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  1. #1
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    Default Dumb things you did on your first (pre-Intercot discovery) trip

    I was talking to a woman I know who just did her first trip with her family, with precious little research ahead of time. She was telling me some decisions they made, which just puzzled me, but I figured to just chalk it up to newbie error. What stupid thing(s) did you do on your first trip, before you became a Disney expert?

    My first trip as an adult was about 10 years ago and I remember literally carrying the massive “Idiot’s Guide” through the parks; in hindsight, we were considerably underprepared, though I can’t think of anything particularly dumb we did. This stuff makes the list, I guess.
    • Stay off property (which is not entirely dumb, depending, but we really didn’t do the research to know to stay on site, which we should have)
    • Eat at Denny’s and generally plan for way more time off-property than necessary
    • Not claiming a parade spot far enough in advance, and then expecting that by sitting on a curb a crowd of people three deep wouldn’t stand in front of us.
    • Not taking time to explore resorts
    • Not packing warm clothes in March (one day it didn’t top 50 degrees)
    • And then some attractions we went to, which were clearly a waste of time for us (but we were trying to take in everything, I will say, given it was our first trip), such as the Country Bears and The Circle of Life AK movie
    • Being unaware of little stuff, like hidden Mickeys, detailed effects, the party-line payphone and raining umbrella-type things, and cult food favorites like Dole Whips, etc.

    I remember as a kid – my very first trip and obviously I wasn’t in charge – we got to the park like, two hours after opening and left each day with several hours still remaining for the parks to be open. At the time I wondered why we were leaving, but as a sixth-grader, didn’t have much say. We’d leave and get in our hotel pool. Sigh, Dad and Mom!
    "You used all the glue on purpose!"

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Illinois
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    Stayed off property and ate dinner at Sizzler!
    Laura
    "Any wish is possible. All it takes is a little courage to set it free!" Jiminy Cricket
    25+ trips to WDW and counting! Stayed at: Poly, WL, Kidani, SSR, BLT, BCV, CSR, VB, POR, Jambo, OKW, CR, VGF & BW!
    Next Up: Nov 2017 - SSR!
    DVC Member & AP holder since 2008!

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
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    Texas
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    • Not getting to the parks till 11 am.
    • Not being prepared for the mid-afternoon showers (at least we got lucky and were in a store when the monsoon hit!)
    Holiday Villas (2000 & 2001)
    Parc Corniche (2002 & 2007)
    Comfort Inn Lake Buena vista (2008)
    Port Orleans Riverside (2009 & 2010)
    Pop Century Resort (2011 & 2012)

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Holyoke, Ma
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    Default Rookie Mistakes

    We ran, ran, ran.
    I didn't know when I was coming back. We needed a vacation after the vacation.
    Jen
    Massachusetts


    October 1995 - Carribean Beach

    November 2007 - All Star Movies


    August 2016 - All Star Music/Port Orleans Riverside

    August 2019 - All Star Music/Polynesian

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    York, PA
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    Let's see....It was 2003...I had never been to a Disney property, nor did I have any real draw to visit, but my wife had been to WDW in her late teens (>20 years prior) and wanted to go back...For our 5th anniversary, I gave in and booked a trip, through AAA.......

    In my ignorance, and, to be honest, lack of interest, nothing was planned other than the lodging and ticket portion of the trip.

    I did not even do any research prior to the trip. I am a programmer and had been internet savvy for years prior to this. I knew how to do research, I just didn't. (Very unlike me, as I research EVERYTHING!!!)

    We got checked in to Caribbean Beach, checked out the room/resort for a few minutes, then headed to MK for my first indoctrination to WDW....What an awakening!

    We didn't even know where to eat - Counter Service?? Table Service?? Pull out the map and find something. At one point, we were getting very hungry in EPCOT and had no idea where to go - ended up at Coral Reef, waiting almost an hour for a table. Tired, frustrated, we did not enjoy our meal or the aquarium setting at all. We didn't even know that there were restaurants in World Showcase!!

    Downtown Disney?? Boardwalk?? What are these? Never heard of them and they were only briefly glossed over in the brochures.

    Extra magic Hours? (Whatever they were called at that point) They meant nothing to us.

    We basically walked around the parks, rode rides, watched shows, oblivious to all we were missing.

    We STILL fell in love with the place!!!

    Upon our return, I started doing my research for our next visit and I was amazed at how much we had missed out on. Now, I am almost obsessed with keeping track of all the happenings at WDW!!! And INTERCOT is my main source of information!!!!

    Sorry for being so long-winded!!!!
    -Bud

    Walt Disney World:
    9/03 - CBR
    1/09 - BWV
    9/05; 2/07; 12/07; 9/08; 9/09; 9/10; 9/11; 12/13; 12/17; 4/18; 10/18, 4/23 - PC
    5/15 - POR
    1/22 - ASMO
    10/22 - ASMU

    Disneyland: 12/15 - Paradise Pier Hotel

    Next up: ???

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    Not necessarily a "first timer" mistake, but definitely I did not plan well enough for potential cold weather in January. I did bring a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, but ended up having to re-run the jeans and buy another sweatshirt and gloves when it ended up being one of the coldest Januarys on record (2003).
    CBR - February 1992
    CBR - April 1993
    AS Music - February 1994
    AS Movies - February 2000
    Contemporary/DCL - April/May 2001
    AS Movies - January 2003
    CBR/DCL - September 2005
    Pop Century - May 2007
    Art of Animation - May 2013
    AS Movies - September 2013
    Pop Century - April/May 2015

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Chaska, Minnesota
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    My 1st trip I took my 2 yr old son in 1999. My husband couldn't come with so I asked a co-worker and her middle school aged daughter. BIG mistake!!

    She couldn't afford much so I never looked into staying on site, so stayed off site in a nasty hotel.

    We ate Mc Donalds every meal, again she didn't have much money.

    Went in July, didn't get to the parks till 11am, and left by 2.
    Only rode a couple things, and saw the show with Bear in the Big Blue House.

    Didn't research it enough. If I had I would have gone alone with my son, instead I asked her and she drank like a fish all day and night and was doing drugs I found out too.

    Never again, we always stay onsite & I have a real of no Mc Donalds while down there.
    1999 off site- July
    2001 All Star Movies- Sept
    2004 CBR-Oct
    2005 Poly won free from Disney-Jan
    2007 POP-Oct
    2010 POP-Oct

    2013POP - Oct First trip /all 3 kids- DD's 1st
    2014 All Star Movies-Nov / Mother son 2 day visit, after college tours
    2016 POP-Sep

  9. #8
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    Sep 2004
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    Atlanta
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    First year my wife and I went I planned the trip (but didn't plan very much). We stayed offiste (it wasn't bad...but onsite is much better IMO). We had NO ADR's - didn't even know you could make them. I had NO idea there were actual restaurants inside WDW. Last time I had gone I was 13. (I remembered eating CS.)
    We ate 1 table service meal - Plaza Restaurant. When we asked for a table they asked if we had a reservation. I was surprised. When we said "no" they looked at us like we were from Mars. They got us in anyway (15 min wait).

    THEN...I discovered Intercot. Boy, has it been different (better) since then...

  10. #9
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    Mar 2004
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    Well, the first time we went as husband and wife in 2001 we were overall pretty lucky, but those were the days you didn't need ADRs for anything.

    I would say we ran from morning to night and came home exhausted. Didn't take any breaks. We arrived home so tired. We also stayed only 4 days, which was not enough but we were on a tight budget then.
    Trips: Too Many to Count! Last Trips: April 2013 CSR; July 2013 Aloha Aulani, The Sequel, Hawaii. Multiple trips to WDW, DL, DCL!

    Coming up: September 2013 "Scary September" at Disneyland/DCA/Universal Hollywood.

    Proud DVC Members since 2004!

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Those are bad and did most of those, but the worse thing I did was plan and make reservations without INTERCOT and MAGICAL JOURNEYS..

    What was I thinking.

    Well that is fixed now..
    Itchy for another trip

    Caribbean Beach 1989, 90, 92
    All St Movies 1999, 04, 05, 11
    All St Sports 2006
    Pop 2007, 08 x2, 09 x2, 10, 12 x2,13,14,15,16,17,18,2021,23
    POR 2010 x2, 11
    Coronado Springs 2019

  12. #11
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    Jul 2005
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    Connecticut
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    We planned pretty well, but we did make the mistake of avoiding the Counter Service restaurants for too many trips, missed out on some Disney staple treats.
    Sherri
    Next: Aulani Celebration 10/2018 (50th)
    Past Stays: Contemporary, GF, Poly, BC, POP, POR, Dolphin, AKL Kidani, BLT
    1990 August Honeymoon- GF
    Delighted Disney Return Guest since 1981, DVC (BLT) since 2014


  13. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
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    Modesto, CA
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    Oh, man. If it weren't for all the stupid things I did on the first trip, I'd have never found Intercot and posted.... holy cow, I've posted how many times?

    * Never made an ADR before the trip. The only ressie I made was a dinner at Crystal Palace, and I made that the morning of. Hard to believe there was a time you could do that.

    * Came in June. We'll never do that again. Hot and crowded. I may face crowds again one day, but never in that heat and humidity.

    * Stayed at Alligator Bayou at POR. A travel agent told us it was quiet - and with good reason. Why would anyone want to stay in an apartment complex in south Birmingham.

    * Paidn full price. Never paid full price again, or at least never paid full during anything but the value season.

    * Didn't take enough pictures. When we got back, I was mad that i didn't have a bunch of pictures of the attractions and icons. I've since remedied that - by a lot.
    My name is Gator. You killed my Sorcerer's Hat. Prepare to die.

    DL 2-17,8-17, 11-17; DL 2016; DL 11-2015; DL-DL-Hotel 2-2015; DL 2014; DL-Paradise Pier 2013; POFQ Dec 2012; CSR - Jan 2011; AKL-Kidani - Jan 2010; A.S.Mov - Dec 2008; CSR - Dec 2006; DL Feb 2006; CBR - Feb 2004; POR - Jun 2002

  14. #13
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    May 2011
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    We did absolutely NO planning on our first trip, our Honeymoon. I realize how lucky we were! We went during Thanksgiving week and we were able to get the Cali grill on Thanksgiving and the Luau about 1 hour before show time! We only did 4 days, because we went on the Disney Cruise also.

    We stayed at the Polynesian and didn't explore at all. I am thankful that we are able to go every year now and can make up for all that we missed!
    Debbie
    Feb 87- off site/Nov 98-Poly
    98- Disney Magic Inaugural Cruise
    Jul 03-off site
    Sept 05/Aug. 11/Nov '20 -Pop Nov 08-POR
    Aug 09/May 10-ASMu
    Nov. 09-Disneyland/California Adv.
    Aug. 12- OKW
    Aug 13 SS
    Oct 14 AKL/AoA
    Oct. 18 POP
    Aug 19- Movies

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
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    Canal Fulton, OH
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    Not my first trip, by any means, but...

    Taking the family to Magic Kingdom, single-day visit, Christmas week, 1998.

    I was still in the military then, and we were on "vacation" to visit my and my (ex) wife's families, who both lived about an hour or so away (from the parks). We had always taken trips up as kids, three or four times a year, but, it was one of those things where my aunt worked for a company that had bought out the park, so we had no need to really plan (late '70s - early '80s).

    Anyways....on leave for the holidays, so we decided to see if the families wanted to go to Magic Kingdom during the week - not *ever* knowing what the crowds were like for the holidays. We figured, "It can't be *that* crowded, everyone's celebrating at home", and, the Christmas parade - which was still shown live from the park at the time - was three days prior to our visit.

    How wrong we were....LOLOL...

    Took us an hour to get from US192 to the parking lot. Ended up parking in the grass out by the WDW Speedway. Went and bought our tickets - 45 minutes in line there. Took another hour and a half just to get on the Monorail and to the front gate. By now, it was about 11am. I think we got on *maybe* about seven rides all day - and then got caught up in the night parade mess in the Hub. Keep in mind, this was all pre-FastPass.

    It was *miserable*....LOL

    By far, the *worst* visit I've ever had at the parks.
    Former WDW Magic Kingdom Cast Member (2001-2010): Main Street Parades/WDWRR Engineer/Conductor; Frontierland Attractions; Tomorrowland Attractions

    Last: Sep '14 (Coronado Springs)
    Next:Oct 2015: MNSSHP

    Have you ever dreamed the dreams of the children...?

  16. #15
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    Aug 2007
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    I grew up going on visits with my parents, we always ate counter service. This was back when the ONLY resorts were Poly and Contemporary. We stayed off property a bunch of times, and then in one of the garden wings of the Contemporary a few times. I think the ONLY time we EVER ate at a restaurant was Kona. Honestly the only thing I rememer is AMAZING bread (very sweet) that they brought to the table... mind you I was in about 6th grade - 9th grade and I turn 40 this year. I NEVER knew there were resturaunts other than CS in any of the parks. Again back then there was only MK and EPCOT.
    Trish

    Next Trip Jan 2015 1 night POR, then BWV renting points
    Sept 2013 BWV renting points
    Nov 2012 BWV renting points for my big 4-0
    Sept 2011 BWV renting points
    Sept 2009 POP
    Sept 2008 POP
    Sept. 2007 POP
    Sept 2003 ASMu

  17. #16
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    Feb 2006
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    Louisville, KY
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    I did research & I did plan our first trip! I planned alot! We stayed on property, had a character meal, visited all the parks, I had a proposed itenerary for each day with attraction listings & a touring plan! BUT I planned a park a day! No breaks - arrive at park opening & pretty much stayed until park closing it was early May so parks weren't open late & this was before Extra Magic hours! By day 4 we hit "The Wall"! Wow, were we tired, & sad that we'd planned such a short trip! Even with all my planning, I didn't get it! The sheer size & exciting adventures & surprises at every turn! And I wasn't prepared for how much time we were going to spend waiting in the Meet & Greet lines for all those character's autograph's! WOW! One day per park now - Now we know better & we know that we like to revisit our fav's, we take breaks every day & we don't shop until after lunch when it's crowded & no point in hurrying along anymore! Now we stay as long as possible, enjoy a day off mid trip and another sleep in day to recharge, enjoy our resort pool and head to Epcot WS in the afternoon - wow I think that day is always a favorite - every trip! Just leisurely & relaxing! Nothing like that first whirlwind trip when DH & I had each had a DS's hand literally running from Adventureland to Tomorrow land to ride one more thing before the park closed - at 7 pm! I remember this so clearly!
    Shari
    -"There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow..."

    '02 - All Star Movies
    '04, '05, '06, '10, '11, '16, '19, '21 - Pop Century

    '08 - Offsite/Pop Century
    '13, '21 - Offsite
    '17 - Port Orleans/French Quarter!

  18. #17
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    Aug 2003
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    Nikki=Tampa, Carolyn=Switzerland
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    great thread!

    I hae been going to Disney since its opening day - I was 10 months old. Like many of you - I couldn't begin to count the number of times. I have loved Intercot since 2003 (I think?).

    So...you would think that the first time I went with my KIDS, I would be SO prepared!?!?

    NOT. I remember that trip - 2009 - my daughter was turning 4 and my son was 2. I guess overload of flying, jetlag, work stress?? I don't know...but Nikki and I planned the trip that we thought the kids would like w/o thinkging about what they would need (NAPS?!) We also stayed at Ft Wilderness cabins for the first time and underestimated transport time. It was also first family-style trip for my husband and well, I forgot to plan for his needs too! (Casey's hotdog on the fly doesn't cut it!).

    So... a whirlwind trip and thank goodness we took pix but what I really remember is that my overplanning mode hadn't really kicked in yet!!
    Carolyn & Nikki - Two sisters whose first visit was the day before the Magic began...and have been hooked ever since!

  19. #18
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    May 2003
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    Tink, we did something similar. For us it was actually a nine-day trip and each day was open to close in a park. Five at WDW, three at Universal, and one at Sea World. I look back at that and just shake my head (and am in kind of awe of my younger self as well). My poor eight-year-old daughter! We were so completely wiped out.....

    Disneykid I think you have been a member since 2003....August of that year, if memory serves. (it's beside your name in your post header)
    "You used all the glue on purpose!"

  20. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
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    Too far from WDW!
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    In all honesty I love Intercot for new information. I enjoy dining reviews information about new attractions and resosrts.
    I also appreciate being introduced to Magical Journeys.

    Otherwise...we have always tacked our WDW trips with fun and efficency.
    Too many trips to count!
    Disneyland!
    DisneyWorld!
    Disneyland Paris!
    Coming soon Tokyo!
    [SIZE=4][/SIZE

    I have stayed at: All Star Movies, All Star Music, Pop Century, Art of Animation, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort

  21. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Houston, TX
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    My first trip as an adult was in September '95. We stayed off-property (I'll never do that again), and ran ourselves ragged, trying to take everything in in one trip.
    EJ in Houston

    3-16 -- Port Orleans Riverside
    11-12 -- Pop Century
    11-11 -- Animal Kingdom Lodge
    11-09 -- All-Star Sports
    11-07 -- All-Star Sports
    11-05 -- All-Star Sports
    09-95 -- Off Property
    3 prior visits as a child beginning in '72 -- Polynesian/Contemporary Resorts

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