Sept.14th, 2017: Update since this Blog was originally posted…I am now an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner! After everyone’s feedback and requests. I decided to jump in full force and I can say its been the greatest 3 months ever! I am so excited to be able to formally help you plan your next magical vacation! For a FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE you can fill out this form or email me at [email protected]   __________________________________________________________ I’m constantly getting messages asking me about planning a Disney trip. I absolutely LOVE DISNEY WORLD! I am also a chronic planner and overly organized. This has it’s good and bad. I love helping my friends plan their trips and answering their questions, but I can’t always get to the messages fast enough. To get you started here are the down and dirty basics.  

Step 1: Pick Your Dates.

Try figure it out and nail down when you are going at least a year in advance. If that is not an option, then at the very least 6 months. Yes, you can do a quicker trip but for reasons I go into below less than 180 days out is just stressful and you may not get everything you want. When to go: Really anytime at Disney World is awesome. Personally I don’t go after mid April through Mid September. Its too dang hot. Obviously Summer, Holidays, and School Breaks are going to be the busiest. I have been at busy times and not so busy times..if you plan and plan well the busy times are really not that bad. Length of Stay: We usually stay 5 nights 6 days.  Any less just isn’t long enough. I could probably stay longer but then again, I could live there and be cool with it.  

Step 2: Pick Your Resort.

Decide what is important to you. Remember you are not going to be in the room that often. I think we spend maybe 6-7 hours including sleep, if that, in our room. I go Value or Moderate. That’s not to say the deluxe are not awesome but I would rather spend the money elsewhere.

Step 3: Make a Daily Plan.

What park are you going to be at on what day? Say you are going Monday – Friday. You arrive on Monday.. will you go to a park? You leave on Friday? Will you go to a park before the trip home? I usually go 5 nights, 6 days. This gives me 2 half days (arrival/departure) at Magic Kingdom. 1 Full day and Magic Kingdom, 1 full day at Epcot, 1 Full Day at Hollywood Studios, then 1 day at Animal Kingdom. Personally we do not do the water parks. I live in Texas there is a water park within 15 minutes every direction, so that is not important to me. If your going in the Summer hot months, then this could be an option. Once you know your daily plan, then you can start making dining reservations. You don’t want to plan dinner at MK and be a least an hr away at Epcot without planning it out first.  

Step 4: Make a Park Tour.

Once you know what park you want to attend what day, then you need to plan where you want to go in that park. Decide what rides, characters, must do’s are important to your party then map them out. Trust me going from one side of the park to another is not an easy task you do not want to bounce around all day, that wastes time. You also however don’t want to just blindly walk along and attempt to do whatever you randomly walk up on…. that could end in ridiculous wait times.  

Step 5: Add Your Magic

There are so many ways to add magic to your trip. Some of these are costly others are not. Know what is important to your party. Do they want to meet princesses, taste all the wonderful Disney treats, see the fireworks up close, or go on a private pirates cruise? Maybest a surprise visit from Tinkerbell in the room? Are you celebrating a birthday, anniversary? Check out my video below where I go into a few more details and stay tuned for future blogs and vlogs where I explain each one of these in more detail. Remember if you have a question drop it below and I will try to answer it too. Get your Free No Obligation Quote for an Enchanted Disney Vacation here