HELP!! Im new to all of this.

[chknmama]

Hi my name is Jeri.
I am taking my daughter and 2 granddaughters to WDW 12/27 -1/3. I am staying off site.I have 4 park hoppers and 1 Seaworld pass. Any suggestions on what to do,see first?? I need all the help you can offer.
Thanks in advance
Jeri aka Chknmama

 

[snuggles]

Hi Jeri, Welcome to the Dis!
I'm sure your grandaughters would love to see Cinderella's Castle! Maybe that would be a good place to start.

 

[Disney Fool]

Hi, there!
Well you've certainly come to the right place for information. So, in order to help you out, tell us, please, is this your first trip to Disney? Ages of your grandchildren? And how many days usage are on your park-hoppers?

 

[HappyMommy2]

Oh, you are going to have a wonderful time! You have come to the right place for info. Are your granddaughters young kids? If so, in addition to this board you will want to check out the WDW for Families board--it was a huge help for us as we planned for our trip with our 1- and 3-year-old sons.

As for what to see and do first, I can't help but suggest going to the Magic Kingdom on your first day if possible. I had wanted to go elsewhere on our first day but DH insisted on the Magic Kingdom and I'm so glad he did---it just immersed us in the most wonderful of all Disney Magic!

Have fun!

 

[chknmama]

I have 4 -4 day park hopper passes and 1 -1 day Seaworld passes.This is our first visit to WDW.I know we are going to have the time of our lives and would love any and all suggestions.The girls are 4 and 6 and are very excited about going and about theyre first airplane ride.

 

[kilee]

Because of the time frame you are going in, try to make at least a few PS's for your meals. That was one of my biggest mistakes my first trip. I didn't have these boards and really went on the trip pretty blind. We went during a busy time and had to pretty much eat counter service the entire trip. Since then, I've learned, and now I always make at least 2 or 3 of them. With the little girls it would be great if you could get the character breakfast in Norway or at the castle. However, the character meals at CP and Chef Mickey's are great too.

Don't forget to get the autograph books for the little ones. We always go to DD on our arrival night and do a little shopping to get "in the mood". When we are there we get the autograph book so DS has it right when we get into the first park, first thing.

Don't try to do an see it all. It's impossible. Pick the things you want to do the most and concentrate on them. Leave lots of "wiggle room" in your schedule. You are going a busy time of year, so you'll need to be prepared. The decorations at the resorts are supposed to be amazing. If you have some free time, try resort hopping to check them out.

My last tip is, remember, if you want to sit for the parades, plan to get there 45-60 minutes early, especially at that time of year. It seems like a long time to just sit there. But the view of the parade can't be beat. Usually there is some entertainment on Main Street if you decide to sit there in MK. Get a snack and just take a load off, the time will fly and I personally love all the parades.

Enjoy!!!!!!!

 

[Arkiegirl]

I too am planning our first WDW trip for the first of Nov. I have spent a lot of time reading these posts and it has been a great help. Someone recommended to me to go to disneyworld.com and check the parks hours on the week you will be there. Also since you are staying offsite --as we are--avoid the parks on the days that Disney Resort guests have early entrance. I have been printing off LOTS of info and I have a Disney folder started. I have learned a lot on the few days I have spent here.

Now for Seaworld, I can speak from experience there. Our family went to Orlandos Seaworld last year and LOVED it. We were there during the very HOT July but it was still fun, very,very humid and hot but fun. We dined with Shamu and I would recommend that. It is pricey but so much fun for us. And at that point the iced tea was worth every penny. Also if the shows are the, the night time Shamu show is different than the daytime show. last year I belive it was called "shamu rocks america" and even if you saw the day show--stay for it too. and in the splash zone you get SOAKED, which in July we loved--in Dec you probably wont. All of the shows were great! As I set and type at my computer I am looking at a family picture in front of Shamu stadium and remember the wonderful time we had at Seaworld

 

[jdads2]

chknmama and Arkiegirlwelcome to the DIS!

I give this advice to everyone who asks me about what they should do at WDW...RELAX!! Take your time, no matter how long or short your vacation, you can't do or see everything. Why try to rush your way through, wou'll end up tired and miserable.

Get yourself a guide book to WDW. There are quite a few, my 2 favorites are the Passporter and Birmbaum's Unofficial Guide. Here are some of the things I would see at WDW if I had kids 4 & 6.

Get close to the Castle
take in at least 1 parade
see the fireworks
ride the monorail ask if you can ride up front, sometimes they will let you but now it seems only if you are getting on at one of the monorail resorts.
try to get a Meal where you can see and meet characters, check out this link:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/Just_for_kids/character_dining.cfm

Do some rides and let the kids be kids. Read the books and figure out which ones you'd like to do.

Epcot can be a great place for kids. Especially if you let them play in the various fountains found around the park. My kids spent at least 2 hrs in these and had a blast. It was also great for mom and dad to take a break.

There are a ton more things I could mention but I tend to ramble and you'll soon learn you can't get all the info all from one spot.

Have fun...and relax!

 

[mickeysaver]

Howdy. This board is an awesome resource for the WDW newbie. I can also suggest that you take a good long look through www.wdwig.com as well as www.disneydollarless.com because they both offer some great information too. Have fun! Mickey

 

[Micca]

Welcome to the Dis My first thought is to go to Seaworld first, OR skip it Disney has so much to do without going off property there's no way you can do it all. But that's just me. Ask us anything, we'll try to help. Can't wait to hear what your impressions are. The Unofficial Guide is a great read and will be helpful to you.

 

[sters]

Your first trip with young children on limited time.... I'd definately suggest character dining! That way, your girls will get to see the characters up close and personal. My suggestion, though, would be to avoid the theme parks. Try the Cindarella dinner or breakfast (?) at the Grand Floridian, Chef Mickeys at the Contemporay or my favorite the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club (if you are doing Epcot). Our character dining experiences in the theme parks invariably take too long and are rushed. You will be going at peak time, so I'd avoid it.

Also, since you are staying off site, avoid the park on its Early Entry Day. Get there early!

Enjoy!