HELP?? What did I get myself into????

[mhowl]

I have only been to DW once in 1984 and now I am taking my family in June. I had no idea that it would take this much planning and prep.. I am looking for videos to show my sons before we go, so they can choose rides or attractions they want to see. I am also trying to plan an itinerary and ..........well I am starting to wonder what the hell I've gotten myself into?? Can anyone help me?
signed, someone who is starting to feel like Clark Griswald at the gates of Wally World :brick:

 

[wannabeBelle]

I have only been to DW once in 1984 and now I am taking my family in June. I had no idea that it would take this much planning and prep.. I am looking for videos to show my sons before we go, so they can choose rides or attractions they want to see. I am also trying to plan an itinerary and ..........well I am starting to wonder what the hell I've gotten myself into?? Can anyone help me?
signed, someone who is starting to feel like Clark Griswald at the gates of Wally World :brick:

Never worry you have found the best place on the New for that kind of thing right here at WDWMagic!!! Become a premium member!!!! You can try it out for one month for like 5 dollars and we have a TON of videos. Look on the upper left hand of the main page where it says looking for videos and click that. VIOLA!!!!! Hope this helps!! Belle

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

How old are your sons ?? Would showing them videos spoil the magic and anticipation of each attraction ?

My suggestion to you is to buy a good guide book and read it. A copy of The Unofficial Guide will give you more useful information than you could possibly know what to do with. It describes each attraction, ride and show. Rates them according to age group of the user and from this you can work out whether they are suitable for you family without spoiling the ride.

 

[EpcotGrl]

It'll be okay!!

First I suggest visiting disneyworld.com. You can order a free vacation planning video/CD-Rom there to help you plan You can also plan your itinerary & favorite rides on there! Second, check out your local library or book store for Disney planning guides--there are tons of them!! The Disney World for kids might be good choice for photos and kid-friendly descriptions of rides. And third, surf around this (and other) Disney sites! Some of the best info will come from Disney fan sites, and you can ask us questions!

Good luck, relax, and have a great time! :wave:

 

[ljl14]

Don't worry - Get yourself a copy of Birnbaums 2006 Guide to Disney World. It has fantastic tips, descriptions of all rides, restaurant descriptions and everything else you may want to do! I've been to Disney many times and the best advice I could give is to make reservations for a character breakfast. My family and I love Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. We always start off our 1st morning there. Call 407-WDW-DINE to make reservations.

Depending on how old your sons are, take at least two days at the Magic Kingdom since there is so much to see and do. You might want to break up the day by going back to your hotel mid-day for a rest or dip in the pool and head back for dinner and definitely stay for fireworks!

We're leaving in 2 weeks for the Caribbean Beach!!! Can't Wait:sohappy:

 

[mhowl]

thanx for the info.

 

[mhowl]

8 and 12 years I went once in 84 and yes, I was the kid who only wanted to swim at the hotel pool, and drove my dad nuts, so i must be payin' for my raising. thanks for the info.

 

[mhowl]

my sons are 8 and 12. would they enjoy a character meal? and is it too late to reserve since we are going in June?

 

[wdwishes2005]

Nope, I can sometime's get ressies day of. Never hurts to try.

 

[ZapperZ]

I have only been to DW once in 1984 and now I am taking my family in June. I had no idea that it would take this much planning and prep.. I am looking for videos to show my sons before we go, so they can choose rides or attractions they want to see. I am also trying to plan an itinerary and ..........well I am starting to wonder what the hell I've gotten myself into?? Can anyone help me?
signed, someone who is starting to feel like Clark Griswald at the gates of Wally World :brick:

You may want to consider not doing too much planning. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but try to minimize it and not plan the whole day and be too rigid about it. It takes the whole fun and spontaneous moment out of it.

What you can do is plan one or two things to do that day - maybe character dining, a ride or two that you must do, a night time show that you want to see, etc. But after that, don't try to plan and just go by ear. I think it is less stressful that way. A vacation, especially to WDW, shouldn't be something that's planned to the minute.

Zz.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

my sons are 8 and 12. would they enjoy a character meal? and is it too late to reserve since we are going in June?

All kids (and adults) enjoy a character meal. Ring the dining reservations hot line and see - there still should be a good selection available

 

[nibblesandbits]

my sons are 8 and 12. would they enjoy a character meal? and is it too late to reserve since we are going in June?

I'm 22 and I enjoy a good character meal!

Some good ones to try are Chef Mickey's, Ohana, Liberty Tree Tavern, and Crystal Palace. (I have only been to the first two...but I have heard very excellent things about the last two.)

The sooner you make your reservations the better though. You might try not being too picky with your times...otherwise it may be hard to get in. (Especially if you want to go around lunch or dinnertime...those spots fill up extremely quickly).

I also agree with ZapperZ...while it is great to know what you're getting into, and I suggest doing that by reading one of the guide books suggested to you, planning too much can take away some of the fun. Good luck and I hope that you have a wonderful time!

 

[mhowl]

thanks so much, i have the unofficial guide book, but i think i am trying to hard. i like the advice of zapperz. would a character dinner, few rides, and a show give my boys a good introduction/first time experience of DW without it seeming to much like boot camp instead of a vacation?? We are also going with my inlaws(mother, father, both sister in laws and their families) about 15 people total. what do you recommend, as far as activities together and splitting up, with a large group like this??? Any suggestions??

 

[nibblesandbits]

thanks so much, i have the unofficial guide book, but i think i am trying to hard. i like the advice of zapperz. would a character dinner, few rides, and a show give my boys a good introduction/first time experience of DW without it seeming to much like boot camp instead of a vacation?? We are also going with my inlaws(mother, father, both sister in laws and their families) about 15 people total. what do you recommend, as far as activities together and splitting up, with a large group like this??? Any suggestions??

Well, I mean it depends on how long you'll be there...but I'm sure you can fit in more than just a few rides and shows! :lol: Have the ever been to a theme park before (six flags or something like that?) If they have and they like it...they should love Disney. If they haven't...just start out slow and build your way up.

The only way Disney can feel like a boot camp is if you 1. don't take breaks (I learned this first hand...I went this past January for only 3 days and ran myself ragged by not stopping. I will NEVER do that again!) and 2. if you plan your trip out to the minute of what you have planned to do. If you plan some of the basic things (like a few meals and what park to go to for the day, etc) you should be ok and it will still be fun.

For a family of 15 I would say that it would probably be best to split up for part of the day and then meet back together for dinner or for an attraction. It will get tiresome spending the whole day together because one person will want to go one place, another person will want to go to another and that will cause fights and unhappiness. (Plus, I'm sure you will want to have some alone time with just your family...as I'm sure they will want alone time with just theirs)

My last tip for you is to utilize Fastpass. (If you don't know what it is...look it up on the main page of this site...I know Steve's got a great definition of it.) It is a wonderful tool that can really make a vacation.

I hope I was helpful and I"m sure others will throw in their $.02 in too! :wave:

 

[goofyfamily]

My kids are 8 and 11 two boys and they love the character meals we will be going in September for our 4th trip . Word of advice do the Chef Mickeys it is so much more fun , we didnt care for Crystal Palace. The Characters are to babyish and very restricted there. They barely came around and the staff was rude and upity. If your boys are typical boys Chef Mickeys is the best for Goofy and fun. I even enjoy the atmosphere here.

 

[Grimone24]

Best Bet

Your best bet is to let your trip flow smoothly! Dont worry so much otherwise you and your family will get stressed out. Enjoy everything and take in what you can but dont get caught making strict shedules and running from one place to another. Remember Disney is more than rides and attractions the whole place even just a stroll around the shops and landscapes is what makes the place great!!

 

[magic minnie]

We are leaving soon, and have been to WDW multiple times. We try not to plan too much . . . we spend about 3 days in the parks, and the rest of the week enjoy being a resort guest. You might want to try the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue in Fort Wilderness . . . it's a dinner show that everyone loves, especially kids! We also spend some time going around to all the different Disney hotels . . . with each having its own theme, it's fun to see each one, or at least all the major resorts. We've always enjoyed doing that in each visit, even when I was a kid. Also, Fort Wilderness has a campground movie every night and sing-a-long with Chip and Dale which is always a good time. I would say, just get the guide book others on this site have recommended, and also just look around this website and others to get a rough idea of what you would like to do. Once you get there, you can do whatever sounds good to you and your family that day. Have fun!!!

 

[ScrapIron]

www.tourguidemike.com

Cheers.

 

[Dwarful]

we've gone with about 12 in our group 3-67 in ages. No real problems...the one thing you may want to do before going is decide which park and then the lands you are going to otherwise you'll waste a great deal of time on "ok, now what" This way if some want to sleep in they will at least know which parks and restaurant time to meet up at.

 

[Fantasmic!329]

Don't forget to check www.allearsnet.com. Loads of helpful info there.