So you have finally decided to go on that Walt Disney World vacation you have been dreaming about, for what seems like ever. The magic is waiting for you but there is a lot of stuff you have to do before anything becomes official. I have probably gone on one too many Disney trips in my life and because of that I like to consider myself an expert when it comes to planning one.
First, you have to do your research. When it comes to a Disney vacation there are so much initial decisions you need to make. What time of year are you going? I would recommend September or early December if possible. These are times when lots of families are busy with ether their kids going back to school or where people are very busy with work. You also need to research how you should get there. I recommend flying because that is how i've always gotten there but there is also the option to drive, which could be fun.
Then there is the hotel. Now for most of my Disney trips I stayed off-property but I have finally seen the other side. Staying on-property in a Disney hotel makes a huge difference. Disney hotels offer transportation to and from the airport and will pick up your bags from baggage claim for you. They also have transportation to and from the parks, so there is no need to worry about getting a rental car. Also the hotel just continues the magical feel. There is also a wide range of hotels starting at value hotels (starting at $82 a night) all the way up to Deluxe resorts (starting at $307 a night). I've stayed at both the Contemporary (a deluxe resort) and All-Star Movies (a value hotel) and loved my time at both.
You've figured out your way there and sorted that out, you've booked your hotel room and now is time for the tickets. Walt Disney World tickets are pretty straight-forward to understand. You have got your normal passes and then your park-hopper passes. The park-hopper passes are a bit more money but it gives you the flexibility to go to multiple parks in one day.
Now, in my opinion it is time for the fun part. 180 days before your trip you can start making dining reservations. There are so many amazing restaurants to try at Disney and some of them have become more popular than others. For example, if you want the chance of eating a meal in Beast's Castle, from "Beauty and the Beast", you need to be making your reservation exactly 180 days before. But don't worry if you don't have everything figured out immediately you can also my reservations the day of. Next, comes your fastpass reservations. Fast passes are tools that let you skip the line of a ride at a certain time. If you have chosen to stay at a Disney resort you can make these 60 days in advance, if you have chosen to stay off-property you still can get your fastpasses 30 days before your arrival date. You get up to three fastpasses a day so use them wisely! As for a little secret with fastpasses, make all your reserved fastpasses for early in the day because once you've used all three you can add more throughout the day using either kiosks found around the park or the My Disney Experience App.
I can imagine all of this is a lot of remember and think about, especially at the start of planning your trip. But Disney has created something to help. This is the little thing I just mentioned call My Disney Experience. This is an app created for your smartphone that keeps everything in one place. You can make all the reservations from your phone and be able to see everything together. You can also book your hotel room or buy your park tickets. This app will make everything easier for you.
Now, go have fun planning your trip to the most magical place in the world!
