How will I know? Planning?

[brtls5]

I'm trying to finish planning our very first trip to WDW. No one in our family has ever been before. So while it's very exciting, I don't want it to be overwhelming when we get there. I've planned which days for which parks but how do I know when I should go where in the parks? Is there a certain routine you veterans have? Do you have a certain method to the madness? We're the type of people that like to see as much as we can. We most likely will not be back to Disney any sooner than 3-5 years. So, how will I know which ride/attraction to go to first, then second, etc. I just feel overwhelmed trying to find a good plan! HELP PLEASE

 

[WDSearcher]

The first thing you should do is get a good guidebook (bookstore or library) and take a look at all the rides and attractions in each park. The guidebook will also have a general map, so you can see where they all are in relation to one another.

Go through all the attractions in each park with your family (or, keeping your family preferences in mind, if you want to do this on your own) and put things in "Must See No Matter What", "Should See If We Have Time" and "Not Really Interested" columns. Then, first plan your route around the parks based on your "Must See" list. That way, you make sure that you're spending most of your time seeing the stuff you most want to see. (You'd be surprised how many people stand in line for 50 min for something, only to discover they really don't want to see what they're in line for!) Once you've got the "Must See" stuff covered, then go to the "Should See" list. Just work your way from highest priorities to lowest.

Do the same with restaurants. If there's some place you REALLY want to eat, make your PS there first.

It's just like planning anything else -- just prioritize everything and go from there.

Have fun!

 

[PneumaticTransit]

My advice to you, don't OVER plan. I have seen families to busy checking their itinerary and rushing to the next 'scheduled' thing that they forget to RELAX. Be on vacation. It's Disney World. They end up missing all of the little things that make Disney a magical place.

If there are places you KNOW you want to eat at, make a priority seating. (Most places keep some time spots open for walk ups, so you can still get a PS for the same day, unless of course... Character Breakfasts and such.)

I don't know your party mix, so I will just give my general opinion.
Epcot - more adult, but still has some things for young children. Can be an all day thing, half day if you just want to do Future World and skip the World Showplace (which can take quite a while to simply walk around).
Magic Kingdom - all day event. Has something for everyone.
Animal Kingdom - half day. I have been to AK several times and have never ever ever spent a whole day here, there is simply not a whole lot to see since everything is spaced out. But I would recommed going, definitely see the Safari, Tough to be a Bug, and Dinosaur. If you have younger children, you can go to Camp Minnie/Mickey.
MGM - usually a whole day event if you want to see all of the shows. Not a whole lot for younger children (3-6), but don't miss Fantasmic (get there early for a seat).

As for the water parks, Disney Quest, Downtown Disney... I don't know if water parks are a must for you. I've always preferred Typhoon Lagoon, but only for a couple of hours. I have only been to DisneyQuest once, don't care to go again. Maybe if you have kids (or a spouse) that LOVES computer/video games it would be worth it. Downtown Disney is basically just shopping, and you can find everything they sell in the parks for the most part. There is a 24 screen movie theatre there in case it rains one day.

 

[vistana]

our family goes to disney twice every year. we have developed a plan that has never failed us. basically we never go to early entry parks. we always go to mk and ak in the morning, going to the left one day and the right the next time. we always go to epcot and mgm after 2pm again using the left/right theme. our boys are now 15 and 12 and we first went when they were 3 and 6. they enjoy each park for different reasons. the nice thing about traveling in one direction is that you have the opportunity to "stop and smell the roses" another thing that we always do is have lunch out of the park. we have found 12-2 is just a crazy time in the parks...familys start to break down trying to keep up a fast pace.....people are getting hungry and thirsty and the lines are getting long. going out of the park to a hotel for a nice lunch helps you to regroup in a quiet relaxed attmosphere. one of our favorite places is espn at the board walk. the bottom line is you cant possibly have a bad time but you will NEVER see it all in one week.....we go back year after year and still havent seen it all.

 

[brtls5]

Thanks for all the tips.. I've just ordered The Passporter and I'm going to buy the Unofficial Guide. Tomorrow I'm planning on subscribing to Tour Guide Mike. I think that will be the top three resources besides the boards to help me.

THanks everyone. I just want our first trip to be so magical.

 

[fizz13]

Good plan. Inside the Unofficial Guide are actual touring plans if you want something to follow. What I did was study these and then adapt them to suit our needs (took out attractions I didn't want, tacked on extras at the end of the day). I also made a lot of PS for my trip, more than I need probably but all the restaurants I want to eat at, and worked around these too.
Have fun with it all,
Claire

 

[WDWprincessloyola]

Definately get an idea of what attractions you would like to see, but don't leave everything up to a book to persuade you to what you may or may not like. For instance I love the Peter Pan ride but my mother thinks it is something you might see at an 80's carnival. Just a difference of opinion, so be open minded. If you see something interesting go for it, get an idea of what it is, but leave room to be spontaneous. Also plan ahead for any shows or parades you might want to see. You probably do not want to walk clear across MGM to see the Beauty and the Beast stage show, then make your way back to Star Tours. Remember to plan at LEAST an hour before a parade or major night show starts. Depending on what kind of "seats" you want you might want to get there earlier and work is shifts of saving seats, shopping, or food. I usually work around parades and shows, then fill in the gaps as to where I want to be at what time. Just remember to have fun and experience the "magic" it has to offer, because that is why we go to WDW anyway isn't it?

 

[sanibelover]

I subscribed to Tour Guide Mike and wish I hadn't spent the money. The Unofficial Guide is much better.

 

[lentesta]

Hi sanibelover,

Thanks for reading the Unofficial Guide.

If you get a chance, try the Guide's free online trip planner. It's a full-featured trip organizer, including worksheets for keeping track of air, hotel, and car rentals, plus daily activities, budgets and more. The URL is in my SIG below.

Sincerely,

Len Testa