I may be a bit biased, but I wholeheartedly believe that taking a trip to Disney will be one of the most memorable vacations you will ever go on with your children. There’s something magical that happens when you walk through that turnstile and watching your child’s eyes light up with excitement! This phenomenon is not exclusive to children though, I have been known to feel like an 8-year-old pretty often at Disney myself. To help get you started in the right direction, here are some things to be thinking about when planning a Disney trip.
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How Long are You Visiting?
First things first is figuring out how much time will you be spending at Disney. After determining how much vacation time you will be using, you next need to decide which Disney Park you will be visiting. This is a vital decision because it will determine how many parks you will be visiting during your Disney vacation. Disneyland has two parks, which for some people is more manageable, while the Disney World resort has 4 theme parks and a water park. The next deciding factor will be how many days you will be spending at the parks and whether you want to park hop or not. Typically, spending only a few days at the parks will cost your family more money, as Disney offers “discounts” on park admission the longer your vacation is.
Plan the Date You’ll Go
As you can probably imagine, Disney can get insanely at certain times of the year. While I am not one for telling people what to do with their vacation time, I will strongly advise against visiting Disney during peak season if you want to have an enjoyable vacation. What is peak season you may ask? Think about the times of the year that everyone is traveling (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day), but also consider school holidays. If there is a 3-day weekend that most schools are out, you can bet that Disney is going to be crowded. My best advice is to visit during “shoulder season,” this will vary based on whether you are visiting California or Orlando, but the general shoulder season will be whenever kids are in school. Now the caveat to that rule is when kids are school, during a time that does not coincide with a holiday. That typically means mid-August – early November, mid-January – early March, and late April – early June. The weather is usually pretty mild for both Orlando and California as so you won’t have to worry about sweating your life away or freezing during your Disney vacation.
Where are you staying?
Where you stay can make or break your vacation. I don’t mean to sound all gloom and doom, but imagine walking miles upon miles in the park during the day only be greeted by a roach as you open the door. Or worse, your bed is so uncomfortable that you greet the next morning with a crook in your neck and pain all over your body. It sounds like a recipe for a vacation disaster, right? It can be hard to justify the prices in Anaheim or Kissimmee, but I will tell you that if you opt for a higher-end hotel stay your body and your family will thank you! If this is your first Disney visit or your family happens to be Disney fanatics, staying at one of Disney’s resorts is the way to go. Now before you get sticker shock looking at the prices, I will tell you that staying at an on-site hotel is worth it for the perks alone. Disney’s Walt Disney World resort has a great bus system that will take you to and from each theme park. This will come in handy when it comes to parking fees. Disneyland’s parks are within walking distance of each other, so you won’t need the bus system to park hop, however, it is great for getting back and for to your hotel after a long day.
If you aren’t interested in perks or are planning a last-minute Disney vacation, it may be best to explore other accommodation options. If you are visiting Disneyland, many hotels are right outside of the main gate and are within walking distance to the parks. This makes life a breeze if you are visiting from out of town and don’t have a car or if you want to take a mid-day break at your hotel pool. Disney World resort is near Orlando and Kissimmee so the accommodation options are endless. Because Disney World can be a bit of a drive from off-site hotels and Airbnbs I would recommend finding out if your accommodation offers transportation and if not, you should rent a car to get around.
Make a Park Plan
Your Disney vacation planning is not complete until you have made a solid park plan. You can add some excitement and anticipation for the whole family by sitting down and choosing the rides that they want to experience. Ride planning as a family will allow for everyone to feel heard and be more invested in the vacation as a whole. Disney vacations are completely do-able with every age category from infant to adult, but you will have to be strategic with your plans. While you are planning rides, be sure to not leave off shows, parades, and fireworks! Anyone who tells you that you should just skip shows, parades, or fireworks at Disney, should be avoided at costs, you don’t need that kind of negativity in your planning process! Disney spends heaps of money recruiting top talent for their shows in the parks! When you combine amazing costuming, set design, sound, and excellent performers, it makes some of the shows feel like a Broadway production! The added bonus for most shows is that they are either indoors or in a shaded area which gives you a reprieve from the heat and allows for you to give your feet a much-needed break.
Making a park plan can seem daunting, which is why I plan all of my trips out with the Touring Plans website and app. You can input your dates and use one of their touring plans based on the ages of your family or you can customize your own. I recently discovered that the plans also work for hard ticket events like the Halloween and Christmas parties.
Set Up your FastPasses+
If you’re planning on staying at one of Disney’s resorts, you get first dibs on setting up your FastPasses+ as early as 60 days before your visit. This will get you to the front of the line, up to 3 times in a day on your most anticipated rides. If you aren’t staying at one of Disney’s resorts, never fear, you can still book your FastPasses+ 30 days before you get to Disney.
Get A Disney Travel Agent
If this all feels too daunting for you, then my suggestion is to get a Disney Travel Agent. This is probably the best piece of advice we have for someone that is planning their first Disney Vacation. While I have never used a Disney Travel Agent, the Disney vacation industry holds Small World Vacations in high regard, and the best part is that using them will cost you nothing. That’s right, it’s FREE!!! They know the ins-and-outs about all the tricks and shortcuts at each park.
They will help you reserve your resort rooms, dinner reservations, dining plan, a meeting with your child’s favorite Disney Character, and all your FastPasses+. They also have great advice based on your children’s ages and preferences and can answer any questions you might have.
If you are looking to plan a Disney vacation, but aren’t interested in staying on property or just want some general advice, I also offer planning services and Disney trip consultation services.
Disney vacations may seem like quite the undertaking, but hopefully, with these tips, you are headed in the right direction! If you’ve been to Disney before what other tips would you tell someone that has never been? Connect in the comments with other members of the Tribe and in the meantime, Keep the Adventure Going!
