This site is different from any other source in a number of ways:
THE ONLY SOURCE DESIGNED SOLELY FOR THE NEEDS OF FIRST TIME FAMILY VISITORS
On the web and in books, there are trillions of bytes of information for visitors to Walt Disney World. But no other source focuses solely on the needs of first time visitors.
THE ONLY SOURCE THAT DESIGNS THE PERFECT TRIP
If you dig through other guidebooks and websites, you will find, buried in them and scattered, most of the core advice in this site.
None, however, brings all this advice into one simple 200 word list of what to do. Follow those 200 words, print out and do the to-do list, and print out and follow the itinerary and the pages provided for each day of your trip, and you are done!
THE ONLY SOURCE THAT GIVES NEXT BEST OPTIONS
If you can’t follow one of the simple instructions, this site always provides next best options, always ranked in order.
Designing your perfect vacation may be just a page or more away from the core instructions.
But because of the variety of ways in which you may not be able to follow the instructions, there are more than 150,000 words on this site. However, all of these words are organized so that you can simply and quickly click through to the next best option for you, ignoring the tens of thousands of words irrelevant to you.
THE ONLY SOURCE THAT LEAVES OUT WHAT FIRST TIME VISITORS DON’T NEED TO KNOW
Other guidebooks describe in great detail all the rides and attractions. First time visitors should not read them!
- As a first time visitor, the last thing you need is step by step descriptions of what happens on a ride!!! Just like a movie, many of the best rides and attractions at Walt Disney World gain their impact from visitors not knowing what comes next, and how they end. Don’t read about rides before you go! This site contains only the most critical information about rides: which ones you could skip, and how different rides and attractions appeal to different age groups.
The site also leaves out other material that you will find in guidebooks, such as how to parent your children. You have better sources for this than a guidebook…though see this if for some odd reason you do care about my thoughts on parenting my guys…
IT BRINGS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS OF ANY GUIDE
Other guidebooks treat complex topics glibly.
For example
- They may simply give you average daily highs, instead of a probabilistic analysis of the chance you will have good pool weather in February, or
- Compare the 314 square feet rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter to the 344 square feet at the Animal Kingdom lodge without noting how fundamental differences in architecture greatly improve the livability of the space in the French Quarter and other moderates, or
- Point you to typical crowd levels of various dates without addressing the subtle difference that become apparent from viewing Disney’s own predictions of crowd levels, as made manifest through how many extra hours it keeps its parks open.
This guidebook goes the extra mile to provide you this information and insight.
IT IS UPDATED MONTHLY
Disney presents new calendar information (usually) every month…so this guide is updated in the first week (…or so…) of every month that Disney provides new information! No other guidebook can make that claim.
Our problem is the double bed in the Little Mermaid room, we prefer larger beds. I’m also finding it more expensive to split rooms because of the dining/ticket. We would have to do crazy stuff like get 6 day tickets w/ one room & 1 day tickets w/ the other in order to use the dining plan in both locations. It’s a little confusing to say the least! That Sunday the 1st here are the things I know I want to plan for my daughter. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Two locations – Downtown Disney & Cinderella’s Castle) I would need to plan about 70 min for this day because we will do it all. Her favorite princess is Aurora so I plan to have her dressed up like her and then wanted to take her to meet & Greet w/ Aurora and the only location I found was here in Epcot https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/epcot/character-meet-aurora-france/ – I’ll have to wait to see times, so it’s going to be hard to schedule. I then want to schedule Lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table. For the evening I was thinking about doing this https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/tomorrowland-terrace-fireworks-dessert-party/
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Kristi, got you on the double bed!
All three things you are thinking of are at MK. You can meet Aurora at the Town Square theater just inside the Magic Kingdom–see this: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/magic-kingdom/character-meet-princesses/ And you already know that BBB and the fireworks party are there!
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LOVE all the great info you have! This will be our first visit with 3 going, myself, my husband & daughter. I almost made a big mistake by considering the Wilderness Cabins. I think we are leaning towards staying at Port Orleans, Riverside, Royal Room, River View. I know you lean away from staying in the moderate locations but this seemed to fit our budget best. Is this a good idea? We have finally somewhat agreed on when. Plan is to drive 27-28 of Nov 2013 will stay Thanksgiving night somewhere off site then check in early on site Friday 29th. Even though crowds will be high that Fri & Sat we hope to enjoy lower crowds from the 1st of Dec – 6th. Checking out Friday the 7th. It will take us from Houston, TX two full days to drive one way. We have decided to take our daughter out of school (took weeks to convince my husband it was worth doing) for that week to enjoy lower crowds. Both my husband & daughter share the same birthday Sun, Dec 1st. He will be turning 42 & she will be turning 8! Could you tell me anything about Disney Quest? Also I see little about visiting multiple parks in one day. Sunday I have several things I’d like to schedule/plan but it would involve 3 parks, can this be done? I do have a travel agent that I plan to use for booking room & tickets. We are leaning towards using the dining plan as well. I did subscribe with touringplans will this make it easier to plan our days (also plan to use their app while in parks)? Thanks for all the help! Kristi
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Hi Kristi, POR Royal is a fine choice, although as you know my suggestion would be a split stay, starting at Art of Animation Little Mermaid, then ending your trip with a few nights in the Wilderness Lodge. You can do this for the same price as every night at POR.
Links to each follow:
Royal Room https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/12/30/review-royal-rooms-port-orleans-riverside/
Little Mermaid https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/09/23/review-standard-little-mermaid-rooms-disneys-art-animation-resort/
Wilderness Lodge https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/08/25/review-disneys-wilderness-lodge/
On Fri and Sat, focus on being at parks early, touring til they get unbearable, and then returning for the evening shows. I’d do MK on Fri, and Epcot on Sat, following this approach.
Seeing three parks in a day will eat up a lot of transport time. Let me know what your purpose for doing so is, for which parks, and then I can comment a little better…
Either TP or my itineraries can give you the basic approaches to how to tour the parks…
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This is by far the most informative and best WDW website for ALL disney visitors! Great job Dave!!!!
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