What's your best advice for Disney World Newbies?

[Jeremy Nolen]

interesting question, and a lot of good replies. The advice I generally give people goes something like this:

1) be prepared to walk a LOT. Have good, comfortable, broken in shoes, and get in shape if you're not already.
2) If you're from a place with nice weather, be prepared for heat and humidity. Stay hydrated.
3) be prepared to spend more money than you think. WDW is pricey, and it will ruin your vacation if you resent every $5 soda or $20 quick-service hamburger.
4) Either get up early + have a plan, or be prepared to spend a lot of time standing in lines
5) don't be afraid to retreat from the parks in the afternoon and go swim / take a nap / relax, ESPECIALLY if the weather is hot, if you have young kids, etc.

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

Blister prevention: We used to always develop bad blisters on our feet by the second or third day. It would get so bad we could barely walk by the end of the week. We now rub some Vaseline on the bottom of our feet to reduce friction. It works like a charm.

 

[MorpethMiss]

Great discussion! My tips: use a travel agent and take your own food.

1. Travel agent: Before our first visit, I didn't understand Disney World, if that makes sense. People tried to explain to me how big it is, how to rope drop, how FP work, and I just didn't get it. I travel a lot, but Disney World is a different beast. I was able to make a plan and we had a good time, but I wasn't able to properly plan out WDW trips until after that first visit. So, that is my long-winded way of suggesting that an initial trip might be best planned out in consultation with a Disney travel agent.

2. Food: My other piece of advice would be to take your own food, or to order groceries online and have them delivered to your resort. I swear by this, not so much for the money it saves, but for the time it frees up. My kids have cereal in the room, which gives them a relaxing breakfast/wake up time before heading out. I toast a bagel and get hot water for my tea at the dining hall. We pack snacks and lunches most days, but not every day. On our first trip, we did not pack lunches. We could never agree upon a lunch spot, so I was often standing in line at one QS restaurant for my kids, and then at another for myself. I don't to to WDW to stand in line for food! By packing lunches, we all get what we want, and can eat whenever we want. Sometimes my kids munch on a sandwich while we walk. AND, remember that you can get free cups of ice water at any QS restaurant.

 

[a742246]

Bring less stuff and more money!

 

[Arielfan98]

Not sure if this was mentioned as I didn't read all the previous responses, but I would say to go with the flow. Once you have made your Disney vacation plans, stick to them to the best of your abilities, but if something happens along the way, let it go. For example, if you anticipate riding Buzz Lightyear on your trip and it's closed down, try not to panic. Having panic attacks/meltdowns,etc. only makes the vacation worse.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

My advise is that in order to enjoy your vacation do some homework well before you book your vacation. Read up and be knowledgeable about what there is to see and do at Disney. Talk to friends who have gone. Join the Disboards and ask questions. And know that for your first vacation you will have a hiccup or two along the way but if you do your homework you can possibly avoid terrible disasters that end up ruining your whole outlook on Disney.

 

[apple9117]

Great thread, thanks all!