Are you and your family planning a trip to Disney for the first time? More than 20 million people visit Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida each year! Millions of these visitors are coming to the Disney parks for the very first time.
A trip to Disney is exciting and expensive, so you need to take time to plan it the right way so that your family makes the most of its time at the happiest place on Earth!
Read on to learn how to plan a Disney vacation so that you have the most fun on your trip!
Your Budget
There’s a lot of moving costs for any trip so you must plan your Disney vacation budget. Some of your biggest expenses on this kind of trip are flights, hotels, park tickets, and meal planning!
Before you begin planning your trip, you need to decide what you are comfortable spending to make this trip a reality. You may be tempted to overspend to give your family the best vacation possible.
It’s natural to want to do this but you should take a realistic look at your financial position before you start booking tickets and hotels. One of the best ways to decide what you will need to spend is to look at pricing for tickets, hotels, and flights (if needed).
Book Flights and Hotels
Some of your biggest costs on a Disney vacation with your family are flights and hotel accommodations.
Flights
Look around online to get a good feel for what the cost of flights will be for each member in your group. If prices are high now, you may want to consider other times of the year when tickets are more affordable.
Another option is to consider driving down to Orlando, Florida, instead of taking a fight. While flights are a faster way to get to Disney, driving down to the parks can be a fun adventure for you and your group.
Hotels
You will also want to decide the hotel or other place you will stay during your visit. One of the most important considerations is whether you will want to stay on Disney property or another hotel in the area.
You should also look into a DVC resale listing to decide whether you will want to buy a timeshare at a Disney-owned property! When you stay at these properties, you will also avoid paying for parking by using a complimentary Disney shuttle service!
Plan Your Days at Each Park
There are four theme parks at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando. These are Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. The sheer size of these parks means that you need to carefully plan your days to maximize your time.
One of the best ways to do this is to look at the websites for each Disney park. This will give you lots of information about each park, including the rides, shows, and other attractions at each one.
If you have young kids, you can also learn about rides for children at each park. Depending on the age of your kids, you may find that a certain park has better attractions for your family than others.
This will help you decide how much time you may want to spend at each park or to skip a park altogether. Perhaps it makes more sense to go to one of the parks when your kids are a little bit older.
Decide on Your Tickets
Disney offers a wide range of ticket features which means you need to learn everything you can about what is available. Some of the most important options with Disney tickets are Fast Pass and Park Hopper features.
Fast Pass
What is a Fast Pass and how can it improve your trip? A Fast Pass allows you to bypass long lines and experience rides and attractions much faster than other people in a park.
Disney sells only a limited number of Fast Pass tickets for each day at each park. The small number of Fast Pass tickets sold means that buying one puts you on a shortlist of guests with important privileges. You will be given a wrist band which a Disney employee scans when you get in line.
For example, instead of waiting two hours to get on a ride, you will be able to be in a short line that may take 10 minutes or less! This allows you to experience more attractions in a shorter amount of time, or go on a ride many times in one day.
Park Hopper
A Park Hopper pass is a great way to experience different parks on the same day. These tickets are slightly more expensive than a single-day, single-park pass, but these can be worth it so that you get more accomplished each day.
For example, you may decide that you want to go to Epcot for the day with your family and then head to Magic Kingdom for the fireworks display at night. This gives you the ability to go into and out of different parks on the same day!
Restaurant Accommodations
One of the most exciting aspects of a Disney vacation is all the unique restaurant options you have to choose from. Whether you are at one of the four parks or Disney Springs, you will have the chance to try food from all over the world.
With so many different options to pick from, you will want to make a list of some of the can’t-miss restaurants for you and your family. After you narrow down your choices, you will want to begin making reservations. Many of these restaurants have limited availability and book months in advance, so make your decisions as early as you can!
Plan a Disney Vacation Your Family Will Never Forget
Plan a Disney vacation your family will never forget by getting to work on planning your itinerary today! By starting to book your vacation plans well in advance, you will have peace of mind and make the most of the trip.
Are you looking for other ways to improve your travel plans? Check out our Travel blog section for tips and tricks to help you make lasting memories for yourself and your family!
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