mateomouse
Member
I'm going to Disney in November with some first timers. I am a pass holder who goes almost every weekend and knows everything about the parks. Does anyone have any tips for showing them around without boring them with facts?
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Disney with First Timers
- Thread starter mateomouse
- Start date
stevehousse
Well-Known Member
Honestly for a first timer, let them explore. I wouldn't overly plan or micromanage their trip. Do give them some pointers along the way. I gave my brother and sister in law a wdw crash course since they r going there on the way down for a Florida trip. They know I'm a Disney freak and I didn't want to "freak" them out wih too much info! As long as you guide them in the right direction they should be fine!
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smk
Well-Known Member
Honestly, let them discover things they want as you guide them around the areas. I have ONE RULE for newbies with me, NO COMPLAINTS! If my newbies don't like or even love the MK, I don't want to hear it! No reason for anyone to spoil my vacation or my enjoyment of BTMR , for instance just because it is not meeting their expectations. I rarely take newbies anyway. I like to go with my husband and family because we know what we want to do and we all have our favs that we indulge in.
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stevehousse
Well-Known Member
The worst thing for a first timer is to "touring plan" them to death. Also if you give them too much info they won't retain or listen to it. Make your 3 fast passes and just guide them in the right direction!
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Kate Alan
Well-Known Member
I went with six people in February that included two newbies, two people who hadn't been in 10+ years, and two park vets (me and my sister). My advice is to get their input on what they want to do - is there a ride or a restaurant that they heard about in the past that really stuck out at them? If they have no base of knowledge I'd recommend a simple guide like Birnbaum's - easy to digest info with some nice images thrown in (while I love the Unofficial Guide, that thing is HUGE, and might put them off) that way they can read up as much or as little as they like, no pressure.
We had a structured trip (tough not to with dining reservations, Fastpasses, etc.) but giving them basic information on the parks (e.g. that they are not all next to one another, and no, you can't just walk to Universal from WDW!) plus getting their preferences will help you a lot. I ended up constructing a trip that allowed everyone to hit their major wants up and gave plenty of meandering time to just soak everything in and spontaneously do stuff. And if you have a cool piece of Disney trivia while you are on a ride or walking through an area, feel free to share it! Just don't overload them with a huge info-dump at once (something I always have to curb myself on, lol).
We had a structured trip (tough not to with dining reservations, Fastpasses, etc.) but giving them basic information on the parks (e.g. that they are not all next to one another, and no, you can't just walk to Universal from WDW!) plus getting their preferences will help you a lot. I ended up constructing a trip that allowed everyone to hit their major wants up and gave plenty of meandering time to just soak everything in and spontaneously do stuff. And if you have a cool piece of Disney trivia while you are on a ride or walking through an area, feel free to share it! Just don't overload them with a huge info-dump at once (something I always have to curb myself on, lol).
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dupac
Well-Known Member
These are great tips! Going to WDW with my husband's family, most who've never been! My BIL and family went for my niece's Make-a-Wish trip, however they bounced from scheduled event to scheduled event and didn't take in a lot of the parks. My FIL and MIL went to the Magic Kingdom ("Disney World" they called it) in 1989 for a day. And the rest of my husband's siblings and their significant others have never been at all. It's been a bit of overwhelming for me!
Unfortunately FP+ requires us to schedule ahead a bit instead of just picking up our FP when we come to a ride. I'm going to do my best to make suggestions, but encourage them to pick rides/restaurants they want.
Unfortunately FP+ requires us to schedule ahead a bit instead of just picking up our FP when we come to a ride. I'm going to do my best to make suggestions, but encourage them to pick rides/restaurants they want.
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BigRedDad
Well-Known Member
A lot depends on "who the first timers are". It will aslo depend on what their likes are. Some people could care less about the rides and prefer shows. Others may be the opposite of that. Basically, it will depend on them. I guess your job will be to offer insight.
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We took my daughter's BF with us on our last trip. While walking from the hub to Adventureland, I overheard my daughter telling him how the experience changes as you move between the different lands in the MK - surface you are walking on, the foliage, music, etc. The CM who was our guide for the Keys to the Kingdom tour would be so proud of her. Things like this a newbie would never know about without an experienced guide - and it was free for him! I agree, don't overwhelm with too much, but I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to know why you cannot see the Castle immediately upon entering the MK, whose names are in the windows in the shops along Main Street, where Walt's window is, etc. Just tidbits as you walk through that portion of the park. My daughter's BF said that was one of the best parts of his trip.
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