Things to tell newbies

[EinHoden]

1. I would suggest they review all of the rides/attractions/shows at each park and make a list of priorities.
2. I would also have them spend some time looking at the maps of the parks to get familiar with the layouts. It's always better to have at least some idea of the layout of a place you are exploring rather than wandering around totally lost.
3. Be prepared for your plans to change. In real-life, I am a very structured planner. About half-way through my first trip to Disney, I found myself getting frustrated that everything wasn't going exactly as we planned it. I had to change my mindset to deal with it. A couple of trips in, and I am able to enjoy the trips a lot more now, knowing that our carefully laid out plans are going to change, but I have to get myself in the right mindset ahead of time.

 

[BobC]

With a 4 year old the 2 things I always tell people are stay on site and take mid-day breaks. I always hear people say "but we're staying at a condo right near the entrance". No matter how close to the property line it's not the same as staying on property for a handful of reasons. Like others said, you can't see it all so taking a mid-day break will help prevent a lot of jangled nerves.

THIS!

My #1 advice! Spend the money and stay on a Disney property. Cant stand when people pinch pennies and are like 'well we saved $300 to stay at the Holiday Inn 5 miles away!" No. Don't do it. I need to be 100% fully submerged in Disney even when I sleep.

 

[gillep]

Comfortable shoes!!!!! No really, make sure they are comfortable, all day comfortable. I personally prefer to bring multiple pairs and switch off each day, or even within a single day if we go to the parks, while DH is fine wearing one comfortable pair the whole time.

Don't get too focused on things being perfect or going a specific way. I see a lot of people, especially on the boards, very focused on getting the perfect room, or special attention for an event (birthday,anniversary etc.), or a specific touring strategy, and sometimes those things will meet your expectations, and other times they won't, and you need to not allow that to ruin the overall experience.

 

[revdon64]

We do this every trip - everyone picks out one attraction at each park that they want to do. We focus on doing everyone's one thing, and every thing over and above that is gravy. Even with six people in our party at times this has been very doable.

Of course hydration, cooling towels, breaks, seek shade and AC. But most importantly, have fun. Don't miss the forest for the trees. See it all through your kids' eyes, the wonder, the awe. I will never forget or be able to replicate the expression on my youngest daughter's face when we entered MK as the Main Street Electrical Parade was circling in front of town hall on her first trip when she was six. Made every penny we spent on that trip worth it.

 

[whiporee]

I'd tell a newbie a few things that have been told to me.

If you're not on the monorail loop -- or at one of the walking-distance Epcot hotels if you think you'll be there a lot -- I don't know how much being onsite practically helps you as you go through your days. With kids that age, it's going to be an MK centric visit, and being on the loop can be very helpful not only because of the monorail but the boat launches. But beyond that, busses can be frustrating and you might be better off with a car and saving some money. Or not. But when my kids were that age, being on the loop saved a couple of vacations for us because it let my older daughter easily stay later when the younger twins needed to get home to sleep.

Don't overdo character meals. Making and getting to character meals were the biggest sources of frustration for us. So I'd limit myself to one every other day at most. If they need to see the characters, I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but there's a lot less frustration in just waiting in the line rather than battling and sprinting to make a character meal. That said, Crystal Palace is the best one.

Bring cheap ponchos, ziplock bags and extra socks. Put the socks in the bags until you need them.

With kids that young I'd do the desert party for the fireworks once, and then forget about them for the rest of the trip. There's little more crazy-making than the battles for space and position for the fireworks show on main street or the Hub. So splurge on the party one night, and then the other nights watch them from Fantasyland. Likewise, Frontierland is the best place to watch parades.

And here's the big one -- understand that the actual going can be maddening, but the pictures are priceless. Don't hesitate to take them, don't pass up a PP you run into an opportunity. The days will be maddening and lots of things will drive you crazy, but by the time you get home the pictures will be the things that will make you smile when you remember it all.

That, and cheap ponchos.

 

[MalkaR]

I just came back from my first trip to Disney World, and my biggest tips for a first timer with kids are:
1-Rope drop and flexible touring plan that has enough extra time in it for spontaneous playing, snack stops
2-Regular bedtimes most nights
3-Eat snacks, one of my kids completely falls apart and it only takes a minute or so when he's hungry
4-Keep everyone hydrated, allow the kids soda along with the water, if everyone pees at the frequent bathroom stops you know you're doing a good job!

We stayed offsite, but we had very specific needs that onsite couldn't accommodate for under $5000 a night.

Oh, and try try not to stress about things that don't go as planned, try to keep in mind that you'll hopefully get back at some point and can do the things you missed.

 

[lovethattink]

We winged our first trip in 1992. Had no clue of the vastness or anything. We had a great time. But missed so much.

Our next trip in 1994, I bought a Birmbaum's Guide and an Unofficial Guide and read up. Made my own touring plan. We went commando and by the end of the vacation we needed to go back to work to relax!

But now there's so many things that need advanced planning to experience. I think it's important to inform newbies of the hard to get ADRs and FP+.

Stop and smell the roses. There is so much thought that goes into the details. Things are often missed hurrying from one attraction to another.

You can't get everything Disney has to offer done in one vacation. We've been living near Disney since 2000 and still haven't done everything. But we do keep repeating favorites.

If money matters, do the Disney math to see what best fits your budget.

 

[skullsplitter]

Pin trading for the niece...and maybe the adults too. It's a great way to meet and talk to the CMs.

 

[MimiOfTwo]

Bring moleskin for your feet & put it on BEFORE you get blisters. I have comfortable shoes (a few pair). I can walk 3 or 4 miles in them and their fine. But logging serveral more miles for multiple days I've not found any shoe that will not leave me with blisters. I get the Walmart brand because it peels off much easier than Dr Sholls.

 

[Ben Pieper]

Here's my best tip, but it only applies if you are taking advantage of the discounted Disney gift cards through Target/Costco/etc.

Combine your gift cards onto one card at www.disneygiftcard.com. Also load an empty gift card onto it, and only carry around the one loaded. Keep the empty one in your hotel room. Then, if you lose your big card, you can instantly transfer the balance of the lost card onto your empty card sitting in your hotel room. If you happen to find your card later, just transfer back and continue using it. We've lost many wallets while in the parks, and thankfully got it back every time, but this is a great system we came up with for future trips!

 

[GillianP1301]

My first tip with a young child is to try to keep their sleep and eat patterns as close to home as possible. This will minimize meltdowns. It always amazes me that a family with young kids who eat at 6:00 at home, think all will be just fine with a 9:00 dinner reservation.

Second time is do you research. You don't necessarily have to build a bullet proof touring plan, but you do want to at least be familiar with what attractions are in each park that you are interested in and roughly where they are located. That will save time looking while standing in the middle of a walkway totally confused.