Suggestions/tips for a VERY special 1st timer

[MB MinnieGirl]

I posted this on the Community Board also, but thought THIS was the perfect place! I am looking for suggestions for a very dear friend of mine who is going to WDW.

She is a single mom to a DD4 and DD7. It's a long story, but her ex left her with nothing and continues to make her life hell. She cannot afford a vacation of any kind for her and the girls. Our children go to preschool together and one of the parents has graciously paid for a trip for my friend and her 2 DD to go to WDW!


The trip includes transportation, hotel (not on site), and passes to all the parks. None of them have ever been to WDW and are so excited! They will be there the week of November 28 - not far off.

My question is this....what would you tell them NOT to miss. What are some things that a 1st timer wouldn't know to do? As I said she does not have a lot of $$ so keep that in mind please. The girls are beside themselves with excitement and I want this to be a trip to remember for them. I'm sure you all have more suggestions than I do since this spring was my first trip at 33 years old.

Thank you for any suggestions for this VERY special vacation for 3 wonderful friends!!!

 

[Disnutty]

What a great gift her friend has given!!! My do not miss list would be as follows: At MK do not miss Wishes fireworks show, Philharmagic and make sure they see the parades. At MGM they should see the Little Mermaid Show, Beauty and the Beast show and Fantasmic. At AK see the Safari and Its Tough to be a Bug, Tarzan Rocks show and at EPCOT they have to see Illuminations. The biggest tip for her would be to get to the parks early and use Fast Pass whenever there is a line. They are going to have a blast

 

[MB MinnieGirl]

Thank you for the tips!! These are great

I had forgotten about the Little Mermaid - my DD4 LOVED that

Tarzan Rocks and It's Tough To Be A Bug were two we missed so these are also terrific. Thank you!

Anyone else with tips? I would like to put together a little book of ideas and Disney tips for her since she's never been.

 

[Histosue]

What a great gift. The girls will have a great time. This will be a busy time at WDW so she really has to plan, since she is off site taking breaks in the afternoon back at the hotel is not really an option so taking breaks for meals and really relaxing is the way to go.

For girls I would go the Arial, Peter Pan, The Safari, Tough to be a Bug, Philarmagic, Fantasmic and definitely Wishes
Since money is an option it would be a good idea to ask for a refrigerator in the room and go the grocery for breakfast and bring PBJ to the kingdom, I know it is not the best think to do but it sure beats spending a lot of cash for food. I would definitely plan to have at least one chac breakfast if it is in the cards and it is really a good meal so you can actually skip lunch and just snack.

Again since time and money are an issue all I can say is plan, plan, plan and do not go with we have to see everything because you will really exhaust yourself and really not enjoy the park. If you go on the WDW web site you can get samples of the parks and attractions, so the girls can plan.

I would like to donate to their trip is this an option.

Histosue in NJ suetp918@comcast.net

 

[missminniemouse]

If your friend likes roses, be sure to stop by the rose garden in MK and take a walk on the the rose walkway in Epcot. There's nothing quite as nice as many blooming roses surrounding you. You can smell and enjoy as much as you want and it doesn't cost a thing!

Also, if your friend has a camera, be sure she has plenty of film. Pictures don't cost a fortune, but the memories in them will last a lifetime.

The don't miss list from my DD 9 and DS 5 is as follows:
MK: Buzz Lightyear, Big Thunder Mountain, TTA, Barnstormer, Train
Epcot: Spaceship Earth, Test Track
Studios: Animation, Backstage tram tour
AK: Boneyard, Safari, Festival of the Lion King

 

[alloyd1170]

Dont forget MGMs Playhouse Disney! Its got Bear in the Big Blue House, Stanley, Rolie Polie, and Pooh. Maybe you can collect enough money for a character meal.....we like Chef Mickeys, but with two girls, the Cinderella breakfast might be better. It all depends on what their favorite characters are: Princesses, or Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Minnie, Chip and Dale. To me, that screams Disney, and my 2 yr old son had a blast with them!

alison

 

[jeancbpugh]

Remind her that even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, she shouldn't wear herself or her kids out. Have one or two must-dos for the day, but the rest of the time go with the flow!

 

[AMaloy314]

Ride the monorail and ask to sit in front. This is especially wonderful at night.

 

[MB MinnieGirl]

Thank you all for the great tips!! There are a lot here that I wouldn't have thought of. I want as many as I can get. I'm going to put together a little book for her of the ideas and tips that I get from you all

Histosue: You're right, this is a wonderful thing that is being done for her. She certainly deserves it and is very greatful. You must be a special person yourself to offer to donate to this trip. I am taking up a collelction from other parents and the church for spending money for the kids, but I'm not sure how to go about doing anything like that online. She is most afraid of not being able to do much as far as spending money is concerned. She has just moved out of the house that she and her girls lived in with her ex and is moving into a 1 BR apt. Moving into a much smaller space is hard, adding to that a the extra $$ she now needs for rent, the girls, school, living, etc (she is having trouble getting child support from ex). It is very hard.

Thank you everybody for helping with ideas for this very special trip for 3 very dear friends Please post if you have any other ideas...I'll add them to her book

 

[Kimmielee]

As a single mother, a very fortunate one I might add... I'd love to send Disney Dollars to the kids for spending money. I've been blessed with a wonderful career and even though DS's "father" (I prefer sperm donor) has NEVER laid eyes on him.... we have a wonderful life. I know that many single mothers aren't nearly as fortunate and I Thank God every day. Please send me a PM with an address and I'll forward when we return on the 6th! Here's to all of them having a WONDERFUL time!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I just wanted to say this thread brought tears to my eyes. There really is still a lot of goodness in this world. I would like to contribute also. If you PM me with an address I will send a check. I hope they have a wonderful trip!

 

[mum4jenn]

I would add that if they have access to the outlet malls to go to the Disney ones to get any souv. they might want. There are usually lots of things for the kids there.


Otherwise tell them not to overplan. If they try to see everything they will not have a great time. It should be pretty busy then so they need to account for increased traffic in the parks. Make sure you tell them about fast pass!!

 

[daisylove]

Another suggestion here. My DD5 loves!! baking cookies in the land. It is free and the kids get cookies at the end. It isl ocated in the Land, bottom floor (when facing the food court) all the way to the left. There is a little house facade and there will be a sign listing times. I hope they have a great time!!!

 

[fun & fancy free]

For someone on a budget she might want to look into character meal lunches. They are cheaper then dinner and if you book them at the end of the lunch seating it can be enought for two meals. Good luck helping your friend plan a truly magical vacation. To all those who have posted with a desire to offer contributions you are angels with a set of mouse ears instead of wings

 

[filet1970]

Can't make suggestions about what attractions to see as this coming trip will be my first...in fact your suggestions will be helpful to me since my budget is getting thight too!
Since food is often the most costly aspect of a trip, I suggest that to make MB Minnie Girl's friends enjoy the most of their trip, it would be a good idea to contribute any extras breakfast, Q&C or lunch vouchers that you might have!
Hope they'll have a great trip!

 

[swilphil]

The Garden Grill in Epcot offers an ice cream social with characters, Mickey and friends. It's only $6.99 for the ice cream and good character interaction. World Showcase in Epcot also has several of the princesses hanging out in the different countries at different times. They can ask the CM's where they are and when. Belle is in France, Snow White in Germany, Jasmine in Morocco, etc. They also have the free Kidcot stations where they can each color a mask.

 

[SueM in MN]

When you go onto Epcot (where they have park maps), they also have some little brochured for kids. I don't remember what they are called, but they are colorful, about 10-20 pages long and have hints about things to do, see in Epcot.
Epcot sells kids "Passports" for about $10 each. They have stickers for each country and you can get a stamp and a message written in the native language for each country in WS. Rather than spend the money for a passport, you can also make your own and the CMs will still stamp and sign it. It's a good way to involve the kids in doing something to prepare for the trip.

 

[bigbabyblues]

That free book thing at Epcot was called Goofy's Guide or something like that, my DS loved it

Steph

 

[amwhitaker]

Your post put a couple of tears in my eyes thats for sure! Its nice to know there are a few kind people left in this world, one of which is paying for your friends trip! WDW is a magical place, and I'm sure will be an escape for your friend from reality at least for a little while. Does your friend have access to a computer? If so, I highly recommend reading these boards. They are a great source of information, even for people who have been to WDW many times. I learn something new all the time. One important thing is to figure out your meals ahead of time. You don't want to waste time walking around trying to find a reasonable place to eat. A great source for calculating cost is found at the following website:

http://www.wdwig.com./din/dining.htm

I have actually printed out information on dining to estimate my cost for food while there. One tip I read from other parents on these boards is to go to the Dollar Store and purchase any Disney items they could find. When you get to WDW, pull one out and give it to the children in lieu of expensive items at the parks. Also, if she has enough extra money, one of the best things I have is a picture of our group with Cinderella's Castle i the background taken by the WDW photographer that is at the entrance to Main Street. I treasure that photo! I think it was about $12 and it comes in a bi-fold frame that is really cute.

I hope your friend has a fantastic trip!

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

What a great friend
Okay-first of all-ALL the nighttime shows! They are the best!

Fantasmic (MGM)
Wishes and Spectromagic Parade(Magic Kingdom)
Illuminations (Epcot)

Animal Kingdom must sees
Kilimanjaro Safari's-Africa (best seen in the early morning or towards closing)
Festival of the Lion King-Camp Minnie-Mickey (best day-time show)
Its Tough to Be a Bug-3D-Discoveryland

Magic Kingdom must sees
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Haunted Mansion
Walt Disney World® Railroad
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan's Flight
Splash Mountain®
Mickey's Philharmagic
Carousel of Progress
Timekeeper

MGM must sees
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Muppet Vision 3D
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (most enjoyable when it's really hot)
Sounds Dangerous
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Star Tours

Epcot must sees (my favorite park!)
Cranium Command
Honey! I Shrunk the Audience-3D
Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment (go through the interactive area too)
Ellen’s Energy Adventure
The Living Seas
Spaceship Earth
El Rio Del Tiempo
World Showcase

There is soooo much to do!

Christamae