First Timer! Help!!!

[Ihave2girls]

Planning our trip the week before Easter (arrive April 16 leave on Easter Sunday). I have no idea where to even begin planning what to do/which parks are better on certain days, etc. Only plann so far is character breakfast at Epcot on Tuesday.
I would love some advice from some "disney Experts"

 

[t_catt11]

Well, you've come to the right place!

What ages are your kids? Do you have hoppers or standard tickets? Are you staying onsite or offsite?

Understand that you are visiting during one of the busiest times of the year. Figure out a few "must do" items every day, then fill in the rest of the day as you can. That way, you won't be disappointed!

 

[DisneyChristian]

Are you staying onsite or off site? How old are your children? Do you have the dining plan and if you do which one?

 

[Accash]

You have definitely come to the right place As everyone has said before me, how are your children and the people going on the trip with you?? That will definitely help with the different character breakfasts, dinners, and so-on.

And, which hotel are you staying at because each hotel has something different for each age

 

[JLR]

The other posters are right - you will get better information with more details. Here are some general ideas:

Get the Unofficial Guide - it is an overwhelming amount of information, but can really make the difference in helping you plan your days, reduce your wait on lines, and know what to expect from rides so you can prioritize what is most important to you.

Go to the Trip Reports area of this website and pick a few trip reports to read - in your case especially ones during busy times. You will pick up important dos and don'ts - and many of them are truly entertaining.

The week you are going is very very busy.

To really enjoy the parks:

Rule #1 You won't get to do everything - while this is ALWAYS true of Disney, it is especially true when it is busy. Have each person in your group pick a few "musts" and make sure you can do them.

Rule #2 Don't burn the candle at both ends - you will burn yourself out. Schedule some down-time everyday and if possible a slow day in the middle of your week.

Rule #3 Get to the parks early! You can get more done in the first hour the park is open than in any 3 hours later in the day. This means being there for rope drop. Most people can't get themselves up and going when on vacation - so this is the slowest time at the park. During a busy time like this there will still be plenty of people with you.

Rule #4 Figure out how fastpass works. Use it any chance you get!

Rule #5 - Get ADRs (almost reservations) for any table service meals you want. For counter service - eat at off times: lunch at 10:30 or 11 am will be much more sane than 12 or 1. The folk on the dining board can steer you to good dining choices.

Rule #6 For busy times of year take advantage of other entertainment options - shows, parades, etc.

Now this isn't a rule - but it might be fun. If your group of people are "night" people, pick one of the really late Mk pm EMH (12 - 3 am) to go to. Take a LONG rest during the day (sleep if you can) and go later in the evening. Once it gets past midnight, the crowds should really drop (this is not true of the "earlier evening EMH) Then be sure to have a late sleep-in day the next day.

Epcot is a nice park to be at even when it is packed - so it is a good place to "hop" to if another park is too busy. World showcase and innoventions can be great places when all theother attractions are mobbed.

I hope your trip is fabulous!

 

[mommyoftwinz]

Planning our trip the week before Easter (arrive April 16 leave on Easter Sunday). I have no idea where to even begin planning what to do/which parks are better on certain days, etc. Only plann so far is character breakfast at Epcot on Tuesday.
I would love some advice from some "disney Experts"

If you are staying in WDW, you can take adavantage of Extra Magic Hours and I would recommend doing that in the morning. I would plan on being at each park about 20 minutes before it opens. Then head for the most popular ride that you just have to do or grab a fast pass for one. If you don't know what fast passes are look into that, they are fabulous. I think a character meal is a great idea, you can see the characters and get autographs without waiting on those ridicuously long lines inside the parks. Other than that just stop to smell the roses and have a great time. You really can't go wrong.

 

[CourtNut]

Get the Unofficial Guide - it is an overwhelming amount of information, but can really make the difference in helping you plan your days, reduce your wait on lines, and know what to expect from rides so you can prioritize what is most important to you.

Whole-heartedly agree! DH and I picked up the Unofficial Guide and it was a life saver for us! Plus you get access to touringplans.com (it used to be free with book purchase, but now you get a discounted fee), which will help you pick which parks to visit on which days.

By following the advice in UG and on touringplans we were able to see everything we wanted to see without having to wait in long lines.

 

[Isabel]

Another vote for the Unofficial Guide. I get the newest edition each time we go, and it's been a great help in planning our trips. Between the Guide and Disboards, we've been able to get the most out of our trips in both time well spent and money saved.

Also, poke around the Disney site and see what activities are going on while you're there. I saw it was ESPN Weekend during our upcoming visit and didn't know what that was. I found out there was a 5K race through Hollywood Studios and signed us up. (DH and I started running last year.) Not only will we have the unique experience of running at Disney, but we saved money on our park tickets even with the race registration fee.

 

[sasquatch]

I think the message boards on this site can be a little overwhelming for a first timer. Certainly the rest of the DIS site is an excellent resource.

I suggest putting your tax dollars in action. Go to your library network and borrow Walt Disney World with Kids YYYY by Kim Wright Wiley where YYYY is 2011, 2010, or 2009, but you don't want to go too far back in years. I think the titles of the books are now Fodor's Walt Disney World with Kids. If you search by author name, you'll find it.

What I liked about this book is that it rated each ride with a child "scare" factor, a rating of how fast the queue moved, and how long the ride was. It also rated the restaurants by child appropriateness and cost. The book makes recommendations of appropriate rides by child age.

I recommend reading the book as a general overview, and then use this website for specific information on park times, parade times, and specific questions you have about particular attractions.

Here's a link to the book on Amazon. I suppose any general book will do fine. I think the point I'm trying to make is, read a book first to gain a general understanding, then use this site as a supplement. That worked best for me.

 

[Eljay]

...Only plann so far is character breakfast at Epcot on Tuesday...

I guess you mean the Princess Storybook breakfast?

Many of the girls attending will be in princess dresses themselves, so if your kids do dress up for breakfast, you might want to consider bringing a change of clothes so they can be comfortable for the rest of the day.

The princess dresses look lovely in the pictures of course and some girls are fine with keeping them on all day. They will actually get lots of special attention if they wear them in the parks. But, some say they get itchy from the fabric.

Be sure to have them bring autograph books, since it's a perfect opportunity to get those sought after princess autographs!
And, of course, have your camera ready.
http://www.disneystore.com/home-decor/stationery/autograph-books-pens/mn/1000357/
The books are available almost everywhere on property, or you can get them in advance.