Where do I start!?

[piscesmama]

Well. My mother has decided...this is the year for Disney at Christmas. I'm 38, my daughter is 10. It would be myself, my daughter, and 60 year old mother heading to Disney. My brother (32) and his fiancé may come along as well.

I've reached out to a travel agent I received as a recommendation from a friend, but everything is just too much info or something. Then a friend introduced me to this site...which is awesome....but again info overload.

This is all of our first time to WDW....we went to the Disneyland when I was 10. I feel like 10 months isn't enough time to fully research, book, plan, etc.

Any tips for a first timer? Or threads in this forum that will help?

I was thinking of Port Orleans French Quarter as the resort...or art of animation, but I wonder if it's too basic for a 10 year old.

Thanks for any pointers!

 

[buzzrelly]

There are some great websites out there (including this one!) that have great information! Allearsnet.com is one that I used a LOT when I first started planning.

The thing that helped me the MOST though, was reading "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World." I read it pretty much cover to cover before our first trip in 2006 and I read it a couple times after that too!

I think a travel agent (if they are good and are specialized in WDW) could be a great help as well. They should help narrow your choices down and keep you focused on what you need to do and when.

Don't stress! Planning is half the fun! And keep reading these boards for more helpful information!

Oh, and to the Disboards!

 

[BobbyDukes]

You literally have a whole year to get planned. Planning like the last member stated is half the fun. Its important to remember that you do need a plan, a ground work for how most days will start and end. However you are going to DISNEY WORLD!!! Magic does happen, things change, new experiences occur all over. Don't let the neat, amazing little moments pass your families experience because you have a fastpass for Disneys Philharmagic.

A great website to help plan and read up about the World is http://www.disneytouristblog.com/ I love this website and Tom's write ups. Their guides are very laid back and easy to read and understand.

I know that some members here wont always agree with this, but I love talking with and use the Disney Travel Company to help plan the trips my family takes (including one in 6 days). They always get what I want. However I do feel like if you need help picking and choosing what you want, you should probably hold off using them right away.

If your family are eaters, and I mean they eat more than a bagel and seltzer water for breakfast lunch and dinner, really really consider the dining plans. If its your first time and want to experience most of Disney, getting rid of the decision in the park "oh i really want this, really want that" at the lunch or dinner table really easy because the dining plan is there. You just know that "yes lets get that, $35.99 for a buffet who cares we have the dining plan". It will just make your experience easier. My family of four always gets the Dining plan, alleviates stress and worry.

 

[momto2js]

I highly recommend the "Unofficial guide to WDW" it is an easy read and will get you started in the right direction. Then you can come here and ask specific questions. But that one book will pretty much lay it out for you.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I would agree with others that have said planning is half the fun. My method for planning our first trip years ago may differ from some but here goes.

Stared by casually reading various threads on here to get a feel for how things work and how others go about planning their trips. Quickly realized that this place has its own language in the form of acronyms. So here's a list of some that are frequently used on here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-list-of-common-abbreviations.1660743/

After that I began to realize there was A LOT to learn about Disney World. I wanted our trip to be as productive and well-planned as possible so I knew it would take some time to learn the ropes. I began to substitute some of the time I would normally spend reading the morning paper, watching local/national news stations for spending time educating myself about our trip (and as an added benefit I found I was in a much better mood every day because of it).

After a while all the "puzzle pieces" began to click together. I had a good understanding of what my expectations were and how to fulfill them.

Then come back to this thread and re-read your first post and realize how much you have learned since the time posted it! Happy planning!!!

 

[riddlemethis]

Breathe!!!

First things first: figure out which dates fit better your family. Christmas at Disney is very busy so the earlier you can book the hotel, the better so you won't have to stress over that. Most of your time will probably be spent in the parks- why not go for the Art of Animation? It's a great start for beginners since you won't be spending a ton of time in your room. Many hotel rooms can accommodate 5 guests with an extra sofabed- so check that out too when you book.

Once the hotel is booked and your dates are set, figure out if you'll fly or drive. If you fly in, Disney can come pick you up from the airport using their bus service called Magical Express. You bags can be delivered straight to your room, though sometimes it may take a few hours to catch up.

Second, check out a crowd calendar and figure out which days will be in which parks. At that time of year, most of the parks will be busy regardless, but it is still helpful to check. Disney's website also has calendars for each park individually so that you can see what is going on in the parks each day, be it parades, special shows, fireworks, etc.

Make sure you plan some afternoon nap time unless you all think you can power through! Many families spend the whole day in the parks so that is totally up to you. If you'd like, I can send you our basic schedule for an upcoming April trip. I've printed out tons of notes that I keep in a folder as well to keep me organized. Our trip schedule is an Excel spreadsheet that I color coded. It's easy to edit if necessary and I can keep track of everything i really want to do/see. It takes time to plan, but getting your resort booked needs to be your first priority right now!

We are planning our first trip now. We decided in July that we would visit in April and everything has fallen into place wonderfully. Please let me know if you have any questions as I am just now going through our first planning process! As of right now, everything is finished and I am anxiusly waiting our departure.

 

[piscesmama]

Thanks everyone for your information...and especially thanks for the lingo cheat sheet. Lol

I will definitely check out the unofficial guide to WDW. My daughter is an eater, so a meal plan is definitely necessary at least the 1st time when we're getting to know the grounds.

 

[piscesmama]

Breathe!!!

First things first: figure out which dates fit better your family. Christmas at Disney is very busy so the earlier you can book the hotel, the better so you won't have to stress over that. Most of your time will probably be spent in the parks- why not go for the Art of Animation? It's a great start for beginners since you won't be spending a ton of time in your room. Many hotel rooms can accommodate 5 guests with an extra sofabed- so check that out too when you book.

Once the hotel is booked and your dates are set, figure out if you'll fly or drive. If you fly in, Disney can come pick you up from the airport using their bus service called Magical Express. You bags can be delivered straight to your room, though sometimes it may take a few hours to catch up.

Second, check out a crowd calendar and figure out which days will be in which parks. At that time of year, most of the parks will be busy regardless, but it is still helpful to check. Disney's website also has calendars for each park individually so that you can see what is going on in the parks each day, be it parades, special shows, fireworks, etc.

Make sure you plan some afternoon nap time unless you all think you can power through! Many families spend the whole day in the parks so that is totally up to you. If you'd like, I can send you our basic schedule for an upcoming April trip. I've printed out tons of notes that I keep in a folder as well to keep me organized. Our trip schedule is an Excel spreadsheet that I color coded. It's easy to edit if necessary and I can keep track of everything i really want to do/see. It takes time to plan, but getting your resort booked needs to be your first priority right now!

We are planning our first trip now. We decided in July that we would visit in April and everything has fallen into place wonderfully. Please let me know if you have any questions as I am just now going through our first planning process! As of right now, everything is finished and I am anxiusly waiting our departure.

Yes. If you wouldn't mind s sharing your planning I would REALLY appreciate it. I'll inbox you my email address.

 

[riddlemethis]

Yes. If you wouldn't mind s sharing your planning I would REALLY appreciate it. I'll inbox you my email address.

I don't have an inbox message from you yet but I am glad to send it to you!

 

[piscesmama]

I don't have an inbox message from you yet but I am glad to send it to you!

If you wouldn't mind sending it to me. I can't figure out the inbox feature to start a message. My email is tqr227disney@yahoo.com

 

[riddlemethis]

If you wouldn't mind sending it to me. I can't figure out the inbox feature to start a message. My email is tqr227disney@yahoo.com

It couldn't deliver the email Did you type the address correctly?

 

[SweetMissy]

OMG, there's so much information out there and it is totally overwhelming for a first timer. I remember when hubby and I went for our 1st time, we had 1 kid and we didn't research anything, lol. I didn't know there was a need to and this was way back in 2006. We booked the trip and left like 2 weeks later. This site definitely has helped me over the years. What has also helped us pick the right resort is youtube. Watch walk through videos and you'll get a good idea of what each offers. We prefer the values for many reasons, but there's so many different options. Anyway, good luck planning and stick around!

 

[AshleeH]

I started with The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (they update it every year). It was a great resource for me to plan our first family vacation. So good that I bought the updated version the next year and the Disneyland and Disney Cruise versions when we took those trips. It answered nearly every question I had (and this board could easily fill in the other info).

 

[loves to dive]

As other's have pointed out, first take a deep breath. You can plan as little or as much as you want, there is no set way and you will get loads of advice. I agree decide and get your resort booked but you have plenty of time. Heck we decided 3 weeks before our last trip to even go and that was for Dec. 19. I would suggest going on the resorts board and looking at least the first few pages of all the resorts. That is going to give you the basic information about them. Then decide how much you want to spend a night, keeping in mind discounts are constantly coming out so don't even think of paying rack rate. Seriously, I just booked something for March and using Orbitz who has a 15% discount code right now and the general public discount Disney is offering got a great rate at Boardwalk. You have plenty of time to play with those sorts of things. Remember even after you have booked your room you can always change it and if you go directly through Disney, with no penalty, Orbitz has a $25 penalty now. Think about what your goals are for the trip, do you think you might want to spend most of your time at the parks and little time at the resort or vice versa or a mixture of the two. The other stuff will just fall into place and trust me when I say do not over plan. Best laid plans and all. WDW can be overwhelming, there is a lot to see and do and there is no way you can do it all. Also keep in mind one person's must do is not always the right fit for another person. It is possible to book FPs and ADRs at the last minute so don't sweat it, and you can't miss something you've never had so if you don't ride that ride that everyone says you must or eat at that restaurant everyone says you must (BOG and FEA I'm pointing at you) your trip will not be ruined. Just relax and enjoy the place and spending time with your family.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think the dining plan will usually end up costing more unless you are doing a ton of character meals. We used it back when appetizers and tips were included, and might have broke even, only because 4 of my kids were under 10. Keep in mind the week between Christmas and New Years will be packed - if you can, do an earlier week, and still enjoy the decorations.

 

[piscesmama]

It couldn't deliver the email Did you type the address correctly?

My apologies...newly created subaccount just for this trip..... tqr227disney@att.net

 

[biochemgirl]

Unofficial Guide is great! You have plenty of time to soak it up. Also consider renting points if you want to save money and have plenty of space for your family.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

Break it down

First: Decide on a resort and book. You can add tickets later if you want, or buy from a secondary site to save a little.

Second: Consider your dining needs. Having sit-down meals planned during busy times can be helpful. Is a meal plan for you? Book dining at 180 days.

Third: Look at park maps and think about which rides/experiences are most important to you. Book FPs at 60 days.

I would recommend getting a subscription to the @kennythepirate Character Locator. It's discounted right now and totally worth the $6...great tips, especially during high crowds.

 

[Allie B]

First go to your local book store and get a Disney Vacation guide. Not near as intimidating as the Internet plus has maps and tells details about resorts.

Second choose your resort. AoA is fun for all ages and has suites but there is a good bit of walking involved from some of the rooms to buses and eating area. I would recommend POFQ. Much smaller resort but still has great theme and fun.

Third make sure to book at least 6 months in advNce so you can get dining reservations. Use the calculator online to see if DDP is for your family.

Fourth have a great trip and I would recommend the Christmas party at MK!

 

[cariann77]

Fun! I've always wanted to see the parks at Christmas. Everyone is right, planning is half the fun. You have lots of time. We stayed at Art of Animation last time and loved it! Two bathrooms and a private bedroom made the week so much easier for my family.