These questions are from my dear friend, Julie. She has three ADORABLE young boys, and she and her husband are planning a Disney trip for them. Hopefully her questions will help some of you. Love you, Julie!
We were originally thinking about going in October until [a friend] said they were thinking about going the first week in December. It's value season, you'd get to be there for all the Christmas stuff, and there is likely to be very few kids there since they will have just had off for Thanksgiving. This could be a very good option for our trip. December is a great option for seeing the Christmas decorations, and avoiding crowds in value season! Our next trip (after this one in October) will definitely be during this season because it's a magical time to go. I highly recommend it! Be sure you pack all sorts of layers for clothing. Weather can be weird in central Florida, so you'll want to have a big variety of things to layer on and off. That's a big tip for this time of year.
I think we are leaning towards staying in All Star Movies value resort. I think the boys would LOVE to stay in the Animal Lodge in AK, but it's pretty pricey.
All Star Movies will be fantastic for the boys. It's kid-friendly and very engaging. Plus, at this stage in the game, you're really going for the parks and not necessarily a "fine hotel" experience. Although the Value resorts are definitely Disney-quality, which equals excellence. I would highly recommend them to anyone. Keep in mind that you are more than welcome to come and tour the Animal Kingdom Lodge and get the feel of the resort, even if you're not staying there. You'll also get a similar safari/savannah experience just by visiting Animal Kingdom. A great way to save money is to stay at a value resort but visit the lobbies and/or restaurants of finer resorts.
I'm not sure about which dining plan to do. If you stay in a value resort, does that lock you into a quick service meal plan? Which meal plans have you done before?
As far as I know, you are able to purchase whatever Dining Plan you wish, regardless of what resort you're staying in. The Dining Plans are done by point values, so you're not locked in to what you HAVE to eat, as far as menu items. Most of the restaurants at Disney participate in the Dining Plan. However, some signature restaurants will take up double points, if that makes sense. You can see what values a meal would take up by looking at the Disney Dining website, and then you can plan accordingly. From what I've heard, the Dining Plan gives you a LOT of food. That's why Kurt and I have never used it, because I'd feel compelled to use every single dang point I was given--haha! However, lots of families have had great experiences with it. Having three boys, yall might really get a good deal out of it. Keep in mind that if your boys don't typically eat a ton at each meal, sometimes you're better off to split plates and share certain things. It's a money saver, and you haven't wasted food. But only you know how much your kids typically eat.
Will we be able to find somewhat healthy food on that plan? I'm pretty strict about what I let my kids eat (and myself, for that matter).
Yes, it's possible to eat healthy at Disney. For instance, if you use the Dining Plan, you are allotted snacks throughout your stay. All Disney parks sell fresh fruit, and those can be redeemed using your meal plan. Also, there are healthy entree options at most every restaurant. Disney is really accommodating when it comes to guests' needs, so it never hurts to ask if you don't see something on the menu that you'd like you or your kids to eat. There are always fruit options for sides instead of fries, and the list goes on and on. You can read a good article about healthy eating HERE.
Are character meals included in any of the plans or should we just plan on paying out of pocket for those? Which ones of those would you recommend to me? The ones I like just by the sound of them are Chef Mickey, Winnie the Pooh (MK), Donald's Safari Breakfast, Playhouse Disney, and theTusker House Character breakfast (AK).
Character meals are included in your Dining Plan, unless otherwise noted. They only take up one meal allotment per person. I HIGHLY recommend doing a character meal, because it's a wonderful way to get pictures with characters (with no lines!), personal attention, and knock out a meal at the same time. Very much worth the money with kids. I've heard the most about Chef Mickey's, but you can be sure that any character meal at Disney WILL have characters present. They will most likely be themed according to where you are (i.e. "Safari" dressed characters will be in Animal Kingdom, and you'll get Winnie the Pooh and friends at their breakfast, etc.), so based on which characters your kids will like, it will be easy to make a decision. Bottom line: all character meals are good and worth it.
What about the dinner shows? Are those worth the money with my kids?
Dinner shows will most likely take up more of your Dining points, and it really depends on your kids. Dinner shows include a lot of crowd interaction, and kid participation. For instance, at O'Hana, kids play games, run races, etc. at the dinner show. If you have shy kids or kids that get scared easily of lots of noise or people trying to get them to participate, you might want to pass. However, some people argue that you never know until you try. I personally haven't been to any dinner shows, but as with all things Disney, you can be sure it will be engaging and high energy. Personally, I would skip a dinner show on your first visit to Disney. There's so much to see in the parks, they'll have SO much to take in already!
Tickets - is adding the park hopping option worth it? I think that there's probably enough to do in each park to keep us busy for one day, but you tell me if you think we'd benefit from this option. I think we definitely need at least 1 day in each park and then 1-2 more days to go back to what they loved. What do you think? I was also contemplating doing Sea World 1 day. They have a good deal on tickets.
Yes, I recommend doing one park per day, then having a couple of recap days. We personally love the Park Hopping option, because you aren't locked in. I get claustrophobic when I know I HAVE to stay in one park per day. I would feel trapped! ha! However, with young kids it's easier to stay in one park per day because you can take your time touring. I actually recommend doing Magic Kingdom over two days. The only reason you'd need a Park Hopper option would maybe be for your recap days, but obviously you can find plenty to do without park hopping. My recommendations: 2 day for Magic Kingdom, 2 days for Epcot (you can do it in 1 day but it helps to have 2), 1 day for Animal Kingdom, 1 day for Hollywood Studios, and then if you have a day left, pick your kids' favorite park and go back. Sea World is fun, especially for boys I would imagine. I have a friend that did a Disney vacation with her husband and son and they LOVED doing Sea World along with Disney. My recommendation: Do Sea World at the beginning of your trip. To me, Disney parks are unparalleled as far as excellence, magic, rides, etc. Putting Sea World at the end might seem like a come-down from just experiencing all that is Disney. Just my personal opinion!
I would highly recommend getting your tickets from Undercover Tourist. They are legit and have the best deals!
Send any more questions my way!
Peter Pan Costume
Pirate Costume
