First Time Ever...

queen_bee

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
So since I heard that Disney is building Avatar Land - it is now time for me to finally go to Disney. We were to Florida in 2008 with our 2 youngest boys but we did Universal, IOA, Busch Gardens and Sea World. We rented a condo for the week which worked perfectly for us.

I was thinking of going sometime between Christmas and my birthday in February. A friend of mine suggested going between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as all the Christmas decorations will be up and it will be less crowded. So I am giving that some consideration.

I have to say that it seems that there is so much you need to know about a trip to Disney. So much to consider :( I am a planner, and don't mind it and want to make sure I see everything, but I don't want to take away the fun of the trip by being so overwhelmed by it all.

Would you suggest staying at Disney for your first time? It seems like it would make it easier?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Do you mean staying onsite? If so, yes, definitely recommend staying on Disney property. There are definite perks for doing so- include booking fast passes sooner and transport being easier...off site has advantages in that you can usually find something with more room to spread out. At the end of the day it depends on what you want out of your vacation. But if this is your first Disney experience- go all in!
 
Staying on site at Disney has two important perks. You get to book fastpass plus at the 60 day mark vs. only 30 days for offsite guests. Also, you get extra magic hours which gives you more time at the parks. You get to go an hour earlier from the general public in the mornings to a certain designated park. The same is true at night, there's a park that stays open later.

If you fly into Orlando, you have access to Magical Express busing which transports you from the airport to the Disney resort. They do this in reverse, too.
 


...want to make sure I see everything, but I don't want to take away the fun of the trip by being so overwhelmed by it all.
First off, you will not be able to do it all in one vacation. I have been a DVC member since '93, going an average of 7 times a year, and still have not done everything there is to do.
Checkout the DVC board for a rental of an onsite DVC condo villa.
My one suggestion for touring is go to the parks for two days, take a day off, go to the parks for two days, take a day off, etc. This way you build in some down time to do some of the things outside the parks.
Depending upon what you are into:
sports: golf, mini-golf, fishing, marathon, bowling, ESPN Club, WWS/ESPN Zone, etc
shopping: DTD, area outlet malls, large scale malls
drinking: Jellyrolls, Raglan Road, monorail tour of resorts, walking tour of resorts in the Boardwalk area
movies: DTD 24 screen theater some with meals served by waiters
night clubbing: Jellyrolls, Atlantic Dance, Raglan Road, Citywalk
resort tours: monorail tour of resorts, Boardwalk around the lake tour of resorts, horse drawn tour of FWC, AKL/AKV
offsite: Gaylord Palms Resort, Citywalk, swamp tour
eating: Formal GF 5* Chef's Table @ V&As
As for going the first or second week of Dec, for DVC stays these are 2 of 3 busiest weeks of the year. The decorations are up in the resorts and parks, cooler weather, and kids being in school.
 
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For a first visit to WDW I agree that the staying onsite is the way to go. As others have noted there are a number of perks, early Fastpass+ booking, Extra Magic Hours, Magic Express to/from the airport, and I'll add Disney Transportation from the resort to the parks. Plus I think there is that little bit of extra magic staying inside the "Disney bubble".

I will caution that your desire to "see everything" might be a challenge. Disney World is big! Prioritizing your "must do's" will be a big part of your planning. I'll also suggest not to over schedule your time. Depending on the length of your trip, plan for an "off day" that can be used to just relax or do something on the spur of the moment.

We made many trips in the 1st or second week of December. There is a bit of a risk of it being cool, some might say cold, for a day or two but overall it is a great time to visit.

Good luck with your planning! You've come to a great place for information.

Wishing you a magical trip!
 
Staying onsite is the way to go for sure. Transportation alone is the biggest perk for onsite. Also don't think you can do it all in one trip, if you do you will be disappointed. Even the best of planning won't help, there just isn't enough time for it all in one day. Pick your top things to accomplish in each park and any extra is a bonus. There is just too much to see and do in each park. Especially if you see shows, they take a lot of time, plus line up times. You need to take breaks or you will burn out, there is a lot of walking and standing so remember to plan time off your feet.

If you need help planning the DIS boards is the place to be :) good luck. Feel free to ask away!
 


Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I've decided we will stay onsite and love the idea of taking breaks in between. Now just to decide where to stay. I wish that money were no object, but that is not the case, so I think moderate will be about the best we can do. I'd really love to stay in Animal Kingdom, but we will have to be satisfied with just visiting it. :) I am deciding between CSR, POR - FQ, and CBR. Any opinions on which might be better? We mostly are concerned with the comfort of the bed in our room more than anything else.

Also, has anyone done the Wild Africa Trek? How much more do you get to see? Is it worth it?
 
Hey, thought I'd jump in on this thread and ask a relevant question...

I'm bringing a first timer to WDW for F&W this year, and I'm curious what's the best way to get someone hyped/excited for WDW if they've never been?

edit: This is a good buddy of mine who I take with to Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, etc.
 
...I'd really love to stay in Animal Kingdom, but we will have to be satisfied with just visiting it. :) I am deciding between CSR, POR - FQ, and CBR. Any opinions ...

If you are willing to stay in a villa at AKL Jambo or Kadani how about renting a DVC room from a DVC Member.
You will get a larger room at a deluxe resort for about the price of a value/mod hotel stay.
 
I would be interested in learning about this. Where do I look for this? I saw you had suggested this, but didn't know where to look.
 
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I've decided we will stay onsite and love the idea of taking breaks in between. Now just to decide where to stay. I wish that money were no object, but that is not the case, so I think moderate will be about the best we can do. I'd really love to stay in Animal Kingdom, but we will have to be satisfied with just visiting it. :) I am deciding between CSR, POR - FQ, and CBR. Any opinions on which might be better? We mostly are concerned with the comfort of the bed in our room more than anything else.

Also, has anyone done the Wild Africa Trek? How much more do you get to see? Is it worth it?

You will be pleased with any of the onsite resorts. For the time of year you plan on going and since your first trip I would suggest Port Orleans French quarter. It is smaller but still has all the magical amenities.
 

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