First Disneyworld trip since the incident

[MickeyGreenEyes]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share that i'm bringing my family on a Disneyworld vacation for the first time! I'm even thinking of shipping my bmw bike out there to ride around the park, am I aloud to do that ?

So the last time i was at wdw was when I was a little kid , but I had a really bad experience when a seagull went after my cotton candy. It had a fishing line (and hook) entangled around it's foot and when my mom tried to shoo it away the hook caught her under the lip...

Needless to say I've had bird/disney-phobia since but I don't want that to prevent my own kids from enjoying such a great place.

So i was wondering if any of you have been to Disneyworld and know good places to stay with reasonable prices? (preferably kid-friendly). Is it better to stay outside or inside the park? Also, I've been doing a bit of research and came across some 'deals' like this, <snip>, but I'm not sure if it's good or not. Does it seem legit?

Anyhow, sorry for rambling. Hope everyone has a great labor day weekend!

[disneymom15]

WelcomeWe always stay on Disney Property. I suggest you contact Magical Journeys an Intercot sponsor. They will get you the best deal possible.

[SBETigg]

Welcome and happy planning!

You won't be allowed to ride your bike around the parks. I wouldn't consider bringing it.

There are many advantages to staying in a WDW resort (WDW transportation, Extra Magic Hours), and with three levels of resorts to suit all budgets, I think there's really no reason to stay offsite. Check out the resorts section and see what might appeal to you and your family. You'll find lots of tips, recommendations, and discussions on travel deals here.

[Flower]

to Intercot!

I personally think it is best to stay on property. If you choose to stay off site take into consideration the daily parking fees. If you stay on site you can take advantage of the Disney transportation and head back to you room with ease throughout the day.

So Sorry to hear about the Seagull - yikes! So much would have changed since you last vacation. As Disneymom15 said, book thru a reputable travel agent like Magical Journeys, or at least an agent that has experience with Disney. Considering looking into a Disney Guide such as Birnbaums.

Oh, and leave your new bike at home! They do not allow bicycles inside the parks and I have never seen one at a resort (I do not think they are allowed). Inline skating is not allowed in the parks or at the resorts either(Florida State Law).

[MickeyGreenEyes]

hmm!!! too bad about the bike! I suppose some good roller coasters will have to make up for me missing the rides Thanks for the advice so far!!

[maxrebo77]

My daughter also had an incident once with seagulls and cheetos, not at Disney though. They can be very aggressive. I also recommend staying on property. Many advantages and plenty of price options. We use Mei-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel
Welcome back soon to the House of Mouse!
18 days

[TwoTinyWings]

Welcome to Intercot, MickeyGreenEyes! You'll find a wonderful community here, with info, advice, and opinions on pretty much anything you can think of.

I know quite a few Intercotees use travel agents to book WDW trips - but if that isn't your thing, there are plenty of us who book on our own by using the Disney website or calling WDW reservations on the phone. I think that preference boils down to how much work you want to do on your own. Whatever you choose in that regard, I recommend doing a bit of research so you and your family have an idea of what type of accommodations you'd like, how long you think you'd like to spend at WDW, etc.

I will also suggest staying on Disney property, if you have the means. It really immerses you in the "magic" and gives you a great break from reality (no driving, no cooking dinner, etc.). We really like the moderate level resorts - take a look at the photos here on Intercot of the various resorts and see what tickles your fancy. If you'd rather stay off property, for whatever reason, there are a lot of options to choose from, from other hotels/resorts, to rental houses (great if you have a larger family, or just want your own private house/pool/etc. to retreat to at the end of the day).

Have a great time reading up on WDW and planning your vacation!

[Goofy4TheWorld]

I think question number #1 for the on-site vs. off-site question is: How many people are going with you (including kids of all ages)?

If it is 4 or less, then I would never consider staying off-site. On-site accommodations for 4 or less people can be very affordable, especially when you consider the free transportation.

However, if you are a family of 5 or more, your options at Disney are almost exclusively expensive. Then, staying off-site might be worth seriously considering. Even then, I personally would have to get an obscene deal to stay off-site, but others feel differently.

So, how many people are going with you???

As far as deals, I echo the previous recommendations for using Magical Journeys. I have not used them yet, but after reading such high praise about them on this site, I am going to use them for future trips. I am a very controlling person, so turning over the reins to a travel agent would not normally be my style, but using them is FREE and can do nothing worse than save me money.

[Mousemates]

stay onsite if it works out for you financially, the perks of trasportation and disney immersion are worth it.

[Wickster1970]

I would highly recomend staying at an on-site resort. The perks will greatly ourweigh any slight cost increase.

psst....2 words....Magical Journeys.

[SAHDad]

Oh, and leave your new bike at home! They do not allow bicycles inside the parks and I have never seen one at a resort (I do not think they are allowed). Inline skating is not allowed in the parks or at the resorts either(Florida State Law).

Bicycles are allowed, apparently. I don't know about bringing your own, but from the Disney website, bike & surrey rentals are available at the following:

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Disney's BoardWalk Villas
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

I've seen them (and almost been schwined by them) at WL, and I know that people bike along the path from WL to FW.

[KAT1811]

to Intercot!!! I think you're going to like it here!!!

I suggest you contact Magical Journeys an Intercot sponsor. They will get you the best deal possible.

I'll second (or third) the suggestion to contact Magical Journeys. We usually book our own vacation but let MJ handle it this time and we are very satisfied. They saved us $700. They know all the ins and outs and can hands down get you the best deal.

As far as staying at a WDW resort, all of them are kid friendly. I would suggest you look at the resorts in the resorts section and figure out which ones appeal to you most. I would also figure out a ball park on what you find acceptable to spend on your resort. There are some great options out there. From the ultra affordable All Star resorts with the larger than life characters (think 25-30 feet tall) to the ultra expensive Grand Floridian with monerail access and some of the best service on WDW property. Make sure you think about how much time you and your family plan on spending at your resort and factor that into your decision.

Wherever you stay you are sure to have a magical vacation. If it makes you feel better I have never seen a seagull at WDW. They take great care these days of putting in animal friendly deterants for birds. If you look at the roof of many of the buildings they have spindles on them so that birds cannot land, etc. No one wants to fight birds away from their fries.

As far a bringing your bike I bet you won't be able to find the time to ride it. Especially if this is your first trip since you were a child and you are bringing your own children. Our oldest DD asks every year to rent a surrey and we have yet to find the time to do it. We are always too busy running around the parks or swimming in the pools.

Good luck, you came to the right place to ask for advice!!!

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I'm even thinking of shipping my bmw bike out there to ride around . . .

. . . if a bicycle, you can ride around most resorts
. . . if a bmw motorcycle, you can ride on the WDW streets
. . . you cannot ride in the parks

. . . I had a really bad experience when a seagull went after my cotton candy . . .

. . . a common experience at WDW eateries
. . . always guard your food
. . . too many people feed the birds
. . . so they keep coming back for more

. . . Is it better to stay outside or inside the park? . . .

. . . flip a coin
. . . there are advantages to on-site and to off-site
. . . we sort of alternate on/off site for our vacations

[playdead88]

i would start with magical journeys! they will help you navigate through the world and i would also choose to stay on site!! for us staying on site makes that trip a little more magic

[pamickeys]

Staying on property is definetly a plus--as others have previously stated, not having to drive and pay for parking eliminates that hassle. It's magical when the bus picks you up at your resort and takes you to one of the parks, then takes you back at the end of the day.....love not having to drive on vacation If you can do a disney resort the value resorts are very nice. My DH and I usually stay at the moderates or deluxe resort--this past summer we stayed at ASMu and had a blast. I'm sure the other value resorts are the same but can't speak for them as we never stayed. ASMu is very kid oriented--lots of oversized characters and objects. At the pool, during the day, the lifeguards dance and play games with the children, it's cute to see. At night they play a movie on a blow up screen, it's like going to the drive in. We felt that the food court was great, a lot to choose from, large dining area to sit in and prices were reasonable for the quantity received. Though my DH and I prefer staying at a deluxe--because you can either walk or take the monorail from most, we had a wonderful trip at ASMu. The standard room has 2 double beds and though said to be slightly smaller than the moderates, we did not feel that they were. The room was clean and neat. Comparing value with moderate--you still have to take a bus from any of the moderates and they are more expensive. According to Birnbaum ASMu converted 400 guest rooms in 2006 into family suites--192 suites that sleep up to six, have 2 bathrooms, a master bedroom (with flatscreen tv), a kitchenette with counter space, sink, microwave, coffeemaker, and under-counter fridge. I'm not sure of the cost. Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip no matter what you choose.
P.S.-can relate to having a bad experience. On our first and only 10 day trip my DH and I both got the stomach flu--down for the count for a total of 6 days--thank goodness we liked our room... to top it off...a shin splint too

[diz_girl]

I agree that you won't have time to ride your bike around WDW. If you did, you would just be riding around the WDW roads (and the speed limit is low), but there isn't really much to see on the roads, just a lot of trees and once in a while a tall structure from the parks peeking out from the top of the trees.

My DH rode his cruiser down to WDW three years ago (I left my bike home - it needed new brakes - so I drove my car). Once we got to WDW, the bike stayed in the resort lot for the whole week. With four theme parks, two water parks, over a dozen resorts to dine in, plus Downtown Disney, you won't even give a second thought to your bike.

[AllDisney]

There is nothing like staying on property to add to your WDW vacation

If you can afford to stay on property then do it.

[Flower]

Bicycles are allowed, apparently. I don't know about bringing your own, but from the Disney website, bike & surrey rentals are available at the following:

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Disney's BoardWalk Villas
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

I've seen them (and almost been schwined by them) at WL, and I know that people bike along the path from WL to FW.

I forgot about the bicycle rentals at the resorts , But you are still not allowed to use them inside the parks.

[Daisy'sMom]

If you decide to stay off property, remember to find one that has a shuttle to the parks. Parking costs at least 10.00 if not 11.00 each day.

[tinksmom02]

I think they raised parking to $12.00 a day.