1st TIME TO DISNEY!!!

[Aprilcalvin99]

Help!!!! I'm very confused on so many things! 1st of all I'm planning to go as soon as the free dining comes out and in the dates in September! I will be taking a 7 Year old boy, three-year-old boy, and a 5 month old boy! So I am wondering how exactly I should be planning my trip! I want to do the character dining I will be there for 7 nights going to the park for 5 of the days! I was planning on doing the chef Mickey at 1 One of the days that I do not go to the parks! And was going to use the pool at the resort for the dais we don't go to the park I am planning to stay at the music resort! So which rides would be great for us all to ride together and in which parks would be the best? I would have the baby in a baby Carrier! Any and all tips are welcomed

 

[Aprilcalvin99]

I was basically about to book it with someone today

My dates would be September 9th 2 September 16th at the music resort in a standard room I may have found someone to actually watch my baby for the 7 nights at home while I only take the basically three-year-old and 7 year old boy and my husband will be with me as well

 

[ELG13]

My dates would be September 9th 2 September 16th at the music resort in a standard room I may have found someone to actually watch my baby for the 7 nights at home while I only take the basically three-year-old and 7 year old boy and my husband will be with me as well

Oh man that's gonna be a fun trip!!!!! Plenty of time to get lots done and not rushed. I would highly recommended a day off in the middle. Even though you are at Disney the kids need time to just run and play, not wait in line and do so many organized activities.
So 7 nights...I would do 5 day tickets depending on when you get in...some people get a day in the same day they check in. We generally don't arrive until 2 or 3 and in the past there's always been something going on like the Halloween party so the park shuts down early for the ticketed event but I don't think the party will be running just yet.
Generally the day we check in we get settled and explore the grounds, go to the pool and last year that's when we did chef Mickey's for dinner...it was a GREAT way to start the trip! The standard rooms are double beds so keep that in mind. We are doing the all Star music family suites (we check out the day you check in!) It's more than the standard room but, we wanted that little bit of privacy it offered so when the kids go to be we can be in the other room watching TV and having a night cap . We ended up taking a night off the trip and we are just leaving super early to get down there so we can do the park that first day just so we stayed under budget on the room cost bc we wanted the suite but didn't want to go over a certain price. Have you looked at those? It exactly what you want. But again...a little more expensive but you could maybe cut costs somewhere else if it's important.

 

[pug]

What about flying to disney?? Bringing a stroller and all the baby stuff???

If you do fly in then definitely don’t rent a car. For a 1st timer driving around Disney is super confusing. Just take the magical express and Disney Transportation.

 

[JD80]

I'll give you the outline of my last plan in August last year. Stayed at Coronado Springs for 6 days (5 nights for DDP) with the standard DDP. The trip was for my 4 month pregnant wife and I and my 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son.

Planning becomes quite simple once you write down your expectations, it's all about execution and organization. I had 4 full days at the resort (2 others being travel days, even though my first day I arrived onsite at 9am). I will ignore the 1st day since all we did was play in the pool, visit with my grandparents who lived an hour away, and went to Disney Springs for a quick service meal at Wolfgangs.

Day 1:
Magic Kingdom (Rope dropped, got there at 8am)
Chef Mickey Lunch (Sit down meal)
Be Our Guest Dinner (Sit down meal we didn't use the previous day)

Plan out very early Fast Passes, then via the app you can sign up for additional FPs on the fly. Just jump from ride to ride with minimal waits. We made sure we did a sit down meal so get some rest mid-day with Chef Mickey.

Day 2:
Hollywood Studios
Picked out a place for Quick Service
Hollywood & Vine (Sit down meal)

We organized show times and did a bunch of the meet and greets. Kids loved the Star Wars marching up and down the blvd. We sat down at about 1-2 hours prior to the fireworks and relaxed in the evening. It was very nice.

Day 3:
Off Day for the Pool
T-Rex Restaurant Disney Springs (sit down meal)
Resort cafeteria (quick service meal)

I would HIGHLY suggest stacking "off days" or park "half days" in between full park days. When I list parks above, I'm talking open to close. With young kids it's going to be hard to keep up. Especially with the 3 year old and infant. Two days back to back to parks really wore us out. Me included.

Day 4
Magic Kingdom
Be Our Guest Lunch (quick service)
Crystal Palace (Sit Down Meal)

Second day back and finished up and repeated things we really loved.

---

Key point here is to take advantage of the DDP and getting all the character meals we could and we had a freaking blast. Best trip I ever planned. If I had been there a 2 days longer, I would of added another half day, or if I wanted to splurge for a 5 day pass for tickets, I would do half days at the park like a water park or Animal Kingdom.

I always make sure to bring the kids to Disney Springs for shopping too.

Ultimately it's about what you like to do and UNDERSTAND your limitations. The more you plan the less you spend worrying about where to go and where to eat. If you have everything set up then you're going to have a great time without stress. Obviously there are tricks to this. Some advanced dining reservations are hard to get and there are services to help you snag them when cancellations come about.

Have fun.

 

[ELG13]

I'll give you the outline of my last plan in August last year. Stayed at Coronado Springs for 6 days (5 nights for DDP) with the standard DDP. The trip was for my 4 month pregnant wife and I and my 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son.

Planning becomes quite simple once you write down your expectations, it's all about execution and organization. I had 4 full days at the resort (2 others being travel days, even though my first day I arrived onsite at 9am). I will ignore the 1st day since all we did was play in the pool, visit with my grandparents who lived an hour away, and went to Disney Springs for a quick service meal at Wolfgangs.

Day 1:
Magic Kingdom (Rope dropped, got there at 8am)
Chef Mickey Lunch (Sit down meal)
Be Our Guest Dinner (Sit down meal we didn't use the previous day)

Plan out very early Fast Passes, then via the app you can sign up for additional FPs on the fly. Just jump from ride to ride with minimal waits. We made sure we did a sit down meal so get some rest mid-day with Chef Mickey.

Day 2:
Hollywood Studios
Picked out a place for Quick Service
Hollywood & Vine (Sit down meal)

We organized show times and did a bunch of the meet and greets. Kids loved the Star Wars marching up and down the blvd. We sat down at about 1-2 hours prior to the fireworks and relaxed in the evening. It was very nice.

Day 3:
Off Day for the Pool
T-Rex Restaurant Disney Springs (sit down meal)
Resort cafeteria (quick service meal)

I would HIGHLY suggest stacking "off days" or park "half days" in between full park days. When I list parks above, I'm talking open to close. With young kids it's going to be hard to keep up. Especially with the 3 year old and infant. Two days back to back to parks really wore us out. Me included.

Day 4
Magic Kingdom
Be Our Guest Lunch (quick service)
Crystal Palace (Sit Down Meal)

Second day back and finished up and repeated things we really loved.

---

Key point here is to take advantage of the DDP and getting all the character meals we could and we had a freaking blast. Best trip I ever planned. If I had been there a 2 days longer, I would of added another half day, or if I wanted to splurge for a 5 day pass for tickets, I would do half days at the park like a water park or Animal Kingdom.

I always make sure to bring the kids to Disney Springs for shopping too.

Ultimately it's about what you like to do and UNDERSTAND your limitations. The more you plan the less you spend worrying about where to go and where to eat. If you have everything set up then you're going to have a great time without stress. Obviously there are tricks to this. Some advanced dining reservations are hard to get and there are services to help you snag them when cancellations come about.

Have fun.

Yes plan plan plan! It's so important. When you hear people talk about having a bad time it's generally bc they thought they could wing it and had way too high of expectations.

 

[NickMaio]

Well what are y'alls thoughts about bringing the 5 month old baby but staying in a regular room... I'm so afraid the baby won't have peaceful sleep and we won't enjoy the whole trip because the baby will be up and waking everyone else up?? Is there anywhere in the room that baby could sleep away from us?? I cannot afford a bigger room. I'm barely going to afford this but I put it off with my older kids for years and never ended up going.... and free dining.... what's tips for getting best Character dining with my boys???

My sister in law did this - - - - baby in a regular room - she said they would never do it again. Sleeping in 1 room left no time for parent relax time. What about Air B and B or VRBO - - house rental is not much more.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

Use an authorized Disney Vacation planner. They are free to use, and can answer all of your questions, especially the ones concerning fast passes and dining reservations.

 

[Mainahman]

Every family is different, and we hop alot. We are actually leaving Disney tomorrow to head home. On this trip we did like 2.5 days at Epcot because of the festival, 2.5 days at magic kingdom, a full day at animal, and probably close to that at Hollywood catching the things we like to do. Ton to do for any family!

 

[DarthVader]

We are actually leaving Disney tomorrow to head home

Enjoy your trip

Every family is different,

Indeed and even so, as kids and parents age and mature, their desires change as well.

 

[wdisneyw2000]

hello 1st off congrats to your first trip as well as the forum. I have taken all of my 3 Disney kids take all of the opinions & ideas into consideration but as well as do a set down with your family n kids throw out ideas & see what they like & want to do. now take a deep breath & relax you don't want to overwhelm yourself in your planning process. I'm aware you want to do everything & anything (do it all) on your trip. quite honest you will not be able to so this is your excuse to come back the the world again lol where would you be driving from ? I drove from PA every trip it saved us money as well as limitations on what we could bring as well as take home instead of driving. packing a cooler saved us money due to the price of drinks & things in the park. i'm assuming that you picked the all star music because of budget . just an idea & a thought my kids are now 11 8 & 5 our next trip is scheduled for December but we checked into price with a travel agent due to ages we would have to get a suite but the port Orleans riverside was 300 cheaper then the music suites so we went with that. we did have a pack n play in the room our past experiences, the renting of a stroller comfortable one was a great idea, it is a lot of walking & your kids will love you & youll love yourself for it, plus also you can use the stroller for carrying the stuff you have to bring for your child. the unofficial guide purchase idea was also a good idea as we did purchase it as well. maybe purchase a baby carrier for standing in lines, or pass baby onto hubby ha ha sorry man . another great idea to keep into consideration (men are going to hate me for this) I'm a man , but its the truth have your man take child to bathroom for changing because woman's room is usually a packed house its a much quicker process. the only time we took a day off is if we did the 10 night trip, but only you know your kids so that's something for you to decide. as far as park hopper decide if you'll use it even, because it does waste a lot of time go to n from the parks. dining plan we like it for the convenience of not having to use money out of pocket so we go when meal dining plans are free. along that line you can go to the restaurant web sites n see the choice of food that your going to have as well because once again you know what your kids like or not like will or will not eat . character interaction consider just the meet & greets unless you do plan on the expensive (but great experience)bill depending on your budget. so many good ideas n opinions but what you do have to think of mostly is you know your family the kids will love being included in planning as mine did also include the hubby you don't want him feeling he was left out. Happy planning youll have a great time . tune back in ith all questions n help you need

 

[yensid67]

Aprilcalvin.. Welcome to WDW Magic! We are all friends here and help anyone who needs it! Your first trip! How exciting! We all can remember our first trips and becoming HOOKED on Disney!
I know you said you want to stay at All Star Music September 9-16. Have you considered staying OFF SITE for a few hundred dollars savings? There are NICE hotel NEARBY that are just as nice, without the Disney Theming, that are very comparable! Where are you travelling from? Will you have access to a car? What parks do you want to go to? All tis information will help us answer more precisely! And direct you to the best sites.

Example of Off Property Hotel: I got on for 8 nights with Breakfast for around $675 for 2 adults
Read my TAG under this line for my May 2019 plans!

 

[Starlight67]

I think some of the best advice you have been given here so far is to build a break into each park day. Staying on-site gives you this flexibility. Going back to the hotel in afternoon for lunch, some pool time or a nap will make for a much more pleasant evening (even just for adults!) It's one thing to go to your local Six Flags and spend from dawn to dusk...but Disney is a whole new level. The sheer size, the choices, crowds, lines, heat-it can be a lot! For us setting up 2 FP's for morning and one in the evening then going to a night time show (Fantasmic, Fireworks at Magic Kingdom or Illuminations at Epcot) works well.

A few trips ago I was with my 6 year old nephew and his parents. It was a short trip so we tried to pack a lot in, and did try to stay all day in the parks. It didn't work out too well. My nephew is one of those energetic, go-go-go kids, and definitely isn't (usually) a whiner. But by the time we made it to Fantasmic after a long park day this kid was in a complete meltdown! (One of those out of control-we need to leave now -meltdowns!) Plus by that time all the nerves with the adults in the group were completely frazzled too.

Enjoy your trip-definitely take advantage of photo-pass too. We didn't take advantage of this as much as we could have on our last trip, and I really wish we had! Have fun!

 

[gmk3855]

If you are planning on going in Sept I would book now instead of waiting for them to announce the free dinning. You only need to put down about $200 dollars for them to make the reservation. Also the sooner you book the sooner you will be able to make the dining reservations. We are going the end if Sept and Mar 27th is when we are able to book them, 180 days out. If you wait you may not be able to get the table service reservations you want. The book fast and alot of times you can not just show up and expect to get in.

 

[Mainahman]

If its your first time, Photopass is a godsend! We had it our first trip. We wung it this past trip, and just asked them to take a photo on our phone as well as scanning our bands. We actually got better shots on our personal phone camera than the ones they took. Saved us $200.

 

[ELG13]

If you are planning on going in Sept I would book now instead of waiting for them to announce the free dinning. You only need to put down about $200 dollars for them to make the reservation. Also the sooner you book the sooner you will be able to make the dining reservations. We are going the end if Sept and Mar 27th is when we are able to book them, 180 days out. If you wait you may not be able to get the table service reservations you want. The book fast and alot of times you can not just show up and expect to get in.

I feel like this my be slightly misleading. Having your check in date for a FDD date does not automatically enroll you in fdd. You have to call to add it if you are already booked or select the package on the website if booking after the dates are released. There are only so many rooms at each resort that qualify. Last year I had us booked a year out and our day fell.on a FDD date. I thought that was all I needed. When I called to make ADRs however I was told we didn't have the package so when I called to change the room package I was told there was no availability based on our check-in date. Over the next several weeks I called and moved our check-in date multiple times in order to accommodate reservations we didn't want to lose. So I guess what I'm saying is you can book now and make ADRs but there is no guarantee that once free Disney dining is released that there will be availability on the dates you've already picked for your resort by the time you get through to upgrade your package. I was on hold for two to three hours every time when they first released the dates and I was trying to apply the free Disney dining to the dates we had already chosen. We ended up getting fairly close to our original plan and dates but it did change by several days. Dont get too stressed if your dates aren't available because they may open up after a few weeks when people drop their bookings (travel agents can hold rooms for 3 days and then the room opens up if there are no deposits paid). For fdd you may need to be flexible, or plan on being on the phone the SECOND they are open to book FDD rooms.

 

[Daddyoh]

Help!!!! I'm very confused on so many things! 1st of all I'm planning to go as soon as the free dining comes out and in the dates in September! I will be taking a 7 Year old boy, three-year-old boy, and a 5 month old boy! So I am wondering how exactly I should be planning my trip! I want to do the character dining I will be there for 7 nights going to the park for 5 of the days! I was planning on doing the chef Mickey at 1 One of the days that I do not go to the parks! And was going to use the pool at the resort for the dais we don't go to the park I am planning to stay at the music resort! So which rides would be great for us all to ride together and in which parks would be the best? I would have the baby in a baby Carrier! Any and all tips are welcomed

God Bless You ! you will be undertaking a Herculean task taking your 3 children of that age, hopefully you will have some additional HELP. Being a LONG time WDW visitor my first recommendation is that you can't see it all. September (Wine and Food Festival at EPCOT) is our usual favorite time of year to go as well, usually it's very comfortable weather warm to hot at times but usually excellent swimming weather. You maybe restricted with park opennings and closing so be aware and plan accordingly. Staying on grounds will save a lot of time and travel for you and could help scheduling your visit. The Magic Kingdom I think will be ideal for you aged children, EPCOT not so much at this time ( we do love it though as adults), be aware that the studios have a GREAT deal of Construction going on and by Sept. the NEW Toy Story Land should be open but could be very crowded, then you have the Animal Kingdom which the kids should enjoy. Honestly my best bet would be the Magic Kingdom take it in and REALLY enjoy it. You have an excellent idea as to taking a day off and enjoy the pool where your staying, you will NEED a break too. Most of all don't forget the stroller it will become invaluable later in the day.
Hope this helps a bit, any questions don't hesitate to ask LOVE to help you out.

 

[StarboardSide]

Magic Kingdom can be a little overwhelming for the littlest ones - best done in small doses. Ride the train, visit the castle, but don’t try to do too much, especially if it’s very hot. We like to go there first thing and be back at the resort pool by noon. Little kids love Animal Kingdom, and it’s a great place to go for nice shady walks while looking at animals. At Epcot, take the kids into the Kidcot stations in each country for coloring fun! I would skip Hollywood Studios completely - not a lot there for little guys. Rent strollers in the parks rather than drag your own around! Get a double so your 7yo can take a break and ride from time to time - totally worth it. Take it slow, don’t try to do too much, enjoy!!

 

[ELG13]

Magic Kingdom can be a little overwhelming for the littlest ones - best done in small doses. Ride the train, visit the castle, but don’t try to do too much, especially if it’s very hot. We like to go there first thing and be back at the resort pool by noon. Little kids love Animal Kingdom, and it’s a great place to go for nice shady walks while looking at animals. At Epcot, take the kids into the Kidcot stations in each country for coloring fun! I would skip Hollywood Studios completely - not a lot there for little guys. Rent strollers in the parks rather than drag your own around! Get a double so your 7yo can take a break and ride from time to time - totally worth it. Take it slow, don’t try to do too much, enjoy!!

Just to piggy back...animal kingdom, while shady, is absolutely the hottest park. It was nice and cool and breezy when we arrived but quickly turned HOT...and it was October. So we went prepared with lots of water and Powerade. Also...toy story land will be open in HS so consider that before skipping it.

 

[DryerLintFan]

YOUTUBE!!!!!

Seriously, Youtube has every single ride. Have the kids (especially the three year old) watch ride videos and then they can tell you which rides they're most interested in going on!!

 

[DryerLintFan]

I actually disagree with this one. Rather than super busy days with days off in between, I find it more relaxing to take every day at a moderate pace so it's less of a roller coaster. If I tried to do full days mixed in with days off, the full days would have my daughters exhausted and the days off would have them bored. We're in the parks every day but approach them at a reasonable pace, usually 9a to 1p and 4p to 8p with a nap in between and a reasonable bed time.

I agree with this. We went to the parks in the morning, then hit the room for naps and pool for the afternoons. We went back to the parks a couple nights, but didn't go past our daughter's regular bedtime aside from our last night in town. It's so much more relaxing than trying to do a full day and then having a day off.