Recently, a college acquaintance mentioned that she was dreaming about a Disney vacation in about two years’ time. She stated to me that she was already overwhelmed with the vacation planning, though she was very excited about her future trip to Walt Disney World. That got me thinking… I should really try to step back and put myself into the shoes of a Disney novice. There is SO MUCH to think about and plan, and I do have a lot of friends ask me where to begin when it comes to booking their first trip (or their first trip in many years). Please join me as I lead you through the planning stages of a trip to the most magical place in the world!
First things first: I encourage you to begin by reading my previous blog articles, as I will be building upon those. ‘It’s all in the research’ (located here) explains some different options for travel agents, if you choose to go that route. If you choose not to use a travel agent- no fear, you can do it! The friendly cast members available when you call Disney are, for the most part, phenomenal. Nearly everyone that I have ever called has been nothing short of pleasant and helpful. Once you decide whether or not you are going to use a travel agent, then let the planning begin! ‘When shall we visit the World?’ (located here) explains how your trip will vary depending on when you choose to visit the World. If there is a specific event that you feel you can’t miss, then this will narrow down your options. Some events, such as the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, run over a period of several months; if you are looking to do a RunDisney Marathon, however, then you will have a specific date to be in the World. For more information on different events throughout the year, I recommend watching the Disney Planning Video, available for free online at www.disneyworld.com. This video is a great planning tool, and it will really get you excited to visit the most magical place in the world! If you are interested in any of the RunDisney events, please visit www.rundisney.com to check out the different runs through the parks!
Once you decide when the best time period for your family to visit is, then your next step is to research hotels. I highly recommend staying on property. The perks to staying on property include never leaving the ‘Disney bubble’, free transportation from Orlando International Airport to your resort, free transportation to all locations on Disney property, Extra Magic Hours at the theme parks (1-2 hours that the parks open early or stay open after park closing, just for those staying on property), free Magic Bands (fun, colorful bands that are used to get into your resort hotel room, as your park ticket, as your dining plan if you’ve got one, and take the place of a credit card), and more! There are 4 distinct categories of resorts on property: Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Villas. All resorts (even those within the same category) vary greatly on theming- do you picture yourself at a resort that overlooks a savannah, watching giraffes and zebras graze while you sip your morning coffee, or do you prefer a room with subtle hints of Disney, overlooking the monorail whisking by below. Begin by checking out prices- a room at a value resort offers few frills, but you may pay as little as $89 for a parking lot view with a short walk to the bus stop. On the flip side, a club-level room with a great view at the Boardwalk Resort will cost you upwards of $500 per night. Please note that for holidays, RunDisney events such as the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, and even on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year, you will pay steeper prices.
I would like to point out that the option to ‘rent’ Disney Vacation Club points for a villa (all villas include a kitchen or kitchenette) may be worth considering. Companies such as David’s Vacation Club Rentals (www.dvcrequest.com) are backed by the Better Business Bureau, and offer much better pricing than by paying cash for the same room through Disney. The catch, however, is that these rooms are 100% non-refundable from the date of purchase, whereas by going through Disney, the rooms are refundable through a certain date (100% up until 30 days before travel at this time). My family and I have decided to try out this option for a 2016 trip we are planning, and once we are back, I will be writing an entire post dedicated to renting points. What I can tell you at this point is that the process has been remarkably smooth, and I am very happy with David’s Vacation Club Rentals so far! (Edit: This post is located here)
The next step is to figure out whether you will book a package, or just your room. As previously reviewed on this blog, a package includes your resort, theme park tickets, and a dining plan. Keep in mind that if anyone traveling is in the military, Disney offers an amazing deal on park tickets- currently the offer is an adult 4-day park hopper for $177 plus tax (Edit: In 2016 these tickets cost us about $196 per adult) (the standard rate for these tickets is $369 plus tax). If you’ve read other posts, it’s no secret that my family is a big fan of the dining plan- we are big eaters, we love taking the time for sit-down meals, and we really enjoy snacking throughout the day. If you and your family are not big eaters, then the dining plan may not be for you- I find it’s best to review Disney food prices, think about your family’s dining preferences, and make the decision based on your family. Currently, the cost of a one-day adult Disney Dining Plan is around $60 per day (pricing varies depending on the time of year traveling)- since my family uses our credits for roughly a $5 snack every day, a $17 quick-service meal, and a $45 table service meal, we find that we do generally come out ahead.
Next, I like to make a rough timeline of my trip, plotting out which days I intend to visit theme parks, and which days are going to be spent exploring the rest of the World. I try to take park hours into consideration, though sometimes it can be hard to find estimates of park hours further than 6 months in advance. There are other variables to consider when purchasing theme park tickets, such as whether you’d like the option to visit multiple theme parks per day, and whether you’d like to add on the ‘water parks and more’ option (I have to say, Disney’s two water parks are a great time, and though I haven’t visited in several years, I’m looking forward to going back soon!). Remember that you can always change your plans if you like, but having a rough schedule will make your life much easier in the long run!
Now that I have a timeline, it’s time to figure out my dining reservations! This is probably my favorite part of my trip planning- what a shock, right? Disney’s restaurants are amazing- one day you can eat at an African-themed buffet at Animal Kingdom resort, visiting with cast members from various African regions; the next night you can spend your night in Epcot’s Germany pavilion, feasting on German fare while enjoying traditional German entertainment. I HIGHLY encourage you to make your dining reservations 180 days (6 months) in advance if at all possible. Many restaurants- especially character dining locations and Signature locations- will fill up at the 180 day mark. You can always go back and tweak your reservations if you’d like- reservations can be changed or cancelled up to 24 hours before your reservation time (remember to cancel unwanted reservations, or else you will face a $10 per person fee for not showing up to your reservation!).
Tip: There is one quick-service location that, due to popularity, requires a reservation. Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom is a quick-service spot for breakfast and lunch, but you must make reservations for this location!
One of the last big planning days comes at 60 days out from your trip (if you are staying at a Disney resort)- at this point you are able to make FastPass+ selections for your trip! FastPass+ is fairly new to Walt Disney World, and it enables you to pre-select a window of time to enjoy 3 different attractions per park day. For example, if I am planning to visit the Magic Kingdom on the first full day of my vacation, I can choose a FastPass+ for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from 10am-11am, Peter Pan’s Flight from 12pm-1pm, and Pirates of the Caribbean from 6pm-7pm. Please note that after you’ve used all 3 of your FastPass+, you may visit a kiosk in the park and select more FastPass+, one at a time through park closing if they are available. If you are not staying at a Disney resort, you may select your FastPass+ 30 days out. FastPass+ works the same way as dining reservations, with the most popular attractions running out of FastPass+ the day they are released. You are able to make your FastPass+ at midnight on the 60-day mark, and I would recommend being online at midnight if at all possible in order to get the best selections! (Edit: FastPass+ selections now begin online at 7:00am EST, not midnight!)
So, to recap: Walt Disney World planning for the novice WDW traveler. Begin by determining what time of year your family would like to visit. Once you have your travel dates figured out, research resort hotel rooms, and figure out a few that you’d be interested in staying at. Check out the pricing, and be sure to note any promotions that might be going on at that time. Next, decide if you’d like to purchase a package, and figure out how many days you’ll be visiting the theme parks during your stay. Remember that there are options when it comes to tickets- park hopping ability, and the ‘water parks and more’ options should be taken into consideration. Planning out a rough timeline of your trip is a must, especially for you first-time visitors! Finally, decide what restaurants you would like to try if you plan on enjoying table-service dining, and plan to make your reservations 180 days in advance. And don’t forget that at the 60-day point, you are now able to make your FastPass+ selections.
I hope this has helped my Disney novice friends- as always, if you need advice or Disney travel planning help, please email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Happy travels!
