Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

[TinkPink]

So my husband calls me this morning and says that he wants to leave FRIDAY for Orlando and that we are going to drive there. He has to visit a customer, but we can spend 2 or 3 days at WDW while we are in town.



So now I have to learn all I can about WDW in just a couple days. We have never been there. I lived in So Cal until I was 25, I am a seasoned Disneyland AP holder and former CM.

It will be me and my husband, a four year old and an infant.

So, now that you know a little background, the questions begin-

We will only have 2, maybe 3 days to spend. Given the ages of our children, which parks would be the best to attend?

Should we do the park hopper option? Do those tickets apply to all parks? Would it be worth it considering we have never been there and could easily enjoy an entire day at one park? And also, are there parks we would really need to see or enjoy with 2 small kids? And, seeing that I have spent countless days at Disneyland, is it worth it to go to the Magic Kingdom when we have such limited time or should we spend those precious few days at parks that are different from Disneyland?


Money is limited, this isn't a planned trip at all. So I need to do things as CHEAPLY as I can. Any and all insider info is appreciated. So far I have only checked out the WDW website. And I am finding it a bit overwhelming.


Most likely we will be spending Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week in the parks. What will crowds be like?


It looks like we are staying at the Seralago Hotel. I am sure it isn't the nicest place, but it is really cheap although decent looking and looks like a convenient location. Has anyone stayed there? It won't be scary will it?


I know I will have a million more questions, I have only had an hour to think about this. Any and all help and advice from all you WDW pros is hugely appreciated!

[mikeland]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

WOW! A last minute WDW indeed.

My recommendations are that since you're going with small kids and this will be your first time, that you not try to see it all. Since you're already a Disneyland vet, I would suggest Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and the Disney Studios. Take your time and enjoy.

I would not get the hopper option. It's more money and you can stay as much time as you can in each park. Traveling from park to park takes a lot of time (about 30 minutes to an hour) and I wouldn't recommend it.

I would also take some time and visit the resort hotels if you have the time (and energy). They really are amazing, especially my favorites, the Wilderness Lodge, The Contemporary and the Grand Floridian.

I've never stayed at Seralago, but you can read some reviews of it here.

[justjohn]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Ok, I did two days at the parks earlier this month and I can say its hard and you won't feel like you saw everything.

Do Animal Kingdom for sure. This has got to be one of the most beautiful parks Disney has. We would have spent more time if we didn't have to go to MGM. Everything I read said it was a half day park, but we could have spent the whole day just walking around and looking at everything. EE is amazing and the Safari is too.

I was completely disappointed by Epcot. To me its about as good as DCA. It has a couple of rides and then is basically a huge shopping mall. The Mission:Space and test track rides were cool, but that is about it.

MGM seems to be a half day park too. ToT is almost worth the added expense though.

Magic Kingdom was really interesting because of the differences between it and DL. We would probably have spent more time there even though the rides are similar.

If we had 2 days, I would go to AK and MK. Third day would add in MGM and fourth day would add in Epcot.

We stayed at Pop Century. Its a nice basic hotel with clean rooms at a good price. There is a food court there that has reasonably priced food. The quality is easily better than anything that DL offers.

There is a bus system that will take you to any of the parks that is pretty convenient to use. While you may have to wait for a bus, it will save you the parking and you won't have to drive at all.

[Disney Magic]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

It looks like we are staying at the Seralago Hotel. I am sure it isn't the nicest place, but it is really cheap although decent looking and looks like a convenient location. Has anyone stayed there? It won't be scary will it?

I stayed at the Seralago Hotel before and you are right, it isn't the nicest place. But it is also not the worst around. Pictures of it look better than the actual hotel but it is easily accesible, located just off property on 192. Lots of cheaper dining alternatives nearby. We didn't have a problem with cleanliness or safety issues but for the money it was an just an okay place to stay, though I probably won't stay there again. I am sure the POP Century or All-Star offer a better value.

We stayed there once a few year back when it was a Holiday Inn (I believe) and then again after it became the Seralago, and the was a overall decline in maintence and service of the property. Basically it seems like and old hotel that was in need of remodeling and the chain that owned them wouldn't sink the necessary money into it, so it is now like a roadside motel.

[TinkPink]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Great. Seralago sounds fabulous. It is only 50 bucks a night though, so I wasn't expecting much.

So would it maybe be a good idea to buy a regular park ticket to say AK and MK and then maybe a one day park hopper to a couple parks that are half day parks?

Are all the park tickets the same price? What does a regular park ticket cost right now?

See- I know nothing! :lol:

[dsnylndmom]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

With Ethan's age in mind and knowing you'll have the baby I would say go for Animal Kingdom and MK. Since your time will be limited not only by the number of days that you're there but by the kids's ages. If you get a chance to do one character meal, I'm sure Ethan would love it go for one of the ones in the park so you don't lose time traveling. We LOVE Liberty Tree Tavern in MK.

You'll have a great time I'm sure and I'm so excited for you!!!! :clap:

[justjohn]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

One thing I notice earlier this month is that once you get off property areound dinner time, it was a pain to get to eat anywhere. One night it took us a half an hour to get a sandwch at subway. We relied on the food court for meals at pop century.

When I was looking into park hoppers, it was the same for a single day and a park hopper as a two day park hopper. The website will have pricing with all of the options that are available.

[Parisi]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

ok, I know you said Money is limited, but I would actually suggest getting Park hopper passes with no expiration... the reason I say this is because if you decide to come back for a real vacation you have the tickets already, and since they never expire, if you dont come back for like 10yrs, they are still good, and you purchased them for a good price.

Also, try to make a reservation with a character breakfast. I like the one at Chef Mickeys in the contemporary, but I am sure there are others. the kids will love it.

The parks might be reasonable, since its a low time of year. Since you are a DL vet, then yeah I would hit up Animal Kingdom, the Disney Studios, and Epcot. If you find that you have the time, and did buy the park hopper passes, then hit up MK.

Have Fun...

[mikeland]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Here is a website with ticket prices. Note that you can't buy the hopper option on just one day. It's all or nothing.

[Disney Magic]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

All the park tickets cost the same, but the more days you buy the better the value. I believe a One-Day One park ticket currently is $71. There are so many different combinations of tickets available, I recommend checking out WDW website to see what options suit you best.

[Disney Magic]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Note that you can't buy the hopper option on just one day. It's all or nothing.

Actually one day hoppers are available now. They never used to be though.

[TinkPink]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

The one day hoppers are super expensive, I just looked.

[Disney Magic]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

yes, one day hoppers are expensive and may not worth doing one day passes at all. Since you are not sure about your 3rd day get at least a 2 day hopper and if you have the 3rd day spend it on exploring the rest of WDW, at one of the water parks or doing some of the other recreation activies WDW offers. There are lots of dining options at the hotels, Downtown Disney the Boardwalk too.

[Xharryb]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Considering how young your kids are, I'm thinking you don't need to bother with the park hopping. Alone you could push yourself to see as much as possible, but with the kids you'll want to take things a little slower. If you have extra time at the end of the day you can always spend it doing something else like walking around DTD or playing a game of minigolf or something. Just pick the things that seem to be of the most interest to you and your family and enjoy them.

[justjohn]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Since you also are going to be there a couple of days only, staying on property will give you early entry into the parks (depends on the day). In some cases, like AK, this will give you more time to do things. From what I hear, early entry for AK is great because the animals are really active.

[BigPigletFan]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

I was completely disappointed by Epcot. To me its about as good as DCA. It has a couple of rides and then is basically a huge shopping mall. The Mission:Space and test track rides were cool, but that is about it.

:blink: Epcot is a theme park, not an amusement park.


Anyway, as others have said the park hopper option isn't probably needed. You can get the "Base ticket" and if you only get a 3 day ticket, it's the same cost at The Disney Store at MOA as it would be at the gate since the savings only start at 4-day tickets.

While you are experienced with Disneyland, you're going with the kids. I would suggest Magic Kingdom for sure. While you've seen a lot of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom is similiar, it's still quite new to him and very new to baby! :cwink:

Animal Kingdom is also nice, especially if you enjoy animals. Remember, it's not a zoo, but if he enjoys the Minnesota Zoo or Como Zoo this will be a lot of fun for him. Add in the number of shows, including the new Nemo show and I'm sure you'll have a blast.

The third day would then leave you picking between Epcot or the Disney-MGM Studios. Epcot has "kid cot" activities all over, the newly re-done Living Seas - with Nemo and Friends (attraction, turtle talk, etc.) There is also a nice character meet and greet, Character connection where the wait is minimal for a number of classic characters, Imagination with Figment, Soarin' at the Land, and others. (Remember to take in height requirements for some attractions.) The Disney-MGM Studios also has a lot of characters to see, but has a lot of shows. Shows include Muppet*Vision 3D, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Playhouse Disney, Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt, and Lights, Motors, Action! There's also the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area, Great Movie Ride, and Back Lot Tour. However, some things would scare the baby and might scare the 4 year old. You know him best.

One tip is to learn of the Rider Switch Program. Ask a Cast Member at any height restriction attraction for details. You can't miss out on Everest now, can you?

Just a few ideas. Have fun. Enjoy your trip and best of luck on that 26 hour drive!!

[aerinpegadrak]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Well, my experience in this area comes from one short trip. But I would say definitely spend a full day at Animal Kingdom. The kids will love stuff like the Safari and Rafiki's Planet Watch. Also, if at all possible, see Finding Nemo: The Musical! It was by far my favorite thing at WDW, just above Festival of the Lion King (which I also highly recommend). Both shows are pretty short (FN:TM is about 30 minutes, I'd say FotLK is about 20) and great for kids. Two bits of advice for Nemo: plan on seeing it early in the day, since the line can get really long, and grab a CM as soon as you get inside and ask for the best place to sit if you have to leave mid-show with the baby. Actors run around in the aisles throughout the show, so ducking out isn't always easy.

Normally, I would recommend you spend the rest of your time at Epcot, which is just a gorgeous park with tons to see. (We didn't get through it all in a day and a half.) However, it's a big kid park. There aren't many rides, and the best of them have height restrictions. They do have activities and things for kids, but since your time is so limited, I would probably avoid Epcot altogether and come back when the kids are older.

MGM is a toss-up. There are only four rides in the whole park (and Rock'n'Roller Coaster might still be down for refurb), and Great Movie Ride is the only one with no height restriction. Everything else is shows. Pretty good shows, mind you, but still. If your kids are okay with sitting still for 20-30 minutes at a time (plus however early you have to arrive to get a seat), they'd probably really like Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Indy, and Beauty and the Beast. Plus, MGM has probably the best opportunities for character hunting, because there's a gazillion of them hanging out on Mickey Avenue). So that will be up to you.

I didn't care for Magic Kingdom, personally. Except for Mickey's Philharmagic, I could safely ignore the entire place. However, it does have the most stuff for kids to do. The clones aren't exact copies, so riding them is interesting for comparison's sake, at least. (And do ride Snow White, which is excellent.) I would probably do MK for your second day, then possibly hit MGM if you have time.

Just, for the love of the Shed, do NOT go into their "Tiki Room." It's horrifying and unholy, and you will never, ever get those eight minutes of your life back. If you're really morbidly curious, Sadako has video. I would also avoid Space Mountain; it's just like the Matterhorn, except with absolutely nothing to look at but dimly lit track, and no music. Very lame.

I have no frame of reference, but the crowds didn't seem that bad when we went about three weeks ago midweek. The longest we waited for anything was for the shows, since we tended to show up about half an hour early to ensure the best seats. (The lines did seem longer at MK, but we were with cmash95 in her wheelchair that day, so we didn't use the regular lines all that much.)

And have fun! Vacations are always great!

[MinnieSummer]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

Definitely do MK and AKL then on your last day do MGM if you aren't exhausted. Will you be by yourself with the kids on any of those days? If so, please consider staying on site at one of the Value resorts. The busses provided by the off site hotels require you to wait in the middle of the parking lot by a numbered space for the bus (which only come at scheduled times, usually several hours apart). Doing this with small children is not only not fun it is dangerous. I tried it once and ended up calling for a taxi to take me back to my hotel in the middle of the day when my then 3 year old decided to have a melt down. The rates for the Values may seem like a lot but the transportation issue makes it worth it for me.

[justjohn]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

:blink: Epcot is a theme park, not an amusement park.

Well, I want to be amused when I'm at a theme park. Aside from Space and Test Track, I could have done everything there without leaving So Cal.

[mamabot]

Re: Please Help! Last Minute Trip Planning!

I agree what someone said about the Early Magic Hours, but if you can't swing staying onsite with your budget, don't worry too much.

I think the boys would love AK. Make sure you have good shoes and a stroller for both boys. There is a lot of walking there. They will enjoy everything there. Definitely see as many shows as you can. I really liked the Lion King. And the trek through Asia is fantastic.

You shouldn't miss MK. Just for the comparison you should go. There is enough that is different. Plus, when the boys are older, they will remember being at MK. I agree on the Tiki Room. If I had had a straight line to the door, I would have left. There are two redeeming qualities of the show: 1) the window boxes are gorgeous (compared to our windows) and 2) The end of the show. (Not going to spoil it for folks.)

Enjoy the time you have at the parks. I had about a month and a half to plan my first trip to WDW. In the first week, I read a ton of websites to gain a perspective of what I would be visiting. Maybe go through the WDW site with E to see what rides he wants to go on. Could make the decision as to which parks you will go to.

The other thing I agree with is visiting the resorts. It is a great way to have some quiet time so the baby can sleep. Maybe plan on a trip on the Monorail to get a view of a few of the resorts. If you take the Monorail to Epcot, there is a small portion of Future World that you go through. It is a nice quick glimpse of the size of that park. I could spend a few days exploring Epcot on my own, but with the kids, I would probably only spend a day there.

I hope you have a fantastic trip! :ghug: