Top advice for first timers.....

[klj27]

My family and I go to WDW every summer for two weeks. Some friends of ours have never been and are going to join us for the first 6 nights/ 5 days of our trip next summer. We had them over last weekend to give them info, but it was hard not to overwhelm them. She has received the vacation planning kit and we gave them our passporter. We also recommended the unofficial guide, allearsnet.com and of course the disboards.

What advice or tips would you give to first timers???

 

[Violets by da Marina]

Per my experiences comfortable shoes even some flip flops to change later. Also freeze bottled water and take that in a cooler, it helps stay cool in the park. Plan the park out, and forsure take the fast passes... Only one fast pass per ride at a time.
Take rain ponchos... Walmart has them at about a dollar. And you can take little fans that squirt water, also at walmart. Really helpful...
Oh, and take plenty of film, if not memory cards... I took over 1,000 pictures... LOVED IT!!! Have fun...[/SIZE]

 

[KittyKitty]

Let them know how lucky they are to be with you and your family on their 1st trip. You can help them avoid mistakes we all made that 1st time.

No. 1 Tip. WDW is huge! You will walk over 6 miles a day!

Have a great time!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Realize that Disney World is BIG, it takes time to go from place to place...resort to park, park to resort, park to park. Figure an hour to be on the safe side, it's okay to be early for things.

 

[BlindTyldak]

Disney will still be there for your next trip. Don't panic if you can't see everything in one shot, you're not supposed to be able to! Relax and enjoy it.

and take a hotel break.

 

[M 'n C]

hmm if it is their first time make sure to let them know it's ok to split up from you. When my family went with my aunt and uncle their first time (our 2nd time) they thought we had to stay together the whole time and it kinda drove us nuts because my aunt wanted to go into every gift shop on WDW property and we did not. We had a good time but the splitting up would have been nice sometimes.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

The best advice I got when going on our first trip is to get to the parks early. You can walk right on to just about everything and even ride favorites a few times in a row. By 10 am the parks start getting fuller and by noon they are packed. Get there early, you won't be disappointed.

 

[blondeheroine]

Take rain ponchos... Walmart has them at about a dollar.

This is one of our secrets too. They come in a very small pouch and can be put into a bag or whatever so you can bring it along for when you're caught out in the rain. AND, they're actually under a dollar, so when you're finished, you throw them away! You don't have to worry about folding up a big, bulky, wet poncho and dragging it around for the rest of the day.

Do Fastpasses for rides with long lines. I'd say never do Soarin' without a FP. The stand-by line is always longer than what is posted in my experience.

If there is a restaurant you really want to experience, make advanced reservations. Furthermore, plan out your meals before you arrive at the parks so you don't have to spend thirty minute asking everyone what they want to eat.

If you can stay on property, do so. Some say they find it cost prohibitive, but if you do the Value Resorts, there's really not much of a difference at all. First, it's equal to the price of staying in a decent La Quinta or Howard Johnson unless you're already receiving some deep discounts from either of those chains. Second, you save about ten dollars everyday by not having to park at the parks and pay parking fees. Third, it's such a relief not to have to get into your car and fight traffic to leave, but instead, just get on the bus and go back to your resort. Fourth, being at the resort gives you a sort of sequestered feeling that makes it really seem like you're taking a vacation from the real world.

Do your shopping at the end of the day and, if you do decide to stay at the resort, you can have your packages shipped back to your hotel gift shop.

Put a little extra time in your schedule to find a nice spot for the parades and fireworks so you can really enjoy the entertainment. I think you'll really find that Fantasmic, Wishes, Illuminations and Spectromagic are worth the extra effort.

Above all, have fun and if you get tired, rest. As someone else said, find comfortable shoes, but do not take them to the park new. Wear them for a good two weeks before you go so your feet can adjust to the shoes and vice versa.

Have fun!

P.S. If you're traveling with kids, I always recommend that you come up with a plan just in case you get lost. As soon as you arrive at the first park, familiarize your child with the badges the CMs wear and tell them that, if they were to get separated, that they should find someone wearing one of those badges and inform them that they are lost. WDW has a sort of amber alert system that helps reunite parents and lost children and this can be a really helpful start to getting that process under way.