Disney Vacation
 

Hoping you can help.... <BR> <BR>My wife and I are planning a vacation to Orlando for a week. We want to hit Disney and it's parks. Here are my questions? <BR> <BR>1. Where is the best place to stay in your opinion. (No cap on $$$) <BR> <BR>2. If we stay within the Disney hotels, do we need to rent a car? <BR> <BR>3. Finally, if we are there for 7 days, is it possible for us to get bored? (Is there enough to do in a week? I am 32, my wife is 26) <BR> <BR>Thank you in advance for any advice you may offer!

Our favorite is the Grand Floridian--there are great Disney web sites but first the only book you need is at www. passporter.com and also go to www.wdwinfo.com this is all you will need to have a great time--but plan and by the way see the Cirque show!! Enjoy!!

Get bored!! My family and I have visited Orlando several times now from the UK and are any but bored, in fact if you are only going for one week, you won't have enough time to see everything. Make sure you buy a Hopper Pass so that you can 'hop' over to another park in the same day (if you have time). I think it is wonderful there, but my favourite place is Sea World and Universal/Islands of Adventure. We are planning to go back in June 2002 and can't wait. I agree the Floridian is probably the best hotel, although we always rent a house with pool and enjoy that immensly. You will have a great time

Make sure you stay "on-site". The convenience of being on-site cannot be beat. You will hop on a bus or tram whenever you want to. <BR>The Wilderness Lodge is absolutely beautiful. Visit the disney sites listed above to help you decide where to stay. <BR>I've stayed on-site at Disney three times. It's one of the most laid-back vacations because you don't need to drive. We have never rented a car in Orlando. No need to with using Disney transportation. I don't think a person could ever "get bored" with all there is to see & do! <BR>Should you get your fill of Disney, check out Universal. Stayed at Hard Rock this past Spring. City Walk was a fun place at night, many choices for good eats. That was also a very nice vacation. <BR>Have fun!

I prefer the Dolphin or the boardwalk hotels due to there location. you can walk to epcot and if you get a resort view at the dolphin you can see the laser/fireworks at epcot. This will give more places to choose for dinner. Boardwalk has a few resturaunt and I never get tired of eating at epcot. Get the hopper, spend the day at a park, go to epcot in the evening for dinner and walk back to the hotel. <BR>The transportation is good, but can be crowded at peak times. It is nice to not have to get on the bus after a nice meal. Nice short walk back to the hotel. Dont need a car unless you want to go to Seaworld/Universal.

THE hotel is the Grand Floridian. Besides being the most "lux," it is right on the monorail. If money is no object, look into a suite or the concierge level. <BR> To go to other parts of the village, busses run regularly. You would not need a car for any Disney related activity, but I could imagine hiring a cab once in a while at night. <BR> After five full Disney days, you may want to check out some other Orlando attractions. Usually you can hire a limo van to take you to Universal, etc. Or you could rent a car for just a couple days. Don't forget that the better hotels offer spas, horseback riding, golf, beach or poolside lounging. So if you get bored of "doing" parks, there are many other traditional vacation options. (There is also great outlet and mall shopping in the area!) <BR> If you decide to split your time between two hotels, the Wilderness Lodge and Resort has a rustic but extravagant look. And my all time very favorite hotel is off Disney property - the Grand Cypress Hyatt. <BR> Enjoy!

Have you been to disney before? If you have not, I would definitely say that you won't get bored. There are four main parks and at least three different water parks. <BR> <BR>Do you play golf? Disney has some great golf courses. Like to go to spas? The Disney Institute will pamper you. The Disney Institute also offers courses on things like photography. <BR> <BR>I am also a fan of staying onsite, but there are some hotels that are more "onsite" than others. The Grand Floridian, Polynesian & Contemporary are all on the monorail line that connects to the Magic Kingdom & Epcot, but you will need to take a bus (I think) to get to MGM or Animal Kingdom. As previously stated, at the Swan, Dolphin or Boardwalk hotels you can walk to Epcot. I believe from the Wilderness lodge you can take a boat to the Magic Kingdom. So check into that aspect to see how convenient the hotels are. <BR> <BR>I have heard raves about the Wilderness Lodge and I personally like the Grand Floridian.

Definitely stay on site. The Grand Floridian has been on my wish list for quite awhile but we can't afford it. I don't know whether it's my budget talking, but I wonder whether you might prefer a hotel with a little more theming--say, the Polynesian, which is right on the monorail. We've stayed there twice and loved it. Also the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Wilderness Lodge might be reasonable choices for you--luxurious and neat theming. The new Animal Kingdom Lodge is supposed to be spectacular--particularly rooms with views of the "savannah," or whatever they call it. The downside is that you wouldn't be that centrally located. <BR> <BR>Try not only wdwinfo.com but also wdwig.com. The first Web site has a user's forum devoted to resorts--more information than you'll want. It sounds like some of the resorts have concierge suites or something like that, which you might want to pursue. <BR> <BR>I doubt you'll get bored. Don't try to do parks every day. Take a day or two and go to a water park (Typhoon Lagoon is our favorite) or mini golf (we're not regular golfers, but if you are, it sounds like there's loads to occupy you) or Pleasure Island (the Comedy Warehouse in particular). <BR> <BR>We've liked Universal Studios in the past, but we haven't gone since they've opened the new park. <BR> <BR>Even if money is no object in terms of dining, you might want to consider renting a fridge and buying breakfast stuff to keep in your room. Also, I suggest having a car. The transportation system works great most of the time, but it's nice to have control over your arrivals and departures to the farther-away things. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps--but please do check the other Web sites mentioned. You'll find more info there than here.

Thank you very much for all the wonderful information. It's been a good 15 years since I have been to the Disney in Florida, and with all your help, my wife and are truly excited!

Actually, Disney is running very good specials (for Disney) at their hotels because they have so many vacancies. The Grand Floridian was going for $169 or $199 per night.