confused again!

leaving for disney on 5/19 and will return on the 24th with my 8 and 5 year old grandaughters. so here is my dilema: lodging- polynesian or contemporary or wilderness lodge or caribbean beach? 2nd dilema: park hopper or 4 day pass to the theme parks? 3rd dilema: dining plan or not? is it wise to go to a park when we arrive? we get in at 4p.m. i really wanted to do the magic kingdom parade and fireworks to begin the trip. can anyone suggest attractions for the girls that will not be traumatic! this is their first trip on a plane, and to an amusement park.

confused again!

Wilderness Lodge ( you will all love it )

4 day Base Ticket ( 1 Park a day will keep you busy )

Dining Plan ( makes Life stressfree )

Go get a little Magic your first night ( get a 5 day Base ticket in that case )

For all the rides that the kids %26#39;Can Do%26#39;, check the height restrictions first and make a list

www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/height.htm

The Girls are going to have a Magical Time :)

confused again!

I would get 4 day park hooper

Have you not considered the Value resorts? I think kids of 8 %26amp; 5 would love this resort. Just a suggestion and will help save some bucks.

Caz Essex X

You%26#39;re going about a month from now and you don%26#39;t yet have reservations??? You might not have the luxury of choosing from among those 4 resorts. Get what you can. If money isn%26#39;t an issue, go for Contemporary or Polynesian, purely for location.

As far as park tickets ... I%26#39;m not sure I understand your question. A park hopper is not a type of ticket separate from a 4-day pass. The park hopper is an option you can choose to add to a 4-day pass. The park hopper allows you to go to more than one theme park on a single calendar day. It costs $50 + tax per person (no matter how many days your ticket is for). My advice to you is DON%26#39;T pay for the park hopper option. If you decide you want to park hop during your trip, you can add the park hopper option at any time, and for the exact same price of $50 + tax.

As for the Disney Dining Plan ... there are a couple of options. If you like the idea of one table-service (waiter/waitress service) meal per day, then the basic DDP would suit you (per person, it includes one table-service meal and one counter-service meal and one snack per day). However, it is often difficult to even get a table at a restaurant without having an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR). Guests can make ADRs up to 90 days in advance. If you don%26#39;t make ADRs, you may end up feeling very frustrated at having paid for the DDP but then not being able to use the table-service credits you paid for. Keep in mind that if you make ADRs, this means you have to predict where you will be for at least one meal a day, and then make sure you get there on-time ... some people (such as I) don%26#39;t really like to plan my day around a meal. If counter-service meals are more your speed, then you can purchase the Qucik Service DDP, which will give you 2 counter-service meals per day, 2 snacks per day, and a refillable mug (useable only at the resorts, not at the parks).

I agree with partypa%26#39;s suggestion of not being afraid to go to Magic Kingdom on the evening you arrive ... the price difference between a 4-day ticket and a 5-day ticket is only $3 + tax. No, that wasn%26#39;t a typo ... three bucks.

I%26#39;m perplexed by your question about what attractions won%26#39;t be ';traumatic'; for the girls. It%26#39;s impossible to tell ... the 8 year old might cry from being dizzy on Cinderella%26#39;s Golden Carrousel, and the 5 year old might think Splash Mountain was boring instead of exciting ... you just never know.

Please, make resort reservations as soon as possible, and be flexible when it comes to what resort you stay at, as it%26#39;s possible your top picks might be filled or might be more expensive than you think.

Whatever Resort you decide to stay at, make sure you ask for the Special Offer right now

www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html#spring

Kind of a marvel that Disney%26#39;s kept the original resorts in good shape. The Contemporary was architecturally rather ambitious back then.

Much of the off-property development from the 1970s is in bad shape or bulldozed by now. If my memory is correct, the double towers of the Doubletree at Universal were built in the 1970s and were quite a landmark; probably nothing more than the skeletons of the original towers remain.

Having waited this long, I tend to agree you may not have many choices for lodging at Disney, so call TODAY and see what%26#39;s available before you decide.

Of the ones you listed, I%26#39;d go for Wilderness Lodge myself, but it may not be available. Disney is booked up pretty full for the month of May.

How many days are you planning to stay?

If you won%26#39;t be getting to Disney until after 4:00 PM, I%26#39;d simply go to Downtown Disney that night and save a theme park admission for a full day. If you happen to get the Poly, Contemp, or W.L. resorts, you can easily see the fireworks outside the park.

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge over christmas and loved it. The children who were in the lodge seemed to be really enjoying the pools, theme and the whispering canyon cafe

THANKS everyone! I made reservations today at the wilderness lodge taking advantage of the special. I will be making reservations for a couple of character meals as well. We will eat whenever we feel like it!

I have 33 days left and i can%26#39;t wait! Will report back.

Well Done

You%26#39;re sure to have a Magical Time at the Wilderness Lodge, good choice :)