Tried & True Advice For Starting To Plan Your First Walt Disney World Vacation

While many experienced Disney veterans can throw a trip together on short notice, getting the most bang for your buck takes forethought and planning. When is the best time to go? Where will you stay? How many Park days will you have? And where will you eat? If there are three basic things you need to know to start planning a Walt Disney World vacation, these are them.


Tried and True Advice For First Timers


First: Give Yourself Enough Time

You'll want to start thinking about your Disney trip at least a year in advance to not only to consider all your options, but to make sure that you are able to book the resorts, restaurants, and special events that you've been dreaming of. Reservations open up for theatrical productions, special recreational activities, and table service dining opens 180 days prior to the date you want to do it on. This means that to ensure a reservation you need to have an idea of what you want to do at least six months in advance.

Second: Reasearch, Reasearch, Research

Use the internet, pick up a book, talk to your friends, join our Member forums and ask lots of questions! The more information that you have in your knowledge base the better you'll be able to build the vacation of your dreams. Check out a few of our previous articles to help you get started.

• Use our 17 Tips To Help You Start Planning and thinking about what your want from your Disney vacation. This list will help you consider things you may not need to think of at any other travel destination.




• Read up on Resources For Planning The Perfect Walt Disney World Vacation all our planning tool tips on one easy page.




• Write It Down, Create A Spreadsheet with so much information to manage you'll need to create a document to organize the lot. These travel spreadsheet tips come from a master planner.

Partners Statue with Castle Full Frame


Third: Use An Authorized Disney Travel Planner

I personally don't use a travel agent, but if you're heading to Walt Disney World for the very first time, it's a good idea to have someone who knows the ways of Disney inside and out to help you along the way. While we here at Walt Disney World for Grown-ups don't recommend any one specific agency, we know that there are many out there that will help you find the very best deal for your trip and offer personalized concierge planning service at no additional cost to you. Before you book with anyone, be sure to talk to them, tell them what you need, and ask what you can expect from their services. Once you've got a trip or two under your belt you'll be better prepared to take all the planning tasks on your own.

So - where do you go from here?

Head on back up to those Resource Page links and get started on that research. Or make your way to our Member Forums and read all the great advice from our friendly Disney veterans. Now matter which you choose though - Get Planning!