First Timers Beware! (Tips for First Timers)

[Allieloopy]

We are going to Disneyworld for the first time in Feb. I am the sole planner for our family trips and the person who takes the fall if they suck.

After several years of camping around the state and a trip to Michigan Adventure I was NOT ready to plunk down the big bucks without some research.
If I did not have the DIS boards I would never have been brave enough to book plane tickets much less a week at Disneyworld.

Now I know about the penny presses which is my DH's thing, that I would probably throw up on some rides and that Breakfast with Cinderella was out of my reach BUT my daughter could still have dinner with her!

I want to take this time to thank everyone who took the time to give their hints, trip reports and yes even complaints.

For me part of the fun is the planning and while I am not planning every minute, now we do have a Princess dinner and a Hoop-de-Doo to enjoy!

 

[ToriLammy]

Well, you're leaving a little something out. The CM you need to ask is the CM who works at the station, NOT the CM who is the monorail conductor.

My experience:

Finished dinner at Chef Mickey's, and heading to MK from there. We were just going to walk, but we saw the monorail was approaching so we figured we'd take the unnecessarily long ride around the lagoon. The CM on the platform was an older gentleman, and I asked if we could ride in the front with the conductor if that compartmment isn't already occupied. He smiled and said "Of course, as long as it's unoccupied. Tell him John says it's OK."

Well, I forgot that part at first. I saw a family exit the front compartment. BINGO! But as we walked towards the front, another guest hurriedly exited one of the monorail cars and went up to the conductor, apparently asking to ride up front. The CM turned him down, the man argued briefly, but the conductor politely but firmly said no. The man walked away in a huff, muttering at the conductor. I told the conductor I was going to ask the same question. He told me it's only allowed if we receive prior permission. That's when I reclled the instructions and told him, "John said to tell you it's OK." AT that point, the conductor stepped aside from the open door and welcomed us aboard. We loved the ride around the lagoon at night.

Had I not known to ask THE CM ON THE PLATFORM, IT'S CLEAR IN THIS INSTANCE THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM THE FRONT COMPARTMENT, AS THE MAN BEFORE ME WAS.

Well guess I should have been more specific but I guessed that folks knew I was talking about the CM on the monorail PLATFORM who manages the lines since I said you must state you are WILLING to wait in order to ride. Sorry I was not more specific about WHICH CM.

 

[disneyworldluvr349]

We just returned from our first WDW Trip. Before the trip I read the boards and websites and tried to plan our trip accordingly. I was some what disappointed with the trip and did not really know why. Now that I have been on the trip I wanted to let others know some first timer tips.

Tip # 1 DO NOT READ THESE BOARDS. WDW is better if you just surprise your self. The people posting on these boards have been sooo many times that they can talk about every little thing that doesn’t even matter to you yet. Also, all of the info will overwhelm you and make you overly excited.
Tip # 2 It is OK to look at posts about hotels and restaurants. Every hotel is different and you want to find the one that will fit your family.
Tip # 3 Do not let postings on the boards affect your plans. A lot of people complained about things that worked well for us and some things people said were great we found not so great.
Tip # 4 The only pre planning you need to do is get a hotel and flight booked, and MAKE ADR’s (Advanced Dinning Reservations) I would make them at least 2 - 3 months in advance if you have restaurant preferences.

After you make reservations, no matter how excited you are, just try to forget about the trip and DO NOT talk on the boards everyday. Save that for when you get back. Some people may be fine with spending every day planning their first trip and then have a blast. We just wish some one had told us these things before we went. Hope this helps some one!

I disagree with this somewhat. I think that the boards are a great thing to look at before your trip because they give out really great advice. I also see nothing wrong with sharing your excitement with other disney lovers. I think that it is your own personal choice to decide what you should do before your trip. Your tips may be helpful for yourself but a lot of people may disagree and a few of the are just common sense,this wasn't to be rude...it was to be honest!

 

[lucincia]

You should never use anything you read, online or on paper, as the rule of thumb. They are just that, opinions, critics, and advice. They may or may not work for you. But if you don't read them, how do you make proper judgement and decision? How do you know your options?

I think the OP's problem is reading up on all the magical moments other people posted about and expect the same to happen to him/her. If it happens to everyone, they would not be magical, right? It's like reading in the paper about someone winning the lottery, going to buy a lottery ticket yourself, not winning, and getting mad at the paper about printing about the winner.

I overplan. But, once we get to our vacation destination, we throw the plan out the window and go with the flow. It's easier to be spontaneous when you have overplanned in advance so you know what your options are. Kind of contradictory - plan to be spontaneous - but it works for us

 

[puddleduck]

You should never use anything you read, online or on paper, as the rule of thumb. They are just that, opinions, critics, and advice. They may or may not work for you. But if you don't read them, how do you make proper judgement and decision? How do you know your options?

I think the OP's problem is reading up on all the magical moments other people posted about and expect the same to happen to him/her. If it happens to everyone, they would not be magical, right? It's like reading in the paper about someone winning the lottery, going to buy a lottery ticket yourself, not winning, and getting mad at the paper about printing about the winner.

I overplan. But, once we get to our vacation destination, we throw the plan out the window and go with the flow. It's easier to be spontaneous when you have overplanned in advance so you know what your options are. Kind of contradictory - plan to be spontaneous - but it works for us

I do the same thing. I spend months planning out our days. I make cards of touring plans for each park. I practically plan our every minute. Then- we get to WDW and I never look at the plans again or even really follow them. I know where our ADRs are and what time. I do however know what rides we need to use fp for and what rides are best at what times. I have to knowledge to make good decisions while we are there without having to follow my to the minute plans. Knowledge that I wouldn't have had without the disboards.

Also, I loved looking at the pictures before and getting there and still being amazed at it all looked in person. The pictures don't show the half of it.

 

[kkevcamsmom]

I totally love the board! I have learn more, good and bad than I ever could just on the Disney website or from a book. I have been able to ask the questions I have had and hear from people who have been there and done it.

But, I have looked at this boards as advise, nothing more, nothing less. Not something I MUST do, just ideas of what others have done that might fit or not fit for my family.

I read it all, negative and positive.

Lori

 

[RobInBigKC]

Folks, read the first paragraph again. It doesn't say that you can go to more than one park a day. In fact, it says the exact opposite. It says that you don't really need to go to more than one park per day if you are a newbee. I couldn't agree more.

That is correct. The FIRST paragraph says you don't need a park hopper because you don't need to go to more than one park per day. However, read the second paragraph of ChocolateMouse's post again because that is the one that people are discussing, not the one addressing the need for a newbie to visit more than one park a day in the first days of their stay.

After five days, your Disney tickets only cost $2 extra per day and that's cheaper than paying $40-45 for the Park Hopper option. What I'm saying is if you're visiting for five days, buying a 10-day pass for $216 is cheaper than a five day plus hopper option. A first timer will likely not visit ten theme parks in five days.

This paragraph seems to imply that you can get a 10-day non-park-hopper and use it for 10 different park visits over a 5-day period. This is not true. As others have correctly said, you can only get into one park per day unless you have a pass with the park hopper option on it. Disney makes the additional days so much cheaper because they realize that at 5+ days you have pretty much covered their cost to entertain you in the parks and they also know that you'll be shopping more, eating more, staying in their resort room longer, etc. -- it's a bit of a loss leader on the park side but they more than recoup their costs in other areas where they tap your pocketbook.

Yeah, I'll stay one more day. After all, it's basically free! (except for the $300 or more that you'll drop in other areas if you're staying on site).

-- Rob

 

[ransom]

As a first-timer, I found the DIS boards to be invaluable.

But, as with anything on the 'net, I looked skeptically at each post. Was it by someone whose previous posts were reliable? Was what they were saying reasonable? Did it seem like it was coming from someone with a totally different perspective than mine? Were they complaining about something that wouldn't apply to me, or that was tied to a specific circumstance that didn't apply to me? And so on. Reading random kibbitzing can always lead one astray.

But, beyond that, every time I asked a question, I got a solid answer. That alone makes the DIS boards invaluable to a first-timer.

 

[not-too-old4fun]

I've never been to Disney and I have to admit that this board has brought me as close to Disney as I can possibly get before arriving there. I'm loving it... and I'm not leaving. Mind you.... I am not here day and night and I can survive being away from here for a few days. This is not an obsession. It's merely a place for me to stop by when I need a Disney boost.

I am not going there with any expectations what-so-ever though because I know for a fact that individual vacations/expectations are just that: individual.

I will be going there knowing what to look for in what park. What shows are happening where etc... I know about pins (had no clue what that was) I know about fast passes and how to make them work to our advantage (had no idea about that either). I know what I should tip Mousekeeping. I know about the mugs and refills. I know about bringing a towel with me to the parks. I found a GREAT camera thanks to the advice of another member here. Heck... I could go on forever. Those are the tips I've written down that people here have shared. I'm actually very grateful for having stumbled on this site and I enjoy every minute. I refuse to let it stress me out though. I guess if that is something that happens to some people, then by all means, the internet (no matter what site they are on) is not a place for them.

This site should be a place to relax and kick back for a bit and maybe do some pre-planning. Who doesn't like doing that now and then?

Plus.... I LOVE seeing all the pictures that members share with us. And yes, I shall be on the lookout for some of the things people have snapped shots of.

I'm sorry that being here wasn't a good decision for you Minnie. Your trip shouldn't be planned solely on what you read here. People need to take some things into consideration and then let their trip lead a life of it's own otherwise yes, you are definitely in for some disappointments. Hopefully your next trip will be a better one.