3 Quick Walt Disney World Planning Tips
So you’ve booked your Disney World vacation, and now you can sit back and relax until it’s time to pack your bags for your trip.
Yeah, not quite.
If you’re like me, you’ve heard people come back from a Disney vacation complaining that it was less than ideal. If you want to be able to have the Disney World vacation you’ve been dreaming of, you need to use that time before you actually leave to focus on planning. While there are a number of different pieces to consider, today I’m sharing three key Disney planning tips to help you prepare.
#1 Know Your Priorities
It can feel like there are a million different options for every choice you make when you are at Disney World. Having a clear sense of what you want to do most will help you focus your time on what’s important.
Here are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself:
How important is meeting characters? Are there any on our “must meet” list?
Do we want to ride as many rides as we can or also make time for shows and fireworks? Which rides do people most want to experience?
How much time do we want to spend at our resort pool?
Do we want to spend all of our time in the Disney World bubble, or are there other places we’d like to visit during our trip?
These are just a few questions that I use to help clients figure out what is most important to them on their vacation. Once you have these answers, it will make decision-making that much easier.
#2 Have a Park Plan
After you have a sense of what your priorities are, you’ll want to create a plan for each of the Disney theme parks you visit. You’ll also see this referred to as a “touring plan” on Disney-focused websites.
To make your plan, refer back to your priorities and also take a look online to see what’s available at each park. I personally like to pull up the PDF of a park map online where you can see all the rides and their locations in one shot.
Then you'll want to create a shortlist for yourself of what you want to do first. Create an Excel spreadsheet for each day, keep track in a notes app, or whatever works best for you to pull up easily at the parks.
Have a sense of what you want to do first, second, and third at that particular park to start. Do this and you’ll avoid being one of those families who come in the front gate and then stand there frozen, trying to decide on the spur of the moment what to do first.
#3 Practice Using the App
The My Disney Experience app is going to be your new best friend during your vacation. If you feel comfortable with the app before you even step foot on Disney property, you are going to be in great shape when it really matters.
Because the Disney World app is so important, I highly, highly recommend not waiting to get familiar with the app. Once you book your vacation and have a confirmation number from Disney, download it asap. Then when you have a spare minute or two, pull it up and take a look around.
While there are some things you won’t be able to do beforehand, for the most part, you will be able to use it at home like you would at the parks. Practice making a mobile lunch order. Look up the ride wait times for Animal Kingdom. Search for dining reservations. Check the daily showtimes at Magic Kingdom and save something to your plan.
Do this, and by the time your vacation rolls around you are going to be a pro at finding what you need at your fingertips.
The key to having a great time at Disney World is to prepare. If you follow at least these three tips, you’ll be much more likely to head home happy.
I help my clients walk through their planning, including the tips above, to make sure they know what to expect and how to successfully navigate through Disney World. I’d love to help you and your family plan the vacation you’ve been dreaming of as well!
Any questions about these tips, or want to talk about the details of planning a vacation? Reach out!
