What's your best advice for Disney World Newbies?

spideymike

Mouseketeer
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
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
 


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.

This! Have a plan, but be flexible. Have realistic goals based on the attending party.
 
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

I would probably mention FP+ and perhaps sunscreen (though that's not really WDW specific), but I wouldn't go into rope drop, etc...those are things that may or may not be helpful or useful for a newbie. For example, we never rope drop, we think it's a waste of sleep. Nor would I go into detail about planning. We don't plan much for our WDW trips, and even when we were rookies, we didn't. It's not our style. So if I were a newbie, and was told I need to get up at 6am and plan every day, it would scare me off.

I'd do some very high level basics. Talk about how big it is and build around that. For example, there's no way you can see and do it all in a one week trip if you've never been before. I'd talk a little about crowd management and set expectations (it's nearly always crowded). I'd talk about having the right attitude. Those kinds of things.
 
Try everything yourselves. Do not rely only on what everyone else says to see and ride. You may really like something they do not and you won't know until you try it.
 


I'd stress the importance of downloading and using the MDE app, which includes essential time-saving tools like:

1) FP+ reservations
2) Mobile Ordering (Counter-service restaurants)
3) Advanced Dining Reservations (Table-service restaurants)
4) Entertainment and character meet-and-greet schedules
5) Wait Times
6) Park Maps

Even without a lot of advanced planning, if they know how to use these functions on the app to their benefit, their trips will go a lot more smoothly.
 
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. This avoids the standing around with hungry cranky kids trying to figure out where to go eat, or discovering when you get there that there's nothing you want. I typically don't make many ADRs because they make my schedule too rigid, but I still figure out which TS in or near parks are appealing so I can look for a last minute ADR in MDE if we find ourselves wanting a long meal break.

More specific to the early planning phase: make sure they know that using a travel agent shouldn't cost them anything, and can be a good option for newbies IF the agent actually knows what they're doing. You may not be allowed to name any agencies, but you could recommend they do some research online to make sure any agent they are considering actually has a good reputation in the Disney fan community.
 
I'd stress the importance of downloading and using the MDE app, which includes essential time-saving tools like:

1) FP+ reservations
2) Mobile Ordering (Counter-service restaurants)
3) Advanced Dining Reservations (Table-service restaurants)
4) Entertainment and character meet-and-greet schedules
5) Wait Times
6) Park Maps

Even without a lot of advanced planning, if they know how to use these functions on the app to their benefit, their trips will go a lot more smoothly.
I completely agree. My other advice is to know when to bail. Don’t stay sunup to sundown if you aren’t having fun. Pick the few things that you really want to do, and let everything else be a bonus. Try not to make it all about the rides (although I tend do that a bit myself). Enjoy the parades and fireworks. You don’t see productions like that anywhere else.
 
Enjoy the sights, sounds and joy all around. You don't have to be riding a ride or watching a show to enjoy Disney! There is so much to see and do, but slow down, enjoy and relax, have a mickey bar!
 
Stop and smell the roses...literally. The details are amazing.

Also, while some rides are thrilling, it is not for thrillseekers (go to that other place where the young wizard can be found)
 
I would stress that you can't see it all the first trip. I would ditto everyone who said to enjoy the trip. I have seen many families over the years that seem so worried about seeing it all that they look like they are in a race.
 
I would emphasize how large WDW is. Like, show it to scale with a similar sized city- or even in comparison to your local city. Demonstrate the distances between things and the amount of roads, etc.

Provide an explanation of travel, from magical express to parking, on site buses and where they do and don't go, onsite boats and where they do and don't go, and a summary of when things operate. Useful to know monorail routes as well- I learned on my last trip that you can't monorail directly between Epcot and magic kingdom for instance- you need to change tracks.

Security. What to expect and where.

That there's no "right" way to do the parks and that they aren't perfect.

Maybe even footcare/selfcare to endure walking, heat, weather, etc. Talk about other facilities on site- medical, car rental, gas station, etc.

Explain differences in food options.

Sounds like a fun program! Making me miss my "liberry" roots. ;)
 
Along with everyone else's wonderful advice:

1) Hydrate (free ice water at restaurants, yay)
2) You will walk a looooonnnggg way
3) Be excited not anxious: calm down
4) Expensive... everything, but it's ok cuz it's Disney!

And the most important of all:
5) If you buy a huge caramel apple, they'll cut it up for you if you ask nicely.
 

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