After planning several trips to Walt Disney World over the years, I’ve definitely learned a thing or two. Today I wanted to share some of my top tips and tricks. Welcome to the ultimate Walt Disney World planning guide!
But First, My Story
As a kid from Wisconsin, getting to go to WDW was the holy grail of trips. We’d beg and beg and beg to go each year. About every four years, the time would come when my family would pile into our mini van and make the drive down to Orlando from Milwaukee. In 2001 we had our very last family vacation to WDW and that was it.
In 2015, I went back to Florida for the first time since my childhood! A lot had obviously changed from the good ‘ole days and I was a bit overwhelmed as to where to begin. Luckily there are some incredible resources out there for us first-timers (‘cause let’s be honest, after a 20-year break, it really did feel like the first time all over again).
Since 2015, I’ve been back every year and have started to hone in on my planning process. That’s what I’m going to share today.
Decision 1: When to Go
This is probably one of the most common questions. As a general rule, it’s best to go when most people don’t. Over the years this has actually shifted quite a bit. If you can handle the heat and humidity, the summer has actually become a great time to visit Walt Disney World. I personally, can’t handle the heat so instead, I’ll stick to the following:
November: The weeks before and after Thanksgiving are a great time to go because most people need to save up their travel time for Thanksgiving itself. This is also a great time to go because it is during Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival, which is a ton of fun, AND you can see all of the Christmas decorations and fun Christmas entertainment.
April/May: The weeks right after spring break are a prime time to go because kids are back in school and parents don’t want to take them out again so near to when they were just out. The weather in Orlando around this time is also ideal. It’s not too hot and humid yet. Also, this is right during Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival. (I’m a big fan of Epcot, as you can tell).
January/February: My new favorite time of year to visit Walt Disney World is January or February. The weather is cool, the crowds are low, and the deals are plenty. I have been finding myself recommending this time of year most often.
Decision 2: Where to Stay
I’ve stayed both on and off Disney property and I have to say that staying on Disney property is worth every extra penny. Disney really has figured everything out to ensure that their guests have the most enjoyable stay possible.
The first reason to stay at a Disney Resort is that the transportation services make getting around so easy. Disney’s shuttle service is far superior to every other hotel in Orlando. Buses run about every 15 minutes and go to each theme park as well as Disney Springs. It is the most efficient and easiest way to get around the vast Walt Disney World property.
There are 3 tiers of resorts at Walt Disney World: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. Value are the most inexpensive and come in around $150-250/night, Moderate are the next step up and usually come in around $2000-$350/night, and Deluxe are the primo accommodations coming in at $450+/night. For more on my favorite resorts, check out my top picks here.
Decision 3: How Long to Stay
This has been a hard one for me. On my first trip I stayed for 6 days and my second trip I stayed for 7. In both instances I did not feel like I had enough time. There is SO much to do at Walt Disney World that you can come again and again and barely scratch the surface.
I would recommend at least 7 days for first timers since there are 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and 20 themed resorts to explore.
Now that I’ve been going so often, I now go even just for a long weekend. So there really is no “right” or “wrong” answer to this question.
Decision 4: Theme Park Tickets
Discounts
Unfortunately there aren’t really discounts to be had on tickets. Sometimes Disney will have a special going on, so definitely check back on the website often but there aren’t many discounts beyond that. I have been told that there is a slight discount for AAA members (I am not one) and I have been able to get some discounted park hopper tickets through Plum Benefits. But even then, the discounts aren’t that deep (just a few dollars). To me, it’s not actually worth it to buy from a 3rd party when the price difference is so minimal. When I buy directly through Disney or a Disney authorized travel agent, I have control over the tickets should anything go wrong.
Multi-Day or Park Hopper?
A multi-day ticket purchased in advance is definitely the way to go because there are savings to be had with those (versus buying a single day ticket at the window when you arrive at the park each day). Whether or not to invest in park hopper tickets is really dependent on your goals for the trip, however. I’ve done it with and without park hoppers. I personally feel it’s quite hard to jump around from park to park in a single day if you only have one day at each park. There is so much to do at each park that the travel time alone is pretty inefficient. That said, if you have more time, it’s nice to be able to take advantage of Magic Hours at one park and then head to another when those are over.
Magic Hours are special hours either before or after standard operating hours for a park that are given to guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort (just another reason to stay “on property”).
Decision 5: Dining
I’m going to do a separate blog post dedicated to Disney World Dining because I have A LOT to say about it but I think it’s important to mention here that:
- Despite what you may have heard, Disney has some of the most incredible restaurants I’ve ever eaten at
- Those restaurants fill up FAST
So it’s pretty important to start researching food options right after you book your hotel stay. Dining reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance of your trip and the most popular experiences will book up quickly. Some of my favorite experiences have been Be our Guest at Magic Kingdom, Sci Fi Dining at Hollywood Studios, and Tusker House at Animal Kingdom.
Additional Resources
As mentioned at the top of this post, there are some really wonderful resources available to first-timers. I’ve used these blogs religiously when planning for all of my trips. Their helpful hints are invaluable and almost always correct.
My all time favorite Disney blog is: The Disney Tourist Blog – Tom and Sarah have done their research and they know EVERYTHING there is to know about the parks. They have reviews on just about every resort and restaurant on property and have a million helpful tips for planning.
The next blog I use is: WDW Prep School – Shannon has a great crowd predictor calendar for the entire year as well as month-by-month specific planning guides.
I hope you found my ultimate Walt Disney World planning guide useful. If you have any planning questions as you gear up for your own trip, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to help other Disney friends. <3 <3 <3
For more information on specific changes affecting 2021 Walt Disney World travel, check out Everything You Need to Know about Visiting WDW in 2021.
