NadeneCros - yes, I may have lost sight of the reference to "pre-teen" kids. We first started going when my son was about age 9 or 10, the Magic Kingdom was clearly his favorite, followed by MGM, and his last was Epcot. As he grew older (he's nearly 16 now), his preference gradually shifted to Epcot, & we'll spend 1/3 of our time there.

Still, one doesn't know how different kids will respond...if nothing else, I'd think Epcot warrants at least a day...after all, the grownups are on vacation, too! & it would be a shame if "E" could not experience Epcot & form his/her own opinion.

I brought my 12 year old son to Epcot and he loved it. We where only going to spend one day there but we went back for a second because he loved it so much.

Having the right deal is the best. Check around and get various package prices. Deals can also be had at certain times of the year.

Staying on site in my opinion is the best. why?

Free transit, charge prucahses to your rooms and have packages delivered back to your room, one hour early entry to selected parks, e nights, priority seating at character and other restaurants.

These are all great reasons and more. If you do not plan on going to any parks other than Disney, don't waste your money with a car. It will sit. Disney transport is awesome and on time.

Tiffany is a great deal! That is who I use and who I recommend to my clients. Mears and other are $28 pp, where Tiffany can get you deals for $70-80 for everyone. Plus they give you a 20 to 25 minute grocery stop if you need it before the resort.Even if you are going to Universal, certain agents may have deals with transit person. I can get my clients to Universal pretty cheap.

You want a good deal with what you need and no more. Keep that in mind. Have a look at a apckage both with air and without air. I always look at both. Many times you can get air separate cheaper than in the package.

Mark
www.enjoyyourtravel.com

Hi--

My family has been to Disney about 5 or 6 times, and we're going again in August. Although we've taken many other family vacations elsewhere, it's become a favorite place for us to recharge as a family, partly because of all the shared memories we now have. My kids are now 14 and 11, and we first went as a family when they were, I think, 7 and 5.

We've stayed both on- and off-site. We much prefer on-site, for reasons other posters have given. I'll try to limit myself to suggestions others may not have mentioned:

Dixie Landings/Port Orleans is one of our favorite places to stay, mainly because they provide a trundle bed. This isn't generally advertised. With three kids, then, you might be able to stay in one room. This is an advantage, as Disney seems to think everyone has a family of 4 or fewer. (On our last trip, we tried the Coronado, and were able to get a rollaway, for a fee.) The Polynesian offers a daybed in addition to the two other beds, but it's quite expensive, and we were able to stay there only because of some special deal we got in on.

We always rent a refrigerator. My husband drives to the supermarket and buys cereal, milk, and juice. Thus we can have breakfast in our room and it ends up costing us much less than buying breakfast in the hotel food court or elsewhere. Also, kids can eat as they get up.

We buy the refillable mugs sold at the hotels--usually just two. They cost about $8, but you can truly refill them for free each time you take them to your food court. Thus we get our morning coffee in them, and then the kids refill them with lemonade or whatever throughout the day.

We do rent a car, but that's our personal preference. We've had some overly lengthy trips on Disney transport--not many, but enough to encourage us to drive.

We find things we love at each park. One key strategy for us is to split up--we'll do some things all together, but then I'll go off with my son for a day or part of a day, while my husband is with my daughter, and then we'll switch around. We've each got our little favorite things to do, so this helps everyone stay happy.

There are certain favorites we all have:
At Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder
At MGM--probably our favorite park--Star Tours, Muppet 3D, Rock'n'Roller Coaster, and two restaurants: Pizza Planet (for lunch) and Sci-Fi Dine-in (our all-time favorite Disney restaurant for dinner)
At Epcot--eating at the restaurant inside the Mexico pavilion; the Mexico pavilion in general; eating at the restaurant on the ground floor of The Land pavilion; the Circle of Life show at the Land; Test Track
At Animal Kingdom--the 3D movie; the safari; the tube ride, whatever it's called

We like to eat at Chef Mickey's, if it still has the same name, at the Contemporary Resort. It's a great buffet, and characters come around to entertain. Even at my kids' advanced ages, they like this--again, it's the memories of fun they've had with it through the years.

We also like to try out the restaurants and food courts at other hotels. On our last trip, we ate at the Wilderness Lodge and loved it, which is how we decided to stay there when we go in August.

We've tried only Typhoon Lagoon among the water parks, and we've loved it. We hope to try Blizzard Beach this time.

If you stay on-site, you can take advantage of early park openings. This is definitely worth it. We try to get there for the opening, see the good stuff before lines accumulate, then take a break after lunch and return to the hotel for swimming, hanging out in the room, napping, whatever. Then we return in the late afternoon or else after dinner. Pay attention to which parks are open late.

This is all I can think of for now--I hope it's helpful!

Disney is a place you either hate or love. I can't beleive people would go there 10 or 12 times. My family of six went twice, hated it each time. We stayed in the park both times. Crowded, hot, expensive, lousy food, noisy. After two days my three sons where at each other throats, daughter was bored silly. I have friends who go each year and they love it.
Keep an open mind, have lots of patience, and keep the kids on a budget.

... And long lines for every single thing except the exits.

UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO...DONT STAY AT A DISNEY HOTEL,,..YOU PAY FOR THELUXURY OF BEING THERE..BUT HOW MUCH TIME WILL YOU SPEND IN YOUR ROOM?..YOULL BE IN THE PARK ALL DAY AND PART OF THE NIGHT...WE STAYED AT TROPICAL PALMS RESORT..(ON THE WEB)..NICE..ROOMY..VERY AFFORDABLE..AND CLOSE TO DISNEY...SAVED MONEY FOR IN PARK THINGS....MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TIME FOR THE PARKS YOURE GOING TOO...DONT RUSH...ENJOY THE ATMOSPHERE...TAKE SNAKS IN...EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE..WE WOULD ALWAYS EAT ONCE SOMEWHERE INDISNEY...GET THE MAPS, AND CHOOSE WHERE YOU WANT TO EAT...WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES, AND ALWAYS GET IN THE LINE ON THE LEFT...HAVE FUN!

we stayed at the sheraton safari the last visit...it is 1/4 mile to the entrance of WDW and they have jr. suites at great prices...they have free shuttles to the parks..check out their web site and also check out go2orlando site,floridakiss site...you can order info books for free...they were very helpful to us..you can also find other links at these sites...hope this helps

Don't know why this old posting resurfaced, but I have been to DW 12 times and by far the best lodging for my family is Vistana condos. Try their website for more info.

We took our kids to Disney World last May. We had a great time. We got a package that included flex tickets to all the parks at any time. Don't forget Downtown Disney. They have Disney Quest, which has every game you can think of, even for adults (I don't really like the computer games and I liked this place). This is a MUST see! If you have time and your kids like games, plan to spend one day there. You can also eat there. This is included with you flex tickets. You also get a free gift with your flex tickets. All of us got really nice backpacks. We stayed at Sport (Basketball). If you plan on eating at the resturant where e you stay I would say to get their cups at the resturant. They cost about $8.00 but well worth it if your kids like to drink pop. The cups have free refills at the hotel. The best time to go is Dec. or May, both of these months are off season. The temperture is nice and you don't have the crowds or the long lines. You might also consider renting a car from the airport. The cost of a shuttle to the hotel for 5 of you would probably pay for the car. Hope this helps. I noticed you posted the question on 6-8-00 so you might have already gone. If not hope I have helped and hope you have a great vacation, I know my kids (age 11 & 15)really like it.
Malinda

Check out this new we site http://www.MouseSavers.com This site has a huge info base on discounts, freebies, etc. Check it out

Hi, there is a website that sends you information through your mail. It includes schedules, maps, and coupons for restaurants, theme parks and small attracktions worth seen it. www.theorlandowebsite.com check it out... Lucas

Look at all the WDW postings ... just droves of them. It is so just amazing ... just like the buds coming out on the trees as the warm weather approaches. Summer is upon us, and with it comes the WDW build-up on the Fodor's FL site. School will be out ... and the kids are coming to see the mouse. So predictable, it almost makes one feel warm and secure. Life is full of such vagaries ... it's nice to have good old predictable WDW showing up once again. Sigh!

We enjoy staying at the Caribean Beach Motel inside of Disney World It gives you the convenience of the shuttle buses, early entrance into the parks, the option to come back and let the kids swim in the many pools(when it's too hot) and it's great time for a refresher snooze!We purchased a cheap lunch at the food court there. We also purchased the "re-fillable mugs" at the food court.At this motel, the Epcot fireworks can be seen over the rooftops if you sit at the lake in the evening. we loved it. Don't forget , you can take the shuttle buses to the other resorts such as the Boardwalk to enjoy the restaurants there -The Cape May Buffet was a favorite all-you -can-eat place for our growing teenagers!Another reasonable lunch is to purchase the giant smoked turkey legs in the park. The unofficial guide book is invaluable. I also got alot of info from www.wdwig.com. I still like using the Birnbaum guidebooks to Disney. Avoid renting a car. It is a total waste.Also to try to save some money, be choosey about which type of ticket you are purchasing-Will you really want to hop to the different parks everyday? We also took the shuttle to the Disney village shops. We then walked to the supermarket to purchase breakfast and snack foods. I believe there is also a Red Lobster & Olive Garden restaurant there. So there are lots of ways to lessen the costs.Visit crowded rides during the parade or fireworks for shorter lines.If it rains, buy a poncho. We walked right onto the tower of Terror over and over again because most people didn't venture out in the rain.We periodically came back to the motel to "blow-dry " our pant legs, but we made the most of it. Have a Great Time.

E,

It totally depends on your kids on what to do. Personally, I am 23 and am going on a cruise, not a Disney cruise, but also to WDW for my college graduation. I have stayed at the All-Star hotels for my three last trips and loved it...the rooms are huge, but for the price and the fact that you aren't in your room all day, I recommend them.

If you have any questions, please email me, I have been to WDW every year for 8 years now.

Jenna

Ooops. Just checked the postings and realized I said the rooms ARE huge, I meant to say that AREN'T huge. Sorry.

By the way, I tried the mousesavers.com yesterday and found a code that saved my $40 on my hotel room per night. The codes really work if anyone out there was skeptical.

Jenna

PLEASE TAKE THIS MESSAGE OFF THE AIR.


IT HAS PASSED ALMOST A YEAR THAT THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN POSTED AND PEOPLE STILL RESPONDIG TO IT .



PLEASE TAKE THIS MESSAGE OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!