1st Disney Trip - Overwhelmed =(

[sourstraws214]

Hi All -

I've been trying to do a lot of research since this will be my 1st trip to Disney. But I feel like my research is giving me anxiety attacks! I've been reading don't go to the park on this day, don't do Extra Magic Hours- don't stay there--And then I am reading the opposite of those things. I feel so overwhelmed because 50/50 is saying do that or don't do that. I am throwing in the towel and I am hoping you kind Disney board members could answer my questions

Myself, My Mother and My 5 yr old Daughter will be going to Disney from December 11th to the 19th. The first and last day will be travel dates and we will not be doing anything Disney.

Here's my questions:

Extra Magic Hours (Morning) Is it worth doing EMH? I am hearing that the parks are extra crowded on those days. Is this true?

Extra Magic Hours (Evening) Is that worth doing? I am hearing its more crowded than the morning!

Mickey Very Merry Christmas Party - is the park crowded during the day of a scheduled MVMCP?

Parks - Crowd Reports - are there really certain days you should not visit a certain park?

Is there some kind of strategy to take to avoid crowds or just to be a smart mover through the parks?

Any helpful tips will ease my anxiety

 

[Metro West]

 

[antsss]

Welcome to the boards!! I'm a long time lurker and a sometime poster. I understand your frustration. I felt that too. There are so many people here who have so much info/opinions it can overwhelm us folks who don't have a clue. You have plenty of time so take it slow and plan a bit at a time. Will you have park hoppers? If so, I would do evening and morning EMH and hop to another park during the day. Maybe choose which park to visit depending on the parade/fireworks/show schedules rather than the crowd reports. Start early in the morning and USE FASTPASS as much as possible. Start the day with a few must-do's and then just try and relax and enjoy yourselves! I would also advise bringing a stroller with a stroller cover for your 5-yr old. Don't know about MVMCP - we haven't done that yet. Make sure to make plenty of ADR's. Use Photopass! Have fun!!

 

[Disney Vegas]

Unfortunately, since it is Christmas, it will most likely be crowded no matter what you do but, maybe, due to the economy, they may not be as crowded. Just expect the worst than anything that isn't as bad as you expect, will be a bonus.

One thing I MUST advise you to do is get the Disney Dining Plan, it will save you tons of $$ on food. At first, when they give you the price of the plan for your family, it will seem like OMG..this is crazy, but, believe me, when you break the price down per person, it only comes to about $20-$30 a day per person and when breakfast is around $10-$15, one meal at a quick service counter like McDonalds comes to $10, for a snack, like a Churro and a drink, it is like $7, then dinner in a restaurant is about $20/person you can see how much you are actually saving,.....the Dining plan includes breakfast, lunch, Dinner and a snack. AND you get desert also....we never go to Disney without getting a dining plan and my cousin who never gets the dining plan, ends up spending hundreds of dollars more than us, but he just won't listen.

Don't fret though, just use the fastpasses and even if it is crowded, you will have a great time...THEN you will enjoy it even more if you go on a regular non-holiday time of year, when the park isn't AS busy, but like that, they say the BUSIEST time in the park is the week of Christmas, so you may just miss the huge crowds.

Also, the book "The unofficial guide to WDW" has a ton of great tips and suggestions in there on any question, you could possibly come up with.

 

[toverly]

The most important thing to know about Disney is that it will always be there. We first took our DS around age 5. Pretty much what he wanted to do was take the map and find out where it went. We walked alot and when we passed something we wanted to see we went in. I thought he would love Pirates of the Caribbean but he took one look at the darkness and no way was he going in. At age 9, he loved it. It was great. Just enjoy yourselves, take your time and if you miss something, it will be there the next trip.

 

[antsss]

Oh, also, we LOVED seeing the Christmas decorations. It was really special to be there at holiday time!!!

 

[lovedvc]

You are going at a great time. We have been there that week and there were very little crowds to deal with. Just take your time and enjoy it. Everyone has their own opinion and everyone does the parks differently it is overwhelming but just let things roll.

For Magic Kingdom my only suggestions with a 5 year old is to go straight to Fantasyland and do that area first.

For Hollywood Studios make a bee line for Toy Story.

EMH are fine to do and also don't worry about the crowds the day of MVMCP go and enjoy it and enjoy the look on your child's face.

 

[Disney DieHard]

Hey there SourStraws!

Welcome to the DisBoards! I read your questions and I KNOW that Disney can be overwhelming ... even for us seasoned vets so let me share my opinions and experiences with you! My family and I have been going to Disney for years and I have over 20 visits under my belt ... if that makes you feel better

1. Early Magic Hours - My family AVOIDS the early magic hours with a passion because that park will always be packed! I know you will hear on these boards and from people in general that "Yeah, it's great! The park opens JUST for Disney Resort guests" --- Yeah, it is great but consider how many people are staying at Disney Resorts that are eligible to participate. You're talking about that particular park being crowded BEFORE it's even technically open --- then when it does open you have masses more people who were staying off-property flooding in!

2. Extra Magic Hours - This is different and can be nice if you play it right. In the first hour or two of the Extra Magic Hours it will seem as if the park is still as crowed as ever and for the most part you are right but after that as you approach Midnight and beyond you will notice a dramatic thinning out of the crowds. At that point people, especially those with children leave so they can get back to their hotels and get some sleep for the next day of Disney Magic. It is a long day but if you can survive past Midnight then I think it is worth it ... maybe not for the rides ... but just to walk around in a very thin crowd and be able to snap clear night pictures.

3. Mickey's V.M.C.P. - At that time of the year the parks will be crowed no matter what however I didn't feel that they will be significantly more crowed on a "Party" day than if there weren't. Unless things have changed since I last did that once the time for the party draws near Cast Members and Disney Security will start blocking off all stores and rides to people with out the Mickey's Christmas wristband then they will sweep everyone else out so that the show can start. Once all the non-paying people are out you will notice that it is MUCH less crowed than before ... and surprisingly they are VERY good at getting rid of any stragglers.

4. Crowds - If you're talking about certain DAYS of the week being more crowed than others ... not really. Estimating crowds is done by the time of year (season) and by watching out for holidays or when kids have off from school. For example, if you go during Easter break the parks are going to be crowded, regardless of day, because people are on vacation that time of year. For my family and I ...we don't notice any significant drop for specific days of the week.

5. Smart Movers - Moving smart will come as you gain experience and time in the parks. HOPEFULLY this will not be your first and last trip so in future trips you will have a better idea of what you do and do not want to see and do. However, in the mean time, the smartest time to walk about the park, ESPECIALLY for Magic Kingdom, is during parade times! People stake out their spots up to an hour or two in advance so as the parade times draw closer more and more people will stand and wait for it which will mean that there are fewer people in lines and walking about. Make use of Disney's FastPass system as well as it will help you shave some time off of more popular rides!

Bottom Line, this is your first trip to Disney and you are going to be in awe and some of the fun is being overwhelmed by the magic!

This is YOUR vacation ... we all have our set patterns and little biases so you have to do what you want to do and experience it in your way!

I certainly hope my little write up helps! If you have ANY questions ... about anything I am at your disposal! If you need recommendations on anything ... transportation, hotels or even if it's not Disney ... ask! After 20 years I have done almost everything.

Take Care & Be Safe!!!

Frank
Disney DieHard

 

[Greyhound22]

SourStraws, you have been given some really good advice already. Here is my take: There is no way to see everything on a trip of less than 365 days. So, don't attempt it. That is where the anxiety will begin. Get a book about WDW and read about all of the rides and attractions before hand. Know what are your must-c's and what can wait until next year. It sounds crazy --- but map out a plan. If you don't know what you are doing (where things are, where you'll eat, where are your must-c's) you'll find yourself doing circles and walking back and forth and back and forth. You'll waste time and a lot of energy. Use FP's and make sure you get another when the one you have begins. Make sure you limit your walking (as far as kids go). Send an adult with your park tickets to get your next FP and have the rest of the group wait and rest. THIS IS NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS RIGHT NOW! That way you'll get to ride and see what you and the kids really, really want to. You'll need to pick no more than 4-5 must-c's at each park. Then while you are waiting for the FP time to begin, you can browse and take in the wonder of the park. Which is really what it is all about. And there will be time to ride the smaller rides and attractions while waiting for FP times to begin. Make sure you put into your plan times to eat. If not, you'll forget (because of having so much fun) and it could be too late by the time there is a melt-down! Eat early - before the rush. You might not be hungry yet, but it is much easier than trying to get food when the family is starving and stressed. If you do the pre-planning and stress will be limited on park days and you'll really be able to enjoy the park and your kids enjoying the park. And remember it is IMPOSSIBLE to do everything so don't attempt it and HAVE A BLAST!

 

[tpsh007]

My first visit to WDW was a few years ago from Dec 19 to Dec 27.

The crowds were fine till Dec 23. I think this is a great time to go. The weather was amazing too. On December 25 / 26 we were almost crushed by the crowd at Epcot It was amazing how the crowds suddenly increased starting 25th.

With your dates, I wouldnt worry about the crowds too much. you will need to take a Fastpass for some rides and just come back later.

With a 5 year old, I would take it easy. Some rides can be left out. I agree that fantasyland should be the first stop. Plan it based on the map.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I've been on this board since 2001 and been to WDW 43 times and what I read, I mostly laugh at. There are soooo many experts on here it's hard to tell the good from the bad (advice). I never let this board influence my trips, I read and post mostly for my enjoyment, but still do Disney my way.

We always do Morning park extra hours, best part of the day if you get there early and can breeze thru the main attractions before the sooners wake up and arrive and as for evening hours, where else are you gonna go being the parks close early and about the same time? It's so hit and miss with the crowds that for us being in a park with extended hours is better than being at the resort in the evening doing nothing. Save your shopping till then and leisurely enjoy just the atmosphere of the park.

We never use any tour guides, crowd counters or the like and just do the parks according to EMH, we hit them and same for the dining plan, it's not free and it doesn't save us a dime but others won't go without it. Disney meals are huge and can easily feed 2 people, I've seen so many guests in restaurants order a meal for each member and throw half of each meal away, what a waste, we share most of the time and we do not want to be tied down to schedules and time but rather just do our thing and when hungry we eat, always someplace to find food, you won't starve and TS meals are terrible, time consuming and overpriced.

Just relax, plan you park days and enjoy your time in Disney and stop fretting about everything you read on these boards. You'll have the time of your life.

 

[MajorThomasina]

It seems like everyone is echoing the same thing, but yeah, try to relax. Don't strive to be perfect, you will only be disappointed when something doesn't go your way (therefore causing more stress)!

I agree with Pepe in the sense that you should only take what we say here with a grain of salt. Every Disney vacation is different and unique to you, remember that!

I went to MVMCP last year, but didn't enter the park until the scheduled time. I went roughly the same time you're planning to go. It wasn't that crowded except during the parades (the park schedules two during the party). And as someone else said, this is the perfect time to skip the lines and ride all the rides! Rides first (since everyone wants to see the parade first), parade second (if your little one can stay up that late!).

I also didn't see a real increase or decrease in crowds during EMH, morning or night. Think of only you and the rest of your party if you want to factor in if it's worth getting up extra early or staying out extra late.

One thing I did notice is that the crowd levels dramatically increased on the weekends. This is the time when all the Florida natives like to spend their off days at the parks. It was quite overwhelming, and I recommend preparing yourself!

On the Disney Dining Plan, that's really up to how much you eat and how fancy you want to get. Look over the plans carefully and choose wisely. I see a lot of travelers with kids use the Quick Service Plan because more often than not the kids want to hurry up to the next attraction rather than eat! However, since your party is small, there may be no need to get it, it's all up to you.

That's all the advice I have to give. And do remember that it's a vacation! You have plenty of time to plan it all out! Relax and have fun!

 

[mjp12831]

the right answers for you depend on your personality.

are you and your mother going to want to try to do everything and have an all out experience or are you the types that need/enjoy resting and relaxing? Is your 5yo active and full of energy, or someone who needs a nap and gets over stimulated?

people here tend to give you opinions based on their personality.

if you are going to be on the go all the time, and dont mind getting up early, am emh will be beneficial - they are far less crowded than pm emh. the tradeoff is that you will be getting up and going very early. people on vacation generally will prefer staying up late to getting up early.

we still liked and took advantage of pm emh, but dont expect to get as much done as you would during am emh. if you're not too tired (especially the mother and daughter), try them out - when you get tired, go back to the resort. dont stress this decision.

also, dont stress crowd levels - get comfortable with the fact that you're going to WDW and it's going to be crowded. my personal theory is that this is another thing you shouldn't stress or be worried about - it's not really something you can control.

 

[WDWFWfan]

One thing I MUST advise you to do is get the Disney Dining Plan, it will save you tons of $$ on food. At first, when they give you the price of the plan for your family, it will seem like OMG..this is crazy, but, believe me, when you break the price down per person, it only comes to about $20-$30 a day per person and when breakfast is around $10-$15, one meal at a quick service counter like McDonalds comes to $10, for a snack, like a Churro and a drink, it is like $7, then dinner in a restaurant is about $20/person you can see how much you are actually saving,.....the Dining plan includes breakfast, lunch, Dinner and a snack. AND you get desert also....we never go to Disney without getting a dining plan and my cousin who never gets the dining plan, ends up spending hundreds of dollars more than us, but he just won't listen.

Actually, it's not quite that good of a deal. Depending on season the Standard Dining Plan (Plus) will set you back either $41.99 or $46.99 per adult or $11.99 or $12.99 per child. This does not include breakfast, you get one counter service meal, one table service meal and one snack. For a family of four that comes to $167.96 - $187.96 per day (assuming kids are 10+).

On a budget, our family can easily have a pop-tart for breakfast, eat two counter service meals and carry our own snacks for about $75 per day. Over our two week stay the cost savings is about $1,500!!!

I guess it all depends on where you want to eat and what you want to spend, but I've never been able to make the dining plan make financial sense for us. The perk to the dining plan is that you get to eat whatever you want (with a few exceptions), but then you do have to make reservations and keep to a pretty strict schedule as well.

 

[MammaNicholas]

Hey. I was just in your boat a few years ago, being over whelmed by the information on the internet about Disney. On our last trip, in April, we decided how we will handle EMH from now on. We were on vacation, so we were not getting up early. So we went to the parks later in the afternoon and did the Evening Magic Hours. It was wonderful. Crowds thinned out after about an hour, so we got way more than we planned done. Since we were sleeping late, the kids (DD8, DS4) weren't cranky and really enjoyed being out so late. And since the day we left to come home we left earlier, they were pooped when we got home, making it easy to get them back on schedule for school.

Just don't forget, you cannot do everything in one trip, that is why everyone who really loves it goes again and again. Take your time to relax and plan one or two days to enjoy your hotel or Down Town Disney (love the $10 or less store for suvinors). Just take it easy, you're on vacation.

 

[Camp Rd. Lady]

My husband and I love to break up the day and come back to the room for some down time.(nap,swim,read) Your daughter will probably enjoy the resort pools and making new friends. Sad to see some parents dragging their kids (crying) out of the pool to go see the "next" park, show, parade,etc. Disney is exciting and sometimes overwhelming. Please don't over stress or plan. It is a VACATION so relax and enjoy.

 

[rhpools]

I always base my days on parades and shows. (Ex.) Fantasmic only shows certain days, so I get the show and parade calender and then I plan where I am going when.

 

[blondietink]

We are only able to afford the dining plan when it is "free" as we are 4 people all considered adults. when it is not offered "free", we just eat a small breakfast of cereal or sweet rolls in our room for breakfast, get a snack at the park during the day and go back to our room to make some dinner/get a pizza/go offsite for dinner, etc. We only do 1 character buffet when we are paying out of pocket for food. We do this so we can stay another couple of days with the money we save. Good luck!

 

[raelynne]

I know you are wondering about the EMHs. I am not sure if you are getting park hoppers, but what has worked well for us is going to the emh (morning) and if the park becomes too full we just hop over to another park. There are several sites that can give you suggestions on which parks to go to each day and you can use those also to help you figure it out. I know to hop or not to hop is a very controversal issue, but with a 5 year old, I always found it helpful. The other thing I would truly do is watch for signs from her when she is getting tired and needs a break. Believe me if the kid ain't happy, then no body's happy!!! Sometimes your break can be as simple as going on a longer slow ride or it can be sitting down for an ice cream and then sometimes you need to go back to the room for a break. Like others have said, the main thing is to enjoy yourself, figure out your have-toos and realize it will take another trip to see everything, so do not wear yourself out too much, because then it won't be fun anymore. One other piece of advice, like you have not gotten enough, is to take a break in the middle of the week, it helps so much. It does not have to be all day, but just a late morning does wonders for giving you that extra energy you need. WE are arriving the day you leave, so I will have to listen to this advise for myself also!! LOL!! I hope you have a wonderful trip and happy planning!

 

[CdnBuzzFan]

At the beginning of December, crowds are supposed to be low anyway so I wouldn’t stress too much about that. My family goes to Disney during the off seasons and we always go to the parks on the EMH days. DS was 5 the first time we went. We’re early risers and like to get to the parks whenever they open and then stay as late as we can. You’ll know best how much your family can take in a day but I don’t think you should let the issue of the crowds determine which days you’re at which parks. Use the FastPass like others have mentioned as much as you possibly can. It will cut down the your wait times for some of the rides. If you have the regular dining plan or the deluxe dining plan, it’s always best to make your reservations in the same parks or at a resort nearby. That will cut down on a lot of time spent traveling. Decide which rides you would like to do and if they have the FastPass option, go directly to that ride first and get your FastPass. It will give you a time range to return and instead of waiting, you can go a do something else in the park and then come back to that ride at the specified time. Don't forget to check the height restrictions on the rides you're DD would like to do.

Just take your coming and going cues from your DD and don't give the crowds another thought! Enjoy your trip!