Disney Newbs...Completely clueless!

[Jennytoon]

The two best pieces of advice I received before my first trip with kids:

1) Respect your kids' limits. It doesn't matter how much you paid for the tickets, the money will be wasted if you don't enjoy your trip. It doesn't matter how many things you didn't get to do -- what matters is that you really enjoyed the things you did do. It's easy to have a fantastic time at WDW, as long as you do what works for *you*.

2) Remember to feed your small kids constantly, with more frequent snacks than you do at home. There is tons of walking, and excitement, and heat, and schedule disruption. They will need extra food to keep going.

 

[itchin2go]

For what it's worth ....

On our first trip, we intended to do all 4 parks in 5 days. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge. I knew we wanted to do breakfast at Cinderella's castle. We booked VERY few other dining reservations. I simply did not know what to book.

On our first day, we went to Epcot. I read a guidebook that said NOT to do Magic Kingdom first. The rationale is that once your kids see MK, the other parks just won't be as sparkly. For us, it was good advice. My daughter (then 5 or 6 years old) adored Epcot.

The next day, we were supposed to go to Magic Kingdom. Well, we enjoyed Epcot so much, we decided to go back there instead.

We had a resort/other activities day in the middle, and then we finished up with a couple of days at Magic Kingdom.

Even though we cut out the other two parks, we still didn't scratch the surface of what Epcot and Magic Kingdom had to offer. Years later, we STILL haven't done everything!

The point is - there is no right or wrong way to do things. Do what works for you and what feels right.

Regarding dining, while we were at WDW, we called each day to see what was available for same night dining. We ate at some cool places. We had a ball. I NOW love planning my dining in advance, but don't stress out if you don't know what to do.

I LOVED our first trip SO much. There was so much I didn't know, but it didn't matter. Have fun planning!

P.S. We rented a Disney stroller on all trips when our daughter was small. It was the right thing to do for us. When she wanted to rest, she could ... and we could keep going if we wanted to. Plus, it's a nice place to stow purchases.

 

[Mouse of Mystery]

Great advice from everyone!

The very best things you can do right now are these: Read. And then be aware of your upcoming 180 day meal reservation window and your 60 day Fast Pass reservation window.

You've got good reading recommendations. There's lots to know, but focus mainly on understanding what your family's needs are: the kind of characters and rides they might like, the sort of food they might enjoy, and the kind of day that works best for you. WDW is a huge place and it's very easy to get overwhelmed, so it's good to know what you like before you begin thinking about your plan.

A brief synopsis of the parks:
Magic Kingdom: Classic Disney / characters
Animal Kingdom: Animals, action rides, animals, shows, and more animals
EPCOT: Technology, food, culture
Hollywood Studios: Movies, action rides, PIXAR / Muppets / some Disney characters

As people have said, you won't be able to do it all, so don't be tempted. Given the time you have, you should probably focus on two parks maximum. Don't overplan, but don't avoid making any sort of plan (whether or not you stick to it is entirely up to you). Map out the highlights (must-do meals and can't-miss characters/rides/shows) so that you are able to make good Fast Pass choices. This is important because it can make a world of difference between standing around in line a lot or breezing through to the rides.

Finally, schedule lots of free time to explore the parks at your own pace, enjoy your resort pool, and all-important down time for the little ones. Kids that aren't happy because they are tired tend to make mom and dad not happy as well!

 

[SweetPeas9825]

I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for all of this awesome advice! Seriously you are all so helpful already! I'm going to fully admit that I was not really excited at the idea of Disney. I was almost dreading it. I was completely happy with our annual cruise vacations but after reading this? I'm excited!! Mostly to see my kids faces & excitement but it also even sounds fun for DH & I!

Thanks to each one of you!

And to answer the question, no I didn't purchase a dining plan. I was told there may possibly be a free dining promotiom for that time? I'll wait & see I guess.

So I think we'll bring 2 single strollers. I will use the baby carrier if the two bigger ones want to sit. They're usually walking but I know they will be tired at times

 

[lroger01]

My 2 cents is for you to skip the Halloween Party this time around - but go to the Magic Kingdom on a party day!

The park closes at 7pm to those that don't have a ticket. Because of the early closing the park will be much, much less crowded from opening until 4pm. With your kids ages, that is plenty of time to enjoy the park and then enjoy the hotel pool that evening. You'll miss the night time parade and Wishes fireworks, but that will be new to you on the next trip.

If you decide to do two days at MK, then make the first day a party day. On your second (non-party) day, you can then focus on things that are normally less busy. This would also be a good day to sleep in a bit or go for a few hours in the morning, take a break at the hotel and swim, and then return for the evening entertainment.

Take some practice trips this summer!
Go to the zoo, flea markets, fairs, museums, and/or local amusement parks. Take note of what you wish you had brought with you, and what you could have left at home. Figure out what works when the kids get tired, when the grown ups get tired, and when some are bored and others not. Remember that a Disney day can be 8 to 10+ hours long - if you want to see enough to make the tickets worth it. Just using up your 3 fast passes will take nearly 3 hours. With that in mind try to stay at these places for a long time and figure out what pace and breaks are needed to keep everyone happy.

 

[whiporee]

My only advice is to jump on Cinderella's Royal Table if you want to do it, because it books fast and you really do need to be on the phone at midnight at 180 days. And Askerhous -- which I hate -- is a pretty good way to get almost all the princesses in one fell-swoop.

I'm also a big fan of the Tomorrowland Terrace Desert Party for Wishes. Others not so much, but my family considered it the best thing we did.

 

[itchin2go]

A brief synopsis of the parks:
Magic Kingdom: Classic Disney / characters
Animal Kingdom: Animals, action rides, animals, shows, and more animals
EPCOT: Technology, food, culture
Hollywood Studios: Movies, action rides, PIXAR / Muppets / some Disney characters

It is funny that you wrote this, and it just illustrates the differences in people/perceptions.

Magic Kingdom is the park I MOST associate with rides. By far, it has the most rides. It probably has 3 or 4 x the number of rides in the other parks. Many of them are kiddie rides, or "family" rides, not thrill rides (although there are some of those too). However, IMO, the park you will spend the most time "riding" in is the MK.

AK for us was a handful of rides, not many at all, lots of animals to view (think "zoo"), and some OK shows.

Epcot only has a handful of rides, as well, but some of them are wildly popular. There are also interactive exhibits (which CAN be more fun that it sounds ... and also less, depending on the exhibit). World Showcase in Epcot is about culture, dining and shopping (again IMO - others may see it differently). You will find the best and most varied food in Epcot.

Hollywood Studios - again, just a handful of rides (some wildly popular), and some stunt shows and princess shows. We don't find much to do here, especially with recent changes/closings.

 

[Mouse of Mystery]

It is funny that you wrote this, and it just illustrates the differences in people/perceptions.

Magic Kingdom is the park I MOST associate with rides.

Thanks for pointing that out because I now see it could be misunderstood. MK is packed with rides, but by saying "Classic Disney", I just meant classic Disney characters and classic Disney rides (dark rides, animatronic shows, light thrills).

In the other parks I pointed out "action rides" because they are generally targeted at those seeking just a little more "thrill" from their rides.

 

[Anonnymous]

I'm going to agree that Birnbaum's Guide to Walt Disney World is one of the best books you can buy as far as being a "Disney Newb" goes. I am a Disney cast member and I would love to help answer any questions you may have. As far as seeing all the parks in 4 days, it can't be done. I have been here for 5 years and I still have yet to see and do everything Disney has to offer (not that I have been exploring every day of the last 5 years).

 

[kmoore7]

WELCOME!There is nothing like your first trip to WDW. Relax, stay calm, and HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FAMILY