Posts from — May 2008

OVERVIEW

I recommend arriving the second Saturday after Thanksgiving.

If you can’t go then, I present below the weeks of 2009 in order of best to worst

The ranking is designed for first time visitors who do not know whether or not they will return.

For visitors on a return trip, who would be less concerned about ride closures, the January and early February weeks would be ranked much higher–with the (Tampa) Super Bowl, President’s Day, and MLK day weeks being the worst of these.

Click Here to Read the Full Article

MILITARY FAMILIES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The general advice for first time visitors to Walt Disney World provided on this site applies equally to military families.

However, military families have access to deals and discounts that other families don’t, and also have access to Shades of Green.

The links below provide specific details and guidance for how to find out more about these, and the best ways to take advantage of them.

(Have you found other helpful links for military families visiting Walt Disney World? If so, sse the comment box below to let me know about them!)

LINKS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

• Military Families at Walt Disney World
• Deals and Discounts
  • Military Discounts and Deals
  • Other Walt Disney World Discounts and Deals
• Shades of Green
  • Review of Shades of Green
  • Splitting Your Stay Between Shades of Green and Another Resort
  • Overflow Rates at Shades of Green
  • Shades of Green website
• Other Resources for Military Families
  • DisneyMilitarySales.com
  • Disneyworld.com/military
  • MilitaryDisneyTips.com

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. My father was career Navy, and my wife’s father was wounded with the Marines on Tarawa. We have some sense, therefore, of the sacrifices you make and risks you accept, and honor you for it. Thank you.

OVERVIEW

Some families—particularly those coming from the West Coast, and those driving from distant parts of the East Coast or Midwest–will have difficulty arriving at Walt Disney World early Saturday afternoon, and/or departing Sunday afternoon. This could reduce their ability to carry out the itineraries for the Saturday of arrival and the Saturday evening before and the Sunday that they depart.

RESPONDING TO TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES

To read the rest of this article, click here.

OVERVIEW

A large family is one that will not fit into a standard Walt Disney World hotel room—more than 4 people for Values and almost all moderates, and more than 5 for most deluxe resorts. (See this for the distinctions among the resort classes at Walt Disney World.)

The problem with connecting, adjoining, or nearby rooms as a solution is that Disney won’t guarantee that you will get them.

When you show up at Walt Disney World, your “connecting rooms” may be not connected, and in fact may be in completely different buildings at your resort of choice.

Your chances of getting connecting rooms are best during the slow season—which is when this site recommends you go, see this for when to go—but even then, there are no guarantees.

SOLUTIONS FOR LARGE FAMILIES

The links below present the best options–by price and family size–for large families at Walt Disney World

Room capacity figures on the following pages always exclude one child under 3 in a crib, which can be added to any Disney room—so always read, when a capacity figure is given, “plus one child under three at time of check in, in a crib.”

These links cover large family options

• Large families looking for low-priced rooms—what Disney calls “Value” rooms—see this page
• Large families looking for deluxe level accommodations can see recommendations on this page
• Some recommendations involve reserving Disney Vacation Club rooms, or even renting points from current Disney Vacation Club members to use. See this for more on Disney Vacation Club rooms in general, and this for more on renting points.

Last updated 12/09

LINKS FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• For where to stay, see this
  • For your next best choices, in order, see this
  • For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
  • For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
  • For where not to stay, see this
• For what you get in each resort price category, see this
  • For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
  • For differences among value resorts, see this
  • For the moderate resorts, see this
  • For differences among moderate resorts, see this
  • For differences among deluxe resorts, see this
  • For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
  • For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
• For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
• Large families should look at this, and also at
  • Large Families Looking for Value Pricing at Walt Disney World
  • Large Families Looking for Deluxe Accommodations at Disney World
  • Beds and Sleeping Spaces at the Walt Disney World Resorts
  • Renting Disney Vacation Club Points
  • Suites at Walt Disney World
• Military/DOD families should look at this
• Tightwads should look at this
• Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this

Home Donate Sitemap

OVERVIEW

This page summarizes Walt Disney World recommendations for four types of families with special circumstances:

• Large Families
• Families on a Tight Budget
• Families with Difficult Transportation Challenges, and
• Military Families.

For each family type, links are provided to additional pages with more detail and specifics.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

OVERVIEW

See the sections and their links below for Walt Disney World To-Do Lists by arrival date and for alternative itineraries for the December week.

To read the rest of this article, click here.