How to start planning a Disney World family vacation...?

Question

How do you know where to stay, what parks to plan to visit, the least expensive options, etc.
I don't want to get into a "Vacation Package" and discover that the lodging in poor or there is some hidden restriction that ruins the trip.

Answer 1

The best thing to do is to book a vacation package through the official Walt Disney World website. If you're going to the area specifically to visit Walt Disney World it's really simple.

Where to stay?

Stay right on property. There's over 25 different Resort options - Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. You certainly wouldn't have to worry about poor lodging. The Walt Disney World Resort is the number one vacation destination in the world. They only offer the best. Each of the Resorts also offers complimentary transportation anywhere on property.

What parks to visit?

If you're going to Walt Disney World you should visit all four of the theme parks - Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, the Disney Studios, EPCOT, and the Magic Kingdom. I have no clue why, but people get this idea that it only takes a few days to do everything at Walt Disney World. Really, there's enough things to do to keep one occupied for a good month. I don't go for less than ten days. It's just not worth it for me. I know all that Walt Disney World has to offer and I'd feel very badly if I missed out on anything. If you have the time and money plan on spending at least one day at each park. There's two water parks, too, that are a lot of fun, and there's Downtown Disney. I always spend one day at each theme park, one day at each water park, one day at Downtown Disney, and then a few days around the Resorts, enjoying the recreation. The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT are very large parks, though, and could easily take two days each to complete.

If you book directly through the Walt Disney World Company, either online or over the phone, you won't have to worry about hidden restrictions or poor lodging. The Resorts are beautiful and very well-themed. And there's basically no restrictions if you're staying right at the Walt Disney World Resort. It's also the most affordable way to book a package because any other company has to buy the package through the Walt Disney World Company for you, so you end up paying the regular price, plus extra so the other company can make a profit.

Hope I could help! Feel free to email me with any other questions!

Answer 2

The problem with Disney is that there are so many resources available. While that can be a good thing, there can also be information overload. Then you are stuck sorting through all the info and trying to decide what is legitimate, what isn't, etc.

You will get offers in the mail that offers you discounted/free tickets and/or really inexpensive rooms, these are timeshare tours. They take up a lot of time and it is a big sales pitch. So it is hard to find what is good and what isn't.

My suggestion is to try and find a Disney specialized travel agent. The agency I use doesn't add any fees on for their service. But, by using an agent you have one source of information that is accurate (a specialized agent is required to do Disney training programs on regular basis to keep up to date on things) and also up to date. My agent really helps me plan my dining, where to stay, what tickets to get, etc. I've been to Disney enough times that I know a lot of how to work with my vacation. But, my agent still is giving me tips and things that I didn't know. Since finding my TA I have not used another company, agent or booked a trip on my own since.

There is a ton of information available, you have this site, message board, fan sites, books, the list goes on, so having one source that will provide accurate information can prevent you from going crazy booking your own trip.

Just based on the few questions you listed here are a few quick answers to give you an idea:

What parks to visit - All four of the Disney parks are great, you also have the water parks and Disney Quest. Disney has specials on their tickets so the more days you get for passes, the lower the price is per day, so planning to visit all the parks may not be too expensive. The additonal add on for your ticket can get you a great rate for the water parks and Disney Quest.

Where to stay- So many options. I prefer onsite, others prefer offsite because they feel it saves them money (I recently answered a question on lodging you may find handy) but once you figure out all the additional costs, any promotions you can get from Disney, time saved, etc. the costs are really about the same. And one of the biggest problems staying offsite is that you don't know what the quality of the hotel is. I've never not been happy with the Disney hotels. The value resorts are the least expensive and offer really great rates. While they aren't anthing extraordinary, they are perfect for the person wanting to save money and just want their room for the bare minimum but still want a clean room with good service.


I hope that this gives you an idea of where to start. I go to Disney several times a year and visit Orlando several more times a year for business. So, if you have any other questions, you can e-mail me, I love to help.

Good luck!

Answer 3

The vacation packages are a good idea. None of the hotels are in poor condition or are dirty or anything like that. Right now Disney has a deal for a family of four to go for 7 days/ 6 nights. for 1,600. Check out the details at http://www.waltdisneyworld.com . You can also check out the parks and attractions too. My favorite park is the Magic Kingdom. Good luck and have fun!

Answer 4

First off if you do a Vacation Package with Disney and stay in the park then you aren't going to find that the lodging is poor at all. I think everyone Disney resort is worth the money.

I also feel that every park they offer is worth visiting.

I would suggest going to a bookstore and going to the travel section. They have lots of options for Disney trips and offer great ways to save money.

Answer 5

Oh my goodness, call the Disney Agents. They are SO good and helpful! Try to make a loose idea/plan of what you'll do per day, and fine tune it when you get there based on the daily park schedules etc. Staying in a Disney hotel makes things way easier so you can just take the shuttles, and go from park to park as you please. You get advantages like being able to get into the parks early or stay late each day as well. Plus ALL the hotels there are SO nice, no matter what you pick, it'll be like a party for your kids, and you'll be able to relax in comfort. I've stayed in almost ALL the hotels there, and they have all been fabulous!

Answer 6

They have a family "vacation planner" on their website... www.disneyworld.com , that doesnt have any hidden restrictions as long as you read it carefully. You can get a free WDW DVD on that site too. Also, there are always books to check out in Borders, and you should look up reviews online. I have been to Disney many times, and each time I love it more and more.If you stay "in" the park of Disney (sometimes during the year, a hotel can be $75 dollars a night) and not in they city of orlando, all of the hotels/lodging are very good (I have been to 4 of them). Also, if you stay inside the park, there are shuttle buses to transport you to any of the parks, free of charge (so you dont have to rent a car, if you are flying).

If you need any help, you can always message me..I love planning my trips to Disney! Good Luck!

PS. If you do a google search, for Deb's Disney Website, there is TONS of info on her site with LOTS of pictures (I just cant think of the URL)

Answer 7

I would say the first thing to do is get the dates that you will be visiting Florida and after doing so go to the web sites that I will list below. After getting the dates together then look at the calendar to see if the dates are open.Second I would go to the airline web site if you are flying to book my flight.Third I would book my rental car if you are going to need one.And the last and final thing I would do is look for the park tickets and decide the parks that your family will be going to and purchase them before going to Florida. The web site that has the tickets they are the most reasonable price and I have used them before so they are legit. There have been other sites listed and I checked the prices and they have better prices than the sites that other people have listed.And they will also deliver them to you once you are in Florida free of charge or you can have them mailed to your house for a charge.The first web site is for the villa and the second web site is for the theme park tickets.And by the way it is better to stay in a villa because you have more freedom and your own private pool in the back of the house.I have stayed at this house and his rates are the best rates around.

Answer 8

My husband and I run a Disney Vacation Planning Service. We do all of the research and planning for you to make your vacation the absolute best! We charge a small, one time fee, which covers our time and materials and we really work hard for you to make your vacation special. If you are interested, check out the links listed below!

Disney's least expensive resort is going for $82 a night right now. And those are for the value resorts (Disney All Star and Pop Century). There are wonderful perks to staying on property (dining plan, free transportation, free package delivery, and so much more), but it all depends on your budget.
There are tons of wonderful nearby hotels which offer complimentary shuttle services to and from the parks and cost less than $80 a night. Lake Suites and Best Western Lakeside are two great resorts located off Hwy 192 in Kissimmee.
You can save money and enjoy your vacation if you travel in the off-peak seasons: late Jan - mid March and late September - mid December. Crowds are low and hotels are cheaper this time of year.
If you would like help planning for your next trip or if you would just like to read up on some fun tips and ideas that are updated monthly, visit my Disney Vacation Services My space page, at:

http://www.myspace.com/disneymickeyvacation

Or visit our Blog page at:

http://im-all-ears-disney-vacation-services.blogspot.com/

Have a great time!

Answer 9

The first thing you need to do is to book your flight. Then you have your dates of stay. Than I recomend you rent a house. This is very common in the area and there are a lot of good options. We found this works well as we can still cook breakfast and dinner and not lose all of the time and money eating out. Also we usually packed our lunch and took it into the park so we could eat what we wanted when we wanted.

We also usually purchase a hopper pass. That allows you to hop from park to park in Disney world. It is perfect if you are only interested in an hour or two at MGM and want to spend the rest of the day at animal kingdom.

good luck!

Answer 10

I go to Orlando all the time, the least expensive way is to piece the trip together yourself. I have found that the BEST way to go as far as lodging is concerned is to rent a vacation home. The price that you'll pay a week in a vacation home would get you 3-4 nights at a Disney resort. Please view some homes at www.floridabestvillas.com I rent a home from them every time I go. You have privacy, your own swimming pool and kitchen. We but breakfast foods and snacks and it saves us some money from eating out every morning. The homes are generally $600-$1000 per week depending on what size you like. All of them are no more than 15 min. to the parks.

As for the parks Universal has the "big kids" rides. While Disney's are a little milder. On the Disney web site you can purchase tickets that allow you to see one park a day or upgrade with the park hopper pass you can visit any park on any day as many times as you would like for as many days as you purchase. Universals tickets are less expensive.

You can take a break form the parks and travel to Cape Canaveral and see N.A.S.A or visit Cocoa Beach (45 min drive) Or visit Tampa and Busch Gardens (1hr. 15 min. drive)

Finally check on the Yahoo travel finder prices for airfare and rental car deals. Have FUN!