Total Disney Newbie

[dr.girlfriend]

Hi guys;

Sorry, I want to read through the other threads in more detail, but for now I'm trying to rush-book a trip for my husband, myself, and our son to meet up with the grandparents at Disney World (that's the Florida one, right?) in late August. Our son is 7. He likes Star Wars and animals, and is in to Harry Potter to a lesser extent.  He doesn't like roller-coaster or spinny type rides, honestly we might have trouble getting him on any rides at all.  He doesn't believe in Santa or the tooth fairy anymore, so I don't think he'll be awed by any characters or mascots.  Any advice on what to do with a kid like that? Is Magic Kingdom still fun for kids who aren't into Mickey and princesses and stuff, or should we focus on Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, and Epcot?  A family member recommended staying at the Polynesian, and I think I've figured out I don't want a dining pass, but what else do I need to decide?  Park hopper, FastPass -- it's like a whole other language!

[bexporter]

Hollywood Studios is where all the Star Wars stuff is!

[lala]

He's only 7, I think he'll still have a ball everywhere. Especially if you are having fun, too. I'd go to all 4 disney parks.

The Harry Potter lands are in Universal's park, which are not part of Disney. You would need to decide if you are just doing the 4 disney parks or if you want to do Universal, too.

I didn't see mention of time or financial constraints. My basic recommendation would be to stay on site at Disney for a week with at least 5 day park hoppers. While all resorts have great pools, some are better than others. In August, hanging out at the pool will be a must to cool down and relax a bit. If this is a once in a lifetime kind of trip and you want to "do it up," then go for the Poly. It would be awesome.

[ribollita]

There's a good deal on right now that I think goes through check in around 8/24. I agree Hollywood Studios is a must do for him. Have you considered using a (free) Disney travel agent?

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:19:58 GMT -5 ribollita said:

There's a good deal on right now that I think goes through check in around 8/24. I agree Hollywood Studios is a must do for him. Have you considered using a (free) Disney travel agent?

How do you contact a Disney travel agent?  I'm not seeing an option on their site.  Or is it the 407-939-5277 number?

[dr.girlfriend]

Thanks, guys! I hadn't realized the Polynesian was so crazy expensive...mental note not to take travel advice from family members who are super-rich. ;-) Any other recommendations for places to stay? We would be mostly interested in convenience to the parks.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:33:23 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

And I do think you should use a TA, even if it's not Amy, and one that specializes in Disney. That way any discounts will be applied and you won't have to worry about it.

Thanks, hopefully Amy will pop in here. I tried the online chat but they were all, "I can't tell you anything about reservations."

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:35:07 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Also, late August should be good for crowds but it will HOT HOT HOT!

Yeah, my parents are giving me a hard time about that, but they want me to pull him out of school for a week. I keep explaining that you can't ditch school for a week any more like you could when I was a kid... ;-)

[panicked]

Mar 22, 2016 14:51:20 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Thanks, guys! I hadn't realized the Polynesian was so crazy expensive...mental note not to take travel advice from family members who are super-rich. ;-) Any other recommendations for places to stay? We would be mostly interested in convenience to the parks.

Anything that is super convenient is going to be in the monorail (MK/Epcot) or close to the park (ak). Those are expensive. I'd go with something that has a dedicated bus, like AoA.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:53:24 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 22, 2016 14:51:20 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Thanks, guys! I hadn't realized the Polynesian was so crazy expensive...mental note not to take travel advice from family members who are super-rich. ;-) Any other recommendations for places to stay? We would be mostly interested in convenience to the parks.

What price range?

I don't really know...not super-budget but not super-fancy?  I don't know what that translates into for Disney dollars, lol. We haven't really set a budget...time is trickier than money these days.  My mom got a quote from the Polynesian that was like $800 a night, though, and that seemed crazy to me, which is why I jumped on to try to do some of the booking myself.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:54:45 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 22, 2016 14:53:45 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Yeah, my parents are giving me a hard time about that, but they want me to pull him out of school for a week. I keep explaining that you can't ditch school for a week any more like you could when I was a kid... ;-)

It is a good time for crowds though because a LOT of schools start In the beginning of August, and most people are reluctant to pull their kids so soon after school starts!

Yeah, that's my hope...since a lot of school are already in session it should be pretty light there, and I won't have to pay for a week of summer camp.

Does the Animal Kingdom Lodge seem like a good middle-ground between budget and convenience?  My husband and son both love animals, so I'm hoping AK will be a winner.

[ilikedonuts]

$800/night is the poly dvc bunaglows I think

[ribollita]

With the summer promotion I am getting rates of $291 at the Boardwalk Inn and around $400-450 at the three monorail resorts.

Boardwalk Inn is walkable to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:57:14 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 22, 2016 14:56:04 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

I don't really know...not super-budget but not super-fancy?  I don't know what that translates into for Disney dollars, lol. We haven't really set a budget...time is trickier than money these days.  My mom got a quote from the Polynesian that was like $800 a night, though, and that seemed crazy to me, which is why I jumped on to try to do some of the booking myself.

I wonder if she quoted one of the poly dvc's. I mean, poly is expensive! But a standard room probably wouldn't be that much at the end of August?

I don't know what a dvc is but it included the Park Hopper passes?   The quote was $3642.08 for a standard room including a 5-day park hopper for me, husband, and kid.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 14:58:14 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

What parks do you want to be closest to?

I guess I need to figure that out. I need to watch some videos or something. I'm thinking Hollywood Studios for Star Wars, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. What does Magic Kingdom have for a jaded 7-year-old who's not into rides or characters?

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 15:02:23 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 22, 2016 15:01:15 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

I don't know what a dvc is but it included the Park Hopper passes?   The quote was $3642.08 for a standard room including a 5-day park hopper for me, husband, and kid.

Ahhhhh. So that's the room +tickets price. Yeah, that's probably accurate.

Yeah, looking at ticket prices alone they'd be $1200 for the three of us for a 5-day park hopper, so that makes the Polynesian about $488 a night. 

[panicked]

Mar 22, 2016 15:02:53 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Mar 22, 2016 14:58:14 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

What parks do you want to be closest to?

I guess I need to figure that out. I need to watch some videos or something. I'm thinking Hollywood Studios for Star Wars, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. What does Magic Kingdom have for a jaded 7-year-old who's not into rides or characters?

It's magic, really. Even the most jaded kids love MK. There's actually a ton to do without rides or character meets.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 15:03:57 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 22, 2016 15:02:53 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

I guess I need to figure that out. I need to watch some videos or something. I'm thinking Hollywood Studios for Star Wars, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. What does Magic Kingdom have for a jaded 7-year-old who's not into rides or characters?

The rides are really fun even if you're not into characters. I mean, I've never seen song of the south and love splash mountain!

I'm just worried that he will refuse to go on any rides. He's anxious, and doesn't want to do any rides at carnivals or anything.

[dr.girlfriend]

Mar 22, 2016 15:06:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I hate carnival rides but love Disney rides. And I'm not a thrill seeker.

Can you give me an example of non-scary rides I could maybe tell him about or show him online? He thought Zootopia was scary, so his fear index is set a little high. :-)

[Deleted]

Mar 22, 2016 15:07:31 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Mar 22, 2016 15:06:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I hate carnival rides but love Disney rides. And I'm not a thrill seeker.

Can you give me an example of non-scary rides I could maybe tell him about or show him online? He thought Zootopia was scary, so his fear index is set a little high. :-)

One good thing about Disney rides is you can watch videos of them on YouTube (people record them while they ride it) so you could prepare him for several! There are lots of indoor rides that aren't scary, it's a small world, Winnie the Pooh, buzz Lightyear space ranger, Peter pans flight.

[panicked]

Mar 22, 2016 15:07:31 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Mar 22, 2016 15:06:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I hate carnival rides but love Disney rides. And I'm not a thrill seeker.

Can you give me an example of non-scary rides I could maybe tell him about or show him online? He thought Zootopia was scary, so his fear index is set a little high. :-)

Winnie the Pooh, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor (or whatever the hell its called), people mover, carousel of progress, dumbo, flying carpets, really any of the shows. There's a ton to do.

[TBM]

Mar 22, 2016 15:07:31 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Mar 22, 2016 15:06:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I hate carnival rides but love Disney rides. And I'm not a thrill seeker.

Can you give me an example of non-scary rides I could maybe tell him about or show him online? He thought Zootopia was scary, so his fear index is set a little high. :-)

My 8 year old grandson found zootopia scary, but there are a lot of Disney rides that he enjoys and there is a lot to see and experience other than rides or character meet and greets.

I will try to find out what his favorite rides are.

[Amy]

Mar 22, 2016 14:52:24 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Mar 22, 2016 14:33:23 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

And I do think you should use a TA, even if it's not Amy, and one that specializes in Disney. That way any discounts will be applied and you won't have to worry about it.

Thanks, hopefully Amy will pop in here. I tried the online chat but they were all, "I can't tell you anything about reservations."

Hi! I'm here - sorry was out and about today - I'll PM you my email, I'd be happy to help  

[Amy]

After going back and reading, our sons are very similar, DS1 is 6 and is super into Star Wars and won't do the big rides.

[lala]

Oh definitely still go to magic kingdom. I'm pretty confident he'll still love it. Like others said there are tons of first person perspective ride videos on YouTube. Start with the dis you tube channel. Maybe show him the Main Street electrical parade.

I am not a fan of the animal kingdom lodge because I hate bussing everywhere - but it's an awesome resort and nothing beats watching giraffes while you drink your coffee.

Re: school, I'd absolutely pull a 7 year old out unless he's having a hard time in school. We'll be pulling my 2nd grader and kindergartener for a week next year for Disneyland and We did it last year for Disney world. All but strictest of districts don't care.

We're big fans of renting dvc units through a broker - sounds complicated but it's not. Dvc is the Disney version of a time share. We like it because we get much nicer accommodations for the price of a moderate or cheap deluxe. But I know that might be overwhelming for a first timer.

[gardengal]

Fwiw, my kids don't really know any Disney characters & they still really enjoyed MK.

My son oddly is a thrill seeker tho (he's a nervous nelly generally so it's weird) so I don't jab ride suggestions.

[curbsideprophet]

You can start booking dining reservations now. You don't need a hotel or park tickets. You just need to have an idea of which day you will be at which park.

[Wines Not Whines]

My son gets scared easily, too, and he's not a fan of a lot of the rides. He still loves going to Disney. There are a lot of rides in Magic Kingdom that aren't scary, like Small World, Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, People Mover, and Tomorrowland Speedway.

He also loves to go to the hotel pool, roast marshmallows on the "beach" at the hotel, watch the evening outdoor movies at the hotel, ride the monorail/boats to get around, and see the parades.

[Mrs. ChanandlerBong]

Hotel wise: all of the monorail resorts are going to be the same
Cost or more expensive than the poly. However, you can rent a dvc (that's their time share system) from an offsite company that could (but it's not a given, I'd price it out) get you a better deal on a studio or one bedroom over a standard hotel room. Check out David's (Id Google David's dvc rentals. I'm not sure of the exact URL).

That being said: there are lots of options in all price ranges.

My bff loves the family suites at All Star Music. (Value)

We have had good experiences at the cabins in Fort Wilderness (moderate), wilderness lodge (deluxe)and the Grand Floridian.(deluxe)

I've also had friends who loved Port Orleans and Carribean beach. ( moderate)

Also look into the swan or dolphin.

[Mrs. ChanandlerBong]

Oh and my kids don't do thrill rides, either and they love the Magic Kingdom.

We've been a few times and honestly, we find something new (that's probably been there for years) each trip.