A lot goes into planning a Walt Disney World vacation. There are a lot of hard decisions to be made and things you have to think about.
We are going to break down the tough decisions you have to make prior to your Walt Disney World vacation to hopefully help you be more prepared and ready for a magical time.
How Long To Go
It is hard to determine how long you should stay at Walt Disney World. Know right away that no matter how long you stay- 3 days or two weeks- you won’t get to see and do everything in Walt Disney World.
There is so much throughout the four Theme Parks, two water parks, Disney Springs and the Walt Disney World Resort overall that no matter how long a trip is, there is always something that you will miss.
Instead set a budget and think about how many days you can go with that budget. If you want to stay longer, you might not be able to stay at a Disney deluxe resort the whole Disney vacation.
Also think about how many parks you want to visit. With four theme parks, two water parks and Disney Springs as options you will need to determine what your goal is and that can help you figure out how long to stay. Keep in mind no matter how long or short your trip is to Disney World it won’t feel like enough.
Where to Stay
After you determine how long you want to stay at Walt Disney World, and a budget that works, the next step is to think about where you want to stay.
Walt Disney World offers three main categories of Resorts: value, moderate, deluxe/deluxe villas. We have broken down value resorts HERE as they are the budget friendly option for Guests.
Moderate resorts (more here) offer bigger rooms and more amenities when it comes to dining as well as pools with slides.
Deluxe and deluxe villas are the top resorts in Walt Disney World offering amazing themes, close proximity to the parks and fantastic dining and pools.
We have a whole post HERE about questions you should ask before booking your Disney resort that can help you narrow it down.
What Ticket to Purchase
Disney World offers a variety of different Walt Disney World tickets but they aren’t all needed for each Disney vacation. Disney has a one-park pass which allows Guests to visit one theme park per day. This is often a great option for those with little ones or those that like to park open to park close.
The park-hopper pass allows Guests to hop from park to park after 2 pm. Veteran Disney fans sometimes like this option as they know how to quickly navigate between parks.
Then the final option is called a park hopper plus ticket which gives Guests the ability to hop between parks as well as visit water parks. This is a fantastic option if the water parks are important to you during your trip. Again thinking about your goal can really help you navigate what ticket would be the best for your Disney trip.
Genie+ or No Genie+
Starting in October a new decision was added in regards to a Disney vacation and that is around Genie+.
We have a lot of information over at How to Disney about this new feature that Guests can add to their ticket, but overall it is a way to skip the standby lines for attractions in the four Theme parks.
At $15/per person per day, Genie+ can really add up for families. If it is a busy time of year however could this new feature be a way to help ensure you get to those must-dos with limited wait time.
Same process goes with those rides that are going to be a part of the new Individual Lightning Lanes. If it is super important that you experience Rise of the Resistance, is it worth the extra cost to ensure you can ride when you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
These are new tough decisions that need to be made for a Disney vacation. Since we don’t know a lot about how these two new features will work, we recommend doing your research once Genie+ releases and follow along to see if it is a feature that would work for your family.
What To Eat
A major part of a Walt Disney World vacation is food. Guests need to determine what kind of dining experiences they want to have during their vacation.
Disney offers table-service meals, quick-service meals, lounges, snacks and everything in between.
Currently at 60 days prior to arrival Guests can book a dining reservation at the table-service locations throughout Disney theme parks, Disney Springs as well as at a Disney resort. This means that you need to determine what type of dining experiences you are wanting two month before you head down to Disney World.
If you are wanting to experience character dining, think about what characters you want to see, if you prefer breakfast, lunch or supper as well as if you want a buffet, family-style etc. These can help you narrow down what might work for you. Keep in mind that table-service meals can take 90 minutes to two hours.
If you are down for a limited time, you might not wish to spend that time eating. Instead look into what quick service locations are available or if there is a festival going on in EPCOT that would allow you to snag some food.
Keep in mind that if you are wanting quick service, you will still need to use mobile ordering through the My Disney Experience app. As dining is a huge part of a Disney vacation, you will want to have a plan going in. The Walt Disney World resort has so many outstanding options so narrowing it down ahead of time can really help you get that key dining reservation.
What to See and Do
The final big decision comes with all the fun and that is determining what you want to see and do in the Theme Parks and around Walt Disney World.
Before heading down, make sure to take some time to determine which of these are must-do for those traveling with you. It can be hard to narrow down what you all want to do when it is all so magical, but again you can’t see and do it all.
Knowing ahead of time what exact rides and attractions are necessary to hit can really help you set a goal and be ready when you are at a theme park. We know not everyone needs an hour by hour schedule, but having a tentative plan can really make your Disney World vacation slightly smoother.
These are the top tough decisions you are going to have to make when it comes to your Walt Disney World vacation. We hope that you have a better understanding of what these decisions are and how you might want to make them.
