Tips for a Disney Virgin

[Jrockmom]

I am going in about 24 days and I just want to know if anybody has any tips for a Disney virgin? I am going with DH, 2 DS, DD, and my parents. We are driving from Texas . We are staying at ASM resort for the full week. Kids are 16,11,& 6. Let me know if you know something I should.

Thanks

 

[tmt martins]

I am going in about 24 days and I just want to know if anybody has any tips for a Disney virgin? I am going with DH, 2 DS, DD, and my parents. We are driving from Texas . We are staying at ASM resort for the full week. Kids are 16,11,& 6. Let me know if you know something I should.

Thanks

1st I think it's real nice for you to take care of someone elses KIDS ( hence the D Virgin)

But make a game plan on whats important to do and try to stick with that game plan but don't worry if you have to adjust on the fly.

Fastpass is the only way to see everything you need to .You should always have an active FP in your possesion even if you think you don't need it get one thats close and availible.

Just remember you at the happiest place on earth and enjoy your vacation.

I think I'm down to 25 days to go myself so I will dance with you

 

[MSC]

I think the most important thing, like tmt martins said, is to have a plan of what you want to do. And remember that there is now possible way to stick to your plan. You will have to roll with the inevitable obstacles.

BUT (and again I am just repeating this) remember that you are at DISNEYWORLD!!!! Roll with it and have fun!

 

[MagicMe]

Okay - I agree with the other two posts - make a plan but then relax and let the magic happen!

Have a great time on your first trip!!!!

 

[maddhatir]

RESEARCH!

the worst thing to do is going to disney and wandering around wondering what to see!

research and plan. write it down. i made a table in word on my computer and have each day, where i will be eating my TS, CS, and even my snacks (they have added so many! ) under each TS note your ADR#. i researched all the menus from the restaurants - especially the CS- DH and i are always wandering around to each CS wondering what we want- well now- its on the schedule because i printed each menu and chose beforehand! and no more wandering around!

i also like to print things that i see here on the boards that are interesting that i may forget. i have a disney folder and put everything in there.

and of course- sit on the DIS boards DAY and NIGHT and absorb all the info you can!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[lovealldisney]

I agree make a plan! We did with our kids! It worked out great! Take advantage of Fast Pass! Try and hit the more popular rides first thing! Like we wanted to go on Space Mountain first thing so when we got into the park we went and got a fast pass first for a later time to ride and then before the line got to long we went on it first thing. We tried to do this with all the popular rides. Read these boards backwards and forwards! There is alot of great advise here!! And !!! I wish you luck on your first trip and by all means have FUN!!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

A plan is definitely in order but it doesn't have to be complex. It could be something as simple as :

Monday: Magic Kingdom
Tuesday: EPCOT
etc.​

Or you could get as complicated as:

Monday: Magic Kingdom - Rope drop @9am. Head to SpcMtn first. Grab Fastpass and ride in standy line. Do Buzz. Return to SpcMtn w/ FP...​

The latter is very intense and is subject to breakdown the minute that someone announces that they're hungry or need a restroom break. I try to stay somewhere in between the two, making sure that I have one ADR planned for each day and making sure that we hit the top 3 "must see" attractions on everyone's lists.

A word of advise: Take advantage of Morning Extra Magic Hours. It gets you into the parks an hour earlier than the day guests and you can get a lot done in that time period. It also means that you'll tour the parks in the cooler morning hours. Late June can be very hot and humid in WDW.

 

[Sonno]

I'll echo what everyone else has said here, make a plan! There's nothing worse than standing around a map, in the hot Florida sun, trying to figure out what to do next with a group of people debating the issue at hand.

Two good (if not indespensible) books to buy: "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" and "Birnbaum's Walt Disney World".

Between those two books, you'll have just about all the information you need.

For everything else:
http://www.allearsnet.com/ (MENUS!)
http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/ (Showtimes posted and non)
http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/ (just about everything you ever wanted to know about WDW)

Figure out what the best days will be for visiting which parks. Head to the WDW website and check the park hours and what's going on for each day you are there. Here's a link to a really good chart on crowd levels for every day for the next year: http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=14

If you're staying in a Disney Resort, go to the WDW website and check and see what parks have what Extra Magic Hours on what days.

Make yourself a loose daily itinerary for each day of your trip. List things you want to see/do together in order in blocks of a few hours (the guide books will tell you how long ride durations/avg wait times are etc.) to remain flexible.

But really, most importantly... have fun with it all!

 

[mollyseven]

Well we ran into a grandma from the u.s and she said she always hits walmart before arriving at disney and gets a bunch of disney stuff to take without the kids knowing and gives it to them there. Definitely take the fan/misters from Walmart as the ones at disney are 17.00 and take extra batteries ...they are a hit for the kids.
Don't overpack...the laundry rooms beside the pools are clean and easy to throw a load in. Plus the kids will just rewear the stuff you wash they don't care.
Ponchos....dollarstore or Disney 6.00 us for a kids poncho. We took ours from the dollarama and the one and I mean the one time we left them in the room cause we wanted to go to mgm light that night ...it poured and we ended up buying the kids each a poncho. Darn it.
Enjoy and take lots of pictures. We took 160 and now it doesn't seem like enough.

 

[marconat]

I also agree that research is important... a good site to go on is allearsnet they have restaurant menues, reviews and attractions in all the parks. I make a list of all the restaurants I want to try out... and arrive early in the morning to the parks.. try to get to the most popular rides asap... and use the fastpass system (if you don't know what that is, they explain it well on the site above) it's a quicker way to get to the rides in short...
And don't forget to take breaks and have fun... that's why you're there... wish you a lot of fun...

 

[razamataz]

The fact that you found the DIS boards before you go is a good sign.

-Plan for a certain park each day and making ADRs.
-Make a list that each of you consider "Must-do" attractions at each park.
-If you plan to stay in the park all day, plan to do the shows in the afternoon when it is the hottest. (ie. COP & Bear's Jamboree, etc... in MK)
-Plan to take water bottles and mister-fans in the park.
-Plan for some down time.

Most importantly, plan to be flexible. Some of the best vacation memories can occur from things that were not even planned for.

Have a fantastic time and be sure to give us a trip report when you return.

 

[Mom2R&D]

For the love of all that is holy, if you're going to use PhotoPass, WRITE DOWN YOUR PHOTOPASS CARD NUMBER!

I say this from experience. The one and only time I leave DH in line with the kids and the PhotoPass to see the Incredibles, he tells me, a half hour later, that our PhotoPass might not be ours.

You know that feeling you get when you ride TOT? Yeah, imagine that, only ten times worse.

I hadn't written down our number and had to make the mad dash back to The Darkroom to ensure that we had gotten OUR card back. Thank goodness we had and I immediately jotted down our number in case it happened again.

So my tip?

WRITE DOWN YOUR PHOTOPASS NUMBER!!

 

[HunnyPots]

We are also driving from Texas and we leave in 27 days!
Where are you stopping? We are driving as far as Tallahassee the first day so that we only have about a 3 1/2 hour drive the second day. We have yet to figure out where to stop coming back because that's no fun to plan anyway!

My number one piece of advice is MAKE USE OF FASTPASS WHENEVER YOU CAN! It can make or break your trip during high crowd days, no kidding.

Take your time and go slow in EPCOT. On our first trip, we tried to go through EPCOT the same way we had attacked Magic Kingdom. We missed so much and we hated EPCOT because we thought it was boring and nothing much there. Next trip we took our time and discovered how wrong we were about this park!

Animal Kingdom is also a park not to be rushed. There is so much to see everywhere you turn that if you try to just rush around and hit the big rides, you're gonna miss out on the real essence of this park.

If you don't have a planning video/dvd its probably too late to order one but try to borrow one somewhere if you can. Even if its an older one, it'll still give you an idea of what the parks actually look like and you'll see a little of the rides and shows, etc.

Finally, try to absorb every bit of info from these boards as you can in the next few weeks! It will pay off!

Have a great trip!

 

[brymolmom]

For the love of all that is holy, if you're going to use PhotoPass, WRITE DOWN YOUR PHOTOPASS CARD NUMBER!

I say this from experience. The one and only time I leave DH in line with the kids and the PhotoPass to see the Incredibles, he tells me, a half hour later, that our PhotoPass might not be ours.

You know that feeling you get when you ride TOT? Yeah, imagine that, only ten times worse.

I hadn't written down our number and had to make the mad dash back to The Darkroom to ensure that we had gotten OUR card back. Thank goodness we had and I immediately jotted down our number in case it happened again.

So my tip?

WRITE DOWN YOUR PHOTOPASS NUMBER!!

Or - an alternative - take a permanent marker and write your name on the front of the photopass- Very difficult for dh to grab the wrong one then. It won't affect the swiping of the card - we did it last year.

Frequently with long lines for pictures - the photographers will end up with more than one pass in their hands - you can just see your own and grab it with your name across it. And a lot easier than writing down (and keeping handy) that number!

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

RESEARCH!

the worst thing to do is going to disney and wandering around wondering what to see!

research and plan. write it down. i made a table in word on my computer and have each day, where i will be eating my TS, CS, and even my snacks (they have added so many! ) under each TS note your ADR#. i researched all the menus from the restaurants - especially the CS- DH and i are always wandering around to each CS wondering what we want- well now- its on the schedule because i printed each menu and chose beforehand! and no more wandering around!

i also like to print things that i see here on the boards that are interesting that i may forget. i have a disney folder and put everything in there.

and of course- sit on the DIS boards DAY and NIGHT and absorb all the info you can!

GOOD LUCK!

I agree completely, Research and Plan what you want and intend to do. Put the plan down in a spreadsheet, granted things happen that can change things, but you can manage better with it written down.

 

[LizzySwan1022]

Not to be monotinus but.... MAKE A PLAN!! I would also suggest buying a book and letting your kids pick out what sounds interesting. WDW can be a bit overwhelming for 6 year olds, so you might want to take afternoon breaks, and lounge by the pool. Your 16 year old is definatly old enough to stay in the parks w/ the 11 year old (if they don't attempt to kill each other when left alone). Don't forget that height restrictions apply on some rides, and to make use of fastpass!!! Overall the most important thing to remember is that you are on vacation so kick back and have a good time!

 

[silverspark7]

I would suggest trying to balance the rides you go on.

For example, if you're in MK and you know you're about to wait in line for Thunder Mountain Railroad for almost an hour...run over to the Haunted Mansion (it's AC'd) or Splash Mountain (it's a wet ride) and get fast passes. By the time you get off of Thunder Mountain, it will be almost time to go on one of the other two, and they'll both be good to help you cool off! (with the water and the AC).

Most importantly, have fun, relax and be a kid again!

 

[okthanks]

If you're planning to try any of the restaurants, it's a good idea to decide where you want to eat early on and make reservations. Also, I know for sure in MK and EPCOT there are signs near the front of the parks that tell you how long waits are for the popular rides.

Another good time to go on rides with long lines are during parades.

And if you have little kids, I would go home during the early afternoon, when it's the most hot and crowded.

Have a fun trip!

 

[Jrockmom]

I want to thank everyone for their input it is going to very helpful. Now I think we will be taking my 12 year old niece so my older ones are going to have a blast I think they will all go off together because you know how kids are, " Can't be seen with the PARENTS!" I did get the unofficial guide to Disney last week a lot of good info. I just can't wait to get there!! I just am not looking forward to the drive! Mapquest shows it is a 17 1/2 hour drive from Texas. But we are breaking it up to 2 days so we don't need a day to recop We leave next Saturday at 6 am Can't come fast enough! But thanks again for everyones help!!! I will make sure to do a trip report when I return!!!

 

[BooScout]

I agree that planning is necessary. Like many here, I prefer to earmark a few rides that I really want to do, and just go with the flow for the rest of the day.

Height restrictions will be important for the 6-year-old. A number of guide books and websites list them. Its good to have them on hand so you can prepare the child before the trip.

Character meals are a lot of fun for everyone. My husband and I do at least one every trip even though its just the two of us. These have to be scheduled in advance. If cost is an issue, the buffets are cheaper than sit-down meals. I'm a fan of the Pooh characters at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, but there are princesses, Mickey and pals, and Lilo and Stitch to choose from, too.

In general I like to have my dinners scheduled ahead. It helps me relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Also, if you have a bigger group, you know that you'll see everyone at least once a day. That makes me feel free to split off from the group to do what I want because I know I will still get some quality time with them.

I know that lots of people use cell phones and walkie-talkie things to keep in touch if they split up during the day. Might be a good way to let the older kids run off on their own, or to alert members of your party if there is a change in plans - i.e., someone is tired and wants to head back earlier than expected.

And the shows! If you need to give your feet a break and a show is starting nearby that's a great combo. You get a daily show schedule as you enter each park.

If you are early-risers getting to the Magic Kingdom about 15-20 minutes before they open is well worth it. They do a welcome show that makes you feel like the whole place is opening just for you.

Most importantly, enjoy the smiles of those you are with. That's why you are there!