WDW Must and Must Not Do's - 2015 version

Let's start an updated version of the popular "Must and Must Not Do" thread for WDW! Share your advice here for trip planning.


Link to previous thread:
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/sho...-Must-Not-Do-s

Must do:
1. Research! Start with www.easywdw.com and check crowd calendars to help you decide when to go. There is also a ton of other helpful advice on planning. The Unoffical Guide book is also very helpful. Disney is not just something you can wing as you go along.

2. Absolutely arrive at the park at rope drop. It's the best way to avoid lines, and sometimes it's the only way you can get in a ride without a fast pass, particularly now that there are tiered fast passes. For example, we got a fast pass for Soarin and got to test track at rope drop. The line for test track by 10:00 was 60 minutes. This was in May, which is a medium crowd level.

3. Have at least a general idea of what you want to do each day and when. Study the map before you enter the park. The first time you're there it's overwhelming and if you're like me you will just be dumbstruck wondering where everything is. The second trip I found much easier because I knew where everything was.

3. Character meals. If your kids like characters definitely do at least one meal. It's much easier and more relaxing than waiting in line to see them. And you get better interaction, IMO.

4. Set limits on souvenirs. I bought each of my girls a $50 gift card- once it was gone, that was it. It made them much choosier about what they really wanted.

5. Hidden mickeys- probably depends on the age of your kids. Mine are 10 and 7. They love trying to find them and it's a good way to keep them entertained in line.

6. plan, but don't go overboard. I have a general plan, but if my kids want to ride Big Thunder Mountain 7 times in a row, I let them. For the record, DD2 rode it 9 times in a row, and DD1 did Everest 8 times. Possible at rope drop with medium crowds.

7. Monsters inc laugh floor. Love this- usually no line and its air conditioned!

8. Agent P in world showcase. Great way for adults to enjoy some adult beverages in world showcase without kids being bored. :)

9. Memory maker. I got some really nice family pictures this way.

Must NOT dos:

1. Kali River Rapids- just go dump several buckets of water over your head and save your fast pass for something else.

2. Star tours if you have claustrophobia and/or motion sickness. Kids loved it but it took me hours to recover. Yuck.

3. Stitch's great escape. Just vile. He spits- you get wet- and burps and it smells like rotten onions. No need to say more.

4. Dining plan. Just too much food for us. Also, a 10 year old pays adult prices and my 10 year old still wants the kids menu.

I just laughed out loud at your Kali River Rapids description!!!! That's so true! We love that ride, though!

I absolutely agree that research will help you enormously. Buy the Unofficial Guide. It's really worth it. Also, get the Lines app that lets you recalibrate plans on the fly.

We do only counter service restaurants on park days (except for lunch at Animal Kingdom where we do Rainforest Cafe.) my kids are not crazy about characters, and it's much faster to do counter service. Also, we bring lots of snacks that often end up being lunch.

Get food for your room so you can do breakfast there and bring snacks into the park. We try to streamline eating as much as possible.

The gift card idea is BRILLIANT, and I'm going to steal it! What we have done is say one gift per day. We give them a budget, but if they want something pricey that we are willing to purchase, we just tighten the budget on the other days.

You MUST get to the parks by rope drop. You must! We get there early, eat lunch early, and go back to our hotel for a "nap" for a couple of hours after lunch. Even though the kids don't really nap, the rest really helps all of us. We eat a snack before going back to the park, eat dinner late, and stay until after the fireworks/evening show.

Forgot to mention Garden Grocer as a "must do." We have a case of water and snacks delivered to our room. While more expensive than Target, it's still way cheaper than buying water and snacks. at the parks. Also, it's the only way for me to have a diet Pepsi- Disney is Coke only. 😀