Disney world question - conandrob240 or anyone else who would like to add.

I'm planning for the first time to take my girls to Disney but it's just for 2 days. 

I'm in a very tide budget, but I need some info. 

Princess related, what should they not miss ?? Do I have make any reservations online ?? Where is the cheapest place I can get the Disney tickets ?? 

Is there a reason why only two days? I know spending a whole week would be crazy expensive, but with the hassle of flying, and your airfare will usually be a fixed cost regardless of how many days you go, could you maybe try to swing an extra day or two there.

We stayed on site at one of the value resorts. But food at the parks and the resorts is expensive if you don't get the meal plan. There are ways to find food options at the parks that doesn't break the bank, but obviously that cuts down on your options. Depending on what you and the girls like to eat it may be fine, or you may be better off staying at a Disney property so you can also get the meal plan.

If you do stay at a hotel that is not Disney make sure in advance that they supply transportation to and from the parks. If they don't you will end up spending a lot of money on either a rental or on taxis, and you will also have to deal with car seats. With the buses you can leave the car seats home.

I'll try to call you later this afternoon when we get back in.  

Oh, and with a shorter trip with two young children who are Disney princess obsessed I would say your are probably best off just going to Magic Kingdom and skipping the other parks unless either of them happens to be a huge Star Wars fan.  

The "Frozen" ride was supposed to open in 2016 but not sure which month. Agree on Magic Kingdom for princess stuff but "Frozen" ride will be in Epcot. I always see children with little autograph books that are signed by the princesses and other characters that make appearances around the parks. There's a schedule for who appears where and at what time.

For the limited duration of your stay, and given the princess focus and kid age, I would def rec that you limit yourself to Magic Kingdom.

When are you going?

Where are you staying?

The answers to these questions will help.

oakland2 said:

For the limited duration of your stay, and given the princess focus and kid age, I would def rec that you limit yourself to Magic Kingdom.

Yes, agreed!!

Park tickets decrease in daily cost the longer you're there. A 1-day Magic Kingdom ticket is $115, but for a 2-day ticket, you're looking at $206, a 3-day ticket is $291 and a 4-day is $322. That's one of the few things cheaper about a longer stay, but of course you have to factor in the hotel and food.

There are almost never discounts on Disney park tickets through legitimate sources, but UndercoverTourist.com is an authorized seller and sometimes has very slight savings.

2 days in Magic Kingdom is great. Your girls will have a wonderful trip full of excitement!! Since they're younger they'll never know what they didn't get to see, you know? So you make the best decisions for your budget and time, and know that they'll have a blast!!

I'm not flying, we (me and other family members) are driving down to Florida but we want to make a stop in Orlando before heading to Miami (gonna see mom    ).

Anyway, I just wanted to see what is the best that I can do for my girls since this will be there first time in Disney. Yes, I just want to focus on Disney. I heard Epcot have some princess thing going around but I wanted to hear thoughts and tips first. Should I do one day Disney and another day Epcot ?? Or should I just focus on Disney ?? My daughters are 5 and 3 years old. And i would like to know what should they NOT miss. 

Thanks  

Focus on magic kingdom. Unless they are Frozen fans, in which case u can check to see if that ride opened in Epcot. I doubt it.

annielou said:

Focus on magic kingdom. Unless they are Frozen fans, in which case u can check to see if that ride opened in Epcot. I doubt it.

This is what I'm planning to do. Focus on Disney world. 

Question- should I buy the fast passes ? It it reall worth buying it ?? 

Thanks  

Yes, stay in the Magic Kingdom and save the other parks for another trip.  Lines are long so get your fast passes booked as soon as you can and make reservations for any restaurant you want.    I'd advise against getting a meal plan - it gives you a beverage, entree & dessert (do you really want them to have a dessert with every meal?).   Unless your kids are big eaters, you can order one entree for sharing.   Portions are plentiful, so you can even share your entree.   

What are the dates? That's going to be critical for this.

There are really no discounts for Disney tickets anymore and buying a 2 day is super-expensive (gets cheaper with more days).  AAA sells at a discount but might have to be more than 1 or 2 days and the "discount" is seriously like $5 now- not worth the effort.

When does little one turn 3?

For those ages, I'd do 2 full days in the magic Kingdom (which I think is what you mean when you are saying "Disney") and not bother with other parks unless you were going to buy a "park hopper" where you can do 2 parks in one day.  If you were, I'd do 1 and 1/2 days in MK and spend a few hours at Epcot to book the Frozen ride and maybe the princess breakfast there.  The Frozen ride is in the Norway pavilion and used to be the maelstrom ride.  The princess breakfast there is called Akerhaus and its close to the new Frozen ride.  There is a Nemo ride they'd like there also.

You can book Fastpasses 60 days in advance if you are going to stay on property where you can pre-book a few rides or character greetings to avoid lines. Fastpasses are FREE.  You can probably find a room on property for $100/nt- for such a short trip staying on site is going to be critical so don't try to save $20 a night that way- save it with food or some other way.

email me if you want and I might be able to help more dreamwithustravel@gmail.com 

HarleyQuinn said:

annielou said:

Focus on magic kingdom. Unless they are Frozen fans, in which case u can check to see if that ride opened in Epcot. I doubt it.

This is what I'm planning to do. Focus on Disney world. 




Question- should I buy the fast passes ? It it reall worth buying it ?? 

Thanks " src="/res/static/common/plugins/redactor/emoticons/1.0/images/1.gif" unselectable="on"> 

Just so you don't get confused when you're researching... Disney World includes multiple parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios.

Magic Kingdom is where you'll want to focus for sure. That's where Cinderella's Castle is, and the majority of the princess stuff - Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, meet & greets with princesses, etc. along with classic rides like Peter Pan, Dumbo and It's A Small World.

Personally, with only 2 days I would not bother with Epcot. There are a few things they might like but at those ages the park is largely not going to be of interest to them. But Magic Kingdom is jam-packed and they'll love it!

conandrob240 said:

What are the dates? That's going to be critical for this.

There are really no discounts for Disney tickets anymore and buying a 2 day is super-expensive (gets cheaper with more days).  AAA sells at a discount but might have to be more than 1 or 2 days and the "discount" is seriously like $5 now- not worth the effort.

When does little one turn 3?

For those ages, I'd do 2 full days in the magic Kingdom (which I think is what you mean when you are saying "Disney") and not bother with other parks unless you were going to buy a "park hopper" where you can do 2 parks in one day.  If you were, I'd do 1 and 1/2 days in MK and spend a few hours at Epcot to book the Frozen ride and maybe the princess breakfast there.  The Frozen ride is in the Norway pavilion and used to be the maelstrom ride.  The princess breakfast there is called Akerhaus and its close to the new Frozen ride.  There is a Nemo ride they'd like there also.

You can book Fastpasses 60 days in advance if you are going to stay on property where you can pre-book a few rides or character greetings to avoid lines. Fastpasses are FREE.  You can probably find a room on property for $100/nt- for such a short trip staying on site is going to be critical so don't try to save $20 a night that way- save it with food or some other way.




email me if you want and I might be able to help more dreamwithustravel@gmail.com 

I'll definitely email you

Yes, definitely go with the Magic Kingdom.  I know you will all have a great time!

TarheelsInNj said:

HarleyQuinn said:

annielou said:

Focus on magic kingdom. Unless they are Frozen fans, in which case u can check to see if that ride opened in Epcot. I doubt it.

This is what I'm planning to do. Focus on Disney world. 




Question- should I buy the fast passes ? It it reall worth buying it ?? 

Thanks " src="/res/static/common/plugins/redactor/emoticons/1.0/images/1.gif" unselectable="on"> 

Just so you don't get confused when you're researching... Disney World includes multiple parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios.

Magic Kingdom is where you'll want to focus for sure. That's where Cinderella's Castle is, and the majority of the princess stuff - Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, meet & greets with princesses, etc. along with classic rides like Peter Pan, Dumbo and It's A Small World.

Personally, with only 2 days I would not bother with Epcot. There are a few things they might like but at those ages the park is largely not going to be of interest to them. But Magic Kingdom is jam-packed and they'll love it!

Exactly - magic kingdom is where I want to go with my little ones. 

Doing my research wow !! This trips are expensive. Holy Moly !! I can't imagine inside the parks, all those extra goodies your kids want. 

I can see one of my daughters wanting the Minnie Mouse ears .. I'm doomed   

This may not be the best use of your short time there, but there are breakfasts with Disney characters that your daughters would enjoy if the character is one of the Disney princesses.  I'm not sure if this is only for people staying at a Disney property, but it might be worth looking into.

HarleyQuinn said:

TarheelsInNj said:

HarleyQuinn said:

annielou said:

Focus on magic kingdom. Unless they are Frozen fans, in which case u can check to see if that ride opened in Epcot. I doubt it.

This is what I'm planning to do. Focus on Disney world. 




Question- should I buy the fast passes ? It it reall worth buying it ?? 

Thanks " src="/res/static/common/plugins/redactor/emoticons/1.0/images/1.gif" unselectable="on"> 

Just so you don't get confused when you're researching... Disney World includes multiple parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios.

Magic Kingdom is where you'll want to focus for sure. That's where Cinderella's Castle is, and the majority of the princess stuff - Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, meet & greets with princesses, etc. along with classic rides like Peter Pan, Dumbo and It's A Small World.

Personally, with only 2 days I would not bother with Epcot. There are a few things they might like but at those ages the park is largely not going to be of interest to them. But Magic Kingdom is jam-packed and they'll love it!

Exactly - magic kingdom is where I want to go with my little ones. 

Doing my research wow !! This trips are expensive. Holy Moly !! I can't imagine inside the parks, all those extra goodies your kids want. 

I can see one of my daughters wanting the Minnie Mouse ears .. I'm doomed  " src="/res/static/common/plugins/redactor/emoticons/1.0/images/20.gif" unselectable="on"> 

We got a tip from an MOL poster that worked beautifully. I bought inexpensive souvenirs before our trip, and left them in the room as "gifts from Tinkerbell." Then my son had souvenirs to bring inside the park, like a stuffed Mickey and a t-shirt, and we didn't have to pay theme park prices. Since you're driving, another option is to go to the Wal-Mart in Orlando where they have a TON of Disney crap. That's where we bought our autograph book and pen, for lots cheaper than in the parks!

Check out the so-called "Prince Charming Regal Carrousel" in the Magic Kingdom.  Although it has been in several cities in its lifetime, and undergone some changes in form and name, including under Disney (and including the strange doubling of the "r" in "carousel"), it spent the greatest part of its life in Maplewood/Irvington in Olympic Park, being, I'm pretty sure, the only part of that amusement park to be saved.  Any number of internet sites, including DisneyWorld's own, will give you some history of this wonderful ride.  Even if it hadn't been the largest carousel ever built in the U.S., as is often claimed, it would have to be among the most beautiful, even with Disney's changes.  Your very young kids might not care about its Maplewood connection, but I don't think they will fail to be enchanted.

soorlady said:

Yes, stay in the Magic Kingdom and save the other parks for another trip.  Lines are long so get your fast passes booked as soon as you can and make reservations for any restaurant you want.    I'd advise against getting a meal plan - it gives you a beverage, entree & dessert (do you really want them to have a dessert with every meal?).   Unless your kids are big eaters, you can order one entree for sharing.   Portions are plentiful, so you can even share your entree.   

I believe plate sharing is only allowed for children under 3. I don't know how well enforced that is. Obviously at a quick serve restaurant it wouldn't be an issue but at a sit down table service restaurant they might make you buy meals for any child obviously over 3 years old.  

sharing is never a problem at Disney for people of any age with a few exceptions like buffets (where anyone over 2 pays) or fine dining like Victoria's & Alberts.

Good to know. Then I guess it just depends on the girl's appetite and how choosy they are.

We did two character meals when we took our daughters to Disney and they loved them!  We did one with an assortment of characters, including Mickey and another with the Pooh characters.  But I am pretty sure that there is a Disney Princess meal also.

LOVED the character meals and recorded their interactions with the kids. We met Alice and Snow White (who were both charming and hilarious) as well as a number of silent characters like Goofy, Donald, etc.

One thing to keep in mind is that you may want to bring bottled water with you. All the parks have plenty of water fountains, but Magic Kingdom was the one where the water in the water fountains tasted crappy, it had a strong sulfer taste. You can get free cups of water from stands, but since lines can be long you may not want to have to stop and wait for ice water every time someone gets thirsty.  

One day we arrived late at the Magic Kingdom and they had temporarily closed admission to the park for a special event called "Pirates and Princesses",which was to take place that same evening. As I recall, the tickets for the event were not more expensive (maybe even cheaper?) so we joined in. It was so much fun because all the children wore princess or pirate costumes AND the park was less crowded. No big lines for rides. Maybe look at the schedule and see if you can coordinate. 

By the way, I believe the Frozen attraction at Epcot doesn't open until May.

There are ticketed events at MK some evenings.  they no longer do Pirates and Princesses but they have Mickeys not so scary Halloween and the Christmas Party as a separate ticketed evening event seasonally a few nights each week.  Yes, its a bit cheaper than a 1 day admission but you cant enter until 4pm- until close.

I feel the opposite about bottled water- the fewer things I have to carry around the better.  If I can get a cup of ice water at any food service place, that works great for us. Unless I am bringing a stroller, then it doesn't matter because it just gets thrown underneath. 

The Princess meal is Akerhaus at Epcot.  Its very popular and sells out quickly.  And the Castle meal which is even more impossible to get and ridiculously expensive. My favorite character meals are Crystal Palace with Pooh & Friends in MK- 1) its cool and a nice break from the heat of the park day, 2) good food! and  3) love the character parade around the dining room with the kids joining it. Chef Mickeys is awesome too less so for the food and more so for the character interaction and little show/song they do.

I'd have better advice if you let me know when you are going.

Yes, we had a double stroller with us and were able to use that for water bottles. Our six year old had no issue walking all day, but there is no way the three year old would have been able to handle the walking, and putting the baby in the stroller was a given. I forget how old Hailey is and HQ also needs to take into account how much walking the girls are used to, so a stroller may or may not be worthwhile.  The plus side of walking is the kids will sleep like rocks at night. The downside is that if they can't handle it, it could mean a melt down during the middle of the day. 

I always like a stroller even if the kids don't really need it- you need a place to store stuff so you don't have a purse on you with a bunch of junk in it all day!

Just got these money saving tips via e-mail. 

http://www.disneyfanatic.com/disney-dining-on-a-budget-5-ways-to-save-money-on-meals-at-disney-parks/