New to it all!

[CaperBrat]

Hi everyone! Well we have decided that its time to take our 4 year old daughter to Disney. Never been ourselves and very quickly getting overwhelmed that I am thinking I can't handle it! Lol We haven't even decided between Walt Disney World or a cruise and have so many questions. Where do I start?

 

[magicaldisney]

Welcome. I would say the place to start is to decide between WDW or the cruise!! Seriously though, you can't do much planning without making that decision first.

 

[MylilTink]

Welcome to the DIS! you'll find a lot of information, idea's, and support for all things Disney and the planning.

 

[MichaelaF]

My small piece of advice is....don't overload on info to the point of getting overwhelmed. You'll find lots of good info, lots of advice, lots of opinions, but at the end of the day, you'll have fun no matter what.

I would start with WDW if I were trying to decide - 4 years is a great age for experiencing the magic! But you could also split your trip - do a 3 or 4 day cruise from Port Canaveral and a few days at the parks (or maybe in the opposite order so you can relax more on the cruise after going at the parks). They are offering a "Land and Sea" option right now, but you can easily just book both yourself. There is a bus between the two, but my sources tell me it's actually usually cheaper to just take a taxi or town car between the parks and the port.

Be sure and enjoy the planning....that's literally half the fun for me.

 

[wiigirl]

 

[RHMH]

Dis Friend

 

[songkat]

Welcome and yay!!

Granted, the internet wasn't around when I went on my first trip. Still, I bought a Birnbaum guide, read it and made notes of what attractions I knew sounded interesting and which ones I knew I'd skip. By the time we got to WDW, we were able to see everything we wanted and re-visit attractions we especially liked. Worked for me!

There's a bunch of great information on these boards, but I would stay out of the sometimes angsty FP+ (Fastpass Plus) threads to avoid being overwhelmed. The folks who are expressing concerns over FP+ have very legitimate concerns, but they are mostly repeat WDW guests who are trying to get accustomed to some changes from what they're used to. Naturally, they have some questions about how everything will be, but since this is your first trip, it's going to be extra magical since everything will be new to you.

Folks here are very nice, so ask away and take a look at the threads/forums/sections to see if the categories touch on the questions you may have about planning your trip.

Enjoy and have a magical vacation!

 

[CaperBrat]

Thanks so much for helping me get started. We have decided to to do a 4 night Bahamian Cruise ...hoping the May 18th on the Dream. That would get us back by Thursday with two days for Magic Kingdom. The land and sea sounds great but I think it is a limited time thing. So here are my next QUESTIONS.....do I book the cruise directly with Disney?
Should I do the rest of the trip booking it on my own? WDW tickets for two days, hotel and car rental?
Any suggestions would be great. And PS, I live in Ontario Canada. Thanks so much everyone!!!!

 

[Kpskyman]

Hi and welcome !!! Yes book everything by Disney, including dining reservations. You should not need to rent a car as there are Disney shuttles to take you everywhere. If any price differences a raise during the time you book to the time you leave that make your vacation cheaper, Disney will adjust for you. Also when calling be sure to let them know you are a first time guest and your daughters age. Most times they will put a nice little welcoming treasure in your room

 

[Pooh2]

Welcome! Four is such an awesome age for a first trip! Have a wonderful time and have fun with the planning!

 

[MarciaBrady]

Welcome!!

 

[It'sOffToDisneyWeGo]

Hello and Welcome!