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Walt Disney World in Florida

Welcome to the Mumsnet Disney World forum UK, here you can share your Disney secrets for planning the perfect holiday to Walt Disney World Florida.

Original poster

I know it’s not an AIBU ! But Disney world - Florida.

116 replies

Troublewaters2021 · 01/05/2021 22:51

Hey !
Between covid, daughters health and big change to her life we are looking at taking the kids to Disney land Florida or a Disney cruise.
Kids will be DC 9 , 15 and 18 months at the time and taking niece who will also be a teenager, plus the 2 teenagers best friends.

Anyone have any recommendations of the best accommodation of hints on what to book to get the best out of it ?

Want it to be special especially for DD 9.

Thanks

OP posts:
BillyIsMyBunny · 02/05/2021 10:44

@Gullible2021 Yes I guess that’s very true! I hadn’t thought of the logistics of taking another 9yo.

How old is your niece, OP? Is she close to your 9yoDD? If so could you not take her friend so that she and DD can do things together? Most rides are set up in pairs so I feel like having 5 kids (not counting the toddler) will set your youngest up for being left out.

MiddleParking · 02/05/2021 10:44

The people chasing OP on this thread have really made me laugh Grin

Original poster
Troublewaters2021 · 02/05/2021 10:45

It will be special for my 9 year old which is why we are taking more adults - for the teens.

She will have experiences, and get to do what she wants.
There will be also
2 adults for her and baby so not an issue if one of us has to do something with baby or vice versa.

OP posts:
Original poster
Troublewaters2021 · 02/05/2021 10:46

@MiddleParking 😂😂 did make me laugh it’s Sunday morning - give me a chance !

OP posts:
Vetyveriohohoh · 02/05/2021 10:51

Just make sure you speak to teen parent before kids get wind of idea. I’d be furious if put in the situation of having to be bad guy in this scenario

Candleabra · 02/05/2021 10:58

@Vetyveriohohoh

Just make sure you speak to teen parent before kids get wind of idea. I’d be furious if put in the situation of having to be bad guy in this scenario
Agree with this. My teens would love the idea of a Disney holiday with friends. In practice, I think two weeks away on their own would be too much. I wouldn't like the idea/responsibility of them spoiling a trip of a lifetime holiday for the host family by being homesick
Original poster
Troublewaters2021 · 02/05/2021 10:59

All adults are aware and been asked before I even started looking :)

OP posts:
TerribleCustomerCervix · 02/05/2021 11:20

@getsomehelp

Taking a 18 m/o baby along to this, means a stroller. or back pack. Sounds like misery to me, unless one adult stays at home or is prepared to go home each day. Unless you can get on site child care/baby sitter. Never been.
I’d agree with this tbh.

The villa suggested by PP makes practical sense with such a big group, but with a toddler I’d look very seriously about staying at a Disney hotel if at all possible.

My sister and BIL took their 5 month old and stayed at Art of Animation- they raved about it and the handiness to the parks using the sky liner. Made it possible to hit the parks early, head back to the hotel so niece could nap during the hottest part of the day and they could use the pool. Then they’d head back to the parks for dinner and the cooler evenings.

The thought of bringing a 18 month old for a full park day, 9am-11pm brings me out in a cold sweat.

Unihorn · 02/05/2021 11:25

The youngest we've been with is a 3 year old but friends have taken under 1s. Even on adult only trips we do the parks 8-1ish, then go back to our Disney resort until around 5 for rest/swim then head back out for the evening.

Candleabra · 02/05/2021 11:35

@Troublewaters2021

All adults are aware and been asked before I even started looking :)
That's good! It's an incredibly generous offer. I hope you have a wonderful time.
HermioneWeasley · 02/05/2021 14:35

Well, you have the budget to make it really special.

I’d do a few nights at a premium universal hotel to get the free express passes and early park entry.

Then, hotel wise - if you want to be on Disney property I’d go Savannah view animal kingdom lodge or a Polynesian villa (or several for the size of group), and/or the four seasons.

SunIsComing · 02/05/2021 14:38

Disney have some 3 bed villas..... with your budget, check that out. Speak to Disney and get a price. Staying On-site makes a huge difference.

Tobebythesea · 02/05/2021 18:52

@Unihorn

The youngest we've been with is a 3 year old but friends have taken under 1s. Even on adult only trips we do the parks 8-1ish, then go back to our Disney resort until around 5 for rest/swim then head back out for the evening.
Can I ask how it was with a 3 year old please? We want to go in a few years when our DS is 3 years, 8 months. At the moment it fills me with horror but it’s 2 years away and I know things will change, hopefully for the better! How was the flight? Did you use a buggy? Could they go on most rides? Any tips?
thegreenlight · 02/05/2021 19:20

Tobebythesea I took my 1 year old and it was amazing - he could go on most of the rides as it’s very much geared to small children. He’s 3.5 now and is tall enough to go on all but 1 or 2 rides per park so your child should be able to as well. The rides are so safe that the height requirements are a lot lower than in the U.K. we are not going again until April next year and are monitoring his height! I recommend staying in a Disney resort hotel, don’t do rope-drop to fireworks, plan either the first or second half of the day and spend the rest at the resort. At 3 you will have to pay for a child ticket and child dining (under 3 they feed them for free in most buffets). You will need a push chair, even if your child doesn’t use one any more because they will get very tired. Character dining is a must - a great way to meet the characters. I have lovely photos of my DS hugging Donald et al!

SwimBaby · 02/05/2021 19:30

Do add on the Disney cruise if you can, they are really amazing. The one I did was my joint best holiday ever and I’m even a big Disney fan.
Also like others have said it’s worth staying a night or two at one of the Universal Studios Hotels. Our early hour at Harry Potter land was just amazing, literally no one else was there.

RichPetunia · 02/05/2021 19:32

I’ve stayed twice at the Caribbean Beach. Loved it and will book again.

Moana123 · 02/05/2021 19:33

You could maybe look at a 2 bedroom villa at Old Key West if you’re desperate to stay onsite at Disney. I agree with PP though the on-site perks really aren’t great at the moment, to get the most bang for your buck you might be better waiting and seeing if any of the old on-site deals return.

altiara · 02/05/2021 20:01

I want to go! I naively thought it was all about big rides.

TerribleCustomerCervix · 02/05/2021 20:02

I’ve stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and Wilderness Lodge.

There is a big jump in fancy-ness between the mid tier and top tier hotels, but you’re paying for a lot of facilities that you might not get the use of with the expensive ones.

If you’re there with a gang of kids, you probably won’t be looking to spend a lot of time at a day spa, golfing, doing an art class or eating at high end restaurants which are the selling points of the likes of Wilderness Lodge or The Grand Floridian.

For the Disney cruise- check Adam Hattan out on YouTube. He went with a friend on a Disney cruise and they have a few really detailed and entertaining episodes where they show the ins and outs.

I love the parks but the cruise definitely wouldn’t be for me.

I’m so jealous, you’re going to have a ball!

Unihorn · 02/05/2021 20:28

@Tobebythesea
Ours has always been quite tall so was 40" when we took her, with 42" being a bit more the "golden" height. Definitely manage ride expectations before in terms of measuring and be prepared for being an inch or two shorter just so you don't have any high hopes.

We took a really cheap buggy with us, would definitely recommend up to about 5yo to be honest. Great for resting and getting around faster - I can't deal with being slowed down by tired legs when I'm racing to Pandora at 8am Grin

The flight was absolutely fine, we'd been dreading it but she just put headphones on and watched TV the whole time, even though she was never very good at sitting for TV/films at home.

We went under the old Fastpass system which was a lot more flexible and allowed you to go with the flow a bit more. Booking parks and Fastpasses months in advance is a bit harder with young children as if they're not cooperating, you can't really impress upon them that you booked Flights of Passage 60 days ago and they need to get up...

We'll be taking one two under 6s next year hopefully and I do think it will be harder work with the extra planning involved, and I say that as a militant Disney planner. Just have very low expectations of what you want to achieve in a day and follow their lead. The pool and the character meets were the biggest hits for ours!

NFLwidow · 02/05/2021 21:00

We’ve been 5/6 times, done hotels and villas. Best villa we had was at Windsor hills. It’s close to the Disney parks; you can even see the Disney fireworks from some of the villas and there are a few places you can walk to in the evening if your wanting a drink.
We took our daughter the first time when she was 3. We would get to the parks early, then go back for a rest and a nap for her and then head back in the evening. We tried to space the days out so it wasn’t too intense for the kids.we’d do a park one day then have a villa day.

Fast passes are a god send.

The princess breakfast in the castle at magic kingdom is also amazing. We did it on the first ever visit to any Disney park and the happiness on her little face will stay with me forever.

I’m so jealous of your trip! You’ll have an amazing time!

The restaurants at downtown Disney are great. STK is fab, the boathouse is lovely and the Irish one is fab. We had Christmas Day there and it was awesome.

Lurcherloves · 02/05/2021 21:55

We went last feb just before the pandemic really hit. Booked flights and hotel through TUI, really cheap. The hotel was on international drive and just basic but good enough. The park tickets are obviously expensive but that’s what the holiday is. Hire a car from the airport (book ahead). Disney now charge parking which can be expensive but you can go to Disney springs and get buses to the parks from there or the hotels often have transport. But you should get a car so you can do other things on your days away from the theme parks (which get a bit much).
The water parks are pretty good too, so worth a day at one of those.

Dutchesss · 02/05/2021 22:07

It sounds lovely and I get why you would want the teenagers' friends there. Having the teenagers 'entertained' will give you more time to focus on your 9 year old who the holiday is for.
There are some Facebook groups for Orlando with thousands of active members, you will get all your questions answered within minutes on there.

HasaDigaEebowai · 02/05/2021 23:09

Well 40-50k is obviously a good budget. You can stay on site for that in one of the large villas. Have a look at the big ones at Saratoga springs since that would be good for the teens. They can wander over to downtown/springs and enjoy the independence. Treetops might be nice (although I’m not sure how many they accommodate).

HasaDigaEebowai · 04/05/2021 07:56

I would say though that if you are spending £50k on a holiday you should be getting a travel consultant to plan it for you to ensure that you maximise the experience.

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