I have a coworker who is going to Magic Kingdom for just one day next week and has done no planning. What advice would YOU give? He has said I can make him a touring plan, and I’ve already told him about rider swap.
The deets:
Magic Kingdom
March 12
Party of 5: 2 parents, 3 kids, S8/9, D5/6, S3/4 (I don’t know the kids exact ages)
They might be meeting up with some other friends who are there coincidentally but I’m not planning for that.
Staying offsite, so no EE and they’ve done ZERO planning so assume no LL
Tell them to have fun!
Let them know your favorite snacks and that they can get ice water from QS places. Tell them to bring a stroller. At that age, I’d tell them about the show attractions–Enchanted tales with Belle, Laugh Floor, Philharmagic. Have them put MDE on their phones. I wouldn’t do any more than that, especially if they are meeting up with friends.
5 Likes
I’ve done this before - multiple times. IME - They will not follow your plan. They’ll assume they can just get on stuff standby without any issues.
These days, I just tell my “non-planner” friends to pick out 10 “must do” attractions. I’ll advise them on the ones they need to RD or get to ASAP. They’ll be lucky to do those 10 without a plan. If they manage it, then they’ll have time to do other things or meet extra characters.
Then I’ll recommend two TS places and a QS place for snacks to give them food options
Any more than that and “non-planners” get overwhelmed and just don’t bother… 
6 Likes
There is nothing that will prepare you for MK
There is no way you’ll be able to do everything
Bring twice the money you think you’ll need
Feed and water the kids every two hours - corollary: if one needs the bathroom, all need to go along to at least try
Ice cream is health food
2 Likes
I agree with this. There are so many shows that would require minimal waiting but will all be new to them so likely have a big impact–I’d add the parade, CBJ, CoP, HEA, that show on the steps of the castle during the day (the name evades me), etc. Then, they can track projected wait times and ride what interests them at the moment it works for them. An emphasis on the shows will leave them entertained and knowing they got a lot done.
They will have a blast, even without a plan! I envy people who get to visit MK for the first time, esp with kids in that age range.
3 Likes
If the person hasn’t done any planning or research for themselves and hasn’t asked me specifically for help, I might nicely suggest they do some research (e.g., watch a video or read a blog post for newbies). I suppose it would depend on my relationship with them, but generally I would just smile, nod, and let it go.
If they ask I might make some suggestions of things they would like (especially things with lower waits) or shows. I might tell them about mobile ordering.
If they haven’t downloaded the app, showing them how it works might be helpful.
3 Likes