First time going to Disney!

tom11114

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Hi everyone! Fell upon this site using reddit and was told that this is a very knowledgeable board, but this is a lot to take in.

I'm planning to go to Disney World next month, but didn't realize how much involved this will be. It was a last minute trip since my girlfriend and I were able to get our vacation days aligned, but now I feel like this can be a pretty bad idea since we're complete newbs and this probably isn't enough time to plan so hopefully you guys can help.

I was hoping to get a reservation at a Disney resort, but looks like that's no longer an option. What would be a good alternative while keeping the Disney spirit alive?

Fast-pass? Worth the costs?

Thanks in advance guys!
 
Why can't you get a reservation at an onsite resort? Fast passes don't cost anything, so you don't have to worry about that.

Book your resort as soon as you can. If you can't stay on property, try the swan and dolphin resorts.

What exactly are you wanting to do, and for how many days? There are four parks and they're all worth a visit, even for first timers, but if you only have a day or two, you'd have to narrow things down.

It really isn't that hard to plan a last minute trip, you just have to have some idea of what you'd like to do
 
You may be a bit late to the party, but it doesn't mean the fun is over. Depending on your dates, you may still be able to get an onsite hotel if you are flexible with which one you want to stay at. You'll see a huge variance in prices depending on what's available and what tier the hotel is. Disney defines the resorts into the following categories:
  • Value - low frills but solid service. These resorts will have a quick service dining location ( think cafeteria ) and a shop for sundries and souvenirs.
  • Moderate - rooms are a bit larger than the Value. More themed. Resorts will have a quick service and some have a table service also. You'll also have a shop for sundries and souvenirs.
  • Deluxe - Even larger rooms ( although some are only slightly larger than the moderates ), quick service and table service dining options, at least one shop but most have more than 1. These resorts are also usually very close to one of the 4 major theme parks.

I also second, that if you can't get onsite, try the Dolphin and Swan and these are within walking distance to Epcot. If they aren't available or the price range is outside your budget, I'd also look at resorts on Hotel Blvd as those are very close to Disney Springs and are easy to access most Disney areas from there.

Once you have the hotel the rest can be fit in.

Enjoy!
 
My main advice is not to go with the "this is a once a lifetime experience" mindset. Do it as a first opportunity to taste WDW, with the idea that you are likely to return, with more contextual information to properly plan all the details you want. It is a way to remove a lot of pressure from your shoulders. It is likely that you won't be at THE hotel you want to be, you won't tour all the attractions you want to experience, you won't see all the shows you want to attend, etc. Keep this in mind. Beyond the figures you can read, it is really hard to realize how large and diverse WDW is before your first visit.
 


@tom11114 , I'm not sure if my response is too late or not, but I highly recommend looking up MEI Mousefan Travel. They're a fee-free travel agency. Disney pays them so you don't have to! They can come up with great park admission/resort/hotel packages and are extremely knowledgeable about Disney travel and can answer a lot of questions you may have.
https://mousefantravel.com/

Have a magical time!
 



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