What do you wish you had known

[DrTomorrow]

I'd tell you to relax and stop to smell the flowers, but that advice is rarely taken.

The most important thing to take care of is your physical needs. Comfy shoes (sandals word VERY well), plenty of water, regular breaks (an afternoon break if you can), careful of the heat / cold (as appropriate) and be aware of the limits of children.

Be well!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I wish I would have known about the Dis!
But you are one step ahead, so the other thing I would have picked is I wish I would have known not to overplan and to 'schedule' time in the afternoon off for a break. Of course my plans were quickly changed when I realized how overwhelming WDW could be to a newbie and we got that break thing down to an art!

 

[Mariposa]

Drink water even when you don't think you're thirsty, and avoid anything with caffiene (contributes to dehydration).

Wear comfy comfy shoes (and alternate shoes).

Have everyone pick the 3 things in each park that they want to experience the most (some will overlap, most likely) and make them the priorities, everything else can be filler.

Know where things are (general idea) and when they'll be least crowded.

Don't miss Wishes or Fantasmic.

 

[chrome64]

I wish I had known about:

1. Dole Whips
2. Caramel Popcorn from Sleepy Hollow in MK (made fresh daily!)
3. Twirl candy bars in the UK in Epcot
4. Turkey Legs
5. Goofy's Candy shop
6. Oh and Dole Whips!

I have to get a Dole Whip every time I'm in the Magic Kingdom. That means on this last trip I had 4! They are wonderful and I had been to Disney several times before and then found them on the Food Picture thread here on the Dis ( http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=773269 ).

7. look at the pictures on the above mentioned thread, great for picking places to eat!

 

[Rudegrle]

I wish I would've known -

• To read all of the $$$ saving tips on Mousesavers.com
• To be prepared for rain anytime
• To make ADR's far far far in advance
• To check for last minute cancelations if you were not able to get an ADR
• To stop at a grocery store for snacks/water/supplies
• About Photopass...don't be shy and use it!
• About dinner at CG during Wishes
• It's OK to resort hop
• About Jellyrolls
• About the DIS!!!

No matter what you will always think of more

 

[Keebles]

I wish I would have known that:

There is no place to eat during an EMH nite! We waited until we came out of the Mexican pavillion to get something to eat and everything had closed! By the time we got back to WL, roaring forks was closed too!

Doing a minimal amount of walking to prepare myself for Disney isn't anywhere near enough! My feet were screaming about three hours into our first day.

And the one lesson I never seem to learn is no matter how hard I try, I just can't do it all every single time I go!!

 

[fizz13]

There's some really good advice here. my favourites are:

Use fastpass to the max and always get your next one as soon as you can

Prioritise your attractions so you get to the busiest ones early so the lines aren't as long

make all your dinner ressies (ADR's) so you always have a good meal every day

get fit before you go!

find out where you can find the characters

be clued up what each attraction is about - my kids never quite recovered from their first Dinosaur outing at AK

ask to ride on the front of the monorail - a great view when you do. I was so jealous when I saw people doing this and couldn't figure out if they had a special pass or what.

Learn the basic layout of each park, you'll be so much happier not feeling lost, confused and frustrated.

Have fun and relax, its a vacation, NOT an expedition

Claire xx

 

[Memph1s]

Your kids will have some of the most fun doing things that you think are boring but take a deep breath and let them have their fun. My DD 12 still loves to make the mask at ALL the Epcot countries. She loves to play in the water at various water playgrounds. She loves watching all the different wildlife that are in the parks.

I agree with getting to the parks early. It really makes a difference.

I wish I had known how expensive EVERYTHING is in the parks and resorts. Double-check your packing list for the trip and also before you go in the parks. Its really hard to pay park prices for things you have in your room like sunscreen, chap stick, extra batteries……

There is a new Super Wal-Mart 5 mins from DTD that has everything at almost regular prices including some great Disney clothes. Be sure to pick up soda, water, beer, wine, and snacks to keep in your room.

Welcome and have a great trip. March is a wonderful time weather wise.

 

[mrzrich]

Allow for travel time. The place is huge, and sometimes you will not have a direct route from one place to another. You will have to transfer to a second bus, boat, or monorail.
You can''t leave the Poly at 5:15 to get to AKL for your ADR at 5:30

We had 10 AM reservations at O'hana on our last trip. We were staying at POP. We left our room at 9. We took a bus from our hotel to the MK and then a monorail to the Poly. The trip took about 45 minutes.

Theme park to resort is easy, but resort to resort will require some knowledge of the system.

 

[helens042266]

Our first trip was 4 years ago. We went with the idea that this was our "Once in a Lifetime" trip to Disney and we were like Disney Commandos! At the park early everyday, stayed from opening to closing, rush, rush, rush through the parks so we made sure we didn't miss anything! (we missed a lot!!). Every since that trip we have planned to go back. I wish we would have slowed down and enjoyed the simple things about the trip! We were so focused on riding all the rides and seeing all the attraction, we didn't spend much time enjoying the little things. We plan to do things different this trip:

1. TAKE BREAKS!!! Nothing like a cranky child to KILL the Disney magic!

2. Let the kids make some decision about what they want to do.

3. Bring extra shoes - we had a lot of rain and our shoes were soaked the entire trip! Don't forget ponchos!

4. LOOK AROUND! Take in the beauty of the parks! The landscaping is incredible! Sit and people watch!

5. Be prepared to start planning your next trip before this trip is even over!

Have a great time

Helen

 

[Soprano]

The 3 Golden Rules are:

1. Get there early, just before opening if you can.

2. Avoid any park which has EMH

3. Get a fastpass for Soarin' the moment you arrive at EPCOT.

I just plan my first hour at the park, get to the attractions you really want, then just wing it for the rest of the day.

Have breaks. Sit for a coffee, ice-cream.

 

[tinkerbell60]

If you are going to do an EMH (which can be great) plan to park hop because that park will get very crowded.

Be flexible - if you see a short line - take advantage.

Take breaks - they save your sanity.

Most everything is further away than it looks - especially at Epcot.

We always sleep in the day after our arrival - you are so pumped with adrenaline on arrival day it is easy to overdo it. Slowing down the next morning helps get you on the right track for the rest of your visit.

 

[mlill]

Well, this is something we found out by surprise on our last trip and we've been to WDW many times...

One night, we decided to grab a late dinner at one of the monorail resorts after MK closed, thinking that we could just take the monorail back to MK or to the Ticket and Transportation Center and take a bus back to our resort. Nope! The busses stop running about an hour after the parks close, and there are no busses that go from TTC directly to your resort.

--- The only way to get back to your WDW resort on a bus more than and hour or so after the parks have closed, is to take a bus to Downtown Disney and transfer to your resort bus there.---

-Michelle

 

[rie'smom]

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.

Here's a link to WDW park and resort maps. Have a great time and welcome!
http://www.willcad.org/disney_maps.html

 

[KCinVA]

I wish I had known how helplessly addicted I would become to WDW. I went for the first time on my honeymoon in 2003, and have been back 4 times since, with no end in sight. Prepare to be amazed!

 

[loafskier]

1) Bring snacks and water with you for the lines - I didn't mind paying the $ for actual meals, but when you buy snacks and drinks as well the money really gets out of control

2) Get to the parks 15 minutes before opening and always have a fast pass in hand

3) Have a general idea of what you want to see(attractions, shows, etc) at each park and know which ones have FP, but don't plan a rigid schedule - a general plan that can be massaged as you go along will work well. Tailor your plan to your own family - some families are early risers, some barely eat breakfast, some need a big dinner, etc. - do what works best for your family and will keep everyone happy, well rested and well fed.

4) Figure out which parks, what day and make ADRs accordingly

6) Do at least one character meal, they really are fun and the kids love them

7) Have fun, have fun, have fun!!!

 

[my4kids]

Even though your 6 yr old probably would laugh at the idea of riding in a stroller....by lunch your first day he/she will gladly jump into one. It is a lot of walking and a 6 yr olds stride is not going to go the same pace as yours. We were able to do much more time in the parks with one for our 6 and 7 yr olds because it saved them. It also provides shade and makes their trip much nicer.

In the wish I had known department....
The CM's WILL move your stoller from where you parked it from time to time to tidy up the area or keep them condensed....Even though your name is on it , sometimes it is moved across a walkway and it takes a while to find it...I saw a great suggestion here after our trip to put some bright identifier on your stoller so that you can spot it in the sea of stollers easier. A pom-pom or scarf or tassle or something.

 

[LynnTH]

Review the menus and look at the Dining Board. I never realized the first couple of times there how many great restaurants are not in the parks but at the hotels. Definitely worth looking into.

 

[mom22boys]

Wow, so much great advice on this thread. One thing I would really stress is to remember to plan for time outside of the theme parks. Definitely take time to just relax, swim, and enjoy your resort! When we tried to go at too fast of a pace it took away from the joy of being on vacation. At WDW it is hard because there is so much you want to see and do, but sometimes you really need to remind yourself to slow down.

Have a wonderful vacation!

 

[mommykds]

I know this has been said already, but I wish I had known about the DIS for our families 1st 4 trips...could have used the info. Wished I had known about Mousesavers..could have used the extra savings!