Disney All Inclusive Vacations

[Deleted]

Why wouldn't the hotel/ticket package work? Ours had "free" dining, too. We just then got cheap airfare once we made our reservations with Disney. You are right that you don't need a car.

One thing I learned about Disney World is that you don't simply "show up," which was how I would have done it. You actually have to make your meal reservations maybe six months in advance. That sounds odd to me, but that's how it's done.

[swamp]

Go to the Disney website, we just went in November, DH booked flight, park tickets, hotel, and meals through them. FYI, I found the dining package to be unnecessary.

[8 Bit WWBG]

You want WCPaul to weigh in. Isn't he like, Mr. Disney and knows all the tricks?

[Deleted]

I've been to Disney World only once with DS and we stayed at a Holiday Inn outside the property and rented a car. The hotel had a microwave and refrigerator, which were a big plus because we could go to the grocery store for breakfast and dinner. For lunches in the park, we ate at restaurants a couple of times and did not need reservations, and scrounged at the snack bars the other days. I hate the idea of deciding 6 months ahead of time when and where I'm going to eat and would do it only for the "special occasion" things like breakfast with the Disney Characters. I tried to reserve the Hoop-de-Doo Review, which was highly recommended, and they could offer me times after 9:30 PM- with a 6-year old. Yeah, right.

Be aware that there's a massive class system at WDW, with preference being given to people staying on the properties. They get to enter the park earlier, have first crack at reservations for preferred events, etc. Depending on the time of year you're going, this could be a big advantage that outweighs the savings from staying elsewhere.

Personally, I was really glad when DS decided after the first trip that we'd gine there, we had a good time, and we didn't need to go there again.

[swamp]

disneyworld.disney.go.com/

With kids, I'd stay on the park grounds and not deal with the travel. Also, if you stay on the grounds, you get extra park hours not available to outside visitors.

[973beachbum]

Snerd the Disney site does only show one hotel at a time as far as in detail, but if you look in the upper right hand part of the screen it should at least offer you alternative selections. I don't think it will show hotels from different price categories though. So you would need to choose moderate and get 3 different moderate hotel prices. Then choose luxury and get 3 of them. Rinse and repeat.

My Dd went to WDW this past Feb. She stayed at a value and got the counter service meal plan. With little kids I would think this would be more than enough. What little kid wants to spend hours at a place like Disney going to dinner in a fancy schmancy place?

WCP really is the expert for all things WDW.

[Deleted]

Snerdley - you might try looking at the babycenter forums. They have a ton of Disney threads that are pages long about the the cheapest way to go.

[sil]

snerd, also consider ordering the Disney vacation planning DVD (follow the link swamp supplied and you'll see a link to the DVD on the lower left of the screen)

We got the DVD, it gives you all the info you need, and its fun for the family to plan the trip together

[Nazgul Girl]

Snerdley, the official website is disneyworld.disney.go.com/. We also have used this one: www.wdwinfo.com/, which, as you'll note, has updates on specials. We used to own two Disney World "time shares", ( Disney Points ), one at Saratoga and one at Bay Lake ( the newest one attached to the Contemporary ). We recommend the Disney Dining Plan, but get only two meals a day, if you plan on eating in the parks. Go between Christmas and New Year if you can, or earlier in December, because all of the parks and hotels are decorated beautifully. Kingdoms themselves do not contain hotels, although there are plenty located close by the Magic Kingdome. The official Disney website will list the hotels for you.

Free entertainment ideas while at WDW: Go to each resort ( Disney hotel ) and explore it. The Animal Kingdom Lodge, which we stayed at for 10 days once using our Disney points, has it's own animals separate from the Animal Kingdom. If you want to see the Firewords Shows but don't want to pay to go inside the gates, stand right outside the gates, and you'll see them just fine. You can also see them from across the lagoon by standing on the grounds of the Wilderness Lodge, or from the big Grand Floridian, which is a blast to explore.

If you stay at the "moderate priced resorts", always pick the beautiful Port Orleans Riverside. It's as nice as a world-class resort elsewhere, and the grounds are wonderful to walk around on. It's huge, with beautiful vistas and many birds. Also, you can take a boat from there to Downtown Disney, catching buses to other resorts.

If you want to dine with a Disney Character or in one of the finer restaurants, you must make reservations with Disney far in advance, down to the time available and your seating reservation confirmation #. I love the Crown and Rose at Epcot, but nothing is sadder than seeing a tired Brit, Scot, or Australian roll up and try to get in for some British grub, when all of the reservations were made six months in advance. The bar part is open to all comers, though.

Dinner at the Polynesian is wonderful and worth every penny, and you can see the fireworks across the lagoon from there, too. There are usually three different fireworks shows per night at the Magic Kingdom, so if you like fireworks like I do, you're in luck.

We sold our Disney points with regret. We had to sell the big set from Saratoga last year after many happy trips to use the money for the remodel on the repo'd office condo that we got back from the insane b---tch. We sold the Bay Lake points without ever having used them this year, at a small loss, because we decided the upkeep at the condo resorts ( different than their regular hotels ) was too much every month, and that we had grown older and no longer wanted the massive trips. We will go back someday, but will just book in at a resort at a low season, probably at the Port Orleans Riverside. We've been to Disney World seven times, and we decided to phase out that portion of our life.

Also, buy a good guidebook ( that's current ) at your local bookstore. They're very handy and will tell you what times to go into the parks, what attractions are shut down for maintenance, and such.

Hope this helps.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Who knew vacation planning could be so complicated?

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Yes, this seems to be the most complicated vacation to plan.

Then go to AAA and let them plan it.

That's what I did when I was trying to get airline tickets to Turkey a couple years ago. It was well worth the money it cost (I want to say about $50/ticket) for the complicated travel arrangements that I wanted to make.

[fairlycrazy23]

I went about 10 years ago, and used priceline and hotwire to book hotels, they where all nice hotels; but if I was doing it again, I would stay on property if at all possible.

[TheOtherMe]

I've been to WDW twice--once connected to a bowl trip between Christmas and New Year's and booked by a tour agency and the other time with family.

The tour group didn't have us staying on the Disney site itself. We had our days planned and the only one that didn't go as planned was our Epcot day.

The family trip was planned by my cousin when he worked at AAA. We stayed at Disney and the earlier entry times and some of the perks he got us were great. It was my sister's graduation present to her DD. Her MIL also went. I give that woman credit. She never once complained that she was tired or asked to go back to the room. One day, it was hot and after the parade I said I was going back to the room. She did jump right at the chance to go back to their room. I really don't think she could have found her room and then she couldn't figure out how to use the key, so somebody definitely would need to have gone with her. We went for some gymnastics meet. It was hot and muggy. We spent a lot of the trip in a gym.

[debtheaven]

I know this is all about a Disney trip, but, I'd encourage you to take two days for two other places. We booked a three-day trip to Orlando a couple of years ago during a three-week trip to the east coast. We chose not to do Disney since we live less than an hour away from EuroDisney, so I know I won't be of any help there.

We went to Cape Canaveral for one day, and to Sea World for the other day. Again, I know neither of those places are Disney but we definitely felt they were worth seeing, and we had two fabulous days there.

All this to say, just because you're going for Disney, it doesn't mean that you need to spend all your time doing ONLY Disney. :-)

[Clifford]

Been to Disney 30+ times. Go to www.allears.net to get the skinny. I believe there is a "Planning" link on the home page.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 21, 2011 9:03:10 GMT -5 Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd said:

We have never been to Disney and I am thinking about it. There are 5 of us, 2 adults and 3 kids. I would like to find an all inclusive package with airfare, hotel, meals and park tickets. I can't seem to find anything like that. I have found hotel/airfare packages. Or hotel/ticket packages but not anything all together. I really want to get a sense of what the true cost is going to be to go. We would like to go for 6 or 7 days. I figure we don't need to rent a car and can just take shuttles or the trolley.

My main tip if you have never been is to CALL them directly. Nobody has a better deal than Disney directly, period, no matter what anyone says: 1-404-WDISNEY is the direct Walt Disney Travel Company phone number. They are extremely friendly, helpful, and LOW pressure-- they don't seem to care if you book or not.

FYI: If your trip STARTS by the end of September, they are offering a free dining package. It's mostly just counter service and snacks, but it is sufficient and food can really set you back.

You will NOT need a car-- Disney transportation is adequate.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

If you have the means, I recommend a "Moderate" resort at the very least. Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans / Riverside are our favorites in that category. Our hands down favorite is the "Deluxe" resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 22, 2011 19:53:30 GMT -5 Clifford said:

Been to Disney 30+ times. Go to www.allears.net to get the skinny. I believe there is a "Planning" link on the home page.

Ditto that- I love this site. And it's not the "company line" so they can be bluntly honest.

Still, I would just book through Disney.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Patstab is right about the food mostly-- but it has gotten a little bit better. 0 to 5 stars I would say the food has gone from 2 to 2.5 or maybe 3 stars.

If you book directly through Disney, you get the "Magical Express". You do not have to pick up your checked bags at the airport. They get your bags, and they put you on a big Disney bus and take you to your room where usually your bags are waiting-- though we did have an issue once where we got there at 3:00 p.m., the room wasn't ready until 5:00 and our bags weren't there until 6:00. Mildly irritating, but we have since planned better.

[Miss Tequila]

We have gone twice. The first time we stayed at Caribbean Beach and I thought it was nice. The second time we stayed at Animal Kingdom and my girls LOVED it! My oldest is a huge animal person so for her to see the exotic animals like that was truly magical for her. I wouldn't want to deal with staying off site so I never looked into prices off the property versus in. On property you have constant bus service so there is never a worry about parking, etc. For me, whatever I might save wouldn't be worth the aggravation.

We always booked through a travel agent and did get the dining plan each time (the second time it was free). While we are Disney'ed out after two years in a row, I do plan on going back in a few years.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Patstab is right about the food mostly-- but it has gotten a little bit better. 0 to 5 stars I would say the food has gone from 2 to 2.5 or maybe 3 stars.

I think it probably depends upon where you stay. I was at a research meeting at the Dolphin several years ago and the food was excellent at the hotel, but not inexpensive. We ate there several times and I think we only ventured out once to eat in the parks - which was largely unmemorable.

[Deleted]

May 22, 2011 7:21:48 GMT -5 Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd said:

Yes, this seems to be the most complicated vacation to plan.

Welcome to the Happiest Place on Earth!

I've planned multi-country trips that involved visa applications, so I know what it's like to wrestle with details and decisions. Here are my general philosophies about trip planning, which may help here.

First, I don't buy packages. What you gain in convenience, you lose in flexibility and the cost of things you pay for but don't use (missed meals, for example).

Second- I lock in only what I have to. That's usually airfare and hotel. In your case, since some Disney things book well in advance or are cheaper bought in advance, that would include park tickets and any shows/restaurants that you feel you can't miss. At least, from what I understand of the tickets, you're purchasing X days of passes but not required to specify the days. That helps.

One decision you'll have to make that may be difficult is Disney properties vs. other hotels. I like the idea of a condo; why pay the premium for a Disney hotel on the days you're not going to be taking advantage of the Disney transportation system/extra park hours? Someone mentioned going between Christmas and New Year's; that may be a beautiful time but it's also when the parks are jammed and you'll need the perks of staying at a Disney hotel.

When DH and I actually get to our destination, we want to be able to wake up most mornings and decide right then what we want to do for the day depending on the weather, our energy levels, etc. That's what your final goal should be- otherwise a vacation feels too much like work.

[HoneyBBQ]

If you're going to only spend 4 days at WDW, stay in the parks for 4 days and then switch hotels to someplace else. Seriously. The disney property is huge and you'll spend $50+ a day on taxis going to SeaWorld and stuff. There is no transportation from INSIDE WDW to the outside stuff (except the airport).

My suggestion would be 4 days at WDW, 1 day at Universal Orlando (Harry potter land), 1 day at SeaWorld, 1 day somewhere else.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

So, when are you going? We're going to roll into Orlando mid July. It's gonna be HOT- not my favorite time to go, but it's gonna work out for us work / time wise so there you go...

[swamp]

May 23, 2011 10:11:10 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

We're going to roll into Orlando mid July. ...

.

That sounds like Hell on earth. It's like vacationing in a sauna.

[kiskis]

Stayed at the Hard Rock at Universal last June with three kids, ages 11, 5, and 1. The convenience of staying on-site and the complimentary fast passes really made the slight price difference worth it, plus we got to experience Harry Potter world before the official opening. I did not feel the need for any pre-planned meals. Maybe if we go to Magic Kingdom, I might be tempted by the character breakfast, but with the kids, we pretty much had to play it by ear depending on when we needed A/C and rest breaks.

[Deleted]

May 23, 2011 11:18:21 GMT -5 kiskis said:

Maybe if we go to Magic Kingdom, I might be tempted by the character breakfast, but with the kids, we pretty much had to play it by ear depending on when we needed A/C and rest breaks.

This is key. Some of the saddest sights at WDW are tired-out kids accompanied by adults grimly determined to get their money's worth out of the trip by maximizing their time in the parks. I know the OP is traveling with older kids, but stay flexible and understand that going back to the hotel to soak in the pool is part of the vacation, too, even if you're missing potential time in the parks.

[ohmomto2boys]

Maybe if we go to Magic Kingdom, I might be tempted by the character breakfast, but with the kids, we pretty much had to play it by ear depending on when we needed A/C and rest breaks.



This is key. Some of the saddest sights at WDW are tired-out kids accompanied by adults grimly determined to get their money's worth out of the trip by maximizing their time in the parks. I know the OP is traveling with older kids, but stay flexible and understand that going back to the hotel to soak in the pool is part of the vacation, too, even if you're missing potential time in the parks.

This is exactly why we will stay on-site AND get the hopper passes. We are looking at 2013 though - kids will be 5 & 7. We want to be able to start a day at Animal Kingdom and maybe finish the day at Magic Kingdom with the fireworks....who knows what we will want to do, so we want to "pay" for flexibility. We already know it isn't going to be an inexpensive trip, so we are planning for it well in advance.

Snerdley - I totally understand your confusion though....I looked at the Disney website and there seem to be a lot of variables. We will most certainly talk with AAA when we are closer to planning our trip.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

We haven't found the Park Hopper passes to be worth the cost. We've done it just three times in 23 trips to Walt Disney World in the last 19 years. Every time we say, "let's do it again, it'll be different this time because..." it never is. What I would suggest is go without, and if you decide you wish you did the park hopper passes after a day or two- go upgrade and buy it.

[swamp]

Aren't the park hoppers standard when you book a hotel room with Disney?