10 Tips for Planning the Best Walt Disney World Vacation

Before we jump into the tips, the two biggest things you will have to figure out:

Is there a strict budget?

The budget question sounds like it should be obvious. But truthfully, even if you set a budget for tickets and lodging there are a lot of potential “hidden” expenses that could be worthwhile if you are willing (and have the funds) to spend the money. I explain more below.

What is the purpose of this trip?

We know I all about purposeful travel. Disney World is an EXPERIENCE. There are multiple theme parks each with rides, shows, meet and greets, stores, and restaurants. If you are a family who cares about specific rides, that might influence where you spend your time and money. But if you are more about the experience you might not need to plan ahead for things like Lightning Lanes.

Check Crowd Calendars

If you have flexibility in your travel dates check the crowd calendars. There are plenty of them if you search online. They will tell you when to expect low, moderate, or heavy crowds at every park each day. They are not always 100% accurate but they are helpful. There are typical times when you would expect that all the parks might be busy like holiday breaks. There are also times when there are other events that book out the hotels and lead to extreme crowding at the parks. For instance, cheer competitions and RUN Disney can greatly impact crowd levels. Additionally, special events in particular parks also affect crowds like when Food and Wine Festival is at EPCOT or a new ride opens (I experienced this the day that Tiana’s Bayou opened!).

Time of year

Florida is HOT! There are some months like February and March when the temperatures in Orlando drop a bit and you may even want to wear a sweatshirt. But there is also the possibility that one day you are wearing a sweatshirt and the next day you want shorts and tank top. June-August are brutal and there is a lot of humidity. It rains often in Florida but it doesn’t usually last long (unless it is a storm). If you aren’t a huge fan of the heat, and you have flexibility in when you can travel, I would consider this is in your decision making. There are also times of year when maintenance is performed on certain things. A big one is the Skyliner which is helpful in getting guests to parks and resorts. Each year, usually around January, the Skyliner is closed down for maintenance for a week or two. If this is a selling point for you staying at a particular resort, checking the maintenance calender is important.

Disney Resort or Off Property

Disney Resorts are AMAZING. The themes, the pools, the activities…but they can be very expensive. There are a lot of options nearby that are also good but don’t have the Disney charm. There are also a lot of perks to staying on property: advanced booking for dining and rides, early theme park entry on some days, and complimentary resort transportation.

Meal Plan

Disney has two meal plan options. If you are willing to pack your own meals or don’t plan on staying at the park all day then you might not want/need a meal plan. But if you plan to stay in the parks all day long - rope drop to close- and you know you will be buying Mickey pretzels, Mickey ice cream, and burgers and fries - get the meal plan. Another consideration - character dining. If you want to book character dining (especially if you want to book more than one) then I highly recommend a meal plan. Character dining is expensive and you get more bang for your buck if you use a meal plan.

How Many Parks

There are FOUR Disney World theme parks and two water parks. When new people think of Disney they are usually thinking of Magic Kingdom, the park with the big castle. But there are four different parks all with unique things to offer. Research or talk to a travel planner about the differences between the parks so you can decide if you want to visit them all. This will help you figure out how many admission days you need to purchase.

Rest days

Some families want/need rest days. They plan for a pool day or time to explore things other than the Disney parks. Average steps per day can be upwards of 20,000 on theme parks days and for many people this requires a day to rest their legs before doing it again.

Park Hopping

Disney has a feature called a Park Hopper. If purchased it allows you to visit multiple parks in one day. This can be used if you don’t have enough time to spend an entire day at each park, or if you want the option to go back to a park. It is an additional cost, but depending on the vibe of your group it could be a game changer!

Special Events

Throughout the year Disney has a variety of special events. Some people plan their trips to experience these events. Other people plan their trip to avoid the event related crowds. There are a variety of yearly holiday based events, EPCOT festivals, and even special After Hours events. You might want to consider them for yourself, or you might want to avoid them. Either way, they are an important to be aware of.

Lightning Lanes

For many attractions you can purchase something called a Lightning Lane. Lightning Lanes allow you to book ride times so you don’t have to wait on lengthy stand-by lanes. They cost extra money but if you like to save time and you have certain rides that you REALLY want to get on, then planning to spend that money is probably worth it. As much as I love Disney, the convoluted Lightning Lane system and price tag that comes with it are not my favorite.

Characters

If you or a member of your family care about meeting certain characters it is important to include that in the planning process. Some characters can only be found at certain parks. If you want an experience that is all characters all the time, then I definitely suggest planning character dining, scheduling in time to watch parades, and getting Lightning Lanes for some meet and greets.

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Have questions? Let me know.‍ ‍Download my free Disney Planning Checklist