Hi - we're planning to go to Florida in August. We've been to DW many times but only once to Universal. Our kids are older now, but is it still worth it for a 7 and 11 year old? The kids espcially want to get into Nickolodeon Studios..any tips on that? How about hotels near Universal? Also, since we haven't stayed at a Disney hotel in awhile and there are so many new ones - which is best? we're looking for a fairly resonable one but with lots of amenities and possibly be able to walk or take the monorail into the world. Thanks all!

Have only been to Universal in LA so can't help you here. We did go to MGM and my teens lovd it! Universal has pretty good ratings, I know that! A hotel walking distance or Monorail that is reasonable is I think an oxymoron. I am not sure what you mean by reasonable. You can get a room at the Coronado Springs, considered a moderate property for about 130.00. A frig for 5.00 more a day. Nice property and excellent food area. The Port Orleans and Dixie Landings are also moderate properties but their food courts are disgusting. We went back to check it out in July and their food areas are extremely poor. The Coronado is a little more pricey food wise but worth every penny. Feel free to email me directly for more info. Annemarie

Have only been to Universal in LA so can't help you here. We did go to MGM and my teens lovd it! Universal has pretty good ratings, I know that! A hotel walking distance or Monorail that is reasonable is I think an oxymoron. I am not sure what you mean by reasonable. You can get a room at the Coronado Springs, considered a moderate property for about 130.00. A frig for 5.00 more a day. Nice property and excellent food area. The Port Orleans and Dixie Landings are also moderate properties but their food courts are disgusting. We went back to check it out in July and their food areas are extremely poor. The Coronado is a little more pricey food wise but worth every penny. Feel free to email me directly for more info. Annemarie

Lisa: Spent 10 days last June at Disneyworld with a 14 year-old. We stayed at the Yacht Club. I can't say that it was reasonable price-wise, but for amenities and location, it couldn't be beat! What an amazing hotel -- the pool area is several acres, with a white sand bottom in the pool -- the kids will be in heaven. We also stayed on the concierge floor, so the regular rooms may be a little more reasonable. I highly recommend the hotel and the concierge floor, if you can part with the $$. CF provides the best view, biggest rooms, and also has a room just off the elevators where there is complementary food from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., ranging from breakfast to snacks, to cheese and wine, to dessert. You will definitely save $$ on food -- we purchased one meal a day. Feel free to e-mail me if you want more information. Have a great time!

Just did WDW/Universal with my 11 and 7 year old (and 1 yr old) kids. Universal is HUGE! 2 parts = 2 days (or more) The nickelodeon studios “tour” is actually a mass attraction where the wait was lenghthy, but the walk through fun. My daughter was actually chosen to taste the goo or slime and participate in the kids game.The highlight of Universal was Terminator 3D. Best attraction in Orlando. If you want a monorail hotel that runs into the Magic Kingdom, you’d have to choose Contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian. Others like the Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge connect by boat which is also very cool. We stayed the Ft. Wilderness Cabins and liked it very much. Lotsa room for the kids and a full kitchen for meals, sodas, breakfast and snacks. Peaceful and quiet too. Need a car to get to other parks though as routing is very convoluted. Place sleeps 6 easily. Whatever you choose, have fun!

We just a week long WDW/Universal trip during Spring Break with our 11 and 7 (and 20 months) year old kids. Stayed at Ft. Wilderness Cabins. Lotsa room (bunk beads!) and a full kitchen to boot. Saved money on meals and always had cold drinks and snacks on hand. Downside is convoluted transportation to parks from FW. I have no patience so we used rental car. Free parking anywhere and no waiting for buses or monorail.Used only boat trans to Magic Kingdom. Kids loved it. If you want the monorail to MK you need to stay at Contemporary, Grand Floridian or Polynesian. Universal is HUGE! 2 parts equals 2 days! Kids had a blast at Nickelodeon.My 11-year old daughter actually was chosen to taste goo (or slime..) and be a part of the team game. Long wait outside though...Best ride in Florida is Terminator 3D. My 7-year old son was terrified and delighted at the same time. We were all amazed at the synchronation of live action and techno wizardry. Gotta see that!

Thanks Annemarie and Julie for your advice. It's always best to hear from folks who have been there, done that. Yea, I guess expecting a hotel nearby "the world" to be reasonable is UNreasonable. The Yacht Club sounds fabulous! Will see how booked they are.

We stayed at the All Star Resorts and were very pleased. They are the cheapest so the rooms were strictly motel rooms, but we had a small frig and wall safe. You really are not in your rooms. The food court was nice because we let the kids go up to the pool and arcade area where the food court was and they could have a good selection. They have a drink cup that is worth its weight!! One price and you have unlimited refills during the entire stay. We ate each evening at a different resort's restaurant, which was really neat. I would highly recommend the O'hanna at the Polynesian. The All Star pool was nice, but two afternoons we went to other resorts and used their pools, which was fun. We used our rental car usually, but did use WDW transportation a few times and it wasn't too bad. Plan on a break each afternoon and return to your room so the kids can hit the pool. It made our vacation much more enjoyable. By staying on property, you can get up early and get early admission into the park and then leave at noon. If money is a concern, I would stay at the cheapest resort. You can then partake of all that the more expensive resorts have to offer without the expense. My friend did stay at the Polynesian on the concierge level, and she thought it was worth the money for the constant food her kids had to eat free. My kids don't snack that much, so I didn't feel it was worth the difference. We take several vacations a year, and WDW is right at the top!

Just got back from Spring Break at Universal Studios in Florida. We had 4 kids (10, 8, 5, and 16 months) and a Grandma. We had a ball, did a few baby swaps Twister, Kong, Back to the Future, Jaws.. we spent 11 hours the first day, went to the beach in CLearwater for 4 days and then back to US. We went in about 4pm and walked on almost every ride, the crowds had left (and it was cooler). Check out AAA, we got a $6.00/per ticket discount and a second day free if used within one week, This was only with AAA, and you can't get it at the gate. You will have a blast!

Thanks everyone for your replies. I hadn't thought of Ft. Wilderness before but the kitchen idea sounds good as we have two very picky eaters. And being in the "woods" seems like it may cool us off in August.

I have been to Disney many times, as my company has a conference there every year. I have stayed at the All Stars. It was very reasonable, although a bit small. The bus schedule was easy to follow and I never had to wait a long time for a bus. The Contemporary hotel is convenient to the Magic Kingdom. You can take the Monorail or easily walk, and avoid the wait. I have also stayed at the Swan or Dophin. You can reach MGM by boat there. Feel free to contact me by email.

Been to Disney many times, and stayed at many of their Resorts. On-site is a must! The All Star Resorts are terrific--not as many "perks" as others, but who spends their time in their room when The World is two minutes away? The campground is also nice, but we still opt for the All Stars every time we go. Your kids are at the perfect age for Universal. My husband and I agree that the 8-ish to 15-ish crowd and their parents are "who the park was built for". Have a great time!

We just returned from WDW and had a wonderful time.Our kids are 12 &15. We stayed at Coronado Springs and thought it was terrific. The kids loved it. We could have spent a couple of days there and not even gone to a park! Lots to do, great pools, beautiful grounds, attention to detail. We spent one day each at Magic Kingdom, MEM and Epcot. All were very big hits with all four of us! Enjoy!

Thanks again to everyone! it looks like we're leaning towards the Doubletree Suites...prices are good and it's close. Although the Disney Hotels are the best (as far as I'm concerned) my husband likes the suite idea. Anyone been there?

Lisa,
Just got back from a week of Orlando. We stayed at the Carribbean Beach Resort. We used the Disney bus system often, and the rental car some. My kids (13 & 10) enjoyed the Universal Islands of Adventure park and MGM the most. At Universal, the new coaster, The Hulk, is unbelievable! And so is the Spiderman 3D ride. But by far the most talked about ride was the Tower of Terror at MGM. I remember a very few rides having a height limit of 48". For a really unusual break, don't miss the Drew Carey show "Sounds Dangerous" at MGM, I won't tell you more, don't want to give it away!
I would suggest to stay off the grounds, and spend the money on a 5 day hopper pass for Disney..includes the water parks, and gives you the freedom to go back to your favorites over and over. Email me if you have any questions, and drink TONS of water! Have fun!