1981]

Originally Posted by Susan Bartolini

That is funny because I asked them to quote me the exact same plan for the Contemporary and the Polynesian and they gave me this:

Poly - $4756.72
Contemp - $4891.14

What am I doing wrong? Could it be because I asked for Caste-View room?

I'll go play with it too for you Susan. I love this stuff.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by Susan Bartolini

That is funny because I asked them to quote me the exact same plan for the Contemporary and the Polynesian and they gave me this:

Poly - $4756.72
Contemp - $4891.14

What am I doing wrong? Could it be because I asked for Caste-View room?

I priced it on the website...maybe you aren't getting the current discount offer right now over the phone?

[Susan Bartolini]

This price includes the tickets to the park, the park hoppers, the hotel and the meal plan. Everything but the airfare. She told me that I was getting a discount.

I am going to PM Kendall and see what she thinks....

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by Susan Bartolini

This price includes the tickets to the park, the park hoppers, the hotel and the meal plan. Everything but the airfare. She told me that I was getting a discount.

I am going to PM Kendall and see what she thinks....

yeah that's what the others I did included too

so weird!

you can play around on disneyworld.com for pkgs and see what you get. You can make a reservation online too with just $200 down

[nesser1981]

I priced it online too Susan for the Poly, May 9-May 13 (which says 4 nights, 5 days) 4228.24
That's w/ 5 day park hopper passes
Waterparks and more
Dinning 1 Quick Service Meal, 1 Snack & 1 Table service per person.

[Susan Bartolini]

Originally Posted by nesser1981

I priced it online too Susan for the Poly, May 9-May 13 (which says 4 nights, 5 days) 4228.24
That's w/ 5 day park hopper passes
Waterparks and more
Dinning 1 Quick Service Meal, 1 Snack & 1 Table service per person.

That's so weird because we are staying in the hotel 5 nights. But only 4 days in the parks (and park hopper) and 5 day meal plan.

I just PM'd Kendall. I should probably just work with her on this, huh?

[nesser1981]

For me, I'd need the meal plan. LOL! But I think you can manage without it. But me, personally, I wouldn't consider going without a meal plan because the food can be so expensive.

And I do thing that the quick service, table and snack would be perfect, I was looking at the meal plans and we'd considered the 3 table service meals a day, but I don't know how you'd be able to eat all that, and it would take up a good chunk of your day by trying to schedule all those meals.

I disagree with Vanessa on the Dining Plan and Hoppers...We enjoyed not having to price out meals and junk beforehand. The 1 table, 1 quick service, and snacks were perfect..we bought a few more snacks during the day but nothing major.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by nesser1981

I was looking at the meal plans and we'd considered the 3 table service meals a day, but I don't know how you'd be able to eat all that, and it would take up a good chunk of your day by trying to schedule all those meals.

I think that's too time consuming and way too much food. I really think a sit down everyday was too time consuming when we had it and I ended up cancelling a few dinners we had planned (they take a long time I think..could be b/c it was really busy..was Dec) but the convenience of it is nice plus I think some kids just need to sit and eat and have that break.

[Nettio]

1. My kids are young (8 & 5). My son tires very easily and needs frequent breaks. Does it make sense for us to get the park hopper pass? Since we are first time Disney-ers, will we really have enough time to get to the other parks? Do you think we will probably spend all of our time in the Magic Kingdom? Should/Can we get a park hopper pass valid for just one or two days?

You really don't need the park hopper if you plan well. Plus the parks are pretty far apart so you'd spend a lot of time walking and traveling around, especially if he tires easily. I'm not sure how it works with the package but I think you can add them later if you end up wanting them? You should probably check on that though.

2. Do we need more of a meal plan?
My family did that same meal plan and we all thought it was way too much food. I don't think we ever used the snacks! When Adam and I went, we paid out of pocket for all our food and I actually liked that better. Lots of people love the dining plan though and it can be handy to not have to worry about the cost of the food since it's all theme park pricing.

3. The Grand Floridian has a the Mouseketeer Club (childcare program). Have you guys ever used this? My husband and I would like to have one night to ourselves (possibly).
No idea, but I imagine it's nice.

4. What do you think of the Grand Floridian?
We did breakfast for Mother's Day there and it is really nice. I felt rich just walking around it. It's pretty much the premier hotel there. Plus having the monorail there is nice.

5. Do you think 4 days in the park are enough?
We did 4.5 days (we left our 5th day in the evening) and I definitely felt like that was plenty of park days. Again, if you plan well and hit the rides and shows that most important to you, you'll be fine. We didn't do park hoppers so we had one park per day and it worked out fine.

6. Am I missing anything? Are there other options to consider (we are going to book a character breakfast for sure).
Not that I can think of but you probably want to get on your dining reservations ASAP for May. They disappear fast.

[nesser1981]

For the Water Parks Susan you can add that to your ticket package, its not a park hopper, its the Water Parks and More. I think that is totally worth it for May. It'll be plenty hot enough to enjoy it.

[Julie Billingsley]

Hotel should be on the monorail (my son has some mobility issues).
Would love a view of Cinderella's Castle
Park Hopper pass? (Not sure about this)

There are 3 hotels on the monorail, but another you might consider too.
The big three are: the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian.
The Wilderness Lodge is a fun, short boat ride to the Magic Kingdom... from the MK, you can hop the monorail. So, I am not sure how much mobility is an issue, but the Wilderness Lodge is cheaper than the other 3 and is slightly less convenient.

I stayed in the Polynesian, in the Hawaii building, a few years ago. The Hawaii building is the concierge level, which is pretty dang expensive and not really worth it. We only did it because we had a killer discount and it was my husband's college graduation gift. I'll dig up a pic from our room and post in a minute. Most of the "view rooms" are concierge level, but there are some at the Poly that have a view and aren't concierge. The Hawaii building is exclusively concierge, but half have a view of the park and beach, and the other half face away and look at the lush grounds of the Poly and a pool. There are a few other buildings that have a theme park view at the Poly.

When they are quoting you prices, be sure if they are telling you concierge level or regular theme park view. You pay out the nose for concierge, so be sure you even need it before you get that. Personally.... I wouldn't do it again. It was nice of course, but we didn't get the value out of it. I can talk more about concierge level if you have questions.

Here are my questions:

1. My kids are young (8 & 5). My son tires very easily and needs frequent breaks. Does it make sense for us to get the park hopper pass? Since we are first time Disney-ers, will we really have enough time to get to the other parks? Do you think we will probably spend all of our time in the Magic Kingdom? Should/Can we get a park hopper pass valid for just one or two days?

Like others said, the park hopper is for going to more than 1 park in a single day. We don't get the park hoppers. If you are just staying for 4 days, then that is 1 park a day. I think the regular tickets will do you just fine and save you money.

2. Do we need more of a meal plan?

We had that same meal plan for our 7 day trip and loved it! We saved a bunch of money because my husband and oldest son have expensive food taste... always ordering the most expensive stuff on the menu like seafood and steak. We did end up with a bunch of snack credits left over, so I used them up on the last day for Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie treats. Those were easily packed for our trip. Or you could use the snack credits as your breakfast. The disboard has a list of what you can use snack credits on in the parks.

3. The Grand Floridian has a the Mouseketeer Club (childcare program). Have you guys ever used this? My husband and I would like to have one night to ourselves (possibly).

We didn't use it, but the Polynesian has that Mouseketeer Club. I've heard good things about it.

4. What do you think of the Grand Floridian?

We wandered though it and had dinner at Narcoossee's (a restaurant at the Grand Floridan). It is very beautiful, very elegant. It's more polished (by a LOT) than the Polynesian. I'd love to stay there some day, but personally would probably pick the Contemporary (also on the monorail) because of the cost savings between the two.

5. Do you think 4 days in the park are enough?

no. LOL I don't get to go on vacation very often and since it's clear across the US for me, I'd insist on at least 5 days. That way you can go to each park once and then an extra day at Magic Kingdom.

6. Am I missing anything? Are there other options to consider (we are going to book a character breakfast for sure).

If you have a picky eater, I'd recommend trying to get a reservation for Chef Mickey's. It's buffet style, all you can eat. It's not gourmet, but there is a variety that my son enjoyed. Each character (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald) comes directly to your table and allows you to take pics. It was a real hit for my son and he was almost 6 years old.

I would love any and all feedback! Thanks so much in advance for helping me (such a rookie).

[Susan Bartolini]

Julie - thanks so much for the info. I will ask about that concierge level. Out of curiosity, what did you get that was "extra" on that level? ETA - would love to see your pics!

When I was quoted the Poly...it was only $100 bucks cheaper....so for that little amount, I would probably just stay at the GF.

Thanks for the tips on Chef Mickeys. I will definitely look at that.....Ben & Maddy would love that.

[Robin Carlton]

Susan, the bridge from BLT into the Contemporary is way smaller than a city block, just FYI.

We've also stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and it is amazing too. The boat ride is so fun and I bed both Ben and Maddie would LOVE it!

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by Julie Billingsley

The Wilderness Lodge is a fun, short boat ride to the Magic Kingdom... from the MK, you can hop the monorail. So, I am not sure how much mobility is an issue, but the Wilderness Lodge is cheaper than the other 3 and is slightly less convenient.

Quoting myself LOL...

okay, so I was thinking about the Wilderness Lodge more and we were only there once for dinner. The walk to the dock might be a little long. I can't remember. Anyone know?

[MissKim]

Originally Posted by Julie Billingsley

Quoting myself LOL...

okay, so I was thinking about the Wilderness Lodge more and we were only there once for dinner. The walk to the dock might be a little long. I can't remember. Anyone know?

I don't remember the walk being long. I think Susan is just going to need to use the stroller as much as possible anyway. Save walking for inside the parks and waiting in line. Pretty sure you can just leave kids in strollers on the boat.

Wilderness Lodge is my dream place to stay (and Animal Kingdom Lodge). Of course, those are the two places that only sleep 4 in a room even though they're deluxe. So I wait until a couple of kids grow up and move out...

[Susan Bartolini]

Awesome info you guys!!!! Definitely NOT getting a Castle view. It is so friggin expensive!!!

Amber - thanks for your take on the GF. It does seem a little over the top. My DH wants to stay there or the Contemporary.

Now I am just wondering about the Wilderness Lodge. I totally thought we'd stay at one of the Magic Kingdom resorts since we'll be spending most of our time there....BUT...if you guys think it is that good and access to the the Magic Kingdom isn't that difficult, maybe we'll check it out.

Regarding the stroller rentals, can an 8 year old boy fit in them?

Does anyone know how much they check bags? Are you able to bring in a granola bar or anything...or are they pretty thorough with checking?

So sorry for all these questions.

[nesser1981]

Yes, I think an 8 year old can fit.

You can bring food and drink into the theme parks.

And Susan, I sent you a PM about getting a Guest Assistance Card at Disney. I'm not sure your exact needs, but read the post I attached and I think it'll help you guys out during your trip.

[nesser1981]

FYI, I think Character Meals are the best way to meet the characters! No lines. You sit and wait for them, which is perfect!

[AmberK]

Here are my questions:

1. My kids are young (8 & 5). My son tires very easily and needs frequent breaks. Does it make sense for us to get the park hopper pass? Since we are first time Disney-ers, will we really have enough time to get to the other parks? Do you think we will probably spend all of our time in the Magic Kingdom? Should/Can we get a park hopper pass valid for just one or two days?

We were just there in December and did not do the park hoppers. I decided what days we wanted to go to which park and then did meal reservations based on those days.

2. Do we need more of a meal plan?
We had the same meal plan and we had PLENTY of food. The one thing that I didnt realize is that with a snack you only get 1 thing. We always got a mickey bar and then paid for a drink. But you get SO.MUCH.FOOD with the table service places so we didn't feel the need to snack most of the time.

Breakfast at Disney is phenomenal! We did Chef Mickeys and Tusker House in Animal Kingdom for breakfast and they were by far our favorite meals. Both are character meals and we all had so much fun. But with the table service meals we were there at least 1.5-2 hrs which was kind of annoying especially if it was a non-character meal.

3. The Grand Floridian has a the Mouseketeer Club (childcare program). Have you guys ever used this? My husband and I would like to have one night to ourselves (possibly).

Sounds awesome and if our hotel had offered it we would have taken advantage of it.

4. What do you think of the Grand Floridian?

I havent stayed there but we went over there to eat at 1900 Park Fare and I wasnt impressed by the Grand Floridian. It was just too over the top for me. Im not a fancy-schmancy person and this hotel is definintely fancy-schmancy.

5. Do you think 4 days in the park are enough?

We did 1 day at each park and then an extra day at Magic Kingdom which was awesome. I loved having that extra day at MK to go back and do the stuff that we didn't do the first day. Plus MK is the most magical of the parks and I just coulnt get enough of it!

6. Am I missing anything? Are there other options to consider (we are going to book a character breakfast for sure).
If your son tires easily you might want to look at a stroller rental. We wented a double jogging stroller for my kids- 6 and 4 and they sat in that most of the time we were walking around. I got mine from orlandostrollerrentals.com and they had GREAT prices and MUCH nicer strollers than the plastic piece of junk strollers that you can rent at Disney.

Definitely do character meals! It is the best way to meet the characters!

I would love any and all feedback! Thanks so much in advance for helping me (such a rookie).

[Susan Bartolini]

Robin - I just was looking at the Wilderness Lodge and it looked super cool.

Julie - Whoa...I didn't realize how far away the Castle was. Maybe it really isn't worth it to get a castle view room!!!! See...these are the things you can't possibly know until you've gone. So helpful.

The Contemporary looks mega cool. Worried the GF might be too over the top. I do like their amenities though.

This is so hard.....

[nesser1981]

Here's what I say, if you can afford it, do it! I'd love to stay at one of those resorts. Next time we go and we're actually paying for it I'm going to shoot for the Moderate resorts, but if I had the money, I'd totally be at the GF or actually DH would make us stay at the Wilderness Lodge so he could see the animals.

Originally Posted by Susan Bartolini

Robin - I just was looking at the Wilderness Lodge and it looked super cool.

Julie - Whoa...I didn't realize how far away the Castle was. Maybe it really isn't worth it to get a castle view room!!!! See...these are the things you can't possibly know until you've gone. So helpful.

The Contemporary looks mega cool. Worried the GF might be too over the top. I do like their amenities though.

This is so hard.....

[Julie Billingsley]

Here are a couple pics from immediately in front of my room. Notice in the first pic that the castle is above my son's head..... yes, it's that far in the distance. It's wonderful to be able to see the fireworks from your own room... but do think about how much time you'd actually be spending looking at that view. We ended up not spending much time at all looking at the castle, because we weren't in the room! The second pic is using my point and shoot's 4x zoom. Shot from the patio outside my room.





Sounds like you are leaning towards the GF or the Contemporary, but I wanted to show you that the view from the Poly side of the lake.

[Julie Billingsley]

Susan, about the concierge level. They have sections of each of the deluxe resorts with concierge service. So, this applies to each of the resorts that we've been mentioning. Basically, you get a private lounge area (like a family room/kitchen area) plus their extra planning services. I didn't use their planning services at all, but if you book a concierge room you can tell them which places you want to eat and around what time and they will look it up for you and book it. Which I did all myself, because I'm anal like that. As for the lounge, in the Poly, it's a large area with tables and a kitchen.

They bring out FREE food three times a day (this could have changed since we were there). In the morning it is 3-4 types of cereal, a few types of pastries, toast, english muffins. There are also free drinks. They do lunch stuff at lunch, and a few things at dinner. Now for dinnertime, you can't really expect to get a full dinner. This is suppose to be a mini-meal and the choices are limited. We eat there once at dinner, but we did have every breakfast there. At the Poly they keep the refrigerator stocked with soda all day long and you can grab it whenever you want. (We almost got our value just out of the free soda, because we are big soda drinkers.) At night they also have free beer and wine, but we don't drink, so I don't know anything about that really.

I believe the other resorts have similar concierge offerings. The disboards has a ton of info on them. Some have the menus and pics too. Hope that helps, let me know if you think of a question about that!

[Julie Billingsley]

oh, and on the strollers... I got a stroller pass that lets you get a stroller each day at any park. I LOVED it. My son was almost 6 and he was thrilled he didn't have to walk the long distances in the parks. I personally was happy we went with the Disney stroller rental because you can just leave the stroller at one train station (in the Magic Kingdom) and pick up a new one at the other station. Plus, I didn't worry about the stroller.

[Robin Carlton]

Ive been lots and lots and I personally dont think paying for the better view is worth it at all at Disney. Hawaii... yes, spring for the ocean view... Disney - you're out of the room soooo much and exhausted when you get back... it just isnt worth the money IMO.

Go Wilderness, you guys will LOVE it, seriously and it's just as convenient and more pleasant than the monorail hotels really.

[BrattyMeg]

Wilderness Lodge @ Christmas is my dream resort because it's sooo beautifully decorated!

Dh wants the Poly and I'll just be happy to go back so I said ok lol Not worth fighting over for me (and there would be a fight haha)

I too think springing for a Castle View isn't worth it..for as little as you'll be in the room!

Look at the pools and decide from there..see if your kids have a preference..You will have a blast regardless where you stay

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by Robin Carlton

Ive been lots and lots and I personally dont think paying for the better view is worth it at all at Disney. Hawaii... yes, spring for the ocean view... Disney - you're out of the room soooo much and exhausted when you get back... it just isnt worth the money IMO.

I agree. Unless you get a killer deal like we did, it's not worth it. You saw my pic, the castle is visible, but it's pretty far out there. We lucked out and got a theme park view room for the less than price of a basic garden view room, then I paid only $200 total for the upgrade for the concierge. I'd never had done it otherwise. I'd much rather spend the money on staying longer than on a view room. But that is just me.

[pam4gators]

We just went for 2 days, I am sooo thankful for Florida resident discount. I couldnt imagine paying that much for 5 days there. Right now they have tickets 3 days for $99. I upgraded and got season weekday passes for $65 more. Too bad someone from florida couldnt buy you 3 day tickets

[xboxmom]

Wow I didn't realize that some of you guys spend so much to go to Disneyland/world. We normally just buy the 4 day disney tickets for entrance to the parks. Sometimes we add on the optional park hopper pending on how we feel for the trip. Buy our airfare and just stay at our parents rental house off site if we go to florida and at the Peacock suites when we go to Cali. We always take our lunch into the park (sandwiches and juice boxes, along with lots of snacks in our back packs all from the grocery store and then leave around dinner time and go out to eat somewhere other than disney properties....It's usually pretty cheap this way. GL with figuring out the additional stuff.

[dana]

susan, i know this will be a bit late for your plans - but we are going to disney on feb 3rd and staying at the GF ... we are going with another couple and that mom made ALL the plans b/c i've been too busy w/ other things, but i know we are using the babysitting one night. we also have a lot of character meals planned and stuff. once i get back, i'll update here w/ any thoughts

one question for those who do disney a lot - i've heard a little about the photo pass thing but don't know much about it ...... is it worth it? do you have to get it in advance? (i'm sure i could be googling this - but if someone knows off-hand ... )

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by dana

one question for those who do disney a lot - i've heard a little about the photo pass thing but don't know much about it ...... is it worth it? do you have to get it in advance? (i'm sure i could be googling this - but if someone knows off-hand ... )

get it!

You can order it in advance for $99 or I think it's $149 afterwards (although they sent me a coupon to get it for $114)

It was nice to just put the camera down sometimes and have them take the pics...plus you get some great shots. You can def take advantage of the photopass folks...there's no limit on the number of cards you get. I hate having my picture made but I sucked it up and made some memories that my kids can look back on and see me in lol We ended up with hundreds of great pics with the photopass

Also you can hand your camera off to the photopass people too and they will take a pic with your camera as well.

[AmberK]

Definitely get the photo pass! We have some fabulous pictures from the photopass people. Plus I love all of the extra pics they included of the characters from the different parks! We pre-ordered it for $99. We wound up with like 4 cards between our 3 parties but we uploaded them to the 1 account and chose to do the digital download (you can only download 1 time) then I put the pictures on my personal FTP for my mom and SIL to download too. I was too impatient to wait for the CD to get here and to make copies of it for my mom and SIL.