Advice about visiting Disney next summer? Post Reply

[twomonkeys]

Hi there

Hoping for some advice please from you experienced NVNetters!

I'm thinking of taking our family to Disney Florida next summer but have no idea where to begin. Length of trip, combine with beach, which/how many parks to try, where to stay (hotel or villa), what time of year (Easter, summer hols), go with a tour operator or put it together myself. Any experience or things to avoid, or just where to begin gratefully listened to

Our two will be 7 and 5 by then.

thanks heaps!

[wonkymonkey]

I would definitely recommend a villa with a private pool over a hotel. It gives you more space and a private pool which the children love. My parents used to rent out a villa in Florida and several families they had staying said they wished they'd discovered staying at a villa years ago having previously stayed in a hotel. There are lots near the parks and most villa complexes also have a clubhouse open to all guests which normally houses a few games like pool or table tennis.

Hope that helps a little.

[dudette]

5 and 7 is a great age to take the kids. We took ours at that age and they had a fabulous time and then again two years later when we went on a bunch of different rides. I would recommend Easter over the summer as it'll be so hot then and very humid. Easter is still hot but not so humid so it's bearable. The only downside of Easter is it's peak season but if you plan well you can still beat the queues. If you stay in a Disney property you get early access on certain days which is worth having I think. The key with Disney is to take advantage of the time difference and try and stay on mid-Atlantic time so getting up early is easy!

The best thing to do if you've not been before is buy a couple of books: the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids and the Brit Guide to Orlando. Spend some time going through each and you'll get the most up to date advice on what to do, where and when to go, where to stay etc. Bearing in mind there are four theme parks and two water parks in Disney, plus there are two Universal parks (we didn't bother with these first time - they're fabulous but maybe more geared to slightly older kids), Seaworld, Busch Gardens, Legoland and the Kennedy Space Center all within about an hour's drive!

A lot of people are quite sniffy about Disney but it is truly one of the most remarkable sites on the planet. You'll have a great time but you do need to plan. Don't just run up expecting to wing it.

We stayed in the Grand Floridian both times which is lovely and a short monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom although it's very pricey. If you stay in a Disney property you can normally get an all in one ticket through their British website which includes the park entrance - but the Brit guide should explain this better (it's aimed at Brits!).

There are some great restaurants in WDW (in the resorts rather than the parks) so they're definitely worth trying and obviously they're very kid friendly. Gosh - I think it'll soon be time for our third visit!

[Beketaten]

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/ is an amazing resource for planning a trip to Disney World, you'll find advice on every aspect of your trip.

Please do not go to Sea World. It saddens me to think that I went as a child. If you haven't seen the film Blackfish, it will show you everything you should know about the conditions the animals are kept in: http://www.blackfishmovie.com/

[dudette]

i.e. Not great but probably better than those of the billions of farmed animals slaughtered every year for human consumption.

[twomonkeys]

Huge thanks all, for taking the time to reply. Loads of tips to be looking into. It's really helped focus my mind.

[Lovingsleep]

I agree that Easter hols would be better, or even Feb half term. Make sure you get the fast pass. This enables you to get to the front of the queue. You get it automatically if you stay in a Disney hotel or buy your ticket in advance I think. Otherwise you can end up queueing for over 2 hours for some rides, in the heat. The 'meeting princesses' is one that gets really booked up and should be booked in advance. And Peter Pan. Write your phone number in your childs arm or a note in the pocket in case you loose them- as we did. The fireworks are wonderful but stated really late. It's really fun.

[Lovingsleep]

2 days at Magic kingdom was plenty. Animal kingdom closes earlier around 6pm. Enjoy!

[Beketaten]

i.e. Not great but probably better than those of the billions of farmed animals slaughtered every year for human consumption.

Well, yes. I'm vegetarian too, but there would have been no point in me saying "And don't eat the burgers, chicken nuggets and seafood!".

[dudette]

ha ha - take every opportunity you can to spread the word!! (Sorry we seem to have gone a bit off-topic!)

[Bonnijump]

We've been to the World Center Marriott Hotel. Big, but great with kids and a
big pool area. My husband is very fussy about hotels and he picked this one... We just stayed two nights but liked it!

And there's an amazing outlet mall just a few minutes away!

We haven't been to Disney Land or Sea World but I can only say: Don't do Sea World! It's so cruel. Just watch the film "Blackfish" and it will open your eyes...

We always go to Sanibel island, which is a beautiful and natural island on the west coast we so much love!

Good luck and enjoy!