We are beginning to plan a trip to Disney in Florida. We are only planning to do the whole Disney thing 1 time with our kids! (So many other places to see and visit to!)
We have heard so many confusing things!
Please help!!

Best time to visit (when it is the least busy!)

Where to stay (on or off Disney grounds?) We have a family of five and do not want 2 rooms (our kids are 8, 6, 5). We also don't want to spend a fortune on a room we just sleep in!

Any advice is appreciated!

We hope to fly - but aren't sure yet!

Thanks!

I find that disboards.com is the best place to join up and ask questions about all-things-Disney. There are folks on that board who seem to visit Disney every three months and know everything from just where and when the "Dole Whip" is the coldest to the thread count on each and every hotel bedsheet.

I found planning a trip to DW, especially if you only plan to visit once, takes a lot more research & planning than a trip to NYC!

I agree with PP about the best source for info. Also very helpful is allears.net.

I went for the first time over Christmas break and initially came to this board for some guidance. As usual Fodorites were great with their suggestions.

However, when you get down to the nitty gritty, the other forums have much more detailed info. A lot of the info is readily available and don't require new posts.

At first I found those boards kind of intimidating, with their massive amts of info and all their jargon. However, keep a window up with a their list of abbreviations and just post when you can't find the answer. They have some excellent overviews pages that answers your kind of questions (best season, pros and cons of staying on property or off, dining plan options, types of tickets to get, etc.) After you read the overview stuff, you will probably still have questions specific to your family. When you post, the Dis boarders are an incredibly welcoming and friendly group, as well as freely sharing all their knowledge.

To answer a bit of your questions...best time to visit is when kids are in school (i.e., not Christmas, spring break, long weekends, summer). Apparently, there is no more "quiet" season as DW has lots of events/specials to fill their parks all year round. If you visit the DW website, they list the actual dates for Value/Regular/Peak season.

I think it's worth it to stay on property - the perks are great. If you drive, park parking is free for resort guests. If you don't drive, Disney's Magical Express, meets guests at the airport, gets their luggage for you and transports you to the resort (and later your luggage too) all for free. Same for going back to the airport.

Have a great trip - it's a magical place!

Enjoy-la!

Staying off the Disney property is generally quite a bit less expensive. But then you MUST rent a car - and you don;t have the same access to all the specials (entry time, preferences that you do if you stay at Disney). Plus, with 3 small kids you won;t want to do very long days - and if you're on disney property it's much easier to go in the am , come back to the hotel to relax and/or do pool etc in the afternoon, then return to the park in the evening.

I think your first task is to find out which places will let you put 5 people in a room (most Disney hotels don;t) and then decide from there.

As for when to go - any time the kids are out of school will be mobbed - and everything will take much longer. Consider if there's a way you can go when most kids are in school.

rhl269-

You have asked some good, albeit general questions here. Nevertheless, this is a good place to start. You will get an abundance of information and opinions here. The web sites <www.disboards.com> and <www.allears.net> are valuable resources. I would like to add another, TouringPlans.com <http://tinyurl.com/2ooark>.

I agree with nytraveler about the best time to come is when kids are in school. In that respect the week between Thanksgiving and Christmas should be very good. Any time during October or even mid-October to mid-November should be excellent. The temperatures are milder, the humidity drops, the afternoon thunderstorms (and lightning) are gone and the threat from hurricanes is virtually nil.

Come back to us as your travel plans develop and you have specific questions about restaurants, other theme parks, and non-Disney things to do in the area. Good Luck!

The rooms at the different price tiers at Disney properties are identical. For example, rooms at Caribbean Beach are identical to rooms at Dixie Landing. Of that category, I recommend Caribbean Beach. Pleasant grounds, entertaining pools, centrally located to most of the parks, acceptable food court. If you can afford the next level, consider Wilderness Lodge. Wonderful building, great pool, beautiful view of the lake, close to Magic Kingdom. At about the same price point, Beach and Yacht are well located witht the best pool at Disney. As previously mentioned, you can spend the next year reading on line advise about Disney on the dedicated boards. You should have great fun with kids your age.

WDW is least crowded during September and most of February (excluding Presidents week). Cheapest place to stay onsite for a family of 5 is Port Orleans Riverside, where you can get a room with two doubles and a trundle bed. Definitely worth it, as POR is absolutely gorgeous. And I agree about visiting the DIS boards to get info about any and everything you need to know about planning your trip. Good luck!

Forgot to add that I think it's definitely worth it to stay onsite at WDW, not only for the ease of using their transportation, but simply because staying onsite is part of the whole Disney experience ... your kids will love it! And one more thing ... this might be your first time going to WDW, but I bet it won't be your last!

We've had good luck with low crowds the first two weeks of December, and mid-January to mid-February. Try to take your kids out of school for the week while they are still young enough to do so.

It will be chilly this time of year, so be prepared and think layers.

Definitely stay on-site, if possible. If not, consider the Nickelodian hotel with its kid-friendly pseudo-suites.

Have a great time!

We stayed at the Boardwalk last year . . had a room overlooking the Iluminations ( from a distance, but viewable )

It is also a short walk to Epcot and has many nearby restruants and a pub nearby on the Boardwalk . . if you don't want to walk, there is a smalish ferry that takes you back and forth

Many of the non-Disney hotels have a complimentary shuttle service to take you to the major parks and also many hotels have adjoining rooms with a door which can be left open if you have kids.Our grandchildren loved International Drive as there is such a lot to do in the evenings. All within walking distance.
Wet n Wild, Universal, Islands of Adventure and City Walk are all in this area.With rooms for as little as $70 per room per night, it would not break the bank to get 2 rooms but as there are usually 2 large beds in each room, maybe one would suffice. You could also have a roll away bed in the room for a small fee.

We have taken quite a few WDW trips and have always stayed on site. I would highly recommend staying at a Disney on-site property for the convenience (can't beat a mid-day break at the resort pool). As has been mentioned here, in addition to being able to use Disney transportation to/from the parks, you are eligible for the "extra magic hours" before or after regular park hours, and also to make your dining reservations ahead of time (I think it is 120 days out now - which comes in handy if you would like to eat at a restaurant in high demand like Cinderella's Castle, which books up immediately).
I believe the moderate and deluxe resorts all sleep five (deluxe definitely) but thought I had read somewhere that some of the All-Star resorts where opening a limited number of suites to accomodate larger families (Disney-specific boards would be a better place perhaps to find out for sure).
We have been to Disney in Feb and also in the summer. Personally we like the summer better because the park hours are longer and the weather is great for evening swims back at the resort; downside is could be crowded. There are so many events that go on now, I second the opinion that there really isn't an uncrowded time (my parents were there in Oct and said because of Epcot food & wine festival it was more crowded than the previous July). If you plan ahead and read up on the rides/shows & park layout, you can make the most of your trip. Be forewarned - you will never be able to do everything - there is just too much for one single vacation!
Happy Planning

For $20, invest in the book, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. I bought the one for Disneyland in California a few years ago and it was PRICELESS. It has great reviews of the rides for different ages, great hints for avoiding crowds, information on the hotels, everything you might want to know. There were rides and shows that we would not have gone on but they were rated well by the book and they turned out to be some of our favorites.
If you are only going to do it one time, then you will want to maximize your enjoyment.

another good website for planning is mousesavers.com. loaded with info on hotels, restaurants, transportation, discounts, etc.
there are pros and cons to staying on site vs. off site. mostly, if you can afford it, i think an on site hotel is best with young kids. however, if budget is an issue, you can get alot more bag for your buck by staying off site.
have fun.

With a family your size, I would look into the FT. Wilderness campground - they have homes there that include a full kitchen so you could save on meals. Also look into the villa type accommodations at the Beach Club, Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge. Again the kitchen will be helpful.

As others have mentioned allearsnet.com and mousesavers.com are great sources for information, menues and photographs. I would start at allears to get an overview and then ask your questions at disboards. I used all of these websites extensively when planning my first trip in 1999 (my first real use of the internet)and it was fantastic.

Have a great trip.

The on site hotels are basically broken into three categories - value, moderate and deluxe. The amenities provided by the hotel/resort accordingly increases for the higher categories.

The year is also broken into "seasons" which determines your room rate. The less busy times of year mean the room rate is also less.

As mentioned previously, some of the value resorts now have "Family Suites".

You definitely should visit the Disney forums mentioned, they will be able to provide most, if not all the answers to any question you may have.

My favorite planning site is wdwinfo.com. They even post the restaurant menus! Definitely stay on property and make sure you make your dining reservations in advance (180 days ahead) - you can always cancel if you change your mind but it is worth it to have them even at less crowded park times.

FYI, not all of the Disney moderate-level hotels allow 5 to a room (Port Orleans Riverside does (with a trundle bed), not sure about the others off the top of my head). Among the values, only Pop Century has the family suites which allow 5. Most of the deluxes do allow 5, but not all (Wilderness Lodge does not for a standard room I believe).

You definitely want to go to Disney while school is in. Rule the summer out completely. October is a great month to go. Aside from the summer, the months you really don't want to go are March cause of Spring Break and honestly end of November and December has been getting really busy. Go during the week cause weekends are obviously going to be the busiest days of the week.

Everyone has said it because it's true...staying on Disney property absolutely completes any trip. During off times like October, September or now in February you can get good rates. It's going to be a bit more than an off site hotel, but if you're flying in for sure stay at Disney. I know that each room at the Port Orleans Riverside has two large beds and also a pull out bed under the bed closest to the door. That would help fit you all in one room. I know you just plan on sleeping there, but there's plenty to do at the hotels. You can rent boats, bicycles, they all have a few pools with great slides. They're gorgeous hotels. Also what you would save in staying at an outside hotel you'd lose in parking at Disney each day. I think last time I parked there (in the designated place, I cheat it was 11 dollars a day.

I know people expect to find better deals online, but hoenstly if you call 407 wdisney they can answer pretty much any question you may have. Just tell them what you're looking for and they'll help you out. Look online for promotional codes once you've finalized your trip and plan on booking it all. There's a few websites out there.

I live just outside of Orlando and have spent half my life at Disney so if you have any other questions like the best places to eat, things to avoid, etc I'd love to help out.

You guys are going to love it!

Just got back from our second trip to Disney in December, and I too said I would only go once (I was a Paris/London type of gal)! I am completely hooked now.

Had a LONG conversation with our concierge at the Polynesian about the best times to visit WDW. He said many, many parents now take their kids out of school to go to WDW because the experience is so much better during the off times. And I couldn't agree more. We take our kiddo out and will take him out again this October when we go back. (never thought I would do this) The gentleman also said he spends most nights faxing back homework to school!

I would DEFINITELY recommend staying on property. I can't imagine 'breaking the magic' by going off property. We stay on the monorail (Grand Flo, Polynesian and Contemporary) at either the Grand Flo or Polynesian and loved them both. It is SO easy to just hop on the monorail to get back to the room which means something after a day of walking the parks. You can get great deals on these rooms if you book off season (Oct/Nov either before or after Thanksgiving through Mid December, Jan or Feb). We also stay at the Concierge level each time at the Poly and Grand Flo which we are totally sold on. Made us feel pampered and loved the extra food, nicer rooms and free drinks - but you do shell out some bucks for it. It was our little gift to ourselves (the adults). Also if you stay on property you get 'extra magic hours' and can visit the parks when others cannot.

I also hear the Wilderness Lodge is great and the cabins might be an option for a large family such as yours. I hear it's beautiful and fun. It's not on the monorail so you either wait for a water taxi to take you to the Magic Kingdom or you take a bus to the central station and go from there.

I also hear that Pop Century and the Yacht and Beach Club are good choices too. Also not on the monorail (which only goes to the MK, by the way) but close to other parks.

We also did the dining plan and love this as well. It truly is a deal and not a rip-off. Table lunches could have easily run $85 for two adults and one child and we don't have to worry about it with the plan. The food at WDW is surprisingly good at even the counter service places. With the regular dining plan you get one table service and one counter service a day and one snack. This year each meal comes with a main course and a dessert plus a drink (years previous you also got an appitizer). Note that it's TWO meals a day on the regular plan, not 3. But there are different levels of dining plans. We didn't need the breakfast since they serve breakfast if you stay 'club' level at the hotel.

I know at our Poly room you could put 5 people in the room because there were two queen beds plus a pull out sofa. It would be full, but if you aren't in the room that much, who cares? Our room was directly on the beach overlooking the lake and the castle. I actually teared up when I walked in the room the view was so perfect. We sat on the balcony every night watching the two fireworks shows and the laser boat parade while sipping our cocktails and eating our desserts picked up from the club level room. We enjoyed it even more than the Grand Flo!

Nutshell:
Stay on property - you won't regret it
Get the dining plan
Take the kids out of school and do it in either Oct, Nov (NOT at Thanksgiving) or beginning to mid December (NO LATER!). Jan or Feb
Make most of your stay during the week since the weekends are obviously more crowded.

Sorry to ramble, feel free to ask any more questions! You will have a great time!