Best pre-trip planning tip I used ...

[alleghator]

If you can get a recent copy of each park map ahead of time, it can be a HUGE help. I used the Unofficial Guide touring plans (obviously ... go with whatever plan you like from whatever source). I used a Sharpie and numbered the order of attractions right on the map. If we were visiting a park twice during our stay (which happened with Epcot and the Magic Kingdom), I used numbers for the first day and letters for the second day. Then I laminated the maps.

When we pulled a map out of our pocket during the trip, we could easily see what we wanted to do next and how to get there. There was no shuffling of multiple papers. And ... the laminated map unfolded easily and stayed nice and intact and legible even on the wettest rides.

--Heidi

 

[Pigletandpooh]

that is a very good tip...thanks for the info!! we will try that next time we go (hopefully in october!)

niCole

 

[Xcited4Disney]

Thanks! Great tip. I also have the Unofficial Guide. How did you like the touring plans?

 

[alleghator]

We pushed too long and too hard on our first day (Animal Kingdom), and got cranky with each other. But on the other days, the plans worked well ... we got right on most of the rides and attractions with very little waiting. We took the afternoon break nearly every day and got a stroller upon our return to the park (the kids walked all morning).

I could go into detail if you want more info, but there's a quickie reply.

 

[my2boys1821]

Thanks! Great tip. I also have the Unofficial Guide. How did you like the touring plans?

I would also like to know the answer to this. This will be my families first trip and I have read cover to cover the UG. I am debating to use the tour plans because 1) It's our first trip and I don't want to run back and forth all over the place missing the small things like the decor, landscaping, shops, etc. 2) my kids are only 6 and 4 so many of the popular rides they won't want to go on anyway. But then again, I'm thinking if we do follow the tour plans suggested in the UG we will eliminate some wait time for rides which I know will be hard with my 4 year old. So what do you all suggest, to follow the plan for first timers or not?

 

[GEM]

It looks from your signature like your going in June? Is that right? If so, I would DEFINATELY use the plans! That is a very, very crowded time of year and you will find yourself waiting in lots of llines, otherwise. Timing is everything during the summer! Please don't think it's only the "big" rides that will have major lines that time of year! All of Fantasyland will have HUGE lines if you don't time it right. So will all the old classic rides like Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, etc. Please, for your own sanity, I'm begging you to use the plans. They really do work! You'll get to experience the rides your kids want to do in so much less time that you'll still have time after that to just wander around and "smell the roses" while everyone else is waiting in 100 degree heat in that 90 minute line for the Winnie The Pooh ride!

 

[alleghator]

And even though we've been to WDW before, it's been years. And, as this was our first trip with kids ... we were first-timers.

I used the MK 2-day plan, the Epcot 2-day plan, the MGM plan with small children and the AK plan.

AK was our first day and we waited too long to get a stroller. We didn't take an afternoon break, planning to just finish up and leave the park. We got there 1/2-hr before opening and stayed until 6pm. It was just too long a day for everyone to still be happy about it.

MGM the next day was better ... though we forgot to get FastPasses for the grown-up rides we wanted to add on to the end of the day (Tower of Terror and Rock-n-Roller Coaster). We waited 80 minutes for Tower of Terror and even doing the kid swap, we had to take the kids all the way through the (terrifying to them) entrance room to the elevator doors. I rode and my husband was so miffed at how the kid swap had been (mis)handled, that he didn't even use his FastPass to try it.

MK the next day (with an early CRT reservation) was wonderful. Very few waits of any sort, break in the afternoon. We stayed until the fireworks, but didn't watch them or the 1st parade, opting to hit Toontown when the crowds were low there (we "borrowed" this section from Day 2 of the plan).

Break Day was DTD and the Boardwalk.

Our first Epcot Day flowed VERY smoothly and we had so much reserve energy that we opted not to take the break, but instead got the kids into a stroller and started around the World Showcase. We stayed for IllumiNations and everyone was still fine.

2nd MK day started with an early Crystal Palace reservation. We followed the plan through Tomorrowland, took the break. We returned to a dinner reservation at Whipsering Canyon Cafe and took the boat to the MK. (this dinner sucked WAY more time than I'd anticipated, and if we hadn't hit ToonTown the prior day, we wouldn't have had time for everything else) We finished up AdventureLand and then saw the night parade and fireworks.

Our final day (also our travel day) was finishing up Epcot. We arrived right before opening (rather than 1/2-hr before) and still were fine. We finished up the day and had plenty of time to leave for our 7:20pm flight home.

We prepaid for strollers for the whole trip (and saved some money ... and turned in unused days for a refund at the end of the trip). We used them after lunch most days and this worked out great for our kids.

--Heidi

ps. more detail?

 

[christinadei]

Where do you get the UG and tourning plans?