I’ve been to WDW more times than I can count. Planning a week long visit with my best friend who has has never been. She’s already a little overwhelmed by the amount of planning (she was shocked that we booked dining 180 days out.) I know it can be overwhelming for first timers, so I’m looking for any advise from seasoned visitors who have traveled with a newbie. I’ve told her that even though we’ll have set times for things like dining and FP, I want her to make sure she tells me if this there’s something she wants to do that isn’t “planned.” I’ve also made sure we have some down time in the middle of every day. But any other advise would be greatly appreciated!
First iff remember that youbwill nit see it all. I know you arevseasoned but ut is a good reminder
Talk to tour friend. Find out thoughts in general.
What tyoes of rudes are liked. What tyoe are to be avoided. Ie are coaster and tower of terror okay.
Do they like the idea of shows like nemo, lion king, beaury and the beast.
Feelings on parades, fireworks castle shows?
Do they want to meet characters???
Explain how important rope drop is for the big rides How you will skip a lot of rides in the morning but come back when you have finished the ones that will have longer lines. Give on iverview on how beat to tour the parks.
Use the information to guage what rides and shows to do rather than going iver each park and all that can be done. As your friend is already overwhelmed.
My most favorite thing in the world is to go to the world with a newbie. I love to experience the magic of the first time all over again by seeing it in their eyes. Remember to slow down so she can experience the magic! You can’t do and show her everything so don’t even try. If you press to hard and fast you might miss the wonder of the day unfolding, or she may be too darn tired and overwhelmed to enjoy. Make a plan but be prepared to just let it go if you guys need to. Being too structured can sometimes stall the unfolding of a beautiful and magical experience. Pick two or three must do items for each day. Make a touring plan for the rest but don’t sweat it if the plan needs to be adjusted. Leave some flexibility for unexpected magic!
Thank you both for the suggestions! Yeah my biggest worry is finding the balance between planning and enjoying spontaneity. I too love going with a newbie to see everything fresh through their eyes, it’s so much fun!
I’ve been several times throughout my life but only gone with my husband/kids twice. Both times, I found it very helpful to make a ROUGH plan of each day to start my planning. This gave me a visual of what I wanted to accomplish and where I would be each day. Here is a screen shot of my spreadsheet. Red marks Table Service meals and Yellow is a place holder for Counter Service meals. (This also helped me to make sure my meals were adequately spaced and that I could make best use of my dining credits.) It also helped me to stay focused and not get overwhelmed by the countless options at WDW while touring the world in the most efficient way - without criss-crossing the world or spending too much time travelling back and forth to different areas.
After that rough schedule is established, I would break that down even further to a daily schedule so that I could make sure I was leaving enough time for breaks and other smaller activities.
Thanks egkleinmann! I actually did the exact same thing 
It’s super helpful when you want to add something to see where you can best fit things in. Also helps see that in a week that you really do have plenty of time to get things done.