Disney World? ?

[nwminnesota]

Wife and I are planning a trip to Disney World with our 3 and 6 year old this April/ May. I wish were able to stay in the wilderness campground. However we are looking at staying at the art of animation for 7 nights.
Is the art of animation a good place to stay? (Likes and don't likes)
Would like your inputs on what are must do's and any other advice you guys can offer.
Is the memory maker package worth it?
The food packages are those worth while?
Is 7 nights too many or just right?
We are also thinking about leaving the park for a day to go to sea world.
The wife and I do want to take the kids when they are older as well(ages 9 and 12). That's when I think we'll drive there with the camper and stay at the wilderness campground.
If you guys want to share your experience with the campground there I'm all ears as well.(maybe I could convince the wife to camp there instead, however that's a long haul from MN with little ones)
Thanks in advance for your tips and advice.

 

[chrisb-JAY]

We didn't stay there but it looked real nice, we walked through it. 7 days is a lot. I say go for 7 and spend 4 days in parks and 3 days hanging out. Its a lot of walking and standing in lines. We had the most fun at discovery cove which you get free tix to sea world. Its pricey but the most relaxing exciting time they had. Get the dolphin swim included. You get breakfast and lunch included, A day they will never forget. My kids weren't that into epcot, kinda geared for teens/adults. Try to get to the parks the min they open less lines for a bit. If you can swing it you will love discovery cove though. They limit the amount of people in so you must book early to get a spot. You can schedule a day and what time you want to swim with the dolphins

 

[Ela1948]

Everyone is different. We took the kids to Fort Wilderness back in the early nineties. Had a very, very memorable trip!! Wife and I went back in Disney but in a motel in early 2000's. Spent a lot of our time hanging around the campground. Took the grand kids back a couple of years ago. I can say with certainty, I'll not go to Disney unless we stay in Fort Wilderness. Staying at Fort Wilderness is half of the trip!!

 

[oldmanAZ]

Don't get us started on WDW! TOO LATE!! We are big fans and I'm sure you'll find lots of others on JOF a big fans, too.

If this is your first trip to WDW, you've got a lot of research ahead of you. Did you know that you could make dining reservations 180 days in advance? Of course that means you've got to know where you'll be in the 'World' to be at the restaurant.

The reality is WDW costs lots of money, takes lots of time to get there, and it can be really overwhelming unless you plan ahead. There are web sites maintained by Disney fans that can help and there are folks on this site that would be happy to help... my wife and I included.

Please send me a PM and we'll see what we can do to help get you off to a good start. There's nothing in it for us... just want to see you come to love the 'mouse' as much as we do.

 

[edatlanta]

I just got back from Disney last week. We spent the week of Christmas there with my daughter and her family. I had not been to Disney in a long time and it was great, but with the 7 year old twins it was a lot more fun.

We didn't decide to do this until too late to get into Ft. Wilderness, but we stayed at Tropical Palms for the week and it was very nice. We all had so much fun we have already made our reservations for adjoining sites at Ft Wilderness for Christmas 2015.

One suggestion from an older guy that can't walk and stand all day, rent a scooter. I picked up one at a local rental company that broke down into 5 pieces for hauling. It literally took 30 seconds to reassemble and ride off and the cost was $30.00/day or three days for $75.00. I was on and off of it for 11 hours and rode all over the Magic Kingdom and the battery was still good. My grandson did hitch a ride on the way out that night. He was pooped. I had a great time too and wasn't exhausted or hurting.

 

[Grumpy]

If you go to Art of Animation and don't get a room/suite in either Finding Nemo or the Cars complex it is a fairly long walk back to the food court or buses. When you figure your meals into your costs I think staying at the FORT is just as cost effective. We only do hotels for stays of 3/4 days anything longer then that we head to the FORT. I definitely recommed that you but "Park Hopper Tickets" that way you can mix things up better especially if you plan on taking afternoon breaks and put the kiddos (and maybe mom and dad ) down for a nap.

No matter what you decide you will have a fun time.

 

[licamp]

I have stayed in the Fort Wilderness cabins they are very nice. Did a couple of short trips and stayed in the music and the sports hotels. My biggest complaint is the beds are very small. Now if I were to go back I look for the rooms with the queen beds. I think the meal plan is worth the money.
Then the only other thing you need to do is take the week off after, to take a vacation from your vacation.

 

[3'senough]

Here's my 2 cents worth. Disney is huge and as a first timer staying on property has many plusses so take advantage of them!

First is transportation, which is a bus in your case. You can save the rental car money and use the resort transfer from the airport and not rent a car if flying. There really is no need for one, but if you do need one then rent it for the day you need it from the on property rental.

Sea World was not that great for us. The shows were okay, but felt it lacked overall punch. Your kids are too little to take in Universal Studios, especially for the cost of one day.

I found the hopper tickets were a waste when my kids were young. You will burn out after the first 2 days since it's all new and you will want to do it all. Without Fast pass your will wait 1+ hours for all the feature rides your kds want to see. Have to have a stroller to carry bags and sleeping kids. Bring snacks and waters in, saves a ton!

Do a park a day and plan on 2 for MK IMHO. We have been there several times of the year and Spring break is the most crowded hands down. MK, DHS and AK are great for the kids. Epcot is spread out and there are only a few things for little ones under 6 perhaps a one day hopper for this to go between 2 parks would be worth it. Plan a down day for recharging early in the week. Kids get cranky and so do we.

Don't buy too many days tickets ahead as you can add as you go prorated, or at least you used to be able to. Disney has gotten smarter as the years went on and there really is not much savings to be had. We spend a day on the busses and MRails exploring the propeties which is fun for all. Just can't use the other properties pools.

If you are going to pay for a property stay then stay in DW. Save the off property exploring for another trip and stay off property to do it. You can do it for half or less depending on what you want in amenities.

Download the app and use it!

 

[The Logans]

And yet another opinion....

HI,

Every time we stay somewhere other than Fort Wilderness, we wish we hadn't, and end up back at the fort. There is just so much room to wander at the Fort, and the nightly light shows and fireworks are awesome! And, you can see them right from the beach at the lake.

We never do the dining package as it kind of forces into being somewhere at a specific time, and we don't like to be that structured when we're there. We usually eat at the camper, or at the buffet right there at the campground.

We got a 6 night package from AAA, and they gave us a free extra night, and free park hopper passes. The park hopper passes are worth their weight in gold, as they let you go to as many different areas of DW in a day as you want. Being there for 7 days was great, as it de-stressed rainy days... it eliminated the feeling that we JUST HAD TO go and do something, even in the rain, 'cause we were running out of time.

Fort Wilderness gets my vote! But what ever you decide, have fun and be safe!

 

[RedHorse1]

Over the years (there have been many) we've visited WDW 5 times that I can recall. On property 3 of those times. Both have their +'s. If your destination is WDW then on property would be my first choice. With younger people in tow it's great to take a mid-day break and have a relaxing swim in the pool (or even a nap). The last trip was just the bride and myself (and the wiener dog) and we stayed in Fort Wilderness CG and loved it. The only downside is getting to most places seems to take FOREVER except going to the Magic Kingdom but that was offset by the $85 a night.
If you are staying on property I think the meal plans are the way to go.
We've not gotten the memory maker in any of our previous trips, we take our own pics.

 

[godawgs]

Art of Animation is great just be sure to stay close to the bus stop out front.

 

[mrs. plaid]

You are going to have an amazing time! We will be doing our 3rd trip to Wilderness with our kids soon, ages 5 and 9. My recommendation would be to plan a few down days. The Parks are fun, but can be overwhelming. It's nice to have a break.

We have never done the dining deals. The benefit of camping is that you have a stocked kitchen. We always pack our lunches and few snacks. The dining is expensive at WDW. They do allow bringing in food and beverages.

For tickets, it's better to buy less days. For example, if you buy the 6-day pass but only use 5 days, they will not refund the 6th day ticket. If you want to change that ticket to the "no expiration option", you have to pay the extra fee for ALL 6 days. If you buy a 3-day pass and find you want more days while you are there, you will get the discount for the extra days. I hope that made sense . . . . We found that out the hard way on our last trip--4 disney tickets unused.

The campground is great. In the evenings they have a campfire singalong (free) with Chip and Dale--one of the best Character interactions at WDW. They also show a movie and have s'mores. The Hoop De Doo Review is one of the best dinner shows at WDW as well. It's so much fun! They have several pools, just like the other WDW resorts. There are hiking trails and even canoes to rent. The campsites are very clean and there are washer and dryers available for extended stays.

. . . I could go on and on about WDW! Hope you have a great trip!

 

[3'senough]

Forgot the Memory Maker. I did this last trip and it was well worth it. It works like this...you scan your photo pass or your band if on site and every single photo you take is loaded up to your account. So when your child is begging you for the Space mountain photo for 22.95 I just loaded it up on the memory maker and I can go to any photo service and print for pennies later. If you download the app you can see your pictures instantly throughout the day. My kids loved that! Put a few on my wallpaper as we progressed.
If you participate at Bells castle there are over 50 pictures per event and you, your kids or both will be in half. The maker gives you the files for life to do with as you please. My wife made her own albums from them and we found ourselves having the photographers taking all the shots and not some stranger. I had over 400 photos just from that alone with all the ride shots, plus every character we could get in with. Most I ever took.
Worth every penny IMHO.

 

[TX_Arvee]

We went to The Fort twice last year. Do your research on the Fast Pass system, but don't fret over it. You will be overwhelmed and most wont make sense until you actually experience it. I am a fan of the dinner plans. Eating at Disney was a blast. However, to make the best of it, you need to get reservations in advance for in park restaurants. You can also use your dinner plan at the Downtown Disney places. We took take-out from Wolgang Puck Express back to Fort Disney for our trip home the next day and used up all our credits.

The kids loved eating with the Princesses in the Castle and I will have to say, Mom and Dad did too. It was cool. If you want to pinch the most pennies, base out of your RV and only eat there. You can even take small snacks and some drinks into the parks.

Staying at the Fort is the way to go, When you have down time, it is a great place and very convenient to everything. Bus service is awesome. Boat service to parks and resorts is fun, relaxing and entertaining at times.

Park Hopper passes make it easy to hop and change plans. We hopped more onthe second trip than our first. There is simply too much to see and do. Prioritize. You can save money without the hopper pass, but I think it is worth the convenience.

The photopass was cool and worth it. take full advantage of it everywhere you see them. It was nice having photos of the whole family and not worrying about getting the photo. You can download the electronic files and even customize them for some time after you return. Do not forget to download them, or they dissappear forever.

Best advice we used in the summer was for Magic Kingdom. Someone told us we could walk from one end of the park to the other via the air conditioned shops that all connect. This saved us from the heat a couple of times.

Main advice. Plan as much as you can, but dont obsess with it. Relax, have fun...you will be going back.

 

[Usmc616]

Back in 2010 we planned a 7 day stay at Fort Wilderness, we loved it so much we stayed for 11 days. Our plan was 1 day in a park and one day back at the CG in order to not be overwhelmed.
This summer we will be making our 5th trip back there but will not be camping but have booked a condo through the NRA. While you will want to maximize your time in the park remember to take a break so your visit will still be fun.

 

[Wrigley]

We stayed at the art of animation resort last Feb. and loved it. We stayed in a cars suite, and while it is a little bit of a walk to the bus stop its not that bad. Seriously with all the walking you'll be doing at Disney, another 100 yards or so wont make or break your stay. The memory maker and park hopper were nice but I did not like the meal plan we got. I don't remember exactly which one it was but it included a sit down meal once or twice a day. It seemed like that's all we did was eat, ride a ride then it was time to eat again, our while trip revolved around food!! We are going to the fort in May and we only got a quick service plan this time, so we can eat when its convenient. Just remember, you can't do it all in one week. Do some research and pick your fast pass attractions, then play the rest by ear. There is so much its easy to over book yourself and then your vacation seems an awful lot like work!

 

[WVDusty]

We stayed at the fort for a week this past summer. It was AWSOME!!
But as other have already stated Disney can be very overwhelming. With This being our first trip to Disney we wanted to do as much as possible. We went to four parks two water parks downtown Disney Sea world and one day at Clearwater beach. then it was time for the 15 hour straight thru drive home. As fun as Disney is I definetly needed a vacation from our vacation by the end. We did not use the meal plan but we did get the photo pass which we thought was well worth the money, they take the photo then scan your ''Magic band'' And your off to your next stop.

 

[carey965]

reading this makes me excited for our trip, we have 10 days at the fort booked for the first 2 weeks in feb (2nd-12th) im still trying to figure out what passes we want.

probably going to do alot of eating in the trailer and we have friends that live in Windermere so we will definitely spend some time out of the park, i was thinking just a regular 6 day pass, that way we have 4 days of rest but can see all the parks and the water parks (my son loves water slides) maybe i will just get a 5 day and pay for the extra if i need it

im so confused by everything, my head is spinning

 

[nwminnesota]

Do the food plan make sense? Remember I'm not camping so eating out is the only option. Also my family does not consume alot of food. If so what one?

 

[SouthCo]

We've been the last three years (not my choice but my wife and kids love Disney). Two years ago, when we stayed on property, we did get the meal plan. I don't remember which one but I remember there being more food and snack opportunities than we needed. If I remember they were running some kind of a deal. We had no complaints with the meal plan.