Disney Vacation Questions

Hello I've been three times and I'm sure I'll bring them again. We have the best time every year. Last time we went was in January. Our kids are 1yr,2yr,5yr,and 15yrs old. They all loved it. We did the dining plan so we could do character meals every time. The odest loves the food and the youngest is occupied staring at the characters. Yes its true your four yr old won't remember alot so if you plan on only going once in your kids life I'd wait. If you think you're able to go again then their faces when they see these characters are priceless. Even my one yr old knows who most of them are. It is alot of planning. First time we went I didn't know to plan and alot of time is spent walking around wondering what to do. Librarys have Birnbaum books on disney and the unofficial guide. Also mousesavers.com has info on everything. They also have others sites that give you info on size of the crowds in each park. They have transportation but we always rent a car. The couple times we've taken the buses with as many little kids as we have its crazy. If you stay at the cheaper resorts(which the rooms are just as nice) the buses are very crowded and you can't sit together and the double stroller ended on my lap when I was 7mths pregant,the kids were at the front of the bus and I was at the back!! Plus this time one of them got an ear infection and we went to the Walgreen clinic,which was great!!It's alot of prep but completely worth it. Hope this helps a little. Good Luck!

Speaking as someone whose only trip to Disney was when I was five, I would say "Wait a couple more years." Much of the fun is reliving it later as you grow up, and I can barely remember what happened. If I had gone at 4 or younger, I would have remembered nothing. There's plenty there for older kids, and even teens and adults.
Also: be sure to send away for the free "Disney World Planning DVD" for a video tour of the park. It's a little corny at times, but useful. Also: Chase offers a "Disney Rewards" Visa, where regular purchases get you Disney Dollars.

We took our little guy when he was 14 months and he went on just about everything we did. Disney resorts have transportation to/from the parks.

Hi there Yvette, if you are local and want to get together perhaps to meet @ McD's or somewhere, I / we can answer all of these questions for you very very easily; we've been numerous times, are Vacation Club Members, and have traveled with our two kids from infancy to present... reply back and we can set something up if you like. :-) Take care.

You will have a blast! We just went at the end of January with my son who had just turned 5, and a 21 month old. I think it is such a great time to go for your 4 year old, you don't want to miss that magical moment. It is all so real for them still at that age. So, go now, and a few years from now. :) There aren't many discounts on park tickets. I just did a search on yahoo for discount disney tickets and found a place a few bucks cheaper than the others. Check out disboards.com as they have tons of advice and info on discounts and everything else. Become a member of mousesavers.com and they send you a newsletter every month with discounts on stuff. There is discounts on tickets, but I found it cheaper somewhere else. I also bought the Unoffical Guide to Disney and that is full of valuable tips. It is long, so start reading now. I thought the Disney Planning DVD was kind of a waste, but maybe that is just me. Kids 2 and under are free at the parks and at any character buffet. So, the buffets are pricey but it's nice that the wee little ones are free.

We love Disneyworld!!! My husband and I went there in '06 when I was pregnant. Then in April last year we took our then 4 month old to Sea world and Busch gardens. Then in Sept we went to Disneyland in CA. We are planning to take our now 15 month old there in May again. There is a lot for them to do, especially at Magic Kingdom. Kids under 2 are free. Go to the Disney website and it has all the info. The Magic Express goes from the airport right to your hotel and your bags appear a few hours later if you stay on the disney grounds. Then just take the hotel shuttle to and from parks. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside last time. I guess if you want your baby to remember it I wouldn't waste the money but we go because my husband and I love it as well. There are lots of rides for older people too if you have someone to watch the baby while you ride that is the best so you can experience those things too or just take turns. My son loved to just sit on our laps and look around at everything and he loved riding dumbo, carosel, pirates, haunted mansion, and any other ride like that.

Yvette,
We just went to Disney for the first time in December with my 4yr old son and 14 month old daughter. I bought a book, Burnbaum's book about disney. It talks about all of the resorts, the dining packages, and hopper passes. It was very helpful. Any child under 2 is free. The best thing we did was the park hopper where u can go to multiple parks in the same day. The park hopper pass was for everyday we were there. We also go the dining meal plan. I highly recommend this. The meal plan consists of 2 options, the 1st option was table service, tray service, and 2 snacks per person per day. The other option is three table services and 2 snacks per person per day. There are different things to do for anyone of all ages. All disney resorts offer shuttle buses to all disney theme parks as well as throughout the actual resort.

Hi Yvette,

The previous poster, Scott, mentioned the Disney Planning DVD. That's the way to go, Disney world can be overwhelming if you do not know all of your options (And, oh, there are so many options for everyone). Go online, and request the free DVD.

Best of Luck,
A.

At Disney kids 2 and younger are free. You have to start paying for them when they are 3.