Walt Disney World…Where do I begin? Maybe I could start with the fact that Matt, the kids and I are STILL talking about a trip we went on over a month ago now. The kids daily have conversations like, “If Disney World was our house, we wouldn’t have to stand in line for Soaring (or insert other favorite ride).” Or of course, “When can we go back to Disney World?”
I could also start by answering the first question we usually get asked…No, we did NOT take Frances with us, and we are 100% glad that we left her behind (love you FEB, but it’s the truth!). That being said, what works for one family may not work for another. I have lots of friends who have taken children Frances’ age without any complaints. And much to my surprise, there were LOTS of people at the parks with newborns, yes, newborns. And there were SO many pregnant women, I almost couldn’t believe it. AGAIN, I conclude, what works for one family, may not work for another. And I think that’s the biggest lesson I learned!
That being said, I thought it would be fun to capture our feedback in a post (or it may be a few) as a starting point for any of you hoping to plan a trip to Disney World!
Here are the details of our trip….
How many months in advance we booked: 3 months
Hotel: The Contemporary
Meal Plan: Deluxe (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks)
Tickets: Park Hopper, 4 days
Parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood
Transportation: Airplane (and car…we were able to book a really cheap flight out of Panama City, so we had to drive to and from there)
Travel dates: December 1-5 (Thursday-Monday)
Feedback on the above....
How far in advance to book: Three months at the least, especially during the peak seasons! And at least this far in advance, for meal reservations.
Hotel: We were 100% pleased with the hotel. I’ve stayed at the pricey and not so pricey “in the park” hotels as well as “off campus” hotels, and the number one things we like about the Contemporary is its convenience. It’s within walking distance to Magic Kingdom, and the monorail (which runs right through the hotel) conveniently drops you off at Magic Kingdom and Epcot (although Epcot requires hopping off one monorail and getting on another.)
The Contemporary is supposedly one of the nicest hotels on the Disney properties, and the rooms were comfy and very nice, but quite frankly we spent MUCH more time at the parks than in the room. And when we were in the room, we were SO tired, we would have slept on a log if we had to!
Take Away: If you can, pay for the convenience of the closest hotels. You will appreciate it, especially when your kids are tired and melting down as you leave the parks late at night. Plus you already have to stand in enough lines at the park. No need to always be waiting in line for a bus just to get to the park, like you would have to do at the more distant hotels.
Matt carrying Kathryn to the monorail after a long day at the parks.Meal Plan: 75% pleased. We will probably do this a bit differently next time. The pros included having all of our meals paid for ahead of time and having TONS of food at our disposal. The cons included having TONS of food at our disposal. We honestly had a hard time using up all of our meals, and about 8 of our “snacks” included candy we brought home as “souvenirs.” Each adult meal on the deluxe plan included an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I mean who eats like that at breakfast, lunch and dinner??? After about the fifth ice cream sundae, even this dessert lover was screaming uncle. Not to mention, the food isn’t exactly haute cuisine!
Take Away: For us, we will definitely use the meal plan again, but probably not purchase as many (Maybe 2 adults and 2 children if we go back with the five of us or bring our own breakfast foods, and only purchase lunch and dinner). Whatever the combination, the convenience and accountability of already having our food paid for outweighed the inconvenience of “having” to eat all of THAT food!
Character breakfast at Hollywood and Vine, Hollywood Studios
Tickets: 100% pleased with spending the extra money on the park hopper tickets. We went to multiple parks each day we were there. Wouldn’t do this any other way!
Parks: We only went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. We did not go to Animal Kingdom simply because the kids were so captivated by Magic Kingdom, and much to our surprise Epcot, that we spent all of our time riding (and re-riding)the attractions at these two parks. We were pleased with Hollywood Studios too, but one day of hitting most of the attractions there was enough.
Take Away: Is there a bad park? I don’t think so. We will definitely go to Animal Kingdom next time. It just didn’t fit into this trip’s schedule. Don’t underestimate Epcot. Our kids LOVED it. In fact, some of their favorite attractions were at this park.
Kathryn hanging out with Bruce (Finding Nemo), Epcot
Transportation: This is definitely a personal preference. We had a three hour drive and an hour flight. Add in stops, parking, etc., etc. and we probably could have driven there in the same amount of time. I think driving will be our mode of transportation next trip. Mostly because we had to wake up EXTREMELY early on our departure day to catch a bus to the airport which after multiple days of pure exhaustion was hard to do. Also, when you drive, you can bring snacks and drinks with you. Plus, my husband says parking at the hotels is not extra, so I am pretty sure the it is much more cost effective to drive!
Travel dates: We may never go to Disney World any other time of the year! It was perfect. Lines were extremely short (the longest we waited was 30 minutes and that was for Space Mountain), everything was decorated for Christmas, and well, as I said, it was just perfect.
Take Away: Definitely put some thought into when you book your trip. Obviously, avoid major holidays and spring break times (which is basically all of March and April). Summer can be precarious because of the heat (not to mention the crowds). We had upper 60’s/low 70’s at the first of December and it was glorious!
OK. Hope that wasn’t TMI. I’ll be back soon with the fun stuff….our favorites from the trip and some helpful tips!
Notice the Minnie buggy too! Oh, my! And you should see her when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on! She gets so excited and starts saying, "Mimmy, Mimmy." 
