Intro

Not for First-Timers

This blog is not just another of the many informational sites about Walt Disney World. We want to go beyond the basics for non-first-timers and focus on saving money while enjoying the best WDW has to offer.

Why? Because if you are a first-timer, I will tell you what happens: you either book a package on Disney property or stay somewhere in the Orlando area and buy tickets at the front gate. If you are a planner, you buy one of the official or unoffical park guides from Amazon and possibly plan your park days using the book's recommended (and regimented) itineraries. You will spend a bundle of money. Once your vacation is over, you get home and realize you need a vacation from your vacation to recuperate. I have seen this time and again from first-timers.

The best thing to do when going to Walt Disney World is to just enjoy it. Florida gets hot in the summer. Can you guess when most people are in the parks during the day? It's usually during the hottest part of the day. Know the park hours. Go early to the parks, leave in the middle of the day to rest, and come back later. Too many folks think they are going to get their money's worth and spend a good 12+ hours in a park or burn-out and leave before they can see the fireworks. Take advantage of the Fast-Pass and find an air-conditioned place in the park to rest every once in awhile. My family usually does ok with 6-8 hours a day in a park. Avoid the rookie mistakes.

For your first trip, plan lightly. Browse disneyworld.com's Discover and Plan sections. Enjoy and discover what Walt Disney World has to offer. After that, come back here and plan according to your needs for your next trip.

History of WDW Planning

I was a Cast Member in the Walt Disney World College Program in the summer of 1987 (the Centorium in Epcot). I still remember selling the popular Birnbaum official WDW guide books in the store. Every year, new books would arrive, growing in size as WDW grew over the years. I own a 1987 unofficial guide (not sold at Disney) that is 174 pages long. The 2010 edition is selling on Amazon at 864 pages. One of the main issues you will see in WDW guide book reviews is being able to keep information up-to-date.

As a cast member, the mouse told us to use WDWs information line to answer guest questions. For guests, I believe the number was 407-WDW-INFO. We never pushed the Birnbaum book, but guests did buy it to find information on their own.

Over the years, WDW fans began appearing online, helping to answer questions for anyone planning to go to WDW. Beginner and expert forums became very popular. While Disney focused on building their online reservation system, Disney also pushed their vacation planning video tape/DVD as a WDW information source. WDW informational and fan web sites began to grow, some integrating web content with their original forums. Most sites are self-funded, some are backed by advertising, and some charge for premium services. Sites have text-based information, podcasts, photos and video. Because of the huge amount of information needed for the sites, many thankless hours are spent by the fans creating and maintaining the sites. Unfortunately, the original issue with keeping WDW guide book information current has affected some of the sites.

Within the past year, Disney has begun to grow in their online presence. They have their own unofficial forum, and post operating hours on disneyworld.com. At the same time, Disney still has gaps in its own information. There are a few places where an online description states: "Please call...for more information." Disney also has many podcasts, videos, and other content spread across the Internet.

Purpose of this Blog

Disney and the many free, WDW fan-driven information sites, forums, blogs, and podcasts will be researched. We will highlight gaps, comparisons, reviews, tips and tricks without attempting to "bash" anyone too hard. Some of the sites look a little rough around the edges, but in almost all cases, the sites' love of Disney shows in the quality information they share. Thanks to everyone who created these sites and your willingness to help others.

I will attempt to keep this blog as up-to-date as possible. WDW site information will change over time, so please let me know if the updates change anything that I have mentioned. The blog entry dates will be updated as information changes.

To take this blog with you when you go to Walt Disney World, I have compiled the links mentioned in the articles into a free WDW info iPhone/mobile web app, wdw411.com. This app does not use anyone's content, but will quickly forward you to web pages that have the information you need. Please see the separate wdw411 blog entry for more details.

I am a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member and take my family back to WDW every year or so.

© 2009 NewTrix Technology. All Rights Reserved. Getting the Most from Walt Disney World™ blog is a hobbyist/enthusiast website for fans of The Disney Company. Getting the Most from Walt Disney World™ is not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with, The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates.