Planning your first vacation to Walt Disney World? Feeling overwhelmed by trying to decide where to start? You will be visiting a “magical” vacation destination, with an amazing variety of rides, attractions, restaurants, hotels and events…and it can be confusing to someone new to Disney. This article will focus on the very beginning of the process: what you must know before you book anything. This important part of your research is the best way to plan the most affordable Disney family vacation.
Hopefully starting a good 6-9 months in advance, you will need to first decide when you are going to go. To determine the best time for your family to visit Walt Disney World, it is important to evaluate your preferences for things crowds and weather. For example, if you are not thrilled with crowds, don’t plan a visit during the crowded summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring breaks. Do you hate heat and humidity? Don’t go during Florida’s brutal summer.
The next thing you will want to do is figure out what you and your family want to see and do while at Disney World. Seem strange? Believe it or not, you will find it helpful to know at this point in your planning, which parks you will be spending most of your time at, or if there are any special events you will want to attend. By looking at this early in the process, you can then plan your trip to take advantage of this information.
To do all this, good planning guides are important to give you an overview of what you can see and do at the parks. I have two favorite planning sources:
1. The Disney World website is a great place to start. as you can order their free planning DVD. To do this, you need to sign up for a log-in, which I recommend that you do. You will then be sent a lot of Disney vacation planning information, as well as be emailed special offers and promotions.
2. The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide is an e-book authored by a former Disney castmember. It is a great resource, filled with a lot of great park “insider” information, as well as some really helpful money-saving strategies.
OK, you know when you are visiting, and what you want to see and do. Next you need to determine how long to plan your Disney vacation for. Check your available vacation leave, as well as work/school schedules and then get an idea of how long you will need to see everything that is important to you. This relates to an extent to the discussion about the time of year you will be visiting Disney World. If you will be there when it is the crowded or the very hot summer, you will want to allow a little more time: the need for “cooling off” breaks, or navigating through crowds, means that it will take longer to do everything. And if you have little ones, add some extra break time in for them as well.
So how long does it typically take to visit each park, if you want to see and do “it all”? I honestly advise you to plan for at least 5 full days to see all four parks completely. And if any of the above applies to your plans, then add a little more time.
The last thing to decide before you book anything is, how much can you afford to spend? If you want to plan an affordable Disney family vacation, this is probably the most important step, as having a budget in mind at the very beginning will help keep your costs down. It is important to be honest with yourself and be realistic. Not having an extravagant budget does not mean you can’t have a fabulous vacation!
Knowing these four things…when you are going, what you want to see, how long you will stay, and what you can afford…will then allow you to start booking your vacation. Start the process with these basic steps and you will be able to plan a wonderful, memorable and affordable Disney family vacation!
Learn how you can save money when going to Walt Disney World with the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. For help planning your own affordable Disney family vacation and to receive a free bonus guide filled with Disney vacation tips and strategies, be sure to visit www.theaffordablemouse.com.