January 2014 trip

[jess4101]

I tossed the idea of planning a trip to Disney as a Christmas surprise for my kids (ages 4, 6, 7, and 8) and gave up hope.. Well I once again changed my mind and its too late to change it back! I'm deciding how to do it since we have so many kids, I am planning 3 days, 2 nights and probably staying at Disney because I think that is long enough for a first time trip. I'm planning to be there 7th-9th as the 9th is my son's 8th birthday too! Any and all planning advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[jess4101]

And we are driving from PA!

 

[luvallprincesses]

Congrats on going to Disney! We are also from PA, but are flyers. Are you going somewhere else in the area after driving all the way from PA for 3 days at WDW? I think I would be more exhausted/overwhelmed spending 3 days trying to fit everything in than, say 5 days, being able to take it slower. In 8 days in January we won't be able to do everything and we're veterans!

 

[MommelissaB]

We have our trip scheduled for January 17-24 and are staying at the Beach Club Villas. My husband, 2 daughters and I last were in Disney in May of 2011 and are so excited to return. This will be our first time at an Epcot resort. Our plans are to drive from Wisconsin.

 

[papamouse1]

Excited for you and your family to enjoy your 1st trip. Bottom line is, a 3 day trip to DL is doable, but a 3 day trip to try and get in all of WDW on your 1st trip there is probably not realistic. So if 3 days is what you have to do it in, you just need to manage your expectation. Decide which parks & experiences are most important. Do NOT try to do it all, because you will simply burn yourselves out and still fail to do what you are trying to do. If you are staying onsite, then for sure, use a reputable Disney Travel Specialist Agency that offers you help in planning. They are getting you the same rates as directly from Disney, but will give you a more hands-on experience and help in answering questions and giving tips.

WDW on your 1st trip is absolutely an overwhelming experience, even if you are staying a week. We love the fact that as we come back year after year, there are still new things for us to experience that we didn't get to before

 

[MommelissaB]

For a first timer, I think you've taken a step in the right direction by heading here and getting some information. There is a wealth of knowledge out there. Have you checked out any of the Disney podcasts? We listen to them in the car before our trips and on the road down. All of that might be a little overwhelming, but if you have specific questions or just like hearing/learning about Disney the more info you have, the better!

 

[jess4101]

Ultimately I've decided we are moving at the kids' pace... Day 1 we are going hang around DTD, have dinner, do some shopping and call it an early night and plan our other 2 days... The second day I want to do magic kingdom and third day animal kingdom since that's where we are staying and I don't know how long of a day we are going to make it. If we do nothing but take character pictures and ride a handful of rides I will be happy because its a trip to Disney!