Please help me to not hate Disney!

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(deleted. . .double post)

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I am in the Disney lover camp.

My best advice -

A. Plan an Itinerary. . .if you just "wing it" you are often left feeling bewildered. Even if ti's only a template, the itinerary gives you some direction to your day. You can always part from it.

B. PLan in some "hotel pool time." I know. ..when you are paying what is it? $100/ticket, you feel as if you should be doing non-stop parks but you are right. . .it gets to just be too much, esp. in July.

C. Your complaint about the food:

1. Overrated: The Aquarium Seafood Place in Epcot and Sci-Fi Diner. Also, the Crystal Palace buffet in Magic Kingdom is overrated, but people like there for characters.


2. Underrated: The restaurant @ Port Orleans French Quarter/Riverside. In fact, the Port Orleans restaurant I rated, when Disney employees retire, that's where they have a dinner for the employee parting. (The Wagon Wheel maybe?)

Also underrated - the Liberty Tree Tavern @ Magic Kingdom gives a good lunch or dinner at a fair price (for Disney meal plan) and also I have heard good things about that 50's "Mom Diner" place in MGM that serves meat loaf and green beans and Mom the waitress tries to make the kids finish their veggies.

Now, I am talking sit-down. . .of course, all of the places have counter service are just kinda "general fare." But we had a good time at the one in Tommorrowland with the robotic piano player.

I was disturbed to see that "Aunt Pollys" closed on Tom Sawyer island, where you could get a ham sandwich and pink lemonade.

(my father also noted he could do without the German food buffet in Epcot/Germany)

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My biggest regret ever about Disney and having fun:

As a once in a lifetime splurge, my father spent about 8K on taking the family to Disney. Now, my parents suffer handicaps between the two of them. That bought about 6 people in Disney 6 days at the time but between the heat and walking and whatnot, I know they didn't enjoy themselves that much. We managed to cobble together time around dinner but they weren't up for the expeditions to attractions, even with the grandkids.

It would have been much better to just cut the days in half and take a Disney cruise. Elevators would have been available, less walking. . .yes, it's pricier and you get less days b/c of that. . .but all in all, he was trying to generate memories and fun.

I think we should have elected to do that.

So. . .if you are not having fun, consider a shorter cruise perhaps.

I have never done it but I have heard good things about it.

[JoeP]

I've been to Disney World about 15 times, starting in the 3rd grade. As I get older, the appeal wanes. My primary gripe is the feeling of not getting my money's worth due to: the difficulty moving from one point to another because of too many people, the time spent waiting in line, the high cost of food, and the constant merchandising.

My parents opted for the Meal Plan for everyone last time we went, and it was confusing to us, because some things fell into the Snack category, others were not in the Drink category, etc., so we had to pay a lot out of pocket. I think part of Disney's plan is to allow just enough confusion to exist where people end up leaving credits on the cards when they leave the park.

Some of the on-site resorts are very nice, and the pools are a nice break after a hot day in the park. They also do a very good job keeping the parks clean, up to date, and customized in such a way that no other park has anything they have.

[Green43]

Go to the park, take your time, do what you want to do, then just enjoy the hotel like a normal vacation, rent a car and go drive on Daytona beach (was a bucket list item for me that I got to do a few years ago). Bottom line do what you want.

[dawnwes]

When are you going exactly?

First of all, he is 4. He will barely remember Disney, so keeping up with his peers is not an argument right now.

I really think if YOU hate Disney and you can't go off-season, you might consider putting more energy into going when he is older so that he can remember it better.

We love Disney and I went before I had kids. Both of my older boys have gone since infancy. We used to live 40 min. from DL and would go all the time. We now live 8 hours from WDW so it is more of an effort, but we go at least once per year, sometimes more often. But this is because I like to go!

Dawn

[creditcardfree]

Learn about Fast Passes, these help you avoid long lines,and visit Undercover Tourist for planning information.

Change your attitude about it! If you go in thinking it is the worst...that is what you will find. I've never thought that once, and guess what?...I loved it every time I have been there, including the middle of summer!

Also consider other off site excursions and keep the time in the parks limited. I suggest Magic Kingdom for a four year old.

[HappySaver]

I would agree with not going, unless you've already told your son and he's clamoring for it. He's too young to remember it anyway. I went at a slightly older age (5?) and remember very little.

It's also not my speed - I'd rather go to Tokyo and visit the Ghibli Museum, and enjoy the sushi!
Edit: not saying I've done this - just a pipe dream.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I can't speak for Florida but I can speak for California and I agree wholeheartedly that I hate Disneyland for exactly all the same reasons. The temperature that 2014 September day in Anaheim, CA was 104 degrees. I don't have kids but had arranged to meet family members there who have kids (I live 40 miles away) for 2 days in a row. In order to save $20 on parking I parked on the perimeter of Disneyland in the residential neighborhood and rode my bike inside, I'm glad I thought of that idea to save money. The single-park hopper price was $96 per day, dual-park hopper price $150 per day. Crying babies everywhere. Long lines even with the fast pass. Long walks everywhere. Overpriced eateries. The heat was unbearable. Inside the parks they were selling a battery-operated, hand-held fan and water sprayer combination for $16.99. It was 2 days of torture for me. I hope that I will never have to go again in my life, seriously (lol). I heard that the turkey leg is supposed to be good but we didn't get to try it. From a kids perspective though all the lights at night, the live characters posing for pictures, the rides, games, parades and fireworks must be so exciting. As for the fireworks depending on where I'm sitting at Angels baseball stadium at nights sometimes the Disneyland fireworks can be seen which is all the Disneyland I need.

[BuckyBadger]

People who don't like the heat should stop going to Florida in the summer.

Seriously.

It's hot in Florida in June - it's not Disney's fault. Because if they could put the park in a bubble and air condition it I'm sure they would. It would make them a fortune.

All I can say is that we think that Disney in January is a real treat. We can't wait to go back!

If you'll be miserable then don't go.

[bennkar]

I go to the area in November - usually warm/hot during the day, cool in the evenings - perfect weather. And the crowds... only on a few rides did I wait more than a few minutes (Toy Story comes to mind ). If you have use of a car when there perhaps you should try another park for one day. I would recommend Busch Gardens in Tampa. Much lower cost, food was better and much cheaper than Disney, and no forced merchandising at the end of every ride. Very refreshing.

[disneysteve]

I was going to PM you but decided to post here so I could address both your concerns and some comments others have made.

The best thing about a WDW vacation is the huge variety of activities that are available. You can make your vacation be what you want it to be. The Disney resort spans over 27,000 acres, more than 43 square miles of property. That's larger than Manhattan. Surely you can find something to do that you will enjoy there. There's a lot more to Disney World than the theme parks.

Your kid is 4. While that's a nice age for some stuff at Disney, there's no burning reason why you need to spend all day every day in the parks. Again, the great thing about WDW is the variety of things to do, many of which are completely free if cost is a concern.

Another great thing about WDW is the food so I'm surprised to hear you and others criticize that. At virtually every other amusement park in the country (including Disneyland in California for the most part), the food consists of standard fast food – hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, french fries, etc. Not so at WDW. You can get that stuff, of course, but you can also get almost anything you can think of from sushi to steak and everything in between. Yes, prices are somewhat inflated. It is a resort after all, but we've always found Disney to be cheaper and better in the food department than any other resorts we've visited. Have you gone to a sports stadium or arena lately where they soak you for $8 for a slice of lousy pizza? At Disney, for $10-12, you can have a good meal.

It is not necessary to do costly table-service dining to find good food either. We rarely do. We stick to the counter service restaurants to save both time and money. This also means no need to make reservations in advance. I can recommend some favorites if you'd like.

If you tell us a little more about the types of things you enjoy doing, I'm sure I can give you more specific suggestions. Just some general suggestions of things to do on property but outside of the parks would include mini golf, visiting a water park, shopping at Downtown Disney, horseback riding at Fort Wilderness, renting a pontoon boat and doing a picnic on the lake, or spending time exploring the various Disney resorts.

You will be staying in a great location. The Dolphin is part of the Epcot resort area that also includes the Swan, and Disney's Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk resorts. Each of them are worth visiting and all are within walking distance. There is a very enjoyable path that circles the lake connecting them all. You can even rent a pedal-powered surrey and take that around the path (though the hills are rather challenging so be prepared for that). You can also walk to Epcot which, contrary to popular belief, is a great park for children. Both World Showcase and Future World have all kinds of interesting attractions for kids. And you can find great food in Epcot as well, definitely not “cheap deep fried trash”.

If you will have a car, the area has endless activities and attractions. Take your kid on an airboat ride on Lake Toho. Go see gators. Check out the rockets at Kennedy Space Center. Spend a day at Sea World. The list goes on and on. I even tell people to plan a visit to check out the Gaylord Palms hotel which is just across I-4 from Disney. You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring their monstrous atrium. It's a great place for little ones to run around, see the gators, play in the fort, and more.

As for the heat, April should be a pretty nice time to visit though you never know. It is central Florida. It is reclaimed swamp land. The key is to get an early start, be at the park at rope drop and head back to your resort by mid-day when the temperature and crowds are both peaking and then return after dinner (depending on your kid's bedtime).

If you would like more suggestions, please don't hesitate to PM me. I love helping folks get the most out of their Disney vacations. Also, the best site I can recommend is wdwinfo.com and their discussion forums at disboards.com. You can find everything you will possibly want to know about planning your visit including park hours, ticket info, restaurant menus, and lots more.

[bennkar]

If you tell us a little more about the types of things you enjoy doing, I'm sure I can give you more specific suggestions. Just some general suggestions of things to do on property but outside of the parks would include mini golf, visiting a water park, shopping at Downtown Disney, horseback riding at Fort Wilderness, renting a pontoon boat and doing a picnic on the lake, or spending time exploring the various Disney resorts.

Just a note: As of last November the Downtown Disney was doing major renovation on a number of areas, as well as the parking (adding a parking garage). I would pass on it this year, or if you go make sure to go early in the day - do not go after dark as the traffic and parking is really bad. I doubt they finished the work by now, but hopefully will be done by our next visit in November.

[disneysteve]

Just a note: As of last November the Downtown Disney was doing major renovation on a number of areas, as well as the parking (adding a parking garage). I would pass on it this year, or if you go make sure to go early in the day - do not go after dark as the traffic and parking is really bad. I doubt they finished the work by now, but hopefully will be done by our next visit in November.

The work is not done but conditions have improved some. The parking garage (the first of two) has opened. Some of the new shops have opened. The new bridge on the Marketplace side that goes from near the Lego store over to Rainforest Cafe has opened which alleviates some of the foot traffic by giving people an alternate route.

All of that said, I agree completely that the time to visit is early in the day during the week. Avoid nights and weekends. We were there in August and got there around 10am and had no trouble at all with traffic or parking, and that was before the garage opened.

[bennkar]

I even tell people to plan a visit to check out the Gaylord Palms hotel which is just across I-4 from Disney. You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring their monstrous atrium. It's a great place for little ones to run around, see the gators, play in the fort, and more.

OK, I have to ask - are you saying that you can get in without staying at the motel? It certainly looks interesting from what I see online. If we can go in, I may make a point of going there this coming year.