Starting to feel overwhelmed

[firsttimer4]

Our first trip to Disney is in 39 days!! I decided which parks we'd do on which days and made all of our ADR's. but now I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with planned the details of each day like which rides need to be done early and which ones we need to get FP for first thing in the morning. I've been doing alot of research and they all say that you need to rush here or rush there. Since this is our first trip I really want to soak it all in and not rush. Help!! Our plans are...

Friday May 17th- our flight lands at 7:30pm. Once we get checked in we'll grab something to eat and explore POP and maybe AOA.

Saturday- magic kingdom
Dinner reservations at crystal palace

Sunday- magic kingdom
Dinner reservations at T-Rex

Monday- Epcot
Dinner reservations at via Napoli

Tuesday- Hollywood studios
Breakfast at Hollywood and vine 9:15.
(What time can we get in the park?)
Dinner at sci-fi

Wednesday- animal kingdom
Dinner at rainforest cafe

Thursday- typhoon lagoon
Late dinner reservation at chef mickey's 8:25 ( I'm trying to move it up so we can go to MK and see wishes after)

Friday- open day ( gonna let the kids decide what park they wanna go to)
Our flight leaves at 8:30pm

 

[glaserjm]

Its common to feel overwhelmed, however you have most of your planning done, so now its just up to you on how strict of a touring plan you care to follow.
You will read a lot of conflicting information here about what you MUST and MUSTN'T do, but its all up to personal preference.
We prefer hitting rope drop and touring in the early morning, getting FPs for the headlining attractions first (Soarin' or Test Track at Epcot, Kilimanjaro Safari or Expedition Everest at AK, Toy Story Midway Mania at DHS, Peter Pan or Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom or going straight to Enchanted Takes with Belle which fills up quickly) and then strolling around after hitting the headliners to see what strikes our fancy.
How well this fits with the ages and interests of your family members is up to you. The thing you should remember is there is no such thing as "doing it all" on a Disney trip, so don't even try, just prioritize the things that are important to you and stick with those. If sleep and a lot of down time is important, focus on pool and resort time and don't feel pressured to maximize your time in the parks. If park touring is what you're looking most forward to, do try to wake early and be at the park by opening, as you will be able to accomplish the most that way.
There's no one size fits all, just don't try and force unrealistic expectations and you'll be fine! Have a great time.


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[andyman8]

Our first trip to Disney is in 39 days!! I decided which parks we'd do on which days and made all of our ADR's. but now I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with planned the details of each day like which rides need to be done early and which ones we need to get FP for first thing in the morning. I've been doing alot of research and they all say that you need to rush here or rush there. Since this is our first trip I really want to soak it all in and not rush. Help!! Our plans are...

Friday May 17th- our flight lands at 7:30pm. Once we get checked in we'll grab something to eat and explore POP and maybe AOA.

Saturday- magic kingdom (recommended)
Dinner reservations at crystal palace

Sunday- magic kingdom
Dinner reservations at T-Rex

Monday- Epcot
Dinner reservations at via Napoli

Tuesday- Hollywood studios
Breakfast at Hollywood and vine 9:15.
(What time can we get in the park?)
Dinner at sci-fi

Wednesday- animal kingdom
Dinner at rainforest cafe

Thursday- typhoon lagoon
Late dinner reservation at chef mickey's 8:25 ( I'm trying to move it up so we can go to MK and see wishes after)

Friday- open day ( gonna let the kids decide what park they wanna go to)
Our flight leaves at 8:30pm

To be honest, this plan looks perfect (or near perfect)! You've not over-planned but you haven't under-planned. The only things I'd add are afternoon breaks (assuming you're going to do rope drop every day), because May can get quite, quite hot so be prepared for the heat. There's no better way to combat the summer heat than an afternoon break by the pool. Also, be sure to sleep in a bit on your TL day because you're sure to be a bit tired.

If you're really concerted about crowds, you'd probably be best doing Sunday at EP, Monday at DHS, Tuesday at DAK, and Wednesday at MK, but that would require you to move some of your ADRs which might not be possible, but these recommendations are according to my May crowd calendar. Just a suggestion, not necessarily going to make or break the trip (not even remotely).

Finally, be sure to spend some time at DTD before or after your T-REX reservation. The World of Disney Store and chocolate shop are amazing!

By the way, I love the spontaneity your incorporating with your last day.

One other tip, if you want to see Wishes, don't waste the money for another park day (unless you want to ride attractions), you can see Wishes (I think with the music piped in) at the Outer Rim Lounge across from CM.

 

[Turk February]

It's normal to feel overwhelmed, especially if this is your first time. You will NOT see everything, and you should accept that and be ok with that. Don't get so concerned and obsessed with doing everything "right" that your trip becomes more of a "job" than a vacation.

Enjoy yourself and soak it all in! Your kids are gonna want to have fun, not listen to a drill sergeant. Go to the parks early and you'll get more done before noon than you can imagine. That alone will greatly reduce your stress.

You should consider joining TouringPlans.com and setting up some personalized plans. If you have a smartphone you can keep updating your plans as you're at the park and figure out what you should be doing next based on their research.

Have a great time!

 

[RobDIS]

Research is good and having a plan is good. You don't need to rush all day, but you should hustle in the morning if you want to do the major rides without waiting in line for hours. It's not too hard to roll your own plan, just know which rides build up lines and do those in the morning when it will be easy. You probably already have that information down!

Personally I would change your plan to not do MK two days in a row. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way, but why not switch it up?

 

[WDWLover75]

First off, congratulations on your upcoming trip, you will have a great time! I totally understand your desire to plan and not miss anything. My advice for you will be different if you think this will be the only time your family makes it to Disney World. If that's the case then absolutely, do as much research as you can, get to rope drop, all that stuff. If it is likely you will be back, you don't have to kill yourself to see and do everything. Part of what is so magical for me about Disney are all the little touches and beauty throughout the parks and resorts.....the rose garden at the Magic Kingdom, all the fountains at EPCOT, and the nothing-left-untouched theming at all the resorts. Take the time to appreciate those things and just enjoy the atmosphere. You won't have time to see everything, no matter how well you plan. Figure out the things that are most important for you to see and make it a priority to get to those attractions (maybe top 5 per park). You will definitely want fast passes for Soarin, Test Track, Peter Pan, Toy Story Mania (I will let others comment on Rockin Rollercoaster and TOT.). If you have time, consider spending a little time outside of the parks, we like mini golf or renting a boat from one of the resorts such as Port Orleans Riverside.

Have fun!

 

[firsttimer4]

To be honest, this plan looks perfect (or near perfect)! You've not over-planned but you haven't under-planned. The only things I'd add are afternoon breaks (assuming you're going to do rope drop every day), because May can get quite, quite hot so be prepared for the heat. There's no better way to combat the summer heat than an afternoon break by the pool. Also, be sure to sleep in a bit on your TL day because you're sure to be a bit tired.

If you're really concerted about crowds, you'd probably be best doing Sunday at EP, Monday at DHS, Tuesday at DAK, and Wednesday at MK, but that would require you to move some of your ADRs which might not be possible, but these recommendations are according to my May crowd calendar. Just a suggestion, not necessarily going to make or break the trip (not even remotely).

Finally, be sure to spend some time at DTD before or after your T-REX reservation. The World of Disney Store and chocolate shop are amazing!

By the way, I love the spontaneity your incorporating with your last day.

One other tip, if you want to see Wishes, don't waste the money for another park day (unless you want to ride attractions), you can see Wishes (I think with the music piped in) at the Outer Rim Lounge across from CM.

I originally wasn't planning on going back for naps, but the more I read the more I think we will. I was thinking we'd do rope drop every morning and then head back to the hotel around 1 or 2 for a nap. Then back to the park for our dinner reservations and more fun.

I wasn't planning on going to MK after chef mickey but I realized we have 7 day park passes and only have 6 park days and a water park day planned.

 

[firsttimer4]

First off, congratulations on your upcoming trip, you will have a great time! I totally understand your desire to plan and not miss anything. My advice for you will be different if you think this will be the only time your family makes it to Disney World. If that's the case then absolutely, do as much research as you can, get to rope drop, all that stuff. If it is likely you will be back, you don't have to kill yourself to see and do everything. Part of what is so magical for me about Disney are all the little touches and beauty throughout the parks and resorts.....the rose garden at the Magic Kingdom, all the fountains at EPCOT, and the nothing-left-untouched theming at all the resorts. Take the time to appreciate those things and just enjoy the atmosphere. You won't have time to see everything, no matter how well you plan. Figure out the things that are most important for you to see and make it a priority to get to those attractions (maybe top 5 per park). You will definitely want fast passes for Soarin, Test Track, Peter Pan, Toy Story Mania (I will let others comment on Rockin Rollercoaster and TOT.). If you have time, consider spending a little time outside of the parks, we like mini golf or renting a boat from one of the resorts such as Port Orleans Riverside.

Have fun!

I really hope that this is not our first and only trip, but I figure it has taken me 30 years to get there. So I have no idea when the next time will be. I've never been and by planning this trip I am already addicted. Just not sure financially how often we'll be able to go

 

[mickeychick06]

It can feel very overwhelming, but you've done a great job planning, and I think you'll see the rewards of all of your hard work when you get there.

A couple of things that I would recommend:

1. Don't be afraid to go back to your room for an afternoon nap/rest. Even as adults, my family and I get a lot out of resting for a while and freshening up before heading back out to the parks, especially if we're staying until closing.

2. The day that you have ressies at Chef Mickey's, you might consider just watching the fireworks from the Contemporary or take the monorail over to the Polynesian to watch from the beach. It will be much less crowded, and you won't have to worry about rushing.

Have a great time, and enjoy every experience! Even when things don't go as planned, have fun with it! As a former College Program cast member, my favorite quote from a guest was "NO, we can't go back and take a nap! We paid a lot of money for this vacation, so you're going to enjoy it!" That was actually a frequent conversation between people in the parks.

 

[firsttimer4]

It's normal to feel overwhelmed, especially if this is your first time. You will NOT see everything, and you should accept that and be ok with that. Don't get so concerned and obsessed with doing everything "right" that your trip becomes more of a "job" than a vacation.

Enjoy yourself and soak it all in! Your kids are gonna want to have fun, not listen to a drill sergeant. Go to the parks early and you'll get more done before noon than you can imagine. That alone will greatly reduce your stress.

You should consider joining TouringPlans.com and setting up some personalized plans. If you have a smartphone you can keep updating your plans as you're at the park and figure out what you should be doing next based on their research.

Have a great time!

Thanks. I'm gonna look into joining

 

[firsttimer4]

Research is good and having a plan is good. You don't need to rush all day, but you should hustle in the morning if you want to do the major rides without waiting in line for hours. It's not too hard to roll your own plan, just know which rides build up lines and do those in the morning when it will be easy. You probably already have that information down!

Personally I would change your plan to not do MK two days in a row. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way, but why not switch it up?

I have a feeling that the kids are gonna pick MK to go back to on Friday!!

 

[andyman8]

I originally wasn't planning on going back for naps, but the more I read the more I think we will. I was thinking we'd do rope drop every morning and then head back to the hotel around 1 or 2 for a nap. Then back to the park for our dinner reservations and more fun.

I wasn't planning on going to MK after chef mickey but I realized we have 7 day park passes and only have 6 park days and a water park day planned.

Sounds like a plan!

You've got a great plan right there. Just keep in mind with the naps, you and your kids may be a bit excited (particularly early on in the trip), so you may want to plan on some pool time in there, too!

Also, if you're going to go down the TouringPlans (yes it's one word to them) route (something that I wouldn't necessarily endorse), I would only plan out the first two to three hours of park operation. Beyond that, decide as you go.

 

[firsttimer4]

It can feel very overwhelming, but you've done a great job planning, and I think you'll see the rewards of all of your hard work when you get there.

A couple of things that I would recommend:

1. Don't be afraid to go back to your room for an afternoon nap/rest. Even as adults, my family and I get a lot out of resting for a while and freshening up before heading back out to the parks, especially if we're staying until closing.

2. The day that you have ressies at Chef Mickey's, you might consider just watching the fireworks from the Contemporary or take the monorail over to the Polynesian to watch from the beach. It will be much less crowded, and you won't have to worry about rushing.

Have a great time, and enjoy every experience! Even when things don't go as planned, have fun with it! As a former College Program cast member, my favorite quote from a guest was "NO, we can't go back and take a nap! We paid a lot of money for this vacation, so you're going to enjoy it!" That was actually a frequent conversation between people in the parks.

I originally wasn't planning on going back for naps, but the more I read the more I think we will.

Do you know where at the Contemporary we can sit and watch the fireworks?

 

[NaLisa]

How exciting to be so close to your first trip to WDW! As others have said, there's no one right way to do WDW, and you need to focus on what's most appealing/best for your family. Also remember that your children are going to LOVE your resort, so you're going to definitely want to spend some time there playing in the pool, getting some down time and soaking up the atmosphere.

I'd suggest maybe letting each person in your family select his/her three favorite/must-do attractions in each park, then trying to figure out how to fit those in to your touring plan. If your family is an early-rising one, try to make rope drops to fit in as much as possible before the crowds arrive. If they usually sleep in, you want to plan accordingly, being realistic about what you can do on a late arrival at a particular park. With your childrens' ages, you're probably going to be skipping a lot of the headliners, so that will make touring easier.

We usually try to make rope drop, tour fast and furious for a couple of hours before crowds arrive, then relax and enjoy the atmosphere, taking in those attractions with typically short waits. We also usually take afternoon breaks to get refreshed and take a break from the crowds and heat. Doesn't mean that will work for you and your crew, though.

Sounds like you're on the right path, researching and planning without trying to do too much. Just relax and enjoy what is sure to be a magical vacation!

 

[firsttimer4]

How exciting to be so close to your first trip to WDW! As others have said, there's no one right way to do WDW, and you need to focus on what's most appealing/best for your family. Also remember that your children are going to LOVE your resort, so you're going to definitely want to spend some time there playing in the pool, getting some down time and soaking up the atmosphere.

I'd suggest maybe letting each person in your family select his/her three favorite/must-do attractions in each park, then trying to figure out how to fit those in to your touring plan. If your family is an early-rising one, try to make rope drops to fit in as much as possible before the crowds arrive. If they usually sleep in, you want to plan accordingly, being realistic about what you can do on a late arrival at a particular park. With your childrens' ages, you're probably going to be skipping a lot of the headliners, so that will make touring easier.

We usually try to make rope drop, tour fast and furious for a couple of hours before crowds arrive, then relax and enjoy the atmosphere, taking in those attractions with typically short waits. We also usually take afternoon breaks to get refreshed and take a break from the crowds and heat. Doesn't mean that will work for you and your crew, though.

Sounds like you're on the right path, researching and planning without trying to do too much. Just relax and enjoy what is sure to be a magical vacation!

That's a great idea but our kids have no idea that we are going!! We aren't telling them until we drive up at the airport. I did show them a few youtube videos of some rides. I think my son is going to love the thrill rides! My DH is not a big planner and has been leaving it all up to me, but he LOVES roller coasters

 

[firsttimer4]

Anyone know what time we can get into the park with our 9:15 reservation at Hollywood and vine? And should one of us run and get fast passes for Toy Story Mania before our reservation?

 

[kymom99]

Did you look to see what time they open that day?

How old are your kids? Maybe on the plane you can have them look at some guidebooks and pick a couple things they want to try in each park. If you get there at rope drop, and use FP, you should be able to hit everyone's favorites. After that, whatever you get to do will just be icing on the cake.

I will tell you, I was 39 when I went on my first trip with my husband and son. I did research but couldn't really comprehend how huge WDW is. We had 4 days that trip and it was enough to get my feet wet. I decided to plan another trip for the next year because once I experienced it, I felt much more able to plan effectively. You will have a great time as long as you realize you can't do everything and each time you go back your kids will be older and interested in different things. It never really gets old.

Have a great trip!

 

[RobDIS]

I'd suggest maybe letting each person in your family select his/her three favorite/must-do attractions in each park, then trying to figure out how to fit those in to your touring plan.

That's a pretty good idea IMO. Go over the park brochures at dinner that first night maybe?

Anyone know what time we can get into the park with our 9:15 reservation at Hollywood and vine? And should one of us run and get fast passes for Toy Story Mania before our reservation?

Does the park open at 9AM that day? I would send someone to grab FPs for TSMM as soon as the park opens before breakfast. With luck you'll be able to use them right after breakfast and possibly grab another set of FPs for later.

Be sure the FP runner knows to hang back a few seconds if by some miracle he or she is first to the kiosks so you don't end up having your window close before breakfast is over.

 

[sammyjo1871]

Anyone know what time we can get into the park with our 9:15 reservation at Hollywood and vine? And should one of us run and get fast passes for Toy Story Mania before our reservation?

When we were there last year, they started letting people in around 8:40-8:45 on a 9am opening. I think they started doing that to avoid the crazy mad dash to TSM. I would def suggest that one of you go get FP's.

I think your plans look good! We did get so much done early in the parks, so do rope drops if you can. But remember to do what's best for your family and enjoy your vacation!

 

[firsttimer4]

Did you look to see what time they open that day?

How old are your kids? Maybe on the plane you can have them look at some guidebooks and pick a couple things they want to try in each park. If you get there at rope drop, and use FP, you should be able to hit everyone's favorites. After that, whatever you get to do will just be icing on the cake.

I will tell you, I was 39 when I went on my first trip with my husband and son. I did research but couldn't really comprehend how huge WDW is. We had 4 days that trip and it was enough to get my feet wet. I decided to plan another trip for the next year because once I experienced it, I felt much more able to plan effectively. You will have a great time as long as you realize you can't do everything and each time you go back your kids will be older and interested in different things. It never really gets old.

Have a great trip!

They open at 9, but I read somewhere that if you have early reservations that you may be able to get in a few minutes early.

My kids are 3 and almost 6. That's a good idea about showing them stuff on the plane. Thanks!