Needing Help...New to this!

[Nikkidwj]

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this and needing a bit of help.
We are a family who has never been to Disney World.We would love to plan a trip but don't know where to start.
We would like to know if anyone can tell us the best time to visit and some of the best places to stay. We just need some place to start!
Our Son is 4 years old. If you can factor that into any of your suggestions it would be appreciated!

Nikki

 

[cslittle999]

Hi Nikki,

Coming here is a good place to start. Having a good trip to Disney is about during a fair amount of pre-planning and then not over doing in while your actually on vacation.

I'm going to recommend that you do some reading to start. When we were planning our first trip we bought a copy of PassPorter's Walt Disney World. It's a great book that provides lots of background information plus reviews of the rides, attractions and restaurants from both an adult and child's perspective. The other book you could get is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.

You have lots of decisions to make:

• when you're going
• how you're getting there
• how long to stay
• where to stay
• what kind of park tickets
• whether or not to get the dining plan
• book direct with Disney or get a travel agent

That's a pretty scary list and there are lots of choices.

I recommend going in the fall. The weather isn't quite as hot and the parks are as busy. Disney often offers discounts where they bundle free dining along with your stay. This can make the restaurants busy but they're offering the discount because in general the parks aren't. You do need to be careful to work around US holidays..

You profile doesn't say where in Canada you are. So I don't know if you're thinking about driving or flying. If you're going to fly, thinking about driving over the border and flying from a US airport. It can save a lot of money. One thing. You're going to need passports regardless if you fly or drive.

How long you stay is up to you. I recommend five to seven days.

I would stay on Disney property. It would give you that immersive Disney experience and make it easier to go back to the hotel for a break. There are Disney hotels to fit all budgets.

You'll have to read up on park tickets. The same with the dining plan.

I would book with a travel agency. Make sure that they are Disney specialists. Dreams Unlimited (a board sponsor) is a great agency that we used for our first two trips.

Feel free to ask lots of questions. Family the board can be helpful for advice on touring with a four year old.

One last thing. Take a look at this thread on commonly used abbreviations. It will make many of the threads easier to understand.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

You have definately come to the right place, everyone here will tell you that this is the only place to get Disney info. Like PP said you have to decide when you are going first, that will lay the foundation for the rest of your trip. We always go in Jan, we find the weather is great, not too hot and humid but very nice and hot enough to swim. The great thing is we are in Ontario so we get out of the nasty snow and cold. I would suggest you get the free Disney DVD by signing up on the Disney site. That will give you a basic overview of the World and a great tool to get everyone pumped to go. We get it every year and just watch it over and over.

We started going when our youngest son was the around the same age as yours, he will have a blast. His height is what determines if he can go on specific rides, check those restrictions before going to avoid disappointment. Where to stay? It all depends on how much you want to spend, Value, Moderate, Deluxe are how the hotels are broken out. The themeing at Values are geared towards more fun and kids IMHO. Lots of fun and the main pools are great. You probably will spend most of your time at the parks, this being your first time, so your hotel is a place to sleep and enjoy the pool. Staying on-site gives you acess to Disney Transportation and Extra Magic Hours, a time at the parks set aside for those that stay on site, usually before and after normal park hours.

The main thing is get yourself comfortable with the parks and the places you would like to see and plan towards them. Remember, you will not see everything in one trip. We have been blessed and lucky enough to have gone as much as we have and still have not seen everything. Enjoy planning, this is part of the fun.

Sorry for the long post, it just comes out when someone asks for Disney info.

Ask lots of questions, we are always willing to help if we can.

 

[casper_jj11]

There's definitely a lot to think about in planning the first trip. There's so much to do and see you really won't be able to do it all. It's a matter of making sure the things you really want to do get in a plan. Our son was 4 on our first trip and he loved it. I also recommend staying on site. I also recommend teh dining plan. We've had it each time and its well worth it. Also, don't forget to make dining reservations as soon as you know the dates (if reservations are open at that point). I loved the Unofficial Guide becaues it told me about all the rides, restaurants, etc. and I read it from cover to cover. My main source though was a website called TourGuideMike.com I've used his site for all four of our trips and the longest line we've stood in was 15min and that was only once. That includes trips during March Break, President Week, and July so during peak times. His site is more than worth the $20 or so it costs to join. If you arent sure of your dates, choose a date far in the future if you enroll and you can always change it when you know. The forums there are wonderful for planning.

 

[dancin Disney style]

There isn't much that I could add. The previous info is all great.

Ask lots of questions....we are a really friendly bunch.

 

[zarvgirl]

WDW is a fantastic family trip!

You have started with the right idea by coming to the disboards. I'm amazed by the # of people who have gone to Disney and don't know about the disboards. A wealth of info can be found here and great answers to your questions. Initially it can all be overwhelming but plug through it, the trip will be worth it.

Preplanning really is the best way to have a great trip. Knowing in advance what you would like to do and when really helps with line ups, showtimes, etc.

Our family of five loved staying on site (Pop Century was a great Value option).

The Dining Plan worked for us, this was my vacation too, I'm a SAHM and I didn't want to cook and clean!! ADR's are necessary to make, especially with the dining plan and this helped me with the planning of our days.

A stroller really was great, we used a double for a 2 and 7 year old. Made getting through parks great, and we could take a small cooler with cold drinks and snacks into parks. We were in a stroller swap but another budget option is several rental companies in Orlando.

Learn how to use Fastpasses. I marvel at people who don't know about these. They free up your time lots.

Afternoon breaks were really important for us. We would get up early go to the parks for opening, then have a break at resort to swim, nap, relax, in afternoons then often go back to a park for supper and some evening fun.

Have fun planning and then experiencing your WDW trip.

 

[lisalonglash]

I would book with a travel agency. Make sure that they are Disney specialists.

Everyone else has given you great information already, Nikki, but I would add that you should contact Fairytale Dreams & Destinations or another Disney-specialist travel agency - FD&D is a fantastic Disney-specialist Canadian travel agency (they're in Bolton, ON) and we have been extremely pleased with our experiences with them (as are many many others, both DISsers and not).

I know it's all very overwhelming at first - there's just too much information available online LOL! Using FD&D or another Disney-specialist travel agency really helps - they can answer all your questions, book everything for you (including your dining reservations, if you like) and are really knowledgeable about all things Disney, which helped me so much! Also, it doesn't cost you anything to use a Disney-specialist travel agency, Disney pays them.

The DISboards are a great source of information and support too - enjoy your planning!

 

[michelle1]

Welcome! The first thing you should do is figure out when you want to go. If you have flexibility I would suggest going in low season...crowd wise, it will make your first time more enjoyable. Second, figure out what you are willing to spend before you decide where you want to stay then look at resorts in your price range (assuming you are staying onsite). If possible, since it's your first trip, allow enough time on your vacation to enjoy Disney without feeling rushed to do everything. For example, if you have only 5 days and plan to go to all parks you will wear yourselves out...it's nice to have time to do the parks, relax at the resort, shop etc without killing yourselves. As far as the dining plan goes...it depends on how much your family eats and if you want to have booked meal times. We are not big eaters and usually share meals (those American restaurants give such large portions!) so unless we are on the free dining promotion we don't bother with it. If you enjoy a good sit down meal or you want to experience some character meals it would be good value. Have fun planning!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Don't do the commando vacation.....the kind that you MUST see and do absolutely everything....because you can't. You can always come back again and see more.

A great time to go is in late January early February. It's very quiet then in terms of crowds. The weather is nice, when you come from the north, but it's not hot.

 

[DonaldDC]

These are all great points. I found allears.net to be a very useful site and easy to navigate.

If you plan on bringing your own stroller and can afford it I suggest staying at a disney resort that does not depend solely on the bus system. I.E. Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Yacht/Beach Club are some of my favourites. Loading and unloading a stroller everytime on the bus can be a lot of work (especially at the end of the day when your arms are loaded down with all the great Disney Souvenirs) The flip side to that is renting a stroller, but that can be costly and then your little one will need to walk in to the parks or be carried. Oh so much to think about!!!

My last comment is consider what the interests of your son would be. The first time with our oldest (3 at the time) we spent a lot of time meeting characters and watching shows. This past January (age 4) he was more interested in rides and the action shows i.e. Indiana Jones, Lights, Motors, Action - stunt car show. Both were great experiences but very different. If you have the opportunity explore each park for a day and let him pick the one park that he wants to go back to on your fifth day. Our son really enjoyed choosing his own park and doing his favourite activities again!

Enjoy your trip!