3 days to go, some questions - rental cars, theme parks, etc

Ok, we (Wife, self, son 10, daughter 6) leave Brooklyn NY on Thursday for our Fla trip. Only 3 days will be in Orlando - Friday will be a TS Tour in the am, and lazing about Cypress Pointe Grand Villas in the afternoon. (That is actually the part I am most looking forward to at this moment - its been quite a coupla months - too many visits to the Emergency Room, way too many conflicting schedules and things to do, etc etc, and lazing in the sun by a pool is just what the Doctor ordered!) We could really use some help from all you knowledgable members here, if you could?

Questions

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鈥?Got an intermediate car rental from National for 9 days - $130/week, plus $24 for the 2 extra days = $178, plus about $70 in taxes and ';gimmes';, comes to $248 total for 9 days. Seems good to me for the time of year, but I have been reading here of some cheaper prices, so I am wondering if maybe I am overpaying?

鈥?Plan to make Friday%26#39;s restaurant choice on the day, unless someone here has a Must-Go-To suggestion? - Easy in, easy out, not too much $$, but not Golden Corral, either. (We like places that are unique, something we can鈥檛 really get elsewhere, with food that doesn鈥檛 have to be fancy, but good for what it is. Could be great BBQ, best fish-n-chips, or whatta great snow crab place)

鈥?Saturday is our Theme Park Day. We still are trying to decide which park. Kids have been to MK, not Epcot. Wife and I have been to both. We realize that Epcot will probably not be as ';bumper-to-bumper'; crowded as MK, but we are leaning to MK because of the late hours - figured we would chill at the hotel for a few hours mid-day, and then go back till MK closes. But we are ready to listen to other pros and cons if anyone has some input based on similar experiences with Easter crowds and similar-age kids?

鈥?For a one day, its-gonna-be-MOBBED visit to whichever park, should we spring for a Touring Plan subscription, or is that too regimented and un-necessary for one day?

鈥?If so, which is better - TourGuideMike, or TouringPlans.com??

3 days to go, some questions - rental cars, theme parks, etc

the rental car rate sounds about par with what i%26#39;ve paid in the past. since this is Easter weekend, i%26#39;m sure every theme park will be busting at the seams - just be prepared to wait and do a lot of people watching...MK seems to always be the busiest park any day - especially on the weekends. i%26#39;ve never done a touring plan, but i%26#39;ve heard that they are worth it because you don%26#39;t have to wait in lines (if we%26#39;re talking about the same thing). otherwise, your idea of resting mid-day and coming back might be wise. small children (under 5 yrs old) tire out fast, and as a result a lot of folks leave MK around 2-3pm...a good time for you to return to the park.

3 days to go, some questions - rental cars, theme parks, etc

for car rentals you have to surf all over the net...with many clubs you get great discounts...I was complaining about paying $300ish for a minivan for 8 days when I go in August, but yesterday in on one of the many memberships I joined...i got it for 224 for 8 days.

I am planning a TGIF day also for lunch or dinner...I know there price range and menu so stick with that.

With first trip to WDW, since its your kids 1st time I think MK is the best option, then later you can always go back...MK takes a day itself...how about getting a pk hopper for the kids or 2 day ticket for the kids, so the day that you are lazing they can do another park...for instance sat is MK and the day you are lazing they can do AK and MGM in that same day.

happy trails

what airline are you flying?

Hey Frozensmoke,

My kids are 6 and 10 (I buried that info somewhere in my long post) so not quite the age where we can send them off to the parks while we veg by the pool. Attractive as it may sound, I would probably be too stressed worrying about them to really relax!

And no, it is not their first time - they have both been to MK in the past, with their grandparents when they each turned 5 yo. Wife and I have both been to MK and Epcot.

I have been surfing for better car rental prices, to no avail - even using the same codes I used for this booking, prices have actually gone UP, so, I guess I will stick with it - $248 for 9 days, all included, is pretty good I guess.

Not really Brooklynfamily, I am still keeping my reservation for a Standard SUV that holds 5 adults for 8 days at 128.02. Now that is a bargin but that is for the date of AUgust.

I am so sorry (had to go and reread the post)...LOl,

Aside from Christmas, I believe Easter is the absolute busiest time to go to WDW. With this in mind it is very possible that MK will fill to capacity and you might not be allowed entry if you go later in the morning or early afternoon. Epcot could be our favorite park, and there is lots to see and do for a very full day, so you might need a plan B if you intend to go to MK on the Saturday, unless you go right when it opens.

The touringplans.com website rates both MK and AK as parks to avoid on Sat April 15 (crowds rated at 10 on a scale of 1 to 10), and recommends Epcot. You can find some very helpful information for free at that site. For one day, I wouldn%26#39;t bother purchasing the touring plans, maybe you can borrow the Unofficial Guide to WDW at the library.

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