Jason

Planning a trip to DW for four adults and two children in February of 1999. We are planning on staying at the Polynesian Resort and would welcome any infomation regarding the resort. We have already purchased the "Unofficial Guide to DW" (700 pages long). You'd think that would be enough but we welcome any information or advice that anyone has to give. Thanks.

Dale

The Unofficial Guide has some great info. It's a good choice. One suggestion that we took to heart was to use the advantage you have by staying on the grounds and accessing the parks an hour early. This worked extremely well for us and we found ourselves among the first on attractions like the Tower of Terror and others avoiding long lines and waits.

We found the bus system to be very efficient and enjoyed all the areas of the park from The Magic Kingdom to Pleasure Island. Make sure you visit the Boardwalk too.

Have fun!

Suzanne S.

Having been there with & without children, I have two pieces of advice:
1. Stay in Disney. It's more expensive, but well worth it. You can get an early start, take an afternoon break, and go back in the evening, AND be able to enjoy the fireworks without having to drive back to your hotel. You also get priority reservations for restaurants and shows, opportunities to enjoy characters without the mob scene, etc...you get the picture.
2. Plan for a couple of days of rest after you get home before returning to work or "normal" activities. Disneyworld + kids %3D no vacation for adults!

I don't know how long you are planning on staying, however if you are interested in having a non-Disney day without alienating the kids, go to Seaworld. It's a refreshing and very enjoyable change of pace--my 2 year old actually prefers it to Disney!

Good luck,
Suzanne

Carol

Your first two responses are right on the money. And congratulations for buying the unofficial guide--we used it last year when travelling with two young children and it was right on the money. It's especially good on charting a course of action for the day that avoids the longest lines. We, too, stayed at the Polynesian. It isn't the most elegant hotel I've ever stayed in (the bathrooms are quite basic, for example) and it's not cheap. It's advantage is its proximity to the park and, if you're using a stroller, it's great to be on the monorail so that you don't have to transfer sleeping kids. Ask for a room which looks over the lagoon--there's a hokey but cute 9 p.m. water lights show each night and we could watch it from our room.
Have a great time--I envy you!

Tammy

I also stayed at the Polynesian and I agree with your third response. The Polynesian wasn't the most elegant place to stay and our bathroom was really not the cleanest. I wouldn't go back there. It was great to be able to ride the monarail into the park though. I do have to say we went in November 1997 right after Thanksgiving, there were no lines at all. All the holiday vacationers were leaving that Saturday as we arrived. The longest line was 1/2 hr at the Tower of Terror. You will have a great time, we were only there for 3 days and that was not enough we ran ourselves ragged.

Juan E.

Breakfast with the characters at the Magic Kingdon (Crystal Palace) is a most. Take an afternoon break from the crowed parks and visit the Market Place. Don't miss BONGO ( a new restaurant at the MP)

mlk

Another great reference book I found was Steven Birnbaum's guide to Walt Disney World. He offered lots of helpful advice, such as where the best view of the fireworks was, when the lines were shortest, etc. I concur that staying on the property is the best way to go. There are so many advantages to guests, most notably travel from park to park. One of my favorite places in the world! Have fun.

Jill

Went to DW last year w/our 3 girls (3-18yrs). All of us had a blast! I bought Frommer's Unofficial Guide, cut out some pages & took them w/us. That book really helped us alot!! Be sure to take a water bottle so you can fill it up when needed instead of buying drinks all day. Also, if you wear sunglasses, buy one of those eyeglass strings that enable you to take off your sunglasses & just let them hang from your neck w/indoors. (my husband thought it was a silly idea until he got sick of taking his glasses off & holding them everytime we went in a building). Have fun & take your time in each park, you'll get to all the attractions without killing yourself running around. ENJOY!!!

julie

We were at DisneyWorld 2 years ago May and will be returning this May. (We were supposed to bo on the new DisneyCruise but it's been cancelled!
We stayed at The Wilderness Lodge which is very nice. I think it's the the least expensive hotel in the deluxe category.
You access the MK by boat or bus.
There's a pretty decent restaurant (artist point).
I found this hotel to be more peaceful than some of the others we checked out.
P>S> Get a wooded view.

Karen-Disney Expert

Hi! I have been to MK (Magic Kingdom) twice in January, and that totals to about 7 times in my life. I live and hour and a half from the area. At MK, It's a Small World is the ride with the shortest line. It looks long, but they keep the line moving. It's still a classic ride, but the song is a little garbled over the speakers. For more great Disney info, e-mail me at [email protected].

anna m

This may sound silly and inconsequential, but take my word for it, the biggest thrill my kids got at Disney world was riding in the front seat on the monorail (up front with the driver). They don't tell you this, but in order to do that you just have to be the first family to walk into the chute nearest where the front of the train will be when it pulls into the station and ask the attendant there if you can sit in the front seat. If you are the first family to ask, you sit in the front cab. My kids thought that was the greatest.

anna m

Also, don't miss the lasar/fireworks show at night in the world showcase lagoon in Epcot. Spectacular.

dave

If you call early enough, I know that you can either feed or swim with the dolphins at the Coral Reef Cafe in Epcot Center. You just have to book in advance

Wendy

We have been to Disney three times inthe last four
years. The most recent time was this past Nov. when
my kids were 4 and 9. The Unofficial Guide is
absolutely my bible to Disney World. It is amazing
how all of its suggestions really work. In addition
to all of the above suggestions with which I agree
(expecpt that we thought the 9o electric light
water parade on the lagoon behind the Polynesian
was great fun) I have a few more highlights to add.
Especially because you are staying at the Polynesian
if you have kids the right age (4-12) take advantage
of the Neverland Club. It is a babysitting place
right at the Polynesian. My kids loved it the one
night they went. The eight dollars per child per
hour includes a dinner buffet of child favorites,
arts and crafts, video games, snacks, a visit by
a animal specialist from the new Disney zoo with
some animals, and a large screen with a Disney
movie beeing shown. Meanwhile, my husband and I
took the monorail to the Contemporary and had a
romantic dinner for two at the California Grill
where you can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks
from your table! We picked up the kids in time to
walk down to the lagoon beach and watch the water
parade. It was our favorite evening! Also my kids
say the one thing not to miss is the night time
light parade at Magic Kingdom. It is magic. Oh, also
if your family is into rollercoasters, it pays to
look into "E-ticket" nights. A couple of nights
per month, Disney designates as E-ticket night. If
you spend that day at Magic Kingdom you pay an extra
ten dollars per person and get to stay in the park
three hours after closing and ride on the ten rides
that remain open. The ten are mostly the roller
coasters. The e-tickets are limited and the place
is empty! The night we were there only 800 had been
sold. There were no lines at all and you could stay
on a very popular ride like Space Mountain over and over. It is a great deal but not for little children
who can't go on the rides that are open for the
most part. Have a great time!

patti

We our on a budget this year, but we would like to take our son to Disney. My husband and I would like to know if anyone stayed at the Disney All Star Resort and what did you think of it? Also could you recommend some good restuarants?

l.martin

We went to WDW last year at the end of May/first of June and stayed at the Grand Floridian. Our children absolutely loved it. The hotel is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The restaurant there serves a great club sandwich. The beach is fun, too. Staying on premises is definitely worth the money! We are going back to the Grand Floridian in June this year! All the above info is right on target: take advantage of the early admittance on the designated days,et,etc. We had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and the kids loved it (at the marketplace). Enter MGM early and run to Tower of Terror and there will be NO lines: study your guides so you'll know what is important to you to see and get there early! We also liked the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom. It's all great--already planning our next trip!

Anna

We stayed at the All-Stars resort last year and I was not pleased with the cleanliness of the hotel. I am a major non-smoker and was very offended by the amount of people smoking in and around the resort. Even outside by the pool. I have been to Disney 30 times(Not always overnight) and have been pleased with the "Moderate Lodging", i.e. Dixie Landings, Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans. It was a little bit more expensive, maybe $30. But well worth the money! Check out the new hotel in that catagory! Have a great time!

John Hoelscher

We stayed at the ALL STAR SPORTS RESORT in october 96. My 5 year old daughter loved it. Our room was clean and in good condition. The hotels seem somewhat garish but my daughter got a kick out of going up the stairs in a coke cup. The pools were fun though not as feature laden as those at the more expensive resorts. All things considered I thought it was a fine place to stay if you are on a tight budget. The CORAL REEF restaurant was good but expensive but I was able to linger over my meal because my daughter was fascinated by the fish.

john

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