The list of do’s and don’ts when planning a Disney World family trip is literally endless. There is really no right way to do a Disney trip but there are a certainly wrong ways. So let’s talk about how to rock the planning stage and why making a trip to Walt Disney World with your little one is a great idea.
We can start with some of the obvious reasons and work back from there. For starters Walt Disney World is not know as the “Most Magical Place on Earth” for nothing. From the moment you decide to book your vacation you will be treated like a guest in the kingdom. From the ease of booking your stay to the Magical Express that will pick you up at the airport and whisk you away to your room, you will begin to feel like you are home.
Transportation
Disney does an incredible job at taking something often overlooked by other companies and turning it into something memorable. One example is the the Magical Express. Booking flights, resorts, tickets, fast passes, dinner reservations and so much more it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. So let someone else handle whatever you want including your bags and transportation. By linking your flights and your resort information your can drop your bags at the airport when you arrive and not have to deal with them again until you see them in your resort room later that day. With so many other parts of travel to worry about, everything you don’t have to do is one step closer to total relaxation.
Booking
It is entirely possible to make your decision to go, book everything online and never have to talk to a single person until the day you arrive. But why would you throw away a free top of the line service? Disney is probably the only place I still call to make reservations. The website is easy but even after spending an immeasurable amount of time at Disney there are still just too many options to keep track of before booking. My biggest recommendation is utilize the Disney pixie dust and make sure you get off to the right start.
Staying
A question I get all the time is whether it is worth the little bit extra money to stay in a Disney hotel. My answer has always been yes, with very few exceptions. There are so many options of where to stay there is bound to be an option that is right for your family. Disney breaks these down by price on their site. I would strongly suggest making your accommodation decision based on how much time you plan to spend at your resort versus the parks.
Value Resorts
If your resort is just a place to sleep between fireworks at night and rope drop in the morning, the “Value” resorts are a no brainer. My suggestion would be to go with a suite at Art of Animation. It’s a little more walking but much nicer than the other options.
Moderate Resorts
If you are looking to spend a little more time by the pool at the resort or maybe even skip a park day, the moderate resorts are your jam. This group of resorts has a special place in my heart. I grew up staying at Port Orleans – French Quarter and loved it. Now they have added speciality beignets and a blues bar to the resort! It’s like they consulted me with each addition.
Deluxe Resorts
These little beauties are where money starts to play a bigger role in the decision making process. Some of these resorts are charging a premium for amenities and others are about the location. For my money I’m going with the BoardWalk Inn. This puts me right between my two favorite parks, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. There is multiple modes of transportation to each however the walk between the two is one of my favorite on Disney property.
Deluxe Villas
The is where we pretend we have a swimming pool full of gold coins at home and throw money to the wind. I will say you certainly know you are staying in luxury when you spend this money. Disney may have some pricy experiences but if you are willing to pay they can make some serious magic happen. When we look at this list of luxury there is nothing I would shy away from on the list. Some of these are newer than others and some come with truly amazing experiences. Across the board though you really cannot go wrong with any of these.
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
A Few Things to Note
- Every resort has a pool and life jackets are available for free. So bring the swim suite and load up on the sunscreen.
- If you are looking for some cheap convenience I recommend ordering some snacks from Amazon and having them shipped to your resort. This has been a game changer for us on multiple occasions.
- If you are looking to add an extra special touch to your vacation you can have things delivered to your room while your out. The list of items is kind of endless but could include special cakes or flowers. Ask the front desk at your resort and they can make some magic happen.
Off Property
If you decide to stay off Disney property there are also a bunch of options. From staying in a hotel down the street from Disney Springs to choosing to stay in one of the many homes for rent around the area there are tons of options to fit your budget and your party size. One nice thing about the hotels in the immediate area is they have started to offer transportation to and from the theme parks. The same cannot be said for the villas. However, if you will have access to a vehicle there are tons of perks for house over the hotel for about the same price.
FastPasses
Arguably the greatest time saver of all Disney planning is choosing your fast passes well in advance. A Fast Pass is essentially access to the a much shorter line for different rides. The catch is you can only book three of them in advance per day. So choose wisely. The option to choose which rides/shows you want will open up 60 days in advance for those who are staying on property and have park passes. 30 days for those who have park passes but are not staying on property. My advice would be to book your room and park tickets early then set your calendar reminder for 7AM, 60 days early and have a game plan. This is double important if you are hoping to get on any of the big rides.
Wrap It Up
Overall if you can just go into your trip with patience and understanding that not everything is going to go as planned, you can have one of the most memorable trips of your parenting life. So as you wonder through EPCOT swing through Germany and have a dark beer for me. Cheers!
2 Responses
[…] There are so many options we love and didn’t even get to mention here. So while you’re planning your next Walt Disney World vacation save some room in your budget for some adult beverages. […]
[…] on this trip or any other is patience. The more calm you can remain the better the trip will be. So contact Disney and let them do all the planning for you. Grab a drink at the nearest bar when you get there and soak in all the Disney magic for awhile. […]
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