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!

 

[barnum42]

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.

Pros and cons to everything. The big Pro of Sanford is that you get through customs and baggage claim quicker than Orlando. Also the charter airlines fly here which can make it a much cheaper flight. Con-wise it's an hours drive away from WDW as opposed to the about 20-25 mins from Orlando. But if you take the toll road, it's an easy drive. The airport itself is small, so if there are delays there is naff all to occupy you bar a small cafe and about three shops.

 

[sheryl2007]

I agree with the go to the hotel and rest idea, great plan, you need the down time to go back and tackle the crowds and the inevitable rude people. A fresh start to finish the day, otherwise you end up tired and miserable and still tired in the morning . Try to stay on site if possible, it really makes it seem as if it is all taken care of for you just get on a bus and go to where you want to go. IT does get tricky going from resort to resort, but give yourself extra time , that is if you don't have a car. If you have little ones; character meals are great(even if you don't have kids:animwink: . ) Don't get the big Mickey mylar balloon when you first get to the park, you will have to carry around everywhere with you !!!!!!!!!! ( I speak from personal experience ). It wasn't much fun on the plane either !!:hammer:

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Its a holiday - ENJOY IT

 

[WigglyWiggins]

To echo others...Its a holiday. Relaxation is key, tired=stress=unholiday like. We love to go and swim and read in the afternoon.


Also another good tip is that florida's air conditioning is amazing...although sometimes too amazing, even in july i get cold in some restaurants.

 

[Ducky_Love]

half price admission to PI and 20% off the drinks.

Have you actually gotten discount drinks at PI? I didn't think they participated in the program. If they do- then *THIS* is the best advise ever!

 

[Senderella]

If you have a balcony, use it. Sit there & take it all in. It's very relaxing. Even if there's nothing to see, it's nice sitting there talking to your family about things.

Keep your load light. Don't carry everything with you to the parks. I did this *one* day and didn't after that. No need to be a packmule. Your feet & body will thank you for your consideration.

This next one is ultra important! Go to Downtown Disney & hit Basin. They have some good sized bath bombs there that saved me! They're the "Therapy" ones. No scent, no color, no frills. Plain Mediterranian Sea Salt. Get the water as hot as you can stand & drop in the bomb & soak. I did that before bed and I felt great. I didn't do it one night because I passed out before I could muster the energy... I felt it the next day!

If you're staying on property, take advantage of the refillable mugs. It was nice being able to jet down to the snack bar & get drinks when we got back from the parks.

Have fun & savor each day because before you know it... you're back home!

 

[lawyergirl77]

This next one is ultra important! Go to Downtown Disney & hit Basin. They have some good sized bath bombs there that saved me! They're the "Therapy" ones. No scent, no color, no frills. Plain Mediterranian Sea Salt. Get the water as hot as you can stand & drop in the bomb & soak.

This? Is an absolutely brilliant idea! I am totally using that on my next trip!!!

 

[Senderella]

This? Is an absolutely brilliant idea! I am totally using that on my next trip!!!

Oh honey your body will love you for it. Mr Senderella would hit the hot tub every night after we'd get back from the parks AND DTD (lol we'd leave the parks and go to from one end of DTD to the other!) and I just could not muster the energy to join him. I did this and I felt wonderful the next day. Believe me when I say, the one night I didn't soak.. I paid for it!!! I could tell the difference.

 

[tracyandalex]

my fiance and i have gone a few times and this is our general plan. we pre book our ps restraunts before the trip that way we can plan around. we sleep in and make sure we see our favorite attractions. always check out fastpasses when we get to the park. we have one day per park, one day for the pool, & one day to see anything we missed. we always stay onsite & bring our car - it is easier to get to downtown & better for pi. best advice is to go with the flow & don't get caught up in seeing & doing everything. good luck have a great trip :sohappy:

 

[Master Yoda]

Have you actually gotten discount drinks at PI? I didn't think they participated in the program. If they do- then *THIS* is the best advise ever!

I haven't yet. I'll let you know next week if they accept it without incident.

 

[DukeEarthwalker]

Best Advice? Hang around WDWMagic and you'll learn alot.

Actually it's the point that you're never going to be able to do everything so don't try. Plan for what you want to do the most and don't burn yourself out. There will always be another trip to WDW.

 

[wannabeBelle]

go to see Off Kilter. Now they are a must do ( usually several times at least) on every trip!!! Belle

 

[diddy_mouse]

some of the best advice i received was that if you want to hit a popular ride like Space or Splash Mtn. go during the parade or fireworks...that is...if you have seen it already, don't do it if you haven't caught the parade or fireworks.

another piece of advice is to stay on property, enjoy your time at the parks, and just relax...its your vacation!

 

[Senderella]

go to see Off Kilter. Now they are a must do ( usually several times at least) on every trip!!! Belle

i 2nd that!!

 

[Thorphin]

I won't go through the trouble of repeating some of the stuff here... but I wanted to add a couple things. Don't underestimate the power of planning! If you take a little time before you leave to figure out approximately what parks you want to do on which days (use http://www.touringplans.com/ to find the least busy days), you can save a lot of time that you normally would have spent in line, or needlessly travelling back and forth among parks.

A big way to relax, though, is to realize that there's a lot more to WDW than the parks. Take a day or an afternoon to step away and explore resorts, walk around the lagoon, play mini golf, visit the spa, or take a boat ride to downtown disney for some good food and window shopping...

 

[daveemtdave]

Best advice I was given,,,,,,,,even though this is a vacation...only spend what you can afford.....if you can afford the Deluxe resorts, pay for them...if you can afford the value....pay for that...there is no need ruining a vacation by having that little inner spirit reminding you, you are overspending.....it is like Christmas....don't over spend. Also, remember, you alone know what you want from this vacation....for the majority of people, this is either a once in a lifetime opportunity, or once every couple of years,,,,,,,,most people can not afford these types of trips every month.

 

[pharmacyman]

The best advice/tip I can give is an extension of the "take a break/nap in the afternoon" tip. Make PS for a nice restaurant either at a resort or even in one of the parks for dinner. Its amazing that no matter how tired you are from a day at the parks, if you rest, clean up and refresh yourself to go out for a nice meal in the evening how much more like a vacation it feels!

 

[Hakunamatata]

Go to WDW..... :lookaroun :lol:

 

[S_Grise]

Some excellent advice has been posted here. Here are my tips:
1. Get to the parks at opening.
2. Take an afternoon break. Even if you have no children, the afternoon break is crucial. It is THE ONLY way you'll be able to enjoy evening activities on multiple days without fatigue.
3. Go left whenever you have a choice.
4. Prioritize. You can't possibly do everything in one trip. If high traffic attractions are your priority, go there first. e.g. We arrive at opening, go straight to PotC and there is never anyone there. Then we hit SplashMtn and BTMRR, again with no lines. Within an hour or two, you can hit all the most important stuff and then be more leisurely until your break. After our breaks, we go back for the stuff lower on the priority list.
5. Broken-in shoes. At least two pairs.

 

[Laura]

So many people are all for the afternoon breaks but I tend to disagree. In July we took an afternoon break every day and we about killed ourselves doing it. It's a lot of work to pack up the stroller and get 2 kids strapped into their carseats, and then take the amazingly long walk back from the parking lot to your room in the 90 degree heat.

In February we did it a little different. Rather than getting up at the crack of dawn and being worn out by lunch time, we just slept in. We woke up when we felt like it, didn't rush to get ready in the morning, had a nice relaxing breakfast, and then went to the parks just before lunchtime. This way we were totally rested and had plenty of energy to stay right through until closing.

We're going to try one more technique this fall, which is get up early and only spend half a day at the parks, and then just hang out and relax all night long.

But I guess it all boils down to not running yourself ragged. Whether you sleep in, take a midday break, or only do half days you need to get lots of rest!

I also second whoever listed the Annual Pass. This is the first year that I'll use one and I can't wait!