Anxiety over trip

[DISvirgin1]

Planning our first trip to WDW for February. It will be me, DH, and our two DD's (4 &5). We have been trying to read, plan, book etc. Holy cow! There is so much to know. I'm getting really anxious about the whole thing. I know the girls will want to have breakfast/lunch at Cinderella's castle and I've read how hard it is to get in, or trying to get the best deal on the hotel room or meal plan or no meal plan...ARGHHHHH!
Tell me it's not that bad and worth it.

 

[mom2girlsx3]

Oh, my goodness! I understand being overwhelmed by it all, but truly... you can't go to Disney and not have a great time! Relax a little and remember this is a VACATION.

Best advice I can give is to remember that there's no way you're going to be able to see and do EVERYTHING in one trip! That's what makes going back multiple times so much fun! Pick your "must do's", make your ADR's and go from there.

If you want a good touring plan that's not a ton of money and commitment, check out ridemax.com. We LOVE using Ridemax and it really does work to steer you around the crowds.

Go to Disney and have FUN! Pixie dust to you!

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Best advice I can give is to remember that there's no way you're going to be able to see and do EVERYTHING in one trip! That's what makes going back multiple times so much fun! Pick your "must do's", make your ADR's and go from there.

Absolutely.

 

[lizlovesdisney]

Planning our first trip to WDW for February. It will be me, DH, and our two DD's (4 &5). We have been trying to read, plan, book etc. Holy cow! There is so much to know. I'm getting really anxious about the whole thing. I know the girls will want to have breakfast/lunch at Cinderella's castle and I've read how hard it is to get in, or trying to get the best deal on the hotel room or meal plan or no meal plan...ARGHHHHH!
Tell me it's not that bad and worth it.

DISVirgin1, don't worry! There is no need to feel anxious! I went for the first time last year with my 2 sons. I did a lot of reading of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld, oh how you need to follow a plan, you need to make reservations, yada yada yada. I was so overwhelmed! I only made 1 meal reservation, and the REST of the trip worked out perfectly fine with NO planning! We had the best time ever! We just went in and did what we wanted to do and didn't worry about seeing everything and doing everything! It's SUCH a magical place that whatever you do get to see/do/experience, you will LOVE. We never felt like we missed out on anything! So don't fret. Truly, it'll be so magical! I swear they sprinkle pixy dust in that place! My kids were angels! Of course having said that, I probably just put a hex on us and they'll be stinkers when we go this time!

 

[Baloosgirl23]

first, congrats on taking your family!! it's going to be AMAZING! now, breath....you're doing a great job already by planning ahead and reading different materials. you are right though, it's overwhelming to look at all at once. make a list of your "must do's" as another person said and start looking at each day. pick a park (or 2 if you have park hoppers) and plan each day. breaking it down into smaller tasks might make it more fun instead of trying to figure it all out at once. my best advice would be to use the boards as much as possible. there is a lot of great tips/tricks and information that you can gain here. everyone is really friendly and really enjoy helping others plan their trips too. we all have a disney addiction here good luck and have fun!!!

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

It's not that bad and IT IS WORTH IT!!! The look on your girl's faces as they enter the park will be an image burned in your brain for life.

Have you picked up a guidebook?? I would highly recommend Passporter. It is direct and concise and digestable by sections. You can start and stop as needed and won't get lost. I marked up my book using highlighters, then anytime I highlighted on a page, I would place a mini post-it on that page with a label of what I marked. It made it super easy to find things.

I also keep a notebook of all of the little things. As I read here on the Dis, if I see info about an upcoming refurb, or restaurant to look up, I'll write it down. Every so often I'll sit at my computer and enter it all in to one document.

I also keep track of park hours on the computer too. It helps me narrow down what days to do what parks. Bear in mind the hours do and most likely will change before your arrival.

If you want to do CRT, yes, you do need to book at 180 days and you have to pay for the meal upfront. If you want to dine with the princesses but don't want to/can't get CRT there is always Akershus at EP. We are doing Akershus for lunch on our upcoming trip, and besides Le Cellier, this is the meal I'm most looking forward to.

As you read through your guidebook, make a list of your MUST-DOS and your "I'd like to do it, but if it doesn't happen it won't destroy my vacation" and your can't-dos (due to height restrictions). It is much more managable then!

Slow down, take a couple days off of planning to get refreshed, then hit it up again. Best of luck!

 

[BethR9]

Just curious if you know where you are staying yet? We're going in February also.

Also, I think for a first trip (which this is mine also with family), I think not doing that many ADRs helps. You don't have to have it so "planned" that way especially since it's your first trip. We're planning on doing a couple of character meals and then probably getting the QSDP.

Enjoy and have fun!!!!

Beth

 

[prattpak]

Disvirgin,
Biggest advice I can give you...RELAX!!! Call Disney, thats what they are there for is to help you make this as easy as possible. If you call and get someone not so friendly, HANG UP and call back. They will help this to as painless as possible. Then when you finally get to the world, ,,,BREATHE and have a blast. I have been on a trip that we had everything planned out and it wasnt as fun as shooting from the hip and playing it by ear.....to a point. Do plan the meals you want ASAP!! If you dont then your probably not going to get them.
I promise you this, if you dont get it all done in one trip (which you wont), you will be so hooked on WDW that you will get it done the next time or the next or the next, etc!
HAVE FUN ITS DISNEY WORLD!!!!!

 

[pjacobi]

I know the girls will want to have breakfast/lunch at Cinderella's castle and I've read how hard it is to get in...

If you don't get in, then it's something new to do next year!

Plan for mutiple year experiences. Allow your kids to grow-up with the parks.

At 4 and 5, I'm sure they will enjoy Dumbo ride. In a few years they will be want to ride Tower of Terror.


-Paul

 

[Stinger5]

DW and i took DD3 and we opted for the DDP. We were very happy with it and figured we saved a decent amount of money. We were also pleased with the option of having 1 table-service meal a day. We did plenty of character meals but did not get into Cinderella's Castle for a meal...

Hope your planning is not too stressful. There is plenty of threads on here that have fantastic advice!!!

 

[Rylee]

You're going to have a great time!

I know it seems like a lot, but once you make a few decisions and reservations, there's really nothing more to do than to go and enjoy!

Dates of travel? Feb. 2011
Transportation, (getting there) - Drive or fly?
Accommodations - Where... off-site or a Disney Resort? Which hotel/resort?
Transportation, (while on vacation) - Rental car, your own car, Disney transportation?
Tickets - purchase separately or part of a Disney package? Base, Hoppers, Water Parks and more?
Dining Plan (DP) - No plan, Quick Service, Regular DP, Deluxe DP?
Advance Dining Reservations (ADR) for Table Service (TS) meals. (needed regardless of DP or paying out-of-pocket.)

For Park and meal planning (if making ADR's for TS meals) -
Look at the WDW calendar for park hours, special events, etc.
Decide which park/s you'll visit each day.
Try to make any ADR's in or near the park you will be visiting to cut down on time spent traveling around.
Book ADR's as soon as possible - (Booking open 180 days from arrival date.)

Note times for any special events, shows, parades, etc.

Learn about Fast Passes and use them!

Make a list of a few must-see-and-do attractions for your family. Try to hit these first thing in the morning. After you cross a few of the list, RELAX and discover the magic at your own pace.

Have a great time!

 

[DISvirgin1]

Aww, thanks guys

I did book the hotel (POR). We are flying down (still waiting on SW to come out with their fares...), but staying with IL's for a couple of days before we get to Disney (although I'd rather just go to Disney )We are planning on 3 days at MK (taking it slowly) and one at AK. We will have a rental car the first half of the trip, but plan to use Disney transportation once there.
The thing is, if my girls see the castle, they will want to go in. I didn't think you could unless you were dining there?

 

[Duckiedee]

Since you are staying onsite you can reserve 180 + 10, so that means you can book ALL of your dining (ADRs) for your entire trip 180 days from checkin. Gives you an advantage for those last three days over people not staying onsite.

Online dining reservations open one hour BEFORE telephone which ups your advantage... make sure you have your hotel reservation number and the ORIGINAL credit card number you used to hold your resort ressies... and you are all set to book online... practice a few days before and attach your resort reservation to your account and you'll probably have NO problem making the ressie you want. For about a week before my 180 day mark I checked CRT every day at different times and there was always a reservations available within 10 mins of when I wanted to lunch there.

It used to be CRT was only available for breakfast, but now it is also open for lunch and dinner.

We are doing lunch so we can visit BBB beforehand and get her 'princessed up' for lunch. VERY EXCITED!!! Good luck... it is overwhelming, but as you decide each step it gets easier.

 

[zoie101]

Congrads on your first trip, relax and enjoy. it will all work out