OT - Going to Disney World!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2003
OT - Going to Disney World!
6
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 10:35am

Hi everyone,

I would need your advice, especially those who have been to Disney World over the last couple of years. Please bear with my long post!

We had $1100.00 in flight credits that we had to use before Oct 13th soooooo the dh and I decided to fly to Orlando and go to Disney for a few days :)
Of course this would not be the ideal time to vacation as we are in debt reduction mode however we have never travelled together outside Canada in the nine years we've been a couple and we are really run down and this trip is really exciting for us!

Okay, on to the questions...This is what I have paid (charged to the credit card that was at $0.00 ARGH!!!):

Hotel (Wyndham Palace & Spa on Buena Vista) - $484.68 CDN for four nights accomodation
Tickets - $387.47 CDN for two day Parkhopper tickets - INSANE price but somehow so worth the experience :))

My questions are:
1. Did I pick a decent hotel? It is an off-site Disney 3 1/2 star affiliated hotel but even after reading reviews I can't be completely sure...did anyone stay off-site?

2. I don't own a digital camera and EVERYONE I know says I cannot go to Disney and not have one...the amount of pics I'll take would be so costly with a regular 35mm camera to print the rolls, when with a digital camera and extra memory card I'd be able to take hundreds. I've done the comparison shopping and I'd mostly buy the Kodak C340 EasyShare - this would run me about $300 CDN taxes in - the Canon's are amazing but too expensive.

3. Food! How can I minimize the crazy cost of food down there! I will definitely bring snacks and water but I also don't want to be lugging a huge bag either.

Any suggestions on these and other things I should know are very welcome. Thanks for reading all this!

Kassandra

Kassandra

"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys.  The challenge is to accept them equally and experience them

Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 11:19am

How fun!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2004
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 1:18pm

You are going to have a BLAST!! We went last September and are returning in 2007 since DH's parents just bought a Disney timeshare. It was my first trip there and I still get "tingles" thinking about it!!

To try to answer your questions~ we stayed onsite and used Disney buses, but also rented a car. First thing we did was stopped at Target and bought a lot of snacks and juice/pop. (Check and see if your hotel room has a fridge) For breakfast, we sent the men to Mc D's and filled up and we didn't eat again (just snacked) until dinner time. There are many off site restaurants at the crossroads that vary in price. We planned a few special Disney meals such as Hoop DE Doo Review dinner show (WEll worth every penny!!!) and Chef Mickey's buffet Character breakfast.

We used our digital camera, but my inlaws used throw away cameras and they worked just as well. I still have SO many pics on my camera that we didn't develop because I went crazy and most of them are 2 or 3 of the same thing! I would not buy a digital if I didn't have one already.

I was freaking about the money too because we were paying off debt and trying to save to build a house~~~ but we never went anywhere in 8 years of marriage and to see our kids have the best time was so worth it!! BTW, we used our income tax money for the trip.

Just relax and have a great time!! You only live once. Like I told my mom because she was concerned about us spending money for that (she doesn't do anything fun) "I can't go to Disney when I'm dead~ and you never know what can happen." She shut up about it.

;) Nicki

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 5:40pm

I am a Florida vacation fool! Personnaly, we prefer Universal Studios over Disney. WE like the roller coasters and their tickets are cheaper than Disney.

Can't comment on the hotel we have a time share. Were you planning on renting a car?? If not how are you goign to get to the hotel from the airport and from the hotel to the park. If I remember correctly, that hotel does not have free airport shuttle and you have to pay (darn I can't remember the company's name) around $25. The bummer is that this company makes you schedule your return trip to the airport like 4 hours before your flight leaves. (I just had a conference in Orlando this past March) You want to talk insane I paid $50 just to go to Islnads of Adventure for about 4 hours. Well worth it me as it ended up being the only free time I had for 9 days!

Get to the parks early - before they open. Have a good breakfast before you go to the park. If your hotel has a fridge and microwave great and stock up on food.

This time of the year it should not be that hot, but you will still get thirsty. We like to freeze bottles of waters and bring them with us to the park. The water fountain water is pretty nasty. You also mentioned that a digital will cost you $300 I highly doubt that you woudl spend that much money developing your pictures.

I normally don't take many pictures. I also don't think I would buy a digital just for this trip. Some rides do not allow for you to have items on your person so then you need to put them in a locker. Besides can't you get rolls of films developed onto CDs. I know I can at Walmart.

The meals in Disney are pretty big but also what I consider expensive. We like to pack a cooler with picnic items and leave the park to eat and then return. But, we also have a full kitchen in our time share which makes it easier to do things like that. I'm not certain, but they may not let you bring food into the park any longer.

You have a 2 day hopper and Disney has 4 parks.

Animal Kingdom - I don't particularly like this one. IF you go, go first thing in the morning when the animals are awake.

Magic Kingdom - you have to see this place at least once in your lifetime. I suggest checking online and make a plan of action of which attractions are a must see for you. You will never be able to do everything in one day. Those attractions that offer the fast pass tickets - get them early because they will run out.

MGM - I really liked this park however some of the attractions are long, like the movie studio one.

Epcot - this is probably my favorite park, but not for dh or the kids. The country's section does not open until 11:AM

Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 5:41pm

We went in May and stayed off site--about 2 miles from Disney in a gated community.

Sarah
Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 7:40pm

Wanted to add that we took in a water bottle each to refill (they do have water fountains around) and put a few of those Crystal Light single serve mixes that are portioned to go in bottled water.

Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2004
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 8:07pm

We just visited the Disney/Orlando area in early September, and we stayed off-site also. We stayed at a Homewood Suites by Hilton for $99USD per night. We LOVED it. Mainly because it has a full kitchen! Our first night there, we went grocery shopping and each day, we would pack our lunch to take with us (eating in parks can be pricey), and although the hotel offered a free breakfast, sometimes we just wanted to stay in our room in our PJs and cook up some sausage and eggs, toast, etc. Yummy! Sometimes we'd cook what we had bought in the room, but one of us would go down and bring up something extra like waffles or fruit to add to it. For dinners, we made lasanga, yummy pasta dishes, burgers, hotdogs, etc. Just all sorts of things that we consider our comfort foods. :-D We know we saved a ton of money just by cooking our own meals. :-D

A tip on souveniers. If you'll have access to transportation, try to find a Walmart. Your hotel should know where the nearest one is. They almost always will carry some sort of "Florida" t-shirts and hats that will only cost a fraction of what they cost in the hotel gift shops. :-D

Enjoy your trip! Sometimes, I know, it just helps to get away from everything and relax. :-D

Pat :-D