Help us with the Welcome Board FAQ's

[lovetoscrap]

Hi DISboard Newbies and Veterans!

Kaylajr and I have been working on writing an updated FAQ thread for the Welcome Board to help our newbies --and not so newbies-- with some of the common questions that come up.

But we have real lives and jobs and families (and a Disney trip coming up ) and it isn't going as fast as we would like so I thought I would see if some of our great posters here would like to help us out! Sometimes you all explain things so much better than we do and it is great to get different perspectives.

What follows is the list of things we have planned to include in the FAQ. If you have other topics that you think we should include please include those suggestions here also.

If you would like to write the FAQ go ahead and post it here. We can't use everyones answer if we get multiples but we may combine some or use the most concise or clear explaination. Kayla and I will decide what seems to work best when we put the FAQ thread together.

We may only leave this thread up for a week or two, depending on how many responses we get. No prizes, no glory, no tags, just a huge thanks and your username credited on the FAQ thread!

Let's create a great FAQ thread that can help out all of the DISboard posters!

 

[lovetoscrap]

These are the things we need some help with:

General Forum posting protocal for those that have never ever posted on internet forums.
Adding a signature
Adding an avatar
How to post pictures
How to subscribe to threads
How to add a ticker (and where to find them)
Why Lime Green?
I am planning a trip to WDW. Where do I start?


These topics are already written:
why can't I send a PM or post a photo?
what is a Tag fairy?
Testing
Abbreviations
How do you pronounce "DIS"
Why can't I post on other boards?


What other topics do you think we might need to add on an FAQ thread?

 

[Aliceacc]

This will be our first trip in 19 years, and our first with kids. I've been researching like a madwoman since August. Here are some of the topics I've learned about from the DIS.

Resort choice:
- options for families of more than 4. (This is a biggie with a LOT of families!)
- Value vs Mod vs Deluxe: pros and cons, amenities that come with all 3.
- Suggestions for people with disabilities (I'm making this one up as I go along, since it doesn't apply to us. But a I would imagine that a resort which is spread out presents challenges that a more compact one would not.)

Saving Money
-The incredible value of joining AAA, since luck doesn't enter into the discount process (as it does with PINs)
- The value of getting an AP for those who plan more than one trip per year.
- PINs, their lack of transferability
- General codes, their history
- Free dining and it's recent history

DINING:
- ADRs, what they really mean (not a "solid" reservation, but a place in line)
- The whole 180+10 idea
- DDP, what it includes, what it doesn't, the value of it for families with lots of young kids (since it's pretty hard to feed any 8 year old for $10 per day!)
- Deluxe DDP, what it includes
- Meals that count as 2 on the DDP
- Breakdown of character meals
- menus (posted on allears.net)
- advice for anyone trying for CRT
- alternate princess meals (Norway, 1900 Park Fare...)
- the character meal at the Swan or Dolphin that doesn't accept ressies (sorry, I read a little about this one and don't remember much)
- dining at the resorts-- some newbies don't realize that the monorail means they can eat at CR, Poly or GF on a MK day

-TICKETS
- what each means
- value of parkhoppers
- The idea that your ticket is for one DAY, not one PARK. So you can't use 2 day's worth at 2 different parks on the same day.


MISC:
- pin trading and where to get inexpensive pins to start (I loved www.mousepinsonline)
- dollar store ponchos before you leave home
- bags: baggalinis, fanny packs, backpacks
- autograph books, where to find the characters
- minimum height requirements on the rides
- decorating your windows/doors

There's probably more. I'll be happy to help out if you want-- it would be nice to pay back the DIS after all I've learned!!

As to your "I'm planning a trip to WDW-- where do I start?": I started a thread a while ago to address that; it incorporates most of the things I've listed. Here it is: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715551

 

[rbramblett]

I have never posted anywhere and am having some trouble with the abbreviations. ie. DD. Is there somewhere to go for an overview for those of us who are "forum challenged"?

 

[Aliceacc]

There's a sticky at the top of this page; here it is :http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1660743

 

[rbramblett]

Thanks for the info, that is extremely helpful!

 

[Aliceacc]

I know what you mean. I still struggle with some of them