First Timer...at 29!

[Z'sMom]

I am 29 and have NEVER been to Disney World...the time has come! My little guy "Z" was amazing the last year and a half that I spent in grad school (read "countless hours bent over a laptop, sleepless nights cramming for wretched finance exams and weekends not spent barefoot on the beach). My promise to him was this "help me make it through this and I will take us to Disney World." He was a gem...and I am planning a May 2011 trip. Z is also going to be turning 5 the week before we go...double excitement .

The itinerary looks something like this:
Friday:Arrival, Downtown Disney and POOL TIME!
Saturday: Epcot w/ dinner at Coral Reef
Sunday: Hollywood Studios w/ dinner at Sci-Fi
Monday: Animal Kingdom w/ dinner at Grand Floridian
Tuesday: SLEEP IN!!! Typhoon Lagoon w/ dinner at Narcoosee's
Wednesday: Magic Kingdom w/ dinner at O'hana
Thursday: Islands of Adventure (Breakfast with Spiderman)
Friday: SLEEP IN!!! Pool day w/ dinner at Akershus
Saturday: Universal w/ dinner at California Grille
Sunday: Departure

We are staying at Coronado Springs (POOL LOOKS AWESOME)!

Our familial unit is diverse: 5 year old is too young for things that go fast, husband loves things that go fast, 17 year old only eats chicken and quesadillas and I'm a foodie (loving all food that is "strange and unusual" )

Any helpful tips and hints will be welcomed (and of course I would love to hear the horror stories-LOL) from those of you who have been there and experienced all firsthand!

-K

 

[brooke.jax.gia]

Yay for your upcoming trip!!

I'm 26 and I haven't ever been either. We will be going next November. I am VERY impressed with your plan that you have!

 

[gules]

That's a good, solid plan for someone inexperienced! If you want more specific help, try the Attractions and Strategies board, or the Disney for Families board. Tons of us love to help each other plan. It adds to our excitement! Or you can get support for just winging it! Make sure to look at Tips and Tricks as well, so your days run more smoothly.

Welcome to soon-to-be addiction for you and your family! DH didn't go until we got married, and now he's completely hooked. Beware!

 

[prattpak]

From the looks of your plans you could of fooled us all. You look like a seasoned vet!! Congrats on the schooling. You have some excellent meals planned and a good park strategy. Look under the "Family" board there is a Disney Moms group you could join and they will be ubber helpful. You still have time to refine and mold your trip so start reading!! Have fun with it too. Its a blast here. We leave in 46 hours to the world and cant wait.

 

[Metro West]

 

[JLR]

Congratulations! It looks like you will have a fabulous time! (I was 41 at the time of my first trip!)

 

[Z'sMom]

Wow-thanks to you all for your confidences in my itinerary...the direct result of hours spent reading books, surfing the web and over-analyzing every aspect of the trip (LOL)! Our departure date is some 160 days away and my 5 year old has already asked that I "stop talking about Disney" and my husbands replies have turned into "whatever you think honey!" Was not kidding about being a manic planner!

I will check out all of the helpful hints and tips sites that you recommended. I will continue to post questions in hopes that you all will be able to assuage my panic stricken moments...with better answers than "whatever you think is best"

 

[Z'sMom]

So... twelve hours ago I added the Fantasmic! Package-for fear of waiting in a 120 minute line only to be told that the space has been filled (this would end with and ). We are going to have an early lunch at Mama Melrose's-LOVE LOVE LOVE ITALIAN!

For those of you whom have partaken in the F! Package, I would appreciate any feedback-like it, love it or hate it kind of things.

For those of you who may be wondering, I am totally gonna review my trip (upon return) on here as I loved reading reviews from others (they helped form my itinerary)! So to all of you that added post Disney reviews ...they were all very helpful!

And I just found this so DS5's signature line will have to change!!!

 

[M&MGirl1]

WELCOME!!!!

It sounds like you have a GREAT trip planned - and don't worry about being 29 and going on your first trip. I'm 30 and just went on my first trip to the World in October.

 

[Z'sMom]

M&M-Thank you for the welcome

After reading about 200 posts I have formed two more questions:

1. What is the best way to get to US and IOA (Mears or Taxi)? Which is cheaper?

2. Is there any chance that I might get to see my favorite character...Malificent?
If so...where would she be?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Z'sMom]

Ahhh...still counting down the days...May can't come fast enough! Continuing to read through the million (and I do mean million) threads on this site; preparing to book our plane tickets

Hope everyone has a great day today!

 

[lsusoftball37]

i did the f meal once it was nice. i was dissappointed cause i read on here you go in a differnt way then everyone. But when we did it we had to go in same way. The section that is save for you it ok if you like being on the side. Before we did the f meal we just got there earlier and got front seat right in the middle my favorite by far. We went this thanksgiving was going missed it but decide at last min i wanted to go see it. we got there late and they had so many section close off. since i was waiting on a few family member to met us i wait at top then when the show start i went back and they took all the rope section down so we got ok seat. for now on i will wait until it almost start before i go sit

 

[waynesgirl]

I was 29 my 1st trip as well.

My DH took me as a surprise- however, it was planned and fell on 9/20- right after 9/11/01 so it was a somber place to be. He took me as my college was finished and my major is marketing- and there is nowhere better on EARTH for a marketing major to be.

Now, we have been 15 times total since then and my love for it just grows.

Have soooooo much fun and enjoy yourself!

 

[mikat]

Congratulations! It looks like you will have a fabulous time! (I was 41 at the time of my first trip!)

I just went last month for the very first time - 41 for me as well!

K, congrats, your little boy will have an awesome time! My boys are almost 5 and 8, and it was the best vacation ever. They don't know it yet, but we're going back in June! Your schedule looks great, and I've heard that CSR does indeed have an awesome pool. I love that your first day is a DTD day - what a great way to start the trip. Where are you eating at the Grand Floridian? You will love the Cali Grill! I can't wait to hear all about your plans!

 

[dolfan71665]

My first trip was with my wife and 2 teens...at 43!!

At times, I was more enthusiastic than the teens MK was magical as I ever expected and I thoroughly embarassed my teens. C'mon I was only square dancing with Woody and the gang!!

My second trip is March 2011. Your plan sounds good. Maybe it was me, but I didn't care for the Water parks at Disney. We had much more fun and less crowded at the resort pool.

We are also staying at Coronado our next trip, our first was in a cabin at fort wilderness, which we all loved. I wanted to do the wilderness lodge but with a 20 and 16 girls, I opted for 2 rooms and 2 bathrooms at CSR.

You may more than one day as some WDW places.

Went to Universal last year did both parks in 1 and 1/2 days, Beware Harry potter(our reason for going) is very, very, very crowded. The ride in the castle is awesome, but we went there first and we were 15th in line at the rope drop. We stayed at the HI across the street and got there at 7 am. (The universal resort guests got in early) and we never went in the shops, which were so small they have to regulate the number of guests.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[dolfan71665]

PS- Dont overplan too much!! I am the planner in my family. And plans dont go as well becuase there is so much to absorb. Details in WDW can slow you down and take lots of time.


Looks like you are on the dining plan, I am guessing, if you are, book the Hoop de-doo. Smart to plan the F dinner, we missed F last time and we booked a dinner, to get a pass and get in.

Looking back now we missed so much and we stayed 6 days last time one day in every park plus TL and downtown disney... the whole family regrets the water park day at typhoon lagoon. But in WDW you can spent 2 days per park and not get everything in. Two days at universal/Island of adventure is plenty of time, unless you love rollercoasters.

 

[Z'sMom]

Thank you all for taking the time to read my story and posting your wonderful comments-it's nice to know that I am not the only one that didn't get to go to Disney when they were little

Dolfan- I have a question about the Harry Potter (Forbidden Journey) ride; is it too much for my 5 year old? He LOVES (and I do mean LOVES) Harry Potter-chose to dress up as "Harry Potty" (because he couldn't pronounce Potter) when he was 2..cutest thing ever.

My understanding is that we can walk through the castle, which is what he is most excited about, and then "chicken out" at the last minute if I feel the ride is going to be much. I am NOT a rollercoaster fan...sometimes I get sick in the back seat of the car (HA!).

What do you think?

 

[dolfan71665]

Actually the forbidden journey ride isn't too bad. My now 16 yr old gets pretty scared of roller coasters (doesn't like quick changes of direction and tenses up real bad in line, clinching her jaw, etc), and she handled it pretty well, but she loves HP. The ride itself is not a lot of twists and turns, mostly video moving around you. But it is pretty scary with the spiders/dragon, you can feel heat from the dragon and the spiders spit.

But if he's watched all the HP movies he should be ok. The castle is great! I was afraid Universal wouldn't put attention into detail like Disney, but they came through.

 

[elbodans]

I'm 30 and I went for my first time last month--we were in Disney for a convention and checked out MK and Epcot (and I did a solo morning in AK while my husband was in meetings) I CRIED as we entered the magic kingdom. Actual tears. I'm going back in March and May! We are also doing Universal (for the May trip) as my husband is a huge Harry Potter fan--we're staying onsite solely to have early morning access to WWoHP.

I'm also a huge planner--you can never be too prepared. But that means you also have to 'be prepared' to let some things you planned go. I super-planned our last major trip (a month-long Europe trip this past summer) and ended up throwing all of the plans out the window on our third day in London (the first city we visited!)

Have a GREAT trip!

 

[Z'sMom]

Okay-down to 136 days...and counting! Elbodans...I might weep as well once we get there! At this point I am more excited than the five year old!

I am thinking that we should utilize taxi's for the 2 days that we are wanting to visit Universal. It is my understanding that there is a shuttle (Mears) but by the time I pay $18 for 3 of us and another $X for DS5-it has to be close to what a taxi would run! Does anyone have a better idea? What worked (or...sigh...didn't work) for you?