What would your suggestion be????

[quilt4luv]

Reading through the boards, I see that so many of you have been to Disney year after year. I am a first timer and have a ?
If you could tell me one thing that I should not miss for sure at each park, or 1 thing a first timer should do or see........
We have made our lists(DH, DD 11, and myself). We don't want to miss anything and we sure don't want to get back and say oh we should have done.....
I know I can't see everything, but just would like feedback on what that one thing would be for all of you!
Thanks!

 

[1HourAway]

Well Quilt - IMHO the number one thing to do is to have FUN!!
Relax, enjoy yourselves and certainly soak in all the atmosphere. I know that everyone wants to see EVERYTHING and do it all on their first trip, and I'll tell you - it is just about impossible! So, take your time and do not stress out!!

I've been going to the WDW since 1972 and I still find things that I've never seen before.

Have fun!

BTW - Are you staying onsite?

 

[quilt4luv]

Hi, yes we are staying at the All Star Movies. We fly in 7/22 and then have to leave Saturday.

 

[mommystieg]

Oh my-you will probably get lots of different opinions on this. I feel like I can't miss anything but we always do I would probably have to say that Illuminations, Spectromagic, Fantasy in the Sky and Fantasmic! are not to be missed-unless you don't like parades and fireworks. We also made lists and took them to the parks with us then checked off each item but there were still things we missed. Those things were moved to the top of this year's must do lists. See, now you will have an excuse for another visit

 

[Linda/MA]

Well, let's see -- one thing at each park for us would be. Actually, I'm going to list two -- a ride and something other than a ride:

MK -- Splash Mountain and Tinkerbelle's Flight before the fireworks

Epcot -- Test Track and Illuminations

MGM -- Tower of Terror and Fantasmic

AK -- Safari ride and Lion King Show

 

[daannzzz]

Can't miss items are very subjective and you will get many, many opinions though if you got enough opinions you might find a pattern. Some people think Space Mountain is a can't miss attraction. I happen to think it is okay but you would not feel like you have missed out on the Disney Magic if you passed it up. So here are mine.

MK: Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion and Pirates.

Epcot: Spaceship Earth, American Adventure

Disney MGM: Tower of Terror and Great Movie Ride

Animal Kingdom: Dinosaur and It's Tough to be a bug.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

your DD is 11 so I would say

MK) space mountain... you will need to be at the park very early or make use of an e-ride night if there is one during your stay... the ride is extremely popular and gets crowded fast and can have huge 1:30 hour plus waits - an 11 year old will love that ride... unless she hates roller coasters... in which case I would say the for sure not miss is spectromagic (show up at least 1:30 hours early to make sure you get a good "ringside seat" and then the fireworks after the parade...

MGM - don't miss? again you have an 11 year old so I would say the Rock n Roller coaster - unless she just can't handle roller coasters and loud moise - in which case you for sure do not want to miss illuminations and again BZE THERE VERY EARLY TO GET A GOOD SEAT TO ILLUMINATIONS

AK) Don't miss... the safari, tough to be a bug, or kali river rapids... if you use your fast passes and show up early you should have no problem seeing all three - but for sure SHOW UP EARLY TO THE PARK !! LIon king is great too - but the theatre holds oozles of people so you should have no probelm getting a seat...show up early for tjis also though if you want a good seat close to the action. Oh and the safari do first or second thing in the morning... the animals prefer early morning and are more visible then... once it gets blazing hot most of them seek cover

Epcot) Test track and honey I shrank the audience -

you have three days - you should easily be able to see all of the above

call the wdw line and find out what early entry days are - you get to go in an hour early before the rest of the general public - this will greatly accelerate your site seeing

 

[B'rer Karen]

I've gone enough times now that, although there are a lot of things I would say are "not to be missed"," I've found there are 3 things I truly have to experience on a trip to WDW to feel it was successful:

1) Must ride Splash Mountain
2) Must see Illuminations
3) Must eat a dole whip

All of these must be done once, but multiple times are preferable

 

[joyjoy]

I think Nataliesdaddy means to say don't miss Fantasmic! at MGM. Illuminations is at Epcot.

 

[quilt4luv]

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions so far.....and by the way what is a dole whip????

 

[sistertrip]

quilt4luv, I was wondering the same thing - I've never heard of a dole whip...

 

[B'rer Karen]

A dole whip is a frozen pineapple treat. Basically pineapple soft serve. You can also get one that's pineapple and vanilla swirled, or a pineapple float with either pineapple or vanilla soft serve and pineapple juice. (they also sell chocolate, vanilla, or chocolate vanilla swirl at the same location).

 

[sistertrip]

Where can you get these dole whips? They sound really great!

 

[quilt4luv]

So basically one thing for sure is I should not try to count my weight watcher points while there. LOL!!

 

[B'rer Karen]

Oh you most definitely should not worry about counting points! The way I look at it is you're getting a lot more exercise than normal, doing all that walking. You'll need your strength

The only place you can find Dole Whips is at the Aloha Isle stand in the Magic Kingdom. It's in Adventureland. If you're walking into Adventureland from the hub, it's on your right hand side right before you get to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. You definitely do not want to miss getting one of these!

 

[nataliesdaddy]

to my fellow poster upstairs yeah that is what I meant Fantasmic at MGM

and to the person that said do not count calories while there ...hahahaha yeah I am on atkins and once I got to WDW I decided prior to the trip that all dietary constraints were off - I pigged out... besides I was walking around so much sweating my ^%$ off that I only gained two pounds in a week and I was stuffing face with ice cream... cookies... deserts... pastas... Buffets are great !!!! woohooooo

 

[sistertrip]

Thanks for the dole whip tip! Now that I know right we're to find them, I'll probably try one my first night there - I LOVE pineapple!