First Disney World Trip

[hookedonears]

Hi everyone,

I am a first timer here and would love some feedback. We (myself, wife, two sons aged 5 and 20months) are heading to Disney World from July 8-15 2015. We have been to disneyland twice in the past 3 years but this is out first DW trip. We are going to be staying at one of the Port Orleans resort (still waiting to find out which one as my boss is paying and planning the trip for us) and we will have 6 day park hopper passes which include the water parks. I would love tips and suggestions of how to structure the trip based on your experiences. We are not flying out until dinner time on our last day so we were thinking of upgrading our tickets to 7 day passes as its very little difference in price (not sure if you can do that once 6 days have already been purchased) and wondering if it would be too rushed to hit the park in the morning of the day we fly out. We fly out at 430pm.

Would love suggestions for good character dining, great shows, best rides, etc. (with children's ages in mind and the 5 year old is not very adventerous)

Thanks in advance

First of all, WDW is not a restful vacation. We need a vacation when we get home. As you already know, and as many people will say, you have to do everything early especially in July, because of the heat and crowds, arrive 30 minutes before each park opens. There's no sleeping at WDW. You can sleep when you get home. Definitely do the water parks, I'd suggest Typhoon Lagoon. I would suggest you plan your trip around your meals. I'd do a character meal - I'd suggest Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom. Depending upon your budget, I would suggest eating at Disney Signature restaurants at the Resorts for Dinner and counter service meals in the parks for lunch. I'd stay away from table service and signature meals in the parks, lots of atmosphere and entertainment for the kids, but the food is VERY hit and miss. Once you have your meals planned, I'd plan the parks and your FP's. That's pretty much it.

 

[gules]

First of all, WDW is not a restful vacation. We need a vacation when we get home. As you already know, and as many people will say, you have to do everything early especially in July, because of the heat and crowds, arrive 30 minutes before each park opens. There's no sleeping at WDW. You can sleep when you get home. Definitely do the water parks, I'd suggest Typhoon Lagoon. I would suggest you plan your trip around your meals. I'd do a character meal - I'd suggest Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom. Depending upon your budget, I would suggest eating at Disney Signature restaurants at the Resorts for Dinner and counter service meals in the parks for lunch. I'd stay away from table service and signature meals in the parks, lots of atmosphere and entertainment for the kids, but the food is VERY hit and miss. Once you have your meals planned, I'd plan the parks and your FP's. That's pretty much it.

This really depends on how you take Disney. As a first-timer with small children, though, I agree that it'll probably be pretty hectic and not particularly restful. What I WOULD do is go ahead and take breaks if you all need them (especially your wife!). There's not much worse than a cranky family member making everyone else miserable. Try to gauge your kids' moods (and yours) to make sure you're not too close to the breaking point. Remember that to return to the room you need to get to the front of the park and catch a bus! Lots of families with kids take midday breaks for rest and pool time, or nightowls skip mornings altogether and do evenings instead.

When you get to planning your meals, post in the Dining forums with some info like preferred foods, if you're adventurous eaters, budgets, fave characters, allergies, etc. Port Orleans has some of the better food IMO for the quick service (not the best, but it's pretty good). I think there's a FP+ FAQ around here somewhere. Some people find it difficult or tedious, but without having to vie for Anna and Elsa it should be much easier for you.

And hats are good, but a lot of heat can be released from your head. Consider breathable hats or ones with mesh if you go that route. It's why I recommend a parasol or visor with sunblock (ears, neck, face, and hair part!) instead. I had a much better time with a visor than I did a full hat, but on the other hand I have a lot of thick hair that helps protect my scalp.