I agree that staying on Disney property is the way to go (5-time veteran here), and I would also second the advice to go during off-peak times - my family typically goes in early December, which is perfect from an attendance/weather combination. Disney has been offering some really good packages the past couple of years, I believe in response to the sagging economy. You can get a reasonable deal for 6-days/5-nights on property and you can usually find an offer for free Disney dining packages. The biggest decision you'll have to make if you stay on location is whether you want to spend a little (relatively speaking) or a lot on your hotel - they offer the range. We have always stayed at the cheapest places (Value Resorts in Disney-speak) as we spend little to no time in our hotel room when we're there. We have 2 essential resources that I would highly recommend: - The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World: This book offers a bunch of tips and tricks for maximizing your experience, and you should be able to find a copy at the library if you don't want to purchase (ours typically is frayed and dog-eared by the end of the trip, so we're usually buyers) - Tourguide Mike: Not a free site, but one that is well worth the subscription, as you can tell it what your interests are, what days you'll be there, and it develops a customized tour plan for you There are 2 camps regarding how to do Disney; some people will tell you to play it by ear, and others will say you have to plan the entire trip down to the minute. I've done it both ways, and overplanning beats underplanning by a mile, IMO. Just winging it is a recipe for spending hours upon hours standing in line.
it's better to stay inside disney because it's easy go back whenever you want to rest or use the restroom.
Oh, in regard to planning- most of the in-park restaurants will get crowded very quickly. If you want to have a sit down meal in the park, either have it at an off hour, or make a reservation. Otherwise, there's a slim chance you'll get in.
I do it sometimes...doing it in August. I did it all the time as a kid. OP, I'm a Disney Vacation Club owner (family bought in the very day they started selling points) and the resident Disney travel expert to a boatload of my friends, co-workers and acquaintances. I've lost count of how many times I've been. If you want, drop me an email through the board.
Necro-Bump. Just got back today. Stayed @ beach club, had a good time. Some things worth noting before I forget: 1) Big groups of South American tourists this time of year. They're not as bad as the internet makes them sound. They're a little loud and can cause logistic problems, but I found them to be rather friendly. 2) Buses seemed to be slow and lesser in quantity this year. I had to wait an hour for a bus once. 3) Le Celier (Canada section of EPCOT) is incredible. It's pricey and tough to get into, but well worth it. Even my sister (who doesn't like red meat and is notoriously picky) loved it. 4) Dining plan is a good deal if you're pulling 7 days on resort. Also, I met someone from Houston there. Should have asked if he was a clutchfan.
For those that might come back to this thread for planning purposes in the future, check out the boards as disboards.com. I stumbled upon them while poking around during the beginning stages of putting together a Disney trip. They have a thread for just about everything (and if they don't, you can start one and get a response lightning-fast), they have links for sites that might save you a little money and they even have a podcast.
Bump! Planning a trip for the second week of January. Did you buy the tickets through here DFW? I actually am going with my GF and plan to stay in one of the disney resorts. We plan to spend our day at the parks, so we don't have an issue we getting the cheaper resorts. Any other tips guys?
Awesome. I love Disney World. I've stayed both off the resort and on the resort. I think prefer on the resort. If you get the meal plan don't forget to get the refillable cup. If you don't get the meal plan buy the refillable cup. It's a great deal to use at the meals. I'd get the book Unofficial Guide to Disney World. It will tell you about all the hotels, what times to go on which rides to avoid lines, strategies on which parks to go to on which days, which places are good to eat at etc. The second week of January probably won't be too crowded, but just the same it's good to be prepared. Getting there early is the best way to avoid lines. Being there early means you may have to wait in line 8 minutes at that time for a ride that you might have to wait in line for one hour for later in the day. Some reservations at certain restaurants you'll want to book well ahead of time like now. Reserving at certain restaurants can get you in early to the greatest Disney Fireworks show/spectacular or whatever you want to call it at the Disney MGM studios. Do that because it's tough to get in sometimes. Make those reservations now. Do whatever you feel like will make your trip the best for you. I like to plan the Disney trips a lot, others may find that too much planning takes the fun out, so do whatever fits you best. But that Unofficial guide can help you greatly. It's the best investment I think a person going there can make.
I think I forgot to mention that if you're staying at a Disney resort make sure and take advantage of the free deal where they wait for your luggage at the airport for you and then bring it to your room. I really liked that deal.
nah, I did not - I did a lot of research last winter because we were looking in to different vacation Ideas. After several reviews, this came up as the best overall website for tickets. The site was recommended by a lot of other people and websites. We just flat out couldn't afford it this time. We're looking at the summer after next for financial reasons. We ended up driving to Pensacola and staying at my dads for about 4 days. Good luck with the trip - have fun.
I've been told by locals there that Knott's Berry Farm is a better value and more fun than Disneyland. Is that true?
I'd like to know this as well. We just got back from Disney World about a month ago and the kids want to try Disneyland, but if Knott's Berry Farm is comparable, I'd rather do that.
I've stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness and it was great. You get your own cabin and you can hop on free ferrys that take you to the parks (or at least magic kingdom). The food there was also top notch, but I'm sure that's the case at any of the disney properties.
Be sure to do the Hollywood Tower of Terror. Didn't think I would like it, but it was my favorite ride by far! So much fun.
I haven't been to Knott's Berry Farm in a couple of years, but when I went it was not on the same level at all as Disney Land. It is definitely cheaper. But the park is dirty, and the food is awful. It's kind of like Astro World was in the mid 80's. That's the vibe I had. I enjoyed it, but it didn't compare to Disney Land.
I've owned season passes to Disneyland and currently own season passes for Knotts. Between the two, DL is definitely cleaner...but it should be. Disney employs an army of custodial staff to make sure there is absolutely nothing laying around the park. On the flip side, because Knotts is so much cheaper, it tends to lend itself to attracting a huge range of guests...some clean up after themselves better than others. As for the fun factor...I guess it is a matter of personal taste. I've come to absolutely hate Disney and the money grab that their parks represent. Yes, they've sugar-coated it with fun little rides and catchy themes that kids really dig...but in the end, every single thing in a Disney park is so massively over-priced (especially admission) that it seems insane that there's even a single person in the park at all. Personal opinion aside, DL and DW are places that you should definitely visit at least once in your life. They are a marvel of design and represent a certain level of innocence that we've all come to relate the Disney characters to. But, if you choose DL, be prepared to deal with overcrowding and long line waits (especially over a weekend). I enjoyed going to Astroworld when I was younger and had season passes a few years...so I really enjoy Knotts. The rides are more thrill-oriented, but there are still quite a few that younger kids can ride. Everytime we've gone this year, there hasn't been long waits for the rides (with the exception of a summer day when day camps galore decided to come). As for the food, both are comparable. Expensive and sub-par...with the exception of the Knott's chicken joint right outside the park. I'm not a huge chicken-on-the-bone fan, but their chicken is actually pretty good. I can feed my entire family (bucket of chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, rolls) for a little over twenty bucks. Inside the park, feeding them would easily cost me over $40.
