Walt Disney World

• Magic Kingdom – enjoy classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, as well as new attractions like Tron Lightcycle Run.
• Epcot – the best park for food! This park include World Showcase where you can travel the world, as well as great attractions like Frozen, Remy’s Ratitouille Adventure, Soarin’, Test Track, Finding Nemo, and more.
• Hollywood Studios – enjoy 2 of the most immersive lands in Disney World – Star Wars and Toy Story. There’s also great shows and exciting attractions like Tower of Terror and Rock n Rollercoaster.
• Animal Kingdom – part zoo and part theme park! Go on a safari to see real animals, enjoying some of the best shows, ride the Mt. Everest coaster and experience the incredible land of Pandora.
• Typhoon Lagoon – a water park with a tropical theme, a variety of slides for all ages, and a huge wave pool.
• Blizzard Beach – a water park with a winter theme! There are a variety of water slides for all ages, including a family raft slide that uses a ski lift.
• Disney Springs – an outdoor mall with tons of cool shops and great restaurants
• Explore Disney Resort Hotels – there are many great resorts with beautiful theming and great restaurants that you can visit without a theme park ticket

• Staying at an official Disney Resort:  You’ll pay a bit more but there’s something extra magical about staying inside the “Disney bubble”. The benefits include:
  • Entering the park half an hour early
  • Ability to purchase and book Lightning Lanes (more on this in our guide) 7 days in advance instead of 3, increasing your chance of getting the most popular rides
  • Free transportation to all the parks
  • Ability to open your hotel door and charge things to your Disney account using a magic band, your phone, or a card
  • Ability to add on a Dining Plan (more on if this is worth it in our guide)
  • And an extra perk for guests staying in the “Deluxe” category of Disney resorts – getting extended hours on certain nights at certain parks. Most of the year this is two hours extra at Epcot on Mondays and two hours extra at Magic Kingdom on Wednesdays. This is a huge perk if you can stay up that late!
  • You can also rent DVC points or do a timeshare exchange through Interval International to stay in Deluxe accommodations for less.

• Staying at a resort on property that isn’t owned by Disney but has most of the same privileges:
  • I highly recommend staying at the Swan & Dolphin Resorts. They are a Marriott property so you can earn points as a Marriott Bonvoy Member, the location is fantastic allowing you to walk or boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and the resort is beautiful. You get all the same perks as an official Disney resort INCLUDING the perk of extended hours for Deluxe resort guests, but without the Deluxe price. The only things you don’t get are the ability to add the Dining Plan or open your room with your magic band.
  • Military families can stay at Shades of Green near Magic Kingdom for discounted rates and all the same perks above.

• Staying a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel: These are hotels in the Disney Springs area or very close by that are not Disney-owned but offer free transportation to the parks. The following hotels also allow you to enter the parks 30 minutes early: B Resort and Spa Lake Buena Vista, Double Tree Suites by Hilton Orlando Disney Springs Area, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Palace, Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Holiday Inn Orlando Disney Springs Area, Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, Four Season Resort Orlando. Other hotels listed as Good Neighbor hotels do not have the early entry perk at this time (which includes the Drury Inn and all the Marriott properties other than Swan & Dolphin).
• Stay outside the parks There are TONS of hotel options and rental properties outside the parks. If you have a large group, renting a house or condo with multiple rooms may be your best bet. You will lose out on the resort perks listed above, but you will still have a great time! Just remember you will have to drive to the parks yourself and pay to park, or order an Uber each time.

• Budgets can vary WILDLY for a Disney World vacation! We offer a lot of advice on saving costs in our Disney World guide >
• The most expensive thing is park tickets. Park ticket bundles of 5 days or more start to dwindle your per day cost. So in the world of Disney math – it’s better to stay longer! You can sometimes get discounted tickets through Undercover Tourist, AAA, Costco, or Tickets at Work. Be wary of 3rd party sellers you haven’t heard of or that seem to good to be true. There are NEVER steep discounts on admission.
• Your next biggest expense is where you stay. You can stay in a suite at a Deluxe resort for thousands per night, or stay off property for $90/night. The choice is yours! Think about how much time you’ll be spending in your room or at your resort and if the perks of staying at a Disney property are worth it to you. If you want to stay Deluxe, I always recommend comparing Swan & Dolphin prices and checking on the cost of renting DVC points.
• Your 3rd biggest cost is food. There are a lot of cool dining experiences at Disney World but they are expensive. You can bring your own food into the parks to save money or dine off property.

Having a magical trip to Disney World is all about your attitude and mindset.

1. Think positively. Don’t go in stressed and worried. Talk to your family about how you’re all going to go with the flow, stay positive, be patient, and enjoy the moments!
2. Prepare for crowds. It is always crowded. Mentally prepare yourself and your family for that reality. I think being around lots of people can actually be a good thing – a good reminder that you are one of many and a good way to practice being patient and taking turns.
3. Prepare to wait in lines. Even if you purchase every Lightning Lane pass there is, there are lines to enter the parks, there are lines to meet characters, there are lines for bathrooms sometimes – there are always lines. I think this is a good thing. In a world of constant instant gratification, waiting and teaching your kids to wait is a great thing. Prepare your kids for what it will be like. Have some small games/toys/candy in your park bag to help entertain. Play ‘guess the Disney character’, or Heads Up, or hand-clapping games in line. Also, the line queues for most attractions are beautiful and interesting. Whenever we have to wait for something in real life, I often tell my kids it will be “as long as the wait for Frozen” to help them understand and know that they can do it.
4. Enjoy the ambiance. If you are constantly rushing around and worrying about getting everything done, you will miss out on some of the magic. Take moments to stop and look around.
5. Meet the characters if you have kids. Our first trip I was so focused on rides, that we didn’t stop to meet a character until the very end of the day. And it was the best! I thought it wasn’t worth the wait, but seeing our kids faces light up and watching their interactions was awesome.
6. It’s ok to not do everything. There have been times when a favorite ride has been down all day, there have been times we’ve had to leave early with a cranky kid, there have been times our bus is late and we miss rope dropping and so we don’t get as much done as we hoped. There are no perfect trips. You will never do everything in one trip. And that’s ok. Tell your brain that so you aren’t disappointed.
7. Watch the nightime shows. I know some families tire out by 5pm and I get it. But if you can plan a break in the middle of the day and come back, or let your kids take a stroller nap, and try to make it to the end of the night at least one or two nights during your trip, it will be worth it! The nightime shows are SO much more than “fireworks shows” as some refer to them. They are magical and the perfect way to end the day. As you watch them, enjoy the looks on your kids faces, embrace the memories and emotions they evoke, and let yourself enjoy them in child-like wonder. I cry happy tears all the time at the shows and I’ve seen so many around me do the same. It’s magic. Don’t miss it. Nightimes shows are:
   • Magic Kingdom – Happily Ever After. It absolutely is best from somewhere in front of the castle. The main aspects of the show are the projections on the castle and the music and storytelling that goes along with it – and tinkerbell flying! If you think you’ve “seen it” because you watched the fireworks from your resort, you haven’t seen it. Check the app for showtimes.
   • Hollywood Studios – Fantasmic. This is a sit-down show in an outdoor theater and it is fantastic! You will see so many Disney characters, water effects, lasers, and more. The theater will fill up though so you may need to get seats an hour before show time. Check the app for showtimes.
   • Epcot – Luminous The Symphony of Us. This is the newest show and I think it is beautiful and emotinal and just great! It happens around the World Showcase lagoon so there are many places to watch. It usually starts at 9pm when the park closes but check the app to be sure.
8. Savor the Moments. Watch your kids faces light up with joy, live in the moment, and don’t get caught up in the worry of trying to do it all.