Originally Posted By Blufusion05 Hey guys have a question for Autopia Deb and Spirit.Have been watching the site for a few yrs. Spirit it seem you have been going a long time to WDW. Why do you still go. And Miss Deb how many times have you been. And may I ask your ages. Not trying to be rude just a question. Im 49 been going for almost 30 yrs to there I do other things in Orlando as well. But I feel like after the 1st 15 yrs of going there from '82 to '97 after my FW trip it just became a big hassle to save all yr and kind say after being there . "Been there and done that" I live in Fla now and havent been in a few yr. The economy is the reason why. Dont' dont get me wrong I would go again but now that I'm older I want to experiance other things that just Disney. Australia for example. And to tell you the truth if I had the funds I would spend a full 7 day at the Contemporary. Just to have that one experiance. That has away been my Disney Dream. That Hotel is still cool to me ever since i saw pictures of it in '72
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb If you count my first trip Summer of '82 which was only a half day at MK as a teen, I've been 10 times. I went 3 times between '89 and '93 with '89 being the only time I stayed on property (at the then new CBR). I didn't go back until '03 and I've been 6 times since then, staying at All Star Movies and Sports, POR and off property. I'm on the West coast and have been to Disneyland more times than I can count. I am among the few who prefers WDW to DLR, but that's mostly because a trip to the World is still special where a trip to DLR is close enough I can make a day trip out of it but must drive through the entirety of LA to get there. Ugh! I joined LP back in the Fall of '05 under another user name.
Originally Posted By Blufusion05 Miss Deb. Thank you for your reply. Like I said earlier the 1st time for me was '82 in WDW right before Epcot opened. I got to say the 1st time saw Main Street after getting of the Monorail wil always be a magical moment I will never forget. Getting to eee the future of Epcot and being a person that has followed Disney all my life. I havent given up on WDW . It can and will be better. We all hope. Just a little fact about me I never got to see a Disney cartoon in the movies. And never Got too see Star Trek on TV . Dad hated it. Cant say what he used to say when that show came on. But when I do get to go to WDW. I still have fun. Now that I have someone thats loves it as much as I do. Another thing I feel like I have a connection with Walt Disney is unfortunaly he passed on my 5 birthday. He was and sill will be a Man to Bring DREAMS Alive.
Originally Posted By Blufusion05 Miss Deb I agree with the quote " A trip to WDW was always special ". Except for a few times when I went I would take 2 weeks off and drive round trip from Amarillo Texas about 4000 miles. Gotta love a good road trip. I still remember the Orange Tower a few miles before I would get on I-4 I think.
Originally Posted By Blufusion05 OH BTW. here only 3 kids in this house. Me ,my partne. and our cat Miss Kitty. She the ruler of the home as well. MEOW
Originally Posted By Blufusion05 Sorry Mac keyboard and humidity don't mix. That should be there are only.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb I was heavy in my coaster phase on my first trip and had been to Disneyland a few times so I don't remember being impressed by Main Street. I just remember multiple rides on Space Mountain, the Skyway and watching the night time water parade from the lawn near the Contemporary. After 28 years the memories have faded considerably.
Originally Posted By Blufusion05 You want Coasters. Go to Cedar Point. Best 2 days I have had just having fun riding them. And it was'nt Disneyfied And now days it's not the memories that are fading it's the age of my back. lol
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom October is one of the better times to go to WDW in my opinion. As it's still warm enough to enjoy the water rides, walk around in shorts and such. The MK is all desked out for Halloween. Food and Wine is going on over at EPCOT. Not much decorations over at DHS or AK. It use to be that WDW wasn't busy that time of year but with the success of Food and Wine at EPCOT the parks tend to be busy. October is usually the time of year that I visit WDW.
Originally Posted By jkayjs I'm going to recommend you try this website <a href="http://allears.net/index.html" target="_blank">http://allears.net/index.html</a>. It not only has information with pricing but a full slide show so you can see each resort. Four days is short but if that is all you can do then just research & set your prioritys. You can't see/experience everything in double that time so don't worry about 'seeing it all'. You know what you like so plan accordingly. I would recommend a hopper pass just so you can make the most of EMH. Sometimes there is early @ one park & late @ another. If you are able to going soon it would be a great time & they are may be having discounts. I've stayed @ all the values, mods & many of the deluxes many times as well as off property & a couple of the DtD hotels. You'll be fine @ one of the values esp if you plan on most of your time being in the parks. If you can't go now I agree early Fall is great. Summer is pretty miserable but very early summer can be just fine. There are many ways to save & websites devoted to just that. The Unofficial Guide to WDW has a website & many commando type tour plans if you're into that. Please know that all the advice here is just that & it comes from many very seasoned guests who have been & will be many more times so they are try to give you the best experience possible. Since you clearly have a time restraint but still want to go just make it your own & do what feels right for you(after you do plenty of good research that is). Try the website I sited first & go from there. But most important go with an open & flexible mind & have a great time!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Sorry stream of though again. If you wanna stay on site. DTD that is stay at the new Howard Johnson. It has brand new rooms and has a great price. I know HOJO's sounds like a cheap place But it reallly is nice.>> Hasn't been HoJos in many, many, years now ... it became a Courtyard and then was about to become a Holiday Inn when it was pretty much wiped out by hurricane season 2004. It sat for years until they finally began doing work in 2009 and it reopened in 2010. Heard it is VERY nice.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Hey guys have a question for Autopia Deb and Spirit.Have been watching the site for a few yrs. Spirit it seem you have been going a long time to WDW. Why do you still go.>> Why do I go? Because I enjoy the place. Because it is still an incredibly beautiful (not everywhere, though) resort. Because I have great friends that I care deeply for who live in the area and also enjoy spending time there. Because, for me, WDW IS a value (lowest priced AP possible, always get massive discounts on lodging and food, no longer buy anything merchandise wise that isn't at an outlet or Prop Control). Are those good enough reasons? <<And Miss Deb how many times have you been. And may I ask your ages. Not trying to be rude just a question.>> You can ask Deb (I'll say she's likely between 28 and 108 ... just not sure where). And I'm an ageless Spirit <<Im 49 been going for almost 30 yrs to there I do other things in Orlando as well. But I feel like after the 1st 15 yrs of going there from '82 to '97 after my FW trip it just became a big hassle to save all yr and kind say after being there . "Been there and done that" I live in Fla now and havent been in a few yr. The economy is the reason why.>> You've noticed that too? Just got back from a visit to the local mall (picked up some CDs for $2 as Fye was closing down) and I couldn't help but think the USA's new motto should be: ''America: Yes, we are now going out of business''. <<Dont' dont get me wrong I would go again but now that I'm older I want to experiance other things that just Disney. Australia for example.>> Makes sense to me. I just spent the past three months traveling in Asia (mostly for business) but it did allow me time to 'vacation' in Hong Kong and visit Japan for the first time (including TDR) and then I came home and took a trip to Las Vegas. I couldn't imagine only going to WDW. The people who have one vacation every year and opt to spend say 10 days at the BW or PO or OKW ... well, I think they are selling themselves and our planet short! <<And to tell you the truth if I had the funds I would spend a full 7 day at the Contemporary. Just to have that one experiance. That has away been my Disney Dream. That Hotel is still cool to me ever since i saw pictures of it in '72>> It has always been a favorite of mine and I have stayed many times. I'd like to stay again, but can't justify the price points for the quality provided.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb >>>You can ask Deb (I'll say she's likely between 28 and 108 ... just not sure where).<<< LOL only if you count each individual day of my multi day trips. But I imagine I've been to Disneyland more than 108 times even if you do the opposite of my WDW math and count multi day trips as 1 visit each.
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin Aha, a wonderful thread for me to weigh in on. I hope the OP is still reading? My husband and I went to WDW for the first time this last October. It was too hot for this So Cal girl! But the Food and Wine Festival was wonderful. I am the organizing like crazy commando-type. So, I recommend a guide book (like the Unofficial Guide) and figuring out your priorities and making plans. We went in October because I had vacation but otherwise would have gone in Jan/Feb for the cooler temps and smaller crowds and better deals (but no special decorations or anything). Other than MK, we didn't notice Halloween theming, but we're used to DL. We decided to not get park hoppers because we wanted to see as much as possible at each park in one day and I was scared about the buses. We were always at parks at opening and I am glad we did not park hop. We never had more than 30minutes from our hotel room to a park in the morning except our MK day, and only once over 30minutes from a park home (EPCOT at closing after Fantasmic!). It was difficult for us to get from AKL back to POR after dinner, and we went to DHS as our intermediate stop. We made dining reservations for almost every day once or twice, and we did not feel they were difficult to make one single time. Might I recommend my trip report? Here's a link to a WDW crowd graph: <a href="http://yourfirstvisit.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Walt-Disney-World-Crowd-Calendar-v12-10.jpg" target="_blank">http://yourfirstvisit.net/wp-c...2-10.jpg</a> AllEars.net has great information on average temps and rainfall, and great other information too. FPs (sorry about my random abbreviations - see <a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/fastpass.htm" target="_blank">http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo...pass.htm</a>) MK: BTMR, Buzz, Jungle Cruise, WTP, Peter Pan, Space, Splash EPCOT: Mission Space, Test Track, Maelstrom, Soarin' DHS: TSMM, RRC, ToT, Star Tours (irrelevant right now) DAK: Primeval Whirl, Dinosaur, Everest, rapids, and the safari
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo FWIW, I was not having a dig at WDW per se, it just seems like finances and transport are the 2 biggest challenges for Bellella's trip. I felt the money would probably go further staying off site. Also, if this is likely to be a once in a lifetime trip, then I suggest perhaps saving a bit longer to be able to go longer. FWIW, if staying on site, I find the moderates are the best value Disney accommodations. The sites WDW Dreaming recommended are excellent startng points. And although biased, the Birenbaum book is excellent too.
Originally Posted By danyoung >...and only once over 30minutes from a park home (EPCOT at closing after Fantasmic!).< Not to jump on you, but Fantasmic! is at the Studios. Did you mean IllumiNations, the show that runs nightly at Epcot?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom WDWdreamin sounds like had a great trip! For a first timer I would also recommend NOT doing any park hopping and doing one park a day. Just stay put and take it all in. Perhaps my biggest pet peave is that for some "odd" reason most everyone I encounter is under the firm believe that a WDW vacation is going to cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. My dental hygenist and her teenage daughter spent $9,000 on a week long trip to WDW, with no regrets. A vacation to WDW need not cost a small fortune. Perhaps the best advise when it comes to financing a WDW visit is to set a budget and live within that budget.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Hopper v. non hopper: If making dining reservations in EPCOT or other park on multiple days, spend the money on the hopper. It's also good if planning on taking advantage of Extra Magic and then hopping away when the park gets too busy. Keep in mind, doing every EMH can be exhausting if that's your plan. We tried that one trip and had to give it up part way through the week and were more selective about the ones we caught. If dining is a low priority and not doing too many in-park ADRs save your money and concentrate on one park a day. I recommend skipping Extra Magic if not hopping, unless you go during a low attendence time. BTW, the busses to MK are miserable during Exta Magic Morning. Either skip it that day or get to the bus stop a good 45 minutes to and hour before the EMM (7:00 to 7:15 AM).
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo And post 59 is the exact reason why, if on a budget, i think it is prudent to stay in a non Disney hotel without a hopper pass, but perhaps stay an extra day with the money saved. If money is not a huge issue, then staying on site in a moderate or deluxe with a hopper is great. But to be honest, Extra magic hours is really the only important perk, and because it is, it makes it very crowded for the morning ones (though the evening ones where the parks are open until 1am sometimes is great - sadly since taking kids where the 5 hour time difference already takes it's toll, that's a no go for us).
