Disney parks - Orlando

[ShirleyL]

Hi, just wondering if I could get some advice. We are in Florida at the minute as dd is getting medical treatment. We will be here for about another 5 or 6 weeks at least.

We were thinking of heading to disney for a weekend but I am utterly clueless as to where to get tickets, where to stay etc. I have tried to look at a few online sites but it seems to be crazy money for a weekend so i'm sure I have to be doing something wrong.

We would like to stay at a hotel as close to disney as possible, would like fast passes as there is no way dd could queue for hours on end, something to do with the disney princesses, this would really make her weekend, she's 4 years old.

Any advice would be great, as I said i'm totally clueless.
Thabks

Reference accommodation, I'd recommend Loyalty homes who rent luxury villas within 4 miles of Disney. www.loyaltyusa.com. They sometimes have late availability deals.

For tickets I'd recommend Kissimmee Guest services www.kgstickets.com They are a small company based in Celebration, just a few miles from Disney. Celebration is a lovely little 'town' just off the 192.

We go to Florida regularly as have a villa there (managed by Loyalty). We went last October/November when DD was 4 and did a few princessy things. We did breakfast with Cinderella and other princesses at Cinderellas castle in Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately it is unlikely you'd be able to get a booking now as most people book months in advance but why not give it a go, you never know, its probably off season for most people now.

The other option, is to book bippity boppity boutique. This is a fabulous princess makeover which can be done at either Magic Kingdom or downtown Disney (probably more chance of booking at downtown Disney) Your little girl is turned into a princess and there are various packages available which range from just hair and nails to the full makeover including a dress and shoes of their choice (not cheap but fabulous) DD did it at downtown Disney in the morning and was invited to be in the Princess Parade at 2pm, was a fabulous day. Both can be booked through the main Disneyworld website.

If DD is undergoing treatment, you should be eligible for a guest assistance card (GAC) which is for visitors with special needs or medical conditions which makes queueing difficult. It will allow you to the front of queues. I think you just beef to bring a doctors letter to guest services when you arrive.

just beef? just have to

There is loads of cheap hotel accom near Disney. Try something like Expedia.com or a chain like Holiday Inn Express.

The tickets are horribly expensive, sorry. Try looking at the park packages where you maybe get two days two parks.

Fast passes you get once you are in the parks by going to little machine with your entry tickets. Hopefully queues will not be that long at this time of year. We went the week before Whit weekend last year & the queues were so short they weren't even doing fastpasses for them.
I think we queued 20 mins for photos with 4 princesses (in a sort of tent) near Barnstormer (?) ride within Disney Magic Kingdom. They are quite happy for you to take your own pics & include mum etc.

The boutique princess experience is also horribly expensive....& think looking like an American 4 yr old ready for a beauty pageant with the slap on (awaits flaming).

mumoverseas thank you very much, I will look it up now, are you able to collect the tickets directly from them?

electricslide yes she is getting proton therapy as she has cancer, that's very useful info i'm sure it will be no problem getting a doctor's letter

munstermum I actually laughed out loud when I read your comment, is it really that bad? I think maybe she would love getting dressed up but she has such sensitive skin I don't think i'd let them put anything else on her.

Thank you for all your replies

ShirleyL did you get my PM?

You can collect the tickets from KGS's offices in Celebration. They open at 8am and we picked ours up and went straight to Magic Kingdom and it saved having to queue up there. we found that if you go when it opens and have a child dressed as a princess they sometimes get invited to join the opening show dances they do at the park gate. Have to get there early though.

Ref princess makeover, you don't have to have them look like an american beauty queen. DD only had a tiny bit of lipstick but had her hair and nails done and looked lovely.

sorry, just seen your PM reply. Please don't hesitate to call them, I have said you might phone. Please make use of it x

If you don't get into a princess meal in the castle, try Akershus in Norway in Epcot, they do a princess meal too and it's a bit less busy.

Hope your DD gets well soon.

Shirley hope the treatment goes well & you all have a fab break at Disney.

Thanks everyone again, and thank you mumoverseas , as I said I was totally clueless and I was just getting more confused the more I looked.

I will take all of your advice and have a fab weekend with dd.

x

the GAC works really well, and you do not (technically) have to take any proof - they are not legally allowed ot ask for it, I believe.

we went a few weeks ago, and just headed straight for Guest Services after entry. we got a card that covered our stay (a week, for us) - at each ride/attraction we showed the card and got to enter via the fast pass queue.

Disney take great pains ot point out it is not a way to skip queues - you are directed into the fast pass/disabled queue, and may have to wait a while.

the longest we waited anywhere was 20 mins, and even then it was in a shaded area, or inside in airconned bliss.

We didn't find that Cinderella's Royal tabe was that great, tbh (we did a lot of character meals!) - next time we go we will try Arkershus at Epcot Norway. We met loads of princesses when at Epcot - lots of meet and greets (but the GAC doesn't work for these - you take your chances liek everyone else)

One tip: they had just startd doing Storybook Princesses meets just inside the gates to the Magic Kingdom - on the right hand side as you enter (think it is the Old Theatre, or something) - these had less queues as people did not know they were there. we did have to wait a while, prob around 25 mins - but once in, the girls went form one princess to the next to the next (Belle, Cinders and Aurora iirc) and they all spent loads of time chatting.

I know you said you wanted Princesses, but Chef Mickey's was a great character meal - my girls really loved it.