If you could go for the first time again??

[daddyof2]

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

 

[lorrainesy]

I always go to Magic Kingdom first, it doesn't fell like I am at Disney until I do

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

I would have insisted on staying longer...

 

[bear22]

I would go to the Magic Kingdom first and then have dinner at Chef Mickey's at nite. Great start.

 

[Evil Queen]

We don't do MK first, we try to hit another park or two for the first couple of days. Seems to me the other parks lack the magic that MK does (don't get me wrong-other than Epcot I really love all the other parks,including water parks), I really like working up to the "MK Magic".

But anyway, I wish on my first trip I would had appreciated all my Mom did and gave up to take my siblings and I. I do now, especially after taking my own kids several times.

 

[Webbie]

Your children are the same age as mine where the first time we went to Disney. I would say do MK first. It is just magical the first time you walk down Main street.

 

[jann1033]

the only thing i'd change would be go at a different time of yr ( we went in July) now we have wised up and go in winter

I'd probably go to Mk first( what we did) then MGM, then Epcot, ak, day out of parks,epcot,ak, mk. it shouldn't be too crowded or hot when you go( although I've heard it is worse than when we used to go in Dec) so i wouldn't bother napping etc unless you plan on the party or night emh. we usually take a day off from the parks and go to a resort or two and go to dtd.

we didn't( as it wasn't there) but I'd go to Cirque if at all possible( unless you have been someplace else)...didn't really care for hddr but given the age of your kids I'm not sure if they'd "get" Cirque. you could go on the hay ride after hdd if you do the early show. you used to be able to see the water electrical show from the hayride but not sure if that is still even on. try not to miss wishes. spectro or illuminations...fantasmic is a maybe due to scary creatures( so depending on your son)

I'd probably do a princess brkst since your daughter is the"princess" age imo ( we went to a great but now defunct char. brkfst at they poly that our kids loved our first trip..husband too but more for the food reason than the characters) i don't know they have a princess buffet but maybe Norway since it seems crt is so far overpriced.

 

[honey11dog]

If you arrive with half a day, I suggest eating at Chef Mickeys or the Hoop de Doo. It gets everyone a taste of Disney without wasting a park day. We always begin our first full day in the Magic Kingdom. The MK has the most to offer for young children. You could spend a whole day in Fantasyland and Toontown with young children. My kids are the most excited and rested on the first day, so it makes sense to go to the park that has the most for them to do. Then we visit the rest of the parks. Suprising to us our then 6yr. old DS and 3yr. old DD loved Epcot. They liked baking cookies at the Nestle booth in the Land and they enjoyed the games at Innovations. We spend our last day going on the kids favorite rides, which are mainly in the MK. So, we end our trip in the MK and watch the WISHES fireworks.

 

[ktink]

I would go to the Magic Kingdom first and then have dinner at Chef Mickey's at nite. Great start.

This is exactly what I did on our 2nd trip, which was last year. Only because I learned it on the DIS!! Chef Mickey's on top of MK is the best ever. It just jump starts your vacation.

I also would tend to have some organization but don't overdo the planning because you need to enjoy yourself and if you have a strict itenerary that may take out some of the joy.

 

[daddyof2]

If you arrive with half a day, I suggest eating at Chef Mickeys or the Hoop de Doo. :

i should arrive about noon

this is great stuff

where should i dine at each park?
witch Character meals are worth it? bang for buck

 

[daddyof2]

also i will be staying at POP
if that helps

 

[philaround]

I just have to say that I am very happy that I am not making my first trip to Disney. My first trip was back in the first year WDW was open [just before the first anniversary]. Back then I had no real expectations and had a wonderful time. Today, what with all the wonderful information available on this and other sites, I think expectations for the trip would be quite high, leading to possible disappointment for the first time visitor. Having been more then 10 times since 1972 I have learned how to relax while at WDW and just go with the flow.

 

[daddyof2]

I have learned how to relax while at WDW and just go with the flow.

THAT is good advise i will try to do that

 

[honey11dog]

If your daughter wants to see the princesses, then I would go to the Princess Storybook in Norway at Epcot for breakfast. It is cheaper than Cinderella's Castle. My daughter really loved it.

Chef Mickey is a great place to see Mickey. It is located in the Contemporary Resort.

My kids enjoyed the food and atmosphere at the Liberty Tree Character Dining in the MK. Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Chip and Dale are some of the characters there. We made a 7:00pm reservation on our last night at Disney. When we finished our meal we walked right out on the steps and watched Spectromagic Parade. We didn't have to stake out a spot an hour before and wait. They kept the stairs to the restuarant open until right before the parade and then let only the people dining in the restaurant sit there.

But remember you do not need to do Character meals to see the Characters. Many of them including Cinderella and Mickey Mouse can be seen in Toontown at the MK. Each child/family gets to go up one by one to get a picture and an autograph. And it is all in an air conditioned building. And there are several other places in each park to meet the characters.

 

[stampinshauna]

I would have taken more pictures.

 

[my2boys1821]

I am having the same troubles deciding where to go the first day. We will be getting in around noon as well. But we are going in June! HOT HOT HOT

Anyway, my kids and dh have never ever been to WDW. And I want to start the magic off right away. So I have decided as of now that we are going to check in at ALL STAR MOVIES, check out the hotel, the pool, etc. and hit MK for dinner and the evening, maybe see WISHES . This way, we can start off with the Disney Magic! We will be there for 7 days so we will be making many trips back to the park to hit the rides we didn't hit the first night. But I really think hitting MK first will set the mood for the week.

 

[daddyof2]

bump

 

[Disneymucks]

my2boys1821 I am having the same troubles deciding where to go the first day. We will be getting in around noon as well. But we are going in June! HOT HOT HOT

Anyway, my kids and dh have never ever been to WDW. And I want to start the magic off right away. So I have decided as of now that we are going to check in at ALL STAR MOVIES, check out the hotel, the pool, etc. and hit MK for dinner and the evening, maybe see WISHES . This way, we can start off with the Disney Magic! We will be there for 7 days so we will be making many trips back to the park to hit the rides we didn't hit the first night. But I really think hitting MK first will set the mood for the week.

Ha Ha Ha we get there 3 days before you and are staying at all star movies too!!!!!!! Thats Funny!!!!

 

[Thierry444]

So will it be our fist time in August and we will do Epcot first because I don't want my son to cry all day long in Epcot asking me to go back in MK !!

 

[doodle]

Before our first trip I read in a travel book - do MK last or your kids might be letdown by the rest of the parks. So, we did Epcot, then AK, then MGM and then MK. I was glad we did it that way. While it is true nothing says DISNEY like MK I was glad we saved it for last.

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.

Try not to stress too much. The first trip is in many ways the best!!! Enjoy!