I love Disney World. I make no secret of it and I have been known to cry when the train pulls up in front of the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning. Say what you will about consumerism and manipulation, I love Disney and it’s magical to me. You can’t convince me or my family otherwise.
Believe it or not, my family seems to calm down amidst the constant magic of Disney World. It is the measure for all successful vacations: nothing is as fun, tiring, imaginative, or inspiring as Disney World. My family tries to go every 18 months or so. We can usually go a full 12 months before we start going into Disney World withdrawal. You think I exaggerate, but I assure you, I do not. Even Husband will sometimes look me straight in the eye and say, “How long until we go back to Disney World?” There is no higher endorsement for a vacation than that, I assure you.
I’ve been to Disney World five times since 2001. Each time my planning is a little faster and more efficient. Here are my best tips for you if you’re planning a Disney World vacation.
- Stay on property. It can be pricey, but it’s very worth it. There are three levels of hotels: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. We have stayed at
- Port Orleans Riverside (moderate; New Orleans theme)
- The Yacht Club (deluxe; nautical theme and best pool on property–it has a sand bottom!)
- The Wilderness Lodge (deluxe; Grand Canyon and family resort of the 1950s theme–very Craftsman)
- Coronado Springs (moderate; this is the so-called Convention Hotel. Most guests are adults attending various conventions being held at Disney’s many meeting centers. Very cool pool–Mayan)
- The Polynesian (deluxe; Hawaiian theme; on the monorail so it’s very easy to get to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT)
We loved all of them. Really, there is no bad place to stay on property. I have not stayed off-property, but my brother and also some friends have. It may be less expensive to stay at a Downtown Disney (DTD) hotel or off-property, but I think you miss out on the proximity to the parks and the whimsical themeing–it’s all part of the magic.
My favorite of the three resorts we’ve stayed at is the Port Orleans Riverside (a moderate). It wasn’t too far from anything and it had a boat launch to Downtown Disney that was very convenient. It’s a great resort that isn’t too spread out. Also, if you have 5 in your family, it’s currently the only resort on DW property that allows five in a room (on the Bayou side). Otherwise you will have to book two rooms. FYI: Make sure when booking two rooms that you confirm they are adjoining (connecting) and not adjacent (close to), especially with kids involved.
- Use the Dining Plan. I definitely recommend the Dining Plan. You can use your Dining Plan for one counter service meal, one full service meal (also called Table Service), and one snack for each night you are staying at a DW resort. The full service meals can be used to eat at a character meal. You are not limited to using one of each type of meal for each day. In other words you can use all your counter services in one day, or two counter services and a table service one day. Everything is lumped together on your card and just taken off as you use it. Very convenient.
For the price (about $38/day/adult and $10/day/child), you’re getting more food than you can imagine. It definitely costs more if you go out-of-pocket. Keep in mind that it can cost more than $35 for one adult table service meal. So essentially you’re getting free food and snacks. Trust me, it will pay for itself.
- Make ADRs. ADR stands for Advanced Dining Reservations. You can make your ADRs 90 days from your arrival date and I highly suggest you do. Without ADRs you’ll end up waiting for a table that may never become available. First priority is given to those who have an ADR. I have even made an ADR, gotten the time wrong, showed up the restaurant and explained myself, and was put ahead of others without an ADR. It pays to make the ADR.
It’s an especially good idea to make your ADRs as soon as you can if you would like to eat at Cinderella’s Castle or are planning on attending a hard-ticketed event. For example, many people love to eat at The Liberty Tree Tavern just before Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. It fills up fast. To ensure you have a table, you need to make your ADRs 90 days from your arrival date.
- Buy the Park Hopper. It isn’t that much more than a regular park pass, and the more days you are there, the cheaper it is to add a day or the Park Hopper option.
The Park Hopper option allows you to visit more than one park on any given day and give you great flexibility. If you’re done with Animal Kingdom by lunch (and you very well may be) you have the option of visiting another park later in the day. Or if you’ve just had dinner and were at EPCOT all day but are close to Magic Kingdom, you can pop over to see the fireworks that night. We’ve done this several times.
- Plan your route. Know which park you’re going to on which day. This helps with your ADRs and also with how your day will go. I strongly suggest that you at least go to the All Ears site and look at the maps and decide what you all are interested in doing. Make a loop (start at one end and work your way around) instead of criss-crossing. Seriously. Get the map and map it out.
Look at the shows and parades and decide what you want to see and when you need to be there. Understand that there is too much to do and you cannot get it done in one trip. Don’t try! We’ve been five times and we have yet to do it all. I think you could go every year and still have something new each time.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Just in case you think you are sometimes writing just for the fun of it, I had to tell you how helpful this post was for me. Our family is planning to go to Disney in the fall of 2010 and we are Disney virgins. We KNOW NOTHING. We bow to your superior knowledge. Even more detailed information would be welcomed!!
We are planning to do the Disney Land/Cruise package because we already know we love cruising. Do you know anything about that?
Thanks for sharing!
OK, so if my family goes to Disney, what kind of price range would you think it might cost?
Thank you so much for doing these posts, Melanie! Sadly, we’ve only been to WDW twice in my oldest’s first 10 years. But once the 2-year-old is a better traveler, I’d like to go more often. I’m thinking I want to do an all-out deluxe trip when he’s four, if I can pull together a plan and a budget. So I’m bookmarking your posts for future reference.
Thank you for all the helpful hints for Disney! We are hoping to take a Spring break trip this year. I think both kids (ages 2 and 6 now) will be old enough to enjoy it. My husband & I have both been as teenagers. I can’t wait to share the experience with my own children.
We had our first family trip to WDW this past February – It truly is a magical place. I can’t wait to go back.
I second your recommendation for the Port Orleans, it was a great resort.
The only thing I’d add to your list is to get “The Unofficial Guide to WDW 2008″ book. The information in the book was excellent. I particularly liked the suggested ride schedule. We followed it loosely, but we were able to ride all of the “must” rides we wanted – that alone made the book worth it for me.
I love the Wilderness Lodge. We have stayed there 3 times, and I just love the layout and proximity to all parks.
We have also camped at Ft. Wilderness, and that was always fun!
i will appreciate this advice someday.
My daughter isn’t even two, and our son is due in 6 weeks, but I can’t wait to use your advice one day! I went to Disney World a few times as a child, but so much has changed. Your descriptions and tips will really help, and I’d love to hear more if you have any other tips.
Also, just a tidbit for anyone whose kids want Disney, but they yearn for something different. We lived in Paris for four years, and have been to Disneyland Paris three times. It is smaller, but is really true to the Disney experience. It’s a half hour train ride from all the major sites in Paris and a great way to get a double vacation for those who can’t agree or have kids of vastly different ages.
You took the words right out of my mouth. I was just planning my Disney Post as we are going back again this Nov. We love that time of year with the slow crowds and all the Christmas decor. I just want to say as well that the Book Guide to your Disney Disability book is the best if you have someone coming that requires a little extra attention of any kind. Also the character meals are the best..think no need to wait in long lines to see Mickey when you have had breakfast, lunch and dinner with him through-out the week. Excellent post, all ears site is my very favorite.