Your Top Tips for First Timers at WDW- 2 adults!

[BudgieMama]

Hello everyone!

My DH and I have just booked our very first visit to WDW next August... it's a long time to wait, but just means lots of time to plan and get excited!

I'd love to hear your tips on the best things to do (or avoid) as adults travelling to WDW.

If it's useful to know, we're staying at SSR, and got the DDP thrown in free with our booking.

Clare

 

[MannyB]

Obviously this will ultimately come down to what you guys like to do.

For my GF and I we made it a point not to try and do "everything" knowing we would ultimately come back another time. The first thing we did was figure up what was the things that we couldn't miss inside the parks that we both wanted to do that we felt we wouldn't feel complete if we didnt share the experience together, for us it was:

- Splash Mountain
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Pirates of the Carribean
- Expedition Everest
- Killimanjaro Safaris
- Tower of Terror
- Rockin Roller Coaster

This alone allowed us to eliminate EPCOT from our trip and focus on a park per day (we had a 3 day trip). The next thing I did (being a man who was more concerned with her having fun and being happy) was find out the rides/attractions she wanted to be sure not to miss:

- Kali River
- The New Little Mermaid Ride
- Festival of Lion King
- Finding Nemo
- Star Tours
- At least one parade at Magic Kingdom
- Take a picture at Cinderella's Castle together


I now knew exactly what it would take to make her feel as if she accomplished everything she wanted, while not feeling rushed to do everything or as if we had to "waste time" riding rides we either one were indifferent about. Now we could take our time in the parks.. grab an ice cream and sit down and just relax... without feeling we were in a huge rush. When we had spare time between fast passes we would find a nearby ride with a short wait to bridge the gap like Jungle Cruise, Pirates, or a stage show like Flights of Wonder.

I had her pick out the restaurant she wanted on the Dining Plan when we made reservations around 9 PM and we typically had time to change quick and get there without feeling rushed. We did Ohana one night MK was open until 11 so we could hop over in time just for a parade and the bonus treat that was the crazy castle illumination show they do. We did dinner in France another night (despite never doing a single ride at Epcot) and watched Illuminations from our seats.. then we walked to Jellyrolls and had a blast. Our final dinner was at the hotel and we then made time for "alone time" afterwards if ya catch my drift.

So basically,my tip is that if you are posting on here you obviously love Disney and this wont be your last trip. So take your time, keep it simple, keep it stress free, and enjoy each other as much as the parks.

If you want your hubby to want to come back that is the key.. a little slower pace, no drama, and some "special attention" to say Thank You.

 

[Farps]

If you are on DDP, search out restaurants that interest you on Allears website and make dining reservations as far in advance as possible (180 days if you can) to be sure to get the best times that work for you. You can check out a crowd calendar on easyWDW and figure out what parks to do on what days, and make ADR's from there. Best of luck and have a great trip.

 

[Farps]

Also as far as restaurants go you can read reviews on them in this forum, but it is hard to take others advise when it comes to food. We have seen some bad reviews on our favorite places and good reviews on our not so favorites. I have even seen some people who swear that you cannot get a good meal at WDW. There are plenty of great places to eat in WDW, some for great food some just for a fun experience do a little research and pick the places that interest you.

 

[Bushmills]

Once again, I have replied to the wrong thread. I am a bad Dis'er.

 

[carrie1626]

Also as far as restaurants go you can read reviews on them in this forum, but it is hard to take others advise when it comes to food. We have seen some bad reviews on our favorite places and good reviews on our not so favorites. I have even seen some people who swear that you cannot get a good meal at WDW. There are plenty of great places to eat in WDW, some for great food some just for a fun experience do a little research and pick the places that interest you.

So true. There are GOOD and bad reviews for all eateries. Personally, I never had a bad or horrible meal on property. So make the ADR's that suit YOU!!

 

[PoohLover78]

My personal universal tip would be: Do Not Rush Yourself and Do Not Over plan Down to the Minute. Sometimes when I see people posting their plans here, its rushing from place A to place B to place C because their day is so stuffed to the hilt! WDW has so much to offer, see and experience along the way that I'm pretty sure a lot of people never get to see because they rush themselves.

So you don't get to see every show and ride every attraction during your trip? Hey, you can always come back and enjoy the rest! That's what I say.

I think the posters above gave a pretty good insight of what could interest you. In addition, I always suggest a night drip for drinks to either Jellyrolls at the Boardwalk or Raglan Road at DTD - depending on what kind of music/atmosphere you are looking for. My personal favorite of the two is Jellyrolls but my bros both love Raglan Road even more.

 

[JenSop]

Agree about not trying to fit too much in. You just can't do it all. Don't even try.

I've been going to Disney my whole life, but later next month I'll be taking my long term boyfriend for his first trip.

We'll be there 5 days, and I'm going to give him the best trip ever - and it will obviously be centered on two adults who like to have a good adult time, but who also love being silly and acting like big kids.

We're doing some good restaurants - he's a big eater and loves meat, potatoes, and seafood. So we're eating dinners at Cape May Cafe, Le Cellier, Kona, and Sanaa. (Sanaa is MY favorite, which will be a bit of a stretch for him, but he's willing to give it a try for me. He's Croatian (and a bit picky at that), so he's used to a different -and limited- food palette.)

As to my other priorities to show him?

We'll be doing an evening of drinking in the different countries in World Showcase. Then on a different night, we'll go out at the Boardwalk area so we can stay up late drinking and dancing.

As to rides and attractions? We'll hit all my faves so he can also experience them...

My personal must-dos:

Epcot:
-Soarin'
-Test Track
-watch Illuminations
(also gonna try to get him on board for the CHaracter Spot)
(Epcot's gonna be more for drinking in WS)

MK:
-Space Mt.
-Big Thunder Mt.
-Splash Mt.
-Pirates
-Haunted Mansion
-watch the Electrical Light Parade
-watch Wishes
(Plus I need to explore new Fantasyland more)

DHS:
-Rockin Roller Coaster
-Tower of Terror
-Toy Story
-Star Tours


AK:
-Expedition Everest
-Kilamanjaro Safari
-Dinosaur
-BOTH walk thru safaris
(maybe Kali - depending on weather)


I'm also thinking drinks at Cali Grill one of the nights. The renovations are really nice and I HIGHLY recommend visiting there. You can sit in teh lounge area for drinks and food without worrying about a reservation.

 

[CruiseDreamers]

Planning is recommended but don't try to plan your whole day. Give yourself some freedom to explore.

 

[karly05]

I'm going to reiterate things that the PPs have already said, but my biggest advice is:
1) Read up on WDW. Online or from a guide book, get familiar with the attractions and activities available, restaurants, etc.

2) Set your tip-top must-do priorities for the trip, the things you absolutely want to make sure you get to do, and know what you have to do to achieve them (ADRs at 180 days, rope drop/FP, whatever). Then think about what you'd like to do if you have time (you'll probably get to a lot of it).

3) Restaurants - I agree with previous posters, if there's a restaurant that sounds appealing to you, go for it! Everyone has different tastes and different experiences; read other's opinions, but you know best what you think you'll enjoy. And if you end up disappointed with one of your choices, oh, well, it's not the end of the world, and you'll know to skip it next time.

4) Go, relax and enjoy. Don't try to do it all, be open to changing your plans, and don't let the small setbacks spoil your fun.

 

[kwdw]

Tip - read the restaurant menus before booking your ADRs. There are some restaurants at Disney that get great reviews - but don't offer choices my significant other will eat. Sure, the menu may change or there might be a special, but if there isn't a regular offering I know he'll like - I don't book there.

Tip - plan something you have never done before. I'm still struggling with this one and we leave on Sunday for our next trip!!!

Tip - know park hours for your trip in advance. We like taking advantage of EMHs - and that helps us pick our park days. It also helps me plan a few meals. We always hit morning EMH hours at MK, for example, so I'm not going to book breakfast at Boma that day!

Tip - as just a couple, you don't HAVE to stick to the plan, but do make one. With that dining plan, you are going to need to pre-plan some stuff or you are going to wasting a ton of transportation time getting to meals.

Tip - make sure there is space for some down time at the resort. It might not happen when you pre-plan it, but really, a good couples vacation has time for the unexpected.