Disney

"The advice was varied – ranging from proclamations that we were crazy to folks saying this would be a trip of a lifetime. Because we (1) had some free tickets and (2) have a remarkably resilient toddler (who seems completely nonplussed by crowds, noise and long drives), we've decided to go ahead with the trip. Given the time of year, we've opted to stay on property for at least two nights. I called several surrounding hotels and their prices were the same as the economy Disney resorts (about 150$) (though they did include breakfast). We figured that given the crowds, it made sense to have an extra hour or two at the parks. We are not buying a park hopper or a meal plan. I think we'll hold off on the hopper until our kids are older - and able to have the stamina to enjoy more than one place at a time. We also have pretty low expectations about the amount of ground we'll cover - I think our 2 1/2 year old will enjoy the parades and the crowds and frankly won't care much if he goes on any rides.

My husband and i have been to disney alot (he loves it). Here are my
suggestions....

1. Hotels-disney offers a value resort which is fantastic and they have a shuttle to and from all the disney parks. Staying off site is fine, but I would look at resorts that have shuttles to and from the parks, trust me you do not want to deal with parking, its just a pain and at Christmas its worse. Alot of the hotels across from Downtown disney offer shuttles.

2. The park hopper is worth the money if for example you want to spend the day at the magic kingdom go home in the afternoon and go to epcot for dinner (the japanese restaurant like benihana's is fantastic). If you are planning to eat at Downtown Disney or some other local places go with the day passes. I would skip the meal plan, most of the food in the park is terrible!"