Any tips for a first timer?

[aj2hall]

We're planning our trip for Dec 1 - 11 and will be staying at Shades of Green. My dh and I are taking our 2 older boys (6 & 8) and are looking forward to MVMCP on Dec 4. We'll also be celebrating dh's birthday with dinner at Narcosses for the 2 of us (hiring a baby sitter from Fairy godmothers). We have reservations for Chef Mickey's and Crystal palace. We're hoping to go ona sleigh ride, go to the campfire and have our pictures taken at GF. Any suggestions or tips?

 

[hthrbells]

Try to take it all in, its like your wedding day its over in a blink.

 

[DiscoverWDW]

I remember taking my wife the first time to Disneyworld. Go to the Magic Kingdom and ride the ferry over. There is nothing like watching the castle come into view and walking down Main Street for the first time. We also focused on riding the attractions that had little to no line while we wait for our fast pass times. This is your first trip to Disney so everything is new and ready to be explored. My friends who don't like Disney always complain they waited in line forever, but they missed out on the less popular attractions.

Lastly, if you are an itinerary type of person, don't lock your vacation time into a strict schedule. Remember that you are on vacation and your boss doesn't know when you are taking too many breaks.

 

[diznee25]

My tip: Don't over-plan your days!

When I was a newbie to WDW, I started slow. I'd schedule a park and one advance dinning reservation per day. (Example: Visit Magic Kingdom, and have dinner at the Polynesian resort. And schedule a night activity.) That's a pretty simple day. (Truefully, that's how I still schedule my trips and I've been to WDW 4 times now. There are always exceptions though. I have a breakfast and dinner reservation scheduled in the same day. But I've allowed for travel time, and it fits perfectly with my itinarary, so I'm good to go!)

I know many people who are new to Disney World who don't take into account transporting time around the "World." So they'll schedule 2 to 3 meal reservations, (that are nowhere close to where they will actually be that day; park hop between two parks, and all these other activities in one day!
That just leaves everyone in the party frustrated, and makes for a stressful vacation.

Here's a website that will caculate travel times between places within Disney World:

http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/twiz.aspx



diznee25

 

[Experiment #626]

Be familiar with the parks prior to going to make sure you hit your main interests in each park (ie rides, shows, food,etc). This will help keep you semi-focused when you become overwhelmed in the magic and not know what to do next.

In addition, take lots of pictures to relive the trip for months to come.

 

[LaDolce]

I agree - be familiar with the parks before you go. Pick up a few guidebooks - the Birnbaum's kids' one is a great way to get the kids involved. Read some of the threads on touring; they'll help, too. The time you spend beforehand will help you better enjoy your time there. Make sure you have comfy shoes - nothing ruins a trip faster - and plenty of film. And definitely use it to capture that moment when the boys see the MK for the first time. It really IS a magical moment.

 

[xraydave]

Just being on the Disboards is a good start. Know your parks and have some idea about what you want to "accomplish" at each. Make a list of must-do's and anything after that will be extra for you.



My biggest advice:
Go early, enjoy the mornings then take a break. Go back to the park of your choice knowing that the lines to the most popular attractions (which you should have enjoyed earlier in the day) will be long. Take in the rest of the Disney magic at this time.

Have fun!

 

[burberryplaid]

My first trip was a month ago, and I agree with PP...a break is a good idea! It was just DH and I, and we needed that daily break to get by.

With 2 kids, my advice is to be prepared. Find a good packing list and bring anything you might need such as Immodium, Pepto tabs, trylenol, antibacterial gel, etc. They sell travel sizes of many of these things, so you don't have to buy a full size. It's best to have those things with you, just in case, than having to scramble to find it in the parks and having to pay an arm and a leg for it.

Other than that...have fun!!

 

[Donald is #1]

Have an awesome trip! Now, I am not a commando style WDW fan. So here are my suggestions:

1) Use FP whenever you can (I usually use it for waits over 25 min)
2) When you get to a section of a park, get your FP first and then do that other attractions in the area while you are waiting for the FP.
3) Have each person pick their top attraction for the day. Do those first, filing in other things as you go. I found that this method ensures that everyone sees the top thing that they want to see.
4) Remember that you will not see/do everything!
5) Take advantage of the Photopass Photographers
6) Have fun!