A coworker of mine came up to me on Monday saying that she heard I was the one to talk to about a Disney trip.
She has never been to Disney - I'm under the impression she has thought of it as a place for children, and since she doesn't have any, she never considered going.
She's just hoping to have a good vacation with some old friends and her sister, but to this point hasn't started planning at all, other than her decision to take the AutoTrain from Northern Virginia to Orlando (the train carries your car and allows you to relax for the long haul.. but it's not cheap!).
But, where to start from there?
I gave her 3 tips to start:
She has never been to Disney - I'm under the impression she has thought of it as a place for children, and since she doesn't have any, she never considered going.
She's just hoping to have a good vacation with some old friends and her sister, but to this point hasn't started planning at all, other than her decision to take the AutoTrain from Northern Virginia to Orlando (the train carries your car and allows you to relax for the long haul.. but it's not cheap!).
But, where to start from there?
I gave her 3 tips to start:
- Buy the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. I've heard it's the best. But for some reason, I've never purchased one.. That will change soon and I will be offering you a copy when I get mine (a new giveaway!!) For someone like my coworker who has never been to Walt Disney World and didn't even know there were hotels on property, this is a perfect place to start!
- Check out TouringPlans.com. They can help you decide the best dates to go, which parks to visit when, and even help you figure out how to get around the parks! Great for newbies and us old guys. Touring Plans keeps improving - now with their mobile app, WDW Lines, you can optimize your plan. Simply open it while you're in the park and they'll customize the plan based on what time and when you're there! awesome.
- Once you decide to stay on property (and if it's your first trip, I highly recommend this), contact my travel agent, Kelly at Disney Guru. Just like when you call Walt Disney World, you're working with a travel agent. By working with a fee-free travel agent like Kelly, you're getting customized help - she'll work with you to find the best deals and do more than a simple booking that one time, like you get when you're on the phone. They do the dirty work and you get to relax. For no extra cost!
One more tip - ask questions!!! I love helping, answering questions, and talking Disney. If I can't help, I'll most likely know who to direct you to for your answer!
Love, love, love touringplans.com!! One tip I give to everyone is be prepared to be overwhelmed. Disney is a lot to take in, you can't do it all and that's ok.
ReplyDeleteAhh your friend is certainly in for a treat!!! It's so exciting to hear about first time trips :) I took my best friend for her first time last year for our graduation present. It was so much fun to see her reactions and the joy the parks and the magic brought to her face!
ReplyDeleteJenn thank you so much for the mention. You ROCK!!!! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lucky friend!! It is such a wonderful place!
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