think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

We have a wedding on FLA anyway so I was trying to convince my DH to do Disney...at first he wasn't for it..he thinks our kids are still too young...but after this Christmas and seeing how over-excited our 2.5 yr old is about Toy Story...I told them they are probably doing LOTS of T.S. stuff down there with the new movie coming out..he is actually "swaying to my side of the fence"... YAY!!!

Now I just started looking into where to stay and I am a little overwhelmed...

When we go in October -- my DD will be 3 years (+2 months) and my DS will be 3 months shy of 2 yrs old!

I was looking at the monerail hotels....does this make the most sense with 2 little kids...no in and out of cars and/or buses!?!?!

I stayed at the contemporary when I was younger...looks similar to when I was down there 20 yrs ago....is that the case...??

I also dont want to break the bank either since I am a SAHM....but I already did the All Star Resort with my DH when we were still dating...I guess I want something in between...


What do you Disney professional moms think?!?!

I guess I want suggestions on how to make this look like a real sweet deal that my DH cant help but say yeah!!

Also how many days...it is not like we need to do all the parks while they are still young...is 4 days enough, too much, not enough?!?!

Sorry so long!

Thanks for any suggestions you can give!

any suggetions will be really appreciated!

Message edited 1/10/2010 12:48:27 PM.

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

we went in nov.-dec. and stayed for 7 nights. I think it was a good amount of time, but we could have stayed one less night and not missed it.

DD was 2 when we went and did great in all the parks. We stayed at the pop century and took the buses everywhere. She could have been better, but they are short trips so it was manageable.

there are always deals going on at disney. we got free dining with our package and it saved us soo much money.

check out mousesavers.com for tips too.

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

We've been to Disney twice with DD...once last year at 10 months and once this summer when she was 1.5.

Obviously it was more for us than her but this summer she enjoyed it. We stood at the value resorts both times and it was fine. Bus service was frequent (although sometimes it did get a little crowded) but it wasn't that bad at all. Disney is very stroller friendly so we didn't have a problem with that.

I've been in October for my HM 10 years ago. At the time it was warm enough to do the water parks but weather at that time can be kind of a hit or miss. I say go and enjoy it.

If you want an in between resort try Coronado Springs or Port Orleans. Those are not as pricey as the monorail resorts however since we spent little to no time in our room it made more economical sense for us to do a value.

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

Well I'm happy to help if you want to FM me.

We took DD#1 when she was 15 months and stayed at the poly it was SOOOOOOOOOO easy - we did rent a car - but won't be this coming trip in May. It was SO easy to just roll our stroller onto the monorail and you can walk to the TTC to grab the monorail to EPCOT if you don't want to change monorails.

The contemporary is great - the garden wing is cheaper than the tower rooms - and a little cheaper than the poly. The poly garden rooms are much cheaper than the tower at the contemporary. I personally like the contemporary to visit but not as much to stay - yes you can walk to the MK and you have the monorail for MK or EPCOT - but you still have to take buses to AK and HS (same with the POLY) but I personally prefer the overall experience of the POLY over the Contemp which is a bit sterile for me.

We are going back in May for DD#1's 1st birthday and DD#2 will be a month shy of turning 3 (so they are both free). We are staying at the poly again but without a rental car this time.

If you go to WDW's website and try to sign up for the free DVD you might get an email with a code (there is a private email with a code out now for most of 2010) with 40% off the hotel at deluxe resorts.

I'm happy to tell you about our experience with our 15 month old or what we are planning this time around if you FM me. Otherwise if you just need some help of have questions let me know!

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

Check out disboards.com and allears
Super helpful!

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

thanks ladies.... great advice..I welcome all your suggestions..I just signed up for the forums at DISboards.com too!

If I think of anything specific, I will def let you ladies know! I hope the suggestions keep coming..I do so much better with suggestion from people than the books! lol

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

monorail hotels are great but only for MK and Epcot - you will still need to take a bus or boat to DHS and AK.

we went to disney two years ago when ds was 19 months old - we stayed at all-star movies...
we are going again very soon - ds is 3.5 and dd is 17 months

we are staying at saragota springs resort

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

Well I'm not a Disney Mom, but I'd be happy to help in any way that I can also.

My experience is, that if a monorail resort is in the budget, the sheer convenience factor makes them very worthwhile. Granted, this only covers Magic Kingdom and Epcot, however MK will be a major draw for your children (at their age) and most families I deal with make at least two trips to this park during their stay (even if it is only 4-5 days).

The Contemporary is the same as you remember, however it has been renovated and was in great shape during my last stay there in 2008. Although I prefer the atmosphere at the Polynesian, I feel the Contemporary is still the most convenient, as you don't have to wait outside for the monorail, plus you can stroll to MK if the weather is nice.

That said, I would not overlook Bay Lake Towers, which is the new DVC (Disney Vacation Club) property located next to the Contemporary. It offers all the benefits of the Contemporary, but would offer you something new to experience.

For your DH, well there is almost always some kind of promotion being offered by Disney, and although it may be several months before anything is announced for the Fall, that might be enough to keep him smilinng :)

I'll be headed down on Friday for a week with the family, then again the week after for an on-site conference. If there is anything I can check into for you, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Bob

Re: think I finally convinced my DH to do Disney in Fall =))

thanks for all your help!!

I will def keep in touch with any other questions!