Walt Disney World Resort

[Flufferlie]

My mother and I are planning a trip to Disney World for our family, hopefully in June 2014. Its to celebrate my parent's 25th Anniversary.
So I played around with Disney's vacation packages on their website, and to stay at the Value resorts for a week + Magic Your Way + Park hopper + Dining Plan
it would be around $3,000. To stay at a Moderate resort with the same ticket and dining options as the value, it would be about $3,500.
This is without going to a Disney travel Agent, so these prices are without any discounts...
So my question is, have any of you been? How was your experience? If so do you have any tips?
Only my mother has ever been, so she wants everything to be "Mickey Mouse" for us and stay inside the park.

[Texacon]

We've been many times. Most of the time we've stayed at the deluxe resorts but once we stayed at a moderate resort.

Ask me anything. There are some really good websites that will answer most if your questions and if you remind me, when I get to my office I'll post them.

Staying in a Disney resort is more expensive BUT you save a lot in transportation costs, it's more fun, and they are all Disney themed.

The free dining package is awesome if you're a planning kind of person.

Use your smart phone to keep up with what's going on in the parks.

Lots more but ill stop now.

KC

[Flufferlie]

yeah, we have played around with the idea of staying in one of the Deluxe resorts. I think the family favorite with those is the Animal Kingdom lodge. Its just gorgeous!
We might do that if we can get a good enough discount from the travel agent.
and since you gave me the green light to ask anything hehe...

1. How do you find what is eligible for a "Snack" in the Quick Service restaurants?
2. Can you only refill the free drink mug at your hotel?
3. Is the fast pass part of the park hopper option?
4. Am I correct in thinking I need to reserve our table service restaurants at least 6 months in advance?
5. What hotels have you stayed at and which were your favorites?

Whew. Thank you so much!

[Mr Mannn]

Remember. Where you stay is not as important as in other locations. You will only be sleeping there. as long as the room is clean, you will be fine.

That said, Texacon is right. You save a LOT by stayiong at a Disney Hotel. I stayed at the Allstar, the very cheapest Disney place. All the transportation is FREE, and they all connect to your hotel, and you only have to wait minutes, not hours like non-Disney hotels.

Take the time to spend a few hours exploring a few hotels...its as much fun as the parks, especially of you are dead tired of Mickey.

---On the second floor of the Polynesian hotel, is a restaurant: O'Hannas. GO THERE! EAT THERE!
Its a dinner place and they FEED you. All you can eat. No questions asked. They will come to your table with skewers of steak, pork, turkey and sausage all cooked over and open fire. take as much as you want, BUT save room for at least two deserts. Its bread pudding/ice cream and banana sauce-get a bit of each on your spoon, and it's HEAVEN!
---do not plan on doing anything afterwards. You will not go dancing, no downtown disney...no: all you will do is waddle back to your room and sleep it off. The best Thanksgiving is nothing compared to the pig-out offered at O'hannas.

The best food is not in the parks...its in the hotels! Mexican food is better at the Coronado hotel than at the Mexican pavilion in Epcot.

Further, BUY a guide book now. They have the maintenance schedules of the rides so you know when will be down when you go.

Lastly June will be rough, it is Florida and that means HOT and HUMID. Try for a cooler month. Believe me you will not be sorry.
 

[Flufferlie]

oh yes, I have no qualms staying in the value resorts. It being Disney I suspect no one will be disappointed where ever we stay.
My favorite value resort was the All Star Music.

I have heard of O'hannas before! I should add that to my list. I have been looking at reviews for some of the restaurants online,
and I gotta admit I am pretty excited Fantasyland got the facelift right before we go! I really want to go to "Be Our Guest Restaurant" The first night.
We chose June because of my mother's work schedule in the summer, and I will most likely be off to App State that fall, so We don't have too much wiggle room.
mid-late may would pretty much be our only other option....would May be better?

[Mr Mannn]

yeah, we have played around with the idea of staying in one of the Deluxe resorts. I think the family favorite with those is the Animal Kingdom lodge. Its just gorgeous!
We might do that if we can get a good enough discount from the travel agent.
and since you gave me the green light to ask anything hehe...

1. How do you find what is eligible for a "Snack" in the Quick Service restaurants?
2. Can you only refill the free drink mug at your hotel?
3. Is the fast pass part of the park hopper option?
4. Am I correct in thinking I need to reserve our table service restaurants at least 6 months in advance?
5. What hotels have you stayed at and which were your favorites?

Whew. Thank you so much!

spend $14 bucks on a guide book. It will answer all your questions better than I can.
1) No idea. Guidebook.
2) Not hear of that, My guess is yeah only at the hotels.
3) Fast Pass is part of rides. It avoids long waits. You go in, get a ticket and come back 45 minutes later and go to a 2nd fast line. i went in March and didn't even bother with fast pass, I just walked onto all the rides.
4) No. I walked into all my restaurants in June and March, no reservations at all. There are some places in the parks that require reservations but the GUIDEBOOK will tell you all about it.
5) The Allstar. I paid $100 bucks a night. loved it, but I only slept there. Right outside the park is a Days Inn, when I was there they had openings for $40 bucks a night, Curses!

the best advice is, BUY A GUIDE BOOK. get a good one, don't go cheap. This will tell you about every ride, every place to eat, and every hotel.

2nd   go to youtube to see some attractions beforehand.

[jtyangel]

I"m following this with interest too. My daughter is in her last couple years of high school so I'd like to go with the kids before she's out of school and moving on with her own life. As someone hailing from Florida, I LOVE going in the summer months--yes, it's hot, but the lines are shorter..much shorter. I'm not a patient kind of person so I'll take hot and sticky over standing and still getting hot any day of the week

Anyway, as I said, I'll be watching here. Tex and Mr. Mannn if you all have any further info please send to me too. Thx

[Flufferlie]

Found this Guidebook:
Click

edit: You would think the lines would be crazy in the summer months???
Being that schools are out?

[Mr Mannn]

mid-late may would pretty much be our only other option....would May be better?

May is better. (I had the parks all to myself in March)...BUT beware. sometime in May is gay days where they just take over a park each day. Some years have been awful with sex acts openly in the parks. Disney has really cracked down on it, but call ahead with this one. Avoid it if you can.

On to June. I could only take the heat until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. then I went back to my hotel.
You are in swampland. Misery is going to be riding along with you.

and jtyangel. March had fewer people than June...all the local kids are out and there in force. As miserable as summer is, it is crowded. If June is for you, all the hotels will be cheaper, all the travel package will be sweeter. You will pay the difference in misery.

[Mr Mannn]

Found this Guidebook:
Click

edit: You would think the lines would be crazy in the summer months???
Being that schools are out?

YES. all the sweaty teeny boppers are let loose. and they have nothing better to do that make out all around you.
I felt like a chaperone.

I summer, dress down. no jeans..wear shorts. use sun screen, but carry some with you as you will swaet it off.

That guidebook is great. comes out every year, made by people who love disney.

[jtyangel]

May is better. (I had the parks all to myself in March)...BUT beware. sometime in May is gay days where they just take over a park each day. Some years have been awful with sex acts openly in the parks. Disney has really cracked down on it, but call ahead with this one. Avoid it if you can.

On to June. I could only take the heat until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. then I went back to my hotel.
You are in swampland. Misery is going to be riding along with you.

and jtyangel. March had fewer people than June...all the local kids are out and there in force. As miserable as summer is, it is crowded. If June is for you, all the hotels will be cheaper, all the travel package will be sweeter. You will pay the difference in misery.

Ilived in that area before with the yearly past. August was THEE best We made the mistake one year of going during OUR spring break from school here...OMG--horrible..you couldn't move there were so many people. I would love to go that time of year, but I'm a slave to the kids' school schedules so it has to be in the summer. I will NEVER go on spring break again...evah! lol

[Texacon]

yeah, we have played around with the idea of staying in one of the Deluxe resorts. I think the family favorite with those is the Animal Kingdom lodge. Its just gorgeous!
We might do that if we can get a good enough discount from the travel agent.
and since you gave me the green light to ask anything hehe...

1. How do you find what is eligible for a "Snack" in the Quick Service restaurants?
2. Can you only refill the free drink mug at your hotel?
3. Is the fast pass part of the park hopper option?
4. Am I correct in thinking I need to reserve our table service restaurants at least 6 months in advance?
5. What hotels have you stayed at and which were your favorites?

Whew. Thank you so much!

1.). Snacks are easy. They're like grapes, ice cream, etc...  They will tell you what is considered a snack. They mark them on the menus.

2.)  Yes.

3.)  Fast Passes have nothing to do with your tickets. They are simply machines you will stick your 'key to the world' in to basically save you a place in line and if you work them you can save a LOT of time.

4.)  No, 6 months is as early as you can start reserving. And in some cases you need to be on that but in most cases you'll have plenty of time.

5.)  we've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge 4 times, Animal Kingdom Lodge 1 time, Caribbean Beach Resort 1 time. Out of those the Wilderness Lodge has been by far our favorite. AKL was cool but it stinks. Literally. AKL HAS 2 of the best restaurants by far. You MUST eat at Boma, if you have extra funds I highly recommend Jiko.

Other restaurants at your request.

I do disagree with Mr. Mannn, I can give you websites with better info than the pamphlets. Sorry Mr. Mannn!

KC

[Flufferlie]

I literally just got done talking to my mom and she said early August is an option too. Her summer job will be over by then.
So maybe I do have wiggle room!!!

Out of curiosity Tex, what was your experience like at the Caribbean beach resort?
That was one of the moderates we were looking at but I have read absolutely horrid reviews of it...

[Mr Mannn]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azaI92vXN-s[/youtube]

and Tex, until I see you post the websites, guidebooks are best. Don't take my word for it, Jiminey said so.
(but you're probably right. I'm always behind on this new fangled technology.)

[Texacon]

I literally just got done talking to my mom and she said early August is an option too. Her summer job will be over by then.
So maybe I do have wiggle room!!!

Out of curiosity Tex, what was your experience like at the Caribbean beach resort?
That was one of the moderates we were looking at but I have read absolutely horrid reviews of it...

CBR ... This was our first moderate and I wasn't expecting much BUT the room was pleasant and the atmosphere was fine. The draw back to this place is it is fricking HUGE!  If you don't get close to the pool/restaurant/shops (I can't remember the name but I think it's Jamba House) you will get your exercise!!! Jesus that place is stretched out. I think it was a half mile from our room to the Jamba House and we were in Tortuga if I remember correctly. That is no exaggeration either, so each morning was a one mile walk to and from breakfast.

If you can get close to the hub you might like it. The REAL draw back is the transportation to and from is only by bus and each one goes ALL THE WAY AROUND this resort so expect to spend some time waiting.

KC

[Flufferlie]

^oh thanks, Mr.Mannn!
It looks like everything should be finished once we get there.


Wow Tex. I bet you guys were exhausted before you even got in the parks. 

[Texacon]

Oh, on the times ... Because of people like Jty who are slaves to school schedules, the first couple of weeks of school are the best times we've found.

KC

[Texacon]

http://Http://www.disboards.com

Look around there a little bit. There is more help there than you would ever dream.

KC

[Texacon]

Oops, my mistake. Jamba house is at AKL. Old Port Royale is the main building at CBR.

KC

[debk]

Have not stayed at the park in years, but the two times we did, we stayed at the Polynesian, the first time... the monorail went right through it and it made it so easy to go back and forth with little kids. Went in June

Second time was at the Grand Floridian. It was lovely, but we had been on a Disney cruise first, had great weather, came back to every afternoon thunderstorms. Also extremely easy to get back and forth, by boat. Went in August. 

Have been back again in June and August, and once in early November. November was lovely, walked right on to every ride. And much cooler, almost too cool at night. The June trip we stayed in Deltona, the August one we stayed in some condos that were near one of the Disney golf courses. And the November trip, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt...which was really nice to stay away from all the hustle and bustle. They have a shuttle that is free to the parks. When we were there, I think it was once an hour.

I would never again go in August. Too damn hot. September can also be beastly, at least in south Florida.

I'd opt for May.

[Rick]

Our room in CBR:






This was in 2007. We were at the far end of the resort, the third stop for the bus was right around the corner. This was the last time we were there.

[Mr Mannn]

http://Http://www.disboards.com

Look around there a little bit. There is more help there than you would ever dream.

KC

Hi5 for Tex...that is a HUGE discussion board! Good resource.

[Texacon]

Hi5 for Tex...that is a HUGE discussion board! Good resource.

Yes sir, that forum has been a great help to us in the past.  Here's another one but it's not as good.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/forums/wdw-parks-news-rumors-and-current-events.4/

KC

[Flufferlie]

Oh wow that first forum you linked is pretty gigantic! Thanks!
Me thinks I shall buy the guide book so that we can take it with us easily, and do a lot of research before hand
with this forum. Thank you both so so much!
And that room looks pretty nice, I had just read reviews on it here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34515-d85983-Reviews-Disney_s_Caribbean_Beach_Resort-Orlando_Florida.html

One reviewer talked about floating hair in the pool that wrapped around her ankle. O_O
So I kind of hoped it was just one of those moments where the only people who really review are people who can't be made happy.
but You never know so, its a bit of a relief to know you didn't have a nightmare there.

[Texacon]

One reviewer talked about floating hair in the pool that wrapped around her ankle. O_O
So I kind of hoped it was just one of those moments where the only people who really review are people who can't be made happy.
but You never know so, its a bit of a relief to know you didn't have a nightmare there.

Yeah, some people are not going to be happy no matter what.  I've never really been disappointed at WDW.  Sure, you get the odd bad egg once in awhile that isn't as chipper as most of the others but they really do have stellar customer service.

CBR is a fine resort and should you stay there you won't be disappointed.  I would just suggest you get closer to Old Port Royale if at all possible.  Seriously, that resort is enormous! 

Have fun!

KC