What NOT to do at WDW?

[minnesotafreeze]

Skip Epcot and focus on the other 3 fantastic parks. Have a great trip!

[Goes4FastPass]

Skip Epcot...

And most of all, don't believe everything you read.

[2Epcot]

I really don't like telling anybody to skip anything in the park they haven't seen at least once. Even the attractions that I'm not fond of should be seen at least one time to really enjoy everything WDW has to offer.

.... i LOVE the universe of energy ride. i think it's worth it!

You should have plenty of time with 6 days like everyone said and I liked Ellen's Energy Adventure, don't skip it if you have plenty of time

I agree ... Though I don't like the Ellen version of Universe of Energy (still a fan of the original) I think it is a true unique Epcot attraction, and is a must see (at least once) when visiting the park.

Skip Epcot and focus on the other 3 fantastic parks. Have a great trip!

Considering many people including myself consider Epcot the best park in the resort, and spend at least 2 days there, while many on these boards talk about spending 1/2 days at The Studios and Animal Kingdom parks this advice is an extreme minority opinion.

[wire0monkey]

The people who tell you that tastes vary widely are right.

Some people really love Turtle Talk with Crush and my kids think it's really, really boring.

They really like Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and Stitch's Great Escape and Journey into Imagination, though, and lots of people really dislike those.

I'd get a guide book and make my best guess.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Skip Epcot and focus on the other 3 fantastic parks. Have a great trip!

NOOOO, don't skip Epcot its awesome

[disneykid@hrt]

In 6 days you should be able to cover anything that you have set out to do. Reading a general description of a ride can help out quite a bit.

It really depends on the ages of your kids too. A PP said to skip Pooh and a dew other Fantasyland attractions, and although I skipped them for basically a whole decade and was fine with it, now with my 2 year old Fantasyland is a must-do.

Stitch is pretty lame to me, but DH loves it and so he will not miss it. He also does not see the "point" to the TTA, while I love to sit back and take in Tomorrowland for a few minutes on the TTA.

If you are a thrill seeker, you'll want to spend more time at DHS. If you are into animal exhibits- AK. World culture, scince- Epcot.

I love the Magic Kingdom as it takes me right back to my childhood. DH only sees outdated non-thrill rides and overly aggressive parents.

Whatever you choose to do you will have a great time. I could spend a day just "being" at Disney- if the back of my mind wasn't telling me to hop on another ride!! Have a great time- and hey, if you don't get it all done, you can always come back.

[Frog]

we had fun going in with out a plan on our first trip, and just experiencing it as it happend...
no "adrs", no "this park this day, that park that day", no "must do this ride now". we didnt know any better!
I think because we didnt push a plan, the "magic" was able to find us...
It was a complete blast! We come from high presure jobs, so the laid back approach was super nice.

[mudpuppysmom]

As many people have already said, everyone has different ideas of what is a must do and a must skip.

What I always tell people who ask me why we keep going back year after year is that each trip is different; kids are older and can do/see different things. Adults can also do/see different things each trip b/c things change constantly it seems like!

I highly suggest getting your hands on a map if you can and try to "map" out your day. Go thru the map with everyone in your party and see what they want to do/see. Then try to accomplish as much as you can, but again you are more than likely not going to get to do and see everything there is to do! One thing I have come to find is that when I sit down with my family what was a must do two years ago is not today - it is something that if we have time we do.

As for using FP, here is our strategy, if we do not have a "runner" with us.....when we approach an attraction and the wait time is just out of the question, we grab a FP and continue on to something else then when we finish the park we go back and catch what we have FP for. Now this is great in theory, but sometimes does not work well -- like during peak times when say ALL of Fantasyland is over hour waits....which attraction do you get a FP for.....it all comes down to the prioritizing thing. AND, if you are staying on property you can possibly utilize EMH to knock these things out (AM always seems to work better! LATE night is also a good time).

I don't think that anyone can really tell you what is a must do and a must miss unless they really know your family likes and dislikes, so I say try to map out a plan of your own and go with that -- actually go with whatever happens -- those seem to be the best trips!

[Red Randal]

As far as touring goes and which rides to do and not do, it really all depends on your family and what you enjoy. My family loves Epcot, we don't love Animal Kingdom. Yours might be the complete opposite. If you don't like roller coasters, don't ride them. If you don't like shows and love thrill rides then go on Rockin Roller Coaster 10 times and skip Beauty and the Beast. But most importantly, don't be afraid to try something. If there's a really short line and you have the time, give it a shot. There's really nothing BAD at Disney. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself no matter what you do.

That having been said, when you get home you will definitely have a list of things you wish you had a chance to do, things you wish you didn't do, and things you have to do if you make another trip.

As far as things I would consider really big mistakes, I would avoid the following...

• It's February. You don't need to visit a water park. They're great if you like water parks but they can be skipped that time of year.
• Other "outside the park" things. Don't plan on spending a whole day at Downtown Disney or exploring off site unless it's a matter of stretching out your tickets.
• Plan TOO MANY meals at sit down restaurants. Priority Seating is a must these days and Disney has many excellent spots to dine but don't over do it and lose the spontanity that can make a Disney trip so great. A character meal or two, a restaurant you think looks really great, and maybe one other one max.
• Backstage tours. Save that for a visit in the future.
• Don't plan out too much stuff so that you don't have time to relax, refresh, and be spontaneous.

And as an add on to my last note, the Unofficial Guide's touring plans can be great for first time visitors. They can be a little regimented and often cause you to run around the parks quite a bit but if you want to make sure you see and do as much as possible with minimal standing in line then they are well worth it. Check out their website for all of the many plans you can get.

Most of all...HAVE FUN!!!

[darthmacho]

Sounds Dangerous is a waste of time. Other than that, everything is fair game. If it is your first time, start with the most popular stuff, do them early, and work to the next tier, getting in as much as you can. Anything you miss? Plan another trip!

On a personal note, I'd never bother with the new American Idol attraction, but I assume it's popular, and would recommend it to those that like the show, I suppose.

[darthmacho]

I also agree with Red Raider's advice about too many sit down meals. Our first trip we were eating full meals three times a day. By the end of the week, we were just going through the motions and we were often eating dinner at expensive places and we weren't even hungry.
Moderation in all things.

[PrincessAriel514]

That is cool family's first wow what my family does is we try to get there early in the morning to eat and as soon as we get out.We get out to go get fastpass for the afternoon.But, if we can t get there early then oh well we try our best but no fastpasses or fastpasses a good mermorie to last!!!! ( HAVE FUN!!!! )





MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT
168 MORE DAYS TO GO WOOHOO

[PrincessAriel514]

DONT FORGET ABOUT MEALS

[bouncer]

This is what I do (and I LOVE planning):

I make a list of park events and closings. Example...on Monday MK closes at 9 Spectromagic is at 7 and fireworks are at 8. Epcot closes at 9 and and Illuminations is at 8 etc...

Then I take a look at which park I'd like to be at. Example...I want to see Illuminations on Tuesday and see Spectromagic on Wednesday.

Then I look at the restaurants that appeal to our tastes (refer to menus on Intercot) and book the Dining Reservation if available. If what I want isn't available, I go for my next choice at that park or switch parks and days to get what I want.

Then I start to choose what time we want to get to the park. Example...If we had a late night do we really want to go to park open the next day? Or- I want to go on Toy Story Mania --let's get there at park open and go straight to it.

After I have the frame work laid out I fill in with items that I think look fun. Since we've been several times we've started hitting our "must-do's" first and then do things we've never done before.

I may be a little extreme, but I make up a spreadsheet to show the park hours and events so that if we change our plan because we wanted to stay longer I can easily see in one place what the rest of the week's park schedule looks like. I also put our reservation confirmation #s on it with the Dining hotline # so that if I need to cancel it is easily accessible. Also, when choosing which park to go to, take a good look at extra magic hours. If the park has extra magic hours it will tend to be busier - so you may want to go that particular park the day following extra magic hours.

What to skip? My son doesn't like roller coasters (YET) and won't sit still for a longer show. I try to go to rides that fit his interest first, then mine, then shows. Use longer sit down rides for some quiet time. We go back to our resort to rest or swim in the afternoon and go to a park for the fireworks. If we've had a really busy day (since we stay at Polynesian) we will get a snack and watch the fireworks from our room. It's a great way to end a long day.

I think what everyone has said is: rank the attractions and choose a what to do first and not necessarily a what not to do at all list.

Feel free to PM me if you want and have a great trip!!

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

Unless you feel this will be your one and ONLY trip to WDW don't turn yourself into an exhausted mass of frazzled nerves.

Remember...you are on vacation...relax...enjoy.

It never ceases to amaze me when we see the families frantically dashing from one place to another like it is a race. How can doing that for a week (or 6 days) be fun?
Vacation is a time to unwind and have a good time.

We learned the hard way how important it was not to lose sight of that when our DD was little.

As many people have commented, only your group can decide for yourselves what is a "must do" or a "no way" for you. That's part of the fun, experiencing the attractions and deciding what you did or didn't like.

Have fun and be sure to come back here and tell us how the trip went!!

[kemps@wdw]

Even though this is your 1st trip to the World, it probably won't be your last. With that in mind, DON'T make the mistake of thinking that you'll be able to do it all, and DON'T even try. You can read a hundred different posts about what you should and should not miss, and you'll get a hundred different answers (with the exception of 1 or 2 attractions). My advice, read and watch all you can about WDW and plan what you REALLY want to do the 1st time around. Once those are done, the rest is gravy. If you're staying on property and have park hopper options, make time for a little "down time" in between parks @ your resort. A cool swim or a nice little nap can do wonders!

[LVT]

I am happy for you. Do your homework. This place is the size of a small city and you get tired and lost.
Read tips from various on-line sites and books and memo them. Some will make living out of a suitcase easier and others will help your feet.
Our family started the disney addiction when the younger was 12 and now we go when he is 18.
Plenty of choices for all.

[memphisqueen]

My 8 year old likes the Birnbaun Guide for Kids. It gets her excited about the planning phase. I have used the Unofficial Guide, Birnbaum, and Intercot to plan all our trips. We have been 5 times and planning our 6th visit for this June. Every trip has been different and wonderful, which is why we keep going back. Here are things I skipped for the first trip, but did the 2nd time that we felt was a waste of time.
MK-Stitch's Great Escape(gross)
HS-Sounds Dangerous(boring)
AK-Flights of Wonder(neat, but too long, imo)
EP-Honey, I Shrunk the Audience(too dated)
Just my opinion.
Have fun! I hope you have a magical vacation.

[Lakin]

I agree with those who say do what you want. Why skip attractions by not knowing if you like it? I say, do what you want this trip, so you know whether you want to do it or not next trip.

My only advice is that if you don't like loud noises, don't go on DINOSAUR.

[Gator]

DON"T forget to take pictures and video of everything you do. You'll love your trip so much that when you get back, you'll be wishing you had more pictures and home video of everything. It's the only thing that will satisfy those Disney cravings once you get back home.