New couple to WDW and need help :)

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Hello! My fiance and I are planning our first trip to WDW in December and we're a bit overwhelmed at where to begin. I've been spending a few days flipping through threads and trying to gather information - but there's just SO much information that I'm not sure what to do with it.

I heard a few people mention "discount codes" that haven't been released yet for December 2007. I'm not even sure how to get the codes. Does everyone book through Disney.com? The Disney Dining Plan seems like such a good value from what I've read. The only thing I noticed is that booking airfare through Disney is much more expensive.

We want to stay at the Caribbean Resort but we're really not sure how to begin the process. I'm going to pick up the Unofficial Guide to Disney later tonight but we would very much appreciate any tips.

Oh, it's just the two of us going - we don't have any children. Thank you so much for reading and have a magical day!

 

[TheLastPrincess]

to the DIS!

My piece of advice: get to know Disney.com. Peruse their restaurant info, and make a list of the ones you want to try. The Dining Plan is GREAT if you plan on having a table service meal each day....but not worth it if you don't. If you DO decide you want the Dining Plan, when you call to book your trip, tell them you also want to make your dinner reservations!!! Reservations are a MUST!!!

 

[smylie1]

I was in your boat last year! It feels so overwelming. I bought both the "Official" and the "Unofficial" guides to Disney at Barnes and Noble. I have notes written in the margins, dog-eared pages, and a notebook sectioned off for Park info., Dining info, Resort info., etc. Then I read everything I could on allearsnet.com, intercot.com, and mousesavers.com. If you google "Disney information", it gives you lots of sites. Things started to make sense. It seems like an incomprehensable mountain of information, but I promise, once you dive in, it starts to sort itself out. THEN, when I had specific questions narrowed down, I posted them here. EVERYONE was extemely helpful. My advice on posting, be sure and "search" your question and see if it has been asked in the past. If so, you don't have to wait for responses, their already there!

Everyone is right though, your first trip will be a learning experience. I can't wait to go back in January now that I'm a little more familiar with the lay of the land.

 

[stitchlover]

You might want to check into the Passporter book also. I use both those and the unofficial guide and they are my two favorites. Do you have any real specific questions we can answer for you? Feel free to PM me.

 

[WDWCastMember]

Research disney.com and also you can email Disney with questions and always call the reservation line with resort questions and/or concerns too....have a great trip!

 

[LMO429]

My boyfriend and I went to WDW 2x last year. The first time we went it was a bit overwhelming!! Esp because my boyfriend had NO INTEREST in going to the world!!! and did nothing to contribute to helping me with the planning He is truly a guys guy Football Football Football Baseball Baseball Baseball Etc etc......But by the second time we went that same guy was on one knee proposing to me on Main Street!!! So much for not liking disneyworld....!!!!

Great idea on getting the Unofficial Guide to WDW it helped me alot. I didnt discover the disboards until my second trip so you are even one step ahead of me.

once you get the unofficial guide read up on all the restaurants and decide which ones you think you want to go to...then go to www.*****************
and figure out based on the crowd calendar what parks to go to on what days. Make a little mini spread sheet...this is what I would do:

this is just an example:

Day of
the Week Park Avoid This parks

Monday MGM MK

Tues MK EP

Etc etc

Once you determine what days you want to go to what park: then decide where you would like to make your ADR (Advance Dining Reservations)

So lets say I know Im def going to MGM on Monday...Maybe for lunch I would make ADR at the Sci FI...and then for dinner I would make reservations at the Hollywood Brown Derby....or do a fantasmic dinner package.

If for some reason on monday you dont go to MGM you can always cancel the adr when you get there so someone else can have your spot.


I think if you just do the two steps I mentioned above it will get you started and shouldnt be too overwhelming.


Going to WDW as a couple is great!!! You are going to have a fantastic time!!!!

 

[LMO429]

Hey i realized my post is a little confusing! because my spreadsheet got messed up somehow...sorry anyway

the website is *****************

 

[LMO429]

ok i am going coo koo!!! I guess you are not suppose to write that website for some reason!! I apologize

 

[belle09]

My bf and I went this past may, and I know exactly what you mean about feeling totally overwhelmed by everything that's out there. It was the first time either of us had gone without our families planning everything, and he's not much of a planner, so I ended up doing pretty much all of it. We stayed at the CBR and LOVED it. The beachy atmosphere is awesome -- I loved the little beaches and hammocks all over the place. The king room we were in was really nice -- corner room with two sets of windows, and very spacious. We ended up booking through AAA because the cost was the same as through Disney (sometimes they have discounts that make it cheaper) and there were a few extra perks, like a free photopass photo. However, none of my room requests were met, and I'm not sure if that was just because it was crowded (Memorial Day weekend) or if it was because of booking through AAA and not directly.

We didn't do the DDP, mostly because neither of us is a huge eater -- there's no way I could have an appetizer, main, dessert and speciality drink every night. I'm not sure we ended up spending that much less than we would have on the DDP, but it worked for us. As far as restaurants go, my absolute favorite of the trip was LeCellier in Epcot (but we didn't try that many TS places). Definitely make ADRs (I would say no more than one a day, but not everyone agrees with me) and use the boards here for advice. People are great about giving their opinions on different places.

I thought the Unofficial Guide was really helpful. Depending on whether the time in December you're going is crowded, try out the touring plans. I thought it would be annoying to have a step by step plan of where to go in each park, but if you just take them as a general suggestion, not as requirements, they work out really well. I don't think we ever waited more than half an hour in line.

For plane flights, I use kayak.com because it lets you compare the prices on a bunch of different websites and then go to the one you want to buy tickets from.

Hope this helps, and that you have a wonderful vacation!

 

[YetiSlayer]

I also would suggest picking up Passporter with the Unofficial Guide tonight. It's good for organizing reservation numbers and other info you'll pick up along the way. The Passporter includes great park maps that I like to laminate and carry with us in the park. I also like listening to the DIS Unplugged Podcast. Go back into the archives for resort and dining information and recommendations.

Most of all have a great trip! I'm planning our third visit and I'm still learning as the World is ever changing.

 

[Jrabbit910]

Hi Mermaid_Ariel & welcome to the boards. I think your doing great so far... Your on Dis & your asking questions.. As stated from Previous Posters (pp) check out Disneys travel website; you can also see what they recommend for "adults only"- rides, resturants yatta yatta yatta....
you can browse thru thier restaurants &look on the menus here to see if there is something that intrests you... u and your DF can make reservations on where you really want to eat... if you think your unsure about something you can always change your mind just call and cancel... (being there your first time might overwhelm you and you may get side tracked w/ time)...

As for the codes, if there is one, someone usually posts them up on Dis... just keep checking on the resorts boards... also you can check out the photo section on dis and look thru posters pictures of your resorts... You picked a great one...

And last but not least... I do book thru disney most of the time but I NEVER book airfare thru them. You are still getting your perks by staying at a resort and using the Magical Express bus (me) so dont worry about that.

It will all come together for you... just relax and enjoy your planning... your doing a great job!

 

[kelleigh1]

* I'm another fan of the Passporter.

* I would suggest booking airfare separate. You can probably find better rates if you do it on your own instead of going through disney.com

* There are several ways to book your trip, but sooner is probably better than later - especially depending on when exactly in December you want to go. We are going the last week of November and I honestly booked last August because we knew when we wanted to go and because we booked through AAA in order to get the package discount - and I didn't want to take the chance on not getting the discount. (With any discounts, there are only a limited number of rooms available at the discounted rate, so you usually don't want to wait.)

Ways to book:
- disney.com
- call Disney travel (I'll find that number for your)
- a Travel Agent (note: there are "Disney Specialists", but not all of them know as much as they might like you to think they know, so that's why these boards are a gold mine.)

* You mentioned that you want to stay at CBR. I recommend safetymom's CBR FAQ thread. It has some great info about the resort. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=655543


Feel free to PM me (once you have enough posts to allow you to PM) with any general questions. I'd be happy to help and/or to point you in the right direction.

Try not to let these boards overwhelm you. Eventually it will all make sense to you and you'll be talking just like the rest of us instead of trying to figure out what we all mean.

And just in case you didn't know, the DIS isn't just the message boards. There is a whole wealth of information through the main part of this site which is www.wdwinfo.com

 

[burberryplaid]

Welcome!

I also wanted to point you to mousesavers.com and allears.net both sites have great info. When new discount codes are releases, you'll find both sites will list them there.

The Unofficial Guide and Passporter are your friends!

The Disney Tips thread on here is very helpful, as are is the Resorts and Transportation threads.

It can be ovewhelming, but if you go step by step you'll figure it out and you'll be a pro in no time!

Happy Planning!!

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate from the bottom of my heart all the wonderfully detailed responses and recommendations from all of you! It's so refreshing to find a group of people that are so kind and thoughtful and don't get impatient at newbie questions! Thank you all so much!

Anyway, it does seem like I have much more homework to do! But, at least I have good places to start! I definitely agree with you all that it'll start to organize itself out once I start understanding what's what - and hey, practice makes perfect, right? I definitely want to make this a yearly trip.

Thank you again, everyone! You're all fabulous and made my day!

 

[smylie1]

When you are deciding on restaurants, be sure and check out their menu online. You can google the restaurant or go to allearsnet.com. They have the whole list. That way you can see if they serve food your family will actually enjoy if they do not like to be adventurous and try new things. We went to Coral Reef in Epcot. LOVED the atmosphere, and I loved the food, but my DS13 was less than impressed.