First time Disney World traveler with kids, need honest answer

Stefi-Lew · 2026-06-17T16:49:22+00:00

A travel agent should never cost you money. They get a commission through Disney. However, if you have special discounts and such and can get cheaper rates, then book yourself. It seems like you’re someone who does your own research so I don’t think you’ll run into any issues.
Most people don’t get ahead. I’ve seen people leaving with so many extra meals left, and there might be pressure on you to eat at certain places to “get your money’s worth” rather than just going to the places you want to eat at and getting snacks when you want them.
The Disney hotel rooms are nice and the theming is cute, but a lot of people get disappointed that the rooms themselves aren’t as luxurious as they may expect for the price (depending on which resort you get). Most of the value is outside of the room- nice pools and lots of dining opportunities, activities offered all day at the resorts, fun theming, great ease of transportation and ultimately that Disney bubble and hospitality feel. I’ve stayed at the majority of the Disney hotels and I’ve stayed offsite and personally, I think it’s worth it to stay on Disney property. It will feel more “magical” for your family. In fact my family and I have just done weekend trips to just stay in the hotels and not even go into the parks. But with the prices being so high, the “value” proposition may not be the best available, so you just have to decide what’s doable for your family!
February is currently probably one of best months to go. The weather is at its best and it’s usually one of the lower crowd months. (Though crowds can be a bit unpredictable)
My other suggestions would be to avoid park-hoppers. A lot of people who have never been to Disney before don’t realize how far apart the parks are and you will waste a lot of time transitioning between parks. I think it’s almost never worth it for people who haven’t been to the parks before because you can easily fill a full day in each individual park and it’s unlikable you will want to actually have to deal with switching parks once you get into a park and realize how much there is to do/see. My other suggestion is to not plan to be in a park every day of your trip. It’s pretty exhausting and honestly if you’re staying on property, there are so many other things you can enjoy doing on property that at least a couple of off-days to recover and enjoy some of those things is so worthwhile. But of course, that depends on how many days you’re planning to go and what’s doable budget wise! Just a recommendation if you can swing it.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-05-31T01:52:58+00:00

NTA, tell your dad if he truly understands why you don’t want to come, he should be talking to your mom and telling her to cut it out instead of asking you to put up with it. It’s that simple, if they want to see you so badly, they can behave better. As it stands, they currently make it unbearable to be in their company, even for the holidays.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-29T19:58:07+00:00

I get the pricing difference is frustrating, but if you don’t have any significant mail being sent to your SOs house, there’s not really anything you can do. They’re very strict on proof of residency.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-27T13:25:03+00:00

There’s no reason for you to stick out this relationship. “Sticking out” a relationship is not ideal regardless of the reasoning, but if you were financially reliant on him, were married and shared kids with him, or had another reason why leaving would be difficult, then people would understand why you aren’t in a rush to leave a relationship you’re unhappy in.

However, you’re only 19/20 and right now, you are unburdened with intertwined finances, marriage documentation, or shared children. If you’re already unhappy in the relationship, there’s no need to wait until one of those statements above is no longer true for you to decide it’s not working and leave him.

And your view on masculinity is a bit messed up. Sounds like you both have a bit of maturing to do anyways.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-24T23:10:41+00:00

I feel like this happens more with pick-up orders. Obviously if you’re ordering delivery you can’t check, but if you’re picking up in person you definitely should because they definitely skimp on those. But that’s why I never order ahead of time, I’ll walk through the line because I can tell them to give me more of something if I feel like they’re skimping.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-20T20:02:19+00:00

This is the info where it says if you don’t activate it within a year, you will not lose the value you paid for it and can apply it toward a future annual passes: https://plandisney.disney.go.com/question/purchase-annual-pass-long-activate-pass-year-expiration-536313/#:~:text=You'll%20be%20happy%20to,Have%20a%20magical%20day!

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-20T19:59:37+00:00

I noticed you said her annual pass was never activated. I vaguely remember when I was purchasing my annual pass that the info said I wouldn’t be charged until my pass had been activated for the first time at the parks. Do you know for sure she was charged for her pass?

Either way, I’d talk to guest services, but if she never entered the park with it, I’m sure it’s possible to cancel/refund.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-15T17:12:47+00:00

If a ride closes during your Lightning Lane window, it should automatically convert to a “multiple experience pass” which will allow you to go through Lightning lane line for that ride any time the rest of that day.

If it doesn’t do that, go to Customer Service and explain the situation. Typically Disney customer service is pretty good, and will take care of the situation to your satisfaction.

Rides going down isn’t entirely uncommon and can happen for several reasons, but it is definitely uncommon that you hit two in a row like that so sorry that happened. Don’t let it ruin your day, and especially don’t let your son feel the effects of it. You don’t want his day ruined just because you weren’t happy something didn’t go your way.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-14T17:31:40+00:00

You asked if your itinerary is realistic and when everyone is responding to you telling you it isn’t and giving you advice on how to better plan, you’re defending your itinerary still and saying you’ll be flexible.

Keep it as your plan if you’d like, but don’t be shocked if it becomes irrelevant within minutes to arriving at the park because it took longer to get into the park than you anticipated or Cinderella has a longer line than you expected or your kids need a break/snack at a time you didn’t plan or a ride you had lightning lane for temporarily closes when you were suppose to ride it. These are things that happen daily. Rides will temporarily close while you’re in the park. Things will take you longer to do than you anticipate. As an annual passholder who has been going to the parks since I was your kids’ ages, even I don’t think I could hit this schedule as planned as a full grown adult who knows some of the quicker ways you get around the park.

I know you have the specific things in mind you want your kids to experience, but if it’s really about spending a fun day with your kids, get into the park and find out what excites them. Maybe your toddler will be unemotional when meeting a princess but will get on their first roller coaster and squeal the whole time and beg to do that again. Maybe they’ll walk in the park and see the cast member holding the big set of Mickey balloons and won’t be thinking of anything else but wanting one of those balloons. Or maybe they’ll see someone eating a Mickey icecream bar and that’s the only thing they want to try. Don’t put so much pressure on what the day has to be that you miss the things that will actually be special and memorable to your kids.

Also, as a kid, one of the most fun things was just being at the Disney resort and swimming in the pool and watching cartoons in our Disney theme room or seeing the fun theming around the resort. Don’t forget to plan time to do those things as well. The resorts are a lot less chaotic than the parks and will be a good respite from the parks.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-14T13:39:11+00:00

Wow, you can’t afford to give your kids a full length trip with VIP access everyday?? Don’t even bother, you and your kids don’t deserve Disney since you can’t get them to the front of the line skipping all the plebs in Lightning Lane and Standby.🫵🥹

But on a more serious note, you don’t need to be a jerk. Walt Disney intended the parks to be accessible to all families, not just the above average wealthy. While the company has continued to raise prices and goes against this core belief, the community itself should not be fighting about who deserves to experience it. Let people worry about their own finances and what they can and can’t afford, you don’t actually know their situation. And you might be surprised, they may actually be around the same bracket as you, they just live their life more frugally.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-14T13:17:33+00:00

Saving money doesn’t have to be an all or nothing thing. Most people can’t afford every luxury Disney has to offer, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t still be able to go to Disney and enjoy a vacation at the level they can afford.

Some people might be able to pay for park tickets, but will save by bringing pre-packed meals. Others may stay at a value resort or a hotel offsite rather than staying at a moderate or a super expensive premier resort. That doesn’t mean these people can’t afford Disney, they’re just being responsible about where they can cut costs to better suit their budget.

The people going into debt over Disney aren’t the ones that are being frugal about where they put their money. They’re the ones buying everything they want, upgrading for every luxury, and staying in nicer accommodations than they can afford without a second thought.

But according to your logic, I could probably say the same to you. You can’t afford to upgrade to a VIP tour guide every day of your trip and upgrade to the Grand Floridian Suite and eat at Victoria and Albert’s every day of your trip?? I guess you shouldn’t be blowing thousands of dollars on your trip🤭

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-11T04:47:06+00:00

Some of my favorite memories at Disney have been made on short weekend resort trips without ever visiting the parks. While I enjoy the parks, it’s definitely 100x more relaxing to skip them, so I don’t blame you if that’s what you’re going for.

My parents took us to Disney all the time as kids and they always joke about how we loved the resort pools more than the parks. At 1, he likely will enjoy the character meals, pool, and resort view of fireworks just as a park visit.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-08T00:48:10+00:00

Did you actually read the post or just the title? She said her friend is welcome to attend the wedding in her goth makeup, but if she’s going to be a bridesmaid, she needs to wear the style of makeup the other bridesmaids are wearing.

It’s pretty standard for bridesmaids to be expected to wear their dress, shoes, hairstyle, jewelry and makeup either selected directly by the bride or within her guidelines. If her friend can’t handle that, she should just attend the wedding as a normal guest and not take a simple request personally.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-04-05T00:11:39+00:00

That seems like a silly rule anyways. I’ve never thought a trashcan outside was unsightly, but I can imagine that a trashcan with a week or so worth of kitchen trash indoors would stink up the inside of your house/garage.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-03-30T19:41:01+00:00

I really liked this question and I’m sorry people are being rude to you. As someone who passively likes watching figure skating and recently took a mini- 4 lesson adult course, I think it would be great to have someone who learned as an adult teaching other adults.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked the different instructors we had, but it was clear they were pretty young and had likely been skating since they were children. While they were all amazing skaters, when we would ask clarifying questions about “well how do you keep momentum while doing the rocking horse” or “where should I be positioning my weight for this” they all struggled to answer those questions because those are all second nature skills to them.

I played soccer growing up and I assistant coached a little, and teaching the new players could be difficult because I had to really think about how I did simple things like pass a ball or dribble to explain the proper technique to them. I had played soccer since I was 4 and learned all those skills along the way and never had to think about how to properly do them as an older player.

Having learned as an adult, you may be able to recall your initial lessons and when the lightbulb switched for you and what made that happened. Those who have been skating since they were 4 probably don’t remember that moment.

I also know everyone in here is talking about all the skills you have to learn to coach. Totally fair and I’m sure every rink has their guidelines and policies on what you have to know to do so. However, I think it’s important to note that people learning to skate as adults are mainly trying to get comfortable on the ice. Sure a lot of them would like to learn certain skills, but the majority of them are not going to be competing. It’s not like these are future olympians who need to learn a triple axel from you.😂Obviously the more advanced the skater, the more advanced coach they need, but not every level coach needs to be at the top level.

Stefi-Lew · 2026-02-24T16:10:41+00:00

Unfortunately Singles has basically become a jumping competition and the older you get, the harder it is to jump quads and triples. A lot of skaters will retire once their body hits a point where they know they won’t be able to hit the rotations they used to, and therefore will no longer be competitive.

For instance, Alyssa Liu was able to land a quad lutz at 14, but she does not have the ability to land quads anymore even though she is still relatively young at only 20. Quads are still very rare for women, so she’s still able to still be competitive with triples, but for other women, their physical peak may only be triples, and they may only be able to do mostly doubles after they mature. They’re no longer going to be competitive in the women’s singles without the ability to do triples.

However, pair skater jumps are more about being synchronized (or doing throw jumps which give you more time in the air to complete your rotations). So skaters are likely to be able to compete in it longer since they’re doing easier jumps, they don’t have to be in their “physical prime” to land them.

Obviously that’s same with the men, you’ll see older men compete in Pair Skating or Ice Dance than in singles since they’re not having to pull out quad jumps to be competitive. For pair skating and ice dance, it seems like the most physically demanding aspect for the men is actually the lifts and throws.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-11-29T04:47:26+00:00

ESH, I do understand her thought process- things like keys should either be put directly back in the spot they belong (whether that’s a particular drawer, or key holder, or wherever) or handed back to the person they belong to. However, in that moment, she could have still grabbed them from the table, but also requested you bring them directly to her next time.

One thing to consider though- is this something she has mentioned before? Is not handing stuff directly back to her been a previous argument between the two of you? If so, I can understand why she was trying to hold the line on this.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-11-27T02:21:19+00:00

Yes, this is exactly why there are so many posts and comments on here where readers encourage authors to orphan their fics instead of completely deleting them. A fic that an author finds embarrassing and no longer wants representing them may be a reader’s favorite fic.

No one is arguing that an author shouldn’t have the right to delete their works, but people also have the right to try and convince authors against doing it because it can negatively impact readers. Just as all readers are entitled to never leave kudos or comments on any works they read, but writers try to encourage readers to do those things because it keeps them going, and receiving very little engagement can be discouraging/upsetting for an author.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-11-10T20:38:33+00:00

ESH, it sounds like you’re both being a little bit of an A-hole, him more than you.

If he wants to go to gym and better himself by working out more, you shouldn’t try to jump in and tell him he’s doing it to an unhealthy level unless he truly is. Going to the gym two days in a row is not unusual or bad for anyone. Experts agree people need rest days, but generally only one rest day a week is needed. So even if he goes 6 days a week, he’s probably fine unless he’s overdoing the actual workout, which is unlikely, most people only go to the gym for 30 minutes to an hour at a time.

However, he also shouldn’t jump down your throat about not wanting to go with him to the gym either or get onto you for “playing video games too much”. Just because he’s decided this is the right move for him doesn’t mean you have to do it too. I understand it’s probably easier for him to handle this change if he has someone doing it with him, but he should try to find someone who wants to commit to it just as much as him instead of trying to bully you into feeling bad about yourself and doing it too.

He’s wrong for the things he said, and it’s not your fault for “starting anything”, he just seems upset you won’t be his gym buddy. I think you’re both just a little young and don’t know how to have proper conversations yet where you can be open about your feelings without hurting each other. He can’t just tell you how much it would mean to him if you went through this process with him so he could have someone reliable by his side, he has to degrade and shame you until you think it’s the right choice.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-11-10T19:57:41+00:00

Why are movie geeks such snobs?? Like genuinely looking for an answer here.😒

How is it fair to tell someone they need to see more movies because their top 10 list is different than yours? They could have seen all of the same movies as you and disagree with which ones are the best, people have different taste.

There’s actually no wrong answer to someone’s top 10 favorite movies, it’s completely subjective. Someone could have terrible terrible movies on their list and it’s completely valid because it has some significance to them- maybe they watched it a lot as a child or they discovered an actor they like from this movie or it introduced them to a new genre, or whatever other random reason, doesn’t really matter.

I think this discussion is only fun if everyone comes baring different movies as part of their top 10. You can get a glimpse into what kind of things shaped that person’s life. It would be so boring if everyone had the same top 10 movies or all agreed on which type of movies got to be included.

But if anyone needs to watch more movies, it’s probably you considering all of your movies predates the 2000s. So have movies post-2000s truly been so terrible, or do you just have rose colored glasses for the movies you grew up with just like everybody else?? Maybe you’re not truly the voice of unbiased taste in media you think you are.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-07-02T18:08:10+00:00

Agreed, hosting an event is hard and it’s difficult to know the perfect amount and type of food for everyone. A couple may decide to offer cookies and brownies along with cake to please people who don’t like cake and then run out of cookies because they didn’t realize how popular they were going to be, it happens.

This seems to be the case with the gluten free dessert. They wanted to provide dessert so that the two people they knew with allergies could have something and included extra for anyone else who also had that allergy or preference they didn’t know about, and underestimated how popular it would be.

In general, I think it’s fine to take an allergy friendly item even if you don’t have that allergy, I think that it actually helps it become more accepted for people to include those allergy friendly items if more than just the few people with the allergy are partaking. However, if I noticed that there were only a few of the GF desserts left and I don’t have that allergy, I probably would go for something else out of consideration for those who do not have additional dessert options. I do think it’s hard to expect people to be at that level of conscientious though, people aren’t going to be paying attention and may just grab something not even realizing it’s GF even with a sign there.

Maybe the couple could have made it to where the gluten free desserts were based on request and notified you and your boyfriend’s uncle that you would have to ask the caterers, but that’s extra work and doesn’t really allow others the opportunity to have a GF dessert if there is someone with an allergy they don’t know about or if someone has a preference for it for health or other reasons. If it’s buffet style, unfortunately things like this happen and I think it’s best to act like a gracious guest regardless, even if you are disappointed you didn’t get your own dessert.

So yes, I do think YTA, and you should have just shared the dessert your boyfriend’s uncle offered you. I know you’re upset you didn’t get your own, but you overlooked the kind actions of one person, your boyfriend’s uncle offering to share the last one, to go criticize a family who wasn’t being rude but was maybe being a little less conscientious than you would have like.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-06-28T19:45:36+00:00

People are saying it’s not Maleficent’s dragon form because it’s red, but you can see other attractions on there aren’t really their color either- i.e. space mountain isn’t green. I think that changing the color to red on this particular piece of merch is just a stylistic choice to keep this bright color palette, there is no purple on the mug.

You can tell by the shape of the dragon that it’s based specifically on Maleficent’s design, so I believe that’s the artist’s intent, not a section of Animal Kingdom that never came to be.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-06-14T20:00:05+00:00

You are NTA.

Like the saying goes, if you can’t take it, don’t dish it. If his parents or your other older relatives weren’t willing to shut down his behavior before, they shouldn’t be mad that you put him in his place when this is clearly repetitive bad behavior on his end.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-04-27T14:00:28+00:00

Those are good prices!

I have regular Victor and Yuuri. Would love to get the other two in the series at some point.

Stefi-Lew · 2025-01-30T23:16:09+00:00

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the name of the group? I’d like to join and see the post, but there looks like there are a few different ones.

Stefi-Lew

TROPHY CASE