Tips for Planning A Magical Disney Vacation

Thinking about finally taking that trip to Walt Disney World but wondering where to start? You’re in the right place! A Disney vacation is truly unlike any other vacation, but it can also be extremely overwhelming. When should you book? Where should you stay? What’s the best time of year to go? I’ll be answering all of that and more with my tips for planning a magical vacation to Disney World.

How early should you book a Disney trip?

Unlike a lot of other vacations, a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth takes time and planning. That’s not to say you can’t book a last-minute trip and have a fabulous time. But, if you want to make the most of your trip, it’ll need some prep work. As a general rule, I would recommend booking your trip at least 6 months in advance in order to take advantage of the advanced dining reservations window. Advanced Dining reservations (usually referred to as ADRs) open for booking 180 days in advance. For guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel, reservations can be booked 180 days in advance plus the length of your stay. (Note: At the time of writing this, the window for booking has been reduced to 60 days as part of Disney’s Covid-19 restrictions.)

            Some of the most iconic restaurants on property (like Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table) book up extremely quickly. If there’s a restaurant you really want to dine at, booking prior to that 180-day window gives you the best chance. But don’t despair if you booked after that window opened and reservations are all booked! Keep checking back and you might get lucky. To avoid cancellation fees, ADRs must be canceled 24 hours in advance. So, if another guest has a change of plans and cancels, you could score a last-minute reservation.

            Early booking also gives you the best shot at scoring Fastpass+ reservations for the best attractions. (Note: At the time of writing, the Fastpass+ system has been suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions.) Booking for Fastpass+ opens 60 days in advance plus the length of your trip for guests staying on property and 30 days in advance for guests staying off property.

How many days?

            Honestly, it’s impossible to give a hard and fast answer to this question (or most of these questions). The length of your trip depends on several factors like budget, vacation days available, and how much you plan to do. Speaking of how much you plan to do, I like to offer a small piece of advice…you can’t do it all. Walt Disney World is massive, with over 50 ride attractions, multiple stage shows, over 200 dining locations, plus dozens of enchanting extras. And they’re always adding more. It would take a month and a very large budget to even attempt it all in one trip. Prioritize the things you’re looking forward to most and don’t stress about missing out.

            That being said, if you’re planning a first-time trip for yourself, your kids, or your friends, I recommend a minimum of four days. While Park Hopping is an option, you need a full day to really experience each park. Ideally, I also love devoting two whole days to just Magic Kingdom because it has so many iconic attractions, parades, fireworks, and dining locations. Many experts also recommend taking a day off in the middle of your trip to relax. Trying to fit in as much magic as possible from park open to park close can be exhausting. So, if you can swing that extra day to just relax, enjoy the pool, or explore Disney Springs, go for it.

What time of year?

            There’s no straight answer to this question, either. The best time of year for one person won’t necessarily be the best time of year for another. In my personal opinion, I’m a fan of going to the parks when it’s less likely to be crowded.

            Luckily, there are some pretty great crowd prediction resources out there! Check out Undercover Tourist or WDW Prep School for an idea of what crowds may be like in the parks at different times of the year. As a general rule, you can expect park capacity to be highest when most schools in the U.S. are out of session. For instance, more people flock to the parks during the summer months than in January or February.

You may also decide when to visit based on events happening in the parks.

Are you a foodie? Then you may want to visit during Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival that typically takes place every year in the late summer and early fall.

Is Christmas your favorite holiday? Then you might want to visit when the halls have been decked in November or December. Note: WDW gets insanely crowded in late December so if crowds aren’t your thing, but you really want to see the holiday décor, plan for early November. Decorations typically go up shortly after Halloween and crowds traditionally aren’t too bad for the first couple of weeks in November.

Another note: Crowds are traditionally at the lowest in January and February. Because of this, however, a lot of rides will undergo refurbishments at that time. Luckily, Disney keeps their calendar updated with any ride refurbishments that are happening.

Should you buy a dining plan?

*Note that at this time, the Disney Dining Plan has been suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The real question when it comes to the DDP is- will you be able to make the most out of it in order to get your money’s worth?

The dining plan does not necessarily discount the amount of money you’ll spend on food. Rather, it’s a way to prepay for your food so that you don’t have to worry about your food budget during your trip. However, if you do a little homework to really make use of your credits, you can get more out of it. For Scott and I, we love the dining plan. We’re foodies so we love to try new things and we tend to plan a lot of our trips around food. But, if you or someone in your party is a picky eater, then a dining plan may just be a waste of money.

To really get the most out of your available credits, it’s important to make sure you’re opting for the more expensive meals and snacks that qualify for the dining plan. And this can require a little research while you’re planning your trip. Disney Food Blog has a ton of videos and blog posts that break down how to get the most value out of your dining plan credits.

Should you stay on property or off property?

This is a pretty big question when it comes to planning and budgeting for your trip. Is it worth it to stay on property? Well, that depends. I’ll be going more in-depth on this topic in another post about budgeting for Disney World but I’ll give you a quick overview here.

There are plenty of pros and cons to choosing a hotel for your trip. On-property resorts tend to come with some great perks, like transportation to and from the parks and earlier booking times for Fastpass+. But you can also save a lot of money by staying off property.

Disney does have value resorts, like the All-Star resorts, that are a little more budget-friendly. But they’ll still cost you anywhere between $115-300 per night depending on the time of year and room options.

A “Good Neighbor Hotel” (WDW recommended hotels near the parks that may offer some Disney World perks) could save you a few hundred dollars over the course of your stay but won’t come with all the conveniences of a WDW Resort property.

Stay tuned for more helpful Walt Disney World planning articles! And in the meantime, don’t forget to check out my Amateur Guide to Disney World and What To Wear: Disney Parks Edition posts.