Questions to Ask When Planning a Disney Trip
I had big plans on Saturday night. I was finally going to finish reading Dungeon Crawler Carl after several days of trying.
You may think that’s a boring way to spend a Saturday, but my wife and I celebrated our anniversary on a weekday. We were fine with a lazy Saturday night.
Amazon
But our night took a turn when my beloved nephew called. He told me the words I’ve longed to hear for a while. He’s taking his family to Disney!
Not everyone in my family got the Disney gene. Even though he’s over the age of 30, he has never been to Walt Disney World in his life.
Disney World
Now that he has two small children (ages 6 and 2), his wife wants to go. So, I spent 90 minutes on a Saturday night excitedly providing advice.
Dungeon Crawler Carl will have to wait. NOTHING is more important than Disney! Also, family.
Anyway, in the process of speaking with him, I realized that I’d broken the discussion into a few specific topics.
Here are the questions to ask when planning a Disney trip.
What’s Your Budget?
Image: The Healthy Mouse
This is a conversation you never want to have with someone you love, as it’s awkward for everyone.
I know that my nephew is successful since he’s got a C-suite title, but he’s also in a small town.
Photo: Washington Post
Budgeting for a Disney trip costs the same for everyone, whether they’re getting paid Silicon Valley rates or rural town salaries.
Of course, the cost-of-living levels the economic playing field for most people anyway.
Photo: skillastics.com
The point is that you should know your budget before you do anything else. It’ll determine other factors on this list.
This statement may seem obvious, but it really does help when you know exactly how much you intend to spend.
You can make MUCH more informed decisions about where to stay, how long to visit, and the kind of theme park tickets to buy.
Remember that you can always adjust your budget up or down as you learn more about potential vacation options.
Having a baseline will help you calibrate expectations, though.
When Can You Go?
Photo: Playbuzz.com
My nephew, who is closer in age to me than I am to his father, is a smart man and a good person. He makes me so proud every day.
But I struggled not to laugh at him as we discussed vacation plans. He called me the week before Memorial Day to plan his trip.
When I asked him when he wanted to go, he said, “I was thinking maybe the first week of July.”
I briefly needed a defibrillator. He’s calling me six weeks before a trip and hasn’t even thought about the fact that the first week of July has a holiday.
Fourth of July
Since he’s American, he really ought to know about that holiday, too. And that’s before we factor in the weather.
A couple of years ago, much handwringing occurred over the lack of crowds at Walt Disney World on July 4th.
July 4th at Disney World
Anyone who knew what they were talking about quickly deduced the two reasons.
The first was calendar configuration, as July 4th occurred early in the week rather than on a weekend. And the second was the heat.
Cinderella Castle Military Flyover
That day was the hottest on record, making it less than ideal for theme park visits.
I gently asked my nephew whether he was married to that date, and he laughed. He’d put no thought into it whatsoever.
As a matter of fact, after he thought about his upcoming job schedule, he realized that a Fall vacation would work much better.
That’s why you should know when you can go. In case you’re unaware, Disney prices its tickets based on the calendar.
Certain dates cost much more than others, and July 4th is at the very top of that list.
Conversely, Fall visits, especially ones in September, are among the cheapest you can book.
Disney
Obviously, you may not have a ton of flexibility with your travel dates, especially if you’re a parent of a school-aged child.
Still, when you know your potential travel dates, you can find better deals and thereby maximize your vacation budget.
How Many Nights Are You Staying?
This one’s simple, so there’s no reason to dwell on it a lot. But it definitely matters at Walt Disney World.
You’ll find four theme parks here, each of which justifies a full day at a minimum.
Disney
Sometimes, you may not be able to stay that long, though. A three-day weekend will force you to choose your favorite theme parks.
You may have to skip the other one, depending on whether you Park Hop. So, the question of vacation length spills over into two other questions.
Disney
Which parks are the must-visit ones during your trip, and are you ambitious enough to Park Hop, a tactic that isn’t for everyone?
Before we answer those questions, let’s back up a bit. In choosing how many nights to stay, you’ll influence your hotel choice as well.
Photo: Disney
When you choose a less expensive Disney World resort, the savings grow more significant as you stay longer. That’s just math.
I quickly priced out a vacation itinerary for my nephew the other day, and while I’m no expert like the MickeyTravels team, I quickly realized something.
Disney
There was basically a $1,000 difference in package pricing based on the hotel tier he wanted.
A Value Tier resort would have saved him $1,000 versus a Moderate Tier hotel and $2,000 compared to a Deluxe Tier property.
When you stay fewer nights, the financial difference between the resorts matters less, but it adds up during longer trips.
How Much Time Will You Spend in the Room?
Photo: Pexel.com
These final two questions influence the hotel decision as well. As I told my nephew, I’m devout in the belief that Deluxe Tier resorts justify the cost.
The spectacular amenities make every visit feel so magical. But if you’re not going to be in the room much, who cares?
Disney
When I first started vacationing at Disney as an adult, I spent every hour of the day at the parks.
So, buying a nicer hotel room didn’t make as much sense. I barely used those spectacular amenities.
Caribbean Beach Resort
Nowadays, I often adopt more of a “get in and get out quick” approach at the parks, selecting a handful of must-do attractions.
Once I’ve checked everything off my list, I head back to the resort and luxuriate in the bliss of the Disney Bubble.
That’s why I prefer nicer accommodations. However, I explicitly told my nephew that if they’d mostly be at the parks, they should book cheaply.
At first, I suggested an All-Star resort before adjusting my recommendation to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. I did that because…
How Much Do Logistics Matter?
Photo: Playbuzz.com
To me, logistics represent the most underrated aspect of Disney vacation planning.
Choosing the wrong resort can leave you at the mercy of Disney’s bus system, which is fine. You’ll be fine. It’s just not ideal.
New Chip ‘n Dale Bus
When you choose a Disney hotel near a theme park, you can skip the bus system entirely and just walk there.
Alternatively, some options like hotels with Disney Skyliner or monorail stations can whiz you from location to location in a matter of minutes.
That’s why I suggested that my nephew stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, which is the hub of the Disney Skyliner system.
His family could ride the gondolas to EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, thereby saving plenty of aggravation.
I also recommended Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, as his kids are at the perfect age to savor the experience of watching animals from their room.
If logistics don’t matter to you, these options would be less appealing, just like you don’t need a Park Hopper ticket if you don’t intend to Park Hop.
When you ask yourself these questions ahead of time, you can sketch out the kind of trip you envision and bring it to life.
Once you’ve done that, I strongly encourage you to do what I’ll have my nephew do when he’s ready to book.
MickeyTravels can book your next Disney vacation!
You should contact an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner at MickeyTravels.
They’re the foremost experts on Disney vacations, as proven by their Diamond Earmarked status.
Book with MickeyTravels now!
Remarkably, they provide their services free of charge to you. And if I think they’re good enough for my family, I’d definitely recommend them to you!
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
