First Time Disney Advice

[David 1980]

Welcome to the boards. WE are going in June and it will be the third year in a row. I cannot describe the joy you will feel the first time they enter the magic kingdom and you see the look on their little faces. I just want to say relax have a great time and enjoy the magic only Disney can bring

 

[GoofyTraci]

to the Dis! I want to first say as I think someone have already said. Take your time and have fun. Dont go with the thought that you have to do and see everything. It will make an exhausting trip. Ask the people in your trip for a couple must do's and do those and get to the others if possible.

I have gotten the photopass on my trips due to the fact that I travel alone with my son and it is my only way to get both of us in the pictures. But I also bring my own camera.

Have fun and live it up. My son and I remember these trips like we did it yesterday.

 

[defendthehill]

It is, somehow, hard to believe that by going to Disney for a week that it will be difficult to see everything. I have come to that realization. Also, many of the thrill rides will be too much for my kids so I may have to skip most of that. Another factor for me is my 3 year old will be lucky to be 40" by the time we go. She is little...even for her age!

Another question for you expereinced Disney travelers......when I go from a park back to my hotel (Beach Club) for our mid day siesta and romp in the pool.....how tedious is it to catch the bus to get back and forth?

My kids are early risers and early to bed.....will I have a better Disney expereince this way or if I break my kids normal routine and stay up late and sleep late?

 

[lovetoscrap]

Hi and ! You are gettting some great advice here for your trip but also keep in mind that we have specific boards dedicated to some of the topics that you have asked and you will probably get faster and sometimes more experienced advice if you start threads on those boards for your questions about Transportation, Strollers (Family Board), Resorts (Resort Board), Meals (Dining Board) etc...

And make sure you do some reading on these different boards. Often you find tips and tricks you might otherwise never know about, or come up with questions you didn't even know to ask!

It sounds like you are well on your way to planning a great trip!

Oh, and I prefer the Unofficial Guide by Bob Sehlenger (no idea if I spelled that right!) You can find it at most libraries if you want to check it out before you buy. It is my Disney bible!

 

[Freddy Bear]

It is, somehow, hard to believe that by going to Disney for a week that it will be difficult to see everything. I have come to that realization. Also, many of the thrill rides will be too much for my kids so I may have to skip most of that. Another factor for me is my 3 year old will be lucky to be 40" by the time we go. She is little...even for her age!

Another question for you expereinced Disney travelers......when I go from a park back to my hotel (Beach Club) for our mid day siesta and romp in the pool.....how tedious is it to catch the bus to get back and forth?

My kids are early risers and early to bed.....will I have a better Disney expereince this way or if I break my kids normal routine and stay up late and sleep late?

I am new to Disboards, but I have been a Walt Disney World freak for a long time. Our rules: (1) listen to everyone's advice but do what is best for us and (2) reevaluate and alter the schedule during the vacation. If your instincts say A, do A even if everyone else is saying B. Everyone says take your children back for a nap. We stay in the parks unless the children's behavior indicates a nap is necessary. If your children can adjust their sleeping schedule so that they get up early, nap in the afternoon, get to bed late and then get up early again--great. Unfortunately, getting to bed late usually means getting up late. Also, napping takes a lot of travel time unless you are in Epcot (and maybe Disney's Hollywood Studios) and can walk or boat to the Beach Club. Plan on a ten minute walk from the park to the bus line. Plan on waiting in line for a bus about fifteen minutes. Plan on a twenty minute ride to the resort and a five-minute walk to your room. After getting the children wound down, taking a one-hour nap and getting back to the park, you have taken three and one-half hours. If you swim, that takes even more time. I suggest keeping your children's sleep routine the same (with some expected vacation variations) and staying in the park if workable. When you get back home, they will be on the same routine. However, be flexible as stated. You know your children better than everyone else. If their behavior says they need a nap, trash my previous advice and get them a nap.

Final rule: have fun. You are going for your first time, and you are creating a plan. You are light years ahead of the rest of the crowd. Do not get so immersed in your planning that you forget to have fun.

 

[defendthehill]

Excellent advice. Thank You!

 

[VAN]

Because you are at the Beach Club, you might want to try MK or AK until break time and then go to Epcot or the Studios later. Epcot and the Studios are reachable by boat and/or walking, so you are a little closer to "home."

I'm not saying do this every day, but it might be something to keep in mind during your visit and may help to keep things a little less stress free if you are going out later in the afternoon for just a couple of hours.

Make sure you have the park hopper feature and this should work for you.

 

[BoogasMom]

Welcome! I am new to these boards myself!

My DH and I took our two sons, ages 8 and 5, to DW in December 08 and it was the first time for all four of us. I'd like to share two tips that we found very useful.

First, with the fastpasses. They will have a time period printed on them when you obtain them. For example, return between 1:00 and 2:00. We found out that as long as you go AFTER the first time listed on the pass, they will let you enter the fastpass line. You don't have to necessarily return to the ride BEFORE the end time listed. Does that make sense?

Also, when you ride the monorail, you can request to ride up front with the driver. It seats up to 2 adults and 2 children at a time. Each person who rides in the front car gets their own Honorary Monorail Driver pass which makes for a great keepsake!

I know that I can think of a few more and when I do, I'll be sure to post them.

HAVE A GREAT VACATION!!!!

 

[shewchukj9r]

Thanks for some of the advice it was helpful for me too.