Confused Newbie here...

[familyof5]

O.K. So I have a million questions, am confused, and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed about planning my family's first BIG vacation and first ever trip to DW.

THE SCOOP: There are 5 of us (kids 11,9,7) and we're traveling from WI in February 2010. We plan on taking 2.5 days to drive down, 1st night @ DW just take in the resort since we won't get to FL til late afternoon(possible PO-riverside...any comments?). We'll be staying 7 nights/6 days at the resort, 1 day to spend at the ocean, then back home.

We're on a tight budget, so we want to have a blast, but not go crazy spending money. We plan on bringing food & a microwave(already checked & the resort said this is fine). Plan on eating out a couple times each day. It seems everything is geared towards a family of 4...

Any ideas/comments to help me plan for a FUN & ECONOMICAL trip for a family of 5 are GREATLY appreciated!

[Gregandmel]

First off :welcome:

I think your choice of POR is a good one since there is 5 in your family. There will be a TON to do at this resort from what I've read and I think you'll enjoy staying there.

It's VERY easy to spend a lot of $$ in Disney. Seems like no matter what you budget for all the little "extras" it's never enough! But you have a good plan with bringing your own snacks with you and it's a good idea to also bring several cases of bottled water with you. Bottled water in the parks are around $2.50 each and we drink a LOT. That can save some cash.

I'd save table service meals for special occasions and do more counter service meals. I've read that at some places you can order a double cheeseburger and request a 2nd bun and that way you basically can get 2 cheeseburgers for the price of 1. My husband and I usually split an entree because I"m not a huge eater anyways and I always end up "picking" at my youngest sons plate because he never eats everything anyways.

Start a change jar if you haven't already and throw random $1 bills or even the new $5 bills with the big purple 5 on it if one comes into your possesion. That way you have some extra spending $$. Maybe give each of your children a "set" spending $$ for souvenirs so they know when it's gone, it's gone.

You'll get some wonderful ideas here on Intercot. This is just a few that I've picked up as well.

Have a great trip!!! :mickey:

[MonoMan]

I think you're off to a great start because you're planning ahead and you're aware of your budget.

Since this is your first trip to WDW, I don't think you have to worry about spending money on too many extra activities because there are so many things to do and see in the parks.

I would suggest that you check out the menus listed under the dining discussion to give you some perspective on how much meals with cost for your family.

You may also want to consider setting aside a certain amount per child for souvenirs, ect. If they know about the trip already you could help them start to save money to take with them - or give them disney gift cards for holiday gifts.

You should watch Intercot for any specials/promotions that come out for the time that you're going. You may be able to get a better price or free dining:mickey:

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Bring your own water into the parks. That will save a fortune. Eat breakfast in the room. You can go to DTD or the Boardwalk to take in the Streetmosphere your first night, and it won't cost anything. You can also resort hop and just check out the different resorts. They are all so different that it's fun to see them. Ride the monorail for those resorts. That's kind of a fun "first ride" on your first night.

[Briansmom]

Eating breakfast in your room and bringing your own water are things we do as well....where we did it a little differently is this... If your family is anything like ours, space is at a premium in your vehicle while traveling. The first time we went, we made the stop at Walmart to get all of the food/drinks etc that we wanted to have in the room. This took a lot of time and we probably spent more cuz of 'spur of the moment' spending. This past May I decided to use Garden Grocer. Their prices are a tad more than what you pay at Walmart, BUT what you save in your time and not making those spur of the moment purchases makes it well worth it. And besides that...who wants to go to Walmart while you're on vacation!!???!! And this way you can take care of getting your room stocked before you even leave your house!! :mickey: You can browse what is available on their website, start filling your cart, and then make your purchase when you are ready. They will deliver it to the resort the day you arrive at whatever time you tell them. You just go down to bell services to pick your groceries up. It was great for us! I will use them again next time.

[familyof5]

GREAT tips...thanks everyone! I think this is actually do-able, now I'm getting excited!

Another question regarding the parks:
Since I've never been to DW, how do we plan what activities/shows & what times we want to do them at each park? I mean, is there a schedule of events or information I can get prior to going so I can make somewhat of an itinerary? We aren't going to any waterparks, so we'll have 6 days to focus on the 4 major parks w/o the hopper pass.
I was thinking of having all 5 of us pick 1 thing we each really wanted to visit in each park & then just fill in the rest as we go.
Any suggestions?

[Dakota Rose]

The GOOD news is once you've booked/paid for your accomodations and park tickets, the only things really left to buy are food and souvenirs. Sure there are all kinds of tours and other "experiences" you could partake in, but as many other posters said, there's plenty of stuff to do included in your tickets and at your resort.

POR is one of my favorites!

We're on a tight budget for our next trip too, so I'm eliminating the water-park and park-hopper add-ons to my tickets. That's saving me $350. I just plan carefully and use the EMH.

February hours aren't out yet, but they'll be posted here when they are. You can get an idea of things by looking at the 2009 hours in the info central area.

When you decide to eat at the WDW table-service restaurants, go for lunch instead of dinner. The menus are very similar but the expense is a lot less.

There's a clearance store at Downtown Disney and a Disney outlet at the outlet stores. Cheap souvenirs to be sure!

Another suggestion that I'm considering but not crazy about is staying off-site.

My husband calls me Queen of Cheap (and it's a name I don't mind), so if I think of any other ideas I'll let you know!

[wdwfansince75]

For show schedules and venues, I find that Steve Soares entertainment site is the best and most up to date...site also has links to other greats sites (including Intercot)....google stevesoares to get there.

Know you are on a budget...but...considering the time of year you are going, with early evenings, you will wind up spending a lot of time in the room. Rooms at POR are smaller, and the trundle bed is marginally acceptable for larger preteens....Seriously consider upgrading to the Fort Wilderness cabins....Lots of room, double and bunk beds in a seperate bed room, and a Murphy Queen in the living room....a full kitchen, with all the appliances and a full sized refigerator and stove....a deck with a grill and picnic table....and more to do at the Fort. While some complain about the bus service, having a car makes it easier....Free parking at the parks, and a way to shop or dine offsite.

Since it is your first trip, I do not see a need for Park Hoppers....and the weather can be cool in February, so I think you could skip the waterparks....so just a basic ticket for your days would do...But you can upgrade to hoppers at any time....Note that the single day admission to the Water Parks is still cheaper than adding the "and more" option.

I may be in the minority, but I think that either the Unofficial Guide or Birnbaum's book is a great way to prepare....especially for a newbie.....gives lots of info on the attractions....allows you to do a personal "Must Do" list...

For six days without Park Hoppers, I would recommend MK on two days....Your first day, and the MK evening EMH day.....One day each for AK, DHS, and EPCOT...and let the family decide which park to revisit for the sixth day.....

I strongly suggest at least one Character Meal....Breakfasts are generally the least expensive....My favorite is Donald's Safari Breakfast in the AK, but if you wind up at Fort Wilderness, consider doing Chef Mickey's at the Comtemporary....If you do CM on your arrival night, you can take a boat to CR, dine at CM, ride the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom, and take the Fort Wilderness boat back to FW....Or you can do a Chef Mickey's breakfast early one morning and head to the park from there....

However you do it....Enjoy!

[familyof5]

Thanks everyone...great advice, I think I'll have to take down some notes! LOL!

wdwfansince75:
I DEFINITELY want to do a Character meal...to save money, I'm thinking of just me and my DD(other 2 kids are boys) having lunch at Cinerella's Royal Table in the Castle...that's considered a character meal, right? But that would have to be the day we're in the MK park, correct?

I'm not too worried about a smaller room, all our kids are pretty small for their ages & our youngest is 7, so the trundle should be perfect for her...but I think I'll check into the FW Cabins anyway.

What times do the parks close down in February? I guess I assumed is was the same year round, bu no??

[familyof5]

Dakota Rose:
I thought about staying off site as well, since we'll have the van to get around with...but I guess I just wanted our first trip to be extra special, and I hear you lose some of the magic if you're not in the heart of it. Actually, when I checked into off site hotels nearby, the room rates weren't that terribly different. So I decided on staying on the grounds!

Thanks soooo much for all the money saving tips, I will definitely be using them!

[momofdisneyprincess]

I think you will be fine at POR. The grounds and the pool are wonderful. YOu can also take a boat to POFQ and pool hop there. The boat will also take you to Downtown Disney. Keep in mind that your 11 yr old is actually considered an "adult" by Disney standards meaning you will need to purchase them an adult ticket as well as pay the adult prices at the sit down restaurants. IMHO, we did a meal in the castle and I felt like it was the most overpriced thing there. My DD preferred the Princess Breakfast at Akershus at Epcot over that. There is also a wonderful buffet with Pooh and Friends at the Crystal Palace at MK. There was a ton of food and we always took some fruit with us to save as a snack. I don't know if I can mention the website here (if I can't please remove) but you can check out allears.net for dining reviews. Bringing your own bottled water is a great time saver. Since you are at POR there will already be a fridge. Consider bringing a toaster as well and you could have toast and bagels in the morning. There are great places where you could split a counter service meal. Or, if you think you are going to eat a lot of counter service meals you could get the QSDP (quick service dining plan). It is two CS, and two snacks per night of stay plus a refillable mug to use at your resort. The price is $9.99 for children ages 3 - 9 and $30 per adult so it would cost you $110 per night of stay. You can take a look at the menus to see what you would order and do a price comparison. I am going to do this in May so I don't have to carry a lot of money around. I will pay for the character table meals out of pocket. If you have any other questions...ask away.

[momofdisneyprincess]

To answer your question about park hours. No, it is not the same hours year round. Also, the lunch at Crystal Palace is considered a character meal.

[eandrsmom]

We use Garden Grocer for grocery delivery. It is awesome. Don't forget the paper products. Bowls, spoons, paper towels, etc. We always eat breakfast in our room to save $$$. There is a Disney outlet at one of the outlet malls, if you have time, you can get souvineers there. Also, depending on the age of your daughter, I shop at our local Dollar Tree for princess stickers, coloring books, etc. to bring with us. - Cheap souvineers, that they don't know I brought from home. :) My older kids get a set budget before we leave. I make them stick to it! Disney is fantastic, but it can be really expensive if you don't have a plan. Good luck, and have a blast!!

[eandrsmom]

I just read that you are considering FW Cabins. We've never stayed there, but have heard that they are great for larger families. We're considering it for our next trip. They even do the dishes for you each day, which is a vacation for me!

[Disneymom4ever]

I think staying on site is a wonderful idea if you can. We've actually done both, and now we'll never stay offsite again. There's just something about being in the middle of all the magic, it's amazing. I too, am always doing my best to save money when I can, especially at Disney. Yes, we absolutely do the water in the parks. And you can always ask at restaurants for a cup of ice water, they give them no charge. We always do breakfast in the room, saves alot of $. We buy milk, and bring along a cooler for the room to store it and beverages in. You can even buy milk at the food courts if you run out. That is unless it's a character meal, which I highly recommend at least one. So much fun. We really enjoy going to the Crystal Palace, and do an early breakfast. Our last time was at 8:15, and the park wasn't open yet. So we were able to walk down Main Street with it being empty. Got great pics of the castle. It was really neat. Another thing we love to have is the refillable mugs. You buy them at your resort, and can refill for free as much as you want while there. We love to fill up with coffee, etc. in the morning on our way out, and refill when we get back at night. The kids love the hot chocolate! While they cost a bit initially (we buy 2 for the 4 of us), we more than make up for it in the time we're there. And it's a great souvenier for at home. Have a great time planning, Intercot helped me out so much when I was trying to find out info, everyone's so helpful here! :thumbsup:

[Tygger7]

First, Welcome to Intercot!

I noticed that you are considering Cinderellas' Round Table for a character meal. Just wanted to give you a heads up that this is one of the most difficult meals to get a reservation. For the money & experiece, I'd recommend either Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace. You could take your whole family for about what it would cost for 2 of you at CRT. Plus, the boys would enjoy Chef Mickey's. :mickey: In general, just be sure to make your ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations) at the earliest opportunity. They just changed from 90-days out to 180-days out, and your Feb. trip I THINK will fall under the 180 day rule now. I'm sure someone will be along to confirm either way.

A couple of other money saving tips: book your trip through Magical Journeys. They are a wonderful resource, and their services are free to use. The best part is that they watch for discounts for you, so you don't have to! I highly recommend them, and won't book a trip any other way now. Second, consider purchasing the pre-paid Photopass. It's $99.95 and you'll get some great family pictures. You can read more about Photopass on the Info Central Section here on Intercot.

Happy planning!!

[eandrsmom]

If your daughter is set on eating with a princess, I'd try 1900 Park Fare for dinner. Cinderalla, Prince Charming, the stepmother, and stepsisters are there. My boys even love to eat there. Those stepsisters are a hoot!

[Mushu11756]

Like everyone else said good choice for hotel! POR is probably the highest rated moderate resort on the Disney property! My DW and I stayed there for our honeymoon and had a blast!

I would also bring snacks into the parks with you as well as water! Just a little something to hold the kids over between meals. Also remember your hotel has a big food court! It does get very busy but the prices are alot cheaper then a table service! Great for lunch and dinner if your running a tight ship!

Also don't forget to have a Great Time and soak it all up!:mickey:

[SNOWIE]

Since you will have a car: We almost always eat dinner offsite. Doesn't take a lot of time. There are many, many resturants very near by. The food and variety is better than on site (some may disagree) and the cost is way better. Stay out of the disney stores and bring snacks and breakfast. Those are the best ways to save.

[familyof5]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU...
To everyone who has replied! Wonderful ideas!

[familyof5]

To eandrsmom (or anyone who can answer!):

My daughter does not have her heart set on the castle...but where is 1900 Park Fare located? In one of the parks? LOL...remember I know NOTHING about DW...yet!!

[Mad About Mickey]

To eandrsmom (or anyone who can answer!):

My daughter does not have her heart set on the castle...but where is 1900 Park Fare located? In one of the parks? LOL...remember I know NOTHING about DW...yet!!

1900 Park Fare is in the Grand Floridian Resort which is one of the resorts on the monorail loop with the Magic Kingdom. You can also get princess dining at Askerhaus in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. Check out the info central area on Intercot it has a section on character dining that includes prices.

I will repeat what has been mentioned before, check out guide books, the The Unofficial Guide, Passporter's, Birnbaum's, etc... Your local library may have a copy of one or more of them. The Internet is a great tool as well, The official Disney site, Intercot, and other sites are full of information. I find that going to WDW with a plan that is put together with advice from the guides and information gleamed from Intercot has greatly incressed our family's ability to enjoy our trip and fit as much in as possible.

I am sure you and your family are going to have a wonderful time at WDW :mickey:.