Best advice you ever recieved

[Shanandty]

what is the BEST advice you ever got in planning your trip to Disney??

I would love to hear the advice you didn't know and couldn't live without!

We are planning our very first trip ever andhave recieved some awesome tips from posters, but would love to hear any advice you considered invaluable!!!

Thanks!

 

[lawyergirl77]

Go to the parks early, and then leave either right before or right after lunch (depending on what your plans are)!!!! I've been going to WDW since I was 6 (pre-Epcot!) and one of the reasons why I have NEVER had a bad time, no matter who I'm with is because I inisist on going back to the hotel to have a nap/pool break/sensory deprivation moment before heading back out for the rest of the evening!

Believe me when I say that this is crucial! This not only helps eliminate theme park fatigue, but also helps keep the vacation part front-and-center (but then again, that may just be because I really enjoy midday naps... *cough*)

I have taken many people with me on my various WDW trips (and have even helped other people plan theirs) and everyone has said how important it was, especially those with young children.

 

[Thrawn]

Go to the parks early, and then leave either right before or right after lunch (depending on what your plans are)!!!! I've been going to WDW since I was 6 (pre-Epcot!) and one of the reasons why I have NEVER had a bad time, no matter who I'm with is because I inisist on going back to the hotel to have a nap/pool break/sensory deprivation moment before heading back out for the rest of the evening!

Believe me when I say that this is crucial! This not only helps eliminate theme park fatigue, but also helps keep the vacation part front-and-center (but then again, that may just be because I really enjoy midday naps... *cough*)

I have taken many people with me on my various WDW trips (and have even helped other people plan theirs) and everyone has said how important it was, especially those with young children.

Best way to do it! :wave:

Go early, ride some rides, back to the hotel for a nap or a swim, then back to the parks for the night.

 

[surfsupdon]

The little diddy known as the Annual Pass.

That sucker has allowed us to stay at Yacht Club and pay less than a Caribbean Beach room rack rated (which we always did). That little bundle of joy has literally saved our family thousands of dollars.

Most recently, in December, water view rack rate at Yacht Club 525/night PLUS tax. But we paid under 194/night, INCLUDING all taxes. Excellent, we love them.



And when we realized to stop running around and actually relax on our Disney trips, we enjoyed it so much more. Pool days in the hot sun can beat out theme park days.

 

[lawyergirl77]

And when we realized to stop running around and actually relax on our Disney trips, we enjoyed it so much more. Pool days in the hot sun can beat out theme park days.

I cannot echo this enough! I always want to shake/smack people who have clearly exhausted children (or who are exhausted themselves) but want to stick to the set touring itinerary in order to "get it all done".

Remember that this is first and foremost a vacation, and an expensive one at that!!!! You're going to get horribly tempted to run around like a crazy person, screaming like a banshee at the sheer sensory overload of the place (the detail is like nothing you've ever seen before).

Example: Mr. Lawyergirl is a rather reserved, calm guy - to the point that people often wonder if he still has a pulse... I thought his head was going to pop off the first night when we went to World Showcase. All he wanted to do was to touch, taste and do everything, and he has the 150 pictures in the span of less than two hours as proof of the binge (not all interesting - one is of the manhole cover with the mickey ears). By the time dinner rolled around, I thought he was going to faint!!!!

There's a lot to do, so don't get intimidated by the sheer size of the place. Accept that you unfortunately may not be able to do everything, and then prioritize.

Oh, and don't forget to nap!!!! :animwink:

 

[RedBaron]

The best advice I ever got was to stay on property. It is just not worth the hassle staying at an outside hotel. I will also try to use the advice given here. We never, or almost never leave the parks and go to the hotel for a rest. I have always had wonderful trips, but sometimes felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation. Maybe taking a rest during the day would help?

 

[Steve-Matt]

Stay On Property

The best advice I ever got was to stay on property. It is just not worth the hassle staying at an outside hotel. I will also try to use the advice given here. We never, or almost never leave the parks and go to the hotel for a rest. I have always had wonderful trips, but sometimes felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation. Maybe taking a rest during the day would help?

"Stay On Property!" Is the best advice, it makes the holiday so much more relaxed. The first time we went in 1999, we stayed off property and the travel time and being tied down to the car was a hassle. The second time we stayed on property and had a great time, now we can't see ourselves doing it any other way! You have so much more freedom to hop back to the hotel to refresh and have any purchases sent back to your room. It makes a more relaxing holiday!

(16 days DLRP - 150 days 14 hour & 37 minutes WDW ASMR)

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

:dazzle: Go early, leave late, ride till you puke, anything else is for wimps

 

[shelty66]

Quiet afternoon so I thought reply.

1 Stay on site

2 Rental car is a must

3 Realize before you go that you'll never see it all and have a relaxing fun time at the same time.

 

[rainfully]

Quiet afternoon so I thought reply.

1 Stay on site

2 Rental car is a must

3 Realize before you go that you'll never see it all and have a relaxing fun time at the same time.

If you're staying on property, why rent a car? Unless you plan on doing other things outside of property...

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

If you're staying on property, why rent a car? Unless you plan on doing other things outside of property...

As the Australian Scottish hero would say FREEDOM

 

[lawyergirl77]

If you're staying on property, why rent a car? Unless you plan on doing other things outside of property...

Another reason is that if you plan on visiting the other resorts (many of them have fantastic restaurants), a car becomes essential because the transfer times between a bus from your hotel to a "hub" to your destination can be well over an hour (took DH and I almost two hours one day to get from WL to AKL).

If you do decide to rent a car and you're staying on site, parking is included (which is a nice perk).

 

[barnum42]

:dazzle: Go early, leave late, ride till you puke, anything else is for wimps

Works for me

I'll add "You can stay off-property and have an amazing time - all hotel rooms look the same when you are asleep, so don't believe that you will have a miserable time if you can't stay onsite. If your are British you can get some AMAZING deals off-site that don't seem to be available to our American friends.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Works for me

. If your are British you can get some AMAZING deals off-site that don't seem to be available to our American friends.

barnum do a search using the hotel links like on this site, I think youll find hotel rates put ours in the shade, unless its a flight and room deal you get .

 

[barnum42]

barnum do a search using the hotel links like on this site, I think youll find hotel rates put ours in the shade, unless its a flight and room deal you get .

I contacted a couple of our members that work in the Central Florida hotel trade with the last deal I got and they could not beat it. Best combined flight and deal of recent years - £350 two weeks flight to Sanford and Hotel with breakfast nibbles.

Plus it was within the end two weeks of my Annual pass, so I did not have to pay to get back into the parks.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I contacted a couple of our members that work in the Central Florida hotel trade with the last deal I got and they could not beat it. Best combined flight and deal of recent years - £350 two weeks flight to Sanford and Hotel with breakfast nibbles.

Plus it was within the end two weeks of my Annual pass, so I did not have to pay to get back into the parks.

Apart from once Ive always flown Virgin. Britania were great but they now fly into Sanford dont fancy that. But if Virgins prices keep going up Ill soon have no choice.

I did the halloween thang thanks to a Virgin on line special two weeks at a HO JO for £800 for the two of us. Still had a few days at POR on AP discount as a treat :animwink:

 

[Master Yoda]

Membership in the Disney Dinning Experience. Fifty bucks once a year gets you 20% off on virtually every table service restaurant on property, free valet parking half price admission to PI and 20% off the drinks. I have had the card about 4 months now and have saved nearly $200.

 

[hrmom26]

the best advice i got was to take your time stop often for snackbreaks and don't cram to much into one day there is always tommorrow or the next trip realize you can never see it all and enjoy what you see in just one trip the other best advice i got i didn't take and boy did i regret it my friend told me on the night before you leave the hotel go down and do your laundry so you will go home with all clean clothes and all you will have to do is put them away when you get home well i felt wierd useing a machine a million others have used i like my own washing machine and i thought everything would be rinkled anyway well i really wish i had listen to her i was so tired when i got home and then i spent all night doing laundry and puting it away yuk i'll wash them at the park next time !

 

[hrmom26]

Membership in the Disney Dinning Experience. Fifty bucks once a year gets you 20% off on virtually every table service restaurant on property, free valet parking half price admission to PI and 20% off the drinks. I have had the card about 4 months now and have saved nearly $200.

can anyone join that or do you have to be a AP holder or a FL resident?

 

[Thrawn]

can anyone join that or do you have to be a AP holder or a FL resident?

Exactly. Annual Passholders or FL residents only for the DDE card.