First Trip Tips

[DisneyHolly]

Hi everyone, hope this is the right place to post this! I have booked my first ever Disney holiday for me and my OH in May 2018. We are a young couple (will both have turned 21) and are looking for any advice/tips for planning our holiday and making it magical!

We are travelling from the UK, staying at Coronado Springs for 14 nights and have the Disney Dining plan.

Thanks everyone <3

 

[G00fyDad]

Welcome to the forums!!

There are a ton of suggestions but these are the first that come to my mind right now.

1) 14 nights will be wonderful but don't make the mistake of thinking that you'll be able to see and do it all even in that full two weeks. Don't rush yourselves trying to do everything and end up making yourselves miserable and stressed. Just go and have fun. You'll be back again and can pick up where you leave off this trip.

2) If you are not used to theme park walking I would suggest going out and walking several miles a day before your trip to get physically used to the walking you'll be doing at Disney. It can be a real shock to your system if you are not used to it.

3) Slightly offset your meal times from the traditional American meal times. This may prevent you from getting stuck in a really long line at the quick service locations or having to wait a long time for a free table at a table service location.

4) Get good walking shoes but get them several weeks before the trip. You do not want bad shoes at Disney and you do not want blisters that come from ill-fitting shoes either.

5) Bring a plastic bag (Zip-Loc) for your valuables on the water rides. Kali may soak you and the center storage compartment still allows a small amount of water to get inside.

6) Bring aspirin, ibuprofen, ect with you. They are very expensive in the parks.

 

[DisneyHolly]

Welcome to the forums!!

1) 14 nights will be wonderful but don't make the mistake of thinking that you'll be able to see and do it all even in that full two weeks. Don't rush yourselves trying to do everything and end up making yourselves miserable and stressed. Just go and have fun. You'll be back again and can pick up where you leave off this trip.

2) If you are not used to theme park walking I would suggest going out and walking several miles a day before your trip to get physically used to the walking you'll be doing at Disney. It can be a real shock to your system if you are not used to it.

3) Slightly offset your meal times from the traditional American meal times. This may prevent you from getting stuck in a really long line at the quick service locations or having to wait a long time for a free table at a table service location.

4) Get good walking shoes but get them several weeks before the trip. You do not want bad shoes at Disney and you do not want blisters that come from ill-fitting shoes either.

5) Bring a plastic bag (Zip-Loc) for your valuables on the water rides. Kali may soak you and the center storage compartment still allows a small amount of water to get inside.

6) Bring aspirin, ibuprofen, ect with you. They are very expensive in the parks.

Thank you so much for your reply!! We are both very excited, it is his first holiday abroad and my first to Disney! We are huge Disney fanatics so this is huge for us! Are the parks relatively flat? We live in a small town that has absolutely no hills so we aren't used to inclines! What time are American meal times, are they similar to British? (I.e. 12pm for lunch, 6pm for dinner) also what would you recommend doing for breakfast? We were thinking of going to wal-mart at the start of the trip to get some things for breakfast and having it in the parks some days?

 

[G00fyDad]

Are the parks relatively flat? We live in a small town that has absolutely no hills so we aren't used to inclines!

There a few in Animal Kingdom but nothing major. You should be fine. They tried to stay pretty ADA friendly with regard to wheelchairs and hills.

What time are American meal times, are they similar to British? (I.e. 12pm for lunch, 6pm for dinner) also what would you recommend doing for breakfast? We were thinking of going to wal-mart at the start of the trip to get some things for breakfast and having it in the parks some days?

They are about the same here. When we go to the parks we eat lunch around 11am and dinner around 4:30 or 5pm to try to dodge the crowds. It usually works out. As for breakfast we rent a car so we go to the grocery and pick up some breakfast stuff for the room but the resort food court at CS opens at 7am. If you are looking for a decent character breakfast I suggest Chef Mickey's. The food is not world class or anything but you get to meet all of the main characters.

 

[DisneyHolly]

There a few in Animal Kingdom but nothing major. You should be fine. They tried to stay pretty ADA friendly with regard to wheelchairs and hills.



They are about the same here. When we go to the parks we eat lunch around 11am and dinner around 4:30 or 5pm to try to dodge the crowds. It usually works out. As for breakfast we rent a car so we go to the grocery and pick up some breakfast stuff for the room but the resort food court at CS opens at 7am. If you are looking for a decent character breakfast I suggest Chef Mickey's. The food is not world class or anything but you get to meet all of the main characters.

Awesome! Thank you so much for your tips! I've made a little spreadsheet of the itinerary and meal locations and stuff and will add chef mickeys in for sure!

 

[BigRedDad]

My advice is to have a blast. Coronado is my favorite resort for transportation. It is also a less busy resort at the touristy parts of the resort. If there is a convention, then the lobby, dining, and bars can be packed at the front. Nothing wrong with that because there is a bar at the pool that they don't like going to.

As someone has stated, you cannot do everything in 14 days. If you try, it will be miserable. We are going for 14 days in a few weeks. We plan to spend several partial days at each park, enjoy our resorts in the afternoons, and back to a park at night. We will do all 6 parks and Disney Springs.

As far as dining goes, seriously narrow down the places you want to eat at. If you are early morning people that will be at rope drop, have breakfast in the room. If you are scheduling a sitdown breakfast, schedule it at the park you are going for 7:30 - 8AM. Anything later cuts into the rope drop. If you can't get those times, don't do sit down breakfast.

 

[G00fyDad]

As far as dining goes, seriously narrow down the places you want to eat at. If you are early morning people that will be at rope drop, have breakfast in the room. If you are scheduling a sitdown breakfast, schedule it at the park you are going for 7:30 - 8AM. Anything later cuts into the rope drop. If you can't get those times, don't do sit down breakfast.

We schedule Chef Mickey's at 7:00am each trip. That way we have an hour (or a little more) for breakfast before getting to MK.

 

[BigHero4]

Here is a good thread for you: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/best-disney-tip-you-ever-got.711748/

 

[DisneyDaver]

2) If you are not used to theme park walking I would suggest going out and walking several miles a day before your trip to get physically used to the walking you'll be doing at Disney. It can be a real shock to your system if you are not used to it..

Can't emphasize this enough. I run 3 miles 2X per week, practice yoga twice a week and play tennis once a week ... yet 1 day from rope drop to close at EPCOT and my feet were hurting badly. I had to have Dr. Scholls show inserts delivered to my room the next morning.

 

[JillC LI]

My tips are:
1- Try to get to the parks at rope drop. The parks are the least crowded during that first hour. In fact, if you can get yourself to a park for early Extra Magic Hours, that is the least crowded time of all.
2- Book your dining reservations 180 days out. Park hours should be out by then, so you can decide which parks you want to visit on which days, and then you can figure out where you want to eat based on your park plan.
3- Book your FP+s 60 days out.
4- Do a little reading in advance (The Unauthorized Guide to WDW is great) and have a bit of a touring plan so that you know what attractions you do not want to miss, but be flexible and go with the flow.
5- Get a Dole WHip Float at the Magic Kingdom - they're the stuff of legend. LOL

 

[DisneyHolly]

Thank you all so much for your replies! Do you guys recommend doing rope drop every morning? I was thinking on the days we do water parks we could have a bit of a lay in to catch up on sleep, is this a good idea? As anyone got any other recommendations for places to eat? I must say I'm a VERY picky eater so I'd like to go for places with lots of choice!

Do you think there are any things we must do as first-timers?!

 

[rob0519]

For first timers, I would suggest:

• Taking the Ferry from the TTC to the MK just for the experience.
• Do a full resort loop on the monorail without getting off. Then do the loop again, but get off at the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridan to explore the grounds and the shops. This could take a few hours.
• When you're at the Contemporary , take a boat launch and explore the Wilderness Lodge.
• Do a character meal. I suggest Chef Mickey's Breakfast, for the characters, not necessarily the food.
• Take a few days to visit the MK. Do all the classics, Peter Pan, Dumbo, It's a Small World, Tiki House,Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, POTC, etc.
• Get to the MK at rope drop and you can usually do both Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain without needing a Fast Pass.
• Get your picture taken on Main Street in front of the Castle.
• Try to schedule time to see the parades at MK.
  
• At the resort, get a wake up call from a character. Cheesy, but funny.
• Be sure to get your First Visit Buttons at your resort or City Hall in the MK
• Set a daily budget. It all adds up fast.
  
• Get some inexpensive rain ponchos before you leave home and keep one folded up in your pocket.

 

[Rapunzel287]

Holly, this is so exciting! You'll love it!

Just don't put too much on your agenda for your 1st day. You'll be exhausted from the flight and the 6h (or 5h?) time difference.
I would recommend taking it easy and exploring Disney Springs or -as mentioned above- the resorts located at the monorail stations.

HAVE FUN !!

 

[JIMINYCR]

With a 14 night trip you have time to see a lot of Disney and get a lot done. By looking through a good guide book you should plan out a "most want to do" list and target those things as a priority each day. Get to the parks early and also take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours because they do give you more opportunities to get things done. Look through menus to see which dining spots suit your tastes best and which snack items you dont want to miss out on. Bring extra money just in case, because as much as you think youll spend, youll always see something else you cant leave without. Take time to interact with the CM's, they can add so much to your enjoyment. Take the time to look at all the minor details placed everywhere around the parks.... windows on Main Street, store window decorations, architecture, signs, hidden mickeys etc. Theres so much there that most guests overlook. Plan something special within your trip, either a tour or event that will be a memorable moment you will always look back on. Try pin trading, its a fun way to interact with other guests and CM's.

 

[21stamps]

My advice: Don't judge all Americans by the ones you will encounter at the parks. We're not really that bad


14 days is amazing!! Take time to swim, relax, have a drink (or 2) at Trader Sam's.

I'll echo other people's advice- don't try to "do it all",

..and my biggest one- try not to overschedule dining!!

 

[Jeff456]

As others have echoed make sure you get to the parks for rope drop, that first hour or two if you're lucky will be the quietest the park will be all day and you'll achieve a surprising amount. Personally I do rope drop every day as if I am tired it's better to have a break in the afternoon when the parks are busy than miss out in the morning. Although of course if you're struggling with early mornings don't force yourself and end up feeling stressed about it.
Make sure you book your meals 180 days in advance for table service, there are plenty of tips on these forums as to the restaurants that are good!
There are plenty of plans available online that suggest the best way to tackle the parks, personally I use touring plans and the unofficial guide is a really good book (there are others available!)

 

[Patcheslee]

Personally we planned rope drop and table service res for lunch most days at the parks, just to take a break and get into air conditioning. No FP after 2pm so we can either pick up more or head back to the resort for rest. Best way I could figure to balance having a schedule and doing what we feel like. We will see how it turns out in a week. If you're into horses check out the 3D Ranch.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Coming from the UK I would suggest you fly, much quicker.

 

[Osh Popham]

On your way to that next attraction or meal, find a somewhat quiet place and sit and talk. Take in the surroundings and become a lifelong Disney romantic. The place has its flaws but I think you two will find it also has its charm.

Oh, and have the Tonga toast at the Poly

 

[mousehockey37]

Here's my tip:

Grab a snack, drink and a comfy seat. Why? You've got a lot of reading on here to do. Go back through the different areas of the boards and see what's been discussed. Feel free to ask questions, but please make an attempt to find the answers first, as a lot of questions that do get asked are frequently answered multiple times.

I'll guarantee you'll find conflicting information and viewpoints on here as well, so just take the info for what it is.

Other than that, get ready to enjoy your time on holiday!