Be gentle it's my first time!

[Sillysongs1]

Hello, I must admit that I am a bit overwhelmed at all of this!!! I have not been to Disney in 15 years and my children have NEVER been! They are 9, 7 and 4. The oldest are boys, the youngest a little girl. I have embarked on the project of making autograph books to take with us and I am concerned about my oldest wanting autographs from the characters or will he think that he is too big? Is it true when you go to Disney, everyone turns into a "Kid"? I don't want to leave him out but I want him to experience everything that the little ones are. O.K., now for the brave part of this conversation. Would anyone with Disney experience please BOMBARD me "Gently" with anything and everything that are Must-see, Must-have's, and Must-not Miss! We have the dining plan and all of our sit-down dinners have been reserved (90 days in advance thanx to my good friend CJhinch!!!) Again, we are leaving in 20 days and I feel a tad bit unprepared other than what my good friend has strategically planned for me!! HELP!!

 

[Step]

Well, I'm going my first time On Sept. 30th, but I can relate what other's have told me.

I assume that 20 days means your first evening is the 15th?

Things not to miss:

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)
http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/halloween.htm#hm-holiday
It's going on sept. 15th and 22nd.


Cirque Du Soliel
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cirque/cirque.htm

Shopping in Downtown Disney is supposdly a must for some.

I have heard you must have the Zebra Dome at Animal Kingdom lodge's Boma buffet, or Jiko's

Also according to some you must have afternoon naps, lol. They say to leave the parks before it gets hot and relax in your room or at the pool, then head back out for dinner.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[rkujay]

I think a little planning is in order. Your public library has any number of books on Disney. They mostly have the "best" time of day to not stand in too great a line for your favorites. Plan, but don't be too militant with your young children. I have found that young children gravitate toward swimming pools, if they don't live here and have one in their back yard.
It is also prudent to realize that no matter what, you cannot do all and see all in one trip. I have met people who believe Disney is a one off. But most of us can't return soon enough. Do rest your family so that you can see the fireworks and other finale at the park closings. Please do not waste your precious time squatting a good place to view. There are very few bad places to view, even by your small fry.
Be sure to hydrate yourself and kids. It gets warm here.
Enjoy!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

As far as getting autographs goes, you know your son best. There will be plenty of adults getting autographs and photos with the characters so he certainly won't be the oldest person doing it! What does he think about it? I've found that some kids are really "into" the characters and others just aren't - it's not just about age but about different kids.

One thing you might consider is the Family Magic Tour. It's a fun family event where you are led by a tour guide as you search for the solutions to clues around the Magic Kingdom, ending up by meeting with a character and then heading to a ride. It really gets kids of all ages involved in the magic, I think.

I think your "must-dos" will depend a bit on your children's personalities and interests. Do they love roller coasters and thrill rides? Do they prefer less-intense rides? Do they like shows and music? Are they fans of a particular Disney movie or character? Do they love animals? Do they love to swim? Knowing the answers to those questions will help you come up with a good plan.

Teresa

 

[Sillysongs1]

thanks for the reply. We are flying out on the 16th and coming home on the 23rd. We already have tickets for Mickey's not so scary Halloween and have the kid's costumes ready to pack! Thanks again & have a great time on your trip!!

 

[PrincessAlways]

It sounds like you're stressing -- try not to! It's better to be excited about your upcoming family vacation! You didn't say how long you'll be there, so that has a lot to do with planning. At MK, Mickey's Philharmagic is a must for all ages. It's the best 3D show. At MGM, don't miss Fantasmic. At Epcot, Talktime with Crush. Animal Kingdom, Lion King Show. I'm trying to think of one thing at each park that the kids will really like. However, it's Disney -- they'll like almost everything! Have a great trip.

 

[DizneyNutz]

These are two popular sources of information. The Unofficial Guide to WDW is a book found in most larger book stores. We have let each family member list the things they wanted to do in each park. Then made comparisons and listed from most popular to least popular, because there is no way you can see it all in a single trip. Tour Guide Mike http://www.tourguidemike.com/ is a website that cost about as much to join as buying the book, but would be instant rather than going shopping. Hope this helps

 

[sunny_]

Take advantage of fast passes for the popular rides/attractions.

The Fantasmic show is awesome at MGM.

Get some information ahead of time and decide which rides and attractions are for sure not to be missed by your family. There is sooo much to see (as you probably well remember) that sometimes you have to pick and choose what you do!

Have a wonderful trip!!!!

 

[Brooknwdw]

Hi & to the Dis!

When planning my first trip, I got the Unofficial Guide book..it is really valuable when you've never been. You only have 20 days though so I don't know how much of it you could read.

These boards can offer you a wealth of info! If you have a particular question..do a search. Almost always, you will find threads where it has been discussed.

I think must-do's are totally personal. According to your family, your kids ages, etc. For example, Someone earlier said that hoop de doo is a must do...I think for a first timer, there is plenty to do w/o that & other extras.

I think hitting all the major attractions in each park is a must do. Use fast pass when needed. Getting ADR's for sit down resturants which you've done, getting an early start, and taking breaks out of the heat are must do's.

It is great to have two days for Magic Kingdom, and two days for Epcot on a first trip. For example, on MK day #1 you can rush down main street at opening, & ride all the major rides before park filling up...then on your 2nd MK day, you can stroll down main street looking in all the shops & soaking up the atmosphere.


Most importantly, HAVE FUN & realize you can't do it all. Focus on enjoying the time & not rushing through every minute.

 

[Brooknwdw]

Forgot to mention that for most families, parades & fireworks are a major highlight along with the major attractions. Wishes, fantasmic, Illuminations, etc! Find out the times on the calender on the Disney World website & plan for some of those.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Hope you have a magical trip

1. I would get a book on disney

2. learn whatever you can about fastpasses. (big time saver)

3. find out when extra magic hours.. if you are not planning on using the extra magic hours then I would avoid that park.

 

[cillakat]

my favorite book of WDW info by far, hands down, nothing comes close is _The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World_, commonly referred to here as UG or UGWDW. There are mixed reviews but i love it unabashedly. I have horrible ADD and it's very hard for me to look at a list of options, in a loud busy place and decide what to do. One of my kids also is ADHD and has some major sensory issues (loud places, people in her space etc). One of the best ways to keep us all even keeled was to have a plan before we left. An organized, we-know-what-we-want-and-where-we're-going-next kind of plan. It wasn't militant, we weren't obsessive about it.......but b/c we had a plan we were able to avoid the lines and the craziness that comes with disney at christmas (yes, both times we went were between xmas and ny). We had a pretty good idea of what our kids would want and woudln't like. We knew where we'd want to eat, and not......

We didn't have to stick with it but for the most part we did.

The only thing we didn't do was the afternoon nap. my kids were going to bed early at that time so i just kept them on tht schedule. now that they're 5 and 7, i'd head back for the nap or 'rest' or whatever, then keep them up if they were up for it.

i loved being at the park early early, following the touring plans, knowing out of 2-3 options where we'd want to eat......we were done early then would hang with our cousins who had no plan and spent the whole vacation on a curb saying 'okay what do you want to do. nope that line is to long, what do you want to do....okay, ooops, daddy has all the passes so we can't get fast passes yet'. on many days, she and her kids would have 5 attractions in in 5 hours. we'd be *done* with everything we'd set out to do.

k

 

[Mousema]

Planning, fast passes and afternoon breaks. Also, remember September is really hot and humid in Florida, so lots of hydration and air conditioning.

My DS enjoyed the autographs until he was about 12.

 

[Sillysongs1]

Great to hear from so many people with suggestions! I am trying not to get over stressed but yet I want us to do as much as possible and most of all enjoy. We will be staying at Animal Kingdom (I hear it's wonderful) and we want to take advantage of everything that we can in the 8 days that we will be there. I have heard from many people that afternoon naps are just about mandatory, does that mean that I have to pack Benadryl or will the kids just fall over ?? Thanks for all of the info! Twenty days & counting ! Thanks

 

[Maxie86]

The nap isn't just for the kids, you will need it too. Sleeping would be great, but any quiet activity will do. You really just need a break from the parks or you will be by the end of the week. Be at the parks early, before opening, and you will get a lot done before the park gets too crowded. Have everyone in the family pick a must do in each park. Go to touringplans.com and fill out the trip planner. It is free and they will save your plans and you can print it right before you go. Have a great vacation.

 

[Disneytwinz]

Welcome!
Check out the maps and ask each family member choose a few rides that are on their 'can't miss ride' list and try to get to each one. Take your time and enjoy yourself because you can't possibly see it all.
I wouldn't worry too much about the autographs, as lots of adults will be in line to get them too! I would take the book just in case.

 

[Cars2006]

hope you have a great time planning your trip

 

[justplaingoofy]

Be gentle with me, its my first time.....

might have said that once or twice

Fellow dis'ers are giving you some great advice! Just go have fun! Don't stress, that you can't get everything done because you will probably be so addicted you'll be booking your next trip when you get home

 

[sherreis]

This is my first time back since our honeymoon in 1989 and it is the first time we are taking our boys - 6 and 11.

I just keep telling myself that we can't do everything on this trip and that some things will just wait for our next trip like Hoop De Doo. (hopefully, there wil be a trip before the boys are too old).

I'm planning on rest breaks for most days to make the evening times more enjoyable for everyone cause when my kids get cranky, I get cranky. I remember when we went when I was a teenager, we took breaks in the middle of the day and it worked out well.

I joined Tour Guide Mike for help and I have learned a lot over there as well.

Have fun!

 

[Minniespal]

Welcome to the Dis