Planning Your First Trip To Walt Disney World

Planning your first trip to Walt Disney World can be a bit overwhelming.

I’ve been able to ease into the process – I’ve been going since the year it opened.

But I was talking to a friend recently. She confessed that she’s never taken her kids to Disney because frankly, she gets paralyzed by the planning process. There is just so much information to sift through. And with 4 kids, she knows the trip they take will probably be one of the few – and she doesn’t want to mess it up.

So, she gives up entirely.

And that’s where I come in.

Planning a trip – any trip – short or long, once in a lifetime or yearly, can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Let me take you through, step by step, the planning process.

First Things First

Decide when you will go. Do you have small children? Is taking them out of school a possibility?

Being strapped to a school year schedule or a job that doesn’t allow certain holiday vacations – these are hard facts of life. We all have to work around something. And there are better times of the year to visit Disney than others. Depending on your obstacles, here a few places to start to help with your decision. Just keep in mind, the busier time of year, the more expensive the resorts and tickets will be. Balance what fits your wallet and your timetable.

Now Where to Stay

There are officially 34 “Disney” resorts on the immediate property and Disney Springs. Only 28 of them are officially owned and operated by the Disney corporation. There are pros and cons to staying on (official) property and off (official) property. If cost is a factor, and would prohibit you from going, by all means, choose off property. But by staying on property, you’ll be able to take advantage to a lot of perks.

Port Orleans Riverside is one of our favorite moderately priced resorts and some rooms can accommodate a party of 5.

What To Eat

Now that my boys are teenagers, the food is almost as important as the rides. With over 200 restaurants to choose from, pleasing your crowd could get tricky. Just remind yourself, you can’t please everyone. But, once you’ve made your choices, make your reservations. Whether you are staying on property or not, you can make dining reservations up to 180 days out from your trip. And don’t skip this step if there are absolute “must dos” on your list (Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest or Chef Mickey’s, to name a few.) The most popular places fill up quickly. Do your research ahead of time, make the reservation and relax.

And What About These FastPasses I Keep Hearing About

FastPasses are Disney’s way to help with crowd control. FastPass+ allows you to by-pass the stand-by line, maximizing your time in the parks. Currently, you are limited to three FastPass+ selections in one park per day. And making your FastPass selections can be tricky. If you are staying at a Disney resort you can make your selections 60 days out. For non-Disney resort go-ers, 30 days out.

Lots of new things are happening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

There you have it….almost

Choosing when to go, finding a resort or hotel, making dining reservations and picking your FastPasses. That is more than half the battle. But what about what to pack? What to do once you get there? How to enjoy the countdown to the trip? Here are a few posts to help you survive the countdown and tips once you get there.