First Timer Questions and Tips

graphite1326

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
Meghelaine88 said:
It may be a mistake, but we're honestly not that into rides. We'd rather use the time we'd wait in line to walk around and see different things. We're planning on coming back in a few years when our daughter is older. If she wants to, we'll go on the rides then.

Thank you for your advice, though.
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Huge Huge! HUGE mistake to just walk around & see things. The first thing I tell people who have never been to WDW is to have a plan. If you just walk around you will not have a good time (every person I have given advise to make a plan and doesn't, has come back to me and tells me they had a bad time). WDW is just too big and lots of things are kinda hidden (for lack of a better way of putting it). If you are going to AK here are a few must see "attractions." Festival of the Lion King (In my opinion the best show WDW has). Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Maharajah Jungle Trek. To name a few. I would research and make a plan.
 
Chef Mickey

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
Matt_Black said:
And then she clarified what sort of advice she was looking for, and you criticized her. It's like if I asked for food recommendations. You suggest something with mushrooms. I reply, "Oh, thank you, but I should have mentioned that mushrooms cause me to have severe stomach cramps." And then you say, "Well, you're simply not eating them right!"
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BC it's a mistake.
 
21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Meghelaine88 said:
We'll definitely be checking for reservations again. There was a breakfast we were going to try to go to with Stitch, but there weren't any times left so we just gave up. And we didn't even attempt to do any of the dinners because we were so late planning it all. We weren't aware that you should actually start planning in advance. It's already been decided that we're coming back in a few years when our daughter is older and we have more children. We'll definitely be planning in advance for that. Plus we plan on staying at a resort.
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Keep checking MDE, reservations open up all of the time. People over book and then cancel the ones they don't want after they tune their schedules. It's frustrating, but you CAN get every meal you want if willing to keep checking. Ohana was our favorite!

I just read that you don't plan on doing rides, it's obviously your money and your vacation- but I'm hoping you do things like "It's a small world" "pirates" "haunted mansion" etc, the non coaster rides, but nothing at Disney is intense. Even 7 dwarfs mine train is a kiddie coaster.

I'm not a planning expert by any means. I've been to WDW 30 something times. 17 years as a "kid" and then another 15 years as an "adult". Those were Food and Wine trips and completely different than the first time I went as a Mother. I completely over scheduled the first trip with my son, it resulted in a melt down on day 3. I tried to cram all of my experiences into that one trip- huge mistake.

I'm trying to plan a more efficient trip this time, and find the perfect balance between "prepared" and flexible. It's not easy! WDW is stressful, very stressful when planning. But when you see Your daughters face when she sees the castle for the first time, or tear up while watching Wishes together- it makes it all worth it :)
 
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Meghelaine88

Meghelaine88

Member
Original Poster
21stamps said:
I don't know how many character meals you are planning, but we did a ton of them over 9 nights. The main reason was so we would not have to wait in line or waste a FP on a meet and greet. Kiddo's autograph book is completely full :). We are bringing large ornaments on our upcoming trips for characters to sign. (I didn't come up with this idea- my TA did it for her family and I love the idea!)

The only downside to that many character meals was that I felt like dining dictated our days.
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We're definitely going to keep checking for reservations to pop up. We weren't aware this is something you have to plan months in advance and so we didn't make any reservations. We also didn't know there were so many different character dining options. I seriously thought there was like, one.

I'm looking at this trip as a learning experience so we have a better idea of what to do on future Disney vacations. We've already decided we're going back.

Thanks for the help!
 
Meghelaine88

Meghelaine88

Member
Original Poster
MaryJaneP said:
We hope you pack plenty of patience. If you are visiting WDW for the first time, not riding many rides, and hoping to focus primarily on meet and greets, it could be an EXTREMELY trying trip. In addition to the previous mentions of flexibility, we would add disappointment as you may not be able to see all the characters you desire, particularly if you are expecting to do one park per day. Sorry to sound like Debbie downer, but even guests that have visited multiple times know that you are unlikely to do most of what is on your wish list. If you can, enjoy the entire atmosphere, don't stare down at your phone/ipad, and be happy with what you accomplish. We do hope you have a great time and being educated ahead of time helps knowing what your alternatives are.
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I'm definitely going to try to be flexible. My husband went to Disney when he was a kid and got the autograph book, so that's more of his thing. He's wanting to get autographs from as many as possible. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do the same thing, but I've already told him I don't want to be waiting in lines all day. We're going to use the Magic Guide app to kind of go off of when/if we meet someone too.
 
Meghelaine88

Meghelaine88

Member
Original Poster
graphite1326 said:
Huge Huge! HUGE mistake to just walk around & see things. The first thing I tell people who have never been to WDW is to have a plan. If you just walk around you will not have a good time (every person I have given advise to make a plan and doesn't, has come back to me and tells me they had a bad time). WDW is just too big and lots of things are kinda hidden (for lack of a better way of putting it). If you are going to AK here are a few must see "attractions." Festival of the Lion King (In my opinion the best show WDW has). Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Maharajah Jungle Trek. To name a few. I would research and make a plan.
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We're going into it with a plan as to what we're going to do. We just want to focus more on taking it all in, I guess. We're definitely planning on going to the Festival of the Lion King. I told my husband that it's a must for me. I didn't realize there was the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail or Maharajah Jungle Trek. We'll definitely be looking into those and to see what else there is.

Thank you!
 
Matt_Black

Matt_Black

Well-Known Member
Meghelaine88 said:
We're going into it with a plan as to what we're going to do. We just want to focus more on taking it all in, I guess. We're definitely planning on going to the Festival of the Lion King. I told my husband that it's a must for me. I didn't realize there was the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail or Maharajah Jungle Trek. We'll definitely be looking into those and to see what else there is.

Thank you!
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Both of those trails are a lot of fun. Other good stuff in DAK- It's Tough to Be a Bug, Flights of Wonder, the Finding Nemo musical, and all the entertainment around.
 
Disneyfreak Jen

Disneyfreak Jen

Well-Known Member
I understand how overwhelmed you feel with planning! I have some random tips for you.

1. Wear appropriate footwear and socks. Do NOT wear cotton socks…you will get blisters. I have had very good luck with Thorlo Experia's, as they offer cushioning on the bottom of the sock. I also like Bombas. That being said, also bring some Moleskin (pre-cut it at home with with scissors so you don't have to bring scissors with you) in case you do blister.

2. You will not be able to do everything. You just won't. There's so much to see and do, so don't wear yourself down to exhaustion so that it ruins your vacation. Take time to smell the roses and notice the little things!

3. Get maps as you walk into each park. But also google the maps online if you haven't already, so then you can see how the layout is.

4. Take advantage of the train ride in Magic Kingdom or the Peoplemover Transit Authority ride in Tomorrowland when your feet need a break.

5. Go back to your hotel during the day at some point to take a break and get off your feet. Go for a swim and sit on a lounger in the shade if you can. I always do this, and I take a shower before going back to the park that evening because it freshens me up and makes me feel better and ready to tackle the evening.

6. Sunshine Season's in Epcot (its in the Land Pavilion at Epcot) has the best chocolate chip muffin ever. It's dusted with cocoa powder. You won't be disappointed.

7. While we're on the subject of Epcot, take your time in each "Country"…visit their little shops, and explore the nooks and crannies…the movies that each Country shows are worth taking a look at.

8. Not sure if you're flying, but do the "airline check in" the day before you fly home, IF you can. Not all airlines participate. Ask at the check in desk or google it. I can't remember exactly what it's called, but they will check you in and give you your boarding pass the day before you fly.

9. Have a great trip!!!
 
Meghelaine88

Meghelaine88

Member
Original Poster
Disneyfreak Jen said:
I understand how overwhelmed you feel with planning! I have some random tips for you.

1. Wear appropriate footwear and socks. Do NOT wear cotton socks…you will get blisters. I have had very good luck with Thorlo Experia's, as they offer cushioning on the bottom of the sock. I also like Bombas. That being said, also bring some Moleskin (pre-cut it at home with with scissors so you don't have to bring scissors with you) in case you do blister.

2. You will not be able to do everything. You just won't. There's so much to see and do, so don't wear yourself down to exhaustion so that it ruins your vacation. Take time to smell the roses and notice the little things!

3. Get maps as you walk into each park. But also google the maps online if you haven't already, so then you can see how the layout is.

4. Take advantage of the train ride in Magic Kingdom or the Peoplemover Transit Authority ride in Tomorrowland when your feet need a break.

5. Go back to your hotel during the day at some point to take a break and get off your feet. Go for a swim and sit on a lounger in the shade if you can. I always do this, and I take a shower before going back to the park that evening because it freshens me up and makes me feel better and ready to tackle the evening.

6. Sunshine Season's in Epcot (its in the Land Pavilion at Epcot) has the best chocolate chip muffin ever. It's dusted with cocoa powder. You won't be disappointed.

7. While we're on the subject of Epcot, take your time in each "Country"…visit their little shops, and explore the nooks and crannies…the movies that each Country shows are worth taking a look at.

8. Not sure if you're flying, but do the "airline check in" the day before you fly home, IF you can. Not all airlines participate. Ask at the check in desk or google it. I can't remember exactly what it's called, but they will check you in and give you your boarding pass the day before you fly.

9. Have a great trip!!!
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Thank you so much for all the tips! We'll definitely be taking them to heart! We had already planned on going back to the hotel to relax. My daughter will need a nap, so we plan on using that time to shower and relax a bit ourselves. And I'm definitely going to try the chocolate chip muffin. It's a must.
 
Meghelaine88

Meghelaine88

Member
Original Poster
Matt_Black said:
Both of those trails are a lot of fun. Other good stuff in DAK- It's Tough to Be a Bug, Flights of Wonder, the Finding Nemo musical, and all the entertainment around.
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We're looking them up on YouTube now and they both look like a must. We're going to try to make it to as many shows as possible.
 
tedsgibson

tedsgibson

New Member
Meghelaine88 said:
Does anyone know if the Tree of Life Awakening has set times or do you just have to be lucky enough to catch it happening?
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i was just there and it seems to play contentiously after dark. it is easy to watch as long as you can see the tree but there is a sound track that plays and the only place we could hear it was on our way out of the park.

The parks are huge!! we just returned from our 3rd trip and i think my family is starting to understand how to enjoy the parks. the first trip is a first trip, and will lead you to discover all the things you will want to do next time :)
 
BAChicagoGal

BAChicagoGal

Well-Known Member
I was wondering about the Tree of Life myself. I don't want to miss that. What time does it start. Is it exactly a sunset. Also how dar does the AK get, and are the paths properly lit up? It will definitely be a new experience even being in the AK after nightfall.
 
BAChicagoGal

BAChicagoGal

Well-Known Member
Make sure you get "First Time Buttons" Or is it First Visit? Anyhow, it is fun wearing them. I will be traveling soon with 5 people who have never been and that will be our very first request. Not sure if they will have them at our hotel (Pop Century). If not we will request them at the MK on our first day in the parks.
 

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