Help me plan a trip?

LizzyTish88

My cousin and I are planning a trip to Disney World for next February. It will be Her, Her daughter who will be 12, Her son who will be 4, BF, and Myself. The prices don't come out until September, so we won't know specifics, but anyone want to try to plan out the vacation?

We want to leave on a Saturday or Sunday the week ending Feb 26th. We will come back a week later on March 3rd weekend. We want to stay in a value resort as well. BF and I are going to Universal for a day or two as well.

What parks should we go to? Where should we stay? Where should we eat? Watch fireworks? Anything else we should try to do?

calindi

There's not much to plan for a Disney trip.  I'd start looking at flights only about 4 months out - they do release flights for sale before then, but they don't have any incentive to start discounting them until about 4 months so you'll usually pay full price for booking early (counter intuitive, I know, but it's how it works).  Check out farecast.com to sign up for notifications on the flights you're looking for - it'll alert you when the price goes down. 

I'd actually advise staying off property for the best value.  I highly recommend the Lake Buena Vista Best Western - they have a free shuttle to Disney all day long, and they also get access to the "Extra Magic Hours" that Disney resort guests get, which is a bonus.  If you're a AAA member, the rooms usually run about $80/night, and they're much MUCH nicer than the budget Disney hotels at the All-Star resorts that run about $110/night or more.  And much more convenient - you're across the street from Downtown Disney so you can go out to eat in the evenings without worrying about transportation!

For Universal, it's all the way across town, so you can either hire a taxi or rent a car for those two days.  If either of you is over 25 years old, I recommend renting the car since taxis aren't cheap around there.  Just talk to the hotel and they'll have Enterprise pick you up, and you can drop the car off at the airport when you leave!  The Best Western offers free parking to their guests, so that's a bonus, too.

I usually spend one morning in Animal Kingdom, and then go to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon (if you get a Park Hopper option, otherwise you can only go to one park per day).  Magic Kingdom is currently undergoing some renovations, and it's seems to always be CRAMMED to the point of not being that much fun.  Hopefully the additional sections they're adding will be up and running by then and there will be more space, but right now it's best to go on the days when they have evening Extra Magic Hours, go for the fireworks at 9pm and stay until it closes at midnight and you'll skip all lines because the kiddies will have gone to sleep.

Then get to Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM) at 8:50am - the park opens at 9am, but the Toy Story 3D ride is full within 10 minutes of the park opening.  Even all the Fast Passes are gone for the day, and the wait is at least 90 minutes!  It's worth doing, but I wouldn't wait 90 minutes for anything.  So show up at 8:50am, wiggle your way to the front of the line (politely), and when they release the guests into the park, walk quickly to Toy Story and get in line - we were the 5th group on the ride, so we didn't wait at all!  It was great!  

Hollywood Studios will probably take the morning, especially if you like rollercoasters.  Aerosmith's Rock'n Rollercoaster is pretty awesome, and Tower of Terror is a lot of fun (and sometimes has really short lines just by chance).  Get a Fast Pass for Rock'n Rollercoaster and then wait in line for Tower of Terror, by the time you get off you can get right on Rock'n Rollercoaster.

Spend the afternoon in Epcot - I love the German restaurant for lunch (after 1pm) since they have a live band and people get up and dance, it's really fun!  The Japanese hibachi restaurant is nice, too, especially for dinner.  And I'm a big fan of the British and Mexican restaurants, and the Moroccan is a lot of fun with belly dancer performers.  Basically the only one I'd recommend avoiding is the French restaurant simply because it's overpriced, but get a pastry at the pastry shop in the back of France, because it's GREAT!  Then wander around Epcot and try drinks at different countries - my favorites are the Habibi Daqueri in Morocco, and the Mango Gingertini in China and the orange slushy in France (yes, I know, I'm a total Disney dork here).

Be sure to maximize the Fast Pass usage - you can only get one at a time, but as soon as it's valid you can get another one.  So get a Fast Pass to one right, and right when it becomes valid (they have a time period, like 12:15-12:45pm, so at 12:15pm in this example) go get another Fast Pass at another ride you want to do.  By the time you're done riding the one you're going on, it should be valid (or close) and you can get another!  With some careful planning, you can skip most lines.

calindi

Okay, that was epically long.  Sorry!  Disney makes me happy

bourgehm

THANK YOU CATE! I'm going there Monday actually!

How nice is Sarasota (sp?)? We're going there first, then Disney.

calindi

I don't know anything about Sarasota.  Sorry!!!

bourgehm

No problem! Just curious if you did!

deburnin

I like the convenience of staying on property. No need for a car or paying for parking because you can go straight from the airport to the hotel and then use their transportation. The Disney All Star Movie resort it probably the most Disney of the value resorts and the kids will probably get a kick out of the larger than life Disney characters. You'll probably have to go with a family suite since you'll have five people (it's the same price as two adjoining rooms). I also really like the meal plans you can select from when staying on property.

I love the food at the Germany pavilion! The Scifi Diner at Hollywood Studios is a good option for dessert, not really a fan of their actual meals.

Hmm, since you have a little one, you might want to check out Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage and character meet n' greets. I'm not sure how much time you're planning to spend on your own, but using the four year old for a "baby swap" is always a good idea for the adults and potentially the 12 year old. lol (clicky)

There's also a new pre-show for the Wishes fireworks show, so even if you saw Wishes during your last trip you should check it out! It projects a video show of people's Disney memories on the castle.

Ooo, and the Haunted Mansion has a new interactive queue. (clicky) The 4 year old may not like it, but I'm definitely excited to see it this summer!

Other than that, I don't know of any other happenings while you'll be there. I hope that I was helpful and not just rambling. lol I know nothing about Universal so I'm no help there at all.