Anyone got a Disney World/Florida holiday planned? Part 3

[McKayz]

I thought I'd start a new thread as number 2 is nearly full.

Links to old threads:

thread 1

thread 2

We haven't got ours booked yet. But we are planning on going August 2016. DH and I both turn 30 in the next 11 months so it's like a big birthday holiday.

Hula, thanks very much for the tips re water rides.

What is the best way to get from Disney to international drive / universal / Seaworld .? Without a car.

And please could anyone tell me if Boardwalk resort is the same as boardwalk inn.?!

Has anyone been during feb half term?
Husband has got that month off, so the only time we can go really.

We went early jan this year, lovely. Can't wait to go again?

Blatant place marking as we are going in august and I clearly have some catching up to do. App? Pre-booking of fast passes? Is this all limited to those staying in Disney hotels? After much price comparison we have gone for a villa...

We're going in 104 days - yippee!

We've been before in March, September and December so we feel we need to do summer too. We know it will be madly hot but we're staying on site (at the beach and yacht club) so can have naps, swims in the afternoon.

We have stayed at animal kingdom lodge, bay lake tower and pop century. Pop century was our tester and we loved it and then bought DVC so we could go again but in better accommodation for a cheaper price. The DVC properties are fantastic, more like flats with proper kitchen facilities etc. We tend to do an online delivery (via the garden grocer) which Disney look after for us until we get there.

We all absolutely love it.

Stealth, you can use fastpass if you're in a villa. You can't book until 30 days though (it's 60 if you're on site). I'd go on the Disney site and decide which ones you want and then be ready to go at midnight at 30 days. Use the time difference to your advantage and you will probably get all the passes you want. For the items you don't get, I'd be there at rope drop (opening time) as you can get in the queue first. Also, MK do a little too drop show which is quite lovely. Be careful you check when extra magic hours for Disney guests are though as they wont let you on rides at those times and they are sometimes first thing.

Thanks. I shal read the rest of the thread in search of all the other top tips which I should know (we have been before, but not for 9 years and this is the first time with a villa)

Wicketwoo We are DVC members too.

DH changed jobs last year and cannot take any school holidays as annual leave now, except February half-term.

We had some points left over that I can't bank, as they were borrowed and then our plans changed.

I am now taking our youngest children to Saratoga Springs for May half-term. It was the only resort available 4 months out.

It will be a very different holiday as I will be 19 weeks pregnant. DS is only 4 so he won't be able to ride Splash Mountain etc without me. Hoping to keep him so busy that he forgets about his favourite rides.

Hi all

Posted on this thread last year under another name, we went to Florida in September 2015 on our honeymoon and are going back this September!

Not doing Disney this time round though, last time we done Disney and Universal this time we are doing Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica. We are also going down to Miami for a couple of days!

Can't wait! Just hoping the exchange rate on dollars goes up soon

We stay in Kissimmee

For those asking about fast passes we had them last year and where staying in a condo, we really wanted a fast pass for toy story midway mania but just couldn't get one, however we had an unplanned day at Disney and when I looked at the fast pass app there was availability for the toy story ride! So it pays to keep checking if you can't get the ride you want

I wasn't sure what all the fuss was about though I didn't think midway mania was that good!

We've been in Feb and loved it! T-shirts & shorts weather most of the time but the odd day where you might want jeans and a cardi. Fab low crowds as long as it doesn't coincide with Spring Break or Presidents Week.

Also just wanted to point out that it's not midnight that you need for Fast Passes, it's 5am UK time (ie. midnight Florida time). You only really need to do this if you want Anna & Elsa or Mine Train (both of which are very unlikely at 30 days out). You should be able to get everything else (MissJM, you were very unlucky not to get Toy Story! Must've been a busy time as it's usually readily available at 30 days).

Just as an update, after a bloody amazing trip, Star Tours was awesome and my 5yo adored it (as did I ) He got to do Jedi training and fought Darth Vader, which I suspect he will remember when he's got grandchildren!

Top tips I would pass on - don't plan Fast passes for too early in the day. Be at the entrance to the MK 45 mins before it opens and then head straight to whichever ride you really want once the rope drops. We got straight into Peter Pan, Mine Train and Space Mountain on different days with minimal wait.

If you're aiming for Jedi training at HS, the park opened for people to queue for that a good 50 mins early. If we'd not arrived at HS until it opened there's no way we'd have got into the academy. We then used the rest of the time before the rides opened to queue to meet Chewbacca

The first boat from Fort Wilderness to the MK isn't until 8.30, which is useless if you want to be there early and run to a busy ride as soon as the rope drops, but if you get a boat to the Contemporary (which run from 6.45 or so) you can walk 5 mins along to the MK or catch the monorail.

The Memory Maker really is a nice little extra - we got loads of really lovely photos grandparent presents for years to come

And they are not joking when they say you may get soaked on the Kali River Rapids in the AK... One person per raft gets drenched... I could not have been wetter if they'd just thrown a barrel of water over me. Fortunately the weather was warm but that would have been wretched on a cool day.

Penguin - my daughter is dead set on becoming a Jedi.

(it's my career ambition too)

We're going to visit HS on our first day and there's EMH in the morning. Do I just run straight there and queue? Do you have to keep the kid with you?

You absolutely need to be there first thing - we were allowed in to queue for the JTA at 8.10 with the park opening at 9 - we had no idea at the time, we were just following the crowds . We got to the front about 8.50 and the queue behind us then was insane.

And yes, the child needs to be with you, they won't get booked in otherwise.

Ooh bit of a placemark. We're going in July. Have a villa, flights and a car all booked but completely overwhelmed about all the park stuff. Not the type of holiday DH and I like but we've got 3 DC and thought we'd better do it at some point!!

Will grab a and have a good read through the 3 threads!!!!

Less than 100 days. Need to deal with my porky self ready for the walking and swimming. Couldn't give a toss how I look, just need the stamina to last the long parks days .

I'm also getting mentally prepared for FP booking. Is it 60 days before? I might have asked this already... Also, how many can you book at a time? I need to draw up a plan of action. It's like designing a one-woman military campaign that the family will just drift through, oblivious to the blood, sweat, tears and saving that has gone on to make it all possible.

Do you think it's fair for the organiser to have a spa weekend on return from Disney as a reward for pulling it off?

Lyndie I thought it was the kind of holiday I wouldn't like. It sucks you in. Be warned. I'm on trip number 3 now.

Kali River Rapids - we were booked in for an air-conditioned character meal an hour after riding that and, even in the August heat, could not dry out. I had to buy new T-shirts from the gift shop for all of us and ask if we could still go into dinner with wet bums.

Really Kinky? Actually I am a Harry Potter fan and I do like Disney so perhaps it won't be our first and only trip!!

There's something about the place. Even DH, who is the type who prefers a nice hotel in Sicily, now loves it and was the driving force behind us going again this year.

We are planning on going easter 2017, frustrated that I wanted to see the cost of flights but we are too early. Dh is not really that keen, but humouring me bless him. Going with Dh, df and dcs will be 6 and 9.

We are planning Easter 2017 too. Went to the Virgin Holidays shop today and was told all Easter flights are sold out?! Not sure how that can be when other airlines haven't even got them available yet.

Am totally overwhelmed with choice of where to stay. We want to stay on-site and don't want it to be extortionate but also want somewhere not too basic. Am hoping we can get flights/hotel/tickets to Disney and Universal for 8k. Does that sound realistic or am I way off? Virgin agent today printed me quotes for 10-12!

Sorry, should have said that is for 2 adults, 2 dc aged 10 and 7 for 14 nights.

Can someone talk me through the memory maker like I'm an idiot? We get a free one with the tickets we've just purchased

I looked at Virgin flights and only upper class available, I thought it must be that they release those earlier, sold out already!?! Most the flights seemed to in fact be Delta, who I'd rather not fly with.
We are going to get a villa, my df thinks he knows someone who can do him a deal.
10-12 staying at Disney through Virgin was about what I came up with, but I'm sure we can do it much cheaper booking it all separately.