Tips on Planning First WDW trip

[lifesgr8]

We are coming in January 2012 with 5 kids. Wondering if anyone has any input on how to plan what on which days? We are planning 5 or 6 days for parks. 1 or 2 down days depending on how we feel. Any tips on which park to go to first, etc? I was not planning on getting the park hopper option because of how long everyone says it takes to get from place to place. We normally have annual passes to DL. Is the MK going to be a let down, or will it be just like DL? TIA for any input!

 

[DizFan101]

The Magic kingdom Rocks. I don't think it's anything like the MK in DL but i can't say for certain b-cuz I have never been. I have just seen pictures.

Anyway, in Epcot there is innovations to visit with lots of hands on things for kids and free crafts for them to do and take home (for FREE).

I believe the park hopper is worth getting so that way if you get bored with one park you have options other then returning to the hotel room. If you are big soda drinker's i would recommend the refillable cup as a souvenir.

hmm. other then that, if you don't mind separating on rides many rides such as Test Track (Epcot) / Rocking Roller (DHS) / Everest (AK) / and few others? have single rider lines which tend to go a little faster then the regular line and sometimes even fast pass lines. (sometimes)

Last tip is to take a lot of photos!

 

[ToddyLu]

The first thing I do is look at Park Hours. They are usually out 6 months in advance. I list those regular hours, EMH park hours and parade, shows. You can get calendar info here at wdwinfo.com. Once I have my head around what the hours are I can then pick the day that best suits us.

FOr instance we are arriving 10/28. Our flight lands at 11:30. We will be at the resort around 1:00 checking in and hoping that the room is ready, if not we will leave our stuff with bell services and head to a park. My parents have the DDP so I have booked ADRs to ensure that we use their dinning credits appropriately. I had book Coral Reef at 7:40 for dinner and then planned to do Illuminations with them. I then changed my mind becasue I thought that might be a little late for them and it is a F&W weekend, so I changed the ADR to 5:40. I feel better about that. That night MK has a MNSSHP going on, AK closes at 5 and DHS closes at 7 with no Fantasmic. This means that there is potential for EPCOT to be FLOODED with people.

You won't be able to get inot MK with the MNSHHP tacket after 7 so where will everyone end up EPCOT.

So I gather all this info so I can see my week at a glance and then determine which park we are doing and when. We always get park hoppers because DH and I do not have kids and he may want to ride POTC to kick off the trip before dinner. But we are veterans to the parks and know exactly what we what to do to please everyone.

Once I have an idea then I pick ADRs and you will need those if you are planning any sit down meals at any of the parks with 7 of you. Do not expect to walk up and get a table, regardless of when you go.

I went to DL in 1978 and of course I love MK. You will not be disappointed but it will be different. Transportation is what it is and DH and I think it is a fun part of the trip. We encorporate our expectations that it will take a few minutes to get places and enjoy the ride.

I would be happy to send you a copy of the current excell spreadsheet I use year to year. My other tip would be to study the maps of the park and get a general idea of the layout. AK is the hardest for me to do for some reason. It will save you time if you know that POTC is to your left and Dumbo is to your right when you walk down Mainstreet. I find a Pass porter Guidebook is great for this.

Have a fantastic time and enjoy every minute.

 

[Mousemom]

Are you staying on properties, renting a car or taking the bus? We always stay on property and rent a car. We like being able to drive or take Disney transportation if we want. Moving around for dinner reservations can take some time if you are using Disney transportation. We have been to Disneyland many times. Magic Kingdom at Disneyland is different then the one in WDW. Toontown was not as big and Star Tours is at Hollywood Studios etc.. but the feeling is still the same. We had to go with the attitude we would not compare it to the MK in Disneyland. We love both parks. I think that the Park Hopper is a must. We tend to spend the morning at one park, go back to our room and rest, and go to another park in the evening. If the weather is warm enough do you plan on going to a water park? Don't forget to add that feature on to your tickets too. If you can, read some of the travel guides. I like the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld. It was very helpful. Also these boards are great to learn from. If you are planning to eat at any of the sit down restaurants make sure to get your ADR's in advance. You may not be able to get in to the restaurant on a walk up basis. I always plan our vacations but go with the thought that most of my planning will change based on weather and what we want to do for the day. January will be a good month to go. Crowds will be low and hopefully weather will be comfortable. We live in the Pacific Northwest, Washington, and have been to WDW approximately 18 times. We love it. Any other questions these boards are great for getting help.

 

[lifesgr8]

The first thing I do is look at Park Hours. They are usually out 6 months in advance. I list those regular hours, EMH park hours and parade, shows. You can get calendar info here at wdwinfo.com. Once I have my head around what the hours are I can then pick the day that best suits us.

FOr instance we are arriving 10/28. Our flight lands at 11:30. We will be at the resort around 1:00 checking in and hoping that the room is ready, if not we will leave our stuff with bell services and head to a park. My parents have the DDP so I have booked ADRs to ensure that we use their dinning credits appropriately. I had book Coral Reef at 7:40 for dinner and then planned to do Illuminations with them. I then changed my mind becasue I thought that might be a little late for them and it is a F&W weekend, so I changed the ADR to 5:40. I feel better about that. That night MK has a MNSSHP going on, AK closes at 5 and DHS closes at 7 with no Fantasmic. This means that there is potential for EPCOT to be FLOODED with people.

You won't be able to get inot MK with the MNSHHP tacket after 7 so where will everyone end up EPCOT.

So I gather all this info so I can see my week at a glance and then determine which park we are doing and when. We always get park hoppers because DH and I do not have kids and he may want to ride POTC to kick off the trip before dinner. But we are veterans to the parks and know exactly what we what to do to please everyone.

Once I have an idea then I pick ADRs and you will need those if you are planning any sit down meals at any of the parks with 7 of you. Do not expect to walk up and get a table, regardless of when you go.

I went to DL in 1978 and of course I love MK. You will not be disappointed but it will be different. Transportation is what it is and DH and I think it is a fun part of the trip. We encorporate our expectations that it will take a few minutes to get places and enjoy the ride.

I would be happy to send you a copy of the current excell spreadsheet I use year to year. My other tip would be to study the maps of the park and get a general idea of the layout. AK is the hardest for me to do for some reason. It will save you time if you know that POTC is to your left and Dumbo is to your right when you walk down Mainstreet. I find a Pass porter Guidebook is great for this.

Have a fantastic time and enjoy every minute.

Thank you for all the great info! But, before I go further...I need to find the thread so that I can de-code all of the acronyms! LOL!! I dont have a clue yet what they all mean.

Excel spread sheet? For what?

What is a pass porter guidebook?

 

[lifesgr8]

Are you staying on properties, renting a car or taking the bus? We always stay on property and rent a car. We like being able to drive or take Disney transportation if we want. Moving around for dinner reservations can take some time if you are using Disney transportation. We have been to Disneyland many times. Magic Kingdom at Disneyland is different then the one in WDW. Toontown was not as big and Star Tours is at Hollywood Studios etc.. but the feeling is still the same. We had to go with the attitude we would not compare it to the MK in Disneyland. We love both parks. I think that the Park Hopper is a must. We tend to spend the morning at one park, go back to our room and rest, and go to another park in the evening. If the weather is warm enough do you plan on going to a water park? Don't forget to add that feature on to your tickets too. If you can, read some of the travel guides. I like the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld. It was very helpful. Also these boards are great to learn from. If you are planning to eat at any of the sit down restaurants make sure to get your ADR's in advance. You may not be able to get in to the restaurant on a walk up basis. I always plan our vacations but go with the thought that most of my planning will change based on weather and what we want to do for the day. January will be a good month to go. Crowds will be low and hopefully weather will be comfortable. We live in the Pacific Northwest, Washington, and have been to WDW approximately 18 times. We love it. Any other questions these boards are great for getting help.

We are staying on property, BCV. I am not planning on a rental car, wanted to save the $$. Normally at DL we do not do sit down meals just CS. We have a 6 & 3 yr old in our group that do not sit well, we avoid that situation all together. So even if we have never been to WDW, and are only planning on 5 or 6 days in the parks, I will still want the park hopper option? I thought it would waste too much precious park time hopping since they are so spread out?

I am reading the Unofficial Guide to WDW book. I also am reading alot on the disboards. I read somewhere to avoid the parks with the extra hours on the days that they have the extra hours....is this true?

 

[Lumiere Lover]

The Extra Magic hours aren't that busy in the mornings. It seems the like evening extra magic hours are the busy, but not too bad.

Make sure you plan your days. On the WDW website, you can order free park maps. WDW is a vacation that you want to plan, not just show up and wing in.

The Passport book that a previous poster mentioned is a good book about Disney World. Also their is a book "Birnbaum guide to Walt Disney World." This is more of an official guide, and I use this one. It has information about rides, shows, restaurants, etc. Both books are good resources, along with the information on these boards.

Have a great trip!!!!!

 

[Mousemom]

I think the park hopper is a feature that is not always necessary. If you don't think you will use it I would not add it on. We are a family that likes to hop from park to park. Having a car makes that much easier. With a 3 and 6 year old you may want to take an afternoon break and head back to the same park in the evening - but I would make sure that you watch your children's ques and if they are beginning to wear out have a mid day break to recharge. (Mom and Dad may need this too). Our boys were young when we started going to WDW and we always would go back to the resort to swim and nap. We never do the morning EMH because we like to sleep in but always head to the park for the evening EMH. I never feel like the crowds are unbearable (especially at EPCOT) for evening EMH . I like being in the park at night when it has cooled down and all the lights are on. The rides feel different to me when it is dark. POTC, TOT, RRC, HM, I like the feel of them at night. My biggest tip is to be flexible. You see so many families trying to do to much and kids (and adults) burn out and everyone begins to have melt downs. Enjoy and try not to do too much in a given day.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Hi fellow DLR AP!

Personally, of all the parks at WDW we spend the least time in MK and DHS. MK mostly since we have AP to DL and DL is much better than MK. MK is nice, but DLR is still best!

My DD is now almost 12 and most of the time we will only spend 1/2 day or so in MK. We really didn't do much there until we took my Dniece28 a few years (okay, more like 9) and since she was a DLR CM she wanted to ride the rides at MK that we have at DL to compare them to. That was probably the most time we spent there. Don't get me wrong, I like MK but there are other parks at WDW that we enjoy more.

Our 2 fav. parks are AK and EPCOT. My DD11 has loved EPCOT since she first went at 2-3/4 yrs. I can't say why, but she really enjoys it.

Now since you will have 5 kids with you obviously will be doing MK but I wanted to let you know what works for our family (my DM71, DD11, and me52) Some rides at MK are exactly like DL, those we will usually skip. I like to do the ones that are different or are unique to MK, like-
Hall of Presidents
Carousel of Progress (I remember it when it was at DL)
Pirates (different)
Haunted Mansion (can't wait to see the new ending)
The Laugh Factory

I will tell you that since we do go to DLR alot, for us it's not all about the rides. That's one reason why TL and BB are really our 2 favorite parks! Hands down! We usually do one full day at each. On one 11 day trip we did BB once and TL twice!

We also rent a car so we can check out the "Real Florida". The gulf coast beaches are so nice! The water is so warm, especially compared to chilly So. Cal. beaches (water was 68 in Laguna last week )

Being for the West Coast we find that getting to the parks at rope drop can be difficult. We rarely make it, especially the first days of our trip. For that reason we don't do EMH mornings. However, we do take advantage of EMH evenings. The extra 3 hours at night is great! Especially since we typically go in Sept/Oct. and the parks aren't open very late.

With the size of your family I can see that getting the PH would be a lot of money. And going from park to park does take time. If I was going for 5-6 days and I could do PH or Water Parks and More option, I would do the Water Parks one. (same price as PH). It inc. both water parks (TL=Typhoon Lagoon, and BB=Blizzard Beach) as well as DQ=Disney Quest. If you buy a 6 day ticket with WP and more you will also get 6 days of those options. Then you could go to one of the main parks in the day and check out DQ in the evening. Or do one of the water parks in the morning/afternoon, and then go to one of the parks later in the day/night.

We go to DLR all the time and I've been to WDW 15 times, so far, so if you have any further question, don't hesitate to ask.

Added-just read that you are going in January so the water parks may not be that good of an option. I think in Jan. only BB is open. Though on our trip to WDW in Jan. 06 we did go to BB. It was a little cool, but we had fun anyway.

 

[minnie mum]

You are getting lots and lots of info, and it's great that you're getting help from fellow DLR vets who have also been to WDW.

First- about the acronyms: try this thread:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1660743

Second: how to select what park on which day: http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/01-january-2012-crowd-calendar/
This site is free, and gives the recommended park and park to avoid for each day. If you scroll through, he has a detailed description of each park for each day of the month. I use this in conjunction with the wdwinfo site to help plan our intinerary.

Third: park hopper yay or nay. We always go for a week, and for the past 10+years have never had the hopper, or felt the need for one. We have found that if you plan your itinerary around the crowd calendar recommendations, you don't HAVE to hop. And with as many kids as you have, I could see it being a headache. The good news is that park hoppers are not an all or nothing deal. Get the base ticket and see if it works for you. If it doesn't and you need to hop, just go to any guest relations and have it added to your pass. It costs the same whether you have it at the beginning, or add it later. Save the big bucks if you can!

Fourth: Water parks/pools: You are going in Jan. so planning water park or pool days is really iffy. At least one of the water parks will be closed while you are there. The weather is really unpredictable and you may encounter days (or in our case last year) or a whole week, where it is just too cold to swim. Yes the pools are heated, but getting in and out of the pool? We're from Canada for crying out loud and we were wearing heavy sweaters and gloves during the day! Just sayin....not sure I would spend the big bucks on the water park feature if I couldn't guarantee that the weather would be warm enough.

And finally: MK vs DL: been to both many times. Love them both. One of the things we enjoy about MK is riding and comparing the rides that are found at both. While they are basically the same, there are definite differences. And some of the rides will be unique to one park or the other. Try to go with an open mind, and just enjoy the park for what it is. The one difference that you will feel as soon as you set foot on Main Street is the huge difference in size!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Be prepared for cold weather. We have gone to WDW several times during Feb and I can say I was glad I packed my gloves, hat and coat. Temps get as low at 35 degrees. Make sure to have one or two sweat shirts too.

January is the month that Florida see's its coldest temps of the year.

here is a link to Jan 2011 temps
http://www.accuweather.com/us/fl/orlando/32801/forecast-month.asp?mnyr=1-01-2011

 

[lifesgr8]

How much weight do you put into touring plans? Are they worth the trouble?

 

[AprilRenee]

How much weight do you put into touring plans? Are they worth the trouble?

If you've never been, they are wonderful! Totally worth the trouble (however, my DH (husband) and I didn't find them any trouble at all). Actually, they made our life easier. We really felt like we were getting to see everything and just didn't stress about following them to the letter. We followed them pretty close but if we were close to a ride that was supposed to be later on the list and it had a super short wait, we would just ride it and cross it off the list. Really we just used the Touring Plans as a list of what to ride next. If we saw something else we wanted to do, we'd go do it and then pick back up where we left off on the touring plan. I am a big advocate of them for 1st (or even 2nd) time visitors.
Also, I saw you were reading Unofficial Guide. That's a great choice. I read it practically cover to cover before our first trip and I felt like a pro on our first day. I knew where things were and what the rides consisted of. My DH was pretty impressed

 

[bunkkinsmom]

HI!

I think first you need to ask yourself what kind of vacationer are you. Are you a park commando? Are you laid back? Do you sleep in or try for rope drop? Then you can get a better idea of if things like Touring Plans will work for you.

There are a few things that ANY type of vacationer should remember, IMHO. First off, if you plan on doing any table service restaurants, book them now. This week you should be able to book through 1/26.

I am a big fan of park hoppers, but we are laid back vacationers as well. On our last couple of days we normally hop to go see our favorite attractions and characters again before we leave.

I agree with looking at park hours now as well. I use this for things I want to see like Fantasmic!. I plan my DHS days around it as this is a show that is typically not offered every day in January. Also we tend to visit the parks on non-emh days, they seem to be less crowded.

Also, travel between parks/resorts doesn't have to take up too much of your time. Just familiarize yourself between now and January with what resorts offer what type of transportation. For instance, depending on what side of Epcot you are in, it's much quicker to go visit Kouzzina for dinner than California Grill, even though Cali Grill is on the monorail. Getting to Whispering Canyons from the Magic Kingdom is just a boat ride away. We also normally set aside a little money for cab rides from dinner back to our resort if necessary after a late reservation. Don't worry about your party size for this, we have been with 2 people all the way up to 13 and have never had an issue. And cab fare inside the parks is not expensive at all.

Have a great trip, and maybe we will see you there!

 

[sharonabe]

I'm going to disagree with the PP about touring plans IF by touring plans you mean the ones you get from the Unofficial Guide or their site.

Why do I not like them? Too much walking back and forth and all around! and with 5 kids, I wouldn't try them the way they are laid out.

We've never done a touring plan other than ones I crafted for what my family wants to do and we've never waited more than 20-30 min for ANY ride. We stay pretty much in one area of whichever park we're in enjoying what we want in that area, and then move on. We may send someone to a favorite ride in another area to get a FP, but that's the extent of our "running around."

As far as MK comparing to DL. I have a question, when you go to DL do you ride all the rides just because you enjoy them? If so, then you'll still want to ride all the rides at MK for the same reason. I wouldn't skip things just because we can do it "back home."

5-6 days in the parks will give you enough time to enjoy them. Will it be enough to do it all? Probably not, but you'll do enough to have memories for a lifetime.

Skip the park hoppers for now. If you find you want them once you're there, you can add them on on the day you find yourself wanting to HOP.

AND one last thing...I too suggest checking on easywdw.com I really like the logic behind his best/worst parks. If you scroll down past the calendar, he explains why he chose what he did for each day.

 

[Gillibean405]

If you are planning on eating at a table service, I would definitely do ADRs in advance with such a large group.

Also, My family found it easier to send my sister with all of our tickets ahead to get Fast Passes for a busy attraction while we went on and met her at another ride. Most of the time, she would even beat us there! There is so much to see and do that you will need FPs for the bigger attractions.

 

[lifesgr8]

HI!

I think first you need to ask yourself what kind of vacationer are you. Are you a park commando? Are you laid back? Do you sleep in or try for rope drop? Then you can get a better idea of if things like Touring Plans will work for you.

There are a few things that ANY type of vacationer should remember, IMHO. First off, if you plan on doing any table service restaurants, book them now. This week you should be able to book through 1/26.

I am a big fan of park hoppers, but we are laid back vacationers as well. On our last couple of days we normally hop to go see our favorite attractions and characters again before we leave.

I agree with looking at park hours now as well. I use this for things I want to see like Fantasmic!. I plan my DHS days around it as this is a show that is typically not offered every day in January. Also we tend to visit the parks on non-emh days, they seem to be less crowded.

Also, travel between parks/resorts doesn't have to take up too much of your time. Just familiarize yourself between now and January with what resorts offer what type of transportation. For instance, depending on what side of Epcot you are in, it's much quicker to go visit Kouzzina for dinner than California Grill, even though Cali Grill is on the monorail. Getting to Whispering Canyons from the Magic Kingdom is just a boat ride away. We also normally set aside a little money for cab rides from dinner back to our resort if necessary after a late reservation. Don't worry about your party size for this, we have been with 2 people all the way up to 13 and have never had an issue. And cab fare inside the parks is not expensive at all.

Have a great trip, and maybe we will see you there!

I am for sure a commando, rope dropping, get up at 5 am, stay at the parks till midnight, get up, go, go, go, shut up and have fun, kind of mom on vacation! My kids and dh get a little sick of it but, I always want to see everything! on our first trip to dl, I had the unofficial guide with me and kept saying "the book says" my siser let me know that if I said that one more time...she would let me know where to put the book! I had to put it away for the rest of the trip! I really want to be prepared, I feel like this is way more involved than a trip to dl. I went to all ears on the recommendation of pp. It looks like we will need to buy the park hopper, if I follow his park plan. because the parks he says to go to...close early and we would most likely want to park hop for the evenings. My biggest issue will probably be letting the kids relax or even have pool time. we have never spent time in the room or at the pool and i get the feeling that the bcv are going to be a great time in and of themselves.
also, I am already thinking about our 2nd trip! so I was wondering if buying the longest ticket possible and buying the no expire deal....if that is worth it or just start over for the next trip?

 

[lifesgr8]

If you are planning on eating at a table service, I would definitely do ADRs in advance with such a large group.

Also, My family found it easier to send my sister with all of our tickets ahead to get Fast Passes for a busy attraction while we went on and met her at another ride. Most of the time, she would even beat us there! There is so much to see and do that you will need FPs for the bigger attractions.

I am at this time not planning any ts meals. I might plan 1 night where we send the kids to the club and dh & I go out for an adult meal but, havent figured that out yet. Our 6 yr old does not sit well. Our 3 year old would if the 6 year old would. so we barely make it through a meal even when we cs it!

going in january.....will fast passes really be needed?

 

[lifesgr8]

I'm going to disagree with the PP about touring plans IF by touring plans you mean the ones you get from the Unofficial Guide or their site.

Why do I not like them? Too much walking back and forth and all around! and with 5 kids, I wouldn't try them the way they are laid out.

We've never done a touring plan other than ones I crafted for what my family wants to do and we've never waited more than 20-30 min for ANY ride. We stay pretty much in one area of whichever park we're in enjoying what we want in that area, and then move on. We may send someone to a favorite ride in another area to get a FP, but that's the extent of our "running around."

As far as MK comparing to DL. I have a question, when you go to DL do you ride all the rides just because you enjoy them? If so, then you'll still want to ride all the rides at MK for the same reason. I wouldn't skip things just because we can do it "back home."

5-6 days in the parks will give you enough time to enjoy them. Will it be enough to do it all? Probably not, but you'll do enough to have memories for a lifetime.

Skip the park hoppers for now. If you find you want them once you're there, you can add them on on the day you find yourself wanting to HOP.

AND one last thing...I too suggest checking on easywdw.com I really like the logic behind his best/worst parks. If you scroll down past the calendar, he explains why he chose what he did for each day.

when we go to a park...we get a map...go first turn possible to our left....see everything along that area...keep moving left... until we have seen everything in the park....leave on the other side. (does that make sense) I will usually stop to see the parades, then move on back to where we left off. it never made sense to me to run to indiana jones then get back over to space mountain then back to whatever. especially pushing a double stroller?! I like to stay in 1 area until we have done everything then move to the next. I dont skip anything. even tom sayers island at dl....we still go there. i will usually take the stroller and go fp rides in the area while dh and older kids are in line somewhere.

do you still suggest skipping the park hoppers if I plan around allears suggestions of going to the slowest parks(where most close early?) use that time to enjoy the bcv or would that be good times to go check out epcot etc? there is no fantasmic while we are there. but, thats not the end of the world at this point. i know we will be going back and can see it later. we have seen it at dl, not sure if it is different or not.

 

[sharonabe]

For right now, YES, I would still skip the park hoppers. As some have said before, you can always add them on THE DAY you decide to use them IF you want to.

WDW is VERY different from DL. And the pools at BCV are awesome, so you may want to spend an evening or two just enjoying the pool or the Boardwalk area itself. Lots to do around there.

Oh, and you will still need to use FP on some rides...Toy Story Mania, Soarin', Peter Pan, maybe Test Trak. I believe there are now several ride apps for the different smart phones if you have one. That would be a great help in knowing whether FPs are needed on any given day.