WDW for introverts

[SG131]

Would be our guest be overwhelming?

I think be our guest for breakfast or lunch may be overwhelming as it’s a lot of people moving around constantly. It can be harder to get a table unless you bee line straight to the library which isn’t usually people’s first choice. At dinner it is calmer as the meals take longer and the servers are really The only ones up. Also, the beast is kept off to the side for meet and greets so if you don’t want to meet him it’s very easy to do so.

Also, enchanted tales with belle may be one to consider skipping because it also involves the kids participating in the show.

 

[Jocelynaus]

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[sponica]

I can't stand crowds, which is ironic since I prefer to live in cities vs the suburbs....and I find Magic Kingdom to be insanely overwhelming. DO NOT DO IT ALL IN ONE DAY.

That being said, if you can do evenings MK is nice as a lot of the families with younger kids will leave. If you're in frontierland during the day, tom sawyer island is a nice place to escape the chaos of the park. There are nice nature trails at animal kingdom which even when crowded doesn't feel as crowded. World Showcase in Epcot has really nice wide pathways, so it takes a lot to feel crowded.

I don't mind characters but prefer character meals instead of waiting in lines. If you do decide to take a chance on one, the garden grill breakfast is fairly low key.

 

[jade'nsuch]

Like almost everybody here, I, too, am an introvert. One thing I would add (if somebody hasn't said it already) is to not be afraid to say you need a break. Character dining really is a good thing to avoid if you can. We do it every year, and while the food is why I'm there, I'm forced to sit there and smile like a weirdo until the character goes away.

I saw someone mention PizzaRizzo and I can't express how much I love it. Its a huge space and you can spread out away from other people. However, I believe its going to seasonal and I'm not sure when that season is, so maybe don't bank on that. Pecos Bills in MK is another fantastic choice because it is huge as well, and there is usually plenty of room. I am by far the most introverted in my group but the others can usually tell when I'm hitting my limit so I would just say to try and be mindful of them. I don't like being first in lines so they always go before me; it helps with any unwanted attention. Don't forget to take people breaks, whether it's finding a cubby to hide out in for a while or going all the way back to the room. I hope some of these tips help, and I know it sounds cheesy but definitely have fun!

 

[Gafnorin]

Uber/lyft/Minnie vans is a great suggestion, thanks we are also budgeting for avoiding the buses complexity, coming from Australia we won’t drive (on the other side of the road is too scary)

Also avoiding laugh floor, I had that on my plans but will drop it, that day is too full.

Ooh what’s the time change from Australia? Use jet lag to your advantage. We came in from the west coast, slept in late and did extra magic hours at magic kingdom until midnight. We did more rides from 10pm-12am than we had done all day. And towards midnight the only line was for 7dwarves I think. You can do the EMH in morning if that works better.

Agree w dining reservations. So nice to have a place to sit and have some personal space for a while.

Afternoons were the hardest. Crowded, hot, etc. wish we had scheduled more pool time. Even in the heat of the afternoon the resort pool had plenty of open space and was lovely.

 

[Gafnorin]

Ooh what’s the time change from Australia? Use jet lag to your advantage. We came in from the west coast, slept in late and did extra magic hours at magic kingdom until midnight. We did more rides from 10pm-12am than we had done all day. And towards midnight the only line was for 7dwarves I think. You can do the EMH in morning if that works better.

Agree w dining reservations. So nice to have a place to sit and have some personal space for a while.

Afternoons were the hardest. Crowded, hot, etc. wish we had scheduled more pool time. Even in the heat of the afternoon the resort pool had plenty of open space and was lovely.

Oh also note times and places of parades and fireworks. Either avoid the area completely or make a point to get a spot and settle in. We tried to get to splash mountain during the 2pm parade and got completely stuck. Same w fireworks, just wanted to get to Tomorrowland and got shunted over to Main Street to “watch” and couldn’t even see the castle which was the cool part. Parade and fireworks were way more impressive than we expected but the crowds were ridiculous.

 

[Aladora]

hi, we are planning our first trip to WDW September 18 - 24.

We are an introverted family but my husband and son are especially introverted.

I’m wanting your tips for introverts at WDW?

I’ve read a few guides that suggest:
- booking a deluxe, (we are staying at AKL)
- planning park breaks and days off, which we have
- avoiding participation dining, I changed my plan for 50’s diner to sci-fi dine in

But what else?

Would I be right in thinking EMM is the best way to see fantasy land?
Are dessert parties the best way to see nighttime shows? I’d really like to see the SW show and Happy ever after, though it’s only on a few night due to MNSSHP.

You seem to have the basics covered but I wanted to add a few things. As a bit of background info, DS is autistic so he tends to get overwhelmed with lots of people, he was never really into characters and hates being the centre of attention. I'm more on the introverted side when it comes to large groups of people but I will talk to anyone near me who sits still long enough! DH is more like our son, he has a limited amount of time that he can be social and once he is done, he is DONE.

We also stayed at Animal Kingdom and loved it. Definitely check out Sanaa! We never managed to fit in dinner at Jiko but DH and I went into the Jiko bar area a couple of times for after dinner drinks and dessert which I highly recommend!

Even though it takes a bit of time, we went back to the hotel every day after lunch for a rest before heading back to the parks for the evening.

We also had rest days built in to our stay. While this may not work for everyone, this was our schedule:

Arrival day: We flew in early evening, no park at all.
Park day
Park day
Full rest day
Park day
Park day
Full rest day
Park day
Park day
Half rest day, we went to MNSSHP at 4:00pm.
Departure day: park day until mid afternoon then we left for our airport hotel for our crazy early flight the next day.

We had 7 day tickets but because of MNSSHP, we were able to do each park twice.


On our recent WDW trip, 50's PT was high on both DH and DS's list of restaurants so I booked it for lunch and when I went to check in, I mentioned that DS was autistic and that we did not want our server to play around with us. For some reason, I *think* I remember something on our table that showed the server that we were not interested in shenanigans but I might be imagining that! Our server was lovely and she respected our request. Oh, FTR, the pot roast there is amazing!

We did not bother with EMM for fantasyland, but did attend MNSSHP and despite the downpour that night, we got a ton done. If there had been an after hours event while we were there, I would have definitely done that!

We did both the Star Wars and HEA dessert parties and enjoyed both. The SW food was superior but I would not hesitate to do the HEA one again. We went with the plaza garden one and sat right at the back railing on the left and it was perfect.

Would be our guest be overwhelming?

^^ we’d do BOG for my daughter who would love to meet the beast, thanks that’s really helpful

We did BOG for dinner and the only thing I would say is that the West Wing can get really loud when the storm picks up and the lightning can be tough for some to deal with! We had previously eaten in the Ballroom and wanted to try a different room this trip. If we were to go a 3rd time, I would definitely see if we could sit in the Rose Gallery.

 

[Jocelynaus]

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[Jocelynaus]

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[wendlle]

OK, my DH is an introvert and also has social anxiety BUT he loves WDW. We do heaps of character meals. I was so worried about him when I first took him to WDW but he actually loves it and it is one of the few places that he comes out of his "shell" so to speak. I've never seen him talk to strangers before but he is really open to talking to people and taking our DD on rides and even going to the pool with her without me and ordering food by himself - all things he struggles with at home.
You never know you may be surprised at how your family members react while there, Disney has a way of making magic happen

We're from Australia too, never had an issue with jetlag. We arrive after a 20+ hour flight and get right to the parks the next day.

 

[MainMom]

Have you watched the vloggers See Ya Reel Soon on YouTube? In some of their non-trip videos they mention they are extreme introverts. I find their vlogs endearing as I am also an introvert as is my DD. I don’t mind character meals, but I don’t try to engage them, I just get a pic. We also take breaks every day, eat a nice sit down lunch. I’m really good at tuning out my surroundings and focusing on myself and my family. I’m trying to teach that to my DD.

I have also found that I do much better in the familiar. I’ve been to wdw so many times I know what to expect. That’s half the battle for me. That and research!