Totally Overwhelmed

[Shananana]

Wow. I've been looking at Walt Disney World... and I'm just totally overwhelmed. I mean, I feel like I'm visiting a big city and I have no idea where to go or which hotel to book.

I know that's why I'm here on the boards, but WOW. I have a lot of TR to look over.

 

[LoveKermit]

I don't read too many trip reports because they are so overwhelming. Find threads that might have info you're looking for--resorts, park info, dining info, etc.

Do some planning of your own and then check in here to see if you are on the right track, but don't let the DIS overwhelm you, because it can.

Have fun!

 

[momabaarjo]

It is a lot to take in, but the planning is so much fun. I recommend the Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld....I found lots of information there!

 

[ZoZo]

It is a lot to take in, but the planning is so much fun. I recommend the Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld....I found lots of information there!

I agree - if you're a total "newbie," I think starting with a good guidebook is a great place to begin. I love the Unofficial Guide - it has tons of great information. Be sure to read up on how to use Fast Pass - it's a great time-saver!

Once you have the basics from your guidebook, then I'd recommend using this chat board to ask specific questions (things like: "What's your favorite counter-service restaurant at Magic Kingdom"). Also, you can troll these boards for "favorite tips" threads.

Regarding where to stay . . . I would definitely recommend staying at one of the official WDW hotels. I like Port Orleans Riverside (POR) the best - it's considered a "moderate" resort, price-wise, has nice rooms, and a great counter-service dining hall.

And my other advice is to pick some restaurants and make some dining reservations (ADRs) well ahead of time (up to 6 months in advance). That's something that newbies don't know about -- that you need to make your reservations so far in advance. If you wait too long, you might not be able to get in to too many restaurants.

Finally, I'd recommend getting to the parks at "rope drop" (get there at least 15 to 20 minutes before opening, to stand in line and enter as soon as the gates are opened). You can get so much done early in the morning -- to many visitors don't want to get up early on their vacations, it's the best way to maximize your time and get tons of things done before the parks get crowded.

Try not to stress too much - as long as you have a good grasp of the basics before you go, you'll have a great time!

 

[Hootch]

with much of what has already been posted. When we started planning our first trip many years ago, there just wasn't that much information outside of some tour books. Now there is a wealth of information some of it not updated properly. For someone that's just starting out it can seem overwhelming, but once you get somewhat familiarized with the basics you can focus on specific questions.

I suggest you use some of the tabs at the top to browse through resorts, dining, parks and ticket basics before heading to specific boards. People will have different opinions. Look at why they love/hate something. What they love/hate may not matter to you. (One restaurant thread asked which restaurant at WDW was the worst. In the end I think every restaurant was named the worst by at least one poster.)

I generally use this board for everything. There are others that are helpful. All ears.net has strong resort descriptions and a pretty easy system to access a larger number of reviews of restaurants and resorts. Mousesavers.com does what its name implies - it identifies ways to save money. One way I use is their link to Undercover Tourist when I buy our tickets. It's not a lot of savings but it's easy to do.

One thing to keep in mind, WDW can be overwhelming. It's intended to provide so many options as to appeal to everyone and so many attractions as to attract those people over and over. It's up to you to not allow yourself to be overwhelmed. You will not be able to everything. That's just reality. Be realistic when you plan and accept that things will not go as planned. Last trip we left the last day completely unplanned and allowed the kids to determine what they wanted to revisit.

 

[pharmgirl69]

It's also important to identify what your definition of a vacation is. What are you and your family wanting to get out of Disney. Are you rambo style? Do you want to run and see as much as possible while you are there or are you more interested in relaxing and taking in the sights? You are never ever going to see everything ..... never! Don't go into it with such a rigid routine that you lose sight of the experience.

Last year we went sorta rambo. We did A LOT! well, we did all the things that we listed were important for us to see/do. This year, we have our favorites which we are going to do again but we are also going to take some resort time and take it easy.

Good Luck! It can be very overwhelming, just keep your expectations reasonable and identify what you want to get out of the experience.

 

[cajunbaby1]

This site is so addictive!! I like that you can surf the site and if you have a particular question, chances are that someone has asked it .
If on the dining plan, you can go under dining on the main site and check out the menus to see what's available, prices,etc and determine if it's for you and yours.
Trip reports are ok.
Resort page-you can see photos and layout of a resort. Things to do there, etc.
Transportation-buses, ME