What's your best advice for Disney World Newbies?

1: Don't overplan!
2: Book ADR's!
3: Use MyDisneyExperience to book Fastpasses after the initial three! I haven't waited in line more than three times in the past three years!
 
Know that you won’t be able to do everything in one trip... You probably can’t do everything in 10 trips haha Sit down with your family(or whoever you are traveling with) and pick a handful of rides/shows you want to do/see in each park then make fast passes as soon as possible. Have a general plan for each park, but be flexible. Try your best not to stress :)
 
In my day job I'm a librarian and this week I'll be presenting a program for patrons who would like to know how to plan a trip to Disney World. I'm running the program with a co-worker of mine who is equally a big Disney geek as I am.

My question to you all is - what advice would YOU give to someone who has never been to WDW? We both have our own ideas - basic tips on rope drop, sunscreen, booking FP+ in advance, etc. Just curious what you would also recommend newbies know about traveling to WDW?

Thanks!
Mike
1. We don't exactly do rope drop per say, we tend to use both ends of the peripheral hours, but I think that advice is rapidly becoming dated advice. There are several threads now on that topic- rope drop isn't as great as it once was. You can still say 11am-4pm are the MOST crowded park hours of the day.

A better way to impart the concept is to explain the benefit of zagging every time the crowd zigs. At theme parks, every time you 'follow the herd' and do what everyone else does, you'll pay a price. Every time. Every time you can happily zag, you'll enjoy a benefit. It is the opposite of middle school!

For example, most folks are used to eating lunch at noon. In a theme park, that is the most crowded time to eat. If eating lunch at noon is important to you, then do it, but do it with wisdom. If, on the other hand, it isn't important to you, then you'll benefit a great deal from eating at off-times.

All 4 WDW theme parks generally open at 9am. The Herd follows a predictable pattern at every WDW hotel. The locusts swarm the hotel food courts promptly at 8:15am. Lines are long, tables are scarce, etc. Folks who arrive just a FEW minutes earlier- by 8:05am- get prime picks of everything!

In practice, you can't always zag. Some folks are flexible, others are miserable if they miss their regular nap time. Every family has to decide for themselves which zags work. Here's one more: most folks start their vacation on a Friday or Saturday. Disney, airlines, car rental companies all know this and charge a premium. Ziggers, those who fly on Thursday nights - save a bundle on $ and time - every step of the way: at the airport, at the car rental desk, hotel arrival, etc.


That's the BEST Advice you can give!



Sunscreen is perhaps also a bit over-hyped. Yes, bring some. Yes, apply some every morning, but visitors aren't in the sun all-day. It is most important at Epcot and the pools.

Booking FP is a good concept to explain.
 
Treat your feet well!

Comfortable shoes! If you aren't using a wheelchair or scooter, your feet are usually the first thing to give out/get sore. Abuse your feet, and miss out. Treat your feet well, and you'll have more fun!

Everyone in our group brings two pairs of comfy walking shoes. At least one of the two pairs must be water tolerant. WDW rain often arrives in buckets, and most WDW visitors want pool shoes. High quality sandals are good- something with arch support! Flip flops get very slippery.

NO OLD SNEAKERS! 1. If they get wet, they often get VERY STINKY! If they get wet, they might be wet for several DAYS! WDW is very humid much of the year. 2. If the foam is old, they won't properly cushion your feet. (Talk to runners for advice!)

If the tread is worn, you CAN hydroplane/slip. If you fell, your get hurt, and can't walk.

ANYONE with limited mobility should consider renting a scooter/EVC! Well worth EVERY penny! however, if you plan to sue a scooter, DO take time to learn how to drive them! Parking a scooter on a bus or monorail is HARD. Many big box stores allow folks to sue scooters for free- so try before you go!

A WDW vacation is an expensive investment. Quality shoes are super valuable investment, and well worth every penny. a hundred $ for a new pair of shoes is well worth the price! (You can probably think up a cuter way to say this.) More on this in my next post!
 


You don't necessarily need a minute by minute plan but just READ the Disboards or do some research. Just knowing certain things like Peter Pan builds a line quickly in the morning, doing shows in the middle of the day when most rides have a long line can work in your favor, night time has shorter lines just like RD does, eating at off times (11 am or 1 pm) at QS can be golden, free ice water, refreshing for FP can really help, etc. Those things can help you more than any detailed plan can.
 
If you see a souvenier you like and want, buy it. Don't wait until the last day. Also, they can be sent back to your resort.

Our best souveniers: We always buy 1 Disney print on each trip (that eventually I'll get framed and displayed.....eventually) still I love this!!! I also love the coffee mugs we purchased (useful, and I'm reminded of Disney every time I use one).
 
At WDW, time is money. Some things save you time, some things save you money. Disney knows this inside out!

Usually, if you pay more, you get more. Deluxe hotels are usually closer to the parks, which saves time. You pay extra, but save time.

Minnie vans/taxi cost more, but when you are crunched for time- the time savings can be very helpful!

Meanwhile, many money saving ideas costs time. Carrying lots of stuff on your back all day - food, extra clothes, jackets, toys...can save $, but all the extra weight all day tires you out, and therefore costs time.

DO carry water! Staying hydrated is super important, especially in summer! Refilling your water bottle is good!
DO carry jacket or rain ponchos if cold or rain expected.
DO ALWAYS carry emergency MEDS! ID, and insurance cards!
Otherwise, try to carry a minimum in the parks. Clean out your purse: you won't need your library card at WDW.
Whenever possible- minimize! With a baby, DO carry diapers/wipes, but only as many as you need each day. A small tube of chapstick-style sunscreen is enough. You might want a few over-the-counter Tylenol/Advil, but you don't need a giant bottle.

Any item that does double duty is good. Cell phones serve many functions in one: camera, phone, electronic documents, etc. Pictures are an easy way to keep track of many things- like where you parked your car at the airport/parks, hotel room number (If phone is locked), etc. Also, what your kids are wearing each morning!

Ziplock bags are super useful!

A tiny sharpie pen has many uses! (they are about half the size of regular Sharpie!) Sharpies can be used to label almost any plastic item. So: names on refillable mugs, marking the remaining balance of giftcards, etc.

A small tube- 1 ounce- of hand sanitizer is great! It does triple duty: it erases Sharpie on plastic (not fabric), it sanitizes hands, and disinfects cuts. Washing hands is always better, but washing isn't always feasible. All the WDW parks have first aid stations, but that might be a ways from where you are when you scrape your knee. The alcohol in hand sanitizer also calms many rashes and bug bites. (though few bug bites at WDW!)

Oh, September in WDW is Love bug season. They are harmless, just plentiful little black/red beetles. They are called love bugs because they show up to mate. :)
 


Every time of year has pros and cons. There is no such thing as a best season to visit WDW.

Also no best/worst hotel, no best/worst place to eat, no best/worst rides.

whenever such lists are posted, eventually every hotel is listed BOTH as someone's most and least favorite.

Some rides are more popular than others, so getting FP for those is smart, but EVERY WDw attraction/show/hotel has people who rave about that place! Don't knock it until you try it! Often attractions/restaurants with short waits are just short because they are efficient! Again, it often pays to zag when others zig. Riding a ride is usually more fun than waiting.
 
Maybe it's already been said, but this was great advice to us from friends of ours before our very first visit.

Pick 3 must do's each park day. That's it. Make sure you plan your attack for those, and everything you get to do over and above that is gravy. This puts much less stress on each day, and also allows for a nice sense of accomplishment when you are able to do more than planned.

others:
Wear shoes or sandles that are worn in. Don't attempt to take a new set to Disney world. Blister city
SOOOO much can get done in that 1-2 hour period after the park opens. I know it stinks getting up early on vacation, but it can pay major dividends. If possible arrive 30 minutes before opening.

Dan
 
Don't expect to do everything. Instead, enjoy the feeling that there are 1,000 things going on at WDW at any given moment during the day. Think of WDW as a university or large city. You can't eat at every restaurant in NYC in a single weekend, but it is very easy to overeat!

Enjoy what you see and do. Don't beat yourself up for what you don't do. Don't berate your family for what you aren't doing.

Again, rope drop isn't worth angering your family, or pushing them past their limits. No attraction is worth pushing anyone past their limits. (Mild encouragement, yes, but never yelling!)

Until you go, it is hard to understand the value of zigging/zagging, but a single two-hour wait can do it.

So zag when you can happily zag, but put up with zigging if that's what your family has to do.
 
Wear shoes or sandles that are worn in.
Mildly broken in, maybe. NEVER worn out shoes.

I just came from my favorite running shoes store. On the wall was a sign that said, "Proper fitting running shoes never need to be broken in!" Another sign says, "The proper fitting shoes are probably going to be the ugliest. Don't buy running shoes for the looks, buy them for the way they fit!"

Blisters = bad fitting shoes.

WDW= lots of walking.

I earlier said two pairs of quality shoes for everyone, but I forgot the very important advice to ALTERNATE between those two pairs of shoes! In truth, it a pain to pack, but sometimes I even bring three pairs of shoes for longer trips. Well worth the packing space.

One of the best things I ever discovered was a runner's shoe store, not big box, not the mall sneaker store- the place where actual runners shop for shoes! A good advisor/sales rep examines the way you walk before they pull out any shoes for you. They'll also advise the proper size for you; not ask you what size you want.

Moleskin is inexpensive and very helpful for blisters. Inexpensive gel soles/heel pads can also be helpful (Payless Shoes for cheap ones)I rarely need it, but, well....sore feet= no rides. Cheap, and well worth a few $.

pair 1- sneakers
pair 2- quality, water tolerant sandals, ideally with adjustable straps- your feet swell over the day. This is why sneakers are also good. I personally prefer black, because they double as slightly dressier for ADR's. (My current favorites are Ecco brand- with multiple adjustable straps. Keens/Teva are also great and less $.)
Pair 3- comfy slip-ons just for the room, OR water park water shoes
 
Scope out menus and have a mental list (or even a written-down list!) of which TS, quick service, and snack locations are or aren't good options based on your family's eating preferences. .


It is also smart to advise everyone that WDW is very good when it comes to food allergies and special needs dining! It is VERY good to TELL WDW if you have any allergies or special needs dining (kosher, vegetarian, vegan, Hallal, etc.)

For something especially restrictive like vegan or multiple food allergies, planning ahead is especially helpful, but it CAN be done.

It may also helpful to bring a few (emergency) snacks. Guests are allowed to bring snacks into the parks, as long as no glass bottles.

Actually, just about everyone should bring a few snacks. WDW food is plentiful, but it isn't always possible to find food at odd hours, or when your flight gets delayed. A few prepackaged, non-perishable, not-easily-crushed, healthy snacks can be super handy in pinch. Power bars (that you like) are a great option for this purpose!
 
I always say: read a lot and plan everything. for me it's just as fun as the trip itself! I love make Disney trip planning, but we have to be careful to not overplan.
and the most important tip: make EVERY step as fun as you can! :)
 
I would let them know that they can bring in their own food and bottled water. Stick to the basics. The average person will be overwhelmed by the amount of time many on here spend planning (or by the sheer number of decisions).

My number rule for first timers - less is (likely) more! If the kids want to swim instead of going to a park, that is okay!

I would also give an overview of each of the four parks and the waterparks. Have fun!

Balance is key! There's a balance between over-planning and under-planning.

Many folks get overwhelmed by the choices at WDW, while many others over-plan their WDW trips.

For a first trip, keep it simple, but DO always pick a direction.

Use your time in line/while dining to discuss your next step. That's mostly all we do. Where do you want to go after this ride? that way you can avoid indecision. If your next stop is an attraction - maybe keep two attractions in mind...in case one is down.
 
When learning the park maps...do learn where the bathrooms are!

You'll be surprised to learn just how much of the day you spend tending to your own body!

The bigger the group, the more it pays to have everyone on the same page. When one person uses the restroom, re-applies sunscreen, snacks, naps, gets water; try to have everyone in your group use that time to do the same thing. (sDO share snacks!) If someone really doesn't want to use the restroom, then they should still think up a constructive way to use that time.

Otherwise you can spend your whole day looking for snacks and restrooms!
 
Explain that it is first, and foremost, a resort with lots of activities (golf, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, boating, spas, etc.), and that the theme parks are just one of the many amenities offered.

So many people go to Disney and never enjoy anything other than the parks, which is a shame!
 
My main tips: Be prepared, but don't overplan. Don't focus so much on how many rides you can do in one day, but look at the bigger picture. Take in the sights, take time to relax. And the big one: No matter what you do, you will not see everything, so don't even try.

Exactly THIS!
 
I know someone who heard all about drinking and eating around the world at Epcot so she actually thought that was what you were paying for when you got in. She was totally shocked when she didn't get free samples of food and drink at all the countries.

The biggest thing I tell people is about FP+ How to use it and how to get the most use out of them while in the parks. A lot of people don't even know they come with your park ticket. I heard so many people in line talking about us fastpassers and how we paid all that money to jump to the front. They thought we bought every fastpass.
 
I'll expand on what Boakl said: Visiting the hotels and riding monorail and free shuttle boats are also part of the fun! And they usually have minimal waits!

In every family, there's often a person who thinks WDW isn't for them because they hate crowds, long lines, and thrill rides. The less-crowded out of the park options are great for them. Also great for kids who get overwhelmed.

Do explain that WDW offers services for people with disabilities.
 
Plan a couple days off after your trip is over. I know the first few times Ive gone, we went so hard at WDW, I was so worn out when I went back to work the day after I got home. You probably need a day or two to recover before heading back to work.
 

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