If you knew then.....

:earsboy: My most important tip is "Don't rush through the magic to stay on the plan."

If your kids are having the most wonderful moment doing whatever, it really is fine to slow down and skip something else. Like a couple of other people mentioned, we kind of separate our plans each day into categories. Ours are the "top three" (the one thing that is most important to each of us) the "tentative plans" (the other things we tentatively plan to do) and "the fluff" (random ideas we might do if we have time).

:earsboy: My second tip is "Do something with your pictures after you get home."

Make a scrapbook, a collage frame, whatever...just do it while the memories are fresh and before the magic wears off.
 
Most people overpack... I rarely travel with more than a carry on, even for trips as long as 10 days or more. If there is a minimal chance I will use/need it, I don't bring it. If I do need something I can always buy it and paying resort prices for a thing here and there is not going to break the bank...and it keeps me from lugging to the airport massive amounts of things I probably don't need and won't use.

Use Uber when needed. Inexpensive and saves a lot of time.

Use RAC when leaving but skip DME and take a rideshare or car service. Gives you 2 more hours on departure day whether that is more park time or more sleep time!

As most others have mentioned, don't waste your time in standby lines. We never get in a line of over 30 minutes and never miss out on anything we want. Use MDE to get same day fastpasses and use the Lines app (from Touring Plans) to see what real wait times are and where/when fastpasses are available.

I guess that is more than one thing...

Have a great time and look for us, we arrive in 4 days... We will be the one family that refuses to wear matching t-shirts!
 
The atmosphere of the park is more important than any single ride. Especially during a busy time of year, don't feel like you MUST see every attraction or the trip is a waste. Use your FPs, and do your best to hit your must-see attractions, but the real magic of Disney World is the world itself. Personally, I would rather spend a day walking around and drinking in the sights and themeing, popping into the less-crowded attractions and taking time to tour some of the great hotels, rather than stress about not being able to do EVERYTHING. The goal isn't to check things off of a list - it's to have fun and to live in the magic!
 
To add to the above:

Disregard many of the people who say you must do this or shouldn't do that. I made the mistake of confusing anonymous disboarder opinions and speculations with fact.

Expect the ordinary/close to nothing and be pleasantly surprised by better. Especially with customer service, the age of the grounds, closures, weather. Your experience has innumerable variables.

Be prepared for how overwhelmingly large the property is. Even after watching videos and studying maps it's really easy to get lost or confused. When there are not cast members visible for help I hop in the nearest foodline to ask. Figure those cast members will inform management that more guidance staff is needed. The app is helpful for directions too.

Security is serious business there. Transportation can be slow. Give yourself time. Take your original plan and reduce it for ease and relaxation-especially if you have children with you! It helps to know where transit is and how it works in advance.

Almost nothing has a price on it. They use colors.

Go where the crowds aren't, and ask questions. A lot of people don't know what they are doing.

Expect rude selfish people and have a plan for coping. For example, when people hog tables at establishments in order to have a view or seat for entertainment. We used a trashcan in MK as a hightop table instead and tried to laugh about it.

Take restaurant reviews/popularity with a grain of salt. Your impression/experience will vary based on the day, time, and what kind of food you are used to. (Those from places with limited options are likely to be more impressed, as are those with a more simplistic palate). Look at menus for pricing. Take advantage of reservations, mobile ordering, etc. I recommend Disney Springs for the most bang for your buck.

Relax and have fun! People on here can make it seem way too serious. ;)
 

We just came back a couple of weeks ago from our first visit, we were there 5 days. We had a great time and I am sure you will too! The one thing we did not do that I wish we had was schedule in some rest time, or a rest day.
 
Almost nothing has a price on it. They use colors.
Could you elaborate? I've been to WDW a lot and my experience has been that if something's for sale, the price is evident.

Expect rude selfish people and have a plan for coping.
I understand what you mean, but, for me, I expect people to be nice and, in general, they are. I've had innumerable wonderful encounters with people at WDW--and that's what I expect.
 
Hello! Hard to believe it was 11 months ago when I was posting asking for suggestions on where to stay. We are 4 sleeps away from getting to POFQ. cannot wait.

So I thought, if there were any helpful hints for a first timer to WDW that you would consider sharing. I wasn't sure where this belonged, so if it needs to be moved, so be it.

What 1 tip you wish you had known about for your first visit?

Thanks!

Chose a nap over sleeping in.

It's vacation so a lot of people like to sleep in, I love that they do so we can take advantage of lower crowds in the morning.

I'm not a fan of Disney transportation but we still use it. Allow pleanty of time when using it. We Uber quite a bit. Add an hour to wherever your going on a bus and sometimes you'll be really early but most times you'll be right on time ..... once in a while you'll be late :(.

Use DME your first trip, then decided side next time if it's for you.

And lastly, I'm super jealous of you right now, first time is by far my favorite trip, enjoy! :)
 
Leave the in-laws at home.

Seriously though, Understand that Disney parks are 'theme' parks, not 'thrill' parks. Most of our best experiences do not involve rides, or even the shows. They involve taking time to enjoy the ambiance and absorbing the magic.
 
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If there's a ride you really want to do again and you've used up your 3 FP+s, keep refreshing the app. On three different days last week I was able to score day-of FP+s for FoP, including one I scored only an hour before the FP+ time. All 3 of these FP+s were procured on days when the standby queue was between 3 and 4 hours long. In fact, one of the FP+s was gotten when the posted standby time was 5 hours. My point is that you never know. Keep trying. And, BTW, FoP is amazing.

I second this. I checked the FP website 6-8 times every day for my 30 day FP window and never saw an FOP I could use. Then I got to ride it 3 times using FPs while I was in the parks.

And having pre-planned FPs are great for some of the big rides, but especially in MK I enjoy not getting any ahead of time and then just grabbing them as I walk by them. I know that you can do that once you get past your first 3, but I just liked walking in and grabbing even the first FP as I was walking past something. On my most recent trip, I had lots of first time experiences .. most of them were the fact that I got FPs for rides I thought I would never FP! IASW, Pooh, Under the Sea, Tea Cups, Dumbo, Buzz Lightyear .... I was able to grab them while I was tapping into the last one. While you can sometimes skip a 70 minute wait with one FP, if I can skip 5 15 minute waits as I'm walking along, I'll take that too! :)

OH, and definitely stop and grab a snack if it hits your fancy. Don't think "I'll just come back" .... that's tiring! You'll be happier that you just grabbed it when you did. If you don't like it, can you imagine what you'll feel if you had to walk all the way back to it to get something you didn't like? LOL
 
Could you elaborate? I've been to WDW a lot and my experience has been that if something's for sale, the price is evident.

Most items have a color on them instead of a price. Watch a recent shop video on YouTube for visuals. There are guides to the color pricing posted on shelves, but you have to hunt a bit sometimes. If you aren't expecting it confusion is possible, which is why I would alert a first timer to it. It has been that way since I started going in 2016.
 
Most items have a color on them instead of a price. Watch a recent shop video on YouTube for visuals. There are guides to the color pricing posted on shelves, but you have to hunt a bit sometimes. If you aren't expecting it confusion is possible, which is why I would alert a first timer to it. It has been that way since I started going in 2016.

I have never noticed this. Maybe I don't buy much stuff!
 
There is nothing wrong with chilling at the playground. Our first trip the kids wanted to play at all of them and I had issues with paying $$$ per day for them to play on a playground. But my kids are apparently happy when they have time to just run and play. We didn't make it to Tom Sawyer's Island for 3-4 years and they love it now.
 
No advice but I wanted to say how excited I am for your first trip. Please let us know how it went you get get back home. :earsboy:
 
Be cautious with your ADRs, especially character meets. I've found nothing more maddening than trying to cram in a bunch of expensive meals so kids can get 10 seconds with a princess or a suit. ADRs for non-character meals are a lot easier to get and the meals tend to be better, too.

Buf if you gotta do one, do Crystal Palace.

I'd rent a car. There may be some stress in driving, but to me it's a lot better than waiting and dealing with busses. Nothing ruins vacations faster than dealing with WDW transportation.

And take more pictures on your own, and don't think that PhotoPass is catching the whole trip. It's a great thing, but as I was putting together a book of our vacations, I was amazed at how many of the photos we'd gotten from WDW seemed the same. I don't love the way phones and pictures have taken over our society, but as long as you have them, try and get some more casual shots when you can. It'll be worth it in the long run.
 
I buy a fair amount of stuff and most, if not all, of it has prices marked like anywhere else.

Pins, jewelry and small item kinda stuff will have colored tags. A green dot on the pin with the word green on it is an example.

Piscesmama (OP) make sure to take the boat from your resort to Disney Springs, it's a great perk for where your staying.
 
Hope for some cancellations, but I would try for a dining package to Fantasmic and River of Lights shows. You get reserved seating for the shows that way. You have to eat anyway; so, get a package and enjoy reserved seating.

Take in a Disney tour. I love the behind the scenes tours.

We love early extra magic hours. I couldn't believe how much we accomplished each day doing this in our December trip this year. We took an afternoon nap and then returned to a park for the evening.

Don't forget about the street, live entertainment in each park. Don't miss DeVine in Animal Kingdom Park, for example.
 
Be in the moment. My favorite memories of our early trips was sitting on a bench talking about which attractions to use those precious E Tickets for. The time spent together, laughing and having fun meant more in the long run than any specific attractions we rode. Focus on what makes a vacation fun for your family and have a great time.
 
Don't underestimate how important it is to get to the parks before opening. Especially on a first trip, when you want to experience a lot of the attractions, it is incredible how much you can get done in the first hour or two.

In the same theme, do not plan a meal during the first hour or two of park opening. Either have an early breakfast before, or a small snack and late breakfast later.
 
On the night you first arrive in the area, don't drink any soda or coffee that contains caffeine. Get a good night's sleep, and then if you want caffeine, have it any time after the first night.
 


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