Fill me in...

[goodtobeQueen]

Going to Disney for the first time in 4 weeks.... .....Please fill free to share any secrets you may have. We are SUPER excited and I want this to be a great vacation for all of us. Anything I need to know...from the experts?

 

[Tat2ddisneymom]

Best advice I can give is make sure to have your ADRs. Other than that--read these boards non-stop until you have to start packing!

Where are you staying? Maybe we can give better advice if we know...

 

[KatMark]

Are you traveling alone? With significant other? Kids? Staying on the property?

 

[goodtobeQueen]

It will be me, my husband, 11 yr old son and 7 yr old daughter. We are flying there from Arkansas and we'll be staying at Pop Century. We are doing the dining plan and we have a character meal each day. We are also doing the Fantasmic show along with the Halloween party on that Friday night.

I'm so excited and reading all this gives my butterflies! ha!

 

[KatMark]

Be sure to take advantage of the Extra Morning Hours and/or Extra Evening Hours. It is amazing how many rides you can get on during these times. Take lots and lots of pictures on your own and be sure to use the PhotoPass at the Parks. Make sure you watch your children's faces...especially eyes...when you first walk into the park. It is a memory that will stay with you for a lifetime. And if the 11 year old says he is too big to have his picture taken with a character, convince him he is not. These are what memories are made of. I still remember the first time we took our oldest son who is now 21; he was 2 at the time and we were shopping at the Centorium (something like that at Epcot) and I turned around and he was gone. Of course, I panicked, my mom and dad went white as ghosts and my husband was in shock. We ran out the door and found him sitting with Mickey Mouse on a bench outside of the store. I asked him why he was outside and he said, "Mom, it's Mickey...I had to go with him...I know him." We have pictures and video of him sitting on the bench and then Minnie joining them...and they wouldn't let any other kids come over until they were done with my son.

 

[goodtobeQueen]

Awww, what a great story...it made me tear up! I can't wait to capture those moments. I told my husband I'm not even going to waste my time putting on mascara every morning because it'll be gone the first 5 minutes we're in the park. I can't wait to see my Haley's face the first time she sees Cinderella...oh my goodness...I get emotional just thinking about it. My son is excited too. He has always been a big Tigger fan and he can't wait to get his picture made with him. I told him that he needed to enjoy every second of this and not to think he was too old for any of it. I think it'll help that my husband and I will be acting like kids...ha! It's our first time at Disney so we're just as excited as the kiddos are!

I am a picture freak!!! I will definitely take TONS of pictures but can you tell me alittle more about the phone pass. I've heard of it but don't really know anything about it.

 

[Tat2ddisneymom]

Did you get your free maps mailed to you? And your vacation planning video? 11 and 7 are wonderful ages, the kids will love it!! Do you have your itineraries planned out yet? Disneyworld.com has a great section that you can select your favorites and plan out where you will be and when. Definitely do fastpasses whenever you can!! If your kids are daredevils like mine, they'll love rides like Expedition Everest, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tower of Terror, Dinosaur, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Soarin, Test Track, and Mission Space. I would do Disney Quest with them, too. My kids are 14, 9, and 7 and they love it. They can design their own roller coasters and then ride them in a simulator. Of course, Mom has to get on with each kid separately. Downtown Disney is a must - as is Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. If you're ok with leaving them with someone else, take them to one of the kids clubs or have one of the babysitters come to your hotel room so you and your husband can go to Pleasure Island. Definitely don't skip the pools at POP, either. You'll have so much fun!! Any specific questions you have, don't hesitate to PM me and I'll do my best to answer! Happy planning!!!

 

[Tat2ddisneymom]

I'll be there in 4 weeks, too! Did you get the free dining?

 

[goodtobeQueen]

HA...I sent you a pm saying that at the same time! Funny!

Yes, we got the dining plan. I was worried about taking the kids out of school for a week but it just seemed like the best time for us to go. I realllllllly wanted to go over Christmas but I got talked out of it after hearing that it was the worst time to go because of the crowds. Being our first time I didn't want to fight the crowds...not that bad anyway!

 

[Tat2ddisneymom]

They'll probably just miss reviews of stuff they learned last year anyway. I'm not real worried about that, being the beginning of the school year and all.

 

[peanutt0512]

subscribe

 

[warpdarkmatter]

my best advice is to get to the parks 1/2 hour before they open. ride as much as you can until the parks get busy then take your time to see the sites while every one else waits in the lines

 

[KatMark]

Awww, what a great story...it made me tear up! I can't wait to capture those moments. I told my husband I'm not even going to waste my time putting on mascara every morning because it'll be gone the first 5 minutes we're in the park. I can't wait to see my Haley's face the first time she sees Cinderella...oh my goodness...I get emotional just thinking about it. My son is excited too. He has always been a big Tigger fan and he can't wait to get his picture made with him. I told him that he needed to enjoy every second of this and not to think he was too old for any of it. I think it'll help that my husband and I will be acting like kids...ha! It's our first time at Disney so we're just as excited as the kiddos are!

I am a picture freak!!! I will definitely take TONS of pictures but can you tell me alittle more about the phone pass. I've heard of it but don't really know anything about it.

When you first walk into any park, there will be a "Disney photographer". They will ask if you want your picture taken (or ask them) with their camera. Once they take the first picture, they will give you a little card (which is the size of a credit card). Everytime you see one of those photographers (located at front of parks, at character photos, etc., give them your card). You can look at the photos while at the park (I think it takes a couple of hours before they are uploaded) or you can look at them online when you get home and order whichever ones you like (my husband and I loved the picture of us at Epcot and we had Disney make up Christmas cards). I believe you have 30 days after your trip to look and order off the website. This is great so that "ALL" of your family members are in the pictures.

 

[goodtobeQueen]

Oh COOL! I told my husband that a pic of the kids would be a cool Christmas card because I didn't think we'd have any of us all together.

(I'm going to spend SOOOOO much money on pictures...ha, it's all about makin' memories, right?!!!!)

 

[jamieandben]

Make sure to get the first time buttons.
at the guest serv. desk at the resort.
All the case members will give a big welcome...

 

[Disney Crazy Debbie]

The only suggestion I would make would be to NOT do the PM EMH at the MK on week-ends, it is terribly crowded.

 

[siskaren]

Bring gallon-size ziploc bags to store ponchos in after they've gotten wet so that you don't have to get anything else wet.

 

[mel&me]

my best advice is to get to the parks 1/2 hour before they open. ride as much as you can until the parks get busy then take your time to see the sites while every one else waits in the lines

That is a good idea, and works well if you are there in the busy season.

 

[Tinkerbell424]

Welcome to the boards!

My best advice is to take it all in and just remember to relax and to have fun!


Don't worry about cramming every ride or show into your trip.
Then their is an excuse to go again.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Yep. First time buttons are great as is photo pass.

A bit more on the theoretical, I would say the following things.

As odd as it sounds, pack your imagination. What I mean by that, it is all too often easy to experience Disney THROUGH your kids. That is a great part, but I think the true magic of the parks is when everyone experiences it together sort of. Remember being a kid and being in your backyard with that cardboard box or a snow fort, and you had an entire new world in front of you that existed in your head? What Disney does best is creating the ultimate set of cardboard boxes for you. ha ha. As you wander around, challenge yourself and everyone to try and come up with the stories that go with the surroundings. While some attractions make it blatantly (painfully?) obvious, much of the magic comes from the little nooks and crannies around that are left for you to fill in the blanks. The best part of that: you and your family will be able to do that forever. Although we sometimes try to abandon it, your imagination is lurking in there, and Disney is perhaps the ultimate place ot use it, especially as an adult. I guess I would say encourage that part of you, and allow yourself to be lost in your own fantasy/version of your surroundings. That makes it you (and your family's) personal Disney World.

Have a magical trip!