Momof22010
New Member
Hi!! We are planning our 1st family disney vacation for the fall of 2015. I have no clue where go start. Do I book a hotel first? Should I get a travel agent? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.
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1st Family Vacation to Disney
- Thread starter Momof22010
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Tinkerbella16
Well-Known Member
That is up to you whether or not you want to use a TA. The travel agents on here are GREAT! Kingdom Konsultants is the agency. You can go to their website and request a quote. They will email you back shortly after with a price and answer any questions you may have! That is where I always start. A lot of people on here, including myself have been booking with them for years and they make the planning process so much easier and stree-free.
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MikeTaylorSound
Well-Known Member
Since you didn't give any background information about your family, likes/dislikes, ages, budget, members, or any special events you'd like to enjoy, anyone who gives you advice would be driving blind.
That being said, I can give you some general information you should find useful and could take as gospel.
#1. I can say that my first time back at WDW in a 13 year gap (first time as an adult), we got the park hopper and we didn't use it. We spent a full day at each park, so that was money down the drain. There are plenty of things to do and see in each park for first timers. The more days you stay, the cost per ticket goes down (so if you stay for 5 days, it'll be $69 per day, per "adult" aged 10+ w/tax). There are special offers on the Disney Parks page all the time. See if you can take advantage of one of them.
#2. Download the My Magic Experience app for your phone and learn to navigate through it (no matter how frustrating the load times or how difficult it is to remember the navigation). You'll need this to set and/or change your FP+ experiences and any reservations before you arrive. The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the newest attraction, so if you don't plan on showing up early to get in the standby line, make this one of your selections. Also, after you use your allotted three, there are kiosks scattered throughout the parks where you can choose a 4th selection. If you wait too long, your choices will be slim and would have a comparable time to the standby line (if it's real late).
#3. Definitely make time at 3PM to watch the new Festival of Fantasy parade at Magic Kingdom. I despise parades, since they usually get in my way, but the amount of detail and wide range of characters showcased throughout-it's probably the best one to date.
#4. Look on this board and find out which attractions to avoid. There are multiple threads.
#5. Plan a rainy/rest day since you'll be walking 7+ miles per day in a park. The different resorts have plenty of activities to offer and DTD is just a bus ride away. Snack points are welcome at Earl of Sandwich if you get the dining plan, so...
#6. Find out if a dining plan is right for you. Quick service dining works for us, since we only visit one or two sit-down restaurants and we usually end up bringing snacks home. Some buffets have a flat price (even for children! ::gasp:
, so they might be out of the question for you. I recommend you avoid Tortuga Tavern in MK and the "steak" at Pecos Bills.
#7. Enjoy the night time entertainment. Wishes! at MK, Illuminations at EPCOT, and Phantasmic at HS.
That being said, I can give you some general information you should find useful and could take as gospel.
#1. I can say that my first time back at WDW in a 13 year gap (first time as an adult), we got the park hopper and we didn't use it. We spent a full day at each park, so that was money down the drain. There are plenty of things to do and see in each park for first timers. The more days you stay, the cost per ticket goes down (so if you stay for 5 days, it'll be $69 per day, per "adult" aged 10+ w/tax). There are special offers on the Disney Parks page all the time. See if you can take advantage of one of them.
#2. Download the My Magic Experience app for your phone and learn to navigate through it (no matter how frustrating the load times or how difficult it is to remember the navigation). You'll need this to set and/or change your FP+ experiences and any reservations before you arrive. The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the newest attraction, so if you don't plan on showing up early to get in the standby line, make this one of your selections. Also, after you use your allotted three, there are kiosks scattered throughout the parks where you can choose a 4th selection. If you wait too long, your choices will be slim and would have a comparable time to the standby line (if it's real late).
#3. Definitely make time at 3PM to watch the new Festival of Fantasy parade at Magic Kingdom. I despise parades, since they usually get in my way, but the amount of detail and wide range of characters showcased throughout-it's probably the best one to date.
#4. Look on this board and find out which attractions to avoid. There are multiple threads.
#5. Plan a rainy/rest day since you'll be walking 7+ miles per day in a park. The different resorts have plenty of activities to offer and DTD is just a bus ride away. Snack points are welcome at Earl of Sandwich if you get the dining plan, so...
#6. Find out if a dining plan is right for you. Quick service dining works for us, since we only visit one or two sit-down restaurants and we usually end up bringing snacks home. Some buffets have a flat price (even for children! ::gasp:
, so they might be out of the question for you. I recommend you avoid Tortuga Tavern in MK and the "steak" at Pecos Bills.#7. Enjoy the night time entertainment. Wishes! at MK, Illuminations at EPCOT, and Phantasmic at HS.
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SAV
Well-Known Member
The first thing you should do is head to the Library and read up on the most current WDW Planning guides. Then once you have that, then come back on here and do a search of any topics you may have a question on(most things have already been answered numerous times).
From there, you can start formulating a plan for your trip with these questions/answers in mind...Will you stay on-site or off-site? Fly or Drive? Rent a car or take Disney/off-site Transportation? Hoppers or not? Sit down meals or not?
Once you have that decided, then you can think about whether you can book it yourself or need a Travel Agent.
Then finally, you can start planning out the details of the trip. Which restaurants you want to eat at?, which rides you will FP+?, what parks on what days? etc.
From there, you can start formulating a plan for your trip with these questions/answers in mind...Will you stay on-site or off-site? Fly or Drive? Rent a car or take Disney/off-site Transportation? Hoppers or not? Sit down meals or not?
Once you have that decided, then you can think about whether you can book it yourself or need a Travel Agent.
Then finally, you can start planning out the details of the trip. Which restaurants you want to eat at?, which rides you will FP+?, what parks on what days? etc.
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Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Buy a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, and if you'd like to make your own customized, optimized park touring plans, subscribe to the Unofficial Guide's website, touringplans.com.
As far as a planning timeline, I'd recommend this:
1 - If you plan to stay onsite (that is, at an on-property, Disney-owned resort), start researching hotel options now. When you're ready, go ahead and book your room. If onsite, you can make a "room only" booking, or buy your room and tickets together as a "package," which often comes with some extra "perks." Price it out both ways using the WDW website and see what you prefer. You can often save a couple hundred dollars by purchasing your tickets separately, from an authorized re-seller like Undercover Tourist. While you're at it, set up a MyMagic account on the Disney website to organize your vacation reservations.
2 - Once your room is booked, start watching the WDW web page for room discount and/or "free dining" offers. (*THERE IS CURRENTLY A ROOM DISCOUNT AVAILABLE FOR SOME FALL 2015 DATES - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/room-saving/*) If one is released after you've already booked, you can call WDW and have the offer added to your room/package reservation, if there is sufficient availability. You may find that the discount only applies to a different room category or hotel, and can tinker with your reservation if you want in order to make yourself eligible for the offer.
3 - If you plan to fly, start watching for the fares to be released for your travel dates, and familiarize yourself with the pricing policies of your preferred airlines so you know the best time to book. (For example, we always fly JetBlue, which starts with the lowest prices and increases them as time goes on, so it's always best to buy the moment the schedule is extended. Other airlines start high and then decrease prices a few weeks before the flight...)
3 - About 7 months before you plan to arrive at WDW, start working out a rough touring itinerary -- which parks you plan to visit on which days. The myfirstvisit website is helpful here, as are touringplans and easy wdw, the latter of which offers several free touring plans and cheat sheets for park touring.
4 - Once you know where you'll be (roughly) each day, it's time to decide on dining reservations! These will become available to you to book 180 days from your arrival date at WDW, and you'll want to book them immediately on that day if you plan to go to any of the most popular dining venues -- you can do this online with your MyMagic account. You can browse menus and restaurant reviews in the dining information section right here on wdwmagic. If you're wondering whether the dining plan will work for you and whether you want to add it to your package (or if you're getting it for free as part of a promotion), you can compare its value with out-of-pocket costs for the same venues here: http://www.distripplanner.com/
5 - Take a breather for a couple of months now, but start cobbling together more detailed touring plans and keep an eye on the date (30/60 days out, depending on whether you stay onsite) that Fastpass reservations will become available to you on MyMagic. Make these as soon as they become available (like dining reservations, certain attractions will "sell out" for Fastpasses almost immediately).
6 - Then, relax! Make a good packing list for your trip and stick to it, and rest assured that you've done everything possible to maximize your vacation's "fun potential." Once on your vacation, keep an easy, "go with the flow" attitude, understanding that there will always be hiccups, and that the most fun moments often occur when you least expected them to, along some tangential route that never appeared on your touring plan.
As far as a planning timeline, I'd recommend this:
1 - If you plan to stay onsite (that is, at an on-property, Disney-owned resort), start researching hotel options now. When you're ready, go ahead and book your room. If onsite, you can make a "room only" booking, or buy your room and tickets together as a "package," which often comes with some extra "perks." Price it out both ways using the WDW website and see what you prefer. You can often save a couple hundred dollars by purchasing your tickets separately, from an authorized re-seller like Undercover Tourist. While you're at it, set up a MyMagic account on the Disney website to organize your vacation reservations.
2 - Once your room is booked, start watching the WDW web page for room discount and/or "free dining" offers. (*THERE IS CURRENTLY A ROOM DISCOUNT AVAILABLE FOR SOME FALL 2015 DATES - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/room-saving/*) If one is released after you've already booked, you can call WDW and have the offer added to your room/package reservation, if there is sufficient availability. You may find that the discount only applies to a different room category or hotel, and can tinker with your reservation if you want in order to make yourself eligible for the offer.
3 - If you plan to fly, start watching for the fares to be released for your travel dates, and familiarize yourself with the pricing policies of your preferred airlines so you know the best time to book. (For example, we always fly JetBlue, which starts with the lowest prices and increases them as time goes on, so it's always best to buy the moment the schedule is extended. Other airlines start high and then decrease prices a few weeks before the flight...)
3 - About 7 months before you plan to arrive at WDW, start working out a rough touring itinerary -- which parks you plan to visit on which days. The myfirstvisit website is helpful here, as are touringplans and easy wdw, the latter of which offers several free touring plans and cheat sheets for park touring.
4 - Once you know where you'll be (roughly) each day, it's time to decide on dining reservations! These will become available to you to book 180 days from your arrival date at WDW, and you'll want to book them immediately on that day if you plan to go to any of the most popular dining venues -- you can do this online with your MyMagic account. You can browse menus and restaurant reviews in the dining information section right here on wdwmagic. If you're wondering whether the dining plan will work for you and whether you want to add it to your package (or if you're getting it for free as part of a promotion), you can compare its value with out-of-pocket costs for the same venues here: http://www.distripplanner.com/
5 - Take a breather for a couple of months now, but start cobbling together more detailed touring plans and keep an eye on the date (30/60 days out, depending on whether you stay onsite) that Fastpass reservations will become available to you on MyMagic. Make these as soon as they become available (like dining reservations, certain attractions will "sell out" for Fastpasses almost immediately).
6 - Then, relax! Make a good packing list for your trip and stick to it, and rest assured that you've done everything possible to maximize your vacation's "fun potential." Once on your vacation, keep an easy, "go with the flow" attitude, understanding that there will always be hiccups, and that the most fun moments often occur when you least expected them to, along some tangential route that never appeared on your touring plan.
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Tinkerbell397
Well-Known Member
First of all .......Welcome!!! You will find this board very friendly and informative with members who are more than willing to share and give advise.
Now.....sit back......relax......and enjoy the research and planning.
I am wondering if your name @Momof22010 means that you became a mom on 2010 which would mean that you have a 4 year old. Please fill us in as to who will be on this trip with you.
1. Research hotels......if $$ is an issue, you will want to stay at a value or moderate. But look at all of them...they each have their own personality and advantages from price to convenience.
2. Use Youtube to see videos of the hotels.....there are actual tours so you can get a feel of the property
3. Allears.net will give you the menus of each restaurant
4. buy a good Disney guide....fun the read and informative.....
For our first trip may years ago when the kids were small....3 and 5, we used a travel agent....AAA to be exact. Ever since then, I have planned through the Disney website and booked my own airfare.
Do whatever is more comfortable for you, but do start now....it is not too early but there is no need to panic.
Have a good time researching and enjoy!
Now.....sit back......relax......and enjoy the research and planning.
I am wondering if your name @Momof22010 means that you became a mom on 2010 which would mean that you have a 4 year old. Please fill us in as to who will be on this trip with you.
1. Research hotels......if $$ is an issue, you will want to stay at a value or moderate. But look at all of them...they each have their own personality and advantages from price to convenience.
2. Use Youtube to see videos of the hotels.....there are actual tours so you can get a feel of the property
3. Allears.net will give you the menus of each restaurant
4. buy a good Disney guide....fun the read and informative.....
For our first trip may years ago when the kids were small....3 and 5, we used a travel agent....AAA to be exact. Ever since then, I have planned through the Disney website and booked my own airfare.
Do whatever is more comfortable for you, but do start now....it is not too early but there is no need to panic.
Have a good time researching and enjoy!
Upvote
0
wannabeBelle
Well-Known Member
I agree a resort hotel and a time frame to travel are a good place to start. Many of the other elements will start to fall into place with that. Take a look here for some information on the onsite resorts: http://www.disneywebcontent.com/dcc/4137/9b4296b1c8aa7210VgnVCM100000d864a8c0RCRD/ Please feel free to contact us with help for booking your trip, our services are free to you, the client and it will help to have someone talk you through the process. Marie
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Since you didn't give any background information about your family, likes/dislikes, ages, budget, members, or any special events you'd like to enjoy, anyone who gives you advice would be driving blind.
That being said, I can give you some general information you should find useful and could take as gospel.
#1. I can say that my first time back at WDW in a 13 year gap (first time as an adult), we got the park hopper and we didn't use it. We spent a full day at each park, so that was money down the drain. There are plenty of things to do and see in each park for first timers. The more days you stay, the cost per ticket goes down (so if you stay for 5 days, it'll be $69 per day, per "adult" aged 10+ w/tax). There are special offers on the Disney Parks page all the time. See if you can take advantage of one of them.
#2. Download the My Magic Experience app for your phone and learn to navigate through it (no matter how frustrating the load times or how difficult it is to remember the navigation). You'll need this to set and/or change your FP+ experiences and any reservations before you arrive. The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the newest attraction, so if you don't plan on showing up early to get in the standby line, make this one of your selections. Also, after you use your allotted three, there are kiosks scattered throughout the parks where you can choose a 4th selection. If you wait too long, your choices will be slim and would have a comparable time to the standby line (if it's real late).
#3. Definitely make time at 3PM to watch the new Festival of Fantasy parade at Magic Kingdom. I despise parades, since they usually get in my way, but the amount of detail and wide range of characters showcased throughout-it's probably the best one to date.
#4. Look on this board and find out which attractions to avoid. There are multiple threads.
#5. Plan a rainy/rest day since you'll be walking 7+ miles per day in a park. The different resorts have plenty of activities to offer and DTD is just a bus ride away. Snack points are welcome at Earl of Sandwich if you get the dining plan, so...
#6. Find out if a dining plan is right for you. Quick service dining works for us, since we only visit one or two sit-down restaurants and we usually end up bringing snacks home. Some buffets have a flat price (even for children! ::gasp:
#7. Enjoy the night time entertainment. Wishes! at MK, Illuminations at EPCOT, and Phantasmic at HS.
My daughters will be 5 and 8. I'm getting overwhelmed looking at all of these responses. Are the 2015 prices out yet??
Upvote
0
First of all .......Welcome!!! You will find this board very friendly and informative with members who are more than willing to share and give advise.
Now.....sit back......relax......and enjoy the research and planning.
I am wondering if your name @Momof22010 means that you became a mom on 2010 which would mean that you have a 4 year old. Please fill us in as to who will be on this trip with you.
1. Research hotels......if $$ is an issue, you will want to stay at a value or moderate. But look at all of them...they each have their own personality and advantages from price to convenience.
2. Use Youtube to see videos of the hotels.....there are actual tours so you can get a feel of the property
3. Allears.net will give you the menus of each restaurant
4. buy a good Disney guide....fun the read and informative.....
For our first trip may years ago when the kids were small....3 and 5, we used a travel agent....AAA to be exact. Ever since then, I have planned through the Disney website and booked my own airfare.
Do whatever is more comfortable for you, but do start now....it is not too early but there is no need to panic.
Have a good time researching and enjoy!
My daughters will be 5 and 8 when my husband I take them to Disney for the first time. What about the dining plan?? And the park hopper?? Need help.
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Tinkerbell397
Well-Known Member
I have never done the math to see if the dining plan is worth the $$ especially if you have the choice of 30% off a resort or the dining plan. We always take it if it is free with our package. We have never added it out of pocket. Maybe someone else can answer that question.
As far as the park hopper is concerned....we have always bumped up and taken it. With small children, you will probably want to leave the park in the middle of the day for a swim, nap or just relaxation. With a park hopper, you will have the freedom to visit a different park after your rest or you might visit the MK in the AM and have dinner reservations in The World Showcase/EPCOT in the evening. The park hopper, if you can afford it is a bit a freedom. You might want to go to one of the water parks in the morning....always best to get there when they open. You can leave when the kids get tired and then hit another park in the evening for dinner a fireworks. I think it is definitely worth the money.
As far as the park hopper is concerned....we have always bumped up and taken it. With small children, you will probably want to leave the park in the middle of the day for a swim, nap or just relaxation. With a park hopper, you will have the freedom to visit a different park after your rest or you might visit the MK in the AM and have dinner reservations in The World Showcase/EPCOT in the evening. The park hopper, if you can afford it is a bit a freedom. You might want to go to one of the water parks in the morning....always best to get there when they open. You can leave when the kids get tired and then hit another park in the evening for dinner a fireworks. I think it is definitely worth the money.
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JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
I probably wouldnt bother with the park hopper pass on my first trip because I'd want to spend full days in each park. Theres soooo much for a first timer to see and experience. Park hoppers come in handy after youve been several times and know your way around. Plan on enjoying all the parks have to offer at a relaxing pace, especially with young ones you can push them too hard and they end up being over tired and stressed out. Find out where each persons interest lies to help organize your daily plans and target those things that are "dont miss attractions/ events". If you are staying on site take advantage of the extra magic hours.
DDP might or might not fit you well. The starting point is going on line and visit Disney menu sites and figure out where you will eat and what meals you & your family might order. Total up the costs and compare to the plan you are interested in to see if you have a savings. There have been trips when I have decided to use them and others I didnt.
DDP might or might not fit you well. The starting point is going on line and visit Disney menu sites and figure out where you will eat and what meals you & your family might order. Total up the costs and compare to the plan you are interested in to see if you have a savings. There have been trips when I have decided to use them and others I didnt.
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SAV
Well-Known Member
My only experience was with the Quick Service Dining plan and when we tallied up each and every meal, we didn't save anything. And I found that we didn't eat as many of the snacks around the parks(which we really wanted) because we were so filled up with the meal plus dessert and the huge drink that you get each time. The last trip that we had the DDP, we ended up with a couple of extra meals because we just weren't hungry for them.
If it is free, of course we'll take it, but I won't ever spend out of pocket for it again.
I also don't recommend the Park Hoppers for first time visitors. It is all new to you, so every park has more than enough to fill your day. In fact, we did make the mistake of getting them for the first couple of trips and we never hopped. We stayed at the one park all day and it was a big waste of money. You can always add the hopper option if you get there and realize that you would like to hop. You just need to have at least 1 remaining day available on your passes.
If it is free, of course we'll take it, but I won't ever spend out of pocket for it again.
I also don't recommend the Park Hoppers for first time visitors. It is all new to you, so every park has more than enough to fill your day. In fact, we did make the mistake of getting them for the first couple of trips and we never hopped. We stayed at the one park all day and it was a big waste of money. You can always add the hopper option if you get there and realize that you would like to hop. You just need to have at least 1 remaining day available on your passes.
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Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Agree on foregoing the parkhoppers -- there are so many great ways to fill up an extra part-of-a-day if you find yourself with one: visit one of the spectacular mini-golf courses, dine and shop at Downtown Disney, or just relax by your resort pool! Those "down time" moments are some of the highlights!
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sissa216
Well-Known Member
2015 prices have been released. I agree, there is so much information to take in!
As Marie mentioned above, we would be very happy to help you plan. I'm in the office today, and if you'd like to chat, you can call 866-566-7858. We can help simplify things for you- and we don't charge anything to plan and book your trip for you. We would also keep an eye on discounts for you, and automatically apply one if it becomes available for your resort and dates.
Coming here is a fantastic resource, with a lot of helpful people and lots of opinions!
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ChazDiz1971
Member
All of the information everyone is sharing is terrific! Assuming you are planning a multi-day trip, I have a standard answer for first timers. Don't try to do everything in one day. Plan your trip accordingly, and pick several attractions/rides to visit each day. Our family likes to try to ride our favorites in the mornings, go back to the resort mid-day, then go back later for more fun.
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JillC LI
Well-Known Member
Planning your first trip in a smart way truly can be overwhelming at first, but it is worth the time and effort because you will be able to maximize your enjoyment once you arrive. I would start by buying and reading the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. From there, you can come back here and ask your more specific questions. Our family's first trip was when our kids were 5 and 7, and we were addicted. Your kids are the perfect age to believe all the magic, and that will make it even more magical for you.
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PixieDustMomma
New Member
I have always booked my own through Disney but researched my prices first on their website. I enjoy the planning phase. I would check out which resort suits your family first. There are many choices but prices fluctuate greatly. I have found that specials come out within 2-3 months of booking. You may book now, have a reserved room but you must call Disney two months prior to credit your account the difference. If you book this far ahead you will definitely be quoted a higher price. Fall is a great time to visit Disney!! We usually go in November so we can see Osbourne Festival of lights. My suggestion is go a week before Thanksgiving...prices, weather and crowds are perfect!! Christmas decorations are up and the parks are magical. Trust me festival of lights will leave your children n you a lasting memory!! We usually get the free dining plan at that time too. Again if you book now, they will not offer that. You must check prices n promotions and have them apply to your reservation. We have stayed at Coronado, Port Orleans Riverside and Animal kingdom lodge. Our favorite was AKL but pricey. All of the resorts are fabulous!! Port Orleans has a pull down bed so if you have more than one child you can separate them to sleep. It is the most inexpensive way to go for a family of five. Definitely get the dining plan that allows one quick serve, one sit down meal. Character meals require a sit down credit. Book dining reservations online or call Disney direct. Our favorite meals O'hamas character breakfast, Chef Mickey for character involvement (but gets crowded), Cape May breakfast for characters and relaxing meal. Sci fi restaurant in Hollywood studios is our kids favorite...They eat in cars while watching Sci-fi movies n cartoons. Check into Disney fantastic package at Hollywood studios. You should book this early. You have a choice of three restaurants to eat at Hollywood n vine, Mama Melrose or Brown Derbyshire. Our favorite for food is Mama Melrose. Go there hungry!!! Hollywood n vine is great for characters. If you call Disney they will help you...patiently!! Disney makes your experience so easy. If anyone has allergies they accommodate enormously!! Make sure to tell Disney that it's your first trip or celebrating a special event. They sometimes give you a room upgrade at front desk. There is so much information online. One great resource is all ears.net. They give you complete menus and pricing, pictures of resorts and reviews, park info everything!! These blogs are also extremely helpful. Don't stress...it's your first time. My opinion to save money skip park hoppers as there is so much to see at each park. You will exhaust your self going from park to park. Enjoy your trip. Plan ahead meals, parks and know where the characters are for photo opportunities. Enjoy! Hope you don't mind my lengthy post. I am a lover of all Disney!! If wish someone would have told me info before my first trip. Happy planning!
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Kingoglow
Well-Known Member
Hello and welcome.
As you may have noticed, asking for advice on these boards can be just as overwhelming as trying to plan the vacation all yourself, the first time. That is because we are all very excited for you and your family and want to make your trip enjoyable.
So take a deep breath and relax a bit. Always remember that this vacation is going to be a blast for everyone and try not to stress too much about every single detail (it is a vacation after all).
I like this quote from above:
I apologize for the length of this post in advance.
Start with the basics. Plan on a time of year that works for your family and pick a number of appropriate days. There is no way that you can do everything that Disney has to offer (that is why Disney is a fantastic vacation spot). The number of days that you will spend in Walt Disney World will really influence the advice you get here.
How many Days to Plan
Given the ages of your children, you will definitely want to spend more than one day at the Magic Kingdom (MK). For my family, we plan 2 or 3 days at MK but your milage may vary. If your two daughters are big animal lovers, then a day at Animal Kingdom (AK) would also be a great to plan in. Past that it will really depend on the personalities of your family. EPCOT is a fantastic park but outside of having a great meal it may not be a must-do. While Hollywood Studios (HS) offers a variety of activities, I personally think that it pales in comparison to MK (this is just a personal choice - I don't want to influence what works for your family). You can review all of the attractions and entertainment offerings for each park on the Walt Disney World Website.
So right there we have 2-3 at MK and 1 day AK; the beginnings of a pretty good vacation plan.
There are also other options like shopping at Downtown Disney, taking a boat or watercraft out into the lake etc. These things will just depend on what your family likes to do. My family's first trip was for 7 days; we spent 6 days at the various parks. Our second trip will be 5 days with 4 at the parks. I provide this information to give you a sense of scale in how we planned our trips.
Hotels
Follow the great advice above. Goto Youtube and run searches for several of the available hotel videos to give you an idea of what you can expect from each. These videos have footage of the main lobby, the food courts, the grounds outside and inside the rooms. You hotel choice will be influenced by your budget but ask yourself this:
How much time do we expect to be at the hotel on our vacation?
If you are the type of family that likes to hit the pools everyday and take naps, or relax and watch a movie at night, then you might want to spend a little more time researching hotels as you will be spending a lot of time there. If this describes your family then you will want to research the different offerings and theming of the hotels in whatever tier you choose.
However, if your family wants to get out and experience the parks and their attractions and wont be able to fall asleep for a nap, then which hotel you pick could be as simple as what is the cheapest option. Location might play into this decision as well but it will ultimately depend on your family's needs. We can certainly offer advice when we get more details.
Basically there are three tiers of hotel choices: Value, Moderate, Deluxe. You will get a variety of opinions here about which is best. Just select a tier that works for your budget and then look at the hotel choices with that tier. Every hotel provides transportation to get around Walt Disney World, they all have a food court and a pool.
Again Youtube will be a great help here to give you a sense of what you can expect. All hotel options are listed on Disney's website.
Dining Plan (if any)
The Disney Dining Plan is a topic here that no one can agree on. The decision comes down to two considerations; cost and convenience. And once again, it will come down to the needs of your family. You can look at the menus of some of the restaurants and run a tally of your projected spending vs. the cost, but this is my advice for a first time visitor...
For your first trip, just buy one of the Disney Dining plans. Let this be the one thing that you don't overthink during your vacation plan. For the convenience alone, the dining plan is there to take away the stress of meal budgeting and allow your family the freedom to eat anything on the menu that you want (remember that you will be walking a lot and will be pretty hungry).
As to which Dining Plan to choose, it is a tier system. Quick Service Dining Plan is an allotment of meals that can be compared to fast food options. The regular Disney Dining Plan is a combination of of quick service and table service meals, which is to say a 50/50 split allotment of fast food and sit down service meals (waiters etc). The Deluxe dinning plan is a much more pricy option. It is a full-allotment of all sit down service meals. While you can indeed use your deluxe allotment for some quick service meals if you choose - it is generally considered wasting your money to do so.
Here is the only piece of straight advice that I will give you. For your first trip, do yourself a favor and just purchase the Disney Dining Plan for your family (the standard plan). This will give you options in where you eat each day while at the same time you will not have to worry too much about budgeting for meals. This is purely for piece of mind.
This is the start of your vacation plan. Number of days to visit, which hotel, which parks and feeding your family.
Past these basic things, there is a lot more in-the-weeds plan that you can do. But this is the first step.
Remember, it is your vacation too, so have fun (a lot of us think planning is actually part of the fun) and try not to over think your first trip. No matter what you decide, you family will have an absolute blast at Walt Disney World. That is what matters.
As you may have noticed, asking for advice on these boards can be just as overwhelming as trying to plan the vacation all yourself, the first time. That is because we are all very excited for you and your family and want to make your trip enjoyable.
So take a deep breath and relax a bit. Always remember that this vacation is going to be a blast for everyone and try not to stress too much about every single detail (it is a vacation after all).
I like this quote from above:
I apologize for the length of this post in advance.
Start with the basics. Plan on a time of year that works for your family and pick a number of appropriate days. There is no way that you can do everything that Disney has to offer (that is why Disney is a fantastic vacation spot). The number of days that you will spend in Walt Disney World will really influence the advice you get here.
How many Days to Plan
Given the ages of your children, you will definitely want to spend more than one day at the Magic Kingdom (MK). For my family, we plan 2 or 3 days at MK but your milage may vary. If your two daughters are big animal lovers, then a day at Animal Kingdom (AK) would also be a great to plan in. Past that it will really depend on the personalities of your family. EPCOT is a fantastic park but outside of having a great meal it may not be a must-do. While Hollywood Studios (HS) offers a variety of activities, I personally think that it pales in comparison to MK (this is just a personal choice - I don't want to influence what works for your family). You can review all of the attractions and entertainment offerings for each park on the Walt Disney World Website.
So right there we have 2-3 at MK and 1 day AK; the beginnings of a pretty good vacation plan.
There are also other options like shopping at Downtown Disney, taking a boat or watercraft out into the lake etc. These things will just depend on what your family likes to do. My family's first trip was for 7 days; we spent 6 days at the various parks. Our second trip will be 5 days with 4 at the parks. I provide this information to give you a sense of scale in how we planned our trips.
Hotels
Follow the great advice above. Goto Youtube and run searches for several of the available hotel videos to give you an idea of what you can expect from each. These videos have footage of the main lobby, the food courts, the grounds outside and inside the rooms. You hotel choice will be influenced by your budget but ask yourself this:
How much time do we expect to be at the hotel on our vacation?
If you are the type of family that likes to hit the pools everyday and take naps, or relax and watch a movie at night, then you might want to spend a little more time researching hotels as you will be spending a lot of time there. If this describes your family then you will want to research the different offerings and theming of the hotels in whatever tier you choose.
However, if your family wants to get out and experience the parks and their attractions and wont be able to fall asleep for a nap, then which hotel you pick could be as simple as what is the cheapest option. Location might play into this decision as well but it will ultimately depend on your family's needs. We can certainly offer advice when we get more details.
Basically there are three tiers of hotel choices: Value, Moderate, Deluxe. You will get a variety of opinions here about which is best. Just select a tier that works for your budget and then look at the hotel choices with that tier. Every hotel provides transportation to get around Walt Disney World, they all have a food court and a pool.
Again Youtube will be a great help here to give you a sense of what you can expect. All hotel options are listed on Disney's website.
Dining Plan (if any)
The Disney Dining Plan is a topic here that no one can agree on. The decision comes down to two considerations; cost and convenience. And once again, it will come down to the needs of your family. You can look at the menus of some of the restaurants and run a tally of your projected spending vs. the cost, but this is my advice for a first time visitor...
For your first trip, just buy one of the Disney Dining plans. Let this be the one thing that you don't overthink during your vacation plan. For the convenience alone, the dining plan is there to take away the stress of meal budgeting and allow your family the freedom to eat anything on the menu that you want (remember that you will be walking a lot and will be pretty hungry).
As to which Dining Plan to choose, it is a tier system. Quick Service Dining Plan is an allotment of meals that can be compared to fast food options. The regular Disney Dining Plan is a combination of of quick service and table service meals, which is to say a 50/50 split allotment of fast food and sit down service meals (waiters etc). The Deluxe dinning plan is a much more pricy option. It is a full-allotment of all sit down service meals. While you can indeed use your deluxe allotment for some quick service meals if you choose - it is generally considered wasting your money to do so.
Here is the only piece of straight advice that I will give you. For your first trip, do yourself a favor and just purchase the Disney Dining Plan for your family (the standard plan). This will give you options in where you eat each day while at the same time you will not have to worry too much about budgeting for meals. This is purely for piece of mind.
This is the start of your vacation plan. Number of days to visit, which hotel, which parks and feeding your family.
Past these basic things, there is a lot more in-the-weeds plan that you can do. But this is the first step.
Remember, it is your vacation too, so have fun (a lot of us think planning is actually part of the fun) and try not to over think your first trip. No matter what you decide, you family will have an absolute blast at Walt Disney World. That is what matters.
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