Disney

[GrnBay007]

Anyone have suggestions/tips on a trip to Disney in Florida?

We would like to stay at a resort on the Disney grounds so there is no driving back and forth....but wow, they are pricey.

Any suggestions from past experiences are appreciated.

I was a kid last time I was there....it's all different now and I'm paying for it this time.

[texaspackerbacker]

The last time we took the kids there--maybe 12 or 15 years ago, most of the hotels on the main road into Orlando--some of them fairly reasonably priced--had free shuttles going to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, etc.

[Iron Mike]

Re: Disney

Anyone have suggestions/tips on a trip to Disney in Florida?

Why not take a trip to Green Bay??

The rides at Bay Beach are VERY inexpensive.

[Scott Campbell]

Re: Disney

Anyone have suggestions/tips on a trip to Disney in Florida?

We would like to stay at a resort on the Disney grounds so there is no driving back and forth....but wow, they are pricey.

Any suggestions from past experiences are appreciated.

I was a kid last time I was there....it's all different now and I'm paying for it this time.

I don't think the hotels on the property are all that convenient, just because the property is so gargantuan. If the on property hotels were convenient enough to go back to you room for a lunch break, then that would be worthwhile. But they're not - unless you're staying at that hotel on the monorail. And your kids are older and you may want to do Universal which is off the property anyway.

I've stayed down there a bunch of times, as they host a lot of conventions. And I've had the kids down there once or twice, but we stayed on points. Even then, it was a pretty spendy trip.

[LL2]

007...here's what you do. My wife and I went to Florida and Disney last summer. Check into staying at a time share resort. Tell them you going to Florida for the first time as a family with the kids and looking for deals. They will let you stay at the resort for probably around $300 for a week, but the catch is that you will have to sit through a timeshare presentation. The pain is that these "presentations" last around 3 hours, but if you start at 8 am you'll be done before noon and have the rest of the day. To stay at some of these resorts can cost between $1200-1500 for the week. My wife and I listened to two presentations, 1 for the resort we stayed at and 1 at another resort to get free Disney tickets. We saved quite a bit. To some it's not worth it. These resorts can be very nice, and a lot better than staying at a Holiday Inn.

If you want I can set you up. A friend of mine sells timeshares for a living at the resort below (see link). It's a really nice place and close to Disney. Just send me a PM. He's not a high pressure sales type, but to get a deal to stay there you will have to listed to a presentation. My wife and I actually bought a timeshare to the place (my friend gave us a 10% discount and waived his commision, but don't expect that. I've known him for 20 years).

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=5608

[Chubbyhubby]

When I first read the title of the thread I thought it was about the Disney Store. The Disney Store by us is going out of buisness. Which really sucks. We get alot of stuff from there. Blame it on the ECONOMY!!!

[Gunakor]

I go down to Disney just about every other summer. We always stay at Fort Wilderness, which is just a short ferry boat ride over the lagoon from Magic Kingdom. It is a campground, so if you bring a tent and camp out it's very inexpensive. $40 per night I think for a campsite. They also have air conditioned cabins w/ cable and appliances, but those are far more expensive.

The All-Star resorts are also very inexpensive - like $89-$99 per night. They include the All-Star Sports, Movies, and Music resorts as well as the Pop Century resort.

The resorts near Downtown Disney are convienient, but a bit more pricey. The main hub for all of the Disney busses is at Downtown Disney so you won't need to transfer busses very often. Not to mention that Pleasure Island is right there, so you won't have to deal with a long bus ride back to your resort at 1am after a night of heavy drinking.

The Epcot resorts are nice. Next to Epcot Center is the Boardwalk, which has some fun clubs including an ESPN Zone and and my favorite bar in all of Disney called Jellyrolls.

Some newer rides I'd definitely suggest checking out are Soarin' and Test Track at Epcot, Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, Rock n' Roller Coaster at MGM Studios, and Philharmagic and a remade Pirates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom.

[LL2]

Some newer rides I'd definitely suggest checking out are Soarin' and Test Track at Epcot, Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, Rock n' Roller Coaster at MGM Studios, and Philharmagic and a remade Pirates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom.

We did the Pirates ride, and my son liked it a lot. In a few years we will go back as my kids get older and do more of the other parks.

[MadtownPacker]

Some newer rides I'd definitely suggest checking out are Soarin'

What is the Soaring over there? Is it Florida?

[Deputy Nutz]

My wife wants to go to Disney this year and I no way in hell want to go. I told her that she and the daughter can go and I will stay at home with the younger son. I hated that fucking place when we went in 1991. I must have been spoiled, but in my opinion nothing can be worse than going to Disney World over Christmas break.

We are also looking for deals at Disney. my wife and kid are probably only going to go for 3 or 4 days during the week in October or November.

[Gunakor]

Some newer rides I'd definitely suggest checking out are Soarin'

What is the Soaring over there? Is it Florida?

Soarin' is a IMAX type attraction at Epcot Center. There is a full length clip showing the ride on Youtube. Granted, that clip doesn't do it justice. They added SMELLS to the ride - meaning that when the IMAX shows you flying over a field of orange trees you smell oranges, when you fly over a golf course you smell freshly cut grass, when you fly over a forest you smell pine, etc. It's very cool.

[LL2]

Some newer rides I'd definitely suggest checking out are Soarin'

What is the Soaring over there? Is it Florida?

Soarin' is a IMAX type attraction at Epcot Center. There is a full length clip showing the ride on Youtube. Granted, that clip doesn't do it justice. They added SMELLS to the ride - meaning that when the IMAX shows you flying over a field of orange trees you smell oranges, when you fly over a golf course you smell freshly cut grass, when you fly over a forest you smell pine, etc. It's very cool.

I'm sure Nutz will send his wife and kids on this ride and will want to go on a ride where he can SMELL sex.

[GrnBay007]

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=5608

That's nice LL2. How far is that from Disney? I would be all for doing something like that...I'll check with my friend.

So far we narrowed it down to the Wilderness Lodge and one other place I can't think of. The WL for a cabin is $2000 for a week. I'd much rather spend a chunk of that on something fun.

[Gunakor]

My wife wants to go to Disney this year and I no way in hell want to go. I told her that she and the daughter can go and I will stay at home with the younger son. I hated that fucking place when we went in 1991. I must have been spoiled, but in my opinion nothing can be worse than going to Disney World over Christmas break.

We are also looking for deals at Disney. my wife and kid are probably only going to go for 3 or 4 days during the week in October or November.

What didn't you like about Disney? If you went during Christmas Break, I can understand you having to deal with a HUGE crowd and hating the lines and such. But if you don't go during busy seasons - i.e. school breaks - it's not incredibly crowded and the lines are not too bad. Since 1991 they have also started thier fast pass deal, so if the line is too long at the ride you want you can just grab a fast pass and go do something else for a while. Then when your fast pass time comes up, you can practically walk right on.

Disney is a very different place than it was in 1991. They are always adding new attractions. Downtown Disney and Animal Kingdom didn't even exist back then. Newer rides have been added, such as the ones I mentioned earlier. Thier transportation system is better than any city public transportation system I know of, and best of all it's at no cost to Disney patrons. They have a pyrotechnics show every night at 3 different theme parks. Every night is New Year's Eve at Pleasure Island. Disney Resort guests have Disney Magical Hours, where the theme parks stay open for resort guests only for an extra couple hours on certain nights - dramatically reducing wait times on the best rides. They've added many great restaurants such as a Wolfgang Puck's and a Rainforest Cafe. At Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, you can see the Atlanta Braves spring training in March or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp in August. There is sooo much to do.

[LL2]

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=5608

That's nice LL2. How far is that from Disney? I would be all for doing something like that...I'll check with my friend.

So far we narrowed it down to the Wilderness Lodge and one other place I can't think of. The WL for a cabin is $2000 for a week. I'd much rather spend a chunk of that on something fun.

It is nice. They have a kitchen area, living room area, and 1-2 bedrooms. If I remember correctly it's only around 10-15 minutes from Disney. We liked it so much we bought a timeshare, obviously, but we now can stay at any Starwood hotel and resort, and that includes places like Sheraton, Weston, W, St. Regis, and more. Just let me know if interested.