Newbie going in 12 days-- what the heck was i thinking!!!???

[xtinewashere]

okay- i booked a trip and haven't been doing any research. i sort of regret that now.. i have a tonne of homework about this trip and i am worried that we won't get the most out of our visit because of lack of planning.

so- what are some things i need to know? any quick tips? i'll be reading thru this message board but time is of the essence.

just some background- going with my hubby and 3 kids.. ages 10, 8, and 4. we're staying at port orleans and have the meal plan. my eldest is a picky eater and will only eat chicken nuggets, hot dogs and plain pasta. i have already viewed the restaurants and discovered that dining might not be too adventurous for us. i was thinking of ordering supplementary food from a delivery service to the hotel.. ie. pedisure.

i have managed to book a few restaurants but we'd like to keep most of our plans open. i did a princess character brunch for the 4 yr old girl.. (in total princess phase)...

but what else do i need to know? am i insane for doing this so last minute??!! i'm starting to panic... i kind of want to enjoy myself without a tonne of homework and pressure.. is that possible??!!

 

[cmrdgrs]

Based on the time of the year you are going, yes I think you can have a great time without getting over fixated on planning.

Do you have FP+ book on your MBs?

 

[crazybetty00]

In my opinion, you picked the perfect time of year to go without planning.

We're leaving in 10 days, and we usually go in late January because the crowds are incredibly low. That should make winging it as you go a little easier for you guys.

Have you looked into FastPass+ on your Magic Bands? You can book 3 rides each day ahead of time, which could ensure you definitely get to see the top picks for your kids.

Do you have an idea of what park you want to visit each day? I usually figure that out ahead of time, and now that's extra important with FastPass+.

You're going to have an AMAZING time!!

 

[siskaren]

Do you have FP+ booked on your MBs?

First of all, nothing is "on" the Magic Bands; the Magic Bands are just a way to access the information on your My Disney Experience account.

Second, although I normally have no issue with using abbreviations (heck, I do it all the time), since the OP has just booked her first trip, I'm guessing she's not familiar with terms like FP+ (Fast Pass+) and MBs (Magic Bands).

I would highly recommend that the OP read the first post in each of these threads:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3326057

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3171914

 

[xtinewashere]

thanks all! don't have the MB yet.. but i am going to call my travel agent in a few minutes (they open at 11) so i can get our res number.. with that, i think i can go online a book a whole bunch of stuff.

i want to keep plans sort of loose.. but we did print out a schedule of the parks and what is open for extended hours, where the fireworks are etc.. so we have loosely planned a different park or parks each day.. we've left the last few days open totally.

i think we'll book some fast passes in advance, but i also want to leave some options for when we're there... i am hoping we can go with the flow. as hard is that is for my nature, i don't want to stress. if we have to wait in line, we will but i am hoping that we can stay at the parks late and use off hours to our advantage.

ps- is it worth booking a dinner show? i'm on the fence about that one.

 

[Candleshoe]

thanks all! don't have the MB yet.. but i am going to call my travel agent in a few minutes (they open at 11) so i can get our res number.. with that, i think i can go online a book a whole bunch of stuff.

i want to keep plans sort of loose.. but we did print out a schedule of the parks and what is open for extended hours, where the fireworks are etc.. so we have loosely planned a different park or parks each day.. we've left the last few days open totally.

i think we'll book some fast passes in advance, but i also want to leave some options for when we're there... i am hoping we can go with the flow. as hard is that is for my nature, i don't want to stress. if we have to wait in line, we will but i am hoping that we can stay at the parks late and use off hours to our advantage.

ps- is it worth booking a dinner show? i'm on the fence about that one.

You should consider booking all the FP+s in advance. You don't have to use them but they're there if you need them.

The dinner shows can be expensive but I like them. We're booked for HDDR next trip -- special occasion is the nephew's birthday.

 

[esmee1sttip]

thanks all! don't have the MB yet.. but i am going to call my travel agent in a few minutes (they open at 11) so i can get our res number.. with that, i think i can go online a book a whole bunch of stuff.

i want to keep plans sort of loose.. but we did print out a schedule of the parks and what is open for extended hours, where the fireworks are etc.. so we have loosely planned a different park or parks each day.. we've left the last few days open totally.

i think we'll book some fast passes in advance, but i also want to leave some options for when we're there... i am hoping we can go with the flow. as hard is that is for my nature, i don't want to stress. if we have to wait in line, we will but i am hoping that we can stay at the parks late and use off hours to our advantage.

ps- is it worth booking a dinner show? i'm on the fence about that one.

We enjoyed the Hoop-dee-Doo Review but I am not sure how well a 4 year old will do. I imagine it would depend on the child. Have you considered Whispering Winds Cafe in the Wilderness lodge? It isn't a dinner show but the staff are really entertaining and involve the patrons (and especially the kiddos).

If you are worried about the lack of planning, I would recommend at least checking which park is going to have the lowest crowd and try to plan on going there that day. I would also suggest to consider printing some of the free touring plans for family with small children. You don't have to follow them but they would be nice to have if you encounter long wait times, etc. As for fast passes, they were nice to have for the busy rides like Toy story mania and Belle's house (or even some of the character meet and greets like the princesses). I would at least book those type of rides and not worry too much about the others. In Feb, most of the fast passes only shaved off a few minutes of our time. Otherwise, I would incorporate breaks at or away from the park so the kids can run around, roll or climb (or swim at the hotel ). Good luck

 

[xtinewashere]

Hey All-- Just getting back to this message board after a lot of busy months. We never ended up taking our trip.. My son got very ill and we had to cancel through insurance. It was such a stressful time and I am just glad my son is doing ok. We have rescheduled our trip for the fall.. so after a very long wait- we are going in 27 days! We have done a lot more planning, got FD and are now going for 10 days!! So excited!! Thanks all for your words of encouragement!! What was a really scary and sad time, has ended up ok-- things like this remind me that everything always seems to happen for a reason. Hugs to you all for your help!!

 

[patchrick]

Get to the parks when they open, ride everything.

Go back to your hotel after lunch to take a nap or use the pools.

Go back to the parks in the evening for more rides, less crowds and fireworks!

 

[Vivianne]

Hi there! About the magicbands I think you can get them at the hotel when you arrive. They may not be customized by color (you'll most likely get gray) but it will be good to have them. I agree book your fastpasses in advance. I see you have a Travel Agent, if they're knowledgeable they'll help you with that too.

At the Port Orleans, if you have the time, you can take the boat there to Downtown Disney. That's one of the advantages of that location. But some would pass on it since its still not complete.

One of the perks of staying onsite is EMH. Some love the EMH = Extra Magic Hours in the morning, usually one hour before opening. It depends on the family, some people love to sleep late on vacation. Others, like me prefer the evening EMH. Which opens later for those staying at the Disney hotels this happens on different days. You need to check the calendar of park hours on the MDE. The ages of your children may be a factor in choosing which one. The Disney app where you have details of your trip also shows the park hours for a particular day.

Also, I use allearsnet.com to check out activities happening for the Month I'm visiting & decide which park and when if EMH matters to you.


About food, I think most restaurants cater to the discriminating child. However, you can check menus in advance on MDE and the allears website.

Oh, I just read your last post. All the best to your son.

Enjoy your trip....there's always a next time for whatever you miss. ​

 

[skying004]

woo!!