Walt Disney World Planning Tips for Disney Newbies
Going to Disney World for some is a once in a lifetime experience. For others it is a routine annual trip.
Whether this is your first time or your 100th time visiting the parks, a Disney World vacation requires a lot of preparation.
If you are a Disney newbie, read on for trips planning your first Walt Disney World trip. Using a Disney Vacation Planner like MickeyTravels is a great way to reduce this planning stress.
Things to Consider When Planning your Walt Disney World Trip:
Credit: David Roark
When to Visit
Central Florida weather is typically warm all year round, but a trip in July versus a trip in December can be very different. If you have difficulty with hot and humid weather, be sure to avoid a summer trip.
If you enjoy the Christmas decorations, plan for a November or December trip. If Halloween festivities are your preference, plan for a September or October trip. No matter what time of year you visit Walt Disney World, you will have a great time!
Where to Stay
Walt Disney World has 25 on site Disney owned hotels and dozens more Good Neighbor hotels. The Disney owned hotels are categorized as Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villa, and are priced accordingly. Most Disney hotels are centrally located but some are within walking distance to one or two parks.
Decide if access to the parks is most important to you and book your trips accordingly. You can also consider a split stay giving you easy access to more than one park on your trip.
Familiarize Yourself with My Disney Experience
Disney uses an online planning website and app called My Disney Experience for all planning needs. You can make park and dining reservations, view park maps and wait times, mobile order food, and much more!
And new this month you can use the app to access MagicMobile. This is Disney’s new mobile wallet for park tickets and your room key. The amazing thing about using a Disney Vacation Planner is they can do the majority of this for you!
Plan to Arrive Early to the Parks
During COVID, Disney has temporarily paused the Fastpass+ system. Because of this, all guests are required to wait in the stand by queue for all attractions (except Rise of the Resistance which requires a virtual queue).
I have found the best way to avoid lines is to get to the parks early or visit in the evening. In our experience, Disney usually opens the parks about 45 minutes ahead of official park opening.
(David Roark, photographer)
In January, Disney announced that they will be adding early park entry to guests staying on site in 2021. While visiting the resorts, I have found that Disney’s transportation usually starts an hour before park opening. In Disney World, the early bird always gets the worm.
Do you want more help planning your next Disney vacation? As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, my goal is to help you plan the Magic your way. I also create customized itineraries, book advanced dining and FastPass+ reservations, monitor for discounts for your vacation, and much much more! Also, did I mention that my services are FREE!!!! Contact me at SLoehrlein@MickeyTravels.com or follow me on Facebook @MickeyTravelsShannonLoehrlein
