If you're thinking about planning a trip to Disney World -- and especially if it's your first time -- you might be overwhelmed be all the information and choices and have no idea how to even start.
Granted, this is a pretty simplied version of planning a Disney trip, but it will help you get your thoughts and know what direction you need to go in.
Here are 5 steps, plus links to more in-depth articles, that will get you on a good start.
1. Decide when to go.
The sad truth is that there is no longer any time, ever, when the parks are not going to be crowded. But you can choose times when the crowd is less crowded, at least.
Probably the absolute worst time to visit Disney World is the last two weeks of Christmas, which are absolutely mobbed. Spring Break and the week of Thanksgiving are also pretty bad.
For me personally, the second worst time to visit would be June, July, or August because the heat would make me miserable.
To some extent, it's a matter or preference and available options. When are your kids out of school? Do you want to be in Epcot during the Food & Wine Festival? Do you want to visit when the Christmas decorations are up?
For more detailed information, you can do a Google search to find one of the many Crowd Calendars.
2. Decide where to stay.
The big question is: Do you want to stay at a Disney resort, or off-property?
We've done both, and while a couple years ago I swore I would never stay off-property again, right now I have mixed feeling about it.
The main advantage to staying on Disney property, as far as I'm concerned, is that you don't have to drive anywhere and you don't have to go into the "real world." That's it. I don't really care about Magic Hours or booking FastPasses earlier or getting a free cup.
But the last time we were there, the Disney bus transportation was ... not always fun. One morning the bus was running so late we seriously debated just driving to the park. We often had to stand, and with all the stops, it felt like it took forever.
For my next trip I'm trying to save money as much as possible and getting a condo with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and an outside patio was cheaper than the Disney Value resorts. Oh, and they have a huge, gorgeous pool with multiple water slides.
So I decided to suck it up and drive. Or hey, maybe I'll just use that extra money to get an Uber.
3. Decide where to eat.
There are over a hundred restaurants on Disney property, so this can be a daunting task. There are two types of restaurants: table service, which are more expensive and where you need a reservation (sometimes months in advance), and quick service restaurants, where you order at the counter.
I would recommend doing at least one character meal, unless that idea totally doesn't appeal to you. Breakfast at Chef Mickey is very popular, although I will warn you that it is loud and crowded. Epcot has a princess character meal that is both cheaper and easier to book than Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
I personally would suggest not booking any more than two or three table service meals, unless you are really certain that's a big part of what you want to do on vacation. Not only will can it become very expensive, but then you have to revolve the rest of your schedule around it. However, some families really love hitting as many character meals as they can, so of course do what works for you and your family.
NOTE: I personally do NOT recommend the Disney Dining Plan unless you can get it during the free promo and/or you were planning to do a fair amount of character dining. You will almost certainly get more food than you can eat and end up paying for things that you didn't really want.
4. Decide what attractions you want to ride.
There are lots of different types of attractions at Disney World for different types of people.
Some rides are spin fast and would (or did) make my husband literally hurl.
Some rides have very strict height requirements, so toddlers and preschoolers wouldn't be able to ride them. Some rides (I'm looking at you, Barnstormer) wouldn't appeal to anyone over the age of 8.) Some rides are air conditioned and a great way to beat the heat in the middle of the day.
All this is to say that not all rides are for everybody, and some rides are a better choice at different times of day. Consider the guests in your party (and when it might be a good time to split your two party into two groups) and do some research to see what rides will and won't appeal to you.
One good idea to come up with a "must do" list for every member of the family -- say, three rides that they are most excited about. (Side Note: Your "must do" list can include not only rides, but also characters to meet, snacks to try, etc.) That way you have a big picture of what the family wants to do, and you create a game plan so that the most important things get done.
For a general description of some of the rides and attractions, you can refer to these two articles:
5. Start packing!
There's a lot that you need to pack for a Disney World trip, especially if you have young children. It's also a little tricky, because you want to be prepared, but you definitely don't want to overpack.
One of the most important things is that you want to wear comfortable, appropriate clothes. In the warmer months, I highly recommend having some extra underwear and outfits so you can change in the middle of the day after getting all sweaty.
Good shoes are a must, because you will be walking close to 10 miles a day. Check out my post on the best Disney shoes for women, men, and kids for several reviews of popular choices to pick the ones that are right for your family.
And I don't know about you, but when I'm getting my picture taken several times a day, I want to look as good as possible, which is why I wrote an article on cute outfits to wear to Disney.
This can be a controversial topic, but I believe you should bring a stroller if you have kids under the age of around 6 or so. There are many options, between buying a cheap lightweight stroller and having it shipped to your hotel, renting the Disney park strollers, or renting strollers for an outside company in Orlando. You learn more and get links to specific products in my article about the best double stroller for Disney World.
So now at least you have a good starting place -- and you have a lot of other resources to answer some of your questions and give you ideas. I hope you have a great Disney trip.
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