This will be our first ever fam. vacation. I'd really appreciate any advice/feedback on hotel and package deals. Travel agents who have'nt been there, are'nt too helpful. With 3 pre-teen children, any information as to whats affordable yet nice/neat will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Don't waste your first family vacation on Disney! Your kids are old enough to enjoy a REAL destination.

Dear E, Depending on your desire you might also want to consider staying off site. We have done that several times and numerous nice motels/hotels are but a short distance from WDW. Just depends on what you want and time of year. Wife and I also stayed at Carribbean resort during a fall visit and had a great time. Package was thru US Air Vacations and included air, auto rental, lodging, admission, etc. Was great!
For family visit regardless of lodging and depending on length of visit I strongly suggest checking good reference books (even at the library) as to parks you are visiting so you can get idea of budgeting time. A couple of those books are specific as to visiting with children. As our kids got a bit older we often split up (at the same park) so various interests could be satisfied. By all means don't overdo it. We often "openned" a park in the morning and stayed into the afternoon and then headed to motel for a swim or simply sitting around. Then came back for parade, shopping, etc. The type of admission pass purchased will determine such flexibility. Also, suggest getting a Magic Club membership. Such includes discounts for admission tickets, even stays (seasonal) and purchases at Disney stores nationwide. Don't mean to sound like a Disney salesperson but if WDW appeals to one, might as well do it right. Have a great time!

Yawn. Noach is at it again. He promised he was leaving. Don't listen to him; he has never been anywhere. I have been to Disney 18 times (trips 19 and 20 coming up) and would be delighted to help you. When will you be travelling and for how long? The first thing you must do is obtain a Magic Kingdom Club card. Either of you work for an employer with 500 employees or more, you can get it for free. Check with Human Resources. Otherwise, you can purchase a 2 year card for $65. Deb Wills' site, www.wdwig.com, tells you how to purchase it. The card entitles you to 10% off any Disney resort, certain restaurants in the parks, park passes, and merchandise at Downtown Disney, as well as merchandise at any Disney store. We saved several hundred dollars on our last trip. There is so much I could tell you. I need some time to gather my thoughts, so I will post further later. Also, please feel free to email me with any questions and the particulars of your trip. You will have such a great time.

I'll surely defer to Ilisa as the expert, but I took my family Summer 1999, and here are some pointers:

1. Get the book "Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld." Invaluable advice.

2. If you are going in the summer, plan to be at the gate when the park opens. You'll beat the heat and the crowds. That is the only way we survived WDW in August.

3. Even if staying on WDW property, I would still get a car. Otherwise you are stuck eating expensive and poor quality Disney food. Also, the mass transit at Disney is good enough, but when one of my kids needed to be taken back to the hotel, I needed to get them there right away, and a car was more reliable.

4. Don't miss Typhoon Lagoon and/or Blizzard Beach. We liked the water parks better than anything else.

Have fun!

guess I disagree with Cindy on some points. I rented a car my first trip & it was a waste of $200, never used. On trips #2 thru #8, I don't rent a car anymore.

WDW food IS expensive, but I heartily dispute that it is all "poor quality". There are many good eateries that readily hold their own (eg at Epcot, or Flying Fish Cafe, or Spoodles.)
Yet another web site with lots of discussion boards & info is:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/

You didn't state budget...with WDW's "value" hotels (eg All Star Sports being as low as $80-ish per nite, there's very little reason NOT to stay on-site, which for me is a BIG part of the fun & overall experience & convenience. At the other end, you can spend $200-300+ for WDW rooms & suites, with amenities, location, etc to match.

WDW is a huge, diverse resort. It is over 40 SQUARE MILES (!), & takes some effort to not be overwhelmed in planning.

Hi, it's me again. I wholeheartily agree that staying on-site is a must. First, it puts you in the middle of everything and gives you the true Disney experience. It also enables you to take advantage of early entry, Disney transportation, and e-nights. I also agree with Tom about renting a car. Not a necessity. We have never done it. Then again, there is so much to do on Disney property that we have never felt the need to leave. If you are concerned about getting to and from the airport, try Tiffany Town Car. For $70 round trip, they will pick you and your family up and take you directly to your resort. That $70 is for the whole family. It's a bargain. They will also make a 1/2hour grocery stop for you. Their website is www.tiffanytowncar.com. No, I don't work for them, just used them and love them. There are many good restaurants on the Disney property to choose from - there is no need to go off property. Spoodles at Boardwalk, Akershus at Epcot, Marrakesh at Epcot are only just a fraction of them. All-Star Resorts is good if you are on a budget, but the rooms are very small. However, you can get 2 connecting rooms for the price of a room at one of the other resorts. With the MKC card, you can get rooms for as low as $64/night (that's what we paid for All-Star Movies last October). Boardwalk has suites and villas if you need a lot of space (I love Boardwalk!!). We also enjoyed staying at both Port Orleans and Caribbean Beach. If you are looking for kitchen amenities, and Boardwalk is too expensive, you may also want to look into the Fort Wilderness cabins. They are fully equipped cabins (tv, kitchen, etc) at the Fort Wilderness campground. Refrigerators can also be rented for $6.00 a night. Cindy is right - get the Unofficial Guide to Disney. It is probably the best guidebook around. Go with a strategy for seeing the parks, but be flexible. Make sure you schedule plenty of pool and nap time, and do not try to do the parks commando style. I have seen too many adults do that only to end up with miserable kids. Please feel free to email me with some questions. I love Disney and can't wait to go back!!!

I second the previous advice to chekc out Deb Wills unofficial guide site at www.wdwig.com, an invaluable resource. How old are your kids? that will affect what they can ride, what they will enjoy most. Also how many days will you stay. I LOVE WDW, Went for the first time in 1974 and will go back for trip number 7 this August! My kids are 6 & 12. Feel free to email me (remove the nospam) with any specific questions.

Dick, ilisa,Cindy,tom,joy and okay, even Noach, thank you all so much for the replies. Thanks to you all, I have the resources to make planning less overwhelming. Ilisa & Joy, I will take you up on your offer, so please bear with me and my questions. Im so excited, I can't wait to go!!!!

Hi! I just booked my group at the Ramada Plaza Hotel Gateway. The rate for 2 if you have AAA is $74.00 per night for one of their superior Plaza rooms; rooms are as low as $54.00 per night.

If you visit travelnow.com, and lick on Kissimmee, you will find a wealth of information.

This hotel is gorgeous, and is a mile from the maingate at Disney.

The restaurants at Epcot are fantastic, especially the original Alfredo's at the Italy exhibit, and the Canadian restaurants.

If you enjoy mystery dinner theaters, visit Sleuth's off 192. They provide a delicious dinner and entertainment for about $22.50 per person.

A favorite restaurant of mine is Francesco's Ristorante Italiano on W. Irlo Bronson, Rt. 192. I am Italian, and I can assure you this is the closest thing to ecstacy you can get!

Have a wonderful time. We will be there the second week of October.

There is a new Hawthorne Suites next to Universal Studios that we will try in the future. The rate is around $129, includes breakfast and would probably be large enough for your whole family. I've also heard that you can get an Orlando Magicard through the Orlando Chamber of Commerce that gives discount to local hotels, restaurants, etc.

I've been 5 times in the last 4 yrs. 7 would highly recommend staying on property -especially w/ kids. It's going to cost more than staying off property but the pluses out way the negatives (free shuttle to all parks, hr early entry fee to parks, great pools, overall convenience). Either way - have fun!

I stayed in one of the on-site hotels while attending a conference. What a nightmare! I'm so glad I wasn't paying for my extremely expensive room.

I was very surprised by my experience, as I've always enjoyed the Disney parks. But my room wasn't entirely clean, the wall paper was starting to peel, and the food in the minibar was stale. Also, I felt trapped in the complex as I had no car.

Ann- "trapped in the complex" (?!) where exactly did you stay!?

Strikes me as quite odd..nearly everyone else acknowledges that WDW has extensive, convenient, free transportation (bus, boat, monorail, and/or walk, depending on the specific resort).

I, too, would be surprised by a room that was not clean or in disrepair...I've never encountered anything like this at WDW...did you ask to be changed to a different room?

Hi!!
With preteens (my daughters are 12 and almost 14) I think 1 day at the Magic Kingdom is plenty, its an awesome place, but mostly geared towards younger kids. I think you should skip epcot (too boring).
SeaWorld is a MUST! you can get a 2nd day free pass if you go there one day.
And most importantly BUSH GARDENS BUSH GARDENS - terrific roller coasters! If you go you can get a 2nd day ticket for something like $10.
You'll need a car, and I recommend staying at a place with atleast a kitchennette so you can do some simple meals. And take a "day off" at the beach or one of the water parks! have a blast, I know you will!!!

Epcot too boring? "skip it" (!!!!!)

I've spent DAYS there! On a trip, my family devotes maybe 1/3 of our time just to EPCOT! We LOVE it! It is so dynamic, so much entertainment & performances going on, so much diversity!

E. ([email protected]) - clearly there are some wildly divergent opinions here, and of course everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Most of the "unofficial" (ie, not sponsored by Disney) guidebooks suggest devoting 2 full days to EPCOT. You probably cannot go wrong by planning on that amount of time.

Also - Be aware that Busch Gardens is in Tampa, on the Gulf coast of FL. It is roughly 120 miles from Orlando area, not exactly a casual jaunt.

While this is an open forum where everyone may contribute their experiences, I must admit I am quite amazed by some of the sentiments being expressed, such as "trapped in the complex", "What a nightmare", and "skip Epcot - it's boring".

On the other hand...maybe I'm just being baited by "Noach", who is well known for his anti-Disney, anti-Florida views here...

I'm with Tom on this one - Epcot is fabulous! We always spend at least two days there. There is way too much to see and cover; we can spend a whole day in World Showcase alone taking in the performances and attractions. I also disagree with the sentiment that only one day is needed at the Magic Kingdom because it is geared towards little kids. We always end up returning to it on our trips (my husband and I have not yet taken our daughter). Everyone is a kid at Disney; enjoy it!

Tom,

Thanks for the great input, and don't let the forceful statements about Disney bother you. People on this forum tap out a few sentences expressing their opinion and then move on, so don't let it bother you if their statement isn't consistent with your experience. For what it is worth, I would have felt "trapped" at WDW without a car, too. But I would probably have chosen the phrase "shipwrecked on a desperately crowded island" instead.

Hi E:
Our family just came back from Orlando a month ago. We spent 4 days at the Disney parks. We just wish we had more time, money and energy to spend there.
It was fabulous and well spend. Our kids, 7,41/2, 31/2 enjoy every minute at Disney parks.
We also visit other attractions in Orlando, but the Disney parks are the best.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Family Suites,<www.hifamilysuite> at the rate of 89.00/night.check <valuetrip.com> It is highly recommend. It is a brand new hotel only 5 minutes to the parks. You can read the LONG report in this forum. I agree with everything said there.

My wife and I thought the Parks were just for kids, how wrong we were. You will find every age group there.

Our family is talking about our next trip to Disney World already. I also think about the 3 days Magic Cruise that will include in our next trip.

Let us know when you come back.

Hey Tom!
The original question referred to preteen kids. I brought my preteens to Epcot and they where bored out of their minds... Obviously all kids are different, as well as everyones tastes and preferences are different. I am not "quite amazed by some of the sentiments" expressed here because all people are truly unique with there own definition of what fun is. In a forum such as this, people are free to explain their own experiences and pleasures.

Do not let opinionated jerks bait you into harsh responses in this forum, we are all entitled to express our opinion.