Oh, the pressure! Help motivate me

[jenypooh]

Help!

My husband and I head to WDW for our first time next week. I grew up on DLand but have never been to the World and I guess I didn't know how much planning went into it.

I've been on these boards a lot, have read Birnabaums(sp?), Foders, Frommers, Un-Offical Guide (I'm a librarian, I tend to over read) and know I'm going at a busy time, that there's certain times to be at certain rides/shows/restaurants and now I'm so nervous and scared that I'm going to miss something or get in line for Space Mountain/Splash Mountain/TOT at the wrong time and waste the entire day in that one line or not see a Must-See or any other events.

Help motivate me because right now I'm wishing we'd chosen Hawaii.

The pressure! The pressure!

Jeny

 

[twinmomto3boys]

You are going to love Disney World and chances are - you will NEVER see and do it all. So as long as you are having fun don't worry about missing something.

Just be very familiar with FastPass.

 

[BrianD]

First of all take a deep breath. You are going to enjoy your vacation, not be stressed out by it. How many days will you be there?

 

[snuggles]

Just try and relax. Pre trip jitters are normal and I'm sure you will have a great time. Our weather channel says its nice and warm in Orlando too. Try not to worry too much about staying on a schedule. Sometimes the best trips are when you just wing it.

 

[jenypooh]

We'll be there for 4 nights @ POFQ and will be there Saturday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.

I'm breathing....in, out, in, out....

The added pressure is that this is our delayed Honeymoon and I so want it to go well as we waited and saved to go to Disney!

Jeny

 

[twinmomto3boys]

Jeny,
Hi - me again. Don't stress. Since you are staying on property try and take advantage of early entry also. Think FastPass, Fastpass.

 

[BrianD]

I'm assuming you mean you are going down there this Saturday afternoon.

Do you have a tentative schedule laid out? I have you made PS's?

 

[jenypooh]

Actually, we're there next Saturday.

I have a tentative plan-- arrive Sat, relax, look around. Sun-MK for Early Entry, Mon-Epcot, Tues-MGM, Wed-?? we have until 4PM on Wed to do ?? I have a feeling we'll be back at Epcot or MK for a few hours. I realize we won't see the Animal Kingdom. We have PS @ Boma so we'll at least see the AKL. It just wasn't in the stars, I don't think.

But I second guess my plan all the time. Then on Sun do we go to Space Mtn or just the opposite and head left into one of the other lands while everyone is hip-checking to get to Space Mtn? See....argh!....

Jeny

 

[BrianD]

I think you have a good plan. You really won't be there long enough to do all 4 parks, so leaving one out is a good idea. As for your MK plan, I would actually recommend heading to Splash Mountain & Big Thunder Mountain first and then head over into Fantasyland. You can fastpass your way through Tomorrowland later in the day. And I think that the parks are going to be as crowded as you are thinking. Attendance is definitely down due to war fears.


Have a wonderful trip! I was just there last week and I'm already counting the days until our next trip!

 

[jamsmom]

I hope you have a FANTASTIC time. The wonderful thing about not getting every thing done is it gves you a reason to go back again ...and again....and again....and again.....

 

[btuftee]

Do NOT stress over planning your Disney vacation! In my own personal experience, I tend to over-plan the details, and then end up changing everything on the fly. I'm second-guessing my own plans right now as well... it's quite understandable.

Don't worry too much about getting in line at the wrong time. There's always Fastpass, and going early is a big plus. Also, crowds should be moderate, not heavy, so you'll probably be able to do most of what you want to do. Be sure and use Fastpass to its fullest. When going to a new land, get a FP first, before getting in line for any other attractions. When you're done seeing the other attractions in that land, your FP is probably due. If you don't care about parades, that's a great time to hit attractions. Families and kids especially love parades... this would be a great time to do Fantasyland stuff. Just make sure you're not cut off by the parade from the attractions you want to see. I'd recommend NOT going straight for Space Mtn first thing in the morning. That attraction is mobbed at park opening - you can easily get a FP later in the day, provided crowds aren't heavy.

As for your plan, I'd devote Wednesday to the MK. You'll probably be able to hit everything in Epcot and MGM in one day if you go early, but the same is not necessarily true for the MK. Plus, I just think that the MK is such a cool place, you should end your vacation on a high note.

Hope this helps.

 

[DancingBear]

As everyone above says, don't worry!! A few thoughts, suggestions:

--Use the Magic Hour (Early Entry)--you can get an amazing amount done in a short time. Check out what's open for Magic Hour (Early Entry). Here's a link:

http://wdwig.com/emhour.htm#attr

Note that at MK only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open--so, no option of running to Splash Mountain that morning.

--Be familiar with which attractions have FastPass (they are also shown on the park maps), learn how it works, and USE IT!! It's great!! Here's another link:

http://wdwig.com/fastpass.htm

--If Test Track is a must do, consider foregoing FastPass and using the single rider line (you will have to ride separately, but will get in quickly).

--Check the wait times before you get in line, because the queues are hidden and can wind around and around. That being said, my experience is the posted wait times are generally conservative, and you will actually get in faster than what's posted. Also, the longest lines are where the FastPasses are available.

--Get parkhoppers (or UPHs), and parkhop to stretch your days. With Magic Hour, you'll have dashed through a good bit of MK by late morning, and the park may be starting to get more crowded. Consider leaving the park, having lunch at a monorail resort, then riding the monorail to Epcot.

--Orient yourself a bit on your arrival day, get a bit familiar with the transportation options from whichever resort you are at.

If you let us know where you are staying, we'll probably have some other ideas.

Have fun!

 

[jenypooh]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I printed the page out and will keep Fast Pass in mind (though I admit I'm a bit intimidated by the thing) and will use Early Entry and everything else.

Thanks!
Jeny

 

[gonga]

Take the pressure off yourself - believe me, you will not see it all. We have been to WDW 40+ times and we see something new every year! So relax, take it all in and enjoy yourself. Make sure to take a mid afternoon break and go back to the resort and relax, have a drink, go for a swim.

The fun of WDW is that you can never see it all, I think that attendance is lower than is has been historically, so that's even better for you.

You will have plenty of time to see everything.

Enjoy your trip

 

[BrianD]

Originally posted by DancingBear
Note that at MK only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open--so, no option of running to Splash Mountain that morning.

Thanks for pointing that out DancingBear, I was not aware of that!

 

[jmkst58]

I agree with everyone else. COMPLETELY focus on having fun...NOT on getting everything done. Trust me...you will have a much better time!!!! Enjoy!!!!!

 

[DancingBear]

You're very welcome. Don't be afraid of FastPass. There is a CM at every FastPass machine to help you, there is a sign there saying what your FastPass time will be, and once you do it once it'll be easy.

We were there in December, which is light anyway, but FastPass saved us a good deal of time. Remember, what you do with that time is up to you---you can be a commando and squeeze in a bunch of additional attractions, or you can relax, wander, etc.

 

[donna in Oz]

DancingBear is absolutely right . . . don't let your unfamiliarity with FastPass be intimidating for you. In reality, it's no more difficult than putting your ticket into the turnstile to get in the main entrance.

You'll get the hang of it after the first time. Plus, your ticket will state when you can get the next FastPass, a feature which is really helpful.

You're gonna have a great time!! I remember my first Disney experience . . . I was 19 when I made my first visit to Disneyland (some years ago ) !!! Still remember how magical it was!!!!

 

[sm4987]

Just see as much as you can without thinking of what you might miss. I think you will love it. We were there 10 nights and didn't do it all. That's o.k. though because we had a wonderful time.

Now, take a deep breath and relax. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[Steven Barrett]

Jeny,

You've had some great suggestions from this thread. Planning is important, but no plan works perfectly. That's OK at WDW, since you can change your plans and still have a great time. In the parks, I don't like to wait in any line more than 15 to 20 minutes. There are always other options. (I'm reminded of the woman who wrote a letter in Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide about her compulsive nature and her overplanning; she got to WDW, began hyperventilating and ended up in an urgent care center with a panic attack.) Relax and take in the sights.

One thought: you're staying at Port Orleans. A neat evening horse-drawn carriage ride recently started there. How about surprising your hubby with that one?

Steven M. Barrett (author of "The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation" and the soon to be released "Hidden Mickeys" book, published by The Intrepid Traveler)