THE COMPLETE DISNEY PLANNING GUIDE

Hi friends!

Are you dreaming of taking a trip to Disney but not sure where to start? Girl, I got you! This post will get you started, but so many factors are up to what is best for your family, so I’ve left it pretty open ended. For reference of this post, according to Google (aka, my best friend), an average Disney World trip for a family of 4 costs $5,000 for a four day and night trip. This cost includes flights, hotel, park tickets and food. BUT there are many ways this price can go up or down. Never feel pressured to overspend what you are comfortable with, and know that more money doesn’t mean a more magical trip. Check this post (Coming soon!) for more ways to save money when going to Disney after you’ve got your basics down. Ready to go? Let’s jump into the fun stuff and start planning with the complete Disney Planning Guide

STEP ONE: THE BASICS

1. Decide Which Park: Disneyland vs Disney World

2. Set your budget

3. Decide your length and time of stary

The two main parks are Disneyland and Disney World, but there are 6 parks around the world. I would go over the differences, but there are so many travel agencies out there that have already done it for us. This post will revolve mostly around Disney World, but all concepts still apply to Disneyland.

BUDGET

Once you know where you’re headed you’ll need to set a budget. While Disney is expensive (no need to sugar coat it), there are MANY ways to keep the cost down and enjoy the fun on a budget. You cannot hope to start planning until you have a rough number of how much you are willing and able to spend. Again, the baseline estimate is $5000 and since that is a pretty large sum for most families, I want to help you do it for less! A few major ways you can save money on a Disney trip are below and I have a full post dedicated to this.

• Airline miles (credit cards and rewards programs!)

• Value resorts and staying off property

• Grocery delivery at your hotel

• Shop for Disney gear ahead of time if you really feel you need it.

• Go on the off- season

LENGTH OF STAY

Finally, length of stay and time of stay. Focus on the time of year you want to go and how much time your budget will allow you to stay. Before making any decisions check the Disney crowd calendar. This will tell you about the size of crowd and if all parks/ attractions are open. You’ll also want to look at estimated hotel prices and weather reports for the park you want to visit. I recommend booking more than 60 days in advance, especially if you are looking to make reservations at special restaurants or attractions.

STEP TWO: ESTABLISH YOUR "MUST DO LIST"

For us, we knew we would need one day at the hotel as a break from the parks. With our two littles, we planned a pool day at the hotel and some shopping in Disney Springs. We also made a list of the things we most wanted to see and do. Be realistic here, especially with young kids, you’ll need to calculate their emotional limits and nap time needs. Let’s be honest, you need to calculate your own emotional limit too. I cannot exaggerate this enough, keep your must do list minimal. Here is an example of our list:

1. Have the kids ride their first rides & get a ton of photos

2. Get 1st Visit Disney Pins from Guest Relations or the hotel

3. Build a droid or lightsaber in Star Wars Land (reservation required)

4. Most importantly, relax and just enjoy the magic

If you have an essential item like the droid depot or diner at Cinderella’s castle that requires a reservation, you’ll need to book this 60 days out at 5am EST. Exactly 60 days out at 5am EST or you will not get it. Top tip for building your essentials list: try to max it out at 1-2 things per day/park. Overbooking will lead to massive stress and the burnout is not worth it.

STEP THREE: CALL IN AN EXPERT & BOOK IT!

Once you’ve got these essentials outlined you’ll want to call a Disney Travel Agent. First thing you need to know is that they are free! They cost you absolutely nothing and they have a wealth of knowledge about the parks, hotels and everything you need for your trip. This will save you tons of time looking for answers online and they can make recommendation based on a tons of personal and professional experience. Your travel agent comes in handy with booking and scheduling too. They do all the work for you so you don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night for reservations and you don’t have to worry about missing out on a spot because someone else was faster. They also make recommendations about scheduling your day and using Genie+ and Lightening Lane.

We used Travelmation and our experience was phenomenal. Our agent did nearly all the research and planned everything to the last detail for us (hard for a type A control freak like me, but also nice).

STEP FOUR: GET THE APP

Get the My Disney Experience app and get familiar with it. This is your essential hub to keep reservations, virtual room keys, send shopping items to your hotel, photo pass images, park maps, and literally everything you could possibly need. A few things you should get comfortable with and utilize:

• Disney Genie Service – free and helps with planning your day

• The profile tab and all the things you can access:

  • Reservation details

  • Compliment a cast member

  • Play Disney Parks

  • Car Locator (if your driving)

• Mobile dining orders

• Park and resort map

• Virtual cue

STEP FIVE: PACKING & PLANNING DAYS IN THE PARK

Packing is a whole topic itself, and is an entirely separate post. View the details of packing for your family Disney trip here. It covers all things you need from airport entertainment to your park bag. You can also find my best tips in planning out our days in the park here. Trust me, you’ll want to read both posts before you head to the airport! (Both Posts Coming Soon)

Now you’ve got the basics figured out and you are planning the vacation of your dreams. It’s going to be amazing! I am so excited to be helping you with your journey and if you think of anything else I didn’t cover in this post, let me know! The Complete Disney Planning Guide is ever evolving so keep checking for updates and new posts that I’ll share here. I love all things Disney and would love to share insight on anything you need. Don’t forget to follow on Pinterest so you never miss a post.