Planning Your First WDW Trip.

[real mad hatter]

Good Morning Boys & Girls...Your supposed to say." Good Morning Mr Hatter."..Are you sitting comfortable,if so,lets go...Once upon a time,in a land far far away,lived a mouse..Yeh!Yeh! We know the story. But can you remember trying to plan your first ever trip as an adult with children.The reason I ask is that a recent thread, where a woman from my home country is trying to persuade her other half to take her and her little Princess to their first WDW vacation..Now I was 51 years young on our first ever trip,and my DS was just 6. It was Mummy's idea to do this holiday ( 1 week on site & 1 week off site ) I knew that Disney had 4 parks and lots of resorts,but that was about it.What I didn't realise was the enormous size of this Bubble.So where does the adult whose knowledge is almost non exist start..First what time of year to visit..Then where to stay on site..Value..Moderate..Deluxe..And most importantly,your budget.$$$$$$$.And so on..So I ask all you professional Mouseketeer's. What are you most valuable ideas for adults going for the first time with children.?

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

Good Morning Boys & Girls...Your supposed to say." Good Morning Mr Hatter."..Are you sitting comfortable,if so,lets go...Once upon a time,in a land far far away,lived a mouse..Yeh!Yeh! We know the story. But can you remember trying to plan your first ever trip as an adult with children.The reason I ask is that a recent thread, where a woman from my home country is trying to persuade her other half to take her and her little Princess to their first WDW vacation..Now I was 51 years young on our first ever trip,and my DS was just 6. It was Mummy's idea to do this holiday ( 1 week on site & 1 week off site ) I knew that Disney had 4 parks and lots of resorts,but that was about it.What I didn't realise was the enormous size of this Bubble.So where does the adult whose knowledge is almost non exist start..First what time of year to visit..Then where to stay on site..Value..Moderate..Deluxe..And most importantly,your budget.$$$$$$$.And so on..So I ask all you professional Mouseketeer's. What are you most valuable ideas for adults going for the first time with children.?

Join these forums and don't be afeared to ask questions.
There are no stoopid questions just stoopid answers

 

[real mad hatter]

Join these forums and don't be afeared to ask questions.
There are no stoopid questions just stoopid answers

Whit!!! Don't be afeared..I'am afraid to ask what that means incase it's a stoopid question and I get a stoopid answer, or is it a trick question.

 

[Figgy1]

Good morning Mr. @real mad hatter I planned my first trip as an adult with no kids. That one was an easy trip to plan as there were only 2 parks and before you needed ADRs. Now to the question the first thing I would do is plan when to go if school is not a factor I would go right after Labor Day as the crowds are light and it's still summer. Next set a reasonable budget for your family and book lodging ASAP. For a first trip I would book at least 3 character meals for a girl CM, CP and either CRT or AH. I would also book BOG for a boy or girl. I would book all my sit downs at the 180 day mark!!!!!!!!!! Next thing rope drop, because you can get sooooooooo much done at park opening. Plan breaks or a nap if your child needs one. (MY youngest was a born commando open til close) but most are not. Watch all the Disney movies you can so the child will know who everybody is. Most importantly relax and have fun, take LOTS of pictures ad remember you can't do everything in one trip!

 

[zurgandfriend]

Our first trip in the early 1990’s my DW and I did not plan at all, we just showed up and checked out the 3 parks and Discovery Island as well as Disney Village. We would make a dinner reservation in the morning before heading out to the parks and never had a problem. Over the years things changed gradually so by the time we brought our DS for the first time we had our park strategy planned and our ADRs made. The first thing I always tell people when they as about Disney is plan don’t just show up.

 

[Figgy1]

I'd also tell anybody going for the first time or for the first time in a while to get the Unofficial Guide to Disney and read it cover to cover. This will save a ton of headaches and they will have a much better idea of what to expect!

 

[disneygirl76]

Good Morning Boys & Girls...Your supposed to say." Good Morning Mr Hatter."..Are you sitting comfortable,if so,lets go...Once upon a time,in a land far far away,lived a mouse..Yeh!Yeh! We know the story. But can you remember trying to plan your first ever trip as an adult with children.The reason I ask is that a recent thread, where a woman from my home country is trying to persuade her other half to take her and her little Princess to their first WDW vacation..Now I was 51 years young on our first ever trip,and my DS was just 6. It was Mummy's idea to do this holiday ( 1 week on site & 1 week off site ) I knew that Disney had 4 parks and lots of resorts,but that was about it.What I didn't realise was the enormous size of this Bubble.So where does the adult whose knowledge is almost non exist start..First what time of year to visit..Then where to stay on site..Value..Moderate..Deluxe..And most importantly,your budget.$$$$$$$.And so on..So I ask all you professional Mouseketeer's. What are you most valuable ideas for adults going for the first time with children.?

I had been to Dinsey with my parents about 4 times or so prior to my husband and I going for our honeymoon. I had been to all parks before b/c my last family trip was the year AK opened. And my DH had been to three of the four. My DH spent two summers working there in the college program. So when we went, we were given a week time share off site and spent two days at Grand Floridian. How did I choose GF - my DH said it was the nicest and most romantic. When did we plan to go - looked at a time not when spring breakers and Easter would fall b/c he remembered it being busy and after tax returns came so we would have money. We also needed a week that the off site location was available. So we have a who, a what, a where, a when and a why. I bought some tickets on line for the dates we would be there. Decided on park hoppers. Had a car b/c we were driving. And that's it. That is where the planning stopped. What more did I need??????

I WAS SO WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I came back from that trip - a wonderful amazing trip - and that is when I found you all, started buying guide books, and watching all the specials on the travel channel about disney. I thought I knew Disney. And boy - I didn't!!! We didn't make ADR's. I didn't know what that was or that you could do that!!!! So a year and half later when we planned our Christmas 2nd Anniversary trip, it was SO different. And every trip after that, there is so much planning and still so much to learn. It never stops.

So even a girl who thought she knew her Disney was so wrong when it came to how much there is to see and do at Disney and how much to plan.

 

[93boomer]

Morning @real mad hatter :Our first trip in June 1993 was with our DD who was 7 then. I picked up one of the Birnbaum's Disney guides, which I still have for memories. That book is worn from using so much
We stayed at the CBR because there was a beach. We always took beach trips so we picked it to ease her into a new place. She loved it!
We picked our fav rides and shows and tried not to kill ourselves getting to everything this trip.
I agree with@figmentfan423 about taking breaks with kids. We didn't though cause she could go til park closing!
Plan as much as possible and take time to enjoy! Don't rush! And take lots if pictures!!

 

[Joshrzmeup]

Back in 2010 was my first trip to WDW and my parents second trip and yet my parents expected me to plan it all, asking me all sorts of questions. I had no idea what to do or anything about the parks, so I researched and researched, got books from the library and trolled message boards to see what others were asking and what advice others were giving. I looked at menus online and looked at park maps to study everything I could.

Our first Disney trip was to DL, and my brothers were 8 and I was 7 and I do remember taking breaks to go back to the hotel to swim and so that my parents could take a nap. I don't remember us doing any kind of planning back then, until we got to the hotel and we bought a DL book from there to look at, which we still have to this day (my parents wanted to get rid of it recently and I refused to let them). I also remember us taking the monorail the day we arrived so that we could see the park and see what we wanted to do starting the next morning.

I am also in the process of gathering info on WDW with young kids for my brother and sis-in-law for when they move to florida early next year and they want to take the kids for the first time. I just read message boards, bookmark a lot of stuff, read about it on facebook, etc. I already gave them the vacation planning DVD that we were given by our TA to start with. I also kept the names of all the books I had gotten that were useful and kept the maps and books I got from AAA.

 

[Mukta]

Good morning, Mr. Hatter!

I agree with @figmentfan423. I read the Unofficial Guide cover to cover at least 3 times before my first trip as an adult. I knew every attraction, restaurant and hotel inside and out.