39 Day Left: First Trip Ever

[ktlovexx]

My husband, daughter (7), and I are going to Disney next month! None of us have ever been. For the past year, I've been planning this trip based on research I've done through websites, books, friends/family's recommendations, etc...... And now I'm starting to panic that I did it all wrong, and I hope someone can ease my mind (or tell me what changes I need make before it's too late).

We'll be going during Mardi Gras week and staying 6 nights at Art of Animation in the Little Mermaid rooms. We have 5 park days scheduled with the Dining Plan and Memory Maker. We'll be driving in, so we'll have our own transportation to and from the parks.

Arrival Day (Sat): Check in at the hotel around 5pm. Head to Disney Springs for dinner at Planet Hollywood.

Day 1 (Sun): Magic Kingdom. Mid-morning appointment at Bippidi Boppidi Boutique. Quick service lunch, and dinner reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table. FP+ for Peter Pan, Seven Dwarfs, and Big Thunder Mountain.

Day 2 (Mon): Epcot. Quick service lunch, and we plan to use a Table Service credit for dinner this day. I'm really hoping I can grab a reservation that morning for dinnertime. FP+ for Frozen, Spaceship Earth, and Mission:Space.

Day 3 (Tues): Hollywood Studios. Quick service lunch, and dinner reservation at Sci-Fi Dine-In. FP+ for Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, and Frozen Sing-Along. (We might sleep in on this day since we were told that HS isn't a full day if we don't do Rockin' Rollercoaster or Tower of Terror. We didn't get Park Hopper tickets, and our first FP+ isn't until 11.)

Day 4 (Wed): Animal Kingdom. Quick service meals for lunch and dinner. FP+ for Na'vi River, DINOSAUR, and Kilimanjaro Safari.

Day 5 (Thurs): Magic Kingdom. Quick service lunch, and dinner reservation at Chef Mickey's. FP+ for Buzz's Space Ranger Spin, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Splash Mountain.

Departure Day (Fri): Check out and head home.

I'm not sure if my daughter will be brave enough (or tall enough) for any of the more intense rollercoasters, so I haven't scheduled any FP+ for those rides. I'm hoping I can get some additional FP+ times after our first 3, so I scheduled them all for morning/early afternoon. All of the crowd calendars put the projected crowd levels at moderate.

Since I've never been in the parks myself, I'm not sure if any of this is right. I probably should have gotten a vacation planner, but I'm a control freak and wanted to do it all myself. Hopefully, I haven't ruined my family's first trip before we've even left.

Any suggestions? Changes needed? Recommendations? Alcohol? Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[cassie58]

So exciting! You sound like me before our 1st trip. Your plans sound good for a first trip - you have main things covered and then whatever else you can do is a bonus. We just stayed in Little Mermaid rooms - really well themed - just know they are at the back of resort, so little longer walk to food court and buses.(I know you have a car, but may want to take buses at times).
The BBB and CRT are very magical! I would suggest getting to MK early to take in Main Street and the castle and get some pics with a few less people!(they usually let you in an hour before opening to wait for welcome show). You might want to build in time for character meets around the parks - Gaston is a fun meet - he only meets from about 10-4, so check for times if you want to do it on one of your days - it is best to do early for less lines - you can get there a 1/2 hour early to be in line when he arrives. You could also try and get a reservation for lunch at Be Our Guest, Beasts Castle - it is a quick service credit, and only way to see inside. It is hard to come by, but could keep trying for your second day - things pop up, even the week or day before!

You might consider more time at HS - TSM is fun to do more than once(you will understand after you do it!), so we like to do it at opening and then use FP later as well. If you do want to sleep in, you can try to get it again as 4th FP - breaks at Disney are also impt! There are also some other shows like Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones depending on what you all are into. The Little Mermaid and Muppets are also fun, with little wait most of the day, so you can do them anytime. And of course lots of Star Wars if anyone is into that. Its also the only place to meet Olaf if your daughter is interested. Fantasmic is a great night show - can be a little scary for some younger kids, so you could preview on You Tube if interested.

Arriving for rope drop is a great way to get a lot done before the crowds, then can use FP. At Epcot if you arrive early, you can do Soarin and/or TT since you have FP for Frozen. Take time to see dolphins, fish, and manatees in the Seas buildiing. There is a nice boat ride in Mexico pavilion which is a good break if it is hot. There is also a place called Club Cool before you head over the bridge to World Showcase where you can try samples of sodas from around the world(one is pretty disgusting - I will let you be surprised!)

Lion King show at AK is awesome, so try to see it if you have a chance - shown several times throughout the day. The trails are nice to walk and see the different animals.

With Memory Maker, remember to ask for magic shots - they do them at many of the main icons in the parks, and will have you do different poses that will have extra things in them later when you look. Some will do it automatically, some you have to ask. Also when you get home you can edit and add fun borders and stickers, like first trip, etc. - you can download as many times as you want, so you could download all first, then go back and make edits before you download again. You will have 45 days from first pic taken before they expire.

The biggest thing is to take your time, enjoy the magic, and know you won't do everything this trip. When you get hot or cranky, stop and get a Mickey bar or Dole Whip and sit on a bench, or go back and take a pool break. Stop and see parade or performers. Enjoy making memories, and if you are like most of us here, begin planning what you want to do on your next trip before you even get home!

 

[ktlovexx]

So exciting! You sound like me before our 1st trip. Your plans sound good for a first trip - you have main things covered and then whatever else you can do is a bonus. We just stayed in Little Mermaid rooms - really well themed - just know they are at the back of resort, so little longer walk to food court and buses.(I know you have a car, but may want to take buses at times).
The BBB and CRT are very magical! I would suggest getting to MK early to take in Main Street and the castle and get some pics with a few less people!(they usually let you in an hour before opening to wait for welcome show). You might want to build in time for character meets around the parks - Gaston is a fun meet - he only meets from about 10-4, so check for times if you want to do it on one of your days - it is best to do early for less lines - you can get there a 1/2 hour early to be in line when he arrives. You could also try and get a reservation for lunch at Be Our Guest, Beasts Castle - it is a quick service credit, and only way to see inside. It is hard to come by, but could keep trying for your second day - things pop up, even the week or day before!

You might consider more time at HS - TSM is fun to do more than once(you will understand after you do it!), so we like to do it at opening and then use FP later as well. If you do want to sleep in, you can try to get it again as 4th FP - breaks at Disney are also impt! There are also some other shows like Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones depending on what you all are into. The Little Mermaid and Muppets are also fun, with little wait most of the day, so you can do them anytime. And of course lots of Star Wars if anyone is into that. Its also the only place to meet Olaf if your daughter is interested. Fantasmic is a great night show - can be a little scary for some younger kids, so you could preview on You Tube if interested.

Arriving for rope drop is a great way to get a lot done before the crowds, then can use FP. At Epcot if you arrive early, you can do Soarin and/or TT since you have FP for Frozen. Take time to see dolphins, fish, and manatees in the Seas buildiing. There is a nice boat ride in Mexico pavilion which is a good break if it is hot. There is also a place called Club Cool before you head over the bridge to World Showcase where you can try samples of sodas from around the world(one is pretty disgusting - I will let you be surprised!)

Lion King show at AK is awesome, so try to see it if you have a chance - shown several times throughout the day. The trails are nice to walk and see the different animals.

With Memory Maker, remember to ask for magic shots - they do them at many of the main icons in the parks, and will have you do different poses that will have extra things in them later when you look. Some will do it automatically, some you have to ask. Also when you get home you can edit and add fun borders and stickers, like first trip, etc. - you can download as many times as you want, so you could download all first, then go back and make edits before you download again. You will have 45 days from first pic taken before they expire.

The biggest thing is to take your time, enjoy the magic, and know you won't do everything this trip. When you get hot or cranky, stop and get a Mickey bar or Dole Whip and sit on a bench, or go back and take a pool break. Stop and see parade or performers. Enjoy making memories, and if you are like most of us here, begin planning what you want to do on your next trip before you even get home!

Thank you so much! I appreciate all of your suggestions, especially the information about the rope drops. We'll make it a point to get to the parks as early as we can. And I'm sure I'll already be planning for the next time on our road trip home!

 

[shortster]

I don't have much advice, because I have a trip coming up in May that will be my first trip in almost 15 years. So it feels like the first time for me!

I'm an uber-planner too, and this plan looks great to me. Looking forward to hearing about your trip, and I hope you have a wonderful time!