Overwhelmed and Intimidated First Timer...

[RockinMama]

I've been reading over some of the discussions and it's really making me nervous about attending WDW with my family for the first time. We will be a small group of 4, one child-age 5. Planning to go late April 2011 for 4 days and then hop on a cruise. The cruise I am finding will be smooth sailing. The parks seem rather daunting and scary though.

Will the trip to the parks be worth it? It seems like a lot of waiting in line and you only really get to ride a couple of rides per day. As a child I was a regular Six Flags Over Texas visitor with annual season passes. WDW seems to be in another league entirely!

Any help would be very much appreciated!!
Thanks in advance!

 

[frayedend]

Don't stress about it and you'll have a fine time. Sure it helps to plan but you gotta understand that most of us here are obsessive over Disney. We make it sound like you have to go through all this careful planning to have a good time. In fact millions of people go without any research and do fine. You will get on plenty of rides and see plenty of attractions. Use this site to plan and increase your enjoyment but don't let it get to you. It's not worth it if it stresses you out.

Relax and enjoy! (unless you are going during April school vacation, then you gotta plan plan plan!!!)

 

[Lou Holtz]

The lines at Disney aren't longer than any other amusement park that has any decent level of popularity. The difference at Disney is you can use fastpass and avoid lines for free, unlike those other parks.

 

[pooch]

from 6 Flags so get that image out of your head. Disney is NOTHING like 6 Flags. But a 4 day trip is certainly well worth doing with the understanding that you won't come close to seeing it all. You've made the right first step, these boards! They are filled with information to make any trip successful. I would suggest you start looking at what is in each park and what your family might want to do. You can do 1 park per day and hit the highlights or choose maybe 2 parks & spend more time in them. Start by figuring out what you'd really like to get out of the 4 days. Ask LOTS of questions!!!

 

[laughinplace2]

It is TOTALLY worth it...don't be afraid of the parks!!! They are amazing. My advice is to have a rough plan of what parks you are going to each day. If you have park hopper, decide what you want to do in the morning, and what you want to do at night. Another good idea is to pick out your top priorities for rides and shows at each park and hit those first....and if you have dining reservations, build your park schedule around those.....AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Use Fastpasses....and HAVE A GREAT TIME!!

 

[GuardMusic]

Welcome RockinMama!

Yes, it can be overwhelming. The gang on DISBoards are experts, so look around here everywhere & read the "stickys" at the top of each forum. April will be somewhat rough because of school breaks.

Are you staying at a Disney hotel? If so, consider the Extra Magic Hour benefits. Some people swear by them, others swear against them!

Study the map of each park & make a plan, including which rides offer FastPass.

If you want a decent sitdown meal every now & again, make sure to plan & make Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR)s. Full menus are available at AllEars (dot) Net.

Definitely plan some down time in you day, including a rest/nap back at your hotel.

Just try to enjoy what you get to and don't stress about what you miss. You can run, run, run at the park since you are getting on the ship, where you can shift into neutral. Disney Cruise Line is THE BEST!

Also, check out different people's Trip Reports (including those linked in the signature below)!
Gayle

Gayle

 

[themilesfamily]

I've found the lines at Disney to be much shorter than those at my local amusement park.

My best advice.

* Get to the parks about 10-15 minutes before opening.
* Get a Fastpass to something as soon as you get into the park and use Fastpasses consistently all day.
* Don't be afraid to rent a Disney stroller at the parks for the 5-year old.
* Don't be afraid to take plenty of breaks.

Seeing as you're traveling with a five year old: For your day at the Magic Kingdom, my advice is to get there early, go straight to Fantasyland. Immediately get a Fastpass for Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh -- then ride Dumbo. Do Fantasyland and all it has to offer.

That in and of itself will make your 5-year old's trip! And you'll feel like you're off to a good start.

Have fun!!!!

 

[vicki_c]

I would find "lots of waiting and a few rides a day" (or however you phrased it) to be the furthest thing from the truth at Disney!

We never wait in lines at all (good touring plans and Fast Passes avoid that) and we ride tons of things every day. I agree, it can be overwhelming the first time, though - so you're not alone in that feeling.

We just waited 30 minutes to ride something at Rehoboth Beach's Funland this week and my whole family was just about dying - I could not tell you the last time we waited 30 minutes for anything at Disney except maybe for Fantasmic, or waiting for Spectromagic to start.

We also went to a regional small amusement park a few years ago and my family was so frustrated waiting in lines for things, because as frequent Disney visitors, we are just not used to that at all.

Everyone above has given you good advice - just do a bit of reading, consider getting a WDW guide book, read and ask questions here, and you will be fine. Just realize you will never do it all.

 

[lakoda]

Welcome from a fellow Texan!

If you find the boards overwhelming - it may be helpful to purchase a copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. That will give you a wonderful overview of everything, then you can visit the boards for additional info as needed. There is always something new to learn here!

Be sure to order the free planning dvd from Disney, it is great to share with your 5 y.o. to help them get excited and to know what to expect. That is a wonderful age for a first visit!

I have often said that people who don't "get" WDW are those who have only been to regular amusement parks and figure it is just another park. It truly is a "world," and is absolutely amazing. Definitely worth it!

 

[serene56]

from 6 Flags so get that image out of your head. Disney is NOTHING like 6 Flags. !!

\\i agree with this statement.

Disney world is NOThing like an amusment park= Disney has attractions where the rides are attractions in itself.

Keep reading for information. Get a good guide book to see how things work- I loved the UNOFFICIAL guide to Disney.

when you get to the parks--have a plan.

and for your cruise---cruisecritic for that part of your planning

 

[kymom99]

On our first trip my son was 5 and we spent 4 days at Disney, just like you will be doing. We had a blast but did not come close to doing everything we would have liked to do. That just made me plan another vtrip the next year! After seeing everything, I had a better idea of how to plan. Also, I used the unofficial guide for my first trip, as suggested and had the planning video.

Get to the parks early and use fastpass are the two best pieces of advice anyone could give a first timer!

Have a GREAT trip!

 

[d1gitman]

You can put your mind at ease Rockinmama.

Millions of people attend Disney parks with little to no planning. Many probably only have plans based on what the CM walked them through when booking the trip. Fact is (at least i believe it to be fact) the majority of guests at WDW have never even heard of the DIS let alone gleen 'expert' info off of it. In the end, they have a magical time and are none the worse for the wear.

So please, don't be intimidated by us self proclaimed experts, nitpicking and debating the 'finer' points of Disney. You too are worthy of a magical vacation.

It's the rest of us 'so called experts' that need to stress over all of our supreme knowledge.

 

[Pixie Princess]

I grew up on Six Flags as well, so for my first real trip to WDW in 2006 I expected the waits to be far worse than hr. + waits you run in to at Six Flags. WDW is nothing like that. Use the FP system, and you'll be set. Only in the rarest of circumstances have I waited more than 25 min. for a ride at WDW. The only time that standing in line seems to eat in to your park time is meeting characters. However, this is well worth the time spent waiting IMO. There is so much more to do and see at the WDW parks compared to a Six Flags type park that you have to approach it knowing you won't be able to see and do it all. As pp have suggested, determine in advance what it is you think your family wants to do most, and then plan to do that. Anything else you can do will be gravy!

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[KateInCharleston]

Disney is not just rides - Great detail goes into it all. In Magic Kingdom alone, there are tons of things to see and do, that are not rides. Main Street (where you can catch the trolley), Cindy's Castle (with wishing well nearby). Lot's of folks overlook the Riverboat and Tom Sawyers Island.

I guess what I am saying, is that there is more than standing in line.

Consider this first visit a 'shake down cruise', and you will have all sorts of ideas for your next visit.

Just relax and let the magic sweep over you.

 

[Kathy Z]

As mentioned by 2 posters above, do purchase a copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW and then supplement what you learn from that by asking questions here on the disboards. That is exactly what I did last year when we made our first trip to WDW since 1985 (so, in a way, it was like a first trip )

We took our two oldest granddaughters for a week and I showed them the Disney planning DVD and Burnbaum's WDW for Kids book about 6 weeks prior to the trip. I told them we might not be able to do everything they wanted but that we could do most of them. We also planned some down time in the pool at our resort because they were just as interested in that as they were in the attractions. It was a wonderful trip! With some planning, your's will be just as great!

 

[Sagginit]

i went last year for the first time in over ten years and i read about 10 books and was on the dis like crazy and other websites. half the stuff i learned i never needed to know and i feel like i was overprepared by trying to take all the advice in. lines are nothing compared to other places if you have a plan. you dont need to used a touring plan in a book if you dont want to. just look at a map, pick a popular ride or fp attraction and work your way around the park from there using fp on the way. my one piece of advice is there is no way you will see all in 4 days in all 4 parks. i would consider skipping one since im sure the child will enjoy MK more than other parks, i know i do!

 

[MHSweb79]

If the Unofficial Guide scares you (for us it's 800 pages of pure Disney bliss....) then I can definitely recommend Birnbaum's Disney for Kids. If you have AAA and they have a travel agent, they may sell this book there. Ours does and it's $4-5 cheaper than the bookstore. It's much less intimidating than the UG and it will give you some great guidance as to what you should try to see, and what you can reasonably skip. This will help you manage your 4 days and you will really feel you've covered a great deal.

Have fun!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

If you don't want to wait in line, choose 5-6 rides that you want to do each day, and then:

ROPE DROP, ROPE DROP, ROPE DROP. and then use your FASTPASS option. Everything else you get done that day will be a bonus. You will have a fantastic time!

 

[trekker93]

If there's a ride you like, get a Fast Pass! If it's hot, get inside! If it's crowded, be patient and enjoy it!!

 

[michelleiada]

The parks are amazing and the lines...not that bad really. The great thing about Disney's lines is that they keep you entertained while you wait...so you don't even realize that you are waiting. Do not stress about it. Just enjoy.