Walt Disney World is easily one of the happiest places on Earth. As you stroll down the pathway that leads to Cinderella’s Castle of Dreams, all while encountering the familiar faces of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, it is almost impossible not to brandish an ear-to-ear grin. For some people, Disney World’s various parks are places that they frequent every year for family vacation. For others, a trip to Disney World is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Calling Disney World an enormous park is somewhat of an understatement (for starters, it’s not just one park.) So, in order to make the most of your time, it is important to go in with a game plan. I’m going to detail my own personal plan for seeing all there is to see at Disney World.

In June of 2011, I found out that I was going on a trip to Disney World the following December. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I had dreamed of visiting the park since I was a kid, and could not wait to finally go. In the months leading up to the trip, I did extensive research and planning. Disney World consists of four different parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot. With this information, in conjunction with the time I knew I would be allotted for each park, I made an itinerary. I wanted to make sure that I would be able to see the best rides and attractions each park had to offer, as well as leaving plenty of time for food and shopping. It is also important to know what attractions in the park will be available to you. I went during the Christmas and New Year Holidays, so there were numerous events exclusive to that time of the year. In addition, certain attractions aren’t available to everybody. Having dinner in one of the princess castles requires a reservation pretty far in advance. So if this is something you would like to do, make sure you set up your reservation ASAP.

Budgeting is probably one of the most important parts of any trip, but especially in regard to Disney World. In addition to various souvenirs featuring iconic Disney characters, there are also pictures for every ride. And I would be remiss not to mention pin collecting. This in combination with the cost of Disney World’s incredibly addicting churros and frozen drinks is enough to make anybody’s bank account cry. My best advice would be to set yourself a spending limit, and be realistic with your purchases. I mean, do you really need two different shirts that both say Hakuna Matata? Well, the correct answer is yes, but the mature answer is no. Jokes aside, your souvenir purchases are solely based on your preference. I personally think snowglobes are really cool, but I’d much rather have a keychain or a pin.

Disney World is the most magical place on Earth, but it can be stressful trying to see everything it has to offer. While it is unrealistic to try and see literally everything, with the proper planning you can at least see all of the high points.You absolutely have to experience Space Mountain, Expedition Everest Fantasmic and It’s a Small World. But there are certain things you will have to sacrifice. With good time management and effective budgeting, I guarantee you will not regret your next trip to Disney World.