Don't Worry About Planning The Perfect Disney World Trip. Choose The Right Trip For You And Be Open to Surprises.

The goal isn't to plan a "perfect trip." It's to plan one that feels right for you and to be open to the pleasant surprises you will experience at Walt Disney World.

A "perfect trip" for one person or family may look very different from the "perfect trip" for another.

One family may happily arrive before the parks open (known as "rope drop") to be at the front of the line for their must-do attractions. Another may choose a slow start with a character breakfast followed by a leisurely day at the pool, only to explore the parks in the evening when it is cooler, less crowded, and under the illumination of the beautiful nighttime lights.

When planning your trip, think about the vacation pace you want to have. Neither plan above is better than the other. What matters is choosing the right trip for you and your family.

The "perfect trip" will also look different depending on your interests and passions. For those who love animals and nature, a well-planned Disney World trip may focus on exploring Animal Kingdom, which is home to around 300 different species of animals, and EPCOT which hosts the Flower & Garden Festival each spring and has an amazing aquarium year-round, where you can see manatees, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, and many other firends of Nemo, Marlin, and Dory.

On the other hand, maybe the "perfect trip" for you and your family involves the most thrilling rides. A well-planned thrill vacation may begin at World Discovery in EPCOT with Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Mission Space, and Test Track. Then, you may decide to take the Monorail from EPCOT to Magic Kingdom, where you can experience thrilling coasters like Tron Lightcycle Run, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Perhaps the description above sounds like the exact opposite of you. That's okay! Your "perfect trip" may not be a thrilling adventure, but a relaxing escape. Your well-planned trip may involve a stay at a Disney World resort hotel, such as the Boardwalk Inn, where you can enjoy a peaceful walk along the promenade, take your pick of easy-going or fine dining, and walk next-door into EPCOT at your convenience without relying on any transportation.

The key is planning what the best Disney World trip looks like for you and your family.

There is too much to experience in just one trip. That is by design.

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." Those were the words of Walt Disney when opening his first theme park, Disneyland in California.

The Disney parks around the world, including those at Walt Disney World in Florida, are always in a state of innovation. Disney's creative and constructive minds, the "Imagineers," are constantly brainstroming and building new experiences and attractions.

You may accompish the things you want on this vacation, but you will have many new experiences to enjoy on your next trip. After all, Walt Disney World is enormous! It is twice the size of Manhattan and home to four immersive theme parks, two water parks, a massive shopping and dining center, and more than twenty uniquely themed resort hotels.

It is not possible to do everything in one trip -- or even ten or twenty trips! That is by design. No two Disney World vacations will be the same. That is part of the magic and why so many people continue to revisit "The Most Magical Place On Earth."

Pick a few things that matter most to you and then leave room for Disney World to surprise you.

Since Walt Disney World has so much to offer, you cannot do it all in one trip. One of the easiest ways to take pressure off of your vacation is to identify a few priorities before you arrive.

Ask everyone: What are a couple of things we really want to do?

Maybe for your children, it's seeing Cinderella Castle and making lifelong memories in photos with Mickey or the Disney princesses. Maybe you are a Star Wars fan and it is visiting Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios.

Pick a handful of experiences you do not want to miss. Once you've identified those things, build around them. Everything else becomes a bonus.

This also changes the feeling of each park day. Instead of carrying an invisible checklist of 25 things you haven't accomplished yet, you can recognize when you've already done the things that mattered most. Then, you are free to experience the magical, spontaenous, and surprising moments that happen at Walt Disney World.

Plan well, but let the vacation happen.

Planning matters at Disney World. Knowing which experiences are important to your family can save time. Understanding the parks before you arrive can save you from stress.

As is asked about Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise: "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?" It is important to plan well. But, life always brings surprises and for parts of your trip you will be making it up as you go along. It worked well for Captain Jack. It can work well for you too.

There's a difference between having a plan and feeling like you have to follow the plan perfectly.

When you pick your handful of things you really want to do, plan to do a majority of them but recognize that one or two may not happen. There may be a thunderstorm during your afternoon in one of the parks. You might feel tired on your third park day and decide that you now would rather spend the rest of the day floating in the pool.

Sometimes the unplanned moments create the most rewarding surprises.

You may end up sitting on a park bench with a Mickey ice cream bar when a character comes up to your child or one of the parades goes by. You may end up deciding to go on a different ride you were never interested in only to discover that it is now one of your favorites.

Learn enough to feel prepared. Understand your options. Choose your priorities. Then, give yourself permission to change your mind. After all, the goal isn't a flawless itinerary. It's a vacation you and your family will be happy to remember.

Plan Your Trip. Make Lifelong Memories.