What do you wish you had known

[gabesmom]

We are making our first week-long visit to WDW in March with our 15 year old and 6 year old. Trying to figure out how much time to plan at each park?

We have 6 full days and want to see as much as we can without killing the 6 year old...

I plan to look at all the strategies on the board for touring, but wanted to just ask each of you for your best piece of advice... the thing you wish you had known on your first real trip to the World

 

[MickeyNicki]

Make your ADR's asap! Dont wait to the last minute trying to get into a restaurant and dont think you can squeeze in.

Take a rest back at your hotel in the afternoon

Resort hop, with all the buses, boats and monorails it is very easy to do and fun to visit the other resorts.

Pick up the maps of the parks at your resort and plan the day.

 

[loopner67]

We found that "early opening days" in any given park made that particular park VERY congested that day. I highly recommend finding out when the early opening days & now late night days in each park and stay away - go to ta different park that day!

Have a great time.

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

Relax, take it in, and realize that there is no way that you will be able to see and do everything in one trip - get a guidebook, look at touringplans, and choose what is important for you and your family to do, and do your best to do it - but don't stress if you don't - some of the best fun comes during times when you least expect it.

 

[drteeth3]

I 2nd the take your time and relax approach. When you are looking over the boards get your kids involved and figure out what is most important to see for each person. That way you can make that stuff your top priority. Everything else is, if you can see it, great! if not, oh well no problem.

 

[icecrystahl]

I wish I had known about the little twirls on the RnR before i had gon on it...lol and I wish I had known that it was gonna get that cold on a Feb. night!

 

[luv2nascar]

take time to enjoy the little things. You can not see and do it all in one week. Start planning another trip. Set your goals small - do and see most important things.

 

[1of6]

Just subscribing...our first trip is around the corner.

 

[MickeyStars]

Pick what you want to see before hand.
Use the Fast Pass on the attractions.
And always have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lucyanna girl]

Be sure and not miss any of the night time shows, Illuminations, Wishes, Spectro-Magic, or Fantasmic. Also study your park maps, the first time we went we missed some rides.

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

Also study your park maps, the first time we went we missed some rides.

If you can, study the maps before you get to the parks! At least to get a feel for how things are laid out.

 

[pamdaniels]

have a good plan...and when part of your plan goes awry (and it will at some point)....Take a deep breath and find something else to do...there's ALWAYS something else...you're in Disneyworld...have a magical time.

Try to get a spot to see Tink fly...it happens right before Wishes starts..

I saw Tink fly right over my head...It brought tears to my eyes...

 

[jann1033]

not to go in summer/ peak season if at all possible

to have a plan of action even if just what you want to see and the general location( like is philharmagic at epcot or mk and what land)- we just wandered around like doofuses( doofusi?) and since it was July almost sweated to death

it is an enourmous amount of walking so bring the most comfy shoes and socks you can find

 

[3princesses4us]

As an avid scrapbooker, my tips are all picture related.
1) Take advantage of Photopass. It's free to let them take it and some are priceless... you don't have to buy them, but some you'll want to (they add special effects sometimes!)
2) Make the CM take another one with your camera too!
3) ZOOM in your camera yourself before you hand it off to a CM- no one zoomed any of my pics and they were too far away for my taste.
4) I personally head straight for the character meet & greets when I get to the park. I look my best first thing in the morning (sweaty by the end of the day!) and then I can relax the rest of the day and enjoy the rides.
That's my 2 cents...

 

[scoutsmom99]

Get to the parks before they open so you can be among the lightest crowds of the day. We have always done this and you can really get a lot accomplished by being there right away instead of arriving after the park is open.

 

[lucyanna girl]

Forgot to say "Welcome"

 

[3princesses4us]

Thought of some more:
There's a free campfire (smores making kits are $5 I think) at the Fort Wilderness campgrounds nightly along with a singalong with Chip & Dale and a Disney movie showing. Cheap fun...
Make sure to leave time to see Downtown Disney even if at nights.
Ask to ride up front on the monorail at least once.
Get a Fastpass for the big thrill rides first thing (Kilimanjaro Safari, Tower of Terror, Rock n' Roller Coaster, Space Mountain, etc.)
Oh! And

 

[Florida_Mom]

I wish I had known:

1) How much fun it is to not got to a park for a day and just hang out at the resort and enjoy the pool.

2) How much fun Fort Wilderness is with bike rentals, campfires, movies, boat rentals, etc.

3) that pin trading is really fun. We JUST started doing this on our last trip and we've been going to WDW for a long time!

4) to do World Showcase first, THEN Future World (provided World Showcase is open and you don't mind walking back to World Showcase at night for your ADRs).

5) how incredibly delicious the gigantic cookie ice-cream sandwiches are from the Bakery on Main Street in the MK.

6) that even if you skip the afternoon parade in the MK, the lines in Fantasy Land are still going to be long.

7) that even after going to WDW for 36 years, I still love the place and spend WAAAY too much $$ there!

Have fun!!

 

[loopner67]

As an avid scrapbooker, my tips are all picture related.
1) Take advantage of Photopass. It's free to let them take it and some are priceless... you don't have to buy them, but some you'll want to (they add special effects sometimes!)
2) Make the CM take another one with your camera too!
3) ZOOM in your camera yourself before you hand it off to a CM- no one zoomed any of my pics and they were too far away for my taste.
4) I personally head straight for the character meet & greets when I get to the park. I look my best first thing in the morning (sweaty by the end of the day!) and then I can relax the rest of the day and enjoy the rides.
That's my 2 cents...

Hi! I just had to comment since you're the first person I've seen on these boards who's said anything about scrapbooking. I'm in the process of trying to finish a scrapbook for a Nov '04 trip (I'm up to 40 layouts!). I loved reading your tips.

I'll add one more....

Make sure that *YOU* are in some of the pictures and not just taking all of the pictures. Hand the camera over to someone else who's with you or ask someone to take a picture. It wasn't until the last day of our Disney honeymoon that I had enough nerve to ask someone else to take our picture so that we BOTH were in the pictures! Silly me!

Anyway, just wanted to say "hi" to a fellow scrapper!

 

[bubba73]

Avoid the MK on Monday and Tuesday. These are the 2 busiest days of the week for this particular park. It is so crowded that you will wait a minimum of 2 hours for anything that is worthwhile. On those days, go to MGM, EPCOT, or AK. Those typically don't get busier until later in the week.



YEA! I just made my 600th post!!