First trip advice??
About This Page: This is a discussion on First trip advice?? within the Planning Your Adventure: Your Plans for Walt Disney World, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; My family and I are taking our first trip to wdw in novemeber?? any tips or advice for a first ...
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Welcome to the boards princesshope1982! If you haven't already got a PassPorter, I'd definitely get one, as it will be invaluable in planning your trip.
Pick out some favorite rides/attractions you feel you MUST DO and aim to do those in each park you go to. It is so easy to wear yourself out trying to see and do everything. If you don't get to do something, use it as an excuse for a return future trip!! Yay!!
Welcome to the boards! You are going to have a fantastic time. Your DD is the perfect age to really get the most out of the parks. As mentioned, the best thing you can do is be prepared by studying your Passporter. Be able to find your way around the parks and be familiar with the "lay of the land." Also, as Pretty Kitty said, there is no way you can see and do it all. Relax! Do the main things on your must do list and then just go with the flow. Enjoy yourself and plan for the next trip as you are enjoying this one.
Also, continue to post questions here!! This community is full of knowledge and is extremely warm and welcoming. If you haven't already, explore all the forums concerning WDW and see what others have talked about. Enjoy the planning.
Welcome to the boards princesshope1982! If you haven't already got a PassPorter, I'd definitely get one, as it will be invaluable in planning your trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pris
You are going to have a fantastic time. Your DD is the perfect age to really get the most out of the parks. As mentioned, the best thing you can do is be prepared by studying your Passporter. Be able to find your way around the parks and be familiar with the "lay of the land." Also, as Pretty Kitty said, there is no way you can see and do it all. Relax! Do the main things on your must do list and then just go with the flow. Enjoy yourself and plan for the next trip as you are enjoying this one.
Also, continue to post questions here!! This community is full of knowledge and is extremely warm and welcoming. If you haven't already, explore all the forums concerning WDW and see what others have talked about. Enjoy the planning.
I would also like to say WELCOME, and second (or is it third?) this advice. A Passporter is an invaluable tool. I look at mine all the time, even when I do not have a trip in the works. The Boards are full of advice for the asking. The people are GREAT!! You have definitely come to the right place.
Happy Planning!
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Wanda
Anastasia made this our most memorable dinner! She even told DS to write her...
Welcome!
I'd try to book a BBBoutique for your DD, It is great, mine loved the experience!!!
Also try to book one princess meal - Arkhensus, 1900 or Cinderela Castle - she will have the time of her life.
Relax & just enjoy the ride! There is so much to do & see at DW--don't go "commando" & think you have to do everything, because you will be overwhelmed & disappointed. Pick out your "must-do's", and remember at that time of the year, the parks do tend to close earlier in the evening. Go to Chef Mickey's for a fun character meal, and if you can do the Christmas party, do it, also Osborne Lights if they are up & running. Make a plan & get a passporter to help guide you along! Welcome to the boards & Happy Planning!!
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First trip DW--Nov. 1975; Senior Class Trip DW--Oct. 1979; First trip w/kids--Oct. 1995; Halloween at DW--Oct. 2002; Spring Break at DW--April 2004; Christmas/Pop Warner Nationals-POR--Dec. 2005;Cruisin'--April 2008; Mom/Son trip-POP--March 2010;Taggin' along w/DD on DH's conference-BWI--Oct. 2011
Along with the other wonderful advice you've received, I'd also recommend trying to involve you DD as much as possible. And you know your child best, so keep her in mind when you are planning. She loves princesses? Then definitely do activities that reflect that. An adventerous child, try things like Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain RR. My daughter could have cared less about princesses when she was 9, but she was all about riding the coasters. So, keep that in mind.
As others have said try to decide before hand what the most important things you want to do in each park and do thoes first. It is best to look at the park maps so you will know where the attractions are that you want to do it is better than running around trying to find things. We used up lots of time our first trip just trying to get around since we had no clue where we were going. It took many trips to find the short cuts to different rides, and get to ride it all. Some rides are close to each other some are ones you can pass on at first to do later if you have time. If you can get your hands on some of the park maps they are great to look at befor your trip and map out what you want to do. Have a great trip take time to rest because it is a vacation you need a vacation from when you get home.
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Love the Magic of Disney Thanks Dad for our first 5 trips.
1. Water - You can get free ice water from any non-restaurant vendor that has a soda machine. You don't have to worry about carrying in water or worrying about bottles.
2. Make autograph books and have your daughter decorate them. I bought card stock paper and had them spiral bound at Kinko's with a clear top page. My son decorated the first page which can be seen through the clear cover. Gets them involved early.
3. Buy crocs for shoes. I never wore crocs before my first trip last year and i got this tip on this board and these saved my feet soooo much. Love them and we use them for all our vacations now. (plus they are great for the random rain they get down here, no wet socks!)
4. Post your tentative park plan here before you go, you will get great advice on possibly changing days fro certain parks and great advice on what to see first etc.. (Like at AK the safari should be first as the animals are more lively early in the morning)
5. Know that you will not see everything. Period. We are currently on our second trip and we are catching all the things we didn't see last time, which makes this trip just as special as the first one.
Welcome to the boards. Read as much as you can about WDW. make a plan for each park, allowing flexibility. Hit your "Must Do's earty in the day. Use FastPass and EMH whenever you can
If there are sit down restaraunts you definitely want to eat at consider making an ADR (Advanced Dining Reservation). Make ADR's around the park you plan to be at for the day. Sometimes you can be lucky and get seated without a reservation but many times that is not the case.
You are going to love it! Just take it slow and enjoy what you get to do. Make your priority list and anything you get to other than that is great. This is an article I send to everyone that is going for the first time. Enjoy
My advice is to
Research! Passporter Book is great, another is WDW- the Unofficial Guide. Look at their touring plans, so you don't get caught up in long lines. Their web site (free if you buy the book) also has a Crowd Calendar, great info on the less crowded park each day.
As people say, you won't see it all, not sure how long your trip is? but may say for a 1st trip plan to do:
MK 2 days
Epcot 2 days
DHS 1 day
AK 1 day
To get the total experience stay on site at one of the WDW resorts. Our 1st time we didn't know, and stayed off site. Nothing wrong with it, just made our life so much easier staying on site. Free airport transportation, and great WDW transportation within the parks. Off site shuttles not so great.
We like to take a mid day break - relax at the pool, then go back to another park later in the day, refreshed & rested.
If you want to eat at a WDW table service restaurant, you will need advanced reservations.
About This Page: This is a discussion on First trip advice?? within the Planning Your Adventure: Your Plans for Walt Disney World, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; My family and I are taking our first trip to wdw in novemeber?? any tips or advice for a first ...
If you haven't already got a PassPorter, I'd definitely get one, as it will be invaluable in planning your trip. 
. Read as much as you can about WDW. make a plan for each park, allowing flexibility. Hit your "Must Do's earty in the day. Use FastPass and EMH whenever you can
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