Inside the
park:
There are some advantages of staying in one of the 20-plus
resorts within the
borders of Disney World. Transportation
systems make it easy to get in and
out of the park for a midday
break; it's nice to park the car for the length of
your stay; and
resort guests have a crack at early opening times at the parks
on
certain days. The range of choices is wide, from the low-end "value
resorts" (All-Star Sports Resort, The Pop Century Resort) with
rack rates
starting at $77 a night, to the "moderate resorts"
(Caribbean Beach,
Coronado Springs) starting at $133, to the
plusher "deluxe resorts" (Animal
Kingdom Lodge, The Polynesian)
starting at $199.
Outside the park:
Orlando has a massive
cut-throat hotel market. The Orlando visitors bureau
is
very helpful in sorting through the choices and getting good packages,
discount tickets, etc.
Budgeting your time:
It is
possible to do the Magic Kingdom in one day, but you'll be moving
pretty fast and you'll just get a sampling. You'll need several
days to
thoroughly experience that park and it's satellites:
Epcot, Animal Kingdom
and Disney-MGM Studios, not to
mention the various water parks,
miniature golf courses,
boardwalks, etc.
Admissions:
Single-day admissions are
$54.75 ($43.75 for kids 3-9), but are only good
for one park at a
time. The most flexible way to divide your time, if you'll be
there at least four days, is to buy Disney's Park Hopper Pass, which
allows
you to go into any or all of the parks on any given day.
They cost $219 at
the gate for 10 and older, $176 for kids
3-9 ($202 and $162 if purchased in
advance via the website or
other discount locations)
Helpful resources:
One of the
most useful guidebooks I know of is called the Unofficial Guide
to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger. You can also visit the
Orlando
Convention and Visitors Bureau Web Site at
www.orlandoinfo.com
Note: Prices mentioned are accurate as of July
2004.
Search
for more info:
For other
Destinations, go to www.askaresident.com