Are you ready to plan a Disney vacation? This is going to be Fun! Trust me!

Christmas is a great time for a Walt Disney World vacation – photo by Laurie Sapp

A lot of poeple try to make planning a trip to Walt Disney World hard. Like brain science or rocket surgery.

Hey Dad, I think you’re confusing your words again.

Thanks Pigment, but I’m trying to make a point.

Going to WDW isn’t all that hard. It’s not brain surgery, rocket science or whatever. In fact, I think it’s pretty Simple. It’s Fun. And done right it is truly Magic.

Let me explain…

Planning a Disney Vacation is Simple

It’s pretty easy to plan a Disney vacation. There are a few steps, but the are Simple. In fact they are so Simple you learned them in elementary school.

There are 5 things Simple things you need to do to get started. They Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Sound familiar?

That’s the basis of a WDW vacation. The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Let’s take a look…

First Comes the Why

Maybe you want to go to the Food and Wine Festival – Photo by Wayne Wood

Yes, it all stars with the Why. Why are you going to WDW?

What? What do you mean Why are we going? We’re going to Disney World. There is no why. We are going. That’s what we are supposed to do. We’re supposed to go to WDW because that’s what all good families do.

Ah, young Pigment. You have much to learn.

Dad’s Why Are You Going to Disney World page

Then Comes the Who

Dad and the whole family went to Chef Mickey‘s a long time ago…

The next thing you have to figure out is Who is going with you. That’s Simple right? (Or maybe not, but that’s a whole different story.)

One of our favorite trips was when we took the whole family. Fifteen in all ranging in age from 4 to 75. Lots of families go with their neighbors and friends. It’s not always obvious who you are going with.

Dad’s Who is Going to Disney World page

Choosing the When

Halloween is a great time to visit Walt Disney World – Photo by Wayne Wood

Now as we plan a Disney vacation, whether it’s to Walt Disney World or to Disneyland or on a Disney Cruise, it doesn’t matter. A big step is to choose the
“Perfect” time to go. There is a lot of information that goes into choosing the “Perfect” time to visit Disney, from crowds, to cost, to weather and more.

You could spend weeks scouring the internet, looking at hundreds of website’s, taking voluminous notes, but you don’t have to, at least if you’re going to Walt Disney World. I’ve already done most of the hard work for you.

Dad’s Best Time to Visit Disney World page

Where to Eat

One of Dad’s favorite Disney dining experiences is the Sci Fi Dine In – Photo by Judd Helms

A big part of how to plan a Disney vacation is where are you going to eat. Dining at Walt Disney World is part of the experience. There are over 100 restaurants at Walt Disney World so you have lots of choices.

Choosing Where to eat can be as Simple as walking up to a counter and ordering or as complicated as making reservations 6 months in advance and just hoping something is available.

Dad’s Disney World Restaurants page

Where to Sleep

Buzz Lightyear will keep you safe at the All Star Movies Resort – photo by Rich Ramos

Next it’s time to figure out Where you’ll sleep. There are lots of options in and out of the Disney World complex. Disney now has around 25,000 rooms and there are over 140,000 rooms in the Orlando area.

Dad will be glad to help you choose the Perfect place to sleep.

Dad’s Disney Hotels page
Dad’s Hotels on Disney Property page
Dad’s Hotels near Disney World page

How are you going to get around

It might take a while to get there in one of these but it sure would be fun – photo by Laurie Sapp

The last of our “English Class” questions we have to ask when planning a Disney vacation is How are you going to get to Walt Disney World and How are you going to get around once you get there?

Me, I like to drive myself, so I usually have a car at Disney World. It’s the easiest and quickest way to get around. But…

Dad’s Car at Disney World page

Disney Transporation will get you just about anywhere you want to go and they will do it for free. In fact, they will pick you up at at the airport and bring you right to your hotel with the Magical Express bus.

Dad’s Magical Express page

They also have buses, boats, and even monorails to get you from point A to point B.

Dad’s Disney Transportation page

What to do

Shhh, don’t tell anybody but City Walk at Universal looks a lot like the Boardwalk at WDW – photo by WDW Shutterbug

Planning a Disney vacation includes deciding What to do. And when it come to Walt Disney World that involves lots of choices.

The Orlando area is richly blessed with entertainment options. Within easy driving distance you have 2 oceans with miles of beach. Seemingly endless entertainement options including at least 4 other theme park complexes. Orlando is filled with all kinds of shows and distractions.

And that’s not even counting the 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 2 shopping and entertainment districts, hundreds of restarurants, gift shops, golf courses, mini golf, horse riding, and on and on that’s available at Walt Disney World. It’s pretty incredible.

Making Reservations

You might need a reservation for Disney’s Magical Express service- photo by Cliff Wang

So Dad, we’ve gathered all this information, now what?

Good question Pigment. Do you have reservations?

I have reservations every time I talk to you.

Pigment. That’s not nice. Let’s put it this way, if you haven’t made your reservations for your trip, now is the time.

So how do I do that?

First we have to figure out what you need reservations for. Just off the top of my head, you’ll need reservations for…

• Transportation
• Hotels
• Dining
• Tickets
• Fastpass+
• Magical Express

That’s a lot of work. That’s why Dad highly recommends you work with a GOOD Disney Travel Agent. And I just happen to know the best.

Dad’s Good Disney Travel Agent

I believe you should have some professional help, no, not that kind, I’m talking about a GOOD Walt Disney World Travel Agent you can turn all the details over to and let them handle it for you. My friends at Destinations to Travel are the BEST Disney Travel Agent and the will help you with all the details of your trip. Give them a buzz today.

Dad’s Destinations to Travel page

Dad’s Simple Fun Magic Guide to
Walt Disney World Planning

If you are planning a Walt Disney World vacation, the first place to start is at Dad’s Simple Fun Magic Guide to Walt Disney World Planning.

Dad’s book takes you through all the steps to plan your trip from the moment you shout “I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD” all the way to the After Disney Vacation Blues.

Inside the book you’ll find spreadsheets, packing lists, planning tools and we’ll even talk about how to make a budget. Oh, and it’s full of Dad’s whimsy, humor and maybe even a song or two.

Get your copy today at Amazon.com.

Dad’s Bottom Line

Check back here often. Over the next few months Dad will be talking more about how to plan a Disney Vacation. There is always something new going on. It’ll be fun. Trust me.