Hi All
Very excited to find this website - was feeling very lonely on the US based ones. Doing a lot of internet and Unofficial Guide research and only just found you. Sorry, this is a very long post - might be a bit boring but I needed to SHARE!
Am still trying to justify a trip in late september for self, partner and 9 year old son. My partner can take no more than 2 weeks off work (probably can sneak in another couple of days) and the total $$ is scaryscaryscary! However, I think 9 yo is great time to go, he'll always remember it. I went to WDW with my parents in the 80's (must have been about 13) and self/partner went for 4 days in 1992. We had an early edition of the Unofficial Guide (it was so skinny back then!) and I whizzed him around so that we did everything in 4 days. However, I now know I commando'ed him and he did get stressed, so have learnt that lesson.
Because of that want to do it real slow if we go, so 14 days for Disney, not even going to peek outside the parks (Disney should love me). I'm pretty much decided on staying on-site, and want to do Dining Package - BUT also ideally want to experience 2 or 3 resorts. Sooo, am still considering the AP option - then I'd do say 4 days at POP, 4 days at a moderate and 4 days at AK. Shame you can't move around if you're on dining package. If we have to decide on 1 resort, as we're wanting to do rests in pm, and resort dining, transport is pretty important. Changes daily, but today I'm on Coronado (seems to have quickest links). We're not doing rental car as last time got hideously lost coming from airport and we'll probably be so tired so... understand resort to resort is hard but I'm putting aside about $250 for taxi fares for that sort of stuff. Anyone give me some prices on car hire rental for a couple of weeks end of Sept just in case I've got my knickers in twist
Re planning, I'm working with WDWVacations in US (got a booking on hold at moment), have a friendly travel agent looking at airfares - anyone got any good routes or suggestions Round the World doesn't work for us as we've got time constraints, the LAX route seems to be best - I thought going to the UK was bad enough - done that about 6 times though.
Timing, we have school hols first 2 weeks of Oct, but seasons move from value to regular about the 4th Oct, US has a public holiday on 8th and park attendance predictions seem to go from 4/5 to 6/7 in Oct, also the Epcot Food festival is on soooo.... will take son out of school for a week to get there about 24th. However, there's a lot of chatter on US sites about the free dining plan offer that's been offered last 2 years. Looks like (from touring plans.com) that be mid Aug to about 22 Sept. Previously as long as you started your holiday by end date it covered whole period of your holiday. If that's the case this year, if it gets offered at all (fingers xxd) I'll move us to get there by 22nd.
That's about it - sorry to go on, but love any advice.
Cheers!