1st trip booked

[barrington]

hi

i have booked my first trip to DLP, go on 2nd october to 6th october staying in a lake view montana room at SL. So excited. Does anyone have any advice for my trip (best times for rides and attractions , how people plan there day etc) as ive read these boards quite a lot lately and think ive had info overload, there seems to be a lot of return travellers on here and would be grateful for any advice and tips

thanks

 

[tennisfan]

Your going during a quieter pare of the season so some rides & restaurants maybe closed then.

You should just take a relaxing approach, you should be able to see most whilst you are there.

I'm not one to plan so can't help regarding a plan of sorts, unless they extend the park hours after 30th September, Dreams will be on at an earlier time. This to me shouldn't be missed. As you haven't been before I would say see the parade too, i'm personally not a fan of it except the music which is a shame as I have loved all the other one's they have done.

Just enjoy the trip & don't sweat the small stuff

 

[Bexx]

I'm not a big DLP planner either! I agree with Nikki - I think you will get more out of your trip if you take it easier, rather than trying to do absolutely everything.

Have a look at the maps and schedules (links are in the Useful Info stick) and get an idea of "must dos" for you and then anything else you do is a bonus. Have a look at the Restaurant Reviews to see where you fancy eating and maybe make reservations at a couple, and choose the others when you get there.

And take some time to relax by the fire in the Redwood Bar at Sequoia Lodge knowing that all the fun is just a short walk away once you're feeling reinvigorated!

 

[Ms Poppins]

Congratulations on booking

I'm a bit of a planner, but mainly I like to have an idea of where we want to eat for evening meals. Then I can guide us towards that area. But, that's only because we like to eat at certain locations, and during busy periods these can be full up. As others say, it is a quieter time, but you might still have problems with eating as some of the restaurants will be closed.

I agree that you should be able to see everything in a relaxed way.

Hope you have fun 'planning'

 

[Mum to Belle]

Congratulations on booking!!

I'm another plan-a-holic!! I have spreadsheets and everything!!

I start with my TOP10 to do list for each of us, the main things we want to do. (Mine involve food mostly!). Then I choose the restaurants. Then I have fun fitting them all into the time we are there.

I like to know that I am going to be able to do the things I really want to and not get to the end of the trip and think "Bother, I forgot to do....." because that would really irritate me!

When the schedules come out the week before, I invariably have to tweak my plans to take account of the timings of meet & greets, shows, parades, etc.

I don't plan every minute of every day, and the longer you are there the less you need to plan. It's good to think about things though, for example, some restaurants are only open on certain days out of season, some rides may be closed, etc. I prefer to know as much as possible in advance to avoid disappointment!

Depending on the ages of your party, I would suggest trying to do the rides that are opening during EMH and the rest of Fantasyland as it opens, or save it until the end of the day or when the parade is on as it tends to be quieter. Remember to use the Fastpass system for the rides with long queues.

The shows in Studios are not to be missed and are great to do when the parks are busier.

Above all - have fun planning! I loved using the Brit Guide for my first trip, and have bought subsequent editions for my Mum & MIL.

Have fun looking for hidden Mickeys and some of the other DLP secrets too

 

[Mummy Minnie]

Congrats on your booking

I'm a converted planner having had the best trip when I'd booked all the restaurants & used all the amazing tips gained from this board.

Have fun with all your planning - for me now it's half the fun!

 

[jothp]

The biggest tip would be to just keep reading all the information on the boards. Have a look at all the restaurant menus on the reviews threads here to give you an idea of where you might like to eat. If you want to eat in the table service restaurants I would definately book when you arrive (or before you go if you like) as some of them were quite busy last week. If you want to eat in counter service places take a list of the places that appeal so you won't be wandering around hungry trying to find somewhere.

I like to plan so generally decide where we will eat before we go and also make a note of a couple of things which are must dos for each day. Other than that we generally go with what we feel like doing.

 

[Sarah28]

Congratulations on your booking, what a fabulous feeling it is. Happy planning!