Looking to book for next year about this time, anyone recommend a hotel on site?
Seems to be a huge choice. Would like to be right in the thick of it as taking 2 kids for first time.
Cheers
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Looking to book for next year about this time, anyone recommend a hotel on site?
Seems to be a huge choice. Would like to be right in the thick of it as taking 2 kids for first time.
Cheers
My personal favourite was always the Animal Kingdom Lodge, great if your kids like animals, the only drawback is that as on site goes, it’s further out from the main parks so takes a bit longer to get to on the bus after a long day at the park. I also liked the Polynesian, not quite as good but it’s on the monorail route.
Top tip, get to the parks early, the queues for rides get longer in the afternoon.
Oh and Blue Matt in 3,2,1....
Was just checking out animal kingdom, how long does it take to get to and from?my boys would love that but don’t want to be too far away from main park etc....some have the monorail from the hotel I see, which would be good I guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by TH63
Blue Matt is the resident Disney guru is he?Quote:
Originally Posted by TH63
Main Park ? ? Most class that as Magic kingdom, from AKL ( i stayed at Kiddani Village last Oct with a Savannah view, very nice if that floats your boat, its a disney deluxe hotel afterall ) anyways, times to the parks from AKL using disney travelQuote:
Originally Posted by goats
MK = about 25 mins
HS = about 20 mins
Epcot = 15 mins
AK = less that 10
a bit of background info on your children would be good, ages, disney likes, ride levels ( i.e family rides, Adrenalin junkie etc etc ), PM me if you want :thumbup:
If you are going next year, the free disney dining offer ends next week, which imho is a must, so get your skates on
Bit of a disney holiday planner, a bit a hobby of mine, helping others plan a WDW holidayQuote:
Originally Posted by goats
we go every year and have stayed in a few of the hotels, ranging from the fun at the disney value hotels, through the Moderates, then to the deluxes
Wow...every year...I’ll pm you cheers
If you think your boys would like it do it. I went there every year for about seven years while boy boy was growing up. Nice pool, plenty of activities for kids. Stay in the main hotel if you can. It’s been a few years so lots have changed re passes etcQuote:
Originally Posted by goats
Would ideally like to stay in main hotel or close to things so can get to parks early as suggested. Boys will be 5 and 7 by the time we go, love animals, dinosaurs, planets all the usual stuff. I did notice that food offer Matt, as it’s the first time I’ve ever looked at the site I didn’t know if it was a normal offer they have all the time or worth getting etc....
All the lodges and resorts look good to me. Thinking 7 days there and another 7 on gulf coast as misses loves Clearwater.
Maybe pm me back Matt with you’re suggestions, sounds like I might need to book up soon, many thanks
If your kids are male and over 12 - Universal Studios/Hard Rock Hotel (giving you early park entry) and then rent a house on the gulf of mexico (go deep sea fishing/Busch Gardens etc) - best holiday ever hadQuote:
Originally Posted by goats
My boys had been to Disney Land and were only really keen on Hollywood Studios and we gave all the Disney Parks a miss last time we went
If however you have a daughter who wants to be a princess - Magic Kingdom is the best place in the world!
No PM mate, though i have a friend request, which i have tried to accept, not sure how to deal with a friend request on here, most just send me abuse :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by goats
we prefered Kidani over the Lodge ( was Kidani built when you last went ? ? ? ) its a little quieter, nice enough pool, but only a 10 min walk to the lodge for the pool and the food court ( Mara ) though saying that, AKL has both Boma and Jiko ( Boma great and Jiko not so ) but Kidani has SanaaQuote:
Originally Posted by TH63
AKL ( either of them ) are very nice, you can request a Savannah view and wake up to see the animals, keep in mind the animals are not fully free to roam, so you might have some Giraffes or some big Cow /oxen type of thing, of course the Giraffe is more appealingQuote:
Originally Posted by goats
at night, they have night vision googles and you can look around the Savannah at night, this is available to anyone, so even if you eat at any of the AKL places ( more of that in a bit )
Whatever you do, get it booked up before the week is out, the free DDP is great, a TS ( they serve you, or a Buffet ) a QS ( you go and get it take to a table ) and a snack ( drink, ice cream, pretzel , churro etc etc ) its great and apart from your tips at the TS, you really will need to spend very little money on food
the free DDP offer is normally out for us in the UK from easter to Oct to book for the next year, The US site occasionally has it for smaller windows, but they do have blackout dates
personally, i would do 10 days in WDW ( or maybe 1 week in WDW and a 2 days in Universal / IOA, are they into any of the Universal stuff, simpsons, harry potter etc etc ) and 4 / 5 in Clearwater, the children will have such a good time in Disney, spending 1 week in clearwater seems a little long, afterall, if you want the beach, you can pop to Barry Island :hehe:
Yeah it was, we wandered over for a look, and had dinner there one night, can't remember the name of the restaurant, but I can vaguely remember not being that impressed tbh.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue matt
I used to prefer heading down the back road to Kissimmee in the evenings tbh, the Colorado House of Beef being a fave
Quote:
Originally Posted by blue matt
Not sure if I was losing it but couldn’t find a way to PM you, don’t think I’ve ever done since the site changed a while back. Where is it? Lol
Sanaa is the restaurant :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by TH63
yes, down Sherberth road, past the water treatment place and you are on the 192 with all its places to eat ( a few favs of ours, Sweet tomato's and Chueys and Millars ale house ), about 10 mins drive from AKL, the big Super Target is at the end of that road, ideal to stock up on Drinks and snacks, which brings me to some more advice for any people staying on-site with the DDP, a drink is 1 snack credit, but what would you prefer to spend your snack on, a ice cream or a bottle of soda, get a uber or cab from disney to either Walmart or target, grab a few cases of soda / water and some snacks for the parks ( disney price for water $4, a case from target / walmart is $5 - $6 for 24 bottles ) save your money for the ice creams :thumbup:
:hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by TH63
This thread has got me thinking that I wouldn't mind going back, I would do all the rides I was too scared to go on last time.
go on, you know you need to :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Steve R
after our 5 weeks away in cornwall this summer, we decided it would be fun to do the same next year but in WDW
so 4 or 5 nights in NYC then 4 weeks in WDW :thumbup: I loves it, I does
Sounds great, got room for one more? :hehe: tbh I wasn't scared of going on anything last time, just scared I wouldn't be able to do the belt up or whatever, it never happened but the fear is always there. :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by blue matt
I have only ever seen one person who was too " big " to fit into a ride, as it happens it was on " peter pan " they had the whole of the row to themselves, but the bar would lock in, they were massive thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Steve R
though i have read a few reports on the new " flight of passage " ride that larger people are not fitting in
:yikes: :hehe: I really wasn't big enough for any of them to be a problem for me, I went on most things, the problem was in my own mind, it would be nice to go again now and not even have to think about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue matt
Places on site we've stayed at in order of personal preference (though they are all top notch)...
Wilderness Lodge
Grand Floridian
Beach Club
Boardwalk
Polynesian
Saratoga Springs
Old Key West
Animal Kingdom Kidani Village
The All Star Resorts (although these are last on the list and regarded as 'value' resorts the theming for the kids is still great)
You do not need to have a hotel on the Monorail route as the WDW buses serve all of these hotels and will get you hotel to park in about half an hour and are fun to ride anyway.
Haven't stayed at Coronado Springs, Port Orleans and the Carribean Beach Hotels but visited and they are all very nice but you may want to avoid CB as there is a lot of construction work near there at the moment.