Going to Disney World for the first time is so exciting! But it can also be a little overwhelming once you realize just how much there is to plan.
Today, we’re going to try to simplify the planning process and take a look at the top things you should think about when you’re planning your first Disney World vacation.
Keep in mind, this post is meant to be a starting point and planning overview, not a comprehensive strategy. (For more Disney World tips, tricks, and things to consider, check out the Disney World Post Archive!)
For today, let’s take a look at the 8 key things to consider when you start planning your first Disney trip. For the sake of ease, I’d suggest tackling each of these one at a time.
Your Budget
This is crucial. Your budget will dictate all of the following choices and plans you make going forward.
Be realistic with yourself. You truly can have a magical time on a small or large budget. However, it’s a good idea to know what you’re working with.
Disney World is significantly less magical if you’re stressing about money before, during, or after your trip.
Set a realistic budget and then do everything you can to stick to it.
When to go
Ultimately, there are four factors to consider: budget, availability, special interests, crowds.
Budget
If your budget is an issue, you might want to think about going during a slower time of the year (typically late January-February, late April-May, and September-October, and even early November).
During these slower times of the year, park tickets and rooms are usually cheaper. There also tends to be more deals and discounts (like free dining) to entice people into the parks.
You can check out Disney World’s special offers here.
Availability
If you’re willing to take kids out of school or have the flexibility to take off of work whenever you want, you’ll have more options than those who don’t.
Disney World gets really crowded (and often more expensive) during school breaks like summer, spring break, and around the holidays.
If you have the option to avoid those periods, I’d recommend it, but you’ve got to work with the time you’ve got.
Special Interests
One of the cool things about Disney World is that the seasonal events and festivals. If one of these events will make you or a member of your group extra excited, you might want to plan your trip then.
Epcot features four annual festivals.
Festival of the Arts typically runs mid-January through February.
The Flower and Garden Festival usually runs from the beginning of March through May.
The Food and Wine Festival usually runs from the end of August through mid-November.
And the International Festival of the Holidays, which runs late-November through December.
You can learn more about each here.
You also may want to check out the Magic Kindom’s Holiday celebrations.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party starts running on select nights in the middle of August through Halloween. This does require an extra ticket, however, the earlier you go in the season, the cheaper the ticket is. You can learn more here.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party starts running on select nights at the beginning of November and runs through Christmas. Like the Halloween party, this also requires an extra ticket that’s cheaper earlier in the season. You can learn more here.
Crowds
Like we touched on earlier, if you’re looking to avoid crowds, the best times to go are late January-February, late April-May, and September-October, and even early November.
However, it’s worth noting that three-day weekends during slow periods can still get crowded, so keep that in mind when you’re planning.
How long to stay
This will ultimately depend on your budget, availability, and interests.
Of course, the longer you stay, the more it’ll cost. However, park tickets get cheaper per day the more days you purchase, so that may be something to consider.
You can also stay longer and cut costs but not buying a park ticket every day of your vacation and opting to visit Disney Springs, or check out some Disney resorts instead.
Disney resorts are full of free or inexpensive activities, and you can totally visit a resort and spend the day even if you’re not staying there.
Where to stay
Should you stay on Disney property or off-site? This choice is going to be dictated by your budget and your group.
I’m a big fan of Disney World Resorts, but they don’t make the most sense for everyone.
You can absolutely get cheaper hotels and housing off property.
The perks of staying on property are that you’re closer to the parks, you have easy access to the Magical Express and Disney Transportation, you don’t leave the Disney bubble, you got other bonuses like a longer FastPass window (more on that in a moment), plus other Disney amenities.
However, if you’ve got a big group, want more space, or a Disney hotel just isn’t in your budget, you may be better off with an AirBnB or a Disney Neighboring Hotel.
If you’re interested in staying on property, check out this post on how to choose the right Disney Resort for you.
Park Tickets
Disney has three types of standard tickets.
A 1 Park Per Day ticket starts at $109.00 for ages ten and up.**
A Park Hopper option costs an additional $60.00 added to the base price. This ticket lets you go to any of the four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) in a single day.**
A Park Hopper Plus options costs and an additional $80.00 to the base price and allows you to hop between any of the four theme parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and Disney’s Golf and Minigolf courses.**
There are also special ticket offers from time to time.
Once again, what makes the most sense for you and your group will depend on your budget and interests. For help, check out this post all about the pros and cons of the Park Hopper.
You can read more about the ticket options on Disney’s website.
Fastpasses
Disney’s FastPass System allows you to ride some of Disney’s most popular rides with a reduced wait time.
FastPass is free to anyone with a park ticket.
If you’re staying on Disney Property, you can reserve three FastPasses per day at 60 days prior to your trip. If you’re staying off property, you can reserve your FastPasses 30 days before your trip.
FastPasses help you get the most of your time in Disney World, so you definitely want to take advantage.
You can learn more about Disney’s FastPass System here.
You can reserve your FastPasses using the My Disney Experience App, which you can learn more about here.
Food
Will you bring your own food or eat in the parks?
Disney has some awesome food! They also make it easy for you to pre-pay for your meals with the Disney Dining Plan.
However, you are allowed to bring outside food and drink into the parks, so if you’re looking to cut costs, this may be a good way to do it. For more on this, check out the food section of our How to Save Money in Disney World post.
You can also learn more about the Disney Dining Plan and consider the pros and cons here.
Transportation
How are you getting around? If you’re flying in and staying on property, you’ve got the Magical Express to get your hotel. If you’re staying off property, check to see if your hotel has an airport shuttle or if you need to take a cab.
If you’re staying off property, does your hotel have a shuttle to get you to and from the parks? Most do, but be sure to double check and get the details on how often they run.
Once you’re on Disney Property (whether you’re staying at a resort or not), you have access to Disney’s Transportation System. Have an idea which modes of transportation will make the most sense for you and plan to give yourself plenty of time to get everywhere.
You can read more about the Magical Express here. And you can read more about Disney Transportation here.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What are most excited about for your first Disney World trip? Tell us about it in the comments!