Leaving for Disney this weekend...suddenly so nervous!!

[jmkrat]

Just relax and go in knowing you will have a good time. We've been at Disney during Spring Break, Easter and New Year's Eve when crowds are at the heaviest and always had a great time and saw and did everything we wanted. We even did most things without a FP You will have a great time.

 

[MinnieMe129]

I get the same way. We go 3-4 times a year, and I ALWAYS feel that way. My DH gave me some wonderful advice the last time I was there with DD and my parents when I called him from Fantasyland in a stressed out frenzy -

"Enjoy what you are doing, don't stress about what you are not".

I said this to myself several times throughout the trip and it worked! I get so caught up in what we are doing next, that I forget to just stop and ENJOY my dd and what we are doing.

Have fun!!

 

[Bugdozer]

It is easy to become overwhelmed if you micro manage every aspect of your trip. Go in with the attitude that no matter what you do you will not be able to do everything as WDW is a huge vast property and even after all my trips I can still find things to do that I have never done.

This time of year should be good. I leave on Saturday and the crowd levels look very doable next week. Most local schools are still in session and most of the country is still in school including many colleges.

My advise is to prepare for the HEAT!!! I can't stress enough how bad 90 degrees and humidity can be. Makes people tired and cranky. Allow your self time for breaks in an air condition place. Could be a sit down meal, an attraction like smallworld or even sitting at a table in a counter service place to allow everyone to cool down. If staying on property you could even take a break at your room to cool off.

More then likely it will rain. It is how Florida works. Closer to the summer better chances for those afternoon storms. We bring cheap ponchos from like the dollar store with us to save money and just throw them away after a day of use. Don't let the rain ruin your fun. Many years ago I was there during Tropical storm Fay when we got over 15 inches of rain in 4 days. It was one of my most memorable trips. While everyone else was misserable we were laughing and having a blast. I have awesome videos of the kids under Spaceship Earth which is a wind tunnel normally but was even more so and they were leaning hard forward and would not fall down it was so windy. They loved it and laughed so much. It flooded over by the land pavilion and I have photos of the boys with water up to their ankles. They still talk about it years later.

Don't know the ages of your daughters but even when our boys were as young as 7 we let them in on the daily planning. I know everyone swears by touring plans and so on but the night before each day we would discuss with the kids what they might like to do. We would say something like we have dinner in Japan so we need to be in EPCOT by x time. Do you want to go there all day or do something else in the morning (if you have hoppers). They really loved it and they felt excited to help figure the day out.

Have fun! Be flexible, go with the flow and as I always tell people ANY day at Disney is better then a day at home

 

[bjakmom]

You have received such great advise here! I have watched and known many people who literally ruin a disney vacation trying to do too much - I have done it myself in earlier years. The place is monstrous - you cannot do it all in one trip.
My trick (I also have a non-WDW-loving DH) is to make all my plans, know what I want to do when, but not tell everyone else in the group too much too far in advance. That way when something goes in a direction that I hadn't planned, I can pretend everything is just as it should be anyway (which, in the end, it always is, right? lol). I learned from the days when I dragged everyone else down going "oh no, look at that line!!" - now I just say, 'hey does anyone want to wait for this, or shall we move on?' I have learned that my DGrD10 would rather go to a park early in the morning, then leave the park after lunch to hit the pool - the pool parties at the resorts are seriously her most favorite thing right now.
I go to WDW several times a year with different family members/ages each trip. What a pp said is very true - I truly do not like this new system - but I have a filter of what I expect that makes me feel more negative about it than most would. On my last trip in Jan we had dreadful experiences with our MBs and the FP+ system - I would still not give up my precious memories of DGrD2 dancing with Cinderella at Park Faire, watching her face as we rode through IASW, taking my DD to the spa one afternoon, playing in the sand while watching the evening movie, etc., etc.
You will have a fabulous time if you stay in the moment and don't build up big expectations that will make you feel like you're 'loosing out' if they are not met. Have fun! Relax! Enjoy the magic - it's still alive and well!!

 

[SillySallySews]

There's a lot of helpful information on these boards, but definitely take most of what you read here with a grain of salt. People are way more likely to share a negative experience than they are to share a positive one. Plus only a tiny fraction of all the people who have been to Disney recently actually post about their trip here. I've been watching wait times on MDE today and yesterday and if those are the averages during your trip you'll be able to accomplish a lot. Stay positive, keep your plans flexible, and have a great trip!

 

[Mitzicat]

For those arriving this weekend - which resorts? If you happen to be at Port Orleans Riverside....look for the window with Tink and her Fairy friends - thats me! Tink will be celebrating Spring and the Flower and Garden Festival.

And don't worry...remember relax, laugh, have fun. So you don't make it to the second ride on Pirates - the world is not going to end. If the kids want to eat ice cream for breakfast - let them! I have been going to Disney since I was a toddler...and know the parks like the back of my hand. The worst thing I see in the parks is parents yanking screaming kids through the park telling them how their meltdown is ruining the entire vacation. To quote my favorite movie... "Are you crying? There's no crying at Disney! <in baseball!>

I never use touring plans, I do have ADRs, but counter service we eat at odd times (avoids the rush). Don't force kids to eat...its Disney...they are so engrossed by what is going on around them that they forget to do simple things like eat!

Stop and smell the roses! Visit all the nooks and crannies in the countries at Epcot.

Bottom line...go and have fun. And remember give Dad some experiences...a beer or two in Epcot if he likes that!