I have to admit that I, like many of you, consider myself to be a Disney expert. I am constantly reading anything I can find with news and updates on Walt Disney World. I love planning Disney vacations. In fact, by the time my family and I arrive at Disney, we have every day mapped out perfectly. However, there is a moment at the beginning of vacation planning when I look like a deer in the headlights. (And, I’m talking giant monorail size headlights.)
That’s where I am right now. A deer in headlights. My family is beginning to plan our next trip to Walt Disney World and the options are just overwhelming! And that’s for someone who has done this countless times.
So, where should you start when planning a trip to Walt Disney World? For me, it’s with dates. We choose our dates around school vacations, but NOT major holidays. From there, I like to check Disney fan sites to see what the crowds will be like when I’m thinking of going to Disney. The most accurate I have seen is www.easywdw.com. I find Josh’s recommendations to be right on. In fact, I ignored him last year and went to Epcot on a not recommended day and found this:
From there it’s hotels. We always stay on property. There are amazing choices and the atmosphere can’t be beat. And every resort we try is better than the last. How to choose? I look at every resort as a potential “home” for our trip and narrow our choices down based on location and, of course, cost. (Wouldn’t I just love a two bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian?)
Next it’s time to get some prices. That’s the easy part. I emailed my agent with three choices of hotels and our choices for meal plans and park tickets. (It’s a bit tricky this trip because we’re traveling with 4 adults and 2 kids). Then it was off to bed. The best part of working with a travel agent was waking up in the morning to a complete list of prices for all of my choices. I feel like a VIP with someone doing all the “work” for me!
So, we have prices for a variety of different resorts in a wide range of prices. We’re looking at Art of Animation (again), Animal Kingdom Lodge or a few villas.
After we choose our hotel the serious planning begins. It will be time to choose our restaurants. We’d like it all mapped out before we hit the 180 day mark and are able to make reservations. But, more about that after we choose our resort!
Happy (stress-free) planning,
Amy
More articles from Amy’s Disney Vacation Planning Series:
How to Choose a WDW Resort
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