first time trip

[fairydust1278]

hi im new to the boards and i am at this time planning our first trip to the world. i was wondering if anyone could give me some great advice as to how to get started. i am planning this trip for me, my two sons, who will be 4 and 10 at the time, my mom who is disabled and mt best friend. we are planning for may of 2009.

 

[srwarden1928]

Subscribe to the touring plans website. It has MANY effective touring plans. It also has recommended park days. Use that to decide which park to do which day. Then make ADRs. I would save the money and not bother with park hoppers. There is plenty to do in each park, especially if you have never been before and want to see everything, which I highly recommend.

Have a magical trip.

 

[noahdove]

Get both of Birmbaun's guide to Disney-he has one for you and one for kids They are great. Plus, use these boards for the awesome hints, tips and don't be afraid to ask ANY questions..no question is dumb and you will be surprised at the amount of answers you receive Take your time, read and reread...I keep sticky notes by the computer to write stuff and then when I get many, I write them in a binder..yes, it's great but well worth it...I have the different parks and then any idea hint that I like I put it with that park..if something I think we need to do, I put that there also...just have fun planning and your time will go fast..be sure to check out the different boards. The disign board is Awesome!!! great stuff that you can do to make the trip more magical...

 

[fairydust1278]

thank you so much for your reply. i have started a binder, lol. have many different sections all labeled accordingly. was looking into which guide to buy and have been told by many to buy the birnbaum ones as they are very helpful. im so excited to be planning this trip as i have always wanted to visit wdw. my family is super excited as well.

 

[Cruz91]

Yikes - sorry so long...

I think it's better to make the big decisions first, then get into the details. Obviously, the first thing to decide is 'when', and it sounds like you're gonna do May. So item 1 is a 'check'. The next two big decisions are:

2. Where ya' stayin' (on-site or off).
3. How ya' gettin' there (drive or fly).

There are plenty of threads all over the boards about both of these topics, but the best way I think to do it is decide what's important for you and see how each option addresses those important factors. For example...

Is it important to you to have the 'intagibles' of the disney experience, the cute little folded towels and the CM's who welcome you home every time you come back to the hotel? Are you willing to buy two hotel rooms at a value resort at ~$100 per night each? Or is it important to you to have lots of extra space to spread out and get a 3 Bedroom, 2 bath condo close to the park for under $100 per night, keeping in mind you'll have to pay for parking each day? These are the kinds of questions you need to consider when deciding where to stay.

As for driving or flying, before you assume you can't fly, sit down and figure out how much driving will cost. Depending on where you're coming from, you may spend $300 or more on gas alone, plus at least one hotel room on the way down and one on the way back (and for the number of people - probably 2 hotel rooms each way).

Also - these two questions may complement / contradict one another. For example, if you drive down, you wouldn't need to rent a car if you stay off-site, so it makes that option even more attractive. If you fly down, you may lean more towards staying on-site 'cause you don't have to get transportation.

For the record, we are HUGE fans of staying off-site and have now settled on 3BR condos at Windsor Hills. We drove the first time, and will never do that again as long as there's any way we can avoid it. We've found it costs us ~$300 more to fly than to drive because we do have to stop and gas is expensive. That money is worth our sanity. We scour mousesavers for rental car discounts, and typically get an SUV for around $300 for the whole trip. But again, that's what works for us!

happy planning!

 

[fairydust1278]

well we have decided to stay on site but are not sure if we want to go value or moderate resort. since there will be 5 of us i definately want to make sure we have plenty of space to spread out. we have decided to drive down. it's only a 16-18 hour drive so hopefully we wont have to stop for a hotel room there and back. we are also looking into renting an suv so there is plenty of room for us as well as the luggage and a wheelchair. i do have a question regarding making dining reservations. when making one do you already have to have your tickets/package paid for? i am interested in making a reservation for the kids to have a character breakfast or lunch. another question i have is in regards to the dining plan. is the dining plan worth it? i have heard many say it is and i have also heard it can be quite confusing. park hopper, no park hopper?

 

[Erin13178]

I'm very interested in seeing the responses you get because I just found this board today and we pretty much already have our first major WDW vacation planned. I'm anxious to know if we've choosen the right things or not, haha.

I've been to MK and Epcot many times, but never stayed on site, so I'm super excited!

 

[AngelBabyJana]

hi im new to the boards and i am at this time planning our first trip to the world. i was wondering if anyone could give me some great advice as to how to get started. i am planning this trip for me, my two sons, who will be 4 and 10 at the time, my mom who is disabled and mt best friend. we are planning for may of 2009.

Hello there! I just wanted to say welcome to the DISboards. We are also planning our very first Disney World trip for May of 2009. We are staying in 3 rooms at Pop Century since we are going with extended family. I can't wait! Everyone is so excited. I have learned so much from reading this board.

Here is a link to a thread here on the DISboard for other people that are planning their 2009 vacations as well. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1445078

The more that you read on here, the more ideas you will have for making your 1st vacation really special. Since it is our first time going, I want to do a gift basket (from Mickey of course) for the kids.

I have a binder started for all of the planning - it really helps out alot. I also started a Disney box (that I keep in my closet) for putting things Disney related that I buy throughout the year (such as little "surprises" for the kids).

We plan to do the deluxe dining, but mainly because we want to do alot of the "signature meals." I like the idea that our meals will be paid for before we go, and we won't all be looking at the prices on the menu when ordering. I don't believe that your package has to be paid for when making dining reservations (correct me if I am wrong). I know that they ask for your credit card when making the reservations, and charge you for the meal at that time ..... unless your on the dining plan, then they take your credit card # but only charge you a $10 fee per person if you are a "no show" ..... you can cancel up to 48 hrs in advance though.

Have fun planning your vacation, and welcome to the boards!

 

[ToddyLu]

Hello and good for you planning your first trip.. I would like to make one suggestion. You mentioned your Mother's disabilities and her need for a wheelchair. If you have not done so please think about getting a scooter delivered to the resort for her use during the trip. Both Value and Moderate rooms have enough room to charge it when not in use. The company will have it waiting in the lobby on your arival and then pick it up from there on your departure. The one we used broke one night and we had a new waiting on us in the morning without missing a beat.

There are several good companies providing this service in Orlando. Disney is HUGE, like several cities in a country unto itself. It would afford her greater independence and save your hands from blisters pushing. We used this service in 2004 for My Father in Law who had never been on a scooter in his life, but needed one for the trip after having both hips replaced at the same time. He loved it...we would have carried him on our backs down there but he wated to tootle off on his own a little bit and did not have to depend on anyone to be there to push.

Consider how many bus stops are at each resort. Port Orleans has several pick ups before they head to the parks, as well as Coronado Springs due to the size of these resorts. If you are going Value, Pop Century has dedicated buses to it where as All Stars buses sometimes stop at all three resorts. Moderate resorts have more space in the bathrooms also.

Have a great time planning and sorry this was so long

 

[ROEDISNEY]

hi im new to the boards and i am at this time planning our first trip to the world. i was wondering if anyone could give me some great advice as to how to get started. i am planning this trip for me, my two sons, who will be 4 and 10 at the time, my mom who is disabled and mt best friend. we are planning for may of 2009.

Honstly the best way you can learn and is to read these boards. Now naturally everybody has there own opinion as to who loves something and who hates something. Try everything once to form your on opinion. Even if you have a certain question there's no doubt that somebody will be more than happy to answer it for you includeing me.

 

[fairydust1278]

Hello and good for you planning your first trip.. I would like to make one suggestion. You mentioned your Mother's disabilities and her need for a wheelchair. If you have not done so please think about getting a scooter delivered to the resort for her use during the trip. Both Value and Moderate rooms have enough room to charge it when not in use. The company will have it waiting in the lobby on your arival and then pick it up from there on your departure. The one we used broke one night and we had a new waiting on us in the morning without missing a beat.

There are several good companies providing this service in Orlando. Disney is HUGE, like several cities in a country unto itself. It would afford her greater independence and save your hands from blisters pushing. We used this service in 2004 for My Father in Law who had never been on a scooter in his life, but needed one for the trip after having both hips replaced at the same time. He loved it...we would have carried him on our backs down there but he wated to tootle off on his own a little bit and did not have to depend on anyone to be there to push.

Consider how many bus stops are at each resort. Port Orleans has several pick ups before they head to the parks, as well as Coronado Springs due to the size of these resorts. If you are going Value, Pop Century has dedicated buses to it where as All Stars buses sometimes stop at all three resorts. Moderate resorts have more space in the bathrooms also.

Have a great time planning and sorry this was so long

well we have just learned that she is getting a scooter but the only problem is that it only goes 17 miles per battery. she only gets 2 batteries. it has to charge overnight when the batteries are dead so not sure if its a good idea or not to take it with us. looks like we may just stick with a wheelchair. i am looking into the moderate resorts due to having more space.

 

[ZoZo]

My favorite guidebook is the Unofficial Guide. It's filled with tons of great information. I'd buy that, read it through, highlight things that sound interesting, make note of questions you might have. A good guidebook can explain tons of things, like how to use the Fastpass system to your best advantage to save time waiting in line.

Then when you have a general idea of how a WDW vacation works (from your guidebook), you can ask more specific questions on these chat boards (which are a fabulous way to get information). I always find that I get better responses by asking questions that aren't too general (on a chat board) -- generally, the more specific, the better.

I find that I get my best information "trolling" this chat board and just reading the posts and discussions - you often don't need to post questions yourself, you can read the posts of other people to get good information. You can also use the "search" function if you have something specific (such as posts having to do with whatever resort hotel you decide to stay at).

A few tips off the top of my head:

1) If possible, stay on site. Saves time, you can use the WDW transportation system, you don't have to rent a car - the benefits go on and on.

2) I really like the flexibility of a park-hopper pass. You can visit more than one park per day with a park hopper, and if you're staying for a week or more, it only costs about $5 per day, per pass, to hop.

3) Make a few plans ahead of time (some "ADRs" or advance dining reservations, perhaps a WDW tour that needs to be booked ahead of time, etc.). We generally decide which park to go to on which day, then make our ADRs accordingly. But don't schedule too many sit-down meals - they eat up a lot of valuable time! We usually schedule about 4 or 5 sit-down meals per trip.

 

[midwestdee]

the dining plan is only a great deal if you have a sit down dinner each night - you have to make the ressies a long time in advance and often have to compromise on the time - between a 4 year and your mom - I think having that penciled in stone will just cause stress. while making a reservation for a special character meal is a great idea - doing the whole dining plan is just too much structure for you (in my opinion). you will have a great trip and you sure have come to the right place for the best advice. our second trip with the kids DD was 9 and DS was 4 - MGM was opening that week (not why we went then) - we decided it might be too much for DS to do MGM (wasn't sure what to expect - so we parked him at the Kinderkare that is on site for employees - it was the highlight of his trip and he kept asking when he could go back and play with the kids! So you never know what will be a hit with the little ones. Good luck!

 

[ToddyLu]

yeeeeaahhh! she is getting a scooter. I would take both and use both then. Half day in wheelchair and half day in scooter. Would love to hear how it goes, what you decide to do and how it worked...

 

[Jazcat]

my favorite book is the passporters. It has fold out maps and pockets to put stuff in, and you can register it online and get weekly emails. This book also has a page with items to pack, start buying items now so the cost won't take a huge bite out of your budget.

 

[SueM in MN]

well we have just learned that she is getting a scooter but the only problem is that it only goes 17 miles per battery. she only gets 2 batteries. it has to charge overnight when the batteries are dead so not sure if its a good idea or not to take it with us. looks like we may just stick with a wheelchair. i am looking into the moderate resorts due to having more space.

You may want to check on the batteries - generally when they talk about how many miles the scooter will go on one charge, they mean with both batteries installed. So the distance it would go would be 17 miles per charge, not 17 per battery.

Even with that, 17 miles should be enough power to get around a park for the day. She would need to plug it in for charging at night (or when you get back to the resort for the day). Some other things to keep in mind:

• if she is concerned about not having enough power, she can bring the charger in and plug it in when you are stopped for things like meals -ask a CM where to find an outlet.
• turn off the power while she is not moving
• things that use more power are going over rough surfaces, going up hills, going fast and the more weight the scooter is carrying, the more power it uses.
• you can't do much about rough surfaces and hills except for trying to not backtrack and go over the same area when on those kind of surfaces.
• even though it may seem convenient to load the scooter down with packages, etc so no one has to carry them, they do add to the load on the scooter and will affect the mileage.

I don't know how much space you have in your car/van for driving down, but a scooter does take quite a bit of room.
If you decide to rent one in Orlando, there are links to some off-site rental companies in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the disABILITIES Board. Since she has a wheelchair, you also have the option to bring the wheelchair with you to the parks and renting an ECV(scooter) at the parks. If they have one left to rent when you arrive, they will hold her wheelchair for you. If none are left, you would at least have her own wheelchair.
There is more info in the disABILITIES FAQs thread (you can get there with a link in my signature).

 

[fairydust1278]

You may want to check on the batteries - generally when they talk about how many miles the scooter will go on one charge, they mean with both batteries installed. So the distance it would go would be 17 miles per charge, not 17 per battery.

Even with that, 17 miles should be enough power to get around a park for the day. She would need to plug it in for charging at night (or when you get back to the resort for the day). Some other things to keep in mind:

• if she is concerned about not having enough power, she can bring the charger in and plug it in when you are stopped for things like meals -ask a CM where to find an outlet.
• turn off the power while she is not moving
• things that use more power are going over rough surfaces, going up hills, going fast and the more weight the scooter is carrying, the more power it uses.
• you can't do much about rough surfaces and hills except for trying to not backtrack and go over the same area when on those kind of surfaces.
• even though it may seem convenient to load the scooter down with packages, etc so no one has to carry them, they do add to the load on the scooter and will affect the mileage.

I don't know how much space you have in your car/van for driving down, but a scooter does take quite a bit of room.
If you decide to rent one in Orlando, there are links to some off-site rental companies in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the disABILITIES Board. Since she has a wheelchair, you also have the option to bring the wheelchair with you to the parks and renting an ECV(scooter) at the parks. If they have one left to rent when you arrive, they will hold her wheelchair for you. If none are left, you would at least have her own wheelchair.
There is more info in the disABILITIES FAQs thread (you can get there with a link in my signature).

well, she is still waiting for her scooter to arrive. she should have had it last thursday but it will now be monday. we have looked into a rental down in orlando and i got a good price so if hers will not make the daily visits then i will rent one down there. as for our first trip, we have decided that we want to stay on site. we have chosen to stay at all star music. since there will be 5 of us i will be booking a family suite. now i do have a question regarding the family suite. should my party drop to 4instead of 5, can i still keep the family suite so we will have more room or will they suggest downgrading to a standard room w/ 2 beds?

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi and welcome!!!

This is our first WDW trip in 19 years, and our first with the kids. I've been planning obsessively since last August.

I started this thread to share what I've learned with other newbies: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715551

As to some of your specific questions:
We chose to get park hoppers. That way we can book dinner where we want, regardless of what park we're at that day-- several of my dinners are at Epcot on MK days.

As to the meal plan: I decided to go for it. Two of my 3 kids are under 10; there's no way I could feed them for $10 per day otherwise. But more importantly, I really think that sit down meal each day is important for my family. We talk more in a restaurant than in a food court. Yes, it will take time away from touring; I can live with that.

Also, if you're not already a member, check into joining AAA. Their discount may effect which resort you choose.

 

[fairydust1278]

well i have decided to change our choise of hotel stay from music to movies. have decided to not take my best friend due to personal reasons so it will just be me, mom and the kids so it will be much cheaper to get the single room instead of the suite. she finally got her scooter 2 weeks ago and we took it out yesterday. we were out for at least 4 hrs and it was still at full charge so i know its gonna make the trip. woohoo! cant wait until next year!

 

[wano]

we are staying at ASMO some say the rooms are small but we will not be spending much time in the rooms . also doing the DDP don't think i'll save any money but I like paying for the meals in advance and we like to have a sit down to dinner as a family. when you find them you can request an e-mail from other posters for packing lists , sample spreadsheets , and other things you may find useful. if you can't find those posts , PM me and i'll send you what i have.