1st Timer - what MUST I know????

[coachblt]

Right now, my daughters (13 and 9) and I are planning on attending in mid-July.

What kind of things are important to know? Where can I save money? What is a MUST to do and a MUST to avoid?

We'll more than likely stay at a value resort for savings, but if anyone knows of a "deal" anywhere, please list.

Keep the faith!
Brian

 

[DL55]

There are different forums here that will be helpful.
Park Strategies, Budget Board, Resorts. Just reading these will help.
Don't know where you are from but July in Florida will be hot and humid.
If you want to eat in WDW restaurants you'll need to make reservations months in advance. A lot of people make them 180 days out.
Best way to ride the popular rides is to arrive EARLY to the parks before the late risers get there.
There will be more advice from others. Just ask in the forums that are more specific to your question (resort ? - in the Resorts forum etc.)

 

[Dolce27]

I do advise staying on property, which if you are staying at a value than you are.

Know what a Fast Pass is and how to use it.

Take advantage of morning EMH's (Extra Magic Hours offered to Disney resort guests only). You can usually get a lot done in that park in the extra hour before the park officially opens to everyone else. Visit the Walt Disney World website, see what attractions you and your family would like and schedule those as your priorities and anything else you do is a bonus.

I highly recommend watching all nighttime shows: Illuminations at EPCOT, Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Wishes at the Magic Kingdom.

You are going at a busy time of the year, be prepared to stake out a spot for a parade or a nighttime show early and don't expect to walk up 10-15 minutes before and grab a good spot - unless you are extremely lucky.

If your not on the Dining Plan, I recommend that you make ADR's for a couple of restaurants anyways just for the experience. Visit the restaurant boards for reviews of different places. Be certain that you make ADR's for any sit-down restaurants - you can begin booking 180 out. Some people are lucky and happy with getting what they want without the ADR's - most people aren't so lucky. So, if there is any place special that you and your family want to eat at, I'd make a ADR as 99.9% of the time you will not be able to get into a restaurant as a walk-up.

Read up on the theme park pages to learn anything from the fact that Disney does not allow Heely’s in the parks to great spots to camp out for Illuminations and over looked stuff that not everyone pays attention to – such as the Streetmosphere actors at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (A group of improve actors pretending to live in 1940’s Hollywood and they are hysterical). Just read up on the DIS and you will learn a lot of information.

But most important: Just have fun. It might be crowded while you are there and you might not get to see it all your fist time (because there is soooo much to do there) but just enjoy the sights and what you get to do and the food …. Just don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. In my opinion, there’s no place like Disney.

 

[JohnnyB2]

Welcome to the Disboards, As already stated you are going at one of the busiest times of the year.Last year we were there in early Aug,and made the effort to be at the parks at the rope drop(when they open)and were able to ride and fastpass many attractions till about 11am. I also used one of the Disboards sponsers Tour Guide Mike for the info on which park to go to on each day for less crowds.It worked very well. Have a great trip and don't try to do everything, it will be hot!

 

[LGH1946]

I know that you have no choice with kids but to go when it is hot & crowded. I never go in the summer but I have talked to many people who do and if they plan well, they usually have a great time in spite of the crowds & heat.

Sign up for TOUR GUIDE MIKE to help with the planning of which park on which day. We used the plan last time and we hardly waited for anything.
There are just too many good tips to mention on this website.

Getting fast passes as early as possible is of great importance. But all this is covered in TOUR GUIDE MIKE.

My favorite ride is the TOWER OF TERROR!!!! I know that your kids will love it, they are at a great age. And you will, too. I am a grandmother and I ride it at least 10 times every time I go.

Making your dining reservations early is a must. And try to eat at odd times to avoid crowds.

To make the most of your day, I would not get a hopper pass. Just stay at the same park all day. Hopping just takes a lot longer that people realize. Especially on crowded days. And there is sooooo much walking involved.

I have been to WDW 20 times at all different months of the year. But, of course, my favorite time is the first part of December. Nothing is as beautiful as Disney at Christmas season.


Have a wonderful time and if you have any specific questions, I will try to help.

 

[Rylee]

Right now, my daughters (13 and 9) and I are planning on attending in mid-July.

What kind of things are important to know? Where can I save money? What is a MUST to do and a MUST to avoid?

We'll more than likely stay at a value resort for savings, but if anyone knows of a "deal" anywhere, please list.

Keep the faith!
Brian

Glad to see you plan to stay at a Disney Resort, it's the first thing I recommend!

If you have AAA, you can book a "room-only" reservation directly through Disney, to receive a slight discount. If you'd like to book a package, you'll have to book through AAA, (discount only on room portion). Watch these boards to see if a discount code comes out for the dates you are traveling. You can only apply one (1) discount, but can change the discount if a better one becomes available.

Take a look at the Dining Plan (DP) - each person receives 1 Table Service (TS) meal, 1 Counter Service (CS) Meal, & 1 snack, times (X) the number of nights you stay. Some families love the DP, others don't find it a value for them. Keep in mind, anyone 10 and over is a Disney Adult, and pays adult prices for the DP and tickets. DP or not, if you want to experience a few of the TS restaurants, you need to make Advance Dining Reservations (ADR).

(You're never too old for a character meal, I would schedule at least one, breakfast or dinner. It is great for pictures and getting autographs, buy an autograph book ahead of time. Chef Mickey's in the Contempory Resort is a favorite and can be easily done on a Magic Kingdom day, because of the location.)

Some other restaurants kids love -

• Coral Reef at Epcot. View of aquarium through ceiling to floor windows, (good food, too)
• Sci-Fi-Dine-In at MGM (sit in cars at the drive-in movies)

We also like -

• Le Cellier at Epcot
• O'hana at the Polynesian resort
• Beaches and Cream and Cape May buffet at Beach Club Resort (a nice boat ride from MGM)
• On Animal Kingdom day, we usually schedule a late dinner at a Downtown Disney restaurant, since AK usually closes earlier than the other parks.

July is hot, humid and crowded... I'm not one to recommend having a schedule for an entire day as I think it is important to discover the magic at you own pace but -

• Plan on getting to the parks early.
• Have in mind a few must-see-and-do attractions, and plan on hitting them first and using fast passes.
• Plan on taking breaks in the afternoons, (when it will be hottest and most crowded, anyway) a swim at the resort, and/or followed by dinner in an air-conditioned restaurant, then return to the parks.

My family prefers the EMH in the evenings.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

07 was the first time we had not gone in July. We always to the EMH. We get up early do EMH and come back to resort about 2 or 3 have lunch, swim, nap which ever you prefer, then head back to the parks about 6.We typically go to the resort thats having emh in the evening and the am emh in the morning just for simplicity. This always works well for us, and gives a break from the heat.
Mister fans (can be purchased at walmart) are a WONDERFUL thing to have, especially when you are standing in lines for rides of waiting on parades.
Camel baks are great investment as well. We have backpacks, and niece and nephew have the fannypack one, and they are great to fill with ice in the morning and it slowly melts throught the day keeping water cool. Also great to put bottles of water against to keep them cool as well.
Don't wear dark cloths. There is already plenty dark (pavement) around you.
I prefer to wear sandles b/c my feet get hot and that's miserable.
Take time to enjoy the rides, but try to alternate with shows and rides b/c you are going to be standing in lines for an extended amount of time. It seems as if the parks are strategically planned so that it's easy to alternate inside and outside activities.
Most of all enjoy yourself, but don't overexert yourself. Listen to your body, and be sure to drink lots of water. Try to stay away from soft-drinks as they dehydrate you more. Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies as they have lots of water in them.
Have a wonderful time!!! I know you will!!!

 

[Aliceacc]

Camel baks are great investment as well. We have backpacks, and niece and nephew have the fannypack one, and they are great to fill with ice in the morning and it slowly melts throught the day keeping water cool. Also great to put bottles of water against to keep them cool as well.

What's a camel bak?

 

[Mickey'sfriend]

My suggestion (along with hanging out here and gathering as much info as possible) is to run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and purchase the latest edition of Birbaum's guide to Walt Disney World. It will give you a description of every ride, attraction, hotel and restaurant. It's a tremendous resource for a first timer! Enjoy planning your trip! I think it's half the fun!

 

[pat fan]

Welcome to the club of the crazy people who go in July! My family always goes in July and it is a blast! Here are a few tips to get you started.

Get the latest Unofficial Guidebook to WDW. This book is worth its weight in gold for real-world planning.

Let each child pick one or two things from each park and incorporate them into your touring plans. Anything else you do will be a bonus and each child will be happy.

Do at least one character meal. My families picks would be the Crystal Palace breakfast at the Magic Kingdom (Pooh & friends) or the Garden Grill for lunch at Epcot (Mickey & friends). Make those ADR's early!!!! We saw many, many people being turned away from restaurants this past summer who did not have ADR's, and this was for lunch at sit-down places, not even Character meals!

Get your behinds out of bed early and use the EMH's in the AM. Last summer we found them to be of NO use at night, but the morning EMH's were very good.

Take the ferry to the MK at least once (preferably your first time). There is nothing, I repeat nothing in the world like seeing the Castle rise up in front of you as you come across the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Stay at the ASMusic! This is our home-away-from-home. The CM's there are wonderful, bus service is great and the food court is great. I could go on and on, but I won't. Any specific questions, feel free to PM me

Well, that should be enough to get you started, and like I said, feel free to ask any questions you'd like. There are NO silly questions and the more prepared you are, the better time you'll have!

 

[disney54us]

Hi and Welcome to the Boards!! As mentioned before there are different boards, theme park, Budget etc. Check them out, many people I know also go on Mousesavers, they seem to get some good ideas from there. I heard something mentioned about CVS savings??, not sure but would love to find out. Your staying in Disney, which is great. I always tell people, Disney has a place for every budget. Why stay outside the parks, when for the same $$$ you can get all the WDW guest perks. One of those perks being early opening at different parks, I would take advantage of that since you are going in July and it is sooo hot, then maybe during prime heat do a Character Lunch or water park or take a break and go back to your hotel pool. Whatever you do, remember you can't do it all in one trip, so sit back and enjoy and what you don't see this time will keep you dreamin of the next trip.