This probably isn’t a surprise to anyone who knows me personally, but I have a Disney trip planned for this year… and next year? Okay, truth be told, Disney World was not the plan this year. I actually didn’t hit “book”—my husband did! I know! I was shocked myself, but I’m not mad about it. Since I’m currently in the midst of planning, I thought it would be fun to share how to plan a trip to Walt Disney World. Buckle up—this is going to be a wild ride.
How to Decide When to Go to Disney
Deciding exactly when to go to Disney is probably a difficult decision for many people. For us, it’s not so tricky—we don’t have much flexibility to go any time other than summer. My husband works in a school, and it’s often frowned upon to take time off during the school year for a trip that could be taken over the regular summer break. It’s probably an unwritten rule, and I’m sure we could take a vacation during the school year—but we just don’t risk it.
For others, it’s a bit harder to decide. There are definitely times of year that are better to visit, especially if you’re hoping to experience something specific at Disney. Some people want to visit during a particular holiday or event. Or maybe, like us, you just want to avoid the crowds. Honestly, I don’t know all the details off the top of my head—but I know where to look for them!
If you’re planning to experience a holiday at the parks, like Halloween or Christmas, there are specific time frames when Disney is fully decorated for those occasions. These dates can vary slightly from year to year, but generally, you’ll have about two months to enjoy each season. If you’re extra lucky (and super strategic), you might hit the sweet spot where Halloween and Christmas overlap—typically the first week in November. That’s my dream week to visit… but, alas, school.
If you want help figuring out the best time for you to visit Disney, check out Undercover Tourist. They’re my go-to source for all things Disney, and their crowd calendars are exceptionally accurate—especially if your goal is to avoid the crowds.
Where to Stay?
Once you’ve decided when you’re going to Disney, the next step is figuring out where you’re going to stay when you’re not in the parks. This was never an issue for us—until recently. I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World since I was 4. That’s 31 years since my first Disney trip. In those 31 years, I’ve experienced the magic 10 times (even during the pandemic!) Out of those 10 visits, I’ve never once stayed on property. This year, that all changes.
Basically, you have three options when visiting Disney World: the Disney Bubble, a condo, or a hotel. We used to stay in hotels typically on or very close to International Drive. Then, we started renting a condo with friends or family to help offset the cost of the trip. Now, we have a room booked at Port Orleans Riverside—and I cannot wait!
So how do you decide whether to stay in the Disney Bubble, a hotel, or a condo? For us, it usually comes down to budget and travel companions. If your budget is a little more flexible, I’d splurge on the Disney Bubble (and I haven’t even stayed in it yet!). If you’re a bit more budget-conscious, go with a condo or a hotel.
How do you choose between a condo and a hotel? It depends on who’s traveling with you. When Josh and I went to Disney the year we got engaged (I’ll save that story for another time), it was just the two of us—so we stayed in a hotel. It was much more cost-effective for just two people. When we travel with my family, it makes more sense to split the cost of a condo. We like to use VRBO to find the perfect condo and hotels.com for the right hotel.
How Many Park Days do I Need?
The next thing you need to think about when planning a trip to Walt Disney World is how many days you want to spend in the parks. If you’re just starting out, a great rule of thumb is to get a 4-day ticket so you can spend one day at each of the parks. Once you’ve been there a couple of times, you’ll discover which parks are your favorites and which ones you can skip. Sometimes this changes. For example, we’ve decided that Epcot is our favorite park, but we also can’t go to Disney without visiting Magic Kingdom. Our potential skip parks are Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. When we visited in 2022, we skipped Animal Kingdom. This time, we’re skipping Hollywood Studios.
One great tip I’ve learned—and basically live by—is having a rest day somewhere in the middle. It’s very tempting to hit a park four days in a row, but that’s a mistake. The amount of walking you do on any given day at Disney is unfathomable. I think one day I walked 8 miles! It was literally insane. I always, always recommend a rest day in the middle—more than one if you can. That rest day will not only rejuvenate you, but also give you time to explore your resort, have a pool day, go to dinner at Disney Springs, or even travel to one of the beaches less than an hour away.
If you’re feeling like four days just isn’t enough to see everything, you’re not wrong. Sure, some parks you can probably do in a day (and we often do), but having an extra day at Magic Kingdom or Epcot can be refreshing. It allows you to revisit something you loved or just take it slower and soak it all in. The rides at Disney are definitely some of the best you’ll ever experience, but the true magic is found in the shows and character meet-and-greets.
Planning a Park Day
We’ve talked about the overall, major planning tasks that get you to Disney World (aside from the physical traveling, ie. car or plane), but visiting Disney also requires a certain level of daily planning to fully enjoy yourself. Gone are the days when you could just wing it. I always go into every day at Disney with a plan but I also remember that I need to be flexible as well.
My Top 5 Tips to Plan your Park Day
- Download the My Disney Experience App – Literally, do it as soon as you book your trip. This app is your best friend until you return from your trip.
- Do Some Research – Watch as many videos as you can until you have a grasp on Lighting Lanes, dining reservations, etc. I really like Mommoth Club‘s video on this. Molly is literally the key to my success.
- Just buy the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass – You have literally already spent $100’s if not $1000’s of dollars to visit Disney World. Add the lightning lane purchase to your budget and use it every day you’re in the parks. You will enjoy being able to ride more and your kids (and maybe you) will feel like a VIP because you’re skipping the line. When we traveled with our daughter and my best friends 3 kids last year, they were super pumped when we had lightning lanes to skip the lines. It was hilarious how bougee they felt.
- Create a Plan – Know what rides you want to ride, what food you want to try, and what time the fireworks are! I am slightly insane about the planning part of our day. I start out by making a list of everything the people in my party want to see/ride/eat. I then create a spreadsheet that helps me formulate a plan as to where I want to start, what I need to grab for lightning lanes, and where I can find the food we want. It’s organized chaos, and maybe I’ll share one of those spreadsheets at some point but for now you’ll just have to envision a google sheet with a tab for each park.
- Be Flexible – This is probably where you’re confused right? I just had you painstakingly plan your day down to when you’re going to grab those Adventureland egg rolls and now I’m telling you to be flexible? I have got to be crazy (I already told you I was insane), but literally, you have to realize that as much as you plan your day, things are going to happen that make you stray from your plan. Set your expectations now. If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail. Your plan is to have one but still be okay with the plan not going to plan.
I hope I didn’t scare you—Disney is literally my favorite place on this planet. I can’t even describe the joy in my heart when I walk down Main Street, U.S.A. and see Cinderella’s Castle at the end, or the explosion of happy tears that stream down my face when Tink flies at the end of the night. All the planning you put into your Disney trip will be worth it. And if you’re not the planning type, guess what? There are amazing people who can plan most of it for you! Check out We Do Travel Right if you’re looking for an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. The best part is they’re FREE for you to use!
