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Thread: More Mouse: My Disney Top 5-Top 5 Pieces of Advice for Walt Disney World First-Timers

  1. #1
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    More Mouse: My Disney Top 5-Top 5 Pieces of Advice for Walt Disney World First-Timers

    My Disney Top 5-Top 5 Pieces of Advice for Walt Disney World First-Timers by Chris Barry

    Chris Barry returns with another Disney Top 5 list.

    Read it here!


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  3. #2
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    Almost the opposite advice for Disneyland

    Thanks for another great artcle Chris! I am glad I stopped to read it, because things at WDW are so much different than at Disneyland. In fact, so much different that I would only agree with the booking during the slow time of the year and slowing down to enjoy the details out of the five, that would apply for Disneyland as well.

    Now that California Adventure has got their act together (so to say), I am only just now coming around to recommending that guests park hop. I think the turning point for me was last summer when they added the Little Mermaid attraction along with the huge redo of the back of the park.

    For the other two I actually recommend the exact opposite in my books. I don't recommend the Disney Express because of all of the stops it makes and how long it takes to get to your destination, a private shuttle works better here. Even with the monorail, during the busy season walking to Downtown Disney from the park is actually sometimes faster.

    Staying off property for Disneyland is cheaper and in some cases closer to the front gates than 2 of the Disney hotels. Really the only Disney hotel that offers the best access to the parks is so expensive that most people can't stay there (Grand Californian). For us it comes down to staying at the Disney Hotels during a trip or being able to use the money saved from not staying there and getting to go to Disneyland for a 2nd trip.


  4. #3

    I agree wholeheartedly

    Very rarely do I agree with an entire top 5/10/15 etc advice column for Disney, but this one I agree with 100%. The top piece of advice I give people is that it takes more time than you think. I think people think they should do Disney like they do other theme parks or fairs- you go on this ride, then you go on that ride, then you go see this show, and so on and so forth. Disney shouldn't be done with a checklist approach like that. The best parts of Disney are the details. Yes the rides and shows are fun, but there's something about walking past a bakery and smelling cookies all day or seeing a checkerboard on a barrell to sit down and play a game that doesn't exist anywhere else. So I tell people that just because it's 4 parks doesn't mean it's four days... At minimum, Epcot is probably a day and a half, Magic Kingdom is a day and a half, and MGM and Animal Kingdom are probably six hours. That puts you at least 5 days in the park. But if you want to really enjoy Disney World, plan on a sixth.

    And like you said, do it at an off time. Pull the kids out of school for a week and go. You spend much less time sitting in line and much more time experiencing. Stay on property and use the Disney buses- its either a wash or a cost saver when you compare to renting a car, paying for gas, and paying for parking. There is no question the rooms are going to be clean and safe versus an off-site value location where there are much more issues.

    Park hopping was the one I almost said you could ditch, but I decided against... given the wide range of hours of the parks, it's a great idea to do one park in the morning, lunch and nap, then go back for the late afternoon and evening somewhere else. Especially because there are some parks that you will hit everything you want to and still have time left. With that extra time, why not go hit your two or three favorite rides from the day before at a different park.

    Thanks for a great top 5!


  5. #4
    Registered User jpg391's Avatar
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    Great top 5 for first timers to WDW.
    James

    Once a Disney fan, always a Disney fan

  6. #5

    Great Top 5! I would add to the list..."You can always come back." I know this falls into the "Slow Down" category, but with a twist.

    On our first trip, I tried to pack everything into the four days we were there. Well, that was impossible. We had fun, but we were exhausted by the end of our trip. Basically, we needed a vacation after our vacation! I was trying to do everything because I thought we would never be back. Well, I am anxiously waiting to plan our sixth family trip...(I am waiting for the new Fantasyland expansion to be finished). We did come back and with each trip we do some of our "favorites" and we try some new rides/restaurants/experiences.

    So really try to slow down...you can always come back and there will always be something "new" to try and something "old" to enjoy all over again!


  7. #6

    Well, I agree with 4 out of 5 points - not bad! I understand how folks don't want to rent a car, but it's necessary for me. Allow me to make my case (which has been made ad nauseum elsewhere!).

    When I land at the airport, I can go and wait on a Disney bus, which will most likely have several stops before my hotel, and then I'll have to wait on my luggage to arrive or just give in and expect it to arrive later. Or I can rent a car right there at the airport, walk across the street to the car lot, and drive right to my resort, luggage in tow. I enjoy riding the boats or monorails just as much as the next guy. But I really don't like waiting at my resort for a bus, which can sometimes take 20 minutes or more. And then at the end of the day I have to stand in a HUGE line waiting my turn on a bus, and ride shoulder to shoulder with all the hot tired sweaty cranky people. Or, I can ride a tram out to my car (or just walk out if I got a great spot) and drive home.

    Another added bonus with a car when you go to the MK is that you park in the MK lot and then pick up either a monorail or ferry across the Seven Seas Lagoon. That arrival sequence is all part of the magic of approaching such a special place. And when you ride in on a bus you totally miss it, as the bus arrives at the front of the MK.

    To each their own, but I'll always get my own car!

    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  8. #7

    All in all, this is pretty good advice, although I'm not so keen on Disney transportation myself -- the hour (or more) waits for a bus to the Magic Kingdom in the mornings get old very quickly. We've taken several first-timers with us oon recent trips, and the number one thing we've discovered about first-timers is that they don't have any concept of how important dining is at WDW. So many people think that theme park dining is all fast food and/or a waste of time and money. People who haven't been to WDW before tend not to understand that dining is a HUGE part of the experience.

    Even friends who have been to WDW before haven't fully enjoyed the dining because they either haven't been as adventurous or they've stuck to the "character dining" experiences only. All the options can also be overwhelming, especially to first-timers. The fact that a reservation made six months in advance is often necessary is an additional problem to the uninitiated.


  9. #8

    All of this is pretty good advice. However, I disagree with two of them just a little bit.

    Transportation. Occasional frustrating waits aside, I agree that on-site transportation is the way to go once you get to WDW. Especially for first timers, getting around WDW in a rental car can be frustrating, and some of our fondest memories of the trips involve the bus/boat/monorail rides and the people we have met on them. However, I'd recommend renting a car from the airport so a first-timer can get a bit of a feel for the area, and not be "trapped" on-site. While most of us veterans love it, the constant "Disney" presence (and prices!) on-site can be a little much for first-time visitors.

    Slow Down. While this piece of advice seems obvious and I certainly understand where it's coming from, I don't fully agree with it for first-timers, assuming they have the finanicial ability to come back again. As "Disney Fanatics", most of us on this Board have been to WDW several times and love it, and much of the appreciation of the details comes from this love. The first (few) trips to Disney World, especially for families, are about getting a taste of what's there - and revelling in the discovery of something new and amazing around every corner. As long as a first-timer doesn't cheapen their enjoyment of any area by worrying that they have to see everything, there's no need to tell them to slow down, or suggest a list of special spots to visit. The appreciation of the details will come naturally over time and they will eventually find these spots on their own, as well as create their own.


  10. #9

    We have made 4 trips in the last 10 years to WDW and find the the end of January beginning of Feb. to be a great time - mind you the weather can sometimes be unpredictable but the crowds are smaller and the lines are smaller for rides and meals. We usually do not have to make reservations unless its a character meal or a top restaurant. We have even walked in to Boma several times without reservations and also the Crystal Palace. Also sometimes we hit the ever popular after xmas sales.


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