What To Know Before Your Next Disney Vacation
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World is really exciting and you have a lot to look forward to! As a travel advisor, my role is to make sure this experience is just as magical as your vacation will be. Let’s walk through what planning your vacation will look like, along with the decisions you get to make along the way!
When to Travel
The most important part of planning your Walt Disney World vacation is choosing the time you’d like to visit. There are not many ‘slow’ times at Walt Disney World, everyone wants to enjoy the MAGIC of the parks, but there are weeks that are ‘less crowded’ than others.
First – If you have school-aged children, consider if you are planning to take them out of school for a few days or if you’d prefer to travel during the summer. Be aware that traveling during the summer will be VERY hot and this may limit the time you spend in the parks.
Next, avoid holidays if you can. Christmas week, Thanksgiving week, and 3-day holiday weekends (Labor Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day) are the most crowded times at Walt Disney World. The parks tend to ‘hit capacity’ on Christmas day and Thanksgiving day. If this is the best time for YOUR FAMILY to travel – that is OKAY and I will work with you to create a park touring itinerary to maximize your day!
Finally, skip the special event weekends at Walt Disney World like runDisney weekends and sports competitions. As your advisor, I will know these dates and be able to help you avoid them if you’d like to!
If you are flexible with your dates, I prefer to recommend…
End of September to Early October
It will be very warm at this time, but you can experience Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Mid-November or Early December
Christmas decorations will begin to go up around the parks during this time, just avoid the week of Thanksgiving
Mid-January to Mid-February
The weather can be much cooler during this period so if you are okay with that this is a great option.
Travel AFTER Marathon weekend in early January, but before President’s Day weekend in February
Also avoid Martin Luther King Jr weekend
End of April to Early May
After Easter and before Memorial day is a great time, the closer to April the ‘cooler’ the weather will be
Where to Stay
Walt Disney World offers three categories of resorts – value, moderate, and deluxe. Before choosing your resort, think about what parts of the resort are important to you so I can match you with the best fit for you.
Value Resorts
Lowest Rates
Smallest Rooms
Standard pool options
Highly themed
Food court dining
Moderate Resorts: a step up from the Value resorts in…
A step up from the Value resorts for room quality, size, and cost.
Less “Disney” theme than the value resorts
Pools will have water slides
Table service, quick service, and lounge dining options
May offer upgraded transportation options including boat or Skyliner
Deluxe Resorts
Luxurious accommodations with extensive theming
Largest rooms with upgraded amenities
Themed pools with interactive play areas
Multiple on-site table and quick service dining options
Closest to the parks
May offer upgraded training options including Monorail, Skyliner, boat, or be walking distance to the parks.
Other options for resorts on Walt Disney World property include Disney Deluxe Villa resorts to offer full kitchens and laundry amenities, Fort Wilderness Campgrounds and Cabins for a more rustic experience, and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts by Marriott.
After we complete your resort reservation, make sure you link it to your My Disney Experience account and it will show up in the “My Plans” tab!
Park Tickets
This is where the real fun begins…choosing your park tickets! There are FOUR theme parks at visit at Walt Disney World Resort – Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is easiest to include your park tickets on your vacation package (my clients know why!), but there are MANY options to choose from!
Before your trip. you can choose a 2-day up to a 10-day ticket for your vacation package.
Seems simple enough? Now we can get complicated.
You can…
Upgrade to a Park Hopper – this allows you to visit more than one park within the same day.
Upgrade to a Park Hopper Plus – this allows you to visit more than one park within the same day AND go to the water parks.
Add the Water Park and More Option – Visit one park per day and enjoy the water parks plus other sport options.
After purchasing your park tickets, be sure to log in to your My Disney Experience account and make your PARK PASS RESERVATIONS. To enter the theme park, you need a valid park ticket AND a park pass reservation for that park!
*As your travel advisor, I will provide a recommended itinerary for your park pass reservations based on my experience!*
My #1 Package Add-On
MEMORY MAKER.
Memory maker gives you access to free downloads of ALLof your photopass photos taken during your Walt Disney World vacation. These photos are taken at iconic spots around the theme parks, resorts, and even attractions! Photopass photographers are located around Walt Disney World – you can’t miss them. All you have to do is get in line if their is one, scan your MagicBand/Phone App/Key to the World Card…and voila, your pictures show up in your My Disney Experience app within minutes (without a watermark!).
If you know what to ask for, you may even get a little extra pixie dust in your photos with a “magic shot!”
Walt Disney World Resort has gone through a lot of changes over the past few years. Many of these changes will impact how you book, plan, and experience Walt Disney World when preparing for your next trip. Whether this is your first time visiting the happiest place on Earth or you 50th, it’s important to be aware of what you need to know before you travel next!
