Advice For First Time Walt Disney World Travelers

'Tis the season of folks heading to the most magical place on earth--Walt Disney World.  Often, these are first timers; excited, starry-eyed, first time guests.  They get a thrill when telling friends and family that they are going to Walt Disney World.  We've been there/done that and see and hear this phenomenon repeatedly.

After the anticipation begins to fade, reality sets in.  (Insert sound of screeching to a stop here.)  This is when the first-timer pack breaks into various categories.

One category is the "this is our vacation, we are going to show up and have a great time."  Yes, they may very well have a great time or at least moments of greatness, even magical.  They may also experience moments of frustration, or feeling overwhelmed by decisions.  Guests in this group may or may not return and tell tales of this not being their favorite vacation.

Another category are the researchers; the planners.  These guests show up armed with information and dining reservations  They may also experience frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed, but typically less so than the previous category.  Guests in this category may also feel disappointed.  What?  Disappointed?  Yes, disappointed.  All of the planning and anticipation may lead to unrealistic expectations and when the magical vacation that has been planned and researched falls short of those expectations, disappointment is likely.

With the above mentioned categories and feelings, how then do guests end up going back?

I recall a story about two families who went to Walt Disney World for the first time and after a not-so-magical day at Animal Kingdom readjusted their expectations and made the rest of their vacation more memorable and magical.  Both of these families have also returned to Walt Disney World.

If I could--and do--give first timers any advice, it would be the following:

• Do some research and planning.  Grab a guidebook, surf the web, talk to a seasoned traveler, anything to get some info before you go.  A family vacation to Walt Disney World can be a significant financial investment so ask yourself, if you would spend/invest that much money in something else without doing some research?
• Have realistic and reasonable expectations.  Know your family and/or travel party.  If they are not "night owls" at home, then they most likely won't be on vacation.  If eating breakfast is the main meal at home, then how well will skipping breakfast to get to the parks go over while on vacation?  Disney is a marketing mecca and many of the images seen in advertisements do not represent the actual images.  I'm smiling thinking about the message on the rear view mirror--there should be a similar message on Disney advertisements "your experiences may differ significantly."
• Know prior to embarking into Walt Disney World that the place is enormous!  Walt Disney World is NOT just Magic Kingdom, but is a combination of 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 22 resort hotels, a shopping and entertainment district, miniature golf course, and numerous other golf courses.  Traversing from one location to another takes time and energy.  Even getting from the parking lot of Magic Kingdom into the park can mean walking a distance, taking a tram, then either a ferry or a monorail, and that is just prior to bag check.
• And, lastly, if possible, stay on property.  While the cost may be more, the convenience, theming, and benefits often outweigh the costs.

As always, we wish all travelers to the most magical place on earth a wonderful vacation whether it's your first time or 21st time!

Common Disney Travel Misconceptions

Helping others plan their Disney trips brings me great joy and I had the opportunity to do that just the other day—in person—rather than via the Williams Family Blog.  The only thing better is our own family’s vacation!

What made me smile and cringe all at the same time was that I knew parade times at various parks and good viewing locations among other things.  It’s a little “sick” isn’t it?  The husband disagrees, so that makes me feel better.

The person I was helping is going to Disney for the second time.  Our conversation about their first trip got me thinking about first time travelers in general and some common misconceptions.

• Walt Disney World is 40 minutes or so from Orlando International Airport.  If you are taking Disney’s Magical Express to get to your resort, plan on waiting a bit to get on the bus, the drive, and possible stops at other resorts to drop off guests.  Give yourself at least 3 hours between the time your plane lands until you have to or plan to be somewhere like a park or an ADR—the more time the better.  And better yet, don’t make any ADR’s for your arrival day as planes are known to be late.  This will reduce the worry and stress for the first day of your vacation.  Who wants to start a vacation that way?
• It will be hot—most of the year, and crowded—most of the time, so plan for it.  It’s Orlando and Magic Kingdom had over 17 million visitors last year.
• You will not be able to do/see it all—just know this and plan to return or just be okay with what you get done.  This was something I was impressed with when helping to plan the other day as their family was admittedly overwhelmed on their first day when going to Animal Kingdom.  They did three things and one of them included a picture in front of the Tree of Life, so Animal Kingdom is top on their list for this trip.  Now, some folks would get so frustrated about the cost of that one day and not getting the most out of their money that they may not return to Disney, but not these folks.  They are troopers and realize that Disney can be overwhelming, but if you plan and pace yourself, you can do it!  Good for them!
• There will be moments of frustration and feeling overwhelmed.  It’s a sign that it is time for a break—either from the parks, walking, or each other.  I’ve written before about taking a break from your family members during a vacation, even it means just splitting up for a bit to take in different attractions, etc.  We have all seen and heard people who aren’t handling these feelings very well and it quickly takes the magic out of their vacation for their family and those within earshot.  Don’t be that person or that family.  Even after 9 trips, our family still has those moments.  On our last trip, it was our arrival day—spills in the airport, closed bathrooms, losing the boy in the airport, difficulty finding our room at the resort, etc.  So, we headed to the resort pool—the boy and husband went first which gave me a moment to myself and then I joined.  The husband had his book to read and we eventually got a bite to eat.  This was our “break” and it worked like a charm.  But hey, we got it all out of the way on the first day and the rest was cake.  It really was!
• There will be waiting.  Attractions, parades, shows, food, buses, monorails, trains, park openings, boats, or someone from your party to use the restroom will all require waiting.  If you are taking a Disney Cruise vacation there will be waiting to board the ship, for shows to start, characters, and for shore excursions.  Practice waiting gracefully.  It will serve you well.
• Weather will happen, you decide whether it hinders your vacation or not.  We’ve experienced cold—like cold enough to snow, rain, and extreme warmth.  We prepared as best we could and soldiered on with smiles and enjoyed our vacation.  On our first trip, the temps dropped and we weren’t prepared as I had only packed one long sleeve shirt for each of us.  While the husband and I were okay, the boy ended up wearing that same long sleeve t-shirt under his other clothes almost every day of the trip.  I did get a pair of Mickey gloves out of the deal and still use them all winter.

Combine all of the above with some realistic expectations, a positive attitude, sense of wonder, and ability to have fun and you are sure to have a magical Disney vacation.