What would you tell a 1st timer to skip?

[atilley01]

This will be the first trip ever for myself, DH and DD5. We're doing 2 days at MK, 1 day each at HS and AK and a half day at Epcot. I want to do as much as possible in each park but I'm trying to be realistic about what we can accomplish in the time we have. Plus I don't want to wear us out.

So help me weed out some of the rides and attractions. What's things do you usually avoid even if you have the time? What would you tell a 1st timer to skip?

And on a side note, we do enjoy thrill rides and our daughter seems to be following in our footsteps so the ones she's tall enough to ride will definitely go into our touring plan.

Thanks!

 

[nilla]

Country Bears Jamboree.

In fact, I'd tell a tenth-timer to skip that as well

 

[kamik86]

In general I got the other way. Pick the things you must do and work around them. Everything else is a bonus.

However things I readily skip:
MK:
Tomorrowland speedway - Now in your case DD5 may want to do this in my party everyone is old enough for a drivers license so driving those smelly cars is no fun.

Stich's great escape -

Country Bear Jamboree - It was cute but not something to really spend time on so much better things to do

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure - I went on this once. Highlight of the ride is when it broke down and we all got to walk off. The rest was all boring. Glad it broke so only had to sit through half.

Most of the countries movies.

Hollywood Studios:
Can't think of anything. All the ones I would normally list I think a 5 year old would probably actually like

Animal Kingdom:
Kali River rapids - I don't like being soaked in my clothes

 

[nilla]

Stich's great escape -

Ooh, missed that one! Yeah, skip that...unless you want DD5 to require therapy upon returning from WDW.

 

[atilley01]

In general I got the other way. Pick the things you must do and work around them. Everything else is a bonus.

However things I readily skip:
MK:
Tomorrowland speedway - Now in your case DD5 may want to do this in my party everyone is old enough for a drivers license so driving those smelly cars is no fun.

Stich's great escape -

Country Bear Jamboree - It was cute but not something to really spend time on so much better things to do

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure - I went on this once. Highlight of the ride is when it broke down and we all got to walk off. The rest was all boring. Glad it broke so only had to sit through half.

Most of the countries movies.

Hollywood Studios:
Can't think of anything. All the ones I would normally list I think a 5 year old would probably actually like

Animal Kingdom:
Kali River rapids - I don't like being soaked in my clothes

Yeah, I hear a lot of people say that HS is a half day park right now because of all the things they've closed but that is the park that's hardest to weed out attractions because almost everything looks like something my daughter would love. And this is our first time so all the shows will be new to her.

 

[nilla]

Yeah, I hear a lot of people say that HS is a half day park right now because of all the things they've closed but that is the park that's hardest to weed out attractions because almost everything looks like something my daughter would love. And this is our first time so all the shows will be new to her.

We spend two days at DHS, and that's with skipping Indy Jones and Lights, Motors, Action. I don't see how people do it in half a day!

 

[atilley01]

Ooh, missed that one! Yeah, skip that...unless you want DD5 to require therapy upon returning from WDW.

So what's the deal with the Stitch attraction? I've watched it on Youtube and it seems a little strange but nothing too bad but people are very vocal about how much they don't like it.

 

[nilla]

Kids are terrified of it. I've been in it 2 or 3 times, and every time included several children crying and screaming their heads off. We made a joke about it in line for something else once, and the parents in front of us turned around and agreed. Our son rode Expedition Everest at age 4 and LOVED it, but hated Stitch!

To me, it sort of boring. You get harnessed in, facing the middle. Stitch appears, then disappears, and the lights go out. Speakers in the harness and other effects make it seem like Stitch is right behind you, bouncing on the harness, etc, all in the near-pitch-dark. Apparently, some kids don't like this

Personally, I'm upset I didn't get to do it when it was the supposedly MUCH scarier Alien Encounter (or whatever it was called), but that's just me

 

[kamik86]

So what's the deal with the Stitch attraction? I've watched it on Youtube and it seems a little strange but nothing too bad but people are very vocal about how much they don't like it.

For me its a combination of being a bit boring and that I hate being strapped in like that. Now if you have a ride that moves alot I can understand being strapped in like that but huge shoulder harnesses for a ride that doesn't move at all? Why?

 

[atilley01]

Kids are terrified of it. I've been in it 2 or 3 times, and every time included several children crying and screaming their heads off. We made a joke about it in line for something else once, and the parents in front of us turned around and agreed. Our son rode Expedition Everest at age 4 and LOVED it, but hated Stitch!

To me, it sort of boring. You get harnessed in, facing the middle. Stitch appears, then disappears, and the lights go out. Speakers in the harness and other effects make it seem like Stitch is right behind you, bouncing on the harness, etc, all in the near-pitch-dark. Apparently, some kids don't like this

Personally, I'm upset I didn't get to do it when it was the supposedly MUCH scarier Alien Encounter (or whatever it was called), but that's just me

Honestly this sounds fun to me but I may just have to trust the majority on this one and mark it off the list. I don't want to make the wrong call and scar my daughter for life. She gets scared of the strangest things and then has no fear about things she should be scared of.

 

[Angc77]

The stitch ride was ok to me. My 4 yo DD LOVED it, so much that immediately after we went into a shop and bought her Stitch. 2 years later Stitch still sleeps with her. My kids 4 and 7 weren't scared but some others were.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

My advice is see it all and make up your own mind. We all have special memories of Disney. It's up to you to decide where yours and you children's will be. We all have crazy opinions at times.

 

[BStew]

My DD5 still talks about the Carousel of Progress and how much she hated it... lol.

 

[LaurenT]

I couldn't think of wnough things to definitely skip that would make a huge difference (though Stitch would certainly be one of them ... I always feel bad when I see people scanning their MB to get in there) -
I agree with making a list of must do things, ranking them for eag park in order of priority and then do whatever wlse you can if timing allows.
There are some things I would hate for you to miss - soaybe you should ask others for their top 10 things that are aithon your DDs height restriction...
I'll give you mine - leaving out coasters since I don't know her height:
Mickey's Philharmagic
Soarin
Featival of the Lion Ling
Toy Story Midway Mania
Test Track
Peter Pan (don't do FP, go early morning, the interactive queue is adorable)
Kilimanjaro Safari
Living with the Land
Then for a 5 yr old girl -
Enchanted Tales with Belle
And Frozen Singalong

 

[lovndisney12]

Ditto on Stitch - went when boys were little and loved the TV and movies but hated the ride. All dark. But figured the souvenir my son had to have was a Stitch stuffed animal despite the fact he was terrified of the ride! We hadn't been back in years and had time to kill this November and went on it again with DS 13 and we both thought it was stupid and a waste of time. While there are other attractions I'm not a personal fan of - this is the only one that really seemed very pointless.

Biggest tip - like someone said above - pick your musts and then everything else is a bonus. Don't stress about what you miss and enjoy what you get to do. Once we took this approach - the trips have been fantastic! Besides - everyone has different tastes.

 

[lovndisney12]

Oh - and let me add one that was a pleasant "break" from the parks and was a must do for us for years (of course I have boys) - Tom Sawyer Island - kids can be kids and explore on their own. Really nice break from all the other attractions.

 

[tjevans]

Oh - and let me add one that was a pleasant "break" from the parks and was a must do for us for years (of course I have boys) - Tom Sawyer Island - kids can be kids and explore on their own. Really nice break from all the other attractions.

I've always heard that, but even as a child, I didn't feel that way. Of course, I was the child who thought the great thing about summer break from school was the summer reading program at the library.

 

[NavyDad]

So what's the deal with the Stitch attraction? I've watched it on Youtube and it seems a little strange but nothing too bad but people are very vocal about how much they don't like it.

Everything is wrong with this "ride" LOL

It's dumb and boring...

You get a chili burp blown in your face

The seats lock you down and you can't move so if your DD hates it you are just stuck

It is just the worst waste of time at any of the Disney parks. I have no idea why it is still operating...

 

[elaine amj]

Kids are terrified of it. I've been in it 2 or 3 times, and every time included several children crying and screaming their heads off. We made a joke about it in line for something else once, and the parents in front of us turned around and agreed. Our son rode Expedition Everest at age 4 and LOVED it, but hated Stitch!

To me, it sort of boring. You get harnessed in, facing the middle. Stitch appears, then disappears, and the lights go out. Speakers in the harness and other effects make it seem like Stitch is right behind you, bouncing on the harness, etc, all in the near-pitch-dark. Apparently, some kids don't like this

Personally, I'm upset I didn't get to do it when it was the supposedly MUCH scarier Alien Encounter (or whatever it was called), but that's just me

Then again, my 4 yr old niece absolutely adored the Stitch ride. it was one of her favorite rides on her first trip to WDW and they had to re-ride it 4-5 times. For our family, we've done it once and it's not a priority although we will likely do it again.

I would suggest make a list of 3-5 priorities per day, get them done and then see what else you can add later. I have my touring plans set and then a list of all the other attractions for ideas if we have spare time. You can likely do almost everything (well, maybe only a small bit of Epcot) in the time you have if you follow a solid touring plan.

 

[Jeannie in NJ]

We must be an oddball family as Dh's very favorite is Country Bear Jamboree
we all love Ellen's Energy Adventure, all the country movies, Carousel of Progress and Kali River Rapids.

We have never done Stitch nor Mission Space and we had a friend that was a CM for Mission Space and he tried to get us to bypass the long line and try it. We said, "No, don't feel like throwing up "