An almost universal rite of passage for any American is the family trip to Walt Disney World.  Most of us have done it – some multiple times – and more often than not, upon returning you’ll hear comments like “we had a great time, but next time I’ll definitely (insert better planning tip here).”

Fear not, gentle reader, for I am here to guide you.  I happily worked for “the Mouse” for sixteen years (three of those in the theme parks) and even spent a few months in Europe as part of the opening crew of Disneyland Paris, so I’d like to think I have some expertise in this area.  Now that we have my resume out of the way, I can share with you some basic tips on planning that dream vacation to Central Florida.

 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

“So when should we go?”  This is probably the thing I get asked most often.  Well, the answer to that gets murkier every year.  Disney has introduced “tiered” pricing on their tickets in order to try and get more people to the resort during “slower” times of the year.  They also discount resort stays at non-peak periods to encourage visitors.  This means that even the slowest times aren’t as slow as they once were; however, I can say with certainty the times of the year that you SHOULD avoid, unless you have a great desire to sweatily commune with thousands of strangers.  Those times are Christmas/New Year’s week, Easter Break, and anytime during the summer months.  Historically, the least crowded times at the resort have been the fall (September, October, November – excluding Thanksgiving week), the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and anytime that most of America’s kids are in school.

 

START PLANNING EARLY

How early?  Honestly, I’d say at least one year in advance.  You’ll have the best chance of getting the resort room you want if you take the time to book early.  This is especially important if your travel party will take up more than one room.  The earlier you book, the better chance you’ll have at getting things like adjoining rooms or that perfect lagoon view.

 

YOU WILL NEED TO DO SOME WORK BEFORE YOU GO

Sorry, free spirits.  The days of just booking a room, getting the tickets, and showing up at the parks without any plan at all are a thing of the past.  Oh, sure – you can still do it, but unless you have some weird fetish for standing in long lines and eating nothing but counter service food, you’re going to have a bad time.  Disney technology advances such as Fastpass (their attraction line system), Advance Dining Reservations, and Magic Bands have created a class system at the resort, separating those that plan (even a little) from those who don’t.  Most sit-down restaurants have to be booked 180 days in advance.  That’s right – six months out– at the theme parks OR resorts (and even then I can’t guarantee that you’ll get your first choice).  Fastpass reservations can be made 90 days out.  Yes, I said three months out – and as soon as the clock kicks over to midnight on the first available day to reserve an attraction time, they disappear like hotcakes, so you have to be online and ready to make your selections.

 

FOLLOW SOME WEBSITES AND GET YOUR BEARINGS

Do some research.  Walt Disney World is a huge resort (27 square miles), so you have to get a lay of the land beforehand so you’ll have more success navigating things.  That means you need to know things like what park the “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” is in (Hollywood Studios) or if “Space Mountain” and “Splash Mountain” are close together (they are not).  How does the Fastpass system work?  Is that restaurant I want to dine at on the Disney Dining Plan?  Knowing before you go saves you from backtracking (and extra walking in the Florida heat), wasting time, and disappointment.  Spend some time visiting a few Disney-related websites and learn what’s going on at the resort when you’ll be there.  Find out what rides are down for maintenance or what special events and entertainment options are available. A great place to start is Disney News Central.  It’s a one-stop collection of dozens of websites that report on all aspects of the vast Disney empire.  I look at it almost every day.  (FYI – all the theme park-related sites are in the left-hand column of the three column format.)  Bookmark it now and take some time to read through some of the posts as part of your vacation planning.

 

YOU WON’T SEE IT ALL, SO DON’T KILL YOURSELF TRYING

As stated above, the Walt Disney World resort is massive.  It’s got four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, and much, much more.  Accept the fact right now that you WON’T see it all in a single visit and make peace with it.  Over the years, I’ve seen so many families trying in vain to beat the theme parks into submission with a grueling schedule.  They get up at 06:00 a.m. every day, jam chocolate milk and M&M pancakes into their kids (who are wild with energy by 09:00 a.m.) and then watch in horror as these same kids crash into an emotional puddle of sweaty tears by noon (but the schedule still has eight hours left to go).  Tempers are flaring, adults and kids are hot and tired, and no one is having a good time.  My advice is to sit down with your family and make a list of what each person wants to see or do and then try to come up with a plan that addresses those wants.  Build in some “down time”, opting for an afternoon at the pool or just lounging (read “napping”) in your hotel room (when the Florida temperatures are at their peak).  Reserve an evening and book a nice, leisurely dinner at one of the resort’s full service restaurants.  Remember, it’s called a VACATION, so treat it as such and relax a little.  Treat your trip as if you’ll come back one day, so if you miss something this time around?  No big deal.

 

Let’s be honest, a Disney vacation is a big investment (no matter what kind of budget you are on), so it makes sense to put a little up-front time into planning your visit.  You don’t have to micro-manage every minute of your vacation, but it does take some time and effort in order to truly get the most out of your Walt Disney World experience.