Disney value resorts

I know this has come up a LOT on here, but bear with me. :-) I am just getting overwhelmed planning this trip!

We are taking our 3 year old and 12 year old to Orlando May 8-15. This is our 2nd time there, last time being 6 years ago. We will be driving our own car and visiting the following:

Disney World

Animal Kingdom

Hollywood Studios

Downtown Disney

Sea World.

Each park we will be at for 1 day, ALL day.

My DS can get VERY impatient waiting, as 3 years old tend to do. Is it really worth it to stay at a Disney Resort and have to wait for buses to take us back and forth? Is parking at the parks that much money?? We will only be in the room to sleep, so don%26#39;t need fancy rooms, pools, etc.

Are there other benefits to staying at a Disney Value Resort, besides the transportation????

Disney value resorts

Disney resort guests get Extra Magic Hours. The evening hours may not be good for you because your daughter is young but the morning Extra Magic Hours would be wonderful....you would get to go to the parks 1 hour before non-resort guests and you would be amazed at how much you can accomplish in that hour....hit those super popular rides that don%26#39;t offer FastPass like Dumbo and TeaCups and Caurosel in the morning and then hit the popular ones that do have FastPass in the afternoon.

Disney value resorts

Is there a calendar somewhere that has the Magic Hours listed, or are they on set days??

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/earlyentry.htm

This is a very helpful website, have a look.

We stayed at Olde Key West and loved having the space. Buses came quite frequently. On the same trip we also stayed at the All Star Sports value resort. The rooms were very small but comfortable. The pools were great. This resort, because it is a value resort, attracts school groups, etc. So it can tend to be noisy. We found that the buses did not come as frequently as they did at Olde Key West resort. If I were going with a three year old, I think I would find a place off Disney property with a kitchen and some extra space for the adults after the kids go to bed. You will save a ton of money not eating at Disney World for every meal. Remember, your kids will get tired after a long day in the park, so you may not be able to see everything anyways. Plan what is tops on your list and above everything else, just enjoy it. Every time I have been to Disney I see crying kids and parents yelling at their kids. It%26#39;s awful. You might be in luck in May, anyways. It may not be that crowded and not as hot as the prime summer months. It%26#39;s hard to beat their buy 4 get three free days, though.

Do you happen to be a member of AAA? You can get great discounts at Disney value resorts if you are, as much as 20% off rooms.

If Disney parks are your main destination, I always recommend staying at a Disney resort. The parking fees for several days can add up ($12 per day), so just deduct that cost from your room cost and you%26#39;ll see the value resorts aren%26#39;t that much more money that a normal hotel outside property, and you are so much closer and quicker to Disney destinations. Remember, you can drive to the parks and not rely on busses if you choose, and you don%26#39;t pay parking fees if staying at Disney.

The EMH advantages are great as well. We always take advantage of EMH days, especially mornings.

Hi Mel9294

Have You looked at the offer pay for four night get three free included tickets ?

www.Disneyworld.com

Mutter

Kat--No, we are not AAA members.

mutter--Yes, I have seen that offer and I can get an off-site hotel with the same tix for a little less $$. That is what is making it hard to decide. We don%26#39;t want to be up all night listening to kids screaming in the next room--which I have read about in MANY of the value resort reviews, ie. thin walls.

Plus, I hear stories of waiting for 30-45 minutes or more to get on one of the very crowded/loud buses. I personally would rather spend that time in the car getting to my destination, than standing around waiting. But, if I have to walk miles from the parking lot to the park, maybe the Disney transportatin is worth it.

UGH! This is SO confusing! The more I research, the more I question everything! We just want this trip to be fun and hassle free.

All Disney theme parks have parking lot trams if you happen to be in a ';far out'; parking lot when you get to the parks.

If you are early risers and get to the parks very early in the mornings, you can park very close to the front gates and won%26#39;t even have to bother with the trams.

Another advantage to being an AAA member is that you get an AAA parking pass for Disney which will allow you to park in a special section in the handicapped parking area even closer to the main gates.

They have limited AAA parking at Disney. If you don%26#39;t get there early, you might not get it. There are trams throughout the lots that will take you to the entrance.