Planning a trip with my mom!

[Haley R]

We arrive March 5 and TP has Epcot at a steady 5 for that and every day after it. AK and HS both have days that week as low as 3/4.

It is Mardi Gras week, so possibly a bit busier than some other first weeks of March, but the predictions don’t look bad (better than Mardi Gras week this past year...that was insane). The second week of March is when spring break really kicks off this year, I think, although it’s well spread out into April due to late Easter.

But yes, prices are pretty high that week. We got an agency exclusive deal for POFQ that was pretty good, but all the Epcot resorts were way out of our price range.

I see pofq for $250 which isn’t bad to me, but I think we would like to stay near Epcot so we could just walk there. It would be a more convincing arguement to get my mom to go.

 

[WaterLinds]

I think there were agency exclusives at either beach club or boardwalk that week, but I am not sure how great the deals were...they were enough more that we ruled them out (but we needed two rooms, so while I would be willing to splurge a little the splurge times two was too much!).

 

[NH-to-FL]

I see pofq for $250 which isn’t bad to me, but I think we would like to stay near Epcot so we could just walk there. It would be a more convincing arguement to get my mom to go.

There is no question that staying at the Epcot resorts is quite special. DW and I stayed there many times at the Boardwalk and loved being able to wander over to Epcot in the evenings. Especially during one of Epcot's festivals. We really enjoy visiting Epcot during Flower and Garden. The last few years we have been there on opening day. Which is a week later than last year. Perhaps to give the flowers a better chance at warmer temperatures. A few years ago I recall a very chilly F&G opening day.

As you have discovered, the Epcot resorts have gotten quite pricey. Especially during busy times. But the location really makes it a worthwhile splurge, especially for adults.

The calendar on Your First Visit shows the first and last week of April as lower crowd periods. Though crowds have become less... predictable... in recent years.

She has not agreed to this at all but I told her we have 4-base tickets and I could pay for the room. Please help me decide what would be the best for us! I’m thinking we would mostly just do Epcot with maybe a day at mk or ak. I’m not sure because she really doesn’t like rides much. Maybe it would be a resort/Epcot trip only.

In addition to Epcot I suspect your mother might also appreciate the AK. DW and I spend a lot of time visiting there. The Lion King show is the best on site. The Safari and the various animal trails are very well done. DW and I find ITTBAB a fun attraction. We usually spend a morning wandering around AK. You should also wander around Pandora and take the boat ride Navi River. Incredible theming! Some good food can be found at AK as well.

And of course the Magic Kingdom is "classic Disney". Just the walk down Main Street is worth the visit. There are plenty of attractions like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Little Mermaid, Small World, Philharmagic, TiKi Room, Riverboat, Steam Train, and CoP that are gentle and well themed. If you add a bit of silliness like the Muppet Show, Jungle Cruise, and Country Bear Jamboree there is a lot to enjoy at the MK that is gentle and not a "wild roller coaster" ride.

I might suggest two days at Epcot, a day at MK and perhaps a 2/3 day at AK.

If you end up at an Epcot resort you might consider splurging on park hopper tickets so you can wander over to Epcot any time you want.
Wishing you a visit!

 

[HaveKidsWillTravel]

My mom and I just got back from a short trip to Epcot for Food and Wine. We stayed at BC and it was PERFECT. If you can swing the cost I highly recommend it. It was ideal to just be able to walk over to Epcot/back to the resort when we wanted to. I hate crowds, as does my mom, and we've done Disney at over East break with kids in tow (and husband/grandpa). I found the 'crowds' at Food and Wine (end of Sept) totally doable because we weren't worried about kids. Plus staying at BC eliminated 'bus' crowds, etc. Although there were a lot of people, it didn't feel crowded. Walkways were fine, we found sitting and shade 99% of the time, etc. My mom isn't a ride person either. We did do Soarin' which she loved, but once was enough. We spent almost three full days at Epcot just enjoying the booths, the countries, shopping, etc. Flower and Garden would be great for the same reasons - booths, shopping, just taking your time. We also spent an evening at Disney Springs enjoying the shops and eating at a nice restaurant. We are already planning on going again next year! Good luck with your planning.

 

[Haley R]

My mom and I just got back from a short trip to Epcot for Food and Wine. We stayed at BC and it was PERFECT. If you can swing the cost I highly recommend it. It was ideal to just be able to walk over to Epcot/back to the resort when we wanted to. I hate crowds, as does my mom, and we've done Disney at over East break with kids in tow (and husband/grandpa). I found the 'crowds' at Food and Wine (end of Sept) totally doable because we weren't worried about kids. Plus staying at BC eliminated 'bus' crowds, etc. Although there were a lot of people, it didn't feel crowded. Walkways were fine, we found sitting and shade 99% of the time, etc. My mom isn't a ride person either. We did do Soarin' which she loved, but once was enough. We spent almost three full days at Epcot just enjoying the booths, the countries, shopping, etc. Flower and Garden would be great for the same reasons - booths, shopping, just taking your time. We also spent an evening at Disney Springs enjoying the shops and eating at a nice restaurant. We are already planning on going again next year! Good luck with your planning.

There is no question that staying at the Epcot resorts is quite special. DW and I stayed there many times at the Boardwalk and loved being able to wander over to Epcot in the evenings. Especially during one of Epcot's festivals. We really enjoy visiting Epcot during Flower and Garden. The last few years we have been there on opening day. Which is a week later than last year. Perhaps to give the flowers a better chance at warmer temperatures. A few years ago I recall a very chilly F&G opening day.

As you have discovered, the Epcot resorts have gotten quite pricey. Especially during busy times. But the location really makes it a worthwhile splurge, especially for adults.

The calendar on Your First Visit shows the first and last week of April as lower crowd periods. Though crowds have become less... predictable... in recent years.



In addition to Epcot I suspect your mother might also appreciate the AK. DW and I spend a lot of time visiting there. The Lion King show is the best on site. The Safari and the various animal trails are very well done. DW and I find ITTBAB a fun attraction. We usually spend a morning wandering around AK. You should also wander around Pandora and take the boat ride Navi River. Incredible theming! Some good food can be found at AK as well.

And of course the Magic Kingdom is "classic Disney". Just the walk down Main Street is worth the visit. There are plenty of attractions like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Little Mermaid, Small World, Philharmagic, TiKi Room, Riverboat, Steam Train, and CoP that are gentle and well themed. If you add a bit of silliness like the Muppet Show, Jungle Cruise, and Country Bear Jamboree there is a lot to enjoy at the MK that is gentle and not a "wild roller coaster" ride.

I might suggest two days at Epcot, a day at MK and perhaps a 2/3 day at AK.

If you end up at an Epcot resort you might consider splurging on park hopper tickets so you can wander over to Epcot any time you want.
Wishing you a visit!

I think there were agency exclusives at either beach club or boardwalk that week, but I am not sure how great the deals were...they were enough more that we ruled them out (but we needed two rooms, so while I would be willing to splurge a little the splurge times two was too much!).

Thanks everyone for your input! I did find yacht club for under $400/night at the very end of March and the dates aren’t flexible at all so I’m tempted to go ahead and book it knowing I have free cancellation. It would be through Priceline-not Disney. I haven’t asked my ta yet what her price would be but I think she usually only has bc or boardwalk. Dh and I are staying at bc (in 2 days for the first time!!!) so I would like to try a new resort and yacht club would be new to me.

I haven’t even talked this over with my mom and I’m almost thinking I should just not tell her and talk to my dad. She’s one of those people that has it in her head that Disney isn’t for her but I’m determined to change her mind lol. There are so many things there she can do and it’ll be fun for me to have a different touring style from what Dh and I normally do. We are rope drop to park close people and love the most intense rides. I think for this trip I would ask my mom about restaurants and pick FPS for things I know she won’t get sick on.

 

[Haley R]

Well against dh’s better judgement I went ahead and booked the yacht club from March 27-April 1. It’s for 5 nights and the rate without taxes was $362/night which I thought was pretty good for a garden view room. I booked on Priceline knowing I have the free cancellation so I can always cancel.

 

[CarolynFH]

Well against dh’s better judgement I went ahead and booked the yacht club from March 27-April 1. It’s for 5 nights and the rate without taxes was $362/night which I thought was pretty good for a garden view room. I booked on Priceline knowing I have the free cancellation so I can always cancel.

Good for you! If you can cancel, what do you have to lose?

I’m looking forward to hearing more from you as you plan this trip and then hearing how it turns out. Hope you & your mom have a fantastic time.

 

[Haley R]

Good for you! If you can cancel, what do you have to lose?

I’m looking forward to hearing more from you as you plan this trip and then hearing how it turns out. Hope you & your mom have a fantastic time.

Thank you! I just told my dad and he said give it a week before I mention it to her since he isn’t sure if she wants to go. He said to tell her I have a room reserved and see what she says. I hope she says yes because I really want to show her why Dh and I love Disney so much.

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you! I just told my dad and he said give it a week before I mention it to her since he isn’t sure if she wants to go. He said to tell her I have a room reserved and see what she says. I hope she says yes because I really want to show her why Dh and I love Disney so much.

I just had an idea - why don’t you look up the 2018 F&G thread and gather some details for her? And search for photos on the internet. If she loves flowers, that might encourage her to accept your generous invitation!

 

[Haley R]

I just had an idea - why don’t you look up the 2018 F&G thread and gather some details for her? And search for photos on the internet. If she loves flowers, that might encourage her to accept your generous invitation!

Great idea!!! Thanks! Dh and I have shown her pictures of the topiaries when we were there and she thought they were cool, but it might be better to show her actual things we can do at f&g. I’ll show her pictures of the yacht club too! I still will wait until after our trip. Dh and I leave Tuesday for wdw.

 

[Haley R]

Okay so we could stay at pofq for $1300 total which would save us almost $1000 but we wouldn’t get the convenience of walking to Epcot. We would get the boat to ds though. I can’t decide which would be better for my mom.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Just a friendly reality check since we all get caught in a feedback loop/echo chamber here of thinking multiple WDW trips in the works are normal, necessary even... but it seems like only you want this trip? If DH who isn’t loving the idea and your mom has no interest, why push it? I don’t post a ton but I try to keep up and I believe you have a trip soon and another one in December? My apologies if that’s incorrect but in case you need to hear it today (because I do sometimes too!) it’s okay to chill and let this one pass if it’s not making sense. $400/night is a good rate for WDW deluxe but is still a lot of money, and 5 nights is still a lot of time for someone who has no interest in going.

I would love for my in laws to check out WDW but truly they have zero interest and I get it, it isn’t for everyone. We took my mom and sisters and they didn’t love it either. That’s okay! Since you have expendable funds, time to take and other Disney trips already planned perhaps do something you know she would enjoy?

I currently had to talk myself out of a January trip that just wasn’t working out and I started feeling nuts about it before reminding myself that WDW is always there and I’ve been there 3 times in 2018. And while fun, spending thousands upon thousands to go is a big deal and needs to be checked here and there. Little perspective helps sometimes! Or it did for me

 

[Haley R]

Just a friendly reality check since we all get caught in a feedback loop/echo chamber here of thinking multiple WDW trips in the works are normal, necessary even... but it seems like only you want this trip? If DH who isn’t loving the idea and your mom has no interest, why push it? I don’t post a ton but I try to keep up and I believe you have a trip soon and another one in December? My apologies if that’s incorrect but in case you need to hear it today (because I do sometimes too!) it’s okay to chill and let this one pass if it’s not making sense. $400/night is a good rate for WDW deluxe but is still a lot of money, and 5 nights is still a lot of time for someone who has no interest in going.

I would love for my in laws to check out WDW but truly they have zero interest and I get it, it isn’t for everyone. We took my mom and sisters and they didn’t love it either. That’s okay! Since you have expendable funds, time to take and other Disney trips already planned perhaps do something you know she would enjoy?

I currently had to talk myself out of a January trip that just wasn’t working out and I started feeling nuts about it before reminding myself that WDW is always there and I’ve been there 3 times in 2018. And while fun, spending thousands upon thousands to go is a big deal and needs to be checked here and there. Little perspective helps sometimes! Or it did for me

We are no longer going in December so we have this trip in 2 days and then no other Disney trips planned. I wanted to at least book the room for $362/night and then propose it to my mom. I’m planning on showing her French quarter also since that is a lot cheaper. If she says no, it’s no skin off my back, but it would be a lot of fun to take her