TRAVELS
Travels To Disney With A Two and Four Year Old
Disney World First Timers
I have never been one to plan for travel beyond booking a room but I am so glad I did for our Disney World trip. This was a first trip to Disney World for our two and four year old boys.Their Father and I had not been for many, many years so basically it was a first time for us too. You may be wondering why we would take a two and four year old; aren't they to young? Well, yes and no. The two year old was free and the four year old was still under children's pricing. They may not remember the trip in years to come but their father and I will treasure the memories always. The one recommendation I can give for first timers is DO YOUR RESEARCH AND PLAN FOR EVERYTHING..
Resources
Some of the best resources for planning your trip to Disney World is by word of mouth. You may know people who have already gone and you can get valuable info from them. You can purchase travel books (or you can borrow one from your sister) that provide a lot of information. Another way is to utilize blogs or other internet resources. I became a regular on these sites as I planned our trip. These are free sites with helpful information such as places to eat, stay, specials, and predicted crowd levels.
http://www.mousesavers.com/
http://www.disboards.com/
http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/
http://allears.net/index.htm
http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide/2/Walt-Disney-World
This is a pay site that gives you valuable information
http://touringplans.com/
The book that I used is very detailed
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
http://www.mousesavers.com/
http://www.disboards.com/
http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/
http://allears.net/index.htm
http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide/2/Walt-Disney-World
This is a pay site that gives you valuable information
http://touringplans.com/
The book that I used is very detailed
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
Best and Worst Time To Go
If you have flexibility with the time you can go there are many "low crowd" times. Some of the best times are:
Mid November through Mid December (except for the week of Thanksgiving)
Second week of January through Mid February
First three weeks of May
Late August and entire month of September
We went during the end of September. We chose that time because of the free dining plan which was a great money saver. The free dining plan is typically offered in the fall. Keep a look out for that. Being September in the South it was still extremely hot 95 degrees and above but the crowds were extremely low. We did not have to wait in line over 10 minutes or we obtained a fast pass (which is the way to ride the lines if there is a crowd).
The Worst Times To Go
December 26-31
Mid February through mid April
Midsummer-(June through early August)
Of course holidays and special events will be crowed. Many of the resources have specific dates to crowd levels.
Mid November through Mid December (except for the week of Thanksgiving)
Second week of January through Mid February
First three weeks of May
Late August and entire month of September
We went during the end of September. We chose that time because of the free dining plan which was a great money saver. The free dining plan is typically offered in the fall. Keep a look out for that. Being September in the South it was still extremely hot 95 degrees and above but the crowds were extremely low. We did not have to wait in line over 10 minutes or we obtained a fast pass (which is the way to ride the lines if there is a crowd).
The Worst Times To Go
December 26-31
Mid February through mid April
Midsummer-(June through early August)
Of course holidays and special events will be crowed. Many of the resources have specific dates to crowd levels.
Where to Stay
Well, where you want to stay is personal preference unless you get the dining plan. If you are on the dining plan you must stay in one of Disney's resorts. All the resorts have different pricing depending on the time that you go. We stayed at Disney All Star Movie Resort. I chose that one because they had a Toy Story theme building and the boys are all into Toy Story. I think it was around $80 a night plus taxes. But I do have to say that the boys were scared of the giant Buzz and Woody and would not go and look at the figures.
The rooms were very clean but very small. Also, the buss system was great about getting around. We did not get in our vehicle the whole stay. The boys like to ride the bus too, often they fell asleep. That was good and bad. For instance you did not have to worry about getting them to sleep when back in the room but then you had to contend with getting the strollers out and setting them up while holding sleeping boys. Another good point about All Star Movie Resort was that it was on the end of the bus line. At the end of the day you did not have to worry about tripping over people trying to get off. Start your day early to avoid the crowed bus.
The rooms were very clean but very small. Also, the buss system was great about getting around. We did not get in our vehicle the whole stay. The boys like to ride the bus too, often they fell asleep. That was good and bad. For instance you did not have to worry about getting them to sleep when back in the room but then you had to contend with getting the strollers out and setting them up while holding sleeping boys. Another good point about All Star Movie Resort was that it was on the end of the bus line. At the end of the day you did not have to worry about tripping over people trying to get off. Start your day early to avoid the crowed bus.
Our Favorites and Not So Favorite
While at Disney we went to 4 parks Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. We upgraded our tickets to a park hopper so we could go to more that one park a day but it was not necessary. We only used it once to go eat breakfast at one park that we had already been to and then we went to another park. And really that was a last minute change. Below are some of our favorites for each park
Magic Kingdom
Jungle Cruise, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ( when we went Mickeys Toontown Fair was closed for construction)
Epcot
The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion, Soarin(one of our favorites) and Living with the Land. Honestly Epcot was our least favorite parks aside from Soarin. There was not a lot for small children to do and it was probably the Hottest parks it was miserable!
Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safaris (great!),Wildlife Express Train (not much to it but the boys loved it). We also saw some shows. I was worried that the boys might not sit sill but I was wrong! They LOVED them. Finding Nemo-The Musical, Festival of the Lion King (The Best) if you go to this one sit on the end of the isles. This is where the characters stay. They also have audience participation. They asked the boys but they would not go.
Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Mania,(not many rides) shows-Playhouse Disney Live on Stage(boys loved it), Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppet Vision 3-D, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (was disappointed with this one) It had rained and they came on and said that they could not complete some of the stunts but even up to the big stunts it was very slow and not very exciting. Maybe it was because of the weather.
You would see various characters through out the park and there were specific spots to get pictures but the boys were afraid and hid. Well, I should say my 4 year old was and what ever he does the 2 year old does. We did get a picture of the 4 year old shaking Mickeys hand but not more than that. I scheduled some character dining and the 4 year old hid under the table. The 2 year old eventually got brave and started shaking the characters hands.
Magic Kingdom
Jungle Cruise, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ( when we went Mickeys Toontown Fair was closed for construction)
Epcot
The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion, Soarin(one of our favorites) and Living with the Land. Honestly Epcot was our least favorite parks aside from Soarin. There was not a lot for small children to do and it was probably the Hottest parks it was miserable!
Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safaris (great!),Wildlife Express Train (not much to it but the boys loved it). We also saw some shows. I was worried that the boys might not sit sill but I was wrong! They LOVED them. Finding Nemo-The Musical, Festival of the Lion King (The Best) if you go to this one sit on the end of the isles. This is where the characters stay. They also have audience participation. They asked the boys but they would not go.
Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Mania,(not many rides) shows-Playhouse Disney Live on Stage(boys loved it), Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppet Vision 3-D, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (was disappointed with this one) It had rained and they came on and said that they could not complete some of the stunts but even up to the big stunts it was very slow and not very exciting. Maybe it was because of the weather.
You would see various characters through out the park and there were specific spots to get pictures but the boys were afraid and hid. Well, I should say my 4 year old was and what ever he does the 2 year old does. We did get a picture of the 4 year old shaking Mickeys hand but not more than that. I scheduled some character dining and the 4 year old hid under the table. The 2 year old eventually got brave and started shaking the characters hands.
Great Vacation
This was a great family vacation. They boys will see an ad for Disney World and say we went there and start talking about the trip. I am so glad we went even though they were so young. We will have many wonderful memories.
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UPDATE: 2012 Specials Save 15% to 20% at Disney Resorts during select dates: Save 20% during February 21-8 and April 13-June 14(except May 25-27 ) Save 15% during March 9-31 and May 25-27 Book through January 22, 2012 for stays most nights February 21 to March 31 Book through February 28, 2012 for stays most nights April 13 to June 14, 2012 Purchase a non-discounted 3-night, 3-day Magic Your Way package at select Disney Resort hotels for arrivals most nights February 26 to March 10, 2012 and get One More Disney Day and night for free. Book through January 31, 2012. 2012 Booking specials If you book through Book It you can save up to $25 using their Promo Code. I actually saw the promo on one of the ads from another hub. I went to Book It web site and tried to find the code there but could not. I did not spend a lot of time looking though. If you book a Disney World Package through Orlando Vacation .com they will upgrade all 3 day base tickets and park hopper tickets to 5 day passes |
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Disney World Dining Tips
All Star Movies Resort
Food Court
Dining Plan
Preparing for our recent trip to Disney World with our two and four old boys I was concerned about dining. You see, my very picky eaters for the most part only eat chicken and fries. Well, I should say my four year sticks with chicken and fries , my two year old is a little more adventurous. I was mainly concerned with the cost knowing how expensive it would be. Then as I was booking the package I discovered that free dining was available during the time we were going in September.
The free dining plan was available for quick service meals ( hamburgers, pizza etc) at the parks and Disney resorts which was a great deal. As I was talking to the Disney representative she asked me If I wanted to upgrade to the full dining plan. The full dining plan consisted of sit down meals at various restaurants and some resorts. This up grade cost was only about $13 more a day for me and my husband and $4 for the 4 year old and the 2 year old was free. I thought that we may get tired of hamburgers and we could not eat a restaurant for $13 so it was worth it. I also thought this would be a great opportunity for the boys to eat with their favorite characters in a character dining restaurant which was quiet an experience which I will get to later.
Preparing for our recent trip to Disney World with our two and four old boys I was concerned about dining. You see, my very picky eaters for the most part only eat chicken and fries. Well, I should say my four year sticks with chicken and fries , my two year old is a little more adventurous. I was mainly concerned with the cost knowing how expensive it would be. Then as I was booking the package I discovered that free dining was available during the time we were going in September.
The free dining plan was available for quick service meals ( hamburgers, pizza etc) at the parks and Disney resorts which was a great deal. As I was talking to the Disney representative she asked me If I wanted to upgrade to the full dining plan. The full dining plan consisted of sit down meals at various restaurants and some resorts. This up grade cost was only about $13 more a day for me and my husband and $4 for the 4 year old and the 2 year old was free. I thought that we may get tired of hamburgers and we could not eat a restaurant for $13 so it was worth it. I also thought this would be a great opportunity for the boys to eat with their favorite characters in a character dining restaurant which was quiet an experience which I will get to later.
Disney Food Blog
Planning Your Dining Experience
Scheduling your dining is easy enough, just go to Disney World's web site http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ research the different restaurants and make your reservations. The follow is the 2012 guidelines. Keep in mind if you want Character dining is 1 table service credit. If you pick a restaurant that says "signature" dining that is 2 credits. The guidelines below was taken from Disney's web site for 2012.
1 Table-Service Meal
Each (adult or child) table-service meal includes:
Each quick-service meal includes:
Examples of snacks are:
Dining Plan
Disney World Quick Service
Scheduling your dining is easy enough, just go to Disney World's web site http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ research the different restaurants and make your reservations. The follow is the 2012 guidelines. Keep in mind if you want Character dining is 1 table service credit. If you pick a restaurant that says "signature" dining that is 2 credits. The guidelines below was taken from Disney's web site for 2012.
1 Table-Service Meal
Each (adult or child) table-service meal includes:
- 1 entrée
- 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
- 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
- 1 full buffet
Each quick-service meal includes:
- 1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
- 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
- 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
Examples of snacks are:
- 1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice
Dining Plan
Disney World Quick Service
Crystal Palace
Our Picks
When we went in 2011 three of us had one quick service, one snack and one sit down credit. Our 2 year old was supposed to eat of of a parents plate. Once there I quickly learned that at the buffets he could have his own plate and they would bring him his own drink. I chose character buffet dining for our sit down meals thinking that the boys would love to see their favorite television characters .The quick service meals were used at the hotel food court which was good but was limited. We stayed at All Star Movie Resort which I think is one of the smaller resorts with food courts which may explain the limited choices (or we were just picky:).
The restaurants I chose were:
Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios. Their characters were June and Leo from Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso. These were some of the boys favorite characters and I was looking forward to see their reactions. I was not expecting them to hide under the table which they did. Especially the 4 year old. We actually went here twice. Once for lunch and once for breakfast. I thought by the second time my 4 year old would be used to seeing the characters and would not hide under the table...not so much! My 2 year old was getting brave and started shaking hands with the characters.
Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom for lunch. Their characters were Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger.The boys hid under the table here too. The 2 year old did shake Poohs hand.
Both restaurants had a great variety of food but I liked Crystal Palace for lunch better than Hollywood and Vine. We really enjoyed Hollywood and Vine for breakfast though the boys enjoyed the waffles shaped like Mickey.
I tried to choose earlier times for us to eat because I did know how long the boys would last. I like the early times because you could enter the parks before they opened and could look around some without the crowd. It was also nice to have first dibbs on the buffet.
When we went in 2011 three of us had one quick service, one snack and one sit down credit. Our 2 year old was supposed to eat of of a parents plate. Once there I quickly learned that at the buffets he could have his own plate and they would bring him his own drink. I chose character buffet dining for our sit down meals thinking that the boys would love to see their favorite television characters .The quick service meals were used at the hotel food court which was good but was limited. We stayed at All Star Movie Resort which I think is one of the smaller resorts with food courts which may explain the limited choices (or we were just picky:).
The restaurants I chose were:
Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios. Their characters were June and Leo from Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso. These were some of the boys favorite characters and I was looking forward to see their reactions. I was not expecting them to hide under the table which they did. Especially the 4 year old. We actually went here twice. Once for lunch and once for breakfast. I thought by the second time my 4 year old would be used to seeing the characters and would not hide under the table...not so much! My 2 year old was getting brave and started shaking hands with the characters.
Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom for lunch. Their characters were Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger.The boys hid under the table here too. The 2 year old did shake Poohs hand.
Both restaurants had a great variety of food but I liked Crystal Palace for lunch better than Hollywood and Vine. We really enjoyed Hollywood and Vine for breakfast though the boys enjoyed the waffles shaped like Mickey.
I tried to choose earlier times for us to eat because I did know how long the boys would last. I like the early times because you could enter the parks before they opened and could look around some without the crowd. It was also nice to have first dibbs on the buffet.
Travel Books
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