HELP PLEASE !! first holiday “EVER” and going to disneyland florida, Need Help !!!?
Question by she-devil: HELP PLEASE !! first holiday “EVER” and going to disneyland florida, Need Help !!!?
I am planning a holiday to Disneyland Florida for the 1st-15th of December. I have never been on holidays abroad before so very inexperienced in all aspects.
this is going to be a one time/once in a life time dream holiday for my little boy who is 5yo. it will only be the 2 of us travelling from Ireland, so i need as much help and advice you think would be useful to our circumstances.
i have already decided on a hotel in WDW resort thanks to the great help I had on a previous question on yahoo answers.
i need help with, discounts, offer’s, booking advice…., flights …. to be honest please feel free to tell me anything. As some times even the smallest of detail will make a big difference!!
I will up date this question again soon
So please all , tell me all !!
Thanks
Louise
FLORIDA TRAVEL please more….. ?????????????
i am working 16 hours a day at the moment to pay a previous loan off early so i can get a new one for this holiday.
Loan will be paid by end of September, so that’s when ill have all the money to pay.
please tell me more about you booking one night in advance ??? How much cash do I need to initially book my holiday ???
Tell me more … tell me more
Also I chose those dates because of advice on yahoo answers to be the best time, as it is after thanks giving and just before the mad xmas rush, also there are great discounts…… is this right or would you suggest a better time ????
THANKS
thanks sooo much guys every one of your answers has information i didnt know and certainly will be doing.
keep them coming plese you wouldnt belive how helpfull you all are been.
thanks xx
thenk you…..
thankyou ………….
great feed back coming in from you all
date :- aug/17/2010
Best answer:
Answer by Ralph Anderson
Book your flight NOW asap, so save costs. Goto priceline and they have an area where you can “bid” on a flight/hotel/rental. I got my combo pretty cheap last year
Give your answer to this question below!
Do u plan on bringing him to every park? Because at that age i think the parks in disney he would enjoy the most would be animal kingdom and magic kingdom. I would also bring him to a non disney park which is sea world. It has a bunch of sea animals etc.
Make sure you are at magic kingdom at night time since they have the fireworks. Im not sure about december though you’ll have to research it.
At magic kingdom they have places to eat where you can eat with mickey. Its really fun, and they have christmas parades too i believe
If i were you i would book now, so many people want to go at christmas time so it gets expensive
That is a long time to spend in Orlando. Are you renting a car? If so, when I travel I always stop at a McDonald’s and they have a box of free hotel flyers in their dining room that has many bargains for hotels. Miami is a three hour drive, Fort Lauderdale may be more family friendly if you like the beach. From there a trip to the Everglades is cool, little boy would love to see alligators. In Orlando The Peabody Hotel, not close to Disney, has a flock of trained ducks that come down the elevator at a certain time, walk a red carpet to the lobby fountain, escorted by footmen, climb a small stair, and spend the day in the fountain. In the evening they reverse the process.
Hi Louise,
You’ve picked a wonderful place for a vacation — Disney World is truly amazing.
You’re staying at one of the Disney resorts — very good, because you’ll be able to take advantage of two things:
You don’t have to try and figure out the maze of Disney roads.
You can go back to your room at any point during the day for a quick nap! (Needed by both 5-year-olds and adults!) That will get you re-charged for the rest of the day and evening.
You’ve picked a great time of year. All the Christmas decorations will be up, and the holiday parades would have started. Especially be sure to see the Magic Kingdom parades and the Animal Kingdom parades — they are the best.
If you haven’t put a park hopper option on your theme park tickets, you might consider it. The option lets you go between the various parks during the day. For example, if you go to Disney Hollywood Studios and find that it isn’t your cup of tea, you can go on over to any one other other parks without using up another ticket. Useful for when you want to spend the day at Animal Kingdom (for example) which closes early. Then after a quick bite to eat, you can go over to the Magic Kingdom to see the evening parades and fireworks!
One of the previous answers was spot on — book as far in advance as you can to get the best prices. And if you haven’t actually booked a Disney resort room already — DO IT NOW! December is a popular time, and the least expensive rooms get snapped up fast. If I remember correctly, I’ve had to pay 1 night up front when making the reservation, with the rest of the cost due when I checked out. It’s probably still the same.
Best wishes on the trip of a lifetime!
You probably need to ask more specific questions…you’re not making it easy to answer but here goes… I’ve been to Orlando twice and it really is fab! You and your little boy will love it. You won’t be able to get direct flights from Ireland in December (I don’t think you will anyway) but that’s not a problem. The cheapest route is usually through New York or Atlanta but you have lots of options. The last time we went we booked it through American Holidays – an Irish company based in Dublin. I used their website to book the flights but I have phoned them to book other flights. They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They can also advise you on arranging park tickets before you go. You should definitely bring your son to Seaworld. Universal Studios is brilliant but I do think it’s more suitable for older children and adults tend to enjoy it too! (well I do anyway!) Kennedy Space Centre is fantastic. It’s a bus journey away (prob an hour or so – can’t really remember) but if you think your son would be into it it’s well worth seeing. The thing you really need to be aware of is money – you need lots of it! I haven’t stayed in W Disney world but I presume lots of things are included in the price of the hotel. Buying toys etc in the parks can be very expensive. Everyone there is very helpful and more than happy to help if you have any questions when you’re there. Check out americanholidays.com. Enjoy yourself – I’d go back tomorrow if I could!
You may want to look into the dining plan. below is all disney menus and prices.
Make sure you know you are going to Walt Disney World, not Disneyland.
Use the Magic Express if you can. So easy, you don’t have to pick up your luggage and you son will enjoy the bus ride to the park. They have a video playing during the trip about the parks. Be sure your airline is a part of the Magic Express-disney can help you with that. they know which ones they use.
Even though you are going at a slow time, book some dining reservations. I recommend
Coral Reef- the whole wall is an aquarium- there are small sharks swimming by as you eat.
Crystal Palace for breakfast. they do Mickey Mouse pancakes.
50′s Prime Time Diner- too fun, the wait staff is wonderful.
You are not going to find discounts for tickets. We always get the Park Hopper which allows you to go to any and all four parks each day. Without it you can only go to one park per day- which with the two of you may work and is a way to save some money.
Be aware it takes time to get to the parks. So coming back to the resort for a nap can take over 30minutes. Just walking from the park, through the gates to the bus depot can take some time, then waiting for the bus, then the ride back, then the walk to your room.
Do make sure to do one or two late nights in the parks. The night time parade at Magic Kingdom is a must to see. And make sure to take him to Hollywood Studios for the Fantasmic show.
Also make sure to see Finding Nemo at Animal Kingdom. and Muppets 3D in Hollywood Studios.
You may think about getting a stroller. They have larger ones for “big” kids not babies. It is a LOT of walking. See how he does the first day.
Make sure to bring Sunscreen. Even in December the sun is hot and you will get burned. Bring everything you will need, like band aids, batteries for you camera and over the counter medications. Everything is expensive in the parks.
Most Disney packages require you to pay it off 45 days in advance. I think I had to put half down. Only book through disney for safety. Yes this is a good time to go. You may find deals on the resorts. There is never deals on park ticket prices.
You should be able to go on line to Disney and chat live with a Disney person who can answer all you questions.
Honestly I’d invest a few dollars in a good guide book. Considering all the money and time you’ll be spending, a few bucks for information is worth it. I suggest the Unofficial Guide to Disney, but there are others out there.
There are plenty of friendly and helpful folks here, but we can’t get into your head. You might see a piece of information that’s specific to you and think “that’s exactly what I needed to know!” Most people aren’t going to warn you about Winnie the Pooh just in case your son is terrified of honey pots or bouncing tigers
Deciding on a Disney hotel is a good move, especially since you’ve not traveled overseas before. All the Disney cast members actively *look* to help guests. Both Orlando and Disney are very friendly to tourists.
With the dates you have picked, you shouldn’t have any problems booking a room. Disney charges a deposit when you make reservations, like most motels here do. If you’re worried about the cost I’d call (or e-mail if that’s cheaper, link below) the Disney people directly and ask about their deposit/refund policy.
If there is a travel agent where you live, use their services. They can get you the best deals and advice, and they are trained for the job.
allears.net is a great resource for trips and menus for most of the restaurants
wdwinfo.com is another great resource. it can answer all the questions you have
please forgive me if this is obvious, but don’t forget your insurance; medical, cancellation, curtailment, luggage loss and scheduled airline failure. The last item usually costs only about £1 and will make all the difference if your airline goes bust. As you are putting the trip together yourself you have no ABTA protection so make sure you fill in the gaps.
Going to America without medical cover doesn’t bear thinking about – and if, perish the thought, you can’t go for any reason at least you will get your money back.
also do your entry visa waivers now while they are still free. Here is the list of requirements to be eligible for entry under the visa waiver
http://london.usembassy.gov/vwp3.html
and here is the site to apply on line – it took some finding, the google search leads to sites that charge. The application is free until Sep 8 so do it quickly!
http://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
hope this helps and that you have a fantastic trip.
Congrats on your first Disney trip! There is no place like it =)
The best advice I can give you is to book now- things get booked up fast and that goes for dining reservations as well. When you go to book your vacation, it can be put on hold for 7 days. After that, a $ 200 deposit is due. The rest of your trip payment will be due 45 days prior to your trip. If you want any help in planning/booking feel free to email me misty@magicalvacationplanner.com
Make sure to go to magic kingdom.
Use the fast pass system. (its free)
universal studios/ islands of adventure (the twin parks) are very fun
tips for magic kingdom:
starship cafe is really good for breakfast or lunch.
columbia harbor house is amazing for lunch or dinner
make sure to ride splash mountain, space mountain, thunder mountain, the haunted mansion, and pirates of the carribean- best rides there
HAVE FUN (: