All opinion are mine and mine alone.
If you’re looking to take the family on a trip that can create memories that last a lifetime, full of magic and splendor, or if you just want to experience all of that for yourself, there is no better place for it than Disney World. Simply put, more than any other theme or amusement park, this one deserves to be on everyone’s bucket list. But it’s a big, busy place to go, and it can be easy to get lost, both physically and metaphorically. All it takes is a little planning, however, and you can make the most of your trip to Disney World.
Set a budget
First of all, don’t get surprised by how much a trip to Disney World can cost. It’s one of the most popular attractions in the whole country. One budget has found that the average family of four will be spending as much as $5000 as a baseline. For that reason, make sure that you budget and save up all the money that you need to enjoy a full trip to Disney World without too many compromises. Take a closer look at the Disney World trip budget to see a breakdown of the costs and where each grand in that figure is going to get spent. Yes, you can find opportunities to make some savings, but you shouldn’t expect to shave too much off that price.
When should you make the trip?
If you don’t have a set date as to when you go, then you want to make sure you’re able to go when it’s not going to cost you an arm and a leg, but you might also want to aim for slightly less busy times, but while the most attractions are open and events are on. A trip to Disney World is never especially cheap, nor is the park ever empty when it’s open, but the least crowded months tend to be January, February, September, and October. However, you might be missing some of the annual events that can genuinely make the experience even more special. You have to decide what your priorities are when choosing when to make your trip.
Don’t get tricked by all of the calenders you can find online
There are a ton of websites that are dedicated to helping people arrange the trip that they want to Disney World, and they’re going to offer all kinds of tools to help you plan it. These tools, such as the crowd calendars and the refreshment calenders can help you get a good idea of when the park is likely to be less busy as well as when certain attractions and foods might be available. However, these things can change very quickly. All it takes is one group vacation to be booked and suddenly the park can get a lot busier than you might expect. You can use these calenders as a very basic estimate, but don’t rely on them too much.
Get involved with the experience
There’s a lot to do in Disney World. More than you’re ever likely to be able to enjoy on a single trip. For that reason, planning and making an itinerary is pretty essential. Thankfully, Disney World makes that easier through their My Disney Experience app. Not everyone you go with has to have one, but it’s recommended that all adults have one. After all, it’s free to set up and it lets you save and view plants on both smartphones and tablets. you can learn more about attractions as you pass them, you can even reserve times and pre-book certain attractions, though you might need the extra Fast Pass+ for that.
Budget for a longer trip earlier
The more time in advance you start planning and start paying, the better the value of the trip that you can be. Every day spent in the park reduces the price of admission in total. It’s not a huge drop in price from a one-day ticket to a three-day ticket, but five days or more and you can start to make big savings. Of course, that means you’re likely to spend more time and money inside the park itself. But if you’re looking for the best value, not just the cheapest vacation, then a long stay at Disney World can end up costing you less than more vacations spread throughout the year.
Don’t mistake cheap for value when it comes to accommodation
This is true of all of the Disney parks, when it comes to choosing Disney accommodations, look at more than the price of staying. Look at what you’re going to get from them. When it comes to the Disney hotels, you’re often getting a lot more than a room alone. You might also get zero parking or car rental frees, free shuttles around the park at any time. Depending on what rooms you rent and where, you might even be able to access the Extra Magic Hours, meaning that you can get into some of the parks even when they’re closed to the public.
Don’t have a diet of restaurant meals
There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, and other eateries throughout the park that you can visit to get your fill. However, that’s an easy way to see your bill start skyrocketing. You can get some good deals on meals, especially if you’re staying at one of the Disney hotels. However, you can just easily make sure you take all of your needs yourself. Many of the accommodations in and near the park offer self-catering and it’s not difficult to arrange for grocery delivery at Disney World, either. If you’re looking to keep the trip to a somewhat reasonable budget, then taking care of your food needs yourself is a good way to do it. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself out to a nice meal out, of course, but you might not want to make it “the norm.”
There are a lot of free activities you should get involved with
You don’t have to slim down your budget for your trip by denying yourself all of the fantastic experiences that Disney World has to offer. The park feels like a self-contained city of delights, and not all of them are going to hit your wallet. There are tons of free attractions. For instance, though the Animal Kingdom Lodge might, indeed, be one of the pricier accommodations, anyone who has admission to the park can walk around the place to see some of the gorgeous wildlife that call it their home. Similarly, Fort Wilderness shows free Disney movies every night. What better way to wind down after a day of Disney magic?
Do prepare to pack a bag to walk around with
Disney World, and Disney parks in general, are pretty huge. What’s more, you’re likely to spend a lot of time moving from place to place to waiting in line. You should make sure that you always have some essentials, like drinking water, sunscreen, a first aid kit, and an extra layer of clothing on hand at all times. A great park bag is going to make your trip a lot more convenient. Do remember to bring an umbrella and a poncho as well. Otherwise, you’re going to get caught in the trap of letting the park sell them to you instead, and they’re not going to be selling them at the low prices you will get elsewhere, either.
Know whether this is a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip or something else
One of the biggest issues with planning a trip to Disney World is the sheer anticipation and hype. People who love the place, families who have been there, and Disney fanatics will freak out about what you absolutely need to see. However, you can balance out your trip by simply deciding whether or not it is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing or if you might make it a somewhat more regular trip. If it’s the latter, then you don’t need to worry about fitting absolutely everything into your itinerary. You can improvise a little more.
Watch out for old advice
One thing you should be wary of, even while you’re reading this, is just how old the advice you’re reading is. If you’re reading any guides that offer specific advice on attractions, accommodation, deals, and the like, you can be sure that it’s not likely to be entirely accurate anymore. Don’t listen to anything that your aunt who visited the park three times in the nineties has to say. To say that the experiences at the park entirely transform every few years is not an understatement. Make sure that you’re checking up on any old advice you might have received. It could still be true, but you should confirm it yourself.
With so much to do and see and so many of our favorite cultural touchstones in one place with an ever-updating list of attractions, it’s no wonder that some people get literally addicted to visiting Disney World. It’s a high that’s hard to beat once you visit once.
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