First Timer Needs Help

[disney2003]

Just starting to plan a trip for April 24th - May 5th and I have so many questions. I have been reading the messages throughout this board and find it very helpful. But when you get down to actually planning it, all of the info is very overwhelming. I hope someone out there can help me out. There will be four of us going, two adults and a 11yo girl and 14yo boy. We will be flying into Tampa on the afternoon of April 24th (arriving 1pm). Along with Disney, we are hoping to visit the Kennedy Space Centre. Now that you have a little bit of background, here are my questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. Is there any type of transportation service from Tampa Airport to WDW and what would the cost be?

2. Currently looking at staying at ASMo, which building would you recommend. I'm not interested in paying the $10 premium.

3. Are there any discounts codes for ASMo during this time frame? When would they be released?

4. Is it better to buy the UPH pass when you check in? Do you have to have the pass for each day you actually stay at WDW? The reason for this question is that we are planning a day trip to KSC but still would like to stay at WDW when we go.

5. Is the UPH the way to go if you are there 10 days or more, or should I look at an AP? We do plan on using the Water Parks.

6. Is it worth it to have a DC card? We do not have a Disney store where I live, so I would not be able to take advantage of that part of the card.

7. Since it is my first time planning a trip to WDW, should I use a TA or plan it myself? If I decide to use a ta, can Canadians go through Dreams Unlimited?

8. We are planning on giving the trip to WDW as a Christmas gift to the children. Any suggestions on how to do this, we have e-tickets so giving them the tickets wouldn't have the same affect as paper tickets.

These are the first of many questions that I will have. But this is a start. Thanks in advance for any help that you may offer!!!

Thanks so much,

rmc

ps First time posting, I hope I did it right!

 

[DSNY FN]

Ok here is what I can help with.
1.) Car rental from TaMPA IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE YOUR MOST CONVIENIANT WAY TO TRAVEL TO wdw FROM THAT AIRPORT i AM SURE OTHERS HERE COULD ANSWER THAT BETTER.
2.) Book it all yourself and look for codes on this site and on www.mousesavers.com.
3.) Passes if you can get to a Disney Store get the pass deal if it will apply to your dates this year it will save you money.
4.) Building @ ASMo get Buzz or even Mighty ducks or Fantasia we have stayed in all 3 and they are all very good and still close enough to the front for meals etc.
that is aboout all I can help with but I am sure some of the others on here can be of better help to you.
Above all else HAVE A GRAET TIME.
Darren

 

[PoohBWV]

Wow - a lot of questions here

First off, if you are flying into Tampa, going to Orlando, then travelling to the east coast to Port Canaveral I think you should probably be looking at renting a car.

As far as which tickets to buy - you need to consider the number of days you will actually be entering a Disney Theme Park before deciding whether you should be an AP. If you were planning on going every day of your visit AND were able to get an AP discount on a room, then that may be the way to go, otherwise I would wait to see what the applicable dates and prices of the Canadian ticket promotion will be for this year. These should be out next month.

I don't think you will be unhappy with any of the ALL Star resorts as long as you understand that these are basic, although well themed accomodations and know that there are no sit down restaurants on the property, only a food court.

As a Canadian, you can certainly use Dreams Unlimited, in fact some of the agents there are Canadian or if you have a TA in your area that is knowledgeable about Disney and has visited WDW personally then by all means see what they can come up with for you. I can tell you that by using codes and watching specials TA's can get you as good or better deals than you would get for yourself, however some TA's prefer to sell packages which will probably end up being more costly. If you have any further questions, ask away!

 

[SandraC]

We are having a DISmeet in a couple weeks, if you live near Mississauga, you might think about joining us! LOTS of answers to your questions in person! GREAT BUNCH! S

 

[disney2003]

Thanks for info everyone. I really appreciate it. No luck on going to the meeting. I'm in Newfoundland!

 

[mom_rules]

Just wondering why you would fly into Tampa?

From Toronto (not sure about out East) it seems
to be cheaper to fly to Orlando.

Tampa to CapeC looks to be about 1-1/2 hour drive?
Then about same from CapeC to Orlando.
Could you not fly into Orlando (15-20 mins from
airport to WDW) and rent a car for for a day for a CapeC tour?
(Of course we don't know what your reasons or
itinerary are-so we are just making a suggestion).

By the way, You can do Dreams Unlimited in Canada
but CAA has some good offerings for 2003.

 

[disney2003]

Thanks for your reply. We are flying on points, that is why we are going into Tampa. i would have much preferred Orlando. But we take what we can get!! Thanks again for the info.

 

[dsneygirl]

Definitely rent a car. It's about an hour to Orlando right accross interstate 4 then antoher 45 minutes or so to the east coast and the Space centre.

I would try for Toy Story at ASMO it has the coolest things for kids.

Codes probably won't come out until the new year. You can definitely do it all without a travel agent. These boards and a good guide book will answer all your questions.

 

[mom_rules]

Disney2003

Had any luck getting info you need?

Have you read your pm's lately?

 

[Fºoºz]

Originally posted by disney2003
...

1. Is there any type of transportation service from Tampa Airport to WDW and what would the cost be?

A car rental would be the best ... and the drive is an easy one to WDW ... we did it in 2000 and had no problems.

6. Is it worth it to have a DC card? We do not have a Disney store where I live, so I would not be able to take advantage of that part of the card.

It may be worthwhile if you can get Club discounts on Disney resort rooms ... here's a link for Club member benefits ...http://wdwig.com/disneyclub.htm ... Don't forget, if you have a 2003 Entertainment book or know someone who has one, you can receive a 20% off the regular membership rate.

7. Since it is my first time planning a trip to WDW, should I use a TA or plan it myself? If I decide to use a ta, can Canadians go through Dreams Unlimited?

It depends on how much time you have for planning your trip. These boards are great for information and you can get quite a bit of savings through research ... on the other hand, the TA, dependent on who you go with, have a lot of information ... best deal may be to combine the two.

8. We are planning on giving the trip to WDW as a Christmas gift to the children. Any suggestions on how to do this, we have e-tickets so giving them the tickets wouldn't have the same affect as paper tickets.

Depends on how old your kids are ... several suggestions ... wrap up a Disney World Planning Vacation video (http://www.disney.ca/vacations/disneyworld/vpv/index.html) that they can open up on X-Mas and watch what their vacation will be like ... get some Disney plush toys or videos and wrap them up with with the e-tickets ... make up a small travel package for each of them (ie. fanny packs, travel books or reading material, etc) ... however you go about it, it should be an exciting time for them when they find out where they will be heading ...

Hope this helps and good luck

 

[disney2003]

Thanks again for all of the info. Now I have a better idea of what to do. These boards are great!!