Disney World Vacation Planner + Tips & Tricks
- Brian
- Nov 21, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 24
You've made the decision: you're going to Disney World. Congratulations, you're about to have a great time! This is where the easy part ends, and what can feel like a mountain of decisions remains. Don't fret, though, it can actually be a fun process & isn't really overwhelming once you have a good guide. That's why I've put together this fun Disney World Vacation Planner along with Tips and Tricks to help you get the most out of your vacation.
The first few times my family and I went to Disney, we made a lot of little "mistakes" that cost us time. And at Disney, time is precious. There are so many little things that can enhance your experience and allow you to get in more. But also don't be too concerned if you miss a few things, either.
Table of Contents
Travel Agent or Do-It-Yourself
First and foremost, there's no shortage of Disney travel agents out there. So, if you're feeling very hands-off, you can do a quick search online and find plenty of agents. An official agent certified by Disney will not charge you, as they are paid by Disney. Some 3rd parties will charge, but I would caution that, in my opinion, you are wasting money.
If you're like me, utilizing Disney's website to book yourself is probably the best option. Everything you need is right there. This is my preferred method, and one that will save you a lot of hassle if you need to make changes.
Deciding When To Visit
When you go is obviously a personal decision based on your, and your family's, schedules. If you have flexibility, I would highly recommend using 1 (or both) of the following methods:
Crowd Calendars
Reviewing Disney Hotel Rates
Crowd Calendars
utilizing the Crowd Calendar and visiting during expected low times. Just a disclaimer: crowd calendars utilize past history, upcoming events and holidays, and more data to predict what crowds will be like when you visit. This doesn't always come to fruition, though, especially if everyone utilizes the calendars and then books during expected low times.
See the Sorcery And Wander Disney World Crowd Calendar here.
Reviewing Disney Hotel Rates
Although not perfect, the method I leverage to see what days are best to visit is by using Disney's website and looking at hotel rates, discounts (and dates they apply for), and more. Lower rates across the board can be an indication that Disney has a lower number of bookings, and therefore potentially shorter lines and fewer crowds.
Picking A Place To Stay
If you are finding this overwhelming due to so many choices: don't. Take a deep breath and remember: There's not really a wrong choice here. My only strong recommendation is to stay "On-Property." What does that mean? It means pick an official Disney hotel within the grounds of Walt Disney World. It may seem easy enough to rent a car and drive in, but traffic can get bad and the walking times from parking your car to the park entrance can sometimes be long. Plus, Disney hotel guests have a few extra perks on occasion, such as Extra Magic Hours that you can take advantage of to get a little more in on your adventure.
Want some hotel recommendations? Check out my other articles.
How Long Should I Stay?
If this is your first visit to Disney World then I generally suggest to people to give yourself a solid week here. There's so much to do and lines can be long so it's best to have enough time that you don't have to get stressed out by trying to cram everything in.
My recommendation is to stick to the main parks and avoid the water parks during your first visit. The hotels have great pools anyway that you can utilize throughout your stay. This helps limit to 4 parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
The length of your first stay can also be determined by what you really want to do. If you have young kids and your focus is really just the Magic Kingdom, maybe 2-3 full days is enough to get it all in. I've talked with a lot of people who really only want to focus there. But if you have kids who are into a multitude of things (from Mickey to Star Wars and beyond), time will be your best friend.
As we've stayed more and more, we've managed to come up with a great system to get more in in less time, but even with that we typically will assign 1 full day per park that we want to visit.
Digital-First, Fun-Second
Disney has been implementing a digital first strategy for many years now. Their Disney World app, My Disney Experience, has been revised many times over and is very robust. With that, the app will be your lifeline when you are at the parks. I highly recommend that all adults on the trip download the app and make sure all your passes, hotel bookings, etc. are showing on the app.
The My Disney Experience app is where you can book restaurants, order-ahead at restaurants, lookup ride wait times, manage your reservations, book "fast passes" (yes, I'm using an old, but simple term), and more.
My only word of caution with the app is that it can overwhelm you if you let it, creating a situation where your phone comes first and fun comes second. Use it to support your trip, but don't get stuck staring at the phone all day and miss the trip.
How to Plan: Priorities Are Key
Planning for your trip is a key element to Disney World. Make sure to look through Disney's guides online to determine the following:
What ride(s) at each park are my top priorities or must-see?
What restaurants at each park are a priority for me to eat at?
Are there any special events that are a priority to go to?
Once you have all of those together, make sure to plan your day at each park around those. And understand that anything else is just icing on the cake.
For rides, I recommend getting Genie+ access if you can, as that will guarantee a time & spot on the rides. If you've visited many times, maybe it's not worth it to you, but if it's a first time, Genie+ can be a great addition.
For restaurants, I always recommend booking your top pick per park through the My Disney Experience app so that you know you have a reservation. Sometimes walk-ups can have long wait times, or for super popular restaurants (ie: Cinderella's Royal Table), you may not be able to get in at all.
Special events you can usually get into on the day-of, but I always suggest you get tickets ahead of time. Don't wait until that day and then discover you can't get into Mickey's Not So Scary, as I have seen them sell out.
What Should I Bring To The Parks?
What you bring to the parks depends on you and your family's needs. However, after visiting the parks about 100 times, here are a few suggestions I have.
If you have kids (especially younger ones)
Bring a backpack with a few snacks, water, and even sunscreen. Yes, I know there's plenty of Disney-themed snacks everywhere, but trust me when I say, it always seems to happen that kids scream for snacks when you're in line for a ride and can't easily go buy any. I've also learned over the years to also bring things like hair ties if you have girls, a hat if you have boys, and sunglasses to help lessen eyestrain on sunny days. Depending on the time of year you are visiting—especially during oppressively hot months like September—I highly recommend bringing a cooling towel or a small portable fan.
Pro "Heads-Up": Anytime you have a backpack, you'll be subject to the security team searching through it when you come in. It will slow you down.
General Things To Bring
Beyond the kid-specific stuff, I always recommend that you bring the following (some are dependent on the time of year). I typically bring Tylenol (or whatever is best for you) with me.
Pro Tip: Less is more if you can swing it. Anytime it's just an adults trip, I typically bring very little in with me so I can breeze through the security lines.
Magic Band?
This is a common question I get: "Should I buy a Magic Band?"
For me and my family, we've found the Magic Bands to be a life saver in making things simpler and faster. If you are staying at a Disney property, the Magic Band acts as your room key. It acts as your pass to the parks. It also acts as your fast pass. It can even act as your form of payment at restaurants. Yes, for a lot of this you can use your phone (which is super cool), but remember: without doing all these tasks on your phone, you're already going to go through your battery quickly. Plus, why risk taking your phone out and risk dropping it more than you have to?
In my humble opinion: get a Magic Band.
Visiting the Parks
Let the fun begin! Disney Parks, especially Disney World, is my family's favorite. We can't seem to get enough of it, even if we have a frustrating experience due to high crowd levels. The experience overall is unlike anything else in the world that you'll get. Once everything else is done and you enter the parks, this is where the fun begins.
Throughout the day be sure to check your My Disney Experience App and check-in if any family members split off during the day.
Alternatives To The Lines
Throughout the year Disney offers a lot of perks to hotel guests or special paid events that can both enhance your experience and allow you to see and do more during your visit. Take advantage of all Extra Magic Hours, Disney After Hours, and more that you can.
Mickey's Not So Scary
If you are at Disney World during the holidays and want to enhance your experience, I suggest skipping a park ticket for 1 day and hang out at your hotel's pool, experience the Boardwalk, or even Disney Springs, and then getting a ticket to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Why, you ask? You don't care about Halloween, you say? Well, that aside, the park's decorations at night are nop notch, plus the lines are shorter due to the event being capped at a limited number of people. That means you'll get to experience more rides in a shorter time.
We've been able to ride everything at the Magic Kingdom just during the Halloween Party. Not to mention, we also walked away with a ton of candy!
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Just like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, this special ticketed event is limited to a specific number of guests, which means you'll get shorter lines, fewer crowds, and one really cool experience.
I Have Little Kids That Need Naps!
Congratulations! Bringing a little one to Disney World is a great experience. Don't let nap times get in the way. There's a simple strategy—or multiple strategies—for that too.
Split Day Strategy
This is one my family and I employed when our kids were 3 years old and younger. It's pretty easy: form the day around nap time. If you tend to put your kid down for a nap at 1:00pm (or, if they don't take a nap, maybe it's just "break time."), then plan your day to be back at the hotel by 1:00pm. Take turns each day where either you watch
Special Event Strategy
Utilize special events, like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, to get plenty of rest and be flexible during the day and then get in a ton of fun at 4pm and after.
On-The-Go Strategy
If you have a mix of family members who need naps/breaks and those who don't, one strategy that my family and I have utilized is to simply use the stroller to let the little one take a nap on the go.
Costs
Planning your Disney World trip also requires planning the costs associated with it. Based on my experience, this can be a huge range depending on your preferences, where you stay, and more. I have attempted to put together some rough costs that might help in your planning.
Deluxe / Premium Stays
For a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids), I have typically experienced that we'll spend around $9,500 - $13,000 all-in on a 5 day Disney World trip. This includes the hotel, flights, food, tickets, and a few small souvenirs.
Moderate Stays
For a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids), based on my experiences, expect to pay around $7,000 - $10,000 all-in on a 5 day Disney World trip.
Budget Stays
For a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids), based on my experiences, expect to pay around $4,500 - $7,500 all-in on a 5 day Disney World trip. But be careful: add-ons can add up quickly and push you out of your budget.
Summary
In summary, the best tips, tricks, and strategies are:
Pick the most ideal hotel for you closest to the park(s) you are visiting the most.
Get your Magic Band(s) prior to leaving for your trip.
Make sure to pack appropriately.
Stay calm and have fun.
