Overwhelmed and Intimidated First Timer...

[ToddyLu]

My first trip to WDW was at age 34 in 2002. I purchased a Pass Porter becasue it was concise info and had great maps. Just get a general idea of where everything is kinda located in your head. That is all you will need the rest will take care of itself. It is overwhelming. No one really understands the size and scope of Disney World until they go. We will be on our 10th trip this Dec and I still haven't riden the Riverboat or been on Tom Sawyer's Island in Magic Kingdom.

Our goal this year is for MIL and I to do the Hoop Dee Doo Review and eat at Germany in Epcot--never have done those either.

Savor the Magic and just enjoy the wonder of it all.

 

[ronnmel]

My friend wants me to go to a Six Flags park with her next week. I'm kind of dreading it, because I know I will be stuck waiting in very long and boring lines for lots of old rides, as well as coasters that are probably ognna make me feel queasy. I'll have to stop myself from constantly comparing it to Disney, otherwise my friend will get tired of me pretty quickly.

Why am I telling you that? Because Disney is SO MUCH better than a Six Flags park. No it doesn't have as many *thrill* rides, but it has by far the best attractions, as well as more interesting (and often shorter) lines.

I think a great thing to do now would be to get the free Disney planning DVD and/or a guide book and just look at all the attractions & shows offered at the parks. Then make a list of *Must sees*, *Maybes*, and *Not this time*. That way you will see which park you want to do more in, and plan more time there. Maybe you'll find not enough interest in another park and skip it. After that, come back here on the Dis and start getting a plan ready.

As for the day you actually get there, I cannot agree more with everyone who says FASTPASS!!!! They helped us SO much, we got to do everything we wanted, never waited more than 15 minutes in a line (except only once 25 minutes). The best thing, they are FREE!!!

 

[goin' again!]

PLease do not be overwhwlmed! There are some (like me) that SOOOOOOO enjoy planning a WDW vacation that I want to plan every second of it! There are others (like DH) that would rather just meander around. We pick a happy place in the middle. The wonderful thing about Disney is that even just sitting on a bench in the shade eating mickey icecream can be a magical experience because of the little details that Disney uses every where! I agree with PP's, make a list of attractions that are 'must-do' and get your FP's for those as you can but don't stress over it! Getting there early is a great idea but if you can't things will still be magical later in the day...just slightly more crowded!

 

[DansBride2009]

Any trip to Disney is worth it, just to get to go! You will love it. With a 5 year old I would spend time at Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios(is that still the name?), because at the Studios you have shows like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Great Movie Ride(which is fun and slow and not scary), Playhouse Disney, which is a fun show, and all kinds of stuff. Magic Kingdom is just wonderful. It is the main park, in my opinion. I would get there at rope drop and be at the gates at 900 and head straight through the castle to Fantasy Land. Get a Fast Pass for Peter Pan, ride Peter Pan, and then get other fast passes. This way you get to ride Peter Pan twice in one day, and you will want to. The teacups are fun, 'It's a Small World' can be somewhat annoying but the colors and sets are beautiful. The Winnie the Pooh ride is such a sweet ride, I love it. Anyway, I'm rambling! Hope I helped. And don't worry ... just walking down Main Street is an experience in itself. You can not ride anything and have a wonderful time.

And the reason I say head to Peter Pan first to get a fastpass and then ride it, is because the lines are always so long for that ride. Oh, and you will want to see Mickey's Philharmagic, but you don't have to worry about lines for that one, you can go in whenever. It's a continuous, non scary, 3d show with the princesses and Donald and Mickey.

 

[fla4fun]

The first thing to do is RELAX! Take a deep breath, let it out slowly . . .

Remember, everyone here on the DIS was a first time visitor once.

Also remember that no vacation will ever be perfect - and sometimes those little imperfections are what make a vacation great!

Now, if you are only going for four days, I would not buy park hopper tickets. I would plan to spend a full day in each theme park. There is so much to see and do that you won't be able to do it all, but you'll have lots of fun trying! To minimize waits for the most popular attractions, definitely use Fastpass. The whole idea of Fastpass is that it puts you in a virtual line for one attraction, while allowing you to visit other attractions or take time out for a meal. April can be busy, especially if you're within a couple weeks either way of Easter - so Fastpass will be your best friend as far as getting a lot done in a short amount of time.

There are plenty of videos of the various attractions online to help you decide what appeals most to your family. Narrow your list down to a half dozen attractions in each park that are an absolute "must see". Then schedule your day to make sure you get into those attractions. If you are at the park when it opens, you can usually get through most of your "must see" list before noon, and then enjoy the afternoon at a slower pace.

You don't have to plan every little detail, or every moment of your day (although some people do) but as a first timer, you should arrive with a list of which park on which day, what attractions are a "must see" in each park, and with any table service dining reservations already made. If you do that, you'll be well ahead of most people, and especially ahead of most first timers.

I've had great vacations at Disney and never made it to the parks at all - so don't stress about how much you do, or don't, get to see. It just gives you a reason to come back!

 

[Micca]

Welcome to the Dis RockinMama I can understand why you might feel overwhelmed looking at all the data out there on WDW. It looks worse "on paper" that it is actually doing it. People stumble into WDW everyday with absolutely no preparation whatsoever and enjoy themselves. Any planning you do ahead of time will be to your benefit so that your time waiting in line will be minimized.

As for the comparison to 6 Flags--that's like comparing a speed bump to the Rocky mountains.

 

[mousermerf]

You know, you could goto Universal and Islands of Adventure and see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - same quality level, if not higher, compared to Disney and yet less complicated and overwhelming. You can even walk to both parks from your resort there.