Disney World Planning Help

[catgoddess]

I know many of you girlies are Disney fanatics, so I hope you'll give me some input. I've never been to Disney World and Wes hasn't been since he was a kid, so we're newbies.

We're going to buy our Florida annual passes soon and want some input on hotels and how long to plan for each park (the 4 main parks, not the water parks). We were thinking of doing one park/visit so four total visits for the year (but we're flexible). We don't have kids, but we're big kids, so we're not zippy through places. We like to walk slow and take it all in and Wes usually takes 4378467236432 pictures of everything.

I was thinking 2-3 days for each park including time for downtown Disney on at least one visit. Is this too much? Too little? We are not big shoppers (just a couple little trinkets and we're happy), so time for that isn't necessary. We definitely need time for sit-down meals as we like to chat and relax for awhile.

Is it worth staying in the Disney hotels? We're 3-4 star minimum travelers and need desk space as Wes usually works a bit when we travel. We've stayed in some nice places in the Orlando area that shuttle to Disney, but we've never used the shuttle services, so we're not sure if they're a PITA or not. We'll also have our own car if driving and parking is the best route to go.

Any personal input is helpful. The amount of Disney info out there is overwhelming and I trust the feedback from you girlies.

Thanks so much!

[dana]

i am not a disney expert by any means - but i have gone a few times. i think a couple/few of days per park is fine as an adult - it's more difficult with kids b/c they get tired, etc and can't handle an entire day at the park. we've stayed both on property and off - and since we started staying at disney resorts, i don't think we'll ever go back last year we stayed at the grand floridian and this year we were at the wilderness lodge. i preferred the grand floridian in almost every way - especially that it was on the monorail. i also preferred the restaurants and pools there. we stayed on the club level at both - and i loved that ... free breakfast, free snacks during the day, some drinks at night ... very nice one of my friends stayed at the contemporary last year in the towers (club level i think) - she liked it a lot.

for food - our best meal was at california grill ...

eta: i want to add that the past two trips have also included a few nights at the portofino to visit universal studios ... we LOVE that too ... almost as much as disney (i think my DH loves it more b/c of the fast pass that's included w/ the stay) ... also we are huge harry potter fans

[tanyiadeskins]

I think that three to four days would be perfect, definitely not too much. Especially if as adults you can take your time and really investigate everything.

I vote for Disney hotels because they can take you to and from the parks and even downtown disney and you dont have to deal with parking and crap. I think it would be more relaxing. I love that you ca get on the monorail at the hotel, or take a boat etc.

The girls and I have used our passes quite a bit this year. Not like a ton, but I think in the 4 times we have been in Magic Kingdom alone we still have not even seen an entire section lol

[Txcorey]

I'm planning a trip to Disney World in January. I don't know how much help I can be with the hotels. We typically stay at a "value" resort on Disney property when we go. Those rooms are typically pretty small. If you want some in depth information on hotels and restaurants I would really recommend the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. They will give you a review of each hotel and restaurant on property and a few that are off property. They also discuss the benefits of staying on property vs off property and tell you the best times to visit to avoid crows.

As far as time in the parks, I would say 2-3 days for Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but probably just 1-2 days for Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. However, I'm not an expert and usually have an impatient child with me so it's hard to stop and smell the roses. I also really enjoy reading the info on the disboards. It helps me with my planning and I always learn new stuff. I get a little obsessive compulsive with my planning though ;0)

[catgoddess]

Thank you! This is great info. I'm glad the time frame seems good. I'm going to research the Disney hotels first - we want it to be easy and relaxing when we go.

xoxo

[kim517]

We just bought annual passes in June when we moved to Florida and have already been down there 4 times with 2 more trips planned before Christmas. We have gone the route of shorter trips instead of doing it all at once and I think you'll enjoy doing what you're planning with taking one park at a time. We do have 3 small kids, so some of the things for us are completely different than they will be for you. But I did want to comment on the hotels, as we've done on and off property this year and in past trips. Keep in mind that whatever level of hotel you want, it's going to be a lot more expensive for that level of hotel on Disney property. We stayed in a "value" hotel, and the rooms were just ok. The beds were not nearly as comfortable and the rooms were smaller and not as nice as the Marriott Courtyard right off property we've also stayed at for only $70-$85 a night on Florida resident rate. I'm not discouraging you from the Disney resorts, I'm just saying the nice ones that have been mentioned above are pricey as you'll see. So if cost is a concern, you can do just as well staying off property.

Keep in mind too that with the annual passes, you have free parking. We actually like to park sometimes because we've had some bad luck waiting on buses to take us to and from Disney resorts before. It's only my opinion, but I just haven't felt that it's necessarily quicker to shuttle from a hotel than just park and take the trams. I do hear the monorail system is great if you can afford to be at a resort on the monorail line. We have to be more budget-friendly than that Good luck with your hotel search for sure!!

Also, just in case you haven't heard about this, if you decide to stay on property, take advantage of the Magic Band "trial" that they are doing right now. In fact, we are happy we stayed on property and got them and now we can use them all the time, even when we stay off property. I can explain more about it, but you can check out the Disney website and get more info too. To get them, you have to sign up for an online account, then link both your Disney passes and resort reservation to your account. Then you can sign up for Magic Bands. We love the Fast Pass Plus with the bands

Have tons of fun!!

[lovely1m]

I can say as an adult, I found Magic Kingdom to be very childish and was bored for the most part. So I wouldn't do a lot of time there. I love Epcot though. I could spend days there. I haven't been to the other parks though, but I want to some day.

[kim21673]

I will be watching this thread! We are going in July and I am going to be booking our trip soon!!

[julifish]

Jenn -
We are also Florida Passholders and try to go every month for a weekend with our kids. I have to say that when my husband and I go just ourselves it's so relaxing and fun. You are going to love it! There is so much to do if you stay at Disney itself. So I would do that at least a few times. There are also some really nice resorts just off property where you can have a nice upscale experience and take a shuttle. We've been looking at doing that, but we always choose to stay at Disney because parking the car and using their transportation makes for a more enjoyable experience.

We need to chat! Have to run to work, but I have suggestions for you on hotels and things to do at Disney that make the experience that much more fun. Will have to compile and come back and post about those. Honestly my DH is much more a Disney nut than I am. I'll have to consult him on some of the specials and things they have that give you more experiences during your visit.

[BrattyMeg]

check out the annual pass discounts for resorts too. Sometimes the deluxe resorts are 35% off so it makes it worth it to stay onsite with the discount.