Former DCL vet goes WDW - HELP!

[BuzzBoyMom]

I've done the DCL many times and loved it!
Now my children and I are finally ready to hit the parks.

I've been before but it has been years.

Where does a complete WDW newbie begin her planning?

I plan on camping out on these boards but are there any other sites, books etc. that I should memorize?

THANKS EVERYONE!!

 

[mmeb144]

Buy the unofficial Guide by Bob Sehlinger. Read from cover to cover. Sleep with it under your pillow, this will allow all that information to seep into your brain. Actually, just read the part about the resorts to begin with. You will want to choose how much to spend and whether to stay onsite. Personally, I would stay onsite.

Marie

 

[disneyjenca]

I found it to be really helpful to create a giant planning board. I got some foam core from the craft store and laid it out like a calendar for our vacation days. I broke each Disney day into morning, lunch, afternoon, dinner, and evening. At the bottom of each day I wrote park hours and early entry.

I cut out slips of paper and wrote the names of the parks on them, and cut out slips of a different color and wrote restaurants on them. Another color for things like tour, Cirque, fireworks cruise, etc.

I spent a lot of evenings sprawled out on the living room floor pinning and unpinning and moving those pieces of paper around until our trip was perfect! If I had to reschedule something (couldn't get the day we wanted the tour, etc), it was easy enough to pull things off and re-arrange.

It was simple, fun, and it's keeping me sane while waiting for the trip!

 

[TerryU.]

I just bought the passporter for the DCL, they also sell it for WDW. I also recommend staying on site!

 

[PhotobearSam]

2 words...Unofficial Guide!!!!

It's the only way to plan and have all the facts...We read it cover to cover with a highlighter...Supplement with knowledge from here and you will be fine.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

IMO, I'd buy a Passporter Guide, visit www.passporter.com and frequent their message board, read around at allearsnet.com, frequent the Restaurant, Resort and this DIS forum, as well as wdwinfo.com.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[GarrettJD]

I'll agree.. the Unofficial Guide is the way to go. You can't get a more comprehensive and unbiased look at WDW from anywhere else. Len Testa, who works for the Unofficial Guide, posts here quite frequently.

Also, read other people's trip reports. You may find something in them that strikes your fancy.

Other than that, read the boards, and ask us lots of questions!

 

[inmyis]

Another vote for Unofficial Guide and wdwig.com (allears).
Both have excellent info and the UG is truly unbiased with tons (I mean tons) of information.

I have bought the Deluxe Passporter in the past and it is very good as well. What I loved about it is the daily"pockets" that allow you keep pertinent information and to write down the days events. It is like keeping a journal of your trip. That might be a nice touch on your first family vacation at WDW.