Planning for a Walt Disney World vacation has changed a lot over the years. Gone are the simple days when a family could book a hotel, go to whatever park they want, and hop in line for the latest and greatest ride. AND gone are the plan-intensive days when a person could plan which rides they were going to ride, on what day and what time months in advance. I’d say we’re in a middle ground now… but is it a happy medium?
Even though some of the changes put in place were meant to create a more simplified planning experience, there is still a lot to think about when planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Since many people do Disney as a once in a lifetime trip, they’re stuck between wanting to make the most out of their trip and investing time into discovering all of the details necessary to plan the perfect vacation.
Over the next few posts, I’ll walk you through the necessary steps to plan a successful vacation to the most magical place on earth.
- We’ll start first with The Basics: the who, what, where, when, and why.
- Then we’ll move on to everybody’s favorite topic: budget. We’ll talk about what a typical vacation can look like at different budgets and what levers you can pull to adjust your spending. While budget talk can be a bummer, it’s important to know where you stand so you can start making some of the fun decisions!
- After that, we’ll discuss the areas of “The World” and what you’d like to get out of your vacation. We’ll talk about park tickets and more – there’s so much to see and do beyond just going to the parks!
- Next we’ll move on to breaking down how to choose where to stay on your vacation. Should you stay onsite or offsite? What are some of the less obvious things you should take into consideration when making hotel decisions?
- Then we’ll talk about transportation options – both getting to Walt Disney World from your home, and getting around when you’re on vacation.
- Finally, we’ll talk about dining options, what your days in the parks might look like, and putting your plan together into an itinerary that works for you and your travel party.
Whew! There’s a lot to consider when planning your dream Disney vacation, but don’t worry: I’ve got your back! And if you’d like personalized assistance with all of these steps and more – for free – shoot me an email at Ali.knowlton@mmvagent.com and I’ll be your personal Disney Travel Advisor!
So, let’s start with the basics of your plan: who, what, where, when, why?
As we embark on our planning journey, it’s important to make sure that you know the who, what, where, when, and why of your vacation. You’re crafting the story of your trip here, so think back to grade school and start making an outline.
It’s actually a very good idea to write all of this down and share it with the people you’re traveling with to make sure that everyone is on the same page! Don’t think of it as overkill, think of it as the most important thing you can do for a successful trip: clearly communicating.
So what are the basics and what should you be thinking about? Here they are:
- Who: Who is going on this vacation with you? Is it just you? You and your significant other? A friend? Your family? A big group or a small group? What are the ages of the people in your travel party?
- What: What kind of trip are you looking to have? Will this be a big blowout, or a low-key extended weekend? If you’re traveling with others, are you hoping to room together? Have rooms in the same hotel? Will you be looking to spend all your time together, or just meet up for some key activities?
- Where: I know the answer to this one seems a bit obvious, but it’s worth thinking through and discussing with your travel party. Will you be spending all of your time at Walt Disney World, or is there a side trip or two you’re looking to take?
- When: What time of year are you looking to go? Do you have any restrictions because of school or work schedules? Is there a particular holiday or season you’d like to experience at Walt Disney World?
- Why: Is this vacation just a break for some relaxation and a good time away from home? Are you going to be celebrating anything while on this trip? Walt Disney World is a fabulous place for a celebration! The Disney Cast Members go out of their way to make sure that you feel special when you’re there to celebrate something, so don’t be shy about celebrating your honeymoon, anniversary, birthday, first trip, first haircut – whatever gets you excited!
If you think back to grade school, you’ll remember that there’s one question missing from the above list, and that’s the how. Well, the how is where it really gets fun, and we’ll start building the how as we move through the rest of the planning process, starting with budget next.
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