Disney world for 2 adults and 6 kids

[AcworthMomma]

Kids 10 and under are free (tickets) right now for 2011.

[smughis]

Kids 10 and under are free (tickets) right now for 2011.

you mean to say kids 10 and under will not requuire tickets to disney

[blossomed]

One idea my friend had was to have Disney Fairy gifts that were on the nightstand when the kids woke up - souvenirs bought at home (for way less) and she added a little glitter near them to make it more magical.

Another tip (and this one sort of scares me) but my friend sharpies her name and cel phone number on her kids bodies in case they get lost. They don't have to try to remember your number or communicate it to someone at the park.

Also I am seeing stuff on coke points for disney picture pass - I have no clue what it means but might be something to check out.

[heartse]

if you are at all interested in pin trading (my family and I love this!) order them on ebay for $1/pin on average... and just trade for the ones you like. Much cheaper than buying them at the park at $8+ a pop!

We LOVE Disney... we are going in December this year. You can bring food in... last time we went we stayed at the DoubleTree in Downtown Disney, had free breakfast there, and brought lunch into the park. Only had to pay for dinner, and any snacks that we wanted. You can also bring in water bottles... we have metal ones that kept the water cooler longer.

We really like the DoubleTree - all suites there. I believe they have 2 bedroom suites there too, and that would be good for a family of your size. This time we are staying on property, so it will be interesting to see how things go without a suite. I can't wait to go again!

[jamking75]

As others have suggested, go to mousesavers.com, it has been very helpful to us. I have learned many ways to save money there. We've gone 7 times-5 times w/our kids. We have stayed on and off the resort. I would suggest staying at one of the All-Star resorts and get adjoining rooms. This way you'll have 4 dbl beds and 2 baths. It is cheaper than getting rooms at the other resorts in Disney. Also, get the dining plan. We've gone with and without it and WITH is definately better. (Easier on Mom) I won't bog u down with more info, u have time to read up on your vacation and decide what is the right fit for your family. All I can say is have fun and don't get overwhelmed!!!

[IntoTheMystic]

Careful with these. Overusing them will chap your face badly, and then you are super suceptible to sunburn. I've seen lots of people that were hating life the day after buying these.

I would also recommend against getting these. We did bring these with us (cheaper than buying them there) but it wasn't worth lugging them around, refilling them, etc. My sons quickly lost interest in them, and they don't really cool you down. They have misting areas all around the parks which work even better. (We were there Aug 2010.)

[IntoTheMystic]

As JamKing and others have suggested, definitely use Mousesavers.com. I used it to plan our family trip last August. There were 14 of us. Some stayed at a Disney resort, some stayed at a really cheap off-property hotel (huge mistake), and my immediate family of four (DH, DS5, DS9 and me) stayed at Hilton Grand Vacation Suites on International Drive. I saved a LOT more than my sister-in-law by religiously following the Mousesaver tips. I obsessed about the details, but it really paid off. (and besides, the planning was really fun!) I know some people recommend the meal plan, but we didn't use it and I was glad of it. I didn't want to feel "trapped" on a Disney property and having a really nice villa where we could relax and eat in (and pack our brown bag lunches) was more important to me. Oh, I almost forgot...My number one tip is to bring cases of bottled water (or buy it once you get there at Walmart), freeze it, and bring lots with you. I brought some koolaid singles/iced tea pouches and we saved a fortune by NOT buying drinks in the parks. Did I mention we were there in mid-August? It was beastly hot. Good luck! And let us know how you make out.

[KmmCo]

We have stayed at a couple of the mid-priced disney properties (caribbean beach and new orleans ?) and have stayed off property too. Onsite will be more expensive but can be fun and convenient. If you do get a condo, I recommend Lake Buena Vista as well. There are tons available and there is shopping right down the street - Walmart, groceries etc. By using the "back door" near downtown Disney you can get to the theme parks faster than the "main entrance" from the hiway that goes through Kissimee. However, you may find some real bargains on vacation rentals in Kissimee that make it worth the extra 20 - 30 minutes drive time. We stayed in a nice one right next to a lake once (complete with resident alligators). I have seen 3 bedroom houses as cheap as $75 a night in the off seasons (Rentals usually charge extra for pool heat and it is totally unneccesary in the summer- so don't pay for that if you rent a house!)

Remember there is a huge time factor of getting from one theme park to the other so instead of "hopping" it is usually easier to go to one for the whole day. Animal kingdom had a nice playground for the little ones that has a sand box "dinosaur dig" . The bigger kids can always strike out on their own. I feel it is pretty safe at as long as they stick together in a group - just make sure everyone has a meeting place if they get lost. Cell phones are a big plus in that department too if you trust the older ones to carry them.

Plan for rain and have a pancho or something handy in your purse/backpack. Sometimes rain is a good thing as it clears the locals out of the park and make for a lot of uncrowded fun.

Most of all HAVE FUN and don't let the trip get you stressed!!!!!

Everyone will be exhausted so plan super easy meals if you are cooking - frozen pizzas, spaghetti, etc works for us. To counter the exhaustion factor we usually do every other day at Disney and another activity on the opposite days. Orlando has a great science museum with an Imax that my son had fun at. It is on the northern side of town. You can day trip to the beach on either side of the state - just time it to avoid rush hour traffic - especially around Tampa. Or just hang at the hotel pool and relax a bit. Last fall we did one of the airboat rides and it was a blast (kind of expensive though) and went on a half day sea fishing trip where we caught our dinner for the evening meal.

Oh yeah, and like someone said, plan lots of $$$$$. Car rentals are cheap in Florida and food shopping is reasonable, but the tourist things there take your money big time ......