Q&A with Virgin Holidays - Ask your questions & share your tips on going to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida - 3x £100 vouchers to be won

[EllieMumsnet]

We're going to have the Virgin Holidays experts online on Monday 17th June from 1:30pm - 3:00pm to answer your questions on how to get the most out of a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, from the great value Disney Dining Plans to what to take with you into the Disney Parks, best attractions for different ages or how the Disney FastPass+ service works. This Q&A will work a little like our Live Webchats if any of you have taken part in one before - just ask a question below for the experts at Virgin Holidays to answer!

Not only would we love you to ask your questions below for Virgin Holidays to answer but we’d also like you to share any top tips or helpful advice you may have for other MNers thinking of going to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Here’s what Virgin Holidays have to say: “Planning a dream family holiday to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida can seem a little daunting. What was once ‘just’ the amazing Magic Kingdom Park, is now four entertainment-filled theme parks, plus two water parks, covering a total area the size of San Francisco. And that’s before you add in Disney Springs — packed with shopping, restaurants and attractions in its own right.

Don’t leave the holiday of a lifetime to chance. Here at Virgin Holiday’s we’ve got a whole team of Disney experts to help you with the planning now so you can enjoy the Disney magic even more.”

Post your question for Virgin Holidays and they will be online to answer them on Monday 17th June . Everyone who posts a question or shares a tip will be entered into a prize draw where 3 MNers will win a £100 voucher each of their choice (from a list).*

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply
Webchat guidelines - one question each (follow-ups allowed if there’s time)

*The Walt Disney Company Limited has no responsibility whatsoever with the running of this Prize Draw and shall not be liable for any losses, damages, or costs should a reader make any claim against the promoter as a result of the running of this Prize Draw.

If yoy have young children toddlers, they may get very hot and tired at walt disney, its a lot of walking. Rather than renting the buggies they have there, it is cheaper to go to a supermarket like walmart and buy a cheap, lightweight stroller for $10

@TheGirlWithGlassFeet

There are crowd calendars online which show when the busiest/quietest weeks are. They are based on American school holidays/bank holidays/events at Disney etc.

The quietest time in uk school holidays is the last 2 weeks of August.

We are going to Disney in August with Virgin. The scale of the place is confusing me - we're staying in resort at the Royal Caribbean. Can we walk to say Animal Kingdom? I'm assuming we can walk to the water parks either side of us but it's hard to tell scale.
Fast pass planning was hard - I was trying to research the popular rides to make best use of the FPs but also looking at maps to try and select 3 relatively close together. That failed and on a couple of days we'll be traversing the park to get to the next ride!
How long is the walk from entrance to furthest point in Magic Kingdom?
Am I right in thinking I can't book more FPs until I've used all 3?
Finally, my daughter has adhd - if I take paperwork is there a system for that with queuing?

You can't walk to any park from the Carribbean Beach, although it may look as though you can on maps. The parks are generally only accessible via roads similar to dual carriageways. To be fair even if they put footpaths in, walking in the burning hot Florida sun would not be pleasant.

Epcot (and Hollywood Studios at about 30 minutes) is within walking distance of the Epcot area resorts (Yacht and Beach, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin) but buses, boats and monorails are used for most transport. Magic Kingdom is accessible on foot from the Contemporary. Disney Springs is accessible on foot from Saratoga Springs.

www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/transportation/transportation1.cfm this will give you a slight idea.

Thank you so much Unihorn - done so much research and it looks close on a map but I suspected what you've said!

Another question (god help us) from my DD this time: Do we get to ride the dolphins at Discovery Cove? I wouldn't mind but she's 12!

We took all our own lunches and snacks into the parks with a frozen juice box to keep it cold and water bottles to refill during the day.

There are water fountains all over the place and not having to wait in a queue for food or hunt around for something decent to eat was great and saved me a fortune.

I would love to go, but it's so confusing. There's too much choice about where to go and what to do. If like a few days at Disney then a villa on our own but no idea where to start!

@MummyKnowsAll if you go to City Hall (Magic Kingdom) on your first day you can get a pass which allows you to join a virtual queue for any ride so you don't have to physically wait in a queue, if this would be challenging. Look up DAS pass on the Disney world website for more info. My understanding is that you don't need to take paperwork due to the US discrimination laws, but you might feel more comfortable with photocopies or having it on your phone for backup.

Thank you very much 36Degrees

@Whatdayisit2

Go to www.thedibb.com and read up. There are forums for different topics, trip reports where people literally document their holidays day by day, you can ask questions, everything Disney is explained.

It's the best resource for everything Disney related.

I am so excited reading this. We have booked up for July 2020, huge Star Wars fans so have waited for Galaxy’s Edge to open.

DCs will be 16, 14, 12 and 10 we are staying one week in Coronado Springs with the free Disney Dining plan then a week in a villa. I think we will probably like universal the second week better to be honest. We went to DLP 4 years ago and absolutely loved it.

Of course you can't ride dolphins. Seriously.

We would almost certainly have to visit in July or August, and I’ve been warned by many that Florida is unbearably hot and humid in these months. Is this the case? If so, how much of the parks are under shade to make it more comfortable?

We went in may and it was roasting, vthat was without the humidity. It will be hot and tiring limit time in the parks combine with time in aircon or at pool or water park. Epcot was the worst, no shade. Animal kingdom the most shady.

I'd love to take DD (went myself 30 years ago!) but I'm worried about driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Is it easy to get about on public transport? (need to stay off site as need self catering due to dietary issues).

@Unihorn - thanks, sounds like mine are not too old for Disney after all. Expect though the biggest kid (me) would get swept up in Disney fever most...

Can anyone give a clear breakdown of the pros and cons and price implications of staying at a disney hotel vs a villa. We're looking at going next summer - 2 families - 1 wants to stay onsite and 1 wants a villa! And if we stayed onsite and got the free dining how much would that potentially save compared to self-catering? My head's mashed with too much information!
Also while I'm being thick - how does the fast pass work and what does it get you - if everyone has them how does it make the queue shorter! I'm obviously missing something! Thanks

My #1 tip would be to make full use of the fast pass service via the app, but make sure you always book three attractions that are fairly close together!

@victorianphobia

Villa vs. on-site is a personal choice so it's best to research as much as possible. Here's a link with a bit more info but it's difficult to say for sure really www.adventuresofamum.com/disney-hotel-vs-villa-pros-cons/ the It's Orlando Time Facebook group and TheDibb are both full of people who have priced different options so try to read some of those posts.

As for Fastpasses, Disney have spent billions calculating ride capacity and the flow of people which means they figured out the most efficient way of getting the most people on to rides through Fastpass Plus. Queueing less = spending more money in shops and restaurants. There are a limited amount in every hour window that are distributed. They're not front of the line passes like Universal's Express Passes, they just provide a shorter wait time. They filter in with the normal queue closer to the front.

Regular WDW visitor here - we are Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members so go 1-2 times a year. I also worked as a Cast Member at WDW when I was a student.

Biggest tips would be:

• make the most of the free Fastpass + system - even if you’re not sure you’re going to have a Park day, book FP and you can always change them on the day

• if you’re staying in a WDW property, take advantage of the Extra Magic hours which allow you to get into early/stay late at at least one park per day

• consider visiting a park early (arrive for extra magic hours or opening) and stay until 11.30/12, head back to your resort to relax/nap and then head back to parks for the evening at around 4pm - this way you miss out the hottest and busiest part of the day

• don’t forget how much there is to do without the parks - pre and post children we enjoy spending days walking around the WDW resorts. The Polynesian and Grand Floridian are gorgeous and you can walk between the two and Animal Kingdom Lodge is brilliant. The Boardwalk is also gorgeous and a lovely walk with shops, restaurants and resorts (Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club and Swan and Dolphin)

• if you have a little one, consider hiring a buggy when you get there if that’s easier than taking it through the airport - we hire a city jogger mini from Kingdom Strollers and they deliver and collect from resorts

• as a former Cast Member, a good tip is to remember Disney holds VERY high standards for guest service and if something hasn’t been as it should be, don’t feel afraid to raise it. Remember honey catches more flies than vinegar and CMs (esp management) are empowered to do whatever they need to do to make a situation right, but will be more inclined to go and vice and beyond if you’re nice! Equally, if you take the time to chat to CMs (where safe - not when they’re operating an attraction etc) you might find some Disney magic coming your way.

As holidays to Florida are a trip of a life time to most people.... can virgin not offer a payment plan? Or release holidays maybe 2.5 years ahead of time so it helps people save up/pay off?

Also if staying in a villa do you find out before your going where it is/name of it before you go?

Thanks

Hi @PennyStocks, I'm not sure when you were last there, but the last couple of years has been big in terms of new developments within Walt Disney World! In 2017, "Pandora, The World of Avatar" opened within Disney's Animal Kingdom, which is a fully immersive land in the World of James Cameron's film Avatar. In 2018, "Toy Story Land" opened within Disney's Hollywood Studios, where children of all ages and even those adults who are young at heart can immerse themselves in all things Toy Story. 2019 brings something extra exciting and truly unique. "Star Wars : Galaxy's Edge" opens at the end of August, which has been years in the making. 14 acres of pure Star Wars, and the opportunity for guests to fully immerse themselves, whether it's riding the Millennium Falcon, eating in Oga's Cantina with characters or designing your very own light-saber in Savi's Workshop, there is something for all budding Jedi's!

@Bec1710

We visited WDW last year for our honeymoon and loved it so we will be returning next year with our 21 month old. Is there any tips you would recommend when taking a toddler to Disneyworld to make our holiday as stress free as possible?

Hi Bec1710,
I'm so glad you loved going for your honeymoon, I'm going for mine in October! When travelling with a toddler, you can plan as much as you like, but most of the time, these plans can go straight out of the window! My top tips, would be to not try and cram too much into each day, take it easy, you are on holiday after all! Small humans get tired easily and quickly. Always travel with your buggy, they can go from being on top of the world one minute, to wanting to sleep for hours the next. In terms how how to plan your days, I would recommend mornings in the parks, use your Fastpasses, remember you get 3 each day and spend the afternoons either in one of the incredible water parks or within air conditioned venues to try and avoid the afternoon heat. Best things I have seen people travel with when going with toddlers, ensure you have handheld fans with water spray bottles attached, these are brilliant, and you can even get some which attach onto buggys, and are made of soft foam, so they aren't dangerous to little fingers and toes. Cooling towels are also a must buy, you can get them in resort in the local CVS, Walgreens or Walmart and they are amazing for little ones to help keep them nice and cool. I hope this helps!

Just looked at your website and I'm overwhelmed by all the different offers (which look amazing by the way!) Where is the best place to start for a three person family with a 9 year old boy?

@victorianphobia

I'd really recommend going on www.thedibb.com and browsing all the forums & trip reports to get an idea of what would suit you.

There are also lots of cautionary tales of multiple families going away together and how to avoid any issues/conflict.