Planning Your First Disney World Vacation: Where Do You Even Start?

Sep 1

5 min read

You don't need to learn everything about Disney World before you start. You just need to know what to decide first.

Planning your first Disney World vacation will feel exciting. It may also feel overwhelming. The first step, however, is actually the easiest. It starts with a simple idea:

We should go to Walt Disney World.

Then, you're suddenly reading about the four theme parks. Next, you turn to learning about the resorts, restaurants, transportation, tickets, attractions, reservations, strategies, and even the terminology you've never heard before.

Where are you supposed to begin?

Instead of trying to understand Disney World all at once, make a few big decisions first. The smaller ones become much easier afterward.

1. Start with your dates.

Before worrying about attractions and adventure or restaurants and resorts, first determine when you would like to travel.

Consider school and work schedules, weather preferences, holidays, your budget, and how flexible your dates can be.

You don't need to predict the perfect week. You simply need a starting point.

2. Decide how long you want to stay.

Walt Disney World is home to four uniquely incredible and immersive theme parks:

Magic Kingdom

EPCOT

Hollywood Studios

Animal Kingdom

But, four theme parks do not automatically mean you should take a four-day vacation. For many first-time visitors or large family gatherings, a longer trip from five to seven days is worthwhile to make the most of your time together.

On the other hand, maybe you want a smaller-scale and more intimate theme to your vacation. You may be on a couple's weekend getaway or a long weekend and want to spend a day at EPCOT during the Food & Wine Festival and a resort day at one of the nearby hotels like the Riviera Resort, Beach Club, or Boardwalk Inn.

Think about your vacation pace. How long do you like to travel? Do you like to see and do as much as possible by living in the fast lane like Lightning McQueen from Cars or do you like to slow things down with just the bare necessities like Baloo from The Jungle Book? A shorter, focused trip can be wonderful. So can a longer, slower one. The only right answer is the one that works best for you.

3. Set a Comfortable Budget

Before falling in love with a particular resort or restaurant, decide what you are comfortable spending.

Think broadly about:

transportation to Disney World
accommodations
park tickets
food
transportation during the trip
souvenirs
special experiences
a little room for unexpected expenses

Your budget doesn't need to be perfect yet. You are brainstroming boundaries that will help you make the next decisions.

4. Choose Where You'd Like to Stay

Where you stay affects more than where you sleep.

It can influence your transportation, budget, midday-break options, dining choices, and even the overall feel of the vacation.

Some families want to be immersed in Disney magic from beginning to end. Others prioritize space or price and prefer staying elsewhere. There are countless nearby hotel options and just among Disney World resorts, numerous options amounting to endless experiences.

Don't begin by asking: What's the best or most popular Disney World resort? Instead, ask: What's important to us in a resort? That could be the price, location, the pool, the ease of transportation, the room size or the restaurants.

When it comes to Walt Disney World, it could also be the theming. Disney World is home to incredible resort hotels, each with its own unique atmosphere. Experiences can range from looking out over an African savanna at Animal Kingdom Lodge, relaxing in a rustic National Park experience at the Wilderness Lodge, enjoying the rooftop bar at Coronado Springs, and savoring warm beignets at Port Orleans French Quarter, among countless others.

How you answer these questions will narrow your decision-making considerably.

5. Get to Know the Four Parks

When it comes to Walt Disney World's four theme parks, you don't need to memorize every attraction, show, or character meet-and-greet. Start by understanding the personality of each park and identifying what interests you and your family.

Magic Kingdom is often the first choice for those with young children as it offers magical meetings with your children's favorite storybook characters and the most kid-friendly rides.

EPCOT, on the other hand, is often the first choice for adults as it offers an amazing cultural experience with rotating festivals, including the Food & Wine Festival, Flower & Garden Festival, and Festival of the Arts.

For nature lovers, there is no better choice than Animal Kingdom, which is home to around 300 different species. The African savanna alone on the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction is larger than all of Magic Kingdom!

Finally, if your favorite Disney brands are Star Wars and Pixar, or you enjoy live shows, Hollywood Studios might be at the top of your list.

Have everyone in your travel group choose a few priorities. That gives you a much better foundation than trying to create a minute-by-minute touring plan before you even know what you and your family care most about.

6. Think About Your Vacation Pace

This is one of the planning decisions people often skip. How do you want your vacation to feel?

Are you comfortable with early mornings to "rope drop" the park? Are you up for long park days to see and do as much as possible? Or, would you rather alternate busy days with slower ones? Do you want afternoon pool breaks? Would you like a day with no parks at all?

There isn't a correct answer. But knowing your preferred vacation pace will affect almost everything else you plan.

7. Then, Start Making the Smaller Decisions

You've established: When are we going? How long are we staying? What can we comfortably spend? Where might we stay? Which experiences matter most? What pace suits us?

Now, Disney World vacation planning becomes much less overwhelming. You can start thinking about restaurants, daily park plans, packing, special experiences, and all the fun details.

You Don't Have to Become a Disney Expert

Your first Walt Disney World vacation doesn't require a degree in Disney planning or lore. You don't need to know every shortcut. You don't need the perfect strategy. You don't need to experience everything.

Think about the big picture of what kind of trip you want to have and what means the most to you and your family. Then, go experience it! Your first trip is allowed to include surprises. In fact, that's part of what makes a first trip special and Disney World experiences so magical. The surprises continue no matter how many times you go and give each trip its own magical memories.

Start with the big decisions. Then, make the other decisions one step at a time. The goal isn't to master Disney World before you arrive. It's to arrive prepared enough that you can enjoy discovering it.

Plan Your Trip. Make Lifelong Memories.