planning a trip to WDW

[excusemeflow]

my family and I are gonna plan a trip to WDW in the summer (only time we can go) and have a couple of questions

1) wondering if theres a discounted rate on the hotels and resorts besides on the wdw website

2)the bus systems are they good for the magic extra hours(night), like are they still going to be there to drop us off back to the hotel when the park closes for the after hours

3) which is the nicest hotel to stay in? and which not so good ?

i have more questions but cant think of em now... thanks in advance

[ekmdisney]

Let's see if I can help you out just a little.

First...how many people do you have in your family?
Second...will this be your first trip? Or have you been before?
Third...Are you wanting to stay on property or off property.
Fourth...How many days are you wanting to spend at the resort.
Fifth...Is money an issue when it comes to your hotel?
Sixth... Is your family a member of AAA?

Ok, now on to your questions with general answers.

1) wondering if theres a discounted rate on the hotels and resorts besides on the wdw website

The web site is a good place to start...it will give you an idea of the prices expected for room and ticket packages. Now you can sometimes get some room only deals from your local newspaper in the travel section. You can also check out this site http://www.mousesavers.com/ they keep an eye out for deals on off property hotels and park tickets. When it comes to web site packages it is all about the math. Sit down and find out how much just a hotel room would be, then how much your park tickets will be, and if their is anything extra you are wanting to do, what places you are wanting to eat, and you also have to take a look at plane tickets. Add all those up and compare that to the packages on the WDW web site. You should also check out AAA, they some times offer up packages that are a small percent off what the WDW web site offers.

2)the bus systems are they good for the magic extra hours(night), like are they still going to be there to drop us off back to the hotel when the park closes for the after hours

The buses run 1 1/2 to 2 hours after the park closes (sometimes longer if needed). So if you are at a park that has the magic extra hours, then the buses and monorail will be running even longer to make sure those guest will be able to get back to their rooms. But you must know that only guest who can do the magic extra hours, be it the early hours or late hours, are those who are staying on Disney property hotels, be it value, moderate or deluxe. So if this is something you are wanting to do, and you are staying at the right hotel, then you will be able to get back to your room no problem.

3) which is the nicest hotel to stay in? and which not so good ?

Now this all depends on what you are looking for in a hotel room. The Disney property is made up of three different grades of hotels, each having some thing different from the other. The Value resorts are the cheapest of the set, they are made up of a small room with either two queen size beds or one king bed. The main buildings will have the front desk, a store and food court. They will also have two pools on property. The Moderate hotels, are the middle ground, they will also have rooms with either two queen beds or one king. The main building with have the front desk, a store and sit down restaurants. The deluxe are the largest, and have the most amenities. The deluxe hotels have villas, that can have a studio, one, two or thee bedroom. The main building will have rooms with either two queen beds or one king bed, some even offer rooms with queen beds and bunk beds. The main building will have the front desk, a store and restaurant. They also have themed pools as well as unthemed pools. Some of the deluxe hotels are also located on the monorail line; these are The Grand Floridian, The Contemporary, and The Polynesian. All the on property hotels have their pros and cons, it all just depends on what you are looking for. Now the only negatives I have really heard about are for the new Pop Century hotel (value resort) about the walls beinging really thin. And the value resorts are where a lot of the families go, so sometimes they can be really loud and crowed. But seeing how you are going during the summer, that can be said about all the hotels. How crowded all depends on what time in the summer you go.

[excusemeflow]

Let's see if I can help you out just a little.

First...how many people do you have in your family?
Second...will this be your first trip? Or have you been before?
Third...Are you wanting to stay on property or off property.
Fourth...How many days are you wanting to spend at the resort.
Fifth...Is money an issue when it comes to your hotel?
Sixth... Is your family a member of AAA?



1. there are 7-8 people that are going
2. we've been there before but its been a while
3. we want to stay on property
4. maybe a week
5. kind of we prefer around 100-150/night
6. yea

being a AAA member we get discounts? i have more questions but cant think of any

[ekmdisney]

With that many people going, you should look into renting DVC points from a DVC member, so you can stay at a DVC multi-room villa. The points normally run between $9 to $12 a point. I have seen them go for less, and I have seen them go for more. (Keep in mind that you can book a villa with out the points, but the starting price can be some where around $200 a night. So just do the math.)

Here is a link to another Disney Fan site that I am a member of. There they have a thread that DVC members offer up their points for rent. What will happen if you go this rout, is the DVC member will make the reservations for you, in your name, then you will pay the member. Just make sure you read everything before going this rout.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=29#DVC-MAIN-rent-trade

Another thing you should look into is a Disney Package for the Magical Gatherings, since you will have 8 people. I think that is the minimum to for the gatherings.

Official web site link: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/experience/experienceLanding?id=MagicalGatheringsEx periencePage

Something else to think about is getting a Disney Package with the Dinning plan. With a group that big, it will save you some money on food. Because the dinning plan offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack each day of your visit for I believe, $40 to $45 an adult, a little less for children.

As for AAA, yes, you should be able to save some money with them. All you have do to is book your trip with them, and you will be able to save a little bit of money. Go to their web site and see what they have up last time I checked them out, they had a pretty good package up. They also sell just the park tickets, or you can just book a room with them.

But it is all in the math. For me I have found that I save money by booking my room and buying my park tickets separate. And not doing a package.

You need to ask your self what all are you wanting to do:

Are you just wanting to do the parks?
Do you want to do the water parks?
Would you like to do a character breakfast or dinner?
Do you want to do the boat rentals, play golf, do a spa?

But here is some news on a new package that has just come out, http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneypackages.htm it includes your room, tickets, and if you like the dinning plan. These are the type of packages you should keep your eye out for, and they also show up in your local travel section of the paper. And keep in mind with that many people you, if you can't go the villa root, you will be needing a minimum of two rooms.

Anything else just let me know.

[excusemeflow]

thanks for the info and help... we'll mostly go to only parks and we'll prolly go for the package deal from the wdw website can't wait for the summer haha
one more question when is a good time to book the vacation for july or august?

[ekmdisney]

I think you should start thinking about where you want to stay, and where you are wanting to eat now...and with that big of group, where you want to eat needs a lot of thought.

I think you should pick up a copy of Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Guide book. It has info on every hotel, restaurant and ride in the resort. As well as some helpful hint on how to handle the park during the crowded summer months.

I think some time in mid to late Feb into March you should make your package reservations. But keep your eye out for package codes, if something pops up here soon for the time you are going then book it then. Also in mid-feb in to march you should start making your ADR (Advance Dinner Reservations.) You will need these at any of the sit down restaurants in the resort, be the restaurant at the park or at one of the resort hotels. Also you will need adrs for character meals. Some places book up months in advance so you have to figure out what it is you would like to do, and plan to be a little flexible on some of the dates and times of the meals. But with you going during the summer I can not stress how much you need to do this before you go. You will have no problems with counter service...other than the lines.