Things I wish I knew...

[Kay Bieber]

first timer/newbie here!
My first trip is 31 days away! And after reading everything, I can't help but think "I wish I knew that before planning"

What are some other helpful tips for someone who maybe new to planning a trip to WDW!

 

[Pua]

My biggest "wish I knew" is that the view of watching Wishes from behind the castle in New Fantasyland over by Gaston's Tavern is amazing! It's not ever very crowded and the fireworks surround you. It's my favorite place to watch them now that I've seen the show from in front of the castle and have been crammed in with the large crowds there. Also, if there's any dining reservations that you really want but can't get before your trip - check the MDE app the day before/day of while you're on your trip! You can often find the places you're looking for because of cancellations. I hope your trip is magical!

 

[Shellyb84]

One thing I realized during our first trip was to not have so many ADRs! We spent way too much time eating. Since then we have only done a few per trip and then go with the flow of our day and it's so much better. There are a lot of days that we just end up not wanting to leave the pool in the evening so we just eat there or somewhere else at the resort.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

bring a plug in strip so you can charge all devices at once in the evenings, not enough plugs in the room. no have to be at on time on arrival day

 

[Allybaster]

One big thing that I need to constantly remind myself is to slow down. Pushing it leads to getting tired out and that's the last thing you want to do on vacation! Just because you have park hoppers doesn't mean you have to hop every day, chill out and enjoy the scenery. Oh, and shoes! I wear flip flops for everything and I need to bring two pairs to swap out. It's a lot of walking and you need to be comfortable.

Also bring a battery charger for your phone. Now that everything is on the app, as well as everyone's cameras and social media shares, you want to make sure you'll have enough battery to capture the pixie dust and magic!

 

[disneypolybride2008]

I wish i knew about all the youtube videos from the DIS.. i just recently found out and i've really enjoyed watching them all. helps me get even more excited and informed about disney world. i would always just come here to check for news.

 

[sccrkeepr]

One big thing that I need to constantly remind myself is to slow down. Pushing it leads to getting tired out and that's the last thing you want to do on vacation! Just because you have park hoppers doesn't mean you have to hop every day, chill out and enjoy the scenery. Oh, and shoes! I wear flip flops for everything and I need to bring two pairs to swap out. It's a lot of walking and you need to be comfortable.

Also bring a battery charger for your phone. Now that everything is on the app, as well as everyone's cameras and social media shares, you want to make sure you'll have enough battery to capture the pixie dust and magic!

Flip flops are the single worst shoe you can wear to walk distances in. The do a number on your arches, soles of your feet and they help entrap the nerves in your toes. Leaving your feet and legs to feel more tired than normal and in some cases causing shin splints.

 

[old feller]

If eating out in a fancy place is not important to you while on vacation ..then eat at quick service places ....less planing and it doesn't eat up a lot of park time....You will find yourself worrying about making the reservation too much...imo

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

One thing I've seen others have said that I agree with is definitely check the My Disney Experience App 26-24 hours before you want to go of to get a reservation at a restaurant that might be tough to get- a lot of people cancel 24 hours in advance to avoid cancellation fees! Also, have at least a skeletal plan of what you want to do each day so that you don't spend a lot of time wandering around aimlessly. One thing we like to do is get to the park right when it opens, then stay till about 1 and after lunch go back and take a break at the hotel until about 4. Then come back into the parks right as everyone is headed of to their dinner reservations! Shorter lines!! : )

Pack a poncho ahead of time, since they're very expensive in the parks. If you're off to Walt Disney World in Florida, rain will probably happen. Put on your poncho but DON'T LEAVE THE PARK! A lot of people tend to leave when it rains, and if you don't mind being a little wet, it's a good time to ride. Also, rain in central Florida tends to last less than a half an hour, so if you can wait it our you'll have a much emptier park because people will have already left!

Finally, ask cast members for help! They are the nicest people you will meet and they WANT to help you. Don't be afraid to ask here on the boards too! Don't worry about asking a "stupid question", everyone was new once and we ALL had those same questions at some point- I promise!

Most of all, remember to sit back and ENJOY it!!!!

 

[DizDad513]

Get the My Disney Experience app and make FastPass+ reservations! Looks like you're about 30 days out so you should be good to go on this and still have plenty of options available!
The main thing to remember is that you CANNOT see/do everything at WDW in just one trip! You can always plan another trip and try new things each time.
If you are staying on property, plan on heading back to your hotel early/mid afternoon for a break at the pool or a nap in your room most days. This will re-energize you for your evening plans. Have a fantastic time!!

 

[nursejackie]

If you are staying on site, then always make use of EMH. We follow the early morning EMH almost everyday of our trip (there are EMH almost everyday in December). You can ride a good few rides during that hour and then we still have our 3 fastpasses booked for when the park is open to the general public and the crowds get bigger. Also, because we get up early and arrive in the parks early during EMH we also eat lunch and dinner early which saves time as there are virtually no queues in QS and TS restaurants (except BOG). Enjoy your first trip, you will be addicted as the rest of us by the end of it

 

[DizDad513]

I agree with nursejackie: arrive early! Rope Drop, Rope Drop, Rope Drop!!! If you are at each park for opening you will have a TOTALLY different experience than those flooding in the parks at 11am!

 

[Angel Rae]

Great suggestions! Thank you everyone is so helpful.

 

[desiree71081]

Oh, and shoes! I wear flip flops for everything and I need to bring two pairs to swap out. It's a lot of walking and you need to be comfortable.

Completely agree with this, wear shoes that your feet are most comfortable with. Flip flops may definitely not be everyone's first choice but for me, I wear flip flops every day and trying to wear anything other than flip flops to walk around in and stay on my feet all day causes so much pain. I would definitely suggest multiple kinds of shoes though just so you can see what works best for you. Flip Flops and Tennis Shoes for sure just to have two options.

Flip flops are the single worst shoe you can wear to walk distances in. The do a number on your arches, soles of your feet and they help entrap the nerves in your toes. Leaving your feet and legs to feel more tired than normal and in some cases causing shin splints.

For those of us who wear flip flops more than any other shoes, sticking with what our feet are already used to is better, in my case anyway. I wear flip flops every single day. I will put on a pair of tennis shoes occasionally. Last trip, I took both flip flops and tennis shoes because I know the tennis shoes will give me more support but by the end of the day of wearing tennis shoes my feet were killing me. The next day and for the rest of the trip I put my flip flops back on and never had a problem other than the occasional tired feet from walking so much. I would still bring more than one pair of flip flops and also my tennis shoes just in case but the flip flops are much easier on my feet.

 

[DisJim]

I wish I knew to do rope drop and take afternoon breaks. This made trips feel less rushed and more relaxed. I also wish I knew about free cups of ice water from quick service restaurants.

 

[kellyarms20]

The best advice I got was to view the 3 o'clock parade at MK from upstairs at the train station. Get there 30-40 min early, take a break, and you'll have a great view away from the major crowds. So much of that parade happens in the air, you'll actually be almost eye level with many of the characters.
Relax like earlier posters said, and go with the flow. Buy a good portable cell phone charger, mine was a life saver for FP÷ changes and pictures and videos.
Bring an extra pair of socks for unintentional wet feet. We ended up buying some after an unexpected soaking on Pirates of the Carribean.

 

[Allybaster]

Completely agree with this, wear shoes that your feet are most comfortable with. Flip flops may definitely not be everyone's first choice but for me, I wear flip flops every day and trying to wear anything other than flip flops to walk around in and stay on my feet all day causes so much pain. I would definitely suggest multiple kinds of shoes though just so you can see what works best for you. Flip Flops and Tennis Shoes for sure just to have two options.



For those of us who wear flip flops more than any other shoes, sticking with what our feet are already used to is better, in my case anyway. I wear flip flops every single day. I will put on a pair of tennis shoes occasionally. Last trip, I took both flip flops and tennis shoes because I know the tennis shoes will give me more support but by the end of the day of wearing tennis shoes my feet were killing me. The next day and for the rest of the trip I put my flip flops back on and never had a problem other than the occasional tired feet from walking so much. I would still bring more than one pair of flip flops and also my tennis shoes just in case but the flip flops are much easier on my feet.

I have mobility problems and Okabashi sandals are the most comfortable walking shoes I own. They provide the right support and my feet rarely hurt when I wear them. There is no one shoe that's right for everyone. Wear what works for you.

 

[kacodi]

What great info!

 

[Amanda Walz]

This is all great info! Our first trip we definitely learned the importance of building in rest days where we DIDN'T go to the parks and utilizing party nights to get extra time without the craziness.

 

[Cowgirl_Jessie]

Things we've discovered and loved: early morning dining reservations (how fun to take pictures in the parks with no people), showing children videos of rides to see if they are too scary, and bringing in some dollar store glow in the dark things for parades (fun for our kids and to share!)