I’ve Taken My Family to Disney World 16 Times. Here’s How I Start Planning.

Planning a trip to Disney World doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

Over the course of my life, I’ve been to Disney World in some form or another 16 times, which is far more than some are able to say they’ve been, and far less than others. However, over those trips I feel like I’ve developed a pre-trip preparation strategy for myself and my significant other that can be beneficial to long-tenured Disney World visitors and first-timers alike.

If you’re considering a Disney World trip any time soon, I’d advise the following:

Book as Far in Advance as Possible

While there’s nothing wrong with a spontaneous Disney World trip (especially for those who live close by), I tend to find that booking a trip 6-months to a year in advance works best for two major reasons. The first is financial, as Disney has a flexible way to pay for their vacations. After putting down a deposit at the time of booking, you can pay in as many payments in whatever size as you desire, with the whole trip needing to be paid a month before your arrival date. This makes it much easier to budget out paying for a Disney World trip in a convenient way.

The second is for scheduling purposes. Taking into account the dates of events like EPCOT’s annual festivals, runDisney race weekends, early park closures for holiday parties, and etc. to make sure that  I can plan my trip around them and/or take advantage of them.

A further quick note on booking. Over the course of my family’s trips to Disney World, we’ve booked both on our own and using travel agent services, and in recent travels, I’ve come to realize that even the most experienced Disney travelers can use the aid of a travel professional from time to time.

If you were to use said travel professional, we’d recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you! 

Shop Early

Once your trip is booked, it’s never too early stop start looking for sales on theme park essentials. Whether you’re looking for the perfect shoes, some fashionable graphic tees, a bag, a poncho, or even ears, you can start stocking up early and find some great deals.

Keep an Eye On the Calendar

While we mentioned booking around major Walt Disney World events above, it’s still important to keep an eye on the Disney World calendar as your trip approaches. That way, you can stay abreast of any schedule changes, ride closures, refurbishments, and other events whose effects on your trip can be negated by foreknowledge. (Take this from someone who missed the last day of The Great Movie Ride’s operation by HOURS because he didn’t take dates into account before booking a flight).

Plan Your Park Days

I know some people don’t like “over-planning” their Disney World trip too much, especially now that park pass reservations aren’t required for most ticket types, but personally I always like to plan out which parks we’ll be visiting on each day of the trip. That way, we can space things out well to reduce the strain on our bodies. For example, following a long day at the Magic Kingdom, we we may plan have some morning pool time the next day before heading to, say, EPCOT later in the afternoon. Plus, having parks picked beforehand will in-turn make the next step even easier.

Plan Dining Reservations

Disney advanced Dining Reservations can be made beginning at 6:00 AM EST 60 days before your trip, and those for the resort’s more in-demand restaurants will go fast. My advice, have a list ready for what restaurants you’re planning to try for each day that way you’ll be able to know EXACTLY what you’re looking for as soon as the window opens.

Get Your MagicBand Before the Deadline

Guests staying at Disney World Resort hotels have the opportunity to purchase MagicBands at a discounted price. Purchases made 11 or more days before the first day of your reservation to have it shipped to your house, while MagicBand purchases made 6-10 days prior will be shipped directly to your Disney Resort hotel and can picked up at the front desk upon check-in. You’ll lose access to the discount under 6 days.

Book Lightning Lanes ASAP

Speaking of booking beforehand, make sure to take advantage of Lightning Lanes if you are hoping to skip the lines. Introduced in 2024, Disney’s new system of Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass allows for booking before arrival. If you’re staying at one of Disney’s hotels, you can purchase Lightning Lanes and book arrival windows starting 7 days before the first day of your stay, for the length of your stay (up to 14 days). If you’re staying off-property, you can do so 3 days in advance.

Load Up the App

Prior to your trip, make sure all of your tickets, information, and reservations are loaded on to the Walt Disney World app. In addition, make sure any member of your party also has the app installed in their phone as well, and all reservations are cross-referenced on each app.

GO ON YOUR TRIP!

Finally! Take it from someone who actually follows all these tips, if you do all this before your trip, things will run much smoother upon your arrival at Walt Disney World. Stay tuned to AllEars for more travel tips.

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How do you prepare for your Disney World trip? Let us know in the comments below.

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