Disney World (a hopefully unbiased opinion on the joint)

[lowbudgetjunk]

I am going to attempt to toss this out there for folks heading in for their first time. I learned a lot about the place and about my vacationing style. Please add comments that are unbiased and actually helpful.

These are some things that are needed 100%

Fast Pass Plus. Use all 3 of your Fast Passes as soon as you can. With the Plus, you get more. Use them, use them, use them.
Stroller for small children
Food and drinks. Quick meals for 4 (1 was an infant and wasn't charged, 1 was a child and was charged less) average $40. We brought chips, fruit bars, water, Capri Suns. Sit down meals averaged out over a hundred bucks for 2.5 humans.
Patience. People walk into you, cut in front of you, ignore all social norms and basically just fail at life. Even the English speaking people forget the language. No one speaks, no one uses manners and everyone is out for themselves.
Don't look like a terrorist. I know some of you think I don't look like one, but damn it if Disney didn't. i was fondled and metal detected aplenty. Get a douche stache or beard. Wear Khakis, Polo and Costa's? I am not cool, so I don't get it.


More to come. Just got home after 5 days

 

[peanut]

me and the family headed there in oct. our 1st trip

 

[P]

My daughter is going next month with one of her friends / friends family. It makes me very nervous. Shes almost 17 but still my baby !! :indianajones:

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

My daughter is going next month with one of her friends / friends family. It makes me very nervous. Shes almost 17 but still my baby !! :indianajones:

She will be fine. There is so much going on that there is no way for her not to be safe. That being said, I would be nervous too. I hope you got her a mint to print money while she is there.

me and the family headed there in oct. our 1st trip

Stop by City Hall and get your buttons. 1st time visitors can get some perks from time to time. Bring baby wipes, even if you don't have little ones. Single ply sandpaper is all that is available. Comfortable shoes are very important as well. Pay attention to weather and pack disposable ponchos. Do not get in a hurry or plan on going anywhere fast. It is a slow, jumbled up mess of a place, nothing is efficient.


I have learned, from this vacation, what I really like to do on vacation. I like to go into chill mode and have no plans or destination. This place is not that. Everything has a timeline to get to or wait for. Stand in line to get on a bus, to stand in line to get searched to stand in line to go in the park, to stand in line to go around people that are getting pictures taken. Then you get to stand in line to go on a ride. Everything they do is very inefficient. It is an Industrial/Organizational nightmare. Having a military background, I struggled to understand what was going on. Very few people are on the same page. I first thought it was controlled chaos and figured out later that it was just chaos.

Research everything you want to ride and figure it out using your fast passes. Research where you want to eat and plan it out. If you don't, go into chill mode or you will meltdown. I was pretty chill the whole time, but had a few chances to lose it. I only snapped on one lady for trying to steal my seat while I had two hungry kids and a plate of food. I know people love this place and people hate it. You just have to realize what type of vacationer you are and plan accordingly. I will not be back unless it is required by law for community service.

 

[John Galbreath Jr.]

I will not be back unless it is required by law for community service.

Unless one of them babies ask "Please daddy, take me back to Disney World!" But that will be the subject of another thread.

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

Unless one of them babies ask "Please daddy, take me back to Disney World!" But that will be the subject of another thread.

My daughter repeatedly asked when I was going to get the Samurai done so we could go back to crawl over rocks. Then we had a when was the Red Buggy gonna be done discussion. My wife perked up and I realized I lost this fight before it started. Woods it is for me from now on. Going this Saturday and next and next.

 

[Sawzall]

My wife has been wanting to go before we get too old for the rides. This makes me rather spend my money elsewhere: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/us/last-task-after-layoff-at-disney-train-foreign-replacements.html?_r=0

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

As Donald Trump says, "We aren't winning in America anymore."

 

[TacomaJD]

I went there on a Beta Club trip in high school when we were down there competing in the National Beta Convention. Had a ton of friends with me, so it was alright I guess, no way in hell I'd go back now though. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms resort, fawking NICE place....got kicked out of all the pools for swimming after hours.

 

[wimpykid]

My wife and I have taken our son several times. It's great for the kids, but the non-Americans are everywhere.

I suggest staying in the park. We have done it both ways and staying at one of their resorts is way easier. We did the meal plan and it seemed like a good deal for us.

It's super clean and the staff really cater to the kids. We didn't get to the "pictures with Mickey" line in time, more than once. They must have cameras everywhere and could see the disappointment in little man's face. As we were planning on the next scheduled pics, dude comes and ask if we were wanting to see Mickey. Took us straight to the front of the line. Man what smile we saw! That's why we've been several times.

Check on the Disney website, they have great deals at times.

If you only get to go once, it's worth it!

 

[kushKrawlin]

Good buddy just got back. Him, wife and 3 kids. Over 4 grand.! He said it was a hell of a surprise. I asked if he'd go back. He got mad. Hahahaha. He says one truly has to be a Fukin moron to do what he did. I agree

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

Good buddy just got back. Him, wife and 3 kids. Over 4 grand.! He said it was a hell of a surprise. I asked if he'd go back. He got mad. Hahahaha. He says one truly has to be a Fukin moron to do what he did. I agree

Including fuel, food, toys and housing for 5 days for a family of 4 - $2500. Might have been a few bucks more, but under 2600.

 

[Molly Hatchet]

I will never go back. Ever! The place is a rip off. Take your kids wheeling, to the beech, lake, or snow skiing. Fawk Disney...

 

[highrange]

One of the best things that I would recommend is to sit down with someone who can help u plan your Disney trip. Usually has to be done about 6 months out to book certain places to eat or to see certain shows with a meal. You will not have to pay this person to help you plan, Disney will do that. Definetly helped my family get more out of our trip. I have a friend who referred her to me and I am thinking you can contact Disney to see if there is anyone in your area you could talk too

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

I will never go back. Ever! The place is a rip off. Take your kids wheeling, to the beech, lake, or snow skiing. Fawk Disney...

X2

All the Cinderellas were hot though. My 2 year old boy kept flirting with all of them.

 

[jakec69]

best way to enjoy Disney world - 1. get up before the family and ride around and smoke a bowl and drink a beer. 2. chase a lortab 10 and a Xanax bar with another beer. 3. enjoy the morning. repeat this every 3 to 4 hours each day. I ****ing love Disney world!

 

[kushKrawlin]

best way to enjoy Disney world - 1. get up before the family and ride around and smoke a bowl and drink a beer. 2. chase a lortab 10 and a Xanax bar with another beer. 3. enjoy the morning. repeat this every 3 to 4 hours each day. I ****ing love Disney world!

See. I fawkin knew i wasn't alone. Dammit. All the sudden that **** sounds awesome!!

 

[Neal3000]

I hate Disney, i'd rather go get prostate exam's for 5 straight days than go there, unfortunately my wife and kids LOVE the fawking place. I love seeing my kids happy so i deal with it every couple of years. That being said we just got home from a Disney cruise and it was fantastic, and the kids loved every second of it and actually said they prefered it over the themeparks! Costwise i believe it was less.

 

[y2knole]

I was pretty freaking jaded and cynical about it before I went with my kids.

first time we took just the oldest, she was 4. last time, last fall, we took both, then 7 and nearly 4. they had a blast, and it was really a lot of fun. I never thought Id say that but it was...

so the tips:
1) get a wife to make all the arrangements. Mine went through one of these 'disney travel consultants' which I guess is like a stay at home mom side business kinda thing. they hooked us up with seasonal discounts for park hopper passes and meal plans.
2) book the fast pass stuff asap. I think its like 3 or 6 months out. wifey had a spreadsheet of all the crap she wanted for us, character meals, rides, etc and was logging into the site at midnight the day we were able to start booking. we still had to go to 3rd or 4th choices on some things cause that stuff goes quick
3) we stayed on property and it aint cheap but its good, clean, foods decent, and the meal plan really is a good thing to have. we were there in sept and they comped the whole meal plan for us over a 3 day stay
4) just chill, go with the flow and know you arent there for yourself but for the kids to have fun, and I will say, I get anxious as hell in crowds.... its hard, but ease up, know that its all gonna be ok and just dont sweat it and focus on the kids having fun, and you'll end up having a good time yourself!

all said and done, I think we'll probably go every other year till they're beyond the age of wanting to go and im lookin fwd to the next time.

EDIT: and a Disney Cruise sounds like a floating prision to me LOL

 

[halcat]

I just got back today. Went on a company trip. you need to check in to the app for your phone, GPS shows you around the park, where the fast passed are, where the "cheep food is". I didn't have one but I thought it would be a good idea to invent one so I googled it and there are already several out there. Might be worth a try.