If you could go for the first time again??

[daddyof2]

thanks all great stuff

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The one park I would tour differently is Epcot. We skipped Innoventions and saw most of the "travel" movies at the countries in WS. I think I would do the opposite on the first trip as my kids LOVE Innoventions.

Same here. We didn't skip innoventions, but we didn't allow enugh time in there. If we had to do it over, we'd have just stayed in the front section except for eating where we'd go to the back. We'd have only thoroughly covered the countries we were eating in and done the Mexico and Norway water rides in addition. The kids got way bored in WS. And the reality is, with kids in tow, we had no desire to partake in food and wine fest activities.

Where you should go on the first day really depends on the day of the week and time of the day you arrive and what the emh schedule is when you get down there. We got in about 3pm and went to chef Mickey's that first night.

 

[pooh2001]

First time at WDW - congratulations

OK - here is a 4 day plan - please add extra days & budget as you wish

arrival - MK - see the castle, enjoy. go on some rides - catch a quick bite to eat at Cosmic Rays - or make an ADR for the Plaza Restauarant.
If you are staying in the MK area - go to GF 1900 Park Fair (ADR) for a nice character buffet dinner. If you are at an EPCOT resort, try BC Cape May clam bake (way more than clams)- Or eat somewhere at your resort for dinner.
Sleep

Day 1 - eat breakfast in your room Go to EPCOT - do some rides , enjoy lunch in Canada - Le Cellier (ADR) or Coral Reef (ADR), Young kids -get a kids passport and visit all the countries in the World (check out the kid stops). Go back to your resort. Enjoy the pool. Eat dinner a the snack bar type of place at your resort (you had a big lunch)

Day 2 - eat breakfast in your room, Go to AK - ride safari, see the Lion King, enjoy the animals - eat lunch at Tusker House (or Rain Forest Cafe (ADR)- join the Rainforest Cafe club - Landry's) - leave AK by 2:30 PM, go to resort to swim, Dinner - Polynesian 'Ohana character meal (ADR) -see fire works from Poly beach.

Day 3 - sleep in, eat breakfast in your room, swim in the AM, lunch at resort, Go to MGM Studio's by 1:30 PM, do the rides youe like, - ADR for Fantasmic - eat at Hollywood and Vine for dinner - get Fantasmic package - see Fantasmic in the evening- crowds - do not worry - check out the shops- buses/boats run till 1 hour after the park closes.

Day 4 - sleep a bit late, eat breakfast in the room - go to MK by 9:30 AM - avoid the turnstyle rush - another character meal - see Pooh- have lunch at CP (ADR) - nice buffet - do many MK rides. go back to your resort by 4pm - do a quick swim. LAST DAY ? - Please include dinner at CR Chef Mickeys's (ADR) to see the big cheese and his gang

Day 5 - eat breakfast in room, say good by to WDW, till the next adventure.

More days ? Park Hopper Pass or A/P ?
Please try HDD - make ADR's up to 180 days in advance (used to be 2 years)
Do more EPCOT and AK and MK
Spend more time at the pool at your resort
Play mini golf
Rent a boat or bikes
Shop and 'play' in DTD

All the above depends on your budget, type of tickets, number of days and where you are staying. Moderates and Deluxe resorts have refrigerators in the room. The shops normal carry milk, oj....bring your own cereal, pop tarts, garnola bars.

 

[bubba73]

I may go against the grain but I would say to save the MK until last. That's what we do. If you are going with young kids and you go to MK first, most of the time the other parks are not going to measure up so what you are going to here is them complaining a lot and saying that they want to go back to MK. JMHO.

 

[Anna114]

I wouldn't change a thing it was May 9, 1988 Got to the Poly early afternoon. Went and had a cheeseburger there at the Poly. Went to our rooms unpacked and explored the Poly! Went to bed got up early and off to MK. I arrived at the entrance to MK and just stood there like a slacked jawed yokle. It was wonderful....wouldn't change a thing. When we went back in 2002 we went to the CBR now with our 2 DS'S and did the same thing lol It's all good.

Have a magical day and a wonderful vacation,
Anna

 

[DISUNC]

Hi were a family of 4
me, DW, DD6, DS3 going Dec. 4-10
7 day ticket w/ hopper and dinning plan

not sure what park to do first,were to go what to do please help with the day to day planning
SO.....if you could go back and do your first time all over what would you do.

we would like to do hoop de doo thing and probably 2 charicter dinnings

You dont need us! You are going at the perfect time of year! The perfect amount of days! and The perfect tickets!

You MUST DO MICKEYS CHRISTMAS PARTY at Magic Kingdom!!! See the Christmas parade & the snow fall on Mainstreet, etc.

Go to MK FIRST!!!!! Because that is excatley where your children think they are going and trust me they know a castle when they see it!!!!

Some people say that then the other parks will be a disappointment. When you are 6 & 3....ALL OTHER PARKS ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT! Regardless of the order you went to them. Besides, really how can you not go there first???? Its sort of like telling them on Christmas morning they can't open the Santa presents till later, cause they may be disappointed when Aunt Tootsie comes later in the day to give them her presents!

If you can get it...Breakfest at the Castle...the kids are PERFECT age for this.

Otherwise YOU can plan my vacation for me!

Have a great time...I know you will. Especially at the POP!!

 

[GGOOFY1]

I have to agree, you should go to MK first. With the ages of your children you will be spending more than one day at MK, and you will want to spread them out. Also, don't miss hoop dee doo, it is one of our favorites...

 

[daddyof2]

thanks all i just dont want to mess this up

but i feel alot more comfortable now



IM Goin... I mean I'M takin my kids to disney

 

[tammydel]

Everyone has thier own philosophical insight - here's mine.
Mind you now - I'm the type of person who wants to do everything, if my body could stand it I wouldn't waste time sleeping at DW!!!!

Having said that - realize there is always something else you could be doing and things that you won't get to - take a big breath accept it, get over it.

Now, totally enjoy the thing you're doing and the place you are in. There were times that I would be at the pool thinking "there are all those great rides we should be on" or we'd be at MGM and I'd be thinking "I really wish I could see the castle right now" etc.... you get the idea.

You are taking your two little ones for the first time. Plan stuff you know they will love, sneak in a few things mom and dad will enjoy and you will have a great time.

Some ideas:
Chef Mickey's first night. Then they have seen Mickey and the Gang. It REALLY gets you in the Disney mood.

Epcot in small doses. When my kids were very small Epcot was their least fav. place to be. We would spend a day in MK and in the evening go to Epcot for dinner, do a couple of things they enjoyed and slip in something for mom or dad. Like checking out shops in a country while kids rested in stroller.

Use the playgrounds for free play/running around time. While adults are walking, small kids are usually riding and have built up energy. In MK, Mickey's Toontown has a nice small playground. Also in Fantasyland is the new Pooh playground. Sit, relax, have a cold drink, let them run. Beware some of the bigger playgrounds where it is hard to keep track of them.

Crystal Palace! They are the perfect age to hug Pooh! It will be amazing to watch thier faces when they see the stuffed bear that they have at home come to life in front of thier eyes.
If not CP, in Toontown they have an indoor place where you wait on line to see characters in a room. A few people are allowed in at a time. Pooh and friends are almost always there in one of the rooms. My kids (when DS was 4 and DD was 3) LOVED this.

We found when they were a little afraid of Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carrib., but still wanted to go on (we wouldn't have forced them) we made it fun by saying a big BOOO to the ghosts and singing Yo Ho on the Pirate ride. Took the edge off.

Be willing to do things again. Remeber that - there is always more to do, but...- if they would love to ride the Pooh ride three times in a row, well, they will be loving every minute and that's probably why you're going in the first place.

I could spend all day talking about magical, fun stuff to do....I miss the days when everything was REAL for my kids. They are 8 and 9 now and still believe when thier IN DW (but I suspect they are doing this for my benifit!)

Have a magical time.
Tammy

 

[daddyof2]

thanks Tammy and every one for the advice,tips I'm sure our first time will be great and magical

 

[Desnik]

I just wanted to tell you that for a first timer you have done great planning so far!! You picked a great time to go, perfect tickets, and you are staying on site!!

On our first trip we didi it all wrong!!!LOL It was July, we were off site, no plan, and no ADR's!!!

We also have young kids and like to start our trip with dinner at Chef Mickey's. The food is good, the kids get to make their own ice cream sundaes and we get great interaction with the "main" Disney characters. We don't do MK first but we do get to it at least twice on our trips. My kids love Epcot and love making the masks in the WS countries. Also we have always lucked out and found characters in their countries, like the Genie, Mary Poppins, Belle. Make sure you spend alittle down time at the resort or DtD.

As far as eating in each park take a look at the menus on this site: www.allearsnet.com

We like to eat at Tony's in th MK
50's PTC or Mama Melrose at MGM
Rainforest Cafe at AK
usually counter service at Epcot, but this coming trip we will be trying Le Cellier. We have heard great things about it!

We really didn't like the food at CP in MK, but the character interaction was good. That was for dinner, not sure how the breakfast is. Our favorite character meal is Chef Mickey's. For the princesses we like the breakfast at Epcot in Norway better than the one at the castle in MK.

We have found the most characters and easiest to find at MGM. We love the afternoon parade there becuse of all the variety in characters. You have playhouse Disney characters, with Toy story, star wars, muppets and so much more!

Don't miss Illuminations, and Wishes!!!

Most of all relax and have fun!!!

 

[cranbiz]

Well, I would normally also start with Magic Kingdom but this last trip we did things quite differently and it worked out great.

Cast Myself, DW, DN2 and DN4.

Must Do - Meet Cinderella (because Auntie said we would)

The only time I could get for a character meal was for Thursday at 5:20 (1900 Park Faire), we arrived in FL on Sat afternoon. Because of this I scheduled our MK day for Thursday.

Day 1 Sunday - Nothing. Hung around the house to destress after a 21 hour ride - the girls were great but needed to run around. I did some chores around the house.

Day 2 Monday - Animal Kingdom. Erin (DN4) wanted to see animals so we did. Saw FOLK, FOW, Pocahontas, met Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Stitch, Keinan and Kenda. Did the Safari, I did Everest, did the nature trails and watched the monkeys being fed and the jungle jammin parade. Both girls had a great time.

Day 3 Tuesday. Nothing. (well some local shopping)

Day 4 Wednesday - MGM. Did Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Playhouse Disney, Beauty and the Beast, Honey I shrunk the Kids playground, Muppets. Did the Great Movie Ride, I did TOT and RNR. Saw Jessie, Woody, Buzz, Mickey, Kim Possible, Mike W, Sully and Power Rangers. Had lunch at the ABC Commisary and watched the Stars and Motorcars parade. I wanted to stay for Fantasmic but Auntie thought the girls were too tired (and she was right as usual)

Day 5 Thursday - MK. This was the girls big day. Stopped and got every autograph to be had (I never spent so much time in the square) Did Storytime with Belle, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Dumbo, 100 Acre Woods playground, Country Bears, Tiki Birds, Jungle Cruise, Magic Carpets, Haunted Mansion, Ariel's Grotto, Cinderella's Carrousel and Cinderellabration. Saw Wishes from the area of Casey's. We left around 4pm to go to 1900 Park Faire for dinner (remember the must do). We did come back to do some of these things. The girls were so enchanted with Fairy Godmother that they did not want to leave her side, even to see Cinderella.

Day 6 Friday - Sea World. Saw or did about everything for exhibits or shows, did no rides. This was to be a low intensity day and it was. We had 2 tired girls but they still had fun.

Day 7 Saturday - Outlet shopping and a quick trip to EPCOT. We did not think that they girls would get too much into EPCOT and were right. We did stay for Illuminations.

All of our days started late, we did not leave the house until 10am which gets us to Disney around 11am. Not once did we get the "When are we going to see the princesses?" They did not know what they were missing earlier in the week. Friday, was a little letdown, but not much. Once they got splashed by Shamu they forgot all about the MK.

I'm not trying to hijack a thread but illustrate why NOT starting off at the Magic Kingdom can be an advantage. We did a lot of fun things with the girls and all they knew is what we did and each day it got better so there was no "I want to do this or that"

 

[ougrad86]

We had dinner at Artist's Point, and then took the boat to MK. It had just gotten dark, and I walked into a blast of light on Main Street. It took me a minute to get my bearings, but then turned the corner and there was the castle! It was the perfect way to see it. Once we got away from the Main Street area, the crowds were not as intense and it was easier to navigate. MK for the first time in 20+ years in the dark...quite something!
Found our way to Frontierland, and relaxed in front of Pecos Bill and watched Spectromagic and then moseyed over to the castle, and arrived in time for Wishes .
We spent the next two days at AK and MGM, working up to the Magic and went back to MK our third full day. AK and MGM were parks we wanted to see, but I wanted the good stuff for last. The very last was Epcot because my DH is big on science and DH and I love World Showcase (but Soarin' is a new favorite) . We ended up spending 2 1/2 days there. But my son is older than yours, and MK may be the big draw for them.
We played it by ear. Our last day was a free day and we all chose Epcot. But for your children, hitting MK and dinner at Chef Mickey's may be just the ticket.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

Did you say you're staying at ASMo? Do NOT forget to take pictures at places that you can recreate on future trips. Example: I always take a picture of my DD at the quiet pool at ASMu with Ariel. Many people take them at the front of Main Street, and ect. Just don't forget those really important pictures!

My first trip we went to Epcot first. My DS was 7 and he wasn't disappointed that we went there before MK. Our first full day is at MK. Our last trip we took a tour of our resort and the pools. We headed over to Fort Wildreness and did the Camp Chip N Dale movie, where the kids got autographs of the charaters that first evening. (NO CHARGE and no use of a ticket) We rode the monorail, and boats. We stayed at the ASMu and rode the bus to the TTC. Rode the monorail to the Contemporary, and the boat to Ft. Wildreness. You could choose several dining options that way. We ate at Chef Mickey, but had considered HDR/ and or Trails End Buffeteria.

Just remember, it's vacation. Rest and relax. Take your time, you'll NEVER see and do eveything, and you'l make things miserable if you try. That's what I wish I had changed on my first trip. The evening pool time are some of the most memborable times for the family. BUT, nothing beats the music, sounds,sights and smells from MK during the parades and fireworks!!!

Gerri

 

[donnajon]

I would join Tour Guide Mike and look at his advice for the best parks on which days. There is a link at the top of the DIS boards to save $3. It cost about $18 or $19 but when you consider what you are paying for your vacation, it is a small investment to make it the best it can be.
I went in June last year - the same time as mutual friends of ours. I followed TGM's best days and times to ride advice - only waited in line once for 20 minutes - when I knowingly broke a rule - the rest of the time was 10 minutes or less. The friends came back vowing how horrible the crowds were and that the lines were forever - they would never go back at that time of year! Mike tell you which parks are best on what days - he is absolutely right! Not only does he tell you things to do, he tells you why he recommends them so it makes more sense! He does not tell you do this first at 9am, this second at 9:13 and this third at 9:24 but rather guides you on how to plan for your family.
Rather than saying go to MK on day 1, look and see which park he suggests you go to on Dec. 4 etc.. He is in the parks everyday and gets paid big bucks for VIP tours - he really knows what he is talking about.
He has a money back guarantee so you really can't go wrong.

 

[daddyof2]

just like McDonalds I'M luvin it!!

great info

I am positive you all have helped make this one of the best times for me and my family and I just want to say one more time

THANKS

 

[Collette]

If we could go back and do the first time over, I know we would do the first day exactly the same - a brief walk onto Main Street for our first ever view of the MK and the castle, dinner at Chef Mickey's and the evening at Magic Kingdom. I'll remember it forever. As DisUnc said, it is exactly where your children think they are going.

When the December calendar comes out in a couple of months, you will be able to see how late MK is open your first day and if Spectromagic and/or Wishes are scheduled. There may be a Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party scheduled for that evening. If you don't attend the party that night, you could still spend the afternoon at MK followed by a later dinner at CM.

I like to leave the last day open to repeat everyone's favorites and I suspect at 6 and 3 that MK will be on that list. And even if they wanted to return other days, with park hoppers it is easy to return for as little or long a time as you want.

We have only done two character meals - Chef Mickey's of course and the Garden Grill which we also enjoyed very much (and we are all adults now). Farmer Mickey and Pluto were great fun.

If you don't plan to attend EMH mornings at any of the parks, we like to go to a park the day after its EMH. If your kids are early risers, it's nice to arrive a little before opening. If not, FastPasses help to make the day go smoothly. I would make at least a small plan for including your "must do's" and then let the rest of the trip just happen. I think it's nice to have a little idea of where you are headed to avoid spending time discussing what everyone wants to do, yet always being open to switching to Plan B or just going back to the resort to rest a bit and regroup.

The MGM and AK parades decorated for Christmas are very cute if you have time or interest in parades. I think the kids might like walking through the Osborne Lights at MGM. I love the Candlelight Processional, but it may be too long for little ones and I don't know if it would hold their interest.

I'm thrilled for your family. I wish I could have afforded to go when our kids were young. It will be the best!!!

Have fun planning!

Collette