orlando disney world trip

Ultimate Walt Disney World Planning Guide (2024)

Planning a Disney World vacation can feel like a daunting task, especially for first-time guests. The entire Walt Disney World resort area covers around 43 square miles, which is almost twice the size of Manhattan!  Learning how to plan a Disney Vacation can help ensure you have a great time on your trip.

There are so many engaging activities, exciting attractions, magical details, and wonderful restaurants and resorts.  It’s nearly impossible to experience everything at Disney World over the course of several trips, let alone in a single visit to the park. That’s why it’s important to start your planning early and decide what you should prioritize on your trip.

This guide will take you through how to plan a Disney World vacation step-by-step. Disney vacations have become harder to plan each and every year, with Disney Lightning Lane, Advanced Dining Reservations, My Disney Experience, transportation, etc.  There’s so much to know, and this Disney vacation planning guide will be your go-to resource.

Do You Need To Plan a Disney World Vacation in Advance?

It’s no longer feasible to go to Disney World without doing at least some planning ahead of time.  Even entering a theme park requires an advance reservation in many cases.

In our view, these are the four bare-minimum planning actions needed to have even a functioning  Disney vacation.

• Decide when you will visit.   Crowd levels can impact your experience and time of year will affect your overall cost.
• Decide which park you will attend on each day.   Theme park reservations are mandatory for some ticket types — no reservation, no entry.
• Decide which hotel you’ll stay in.   While you can technically find a room without a reservation during some parts of the year, it’s not worth the risk.
• Decide if you want to dine at any table-service restaurants.   Dining reservations are strongly suggested; during the busiest days, many restaurants may completely refuse walk-ups.

These are the minimum plans needed to have a tolerable Disney World vacation.  To make your vacation good — or, dare we say, magical — you’ll probably want to do a good bit more Disney planning.  Below, we walk you through the eleven things you need to do to plan the best possible Disney World vacation .

Our planning guide is a great way to get started with researching your upcoming Disney World vacation.  As you’ll see, planning a Disney trip is no small task.  Imagine if you could have someone else do most of the work for you, for free!

That’s why we strongly recommend you contact the Disney travel agents at The Vacationeer .  There are plenty of good reasons why you should use a Disney travel agent , including taking advantage of their years of Disney experience and letting them handle making all of your reservations.

But one of the best reasons is that their planning services don’t cost you anything!

The Eleven Steps to Disney World Planning

There are plenty of ways to plan your Disney vacation, and everybody has their own way of doing it.  Below we’ve outlined what we believe to be eleven critical steps, in roughly the order that you should do them.  We’ve tried not to overwhelm you with too much information at once, but there’s no doubt that planning a Disney trip can be very complicated.  Take your time, read through it all, and follow the links throughout to find out more about some of the items we discuss here.

1. Learn the basics by doing some research

As you start to plan for a Disney World vacation, you should begin researching well in advance of booking the trip.  The information you gather during this important first step will help you through the rest of the process; starting early gives you plenty of time to learn before key dates in the trip planning process.  It will also be key to creating a detailed itinerary for each day so that your vacation will include every event, attraction, and restaurant you wish to experience.

Without a daily itinerary and at least some knowledge of the parks, Disney World can be a confusing and overwhelming place. Informed and organized vacationers are less stressed, save more money, and have more fun!

Being in-the-know will also help you secure your spot at popular resorts, attractions, and dining establishments.

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to research travel destinations online , and Disney World is no exception. There are lots of Disney World resources online these days (such as our entire website!), so getting up to speed with the ins and outs of the parks is well within your reach.  To get you started, we’ll go over some basic information about Disney World.

Disney World at a Glance

Walt Disney World has four major theme parks:

Magic Kingdom

It’s the flagship theme park of Disney World and a rite of passage for kids of all ages.  Leave the real world at the gate — age melts away as you walk down Main Street, USA to reach Cinderella Castle.  Then, head in any direction to experience Liberty Square, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland.  Your kingdom awaits with adventures on flying elephants, doombuggies, space rockets, and steam trains.

Rides   |   Dining   |   Secrets

Originally envisioned as a functioning city of the future, EPCOT offers four neighborhoods: World Showcase , a tribute to the global diversity that enriches us as a species; World Nature , showcasing our interaction with the planetary forces that drive us; World Discovery , celebrating humankind’s ingenuity and innovation; and World Celebration , dedicated to the joy and camaraderie that are essential parts of the human experience.

Rides   |   Dining   |  Secrets

Hollywood Studios

Hooray for “the Hollywood that never was and always will be!”  Here, the golden age of motion pictures gets equal billing with modern blockbusters in a park dedicated to an entire universe of entertainment.  Drop into the Hollywood Tower Hotel, find yourself off-world on Batuu, or slink your way into a Pixar adventure.  You’re the star of this silver screen epic — are you ready for your closeup?

Animal Kingdom

Experience the glory and wonder of nature as you immerse yourself into a world that more than 1,000 animals call home.  Set off on safari, where giraffes are free to walk right alongside your open-air vehicle (from which you can also glimpse elephants, lions, and hippopotami).  Then, escape reality by staging a daring mountaintop run from the mythical Yeti, or traveling back in time to rescue a doomed dinosaur.

Other Resort Complex Amenities

In addition to four theme parks, you’ll find a full resort complex covering upwards of 27,000 acres:

• More than 20 large resort hotels are owned and operated by Walt Disney World, with additional third-party hotels nearby
• There are nearly 400 places to eat and drink at Disney World, from ice cream carts to high-end luxury dining, and everything in between
• Disney Springs is the largest shopping, dining, and entertainment district at Disney World ( no tickets required ); Disney’s BoardWalk offers an additional entertainment and dining district
• Disney World has 2 water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon
• WDW has 5 golf courses and 2 mini-golf courses , an entire sports complex , and several lakes (offering boating, kayaking, parasailing, fishing, and other water sports)

There’s much, much more to learn about Disney World, but the above information should give you the basics that you’ll need to know as you start to plan.  At the end of each of our 11 steps in this guide, you’ll find links to special planning tools and additional articles/websites that further discuss items mentioned in each section of our planning guide.  The tools and links for this step are immediately below:

Planning Tools for This Step:

✔️  Use our  Disney World Map to get the lay of the land

✔️  Use our Disney World Transportation Map to chart your route

✔️  Subscribe to Disney-focused  YouTube channels

✔️  Review some fascinating Disney World Statistics

✔️  Learn the History of Disney World

✔️  Enjoy some interesting WDW Trivia

2. Download the My Disney Experience App

My Disney Experience is Disney’s mobile app & website that serves as a centralized hub for everything related to your Disney vacation.  In the app, you can:

• Create a profile
• Add friends and family members so you can plan together
• View your tickets and reservations
• Purchase priority access to certain attractions through the Lightning Lane service
• Enter a virtual queue for highly-demanded attractions, when available
• Access entitlements under the Disability Access Service, if applicable
• Place mobile orders for some meals, helping you avoid lines at some quick-service restaurants
• Use the MagicMobile service, which lets you use your mobile device as a contactless payment/entry device around Disney World.

Note:  If you’d rather not use the MagicMobile service to access your tickets and services, you can either purchase a MagicBand (a colorful RFID-enabled wristband), or request a plastic RFID card at no charge. 

The app is available for both iOS and Android devices — you might see it listed in the app store as “My Disney Experience” or even just as “Disney World.”  There’s no charge to download and use the app; you might see a notice about in-app purchases, but that refers to the ability to do things such as buying park tickets or placing mobile dining orders.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll want to sign in — you can use an existing Disney account or create a new one.  You’ll also need to grant it permission to use location services because some features such as virtual queuing are geofenced (only available when you are in a certain location based on your phone’s GPS).

Downloading the app early in the planning process is important for a few reasons.  First, it’s a great research tool.  Second, getting to know it now will make it all the easier to use during your trip.  And most importantly, as you begin to purchase tickets or make reservations you’ll want to link them to your Disney account.  For example, linking your hotel reservation in the app allows you to access an extended restaurant reservation booking window — as well as to access early booking for Lightning Lane attraction entrances.

Many (but not all) of the same services are also available through a dedicated section of the Disney World website.

Ready to talk to someone about planning next steps?

✔️  Download the My Disney Experience app

✔️  Access My Disney Experience via the Disney World website

✔️  Learn more about My Disney Experience

✔️  Learn more about using the MagicMobile service

3. Start Considering How Much to Budget for Your Disney World Trip

On average, a typical Walt Disney World vacation for a family of 4 in 2024 will cost about $6,559. This includes a 7-night hotel stay at a Disney Value Resort, 6 days of standard theme park tickets, Lightning Lane service, and quick-service meals for 4 people over the course of the trip.

Just like any vacation, you might want to plan for additional expenses such as transportation costs, upgrades, a longer stay, and souvenirs; or you might opt to save some money by staying off-site, shortening your trip, spending a day or two away from the parks, or visiting during the off-season.

Not surprisingly, some families end up putting themselves into debt to make a Disney World trip happen.

Of course, you won’t know exactly how much to budget until you make some choices about hotels, dining, tickets, etc. — but now’s a good time to at least begin thinking about how much you’re comfortable spending on your trip so you’re not left with sky-high credit card bills long after.

The resources below are a great way to start that process.  If you don’t want to devote a ton of time to it at this point, we suggest you start with just the first two resources… our How Much Does it Cost to Go to Disney World article and our Disney World Cost Calculator .

✔️  Explore how much it costs to go to Disney World

✔️  Estimate prices with our Disney World Cost Calculator

✔️  Learn about Disney Payment Plan options

✔️  Find the Cheapest Time to go to Disney

✔️  Check out Disney World discounts & deals

✔️  Save on your trip by buying discounted Disney gift cards

✔️  Learn how to do Disney on a Dime

✔️  Explore some free things to do at Disney World

✔️  Read Is Disney World Worth It?

✔️  Leverage your credit card points on your Disney vacation

Consider Working with a Disney World Trip Planner (For Free!)

This is a great time in your Disney vacation planning timeline to connect with a Disney Travel Agent if you’re planning on using one.  Your agent can provide a more accurate estimate of what you can expect to spend by walking you through all of the big choices you’ll be making in the remaining steps of the process.

Not sure which Disney World Travel Agency to use?  We strongly recommend The Vacationeer .  It’s not hard to see why we’ve ranked them as the best Disney travel agency .  First and foremost, they don’t charge anything to use their planning services and there’s never any obligation to book.  And, as an EarMarked Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner , they’ve arranged Disney trips for thousands of families.  They boast a team of 90+ travel agents, but you’ll have one dedicated agent to serve as your personal Disney trip planner from start to finish.

Contact them to see which money-saving promotions might be available for your trip.  They can book your reservations, set up a payment plan for your trip, and even automatically apply newly-announced discounts to your trip after you book!

4. Decide When to Go to Disney World

Holidays at Disney can be crowded but festive

Deciding which time of year to go to Disney World is a very important part of the planning process, and not just for the obvious reasons of school/work schedules.  Crowd sizes, special promotions, festivals, and weather should also factor in your decision; these can not only affect your overall experience at Disney, but also your overall cost as well.

Crowd sizes are a major consideration when planning a trip to Walt Disney World.  Because park attendance fluctuates throughout the year, there are certainly better (less crowded) times of the year go.

For those of you who are not as tied down with schedule obligations (such as parents who homeschool or people who can work from anywhere), you are in a much better position to be flexible with your travel dates. For the rest of us, work schedules, school schedules, and other factors often influence the timing of our vacations, so we just have to plan a trip around a timeframe that works.

With millions of annual visitors, each Walt Disney World theme park can become crowded. The week you choose to visit the park can have a major impact on wait times for attractions and crowd density on the sidewalks and in the restaurants. Each park also has day-to-day crowd dynamics to consider.

The best way to gauge crowd sizes any particular day – at any one of Walt Disney World’s 4 theme parks – is to consult our  Disney World Crowd Calendar .  By using data compiled from recent years, our crowd calendar determines which theme parks will have the shortest lines and which parks will have the longest lines.

While not everyone has the flexibility to plan their trip around the least-crowded dates, crowd calendars can still be a valuable tool to help you to maximize your Disney experience during your visit.

It’s also worth noting that crowd levels tend to be a good indicator of how expensive your hotel and tickets will be.  Hotels and tickets are both subject to seasonal prices; the less popular times of year are the least expensive, while high-demand times like holidays and summer vacation cost more.

When is Walt Disney World Least Crowded?

Walt Disney World parks are typically less crowded from January 2nd until just prior to Presidents’ Day week (third Monday in February ), the week after Labor Day until just prior to Thanksgiving week, and the week after Thanksgiving weekend until the week prior to Christmas. As a general guide, when schools are in session, WDW is usually less crowded.

When is Walt Disney World Most Crowded?

Walt Disney World parks generally experience their highest attendance around school breaks. These include around Presidents’ Day week (third week in February), the Spring Break timeframe from mid- March through late April , Memorial Day weekend , Summer (mid- June through Labor Day), Thanksgiving week, and Christmas week through January 1st.

Special Promotions

During their slower seasons, Disney World will sometimes offer special promotions to lure guests to the park.

Some previous examples have included a Free Dining promotion which offered meals as part of a package that included non-discounted resort hotels and park tickets.  Other promotions have also been offered from time to time, allowing for discounted hotel rates, special ticket packages, or other benefits.

While promotions have been a bit scarce lately, things do tend to change quickly.  It’s a safe bet, though, that any promotions that come along will be limited to specific hotels or specific travel dates, and will likely be in the off-season.  If your plans are flexible, you’re more likely to be able to take advantage of these.

Walt Disney World is a great destination any day of the year. However, there is something about the seasonal festivals which make the park extra magical.

Besides the spectacular Festival of the Arts (typically in January) and the Flower & Garden Festival during the spring and early summer, most of our favorite seasonal events take place during the Fall and Winter months.

Epcot hosts The  Food & Wine Festival in the fall, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a real treat for Magic Kingdom guests around – you guessed it – Halloween.

During November and December , the wildly popular Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place at Magic Kingdom, as do a host of other holiday events, such as A Frozen Holiday Wish Show (Magic Kingdom), Christmas Day Parade on ABC (Magic Kingdom), Joyful! (Epcot), Holidays Around the World (Epcot), and much more .

If we had an absolute favorite week to be at Walt Disney World, we may have to choose some time in early December. The park is festive, the weather is comfortable, and the crowds are lighter than normal.

Any How to Plan a Disney Vacation guide must discuss the nuances of Disney’s weather.

First of all, Orlando, Florida is known for its warm and sunny weather. Ice and snow are virtually non-existent here and the temperatures rarely dip below the freezing level.

That said, there are some seasonal differences that you may want to take into consideration when booking your Disney World vacation. January is typically the coolest month, July is the warmest and wettest (though August is a close second for heat), and June has the most sunshine hours.

Daytime thunderstorms are a given during the summer; they often pop up with little warning and disappear just as quickly, usually leaving a rather unpleasant sauna effect in their aftermath.  On the bright side, a storm lasting 30-45 minutes is usually enough to send people scurrying for the exits, leading to lighter crowds afterwards.

Hurricane season technically lasts from June-November, though September has historically been the most active.  Even then, it’s rare for the Orlando area to take a direct hit from a hurricane.  That said, the parks have had to close a few times for hurricanes, though typically only for a day or so at a time.  Thanks to Disney’s generous hurricane cancellation policies , it’s still generally safe plan a trip to Disney World during hurricane season (though travel insurance is still also a good idea).

Our favorite seasons at Walt Disney World are probably the pleasant spring and fall seasons, with October being particularly nice. Our least favorite season is during the summer months — not only are the crowds heavy, but the weather can be quite hot and humid. If you do plan a summer vacation at Disney World, remember to come prepared with the proper amenities to keep you cool and hydrated.

Overwhelmed and ready for some expert help?

✔️  Use our Disney Crowd Calendar to pick the best time to visit

✔️  Research typical Disney World Weather

✔️  Learn about the best time to go to Disney World

✔️  Review our tips to avoid lines at Disney World

✔️  Beat the rain with the best attractions for rainy days

✔️  Learn about Hurricane Season at Disney World

5. Decide on Your Length of Stay (How Many Days)

Because there is just so much to see and do at  Walt Disney World , there is really no right answer for how long your Walt Disney World vacation should last. However, there are several wrong answers. One wrong answer would be staying for only 1 or 2 days!

We recommend that any trip should last at least four days, with an ideal range of a full week or so. Some people buy an Annual Pass and spend 30+ days at the park, so the sky is the limit! It just depends on your budget, time limitations, who you are traveling with, and what the goals of your trip are. But with so much to see and experience, a day or two won’t even scratch the surface of what Walt Disney World has to offer.

How Long Do Most People Stay at Disney World?

Most Disney World vacations last 3 – 7 days. Many guests devote one full day to each of the four Disney World theme parks. Given their size and number of attractions, it’s certainly possible to spend two days each at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Additional days can be spent re-visiting one of the parks, going to a Disney water park, or doing other various activities, inside or outside of the park.

If your objective is to experience most attractions, shows, parades, etc., you really need to provide yourself with adequate time/days to explore all facets of each park.  If saving money is an important consideration, a shorter trip can help accomplish that.

Many guests like to spend a day or two at other (non-Disney) Orlando-area attractions – such as  Universal Studios , SeaWorld, Legoland Florida, or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Other guests set aside a day or two for golfing, boating, or just to simply relax at the pool.

If your trip to Disney World is a “rite of passage” event for the kids – and your goal is to just experience the popular rides and get a feel for the park – 3-4 days is doable. However, just be aware that you may feel as though you are rushing to get as much in with your time constraints.  You probably won’t be able to experience everything that you set out to achieve.

Besides simply having enough time at Disney World, another reason for booking a longer WDW vacation is the financial incentive. The more days you spend at the park, the less the cost of your daily ticket. That’s not to say you will spend less money on an 8-day pass vs a 3-day pass — you certainly won’t. But, the cost per day  goes down substantially the more days you spend at Disney World.

Thoroughly review all current promotions and ticket pricing scenarios before deciding on the duration of your Disney World vacation.

✔️  Compare prices for different trip lengths with our Cost Calculator

✔️  We explore how long to stay at Disney

✔️  See how many days you need for each park

✔️  See our favorite day trips from Disney World

✔️  Extend your trip by visiting one of the beaches near Disney World

6. Decide How to Travel to Disney World

Planning a Disney World trip must, of course, include consideration of how you will actually get there.

The two most common modes of transportation to Walt Disney World are by car and by air.

Buses and trains also come in and out of Orlando, but these options tend to be more problematic with luggage considerations. Consult your bus service or Amtrak for their guidelines on luggage if you decide to go this route.

Driving to Disney World

For guests within a reasonable driving distance (or those who just love a good road trip), there’s some convenience in having your own car at Disney.  Of course, you’ll need to consider all of the costs associated with driving to Disney… fuel prices, auto maintenance / wear & tear, tolls, and parking fees.

An oft-forgotten expense is that those staying in an off-site hotel must pay a daily parking fee at the theme parks (Disney hotel guests don’t pay this fee).

Those who live far away will likely find the cost of driving to Disney World to be prohibitively expensive.  But for those who live in the southeastern US — or who are faced with the prospect of buying airline tickets for a large family — driving might be the right choice.

Flying to Disney World

Since most people fly to Disney World, let’s review some of your best options for booking a flight.

Most people use airline travel search engines – such as Priceline, Kayak, Expedia, or Travelocity – to book their air travel. We also recommend checking Google Flights or ITA Matrix  — both are robust search engines for finding airline deals. If you have flexibility with your booking dates, sign up for Airfarewatchdog alerts. You can get real-time or daily alerts for special offers and flight deals between your departure city and Orlando.

Which airports are closest to Disney World?

Orlando is served by three major airports, all of which have confusingly similar names.

• Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the airport of choice for trips to Disney World.  It’s the nearest airport (about 20 miles away)  and offers by far the most ground transportation options to Disney World.
• Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) is located about 45 miles away from Disney World.  Though it’s further away and offers fewer ground transit services, it may be your only choice for a nonstop flight if you’re flying with a smaller/discount carrier or if your home airport is a smaller regional facility.
• Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) is located about 65 miles away from Disney World.  It’s the farthest “Orlando” airport from Orlando (they actually got sued for using the word Orlando” in their name) , and is likely better suited for a Disney Cruise from Port Canaveral than it is for a stay at Walt Disney World.

If you’ll have a rental car and don’t mind a bit of a drive, you can also investigate flights into Tampa International (TPA, about 75 miles away) or Daytona Beach International (DAB, about 70 miles away)… but the flight discounts would have to be amazing to make up for the difference in time and cost.

Tips To Save on Flights to Disney World

Here are a few more cost-savings tips for booking your flight to Walt Disney World:

• For the best deals, book six weeks in advance.
• Scan for deals in the morning, as most airlines offer their best deals at this time. Act fast because good deals get scooped up quickly.
• The most inexpensive flights are often the earliest departures in the morning.
• Wednesdays are typically the cheapest days to fly.
• Credit cards with frequent flyer mile points can save you money on future flights.
• Not all airlines offer their cheapest flights through travel search engines. Check low-cost airlines individually to see if booking directly through their website is less expensive.

Traveling Within Disney World

Regardless of how you get there, once you’ve made it to Disney World, transportation is a breeze.  Disney offers a completely free network of monorails, boats, buses, Skyliners (suspended aerial gondolas), trams, and walking paths to move people from place to place.  You’ll really only need a rental car if your plans take you off-site to a non-Disney destination (and even then, an Uber might be better).

Check out our Disney transportation map in the planning tools below to map out your journey through Disney World.

✔️  Search for airfare on Google Flights

✔️  For advanced flight search options, try ITA Matrix

✔️  Explore our Transportation Map to find out how to get around Disney World

✔️  Review options to get from the Orlando Airport to Disney

✔️  Estimate the cost of taking an Uber

✔️  Learn about parking at Disney World

✔️  Explore the Disney Monorail

7. Choose Your Disney World Resort Hotel

Disney owns and operates more than 20 on-site hotels, which it calls “Resorts.”  This name can be a bit confusing, because you’ll also hear the entire Walt Disney World area referred to as a “resort.”  As an alternative to the on-site hotels, you can choose to stay at a hotel not owned by Disney; that could save you some money, but you’ll miss out on a number of perks offered exclusively to on-site Guests.

Official Disney On-Site Resorts

There is something special about staying at an official Disney World resort.

For one, each resort has its own distinctive character, charm, and identity. You can leave the real world behind and surround yourself with Disney magic, 24/7.

Since all of these resorts are on Disney World property, you will be in close proximity to all the parks and have direct access to monorails, boats, skykliners, and buses.  A few resorts are close enough that you can easily walk to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT.

On-site guests also receive special perks that off-site guests do not. These include Early Theme Park Entry and the ability to book Dining Reservations and Lightning Lane entries ahead of non-Disney resort guests. For 2025, Resort Guests also receive free water park admission on their check-in day.  Make sure you link your Disney World hotel reservation to your My Disney Experience account to take advantage of these perks!

Disney’s on-site Resorts are categorized within the following tiers:

Disney Value Resorts

The rooms at  Disney Value Resorts are smaller and are situated among larger campuses, so you might find there’s a bit of a walk between your room and the bus stops, dining, and front desk.  Transportation to the Disney World theme parks is mostly via bus or Skyliner.  Dining is typically quick-service that’s more akin to a food court, but still usually features a surprising variety that goes well beyond burgers and pizza.  Value resorts are a fantastic option for families who want to keep an eye on their budget but still have all the benefits of staying on Disney World property.

Disney Moderate Resorts

The  Disney Moderate Resorts offer a nice middle ground between the Value and Deluxe resorts.  You’ll have a somewhat upgraded room, good transportation, and usually a few different dining options that may offer a broader menu.  A Moderate Resort is a great way to upgrade your stay at a Disney World resort hotel without a major impact on your budget.

Disney Deluxe Resorts

Deluxe Resorts tend to be closest hotels to the Disney World theme parks, usually just a monorail, boat ride, or short walk away.  Not only is it easier to get to the parks in the morning and back from the parks at night; it’s also easy to avoid the hottest and most crowded parts of the day by returning to your hotel and letting the kids cool down in the pool or take a midday nap.  Then, while everyone else who stayed in the park all day is hot, tired, and cranky, you’ll be refreshed and ready for the nighttime fireworks.  Disney World’s Deluxe resorts also often feature larger rooms, the best pools and restaurants, and a generally upgraded experience.

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Deluxe Villa Resorts offer vacation home style amenities. These are Disney resorts with kitchens or kitchenettes , separate bedrooms, and often even laundry facilities — a great option for larger groups.  These range from studios (basically a hotel room that also includes a kitchenette and pull-down bed) to 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units featuring full kitchens and living rooms.  There are even some unique offerings, such as treehouse villas and over-the-water bungalows.  Even beyond these deluxe villa resorts, many other Disney World hotels offer family suites .

The only major disadvantage of staying at an on-site Disney resort is the cost. With the extra perks and close proximity to the park, these resorts are more expensive than off-site resorts, so your decision will really just depend on your budget and the priorities of your vacation.

Traveling with a fuzzy friend?  You might be surprised to learn that pets are welcome at a select few resorts, and there’s even a facility made exclusively for them.  Check out Pets at Disney World for more information.

Our favorite Disney World YouTube Channel has a great overview of Disney’s official on-site Resorts.

Off-Site Hotels (non-Disney)

Most off-site properties are further away from the park and do not have direct access to the monorail (though some might offer a limited shuttle service). Despite this, many off-site resorts are still quite close to the parks – some, in fact, are situated directly on Disney-owned land.  For example, you’ll find third-party hotels not far from EPCOT, as well as an extensive “Hotel Boulevard” just an intersection or so away from Disney Springs.

While you won’t enjoy the same perks as on-site guests, these off-site properties are generally very nice.  And some  non-Disney hotels do have agreements with Disney to allow their Guests to experience some special perks.

Many have all the amenities of the more expensive Disney Resorts (some even have more), and the rooms are often larger. If your party has 5 or more guests, off-site resorts offer more value, as most of the on-site 5-person+ options are quite pricey.

The bottom line is, if you are sticking to a tight budget and don’t mind being a little further away from the action, a non-Disney resort may be your best bet. You can have a fantastic vacation staying at either on- or off-property resorts.

We recommended that you explore both options and weigh the pros and cons as they apply to your situation. You can certainly split your nights between on-property and off-property. But if you are only at Disney World for a few nights, we recommend just paying a little more to be on the property.

Find the perfect hotel for your budget

✔️  Explore our Disney Resort Comparison page

✔️  See the best Disney Value Resorts

✔️  View the best Disney Moderate Resorts

✔️  Review the best Disney Deluxe Resorts

✔️  Find the best Family Suites at Disney

✔️  See the best Disney Resorts for kids

✔️  Explore the best Disney Resorts for adults

✔️  Learn where to book Disney World hotels

✔️  Find off-site hotels with shuttle service

✔️  Find our picks for the best on-site hotels overall

✔️  See which resorts have the best hotel pools

✔️  Splurge on Club Level at Disney World or a Five-Star Hotel at Disney

✔️  What’s the cheapest on-site hotel?

8. Buy Theme Park Tickets and Make Park Reservations (if needed)

Image © Disney

While it’s certainly possible to go to Disney World without ever setting foot inside a theme park, very few people actually do that.

And given that it’s possible that you may end up spending more on park tickets than on your hotel room, the decision about which tickets to buy is an important one.

We recommend you review all your options well in advance so you have time to think about which package makes sense for your budget and duration of stay.

And remember, you might need to make a theme park reservation (Disney Park Pass), depending on your ticket type.

Disney Theme Park Tickets

Let’s first look at the theme park tickets.

When and Where to Buy your Disney World Theme Park Tickets

As a general rule, you should always purchase tickets either directly from Disney, your travel agent, or an through an authorized seller/reseller — and you should do so well in advance of your departure. This will shield you from any price hikes that might occur and gives you the best chance of securing a reservation to your desired park on your desired day  (if your ticket type requires reservations).

Given that tickets can sell out and that some even require a theme park reservation, it’s not wise to just wait to buy your tickets when you get to the front of the park .

Most importantly, NEVER buy your tickets via eBay, Craigslist, or another unauthorized reseller.   There’s a very good chance that those tickets will be expired, completely used (no days left), or simply counterfeit.  Don’t risk it!

Ticket Pricing

Disney World theme park ticket pricing varies throughout the year.  They’re generally the most expensive during popular times (such school breaks, holidays, and weekends) and the least expensive during slower times. Prices also vary by park; Animal Kingdom is usually the least expensive and Magic Kingdom is usually the most expensive, with Hollywood Studios and EPCOT falling somewhere in between.

You can purchase single-day tickets or multi-day tickets (up to 10 days).  Ticket prices are structured in a unique way that rewards Guests for committing more time to the parks; the per-day price of a multi-day ticket gets cheaper the more days you add.

We have a full rundown of the ticket pricing structure in our How Much Does it Cost to Go to Disney World article.

2024 One-Day One-Park Ticket Starting Price (actual price varies by park)

Types of Theme Park Tickets

The basic Disney World theme park ticket allows entry to only one theme park per day.  But there are optional upgrades which allow you to visit multiple parks on the same day or add other special experiences.

Park Hopper option

The Park Hopper ticket option allows Guests to visit multiple Disney World theme parks on the same day.  After starting the day at one park, Guests may then go to a different theme park later in the day.

We especially love the Park Hopper for spending the first part of the day at one theme park, then spending the evenings at Epcot to take advantage of the wonderful dining options at World Showcase.  It’s an especially great option for those who have a limited amount of time at Disney World, and for those who have short attention spans!

Water Park and Sports option

The Water Park and Sports option allows Guests to visit one theme park per day, while also providing visits to other Disney properties.  Guests who purchase this upgrade will be able to visit water parks, mini golf and nine-hole golf courses, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, when available.

The number of these visits provided is equal to the number of days of theme park admission purchased.  As an example, a 4-day park ticket allows four visits to these facilities.

Park Hopper Plus option

The Park Hopper Plus option combines the Park Hopper option and the Water Park and Sports option into a single upgrade.  Guests who purchase this upgrade will be able to visit multiple theme parks in the same day, and also enjoy a number of visits to water parks, select mini golf and nine-hole golf courses, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, when available.

Disney Park Pass (Theme Park Reservations)

A theme park ticket isn’t necessarily the only thing you need to get into a Disney theme park.  Guests who buy theme park tickets may also need a theme park reservation through a system called Disney Park Pass .

Because of this, planning ahead can be crucial to ensuring you can get into your desired theme park on the day you want to visit.  If you’re traveling during a more popular time of year such as spring break, summer, or Christmas, it is quite possible that tickets or reservations may not be available if you wait until the last minute.

Example of a theme park reservation availability calendar

Park Pass theme park reservations can be made as soon as you’ve purchased your theme park admission tickets.  We recommend you buy your tickets as far in advance as possible to have the best chance of getting the theme park reservations you want.

Park reservations may be needed for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom — but it depends on the type of ticket you purchased.   They’re not needed for Disney Springs or the water parks.

As of December 2022, all One-Day One-Park tickets automatically include a park reservation — no need to make one separately. And as of January 9, 2024, all date-based tickets will be reservation-free. Other ticket types may still require one, so be sure to check out all the details when you purchase.

If your park hopper ticket requires reservations, you’ll only need a reservation for the park you’ll be  starting  your day at.  You do  not  need a reservation for the  second  park you’re visiting (“park hopping” to) on the same day, but the park still needs to have capacity to admit new Guests.

✔️  View Disney’s official theme park ticket price calendar

✔️  Check Disney’s theme park reservation availability calendar

✔️  Explore ticket prices in our How Much Does it Cost to Go to Disney World article

✔️  Read our complete guide to  Disney Park Pass theme park reservations

Need help navigating all of the ticket options?  Contact the Disney Experts at The Vacationeer .  They can help you decide which tickets are right for you and give you tips on snagging theme park reservations.  And best of all, their planning services are completely free!

9. Select Your Disney World Dining Options

There are literally hundreds of places to eat and drink around the Walt Disney World Resort, from the humblest popcorn cart to the fanciest high-end fine dining restaurant.  If this is your first trip, you may be surprised by all the world-class dining experiences the parks and resorts offer.

Gone are the days when Disney was known simply as a “burgers and kid’s meals” type of destination.  Sure, there are plenty of quick-service restaurants and snack stands around the park, but there is also an eclectic mix of fabulous table-service restaurants to satisfy the toughest of culinary critics.

Some restaurants are themed around Disney attractions, while others are geared towards families or offer formal dining experiences.

All-you-can-eat buffets are popular, as are regional cuisine restaurants. Epcot’s World Showcase offers culinary experiences aligning with the specific country represented, while Disney Springs has an abundance of fabulous dining experiences to choose from.

There’s even a popular dinner show called the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue that features two hours of comedy and music (accompanied by endless fried chicken, BBQ ribs, and strawberry shortcake).

There is really something for everyone’s taste buds at Walt Disney World!

Types of Restaurants

There are two primary types of restaurants at Disney World.

Quick-Service Restaurants

A quick-service restaurant, sometimes also called counter-service, is a place to grab a casual, quick bite.  The ordering, payment, and service experience is somewhat similar to what you might expect at either a fast food restaurant or a “fast casual” place such as a Panera Bread or Chipotle.  You’ll stand in line, order, and pay (or use the mobile ordering service described later in this planning step); then, you’ll either receive your food right away on a tray or be given a pager-type device to alert you when it’s time to come and pick up your meal.  You won’t have a server at your table, and when your meal is over you’re expected to bus your own table and discard your trash.  Despite the ordering experience being akin to a fast food place, your food isn’t necessarily just burgers and fries.  Many locations have innovative menus and substantial meal offerings that rival those of a traditional restaurant.

Table-Service Restaurants

A table-service restaurant, sometimes also referred to as a “sit-down” location, is a more refined dining experience.  You’ll check in with a host/hostess, be taken to a table, and be introduced to a server who will take your order and tend to your needs during your meal.  These restaurants vary from relatively casual a la carte locations, to all-you-care-to-eat buffets, to elegant signature dining locations.  Menus vary from homestyle cooking to authentic international cuisine.  Advance reservations (described below) are strongly suggested, as some restaurants may completely refuse walk-ups during busy times.

Advance Dining Reservations

If you plan on dining at table-service restaurants during your vacation (recommended!), reservations are essential.

Disney calls its restaurant reservations “Advance Dining Reservations.”  Sometimes you’ll hear people call these “ADRs.”  An ADR lets you secure your table at some of Disney’s most popular table-service restaurants (restaurants in which you have a server at your table who takes your order and brings your food to you).

Slots during prime hours go quickly, especially at popular dining locations like Cinderella’s Royal Table and Chef Mickey’s.  Booking your reservations as soon as the reservation window opens is key to getting what you want.

Guests staying in a Disney Resort hotel  may make dining reservations for the entire length of their stay (up to 10 days’ worth of reservations) as early as 60 days in advance of their hotel check-in date.

All other Guests can make their advance reservations for dining as early as 60 days in advance of the meal.

Note: you might have previously heard that dining reservations could be made 180 days in advance.  While that was previously true, the booking window changed in 2020.

We recommend that you spend some time reviewing on Tripadvisor  and  Yelp  before making your Advance Dining Reservations (or speak w/ a Disney Travel Agent first).

Mobile Ordering

Reservations are not offered for quick-service dining at Disney World, though some locations do provide a mobile ordering service through the My Disney Experience app.  For these locations, you can view menus in the app, then order and pay ahead of time.  When it’s time to eat, you can bypass the regular ordering/payment line and go straight to the mobile pickup window to get your food.

Skip the Line with Mobile Ordering

Character Dining

One of Disney’s unique dining offerings is its character dining.  If getting some face time with Disney characters is a must-do for your trip, this is a great way to accomplish it without having to wait in line (and you get to enjoy a great meal, too!).

While you enjoy your meal, several Disney characters will come to your table for a brief visit.  It’s a great chance to snap a photo, ask for an autograph, or just enjoy a personal interaction.  Because the characters are coming to you, there’s no need to wait in any long lines.  And there’s just something special about having the main mouse himself pop up over your shoulder while you’re chowing down on a Mickey waffle!

Each character dining experience focuses on a specific set of characters… for example, the “Fab 5,” Disney princesses, Disney Junior Stars, or Winnie the Pooh and friends.

Disney Dining Plans

For some travelers, one of the best options for dining at Disney is to add a Disney Dining Plan to your on-site hotel stay.  These plans offer a set number of meal and snack credits per person at a fixed daily cost.  Historically, during certain low-demand seasons, Disney has even  occasionally offered the dining plan at no additional charge as part of a vacation package including a hotel stay and theme park tickets.

Disney Dining plans were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’re returning for 2024 Disney World vacations .

Until the dining plan fully returns, you’ll be paying out of pocket for your food on-site, unless you opt to bring your own food into the parks (and yes, you can get groceries delivered to your hotel).

✔️  Calculate the date you can book dining reservations

✔️  Explore menus for every restaurant at Disney World

✔️  Use our Disney Dining Plan Calculator

✔️  Estimate your food costs by viewing examples in our  How Much Does it Cost article

✔️  See how different meal choices affect your budget in our Disney World Cost Calculator

✔️  See our picks for the best Magic Kingdom restaurants

✔️  Explore our ranked list of the best EPCOT restaurants

✔️  Review our choices for best Hollywood Studios restaurants

✔️  Go wild when dining at the Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants

✔️  Explore the best options for Character Dining

✔️  Experience culinary excellence at one of the Michelin Guide restaurants at Disney

✔️  On a plant-based diet? Check out the best Vegetarian dining

✔️  Just love food? Review our guide to Disney World for Foodies

✔️  Learn more about Disney Dining Plans

✔️  Read about Disney World Free Dining promotions

10. Create a Daily Itinerary for Your Disney World Vacation

Now that we have covered the basic elements of your Walt Disney World vacation, it’s time to start thinking about the nitty-gritty details of your trip. Improvising on-the-go can cost you money and lost time while you are at the park, so creating an itinerary will keep your vacation on track.

If your trip to WDW is 4 days or fewer, you will most likely spend each day exploring at least one of Disney’s 4 theme parks. Consider a Park Hopper pass so that you have the ability to jump between parks during the day.

Time is of the essence, so we recommend that you map your route and create an itinerary of high-priority attractions so nothing is overlooked.

If your Disney World vacation is a week or so, consider spending one day at a Disney water park (Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon), at a non-Disney property (such as SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens), golfing, boating, shopping, or just taking a day off to relax.

Reservations for theme parks and dining should be made well in advance of your trip, so the process of selecting which restaurants and attractions are top priorities should begin as soon as you book your trip (if not before).

As you research your options, make notes to help you formulate your Walt Disney World itinerary.

Here are a few things to consider when making your daily plans:

One of the primary factors for your daily itinerary should be how late the park is open each day you’re there.  Park opening and closing times can vary from day-to-day.  So you might want to base your daily park choices on which park has the longest hours — or at least make sure you don’t shoehorn yourself into only being able to visit a certain park on the one day during your trip that it closes early. Some parks take longer to fully experience than others, and you don’t want to run out of time.

A great perk of staying at an on-site Disney hotel is having extra time in the parks when the general public is not allowed in.  While not all attractions operate during these extended hours, it’s still a great way to get a few extra rides in with typically lower wait times.  The previous Extra Magic Hours  program has now been replaced by two offerings:

Early Theme Park Entry

Disney Resort hotel Guests (and Guests of other select hotels) may  enter the Disney parks 30 minutes earlier  than the general public, every day of the week. Each of the four parks offers this perk every day of the week; which park you choose is solely up to you!

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours

Guests at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villa Resorts, and a few other select hotels may also enjoy additional time at specific parks on specific nights.  You’ll want to check the  latest schedule  to verify which dates and parks are available during your trip.

Waiting for Rides/Attractions

It’s an unfortunate fact that a sizable portion of your Disney World trip will be spent waiting in line to get on rides or see shows.  Fortunately, there are ways to minimize this as much as possible.

Standby Lines

When most people think of waiting in line for a ride, they’re thinking of what Disney World calls a Standby queue.  It’s line waiting in its simplest form; you walk up to an attraction entrance, wait in line for as long as it takes, and then get into the ride vehicle.

Standby wait times can fluctuate wildly throughout the day, often peaking in the mid-afternoon.  While you can’t do anything about the length of the line itself, you can game the system a bit by deciding when to enter that line.

For your most important attraction of the day, I suggest doing what frequent visitors call “rope dropping” the park.  This means that you are at the park before it opens for the day, enter the park as soon as Guests are allowed in (as soon as they “drop the rope” that is keeping people out), and go directly to the desired attraction so you can ride it with as little wait as possible.

Other tactics to try to avoid the worst of the standby wait times is to go during the afternoon parade, or to go when most people are having lunch/dinner.  The Tip Board section of the My Disney Experience app will also show you a forecast of wait times for each hour of the day so you can better plan your arrival time to minimize waits.

One further tip that won’t necessarily help you avoid an extended wait time but will certainly increase your comfort level. As a long-time Floridian, I highly recommend doing all of the rides that have completely-outdoor waiting lines either early or late in the day; when it’s miserably hot/steamy outside during the afternoon hours, I prefer to hide away from the midday sun by experiencing the rides with indoor air-conditioned queues. These rides are also less likely to close during afternoon thunderstorms.

Virtual Queues

If your trip happens to occur in the months immediately following the opening of a highly-anticipated attraction (such as a new roller coaster), you’ll likely find that you can’t simply go stand in line for that ride.  Instead, you might have to use something called a virtual queue .

It’s exactly what it sounds like — rather than physically standing in line, your spot in line is held virtually via the My Disney Experience app.

Virtual Queue

A virtual queue is both good news and bad news for your itinerary planning.

The good news: Historically, people have spent as much as five or six hours (!) waiting in line for a new ride — I did that when Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened and don’t recommend it.  Those long lines are not the case with virtual queuing.  Your wait might technically still be that long, but you don’t have to spend that time actually waiting in a line.  You’re instead free to go have plenty of other fun elsewhere in the park during that time, and then come back when it’s time to ride.

The bad news: Competition to grab a spot in the virtual queue can be fierce.  Spaces open up daily at 7AM and again at 1PM.  On dates when Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are offered for select Resort Guests, another round of queuing begins at 6PM.  On the busiest days, all available slots can be claimed within seconds of being released. To give yourself the best possible chance of snagging a spot, read Disney’s extensive instructions  ahead of time so you know exactly what to do at 7AM on the day you wish to visit.

Priority Attraction Entrance (Disney Lightning Lane)

Many rides and experiences in the parks have a special Lightning Lane entrance which allows you to bypass the regular line and board more quickly.  If you’ve been to Disney World in the past, you might remember this service previously being called FastPass, FastPass+, or Genie+.  The Lightning Lane concept is still mostly the same, but there’s one big difference: you now must pay to enter the Lightning Lane.

Lightning Lane passes

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Most rides which have a Lightning Lane entrance are packaged together into a paid, bundled service called Lightning Lane Multi Pass.  It lets guests make reservations to use the Lightning Lane entrance at roughly 50 attractions throughout the parks. Guests make their first three Lightning Lane reservations in advance and can make additional ride reservations, one at a time, once they arrive (subject to availability).

Lightning Lane Single Pass

The Lightning Lane entrances at the most popular attractions in each park are not included in Multi Pass and are instead sold separately.  You’ll be able to purchase one entrance per day for each ride offering this individual entry service, for a maximum of two rides per day.

If a ride’s Lightning Lane is sold under this individual pricing structure, it will not be included in the Multi Pass package offering.

Disability Access Service

A special service is provided to assist Guests who have a cognitive condition that interferes with their ability to wait in line.  This offering, called the Disability Access Service (DAS), assigns return times so Guests don’t need to be physically present in the attraction line (but still experience a similar length of wait as those who are waiting in line).

There’s an important distinction when understanding DAS: qualifying is based on a guest’s ability to wait  in line, not their ability to  stand in line. Most attraction lines are wheelchair accessible , so a wheelchair alone is unlikely to qualify someone to use DAS.  There’s no official list of disabilities which automatically qualify, but some which may qualify include ADHD, autism , or anxiety.  Each decision is made on an individual basis, and Disney alone has sole authority to grant or deny DAS to a Guest.

This is a highly-nuanced topic that we can’t completely cover in just a few sentences.  We suggest you read our extensive guide to the Disability Access Service for further details.

Timing Your Meals

Your itinerary should include a solid plan on when you’re going to eat your meals.

Unless you have breakfast reservations for an in-park restaurant, we do NOT recommend that you have breakfast in the park.  You’ll likely be missing out on some of the lowest ride wait times of the day if you’re off getting food right after the park opens.  One option is to have breakfast at your hotel’s restaurant before heading to the park (the restaurants open early enough to allow this without missing park opening). I personally prefer to just have bagels and cream cheese in my room and opt for an early lunch — that lets me sleep in just a bit and still get to the parks early.

Speaking of an early lunch, having your meals during an off-peak time is a great way to avoid wasting time waiting in long lines at counter-service restaurants.  If you have lunch at noon and dinner at 6PM, you’ll quickly notice that pretty much everyone else in the park had the same idea.  Not only will there be longer waits in line (and for your food to be prepared), but you might even have to “hover” a bit to find an empty table.  If you do have to dine during the busiest hours, take full advantage of mobile ordering within the My Disney Experience app whenever you can.

Of course, should you have dining reservations at a table service restaurant for lunch or dinner, your time for that meal is set and you just need to plug it into your daily itinerary.

Planning When to Stop and When to Go, Go, Go

With the prospect of a full vacation in front of you, it’s easy to either over or under do it.

Yes, you’re on vacation, so it’s tempting to sleep in.  But doing so will put you a step behind everyone else in the park, meaning you’re at the mercy of higher crowds and longer lines.  Waking up early and getting to the parks right away goes a long way toward starting the day right.

On the other hand, if you plan to go nonstop from morning to night seven days in a row, you’re going to crash midweek and have a miserable time.  You’ll probably end up losing more time due to the inevitable meltdown than if you had just planned to take some downtime along the way.

Take it from someone who spend more than a decade battling the central Florida heat: the afternoon sun will suck the life right out of you. A midday break is just the thing to rejuvenate your spirits.

If you’re staying on-site, you can easily go back to your hotel for a midday nap or dip in the pool.  I also like to give myself at least one “day off” during my trip. I usually just spend it relaxing at the hotel or maybe checking out the animals on the Savanna at Animal Kingdom Lodge — but you might want go play a round of golf, sit on the lakeside “beach” at some resorts, or have a laidback day at Disney Springs (go shopping, have a meal, take a balloon ride , or see a movie ).

Giving some thought  now to periods of activity and periods of rest will help make sure your vacation doesn’t veer off track.

Our Top Tips for Disney World Itinerary Planning

With all of the above in mind, it’s really going to come down to a matter of personal preference.  Once you have a good handle on all of the things to do, see, eat, and experience at Disney World — what do you want to do each day?

Only you can answer that question.  But here are a few of our favorites to consider when planning your daily itinerary:

Our top picks include:

• Magic Kingdom – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train; Space Mountain
• Epcot – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind; Frozen Ever After; Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Hollywood Studios – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run; Rise of the Resistance; Slinky Dog Dash; Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Animal Kingdom – Pandora’s Na’vi River Journey; Avatar Flight of Passage; Expedition Everest

Some of the other most popular attractions at each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks include:

• Magic Kingdom – Haunted Mansion; Magic Carpets of Aladdin; Pirates of the Caribbean; Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
• Epcot – the pavilions of Epcot World Showcase; Mission: Space; Test Track; Spaceship Earth; Soarin’; Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Animal Kingdom – Expedition Everest; Jungle Cruise; Kali River Rapids; Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Hollywood Studio – Fantasmic; Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster; Toy Story Midway Mania; Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Some of our favorite WDW restaurants include:

• Be Our Guest Restaurant , Magic Kingdom – This ornate French eatery with a Beauty & the Beast theme offers fixed-price dining.
• California Grill, Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Contemporary Resort’s premier restaurant is a great spot to watch the fireworks and offers breathtaking views of the park.
• Chef Mickey’s, Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Popular breakfast & dinner buffet restaurant with special visits from Mickey and friends.
• Cinderella’s Royal Table, Magic Kingdom – This Cinderella-themed eatery is set in a room that resembles a medieval castle’s banquet hall.
• Flame Tree Barbeque, Animal Kingdom – Tasty BBQ featuring a relaxing outdoor pavilion with amazing views of Animal Kingdom. And it’s quick-service, so no need for a reservation!
• Hollywood Brown Derby, Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Retro dining establishment with fantastic caricatures of old-time celebrities on the wall.
• Le Cellier, Canada Pavilion at World Showcase, Epcot – Steaks are a specialty at this top-notch table service dining establishment.
• ‘Ohana, Polynesian Village Resort – All-you-can-eat, American-style (with a Polynesian twist) buffet for breakfast and dinner.
• Teppan Edo, Japan Pavilion at World Showcase, Epcot – Guests are seated around the teppanyaki grills as skilled chefs prepare your meal in front of you.
• The Boathouse Restaurant, The Landing, Disney Springs – Upscale waterfront dining experience featuring steaks and seafood, Amphicar tours, and live music.
• Via Napoli, Italy Pavilion at World Showcase, Epcot – Amazing pizza! Need we say more?

✔️  Read our Lightning Lane Overview and Tutorial

✔️  See the scheduled Disney Park Hours

✔️  Learn about the Virtual Queue

✔️  Learn a few of our favorite Disney Tips and Tricks

✔️  Find the Best Days To Visit Magic Kingdom

✔️  See  What’s New at Disney World

✔️  Check the  Ride Closure and Refurbishment Calendar

✔️  Learn if we believe Lightning Lane passes are worth the cost

✔️  See our complete guide to the Disability Access Service

✔️  See our list of fun things to do at Disney

✔️  Traveling with little ones? Find the best attractions for kids

✔️  Want some time off your feet? Plan on attending a stage show

✔️  Find the best places to relax at Disney

11. Create Your Disney World Packing List

Depending on the duration of your Walt Disney World vacation, you will most likely pack lots of items to take with you. Let’s look at some of the things you should include in your WDW packing list.

Luggage / Backpacks for Disney World 

First and foremost, make sure your luggage/backpacks are in tip-top shape for the journey, and of adequate size to hold your travel essentials.

Many families prefer to bring a backpack with them into a Disney World park so they have everything with them. It’s handy to have the essentials (or even a snack) — just remember not to overdo it!  Everything you bring in with you has to be hauled around all day, stowed away for rides, or left in a rented locker at the front of the park.

Some people prefer to skip the backpacks all together and use a smaller pack that goes around the waist.  While not necessarily the height of fashion, they certainly do the job and are much easier to work with when it comes to boarding ride vehicles.

Disney Souvenirs

This tip might sound odd, but hear us out.

Consider purchasing some of your Disney World souvenirs before your departure.

Purchasing items beforehand – like t-shirts, trading pins and lanyards, Disney autograph books, games and toys, and Mickey Mouse Ears hats – can save you money and time spent shopping for these items at the park. Plus, you will have these Disney souvenir items ready to use as soon as your flight touches down in Orlando.

Packing List

And finally, it’s time to think about which clothing items, documents, toiletries, medications, electronics, swimwear, baby items, food and snacks, and other accessories you will need to pack.

From our experience, you will arrive at Disney World – thinking you have packed everything you will need for your trip – only to discover that you left an important item or two at home.

For your convenience, we have created a suggested Disney World Packing List  to ensure that nothing is overlooked during the packing process.

Print this list and check items off as you pack. We have also included a few recommended items on our Packing List.

These include links to inexpensive ponchos, comfortable shoes, external batteries, USB wall chargers, and Disney beach towels, as well as water bottles and Frogg Toggs Chilly Pads for those warm days at Disney World.

✔️  Download our suggested Packing List

✔️  See our suggestions for the Best Backpacks for Disney World

✔️  Review the Best Disney World Fanny Packs

✔️  Scope out the Best Souvenirs in advance of your trip

Final Thoughts on How To Plan a Disney World Vacation

We hope our Ultimate Guide to Walt Disney World Vacation Planning will get you on the right path to planning, prioritizing, and booking your magical vacation to Disney World.  It’s a lot of information, but with enough research and planning, you’ll have a magical trip!

We should point out that this guide is mostly geared towards Walt Disney World in Florida, but many of the basic ideas still apply to other Disney vacations .  If you’re headed to Disneyland in California, you’ll also want to check out our Disneyland vs Disney World ,   Disneyland Resort Map , and  Disneyland Crowd Calendar pages.  We also offer extensive resources for those planning trips with Disney Cruise Line (including a complete guide to planning your first Disney Cruise ), as well as resources on Adventures by Disney .

Contact a Disney Travel Planner to Book Your Disney World Trip

As you’ve seen in this article, there is a LOT that goes into planning a Disney vacation.  Why not call in a professional to help?

The Authorized Disney Vacation Planners at The Vacationeer can plan your trip for you and take care of all of your reservations, all at no additional charge.  You won’t pay a penny more than if you’d have booked it yourself — and you might even pay less !

Their team of 90+ Disney fanatics know all the tips and tricks for hotels, dining, park tickets, and more… and can even apply new discounts to your trip as they’re announced, after your trip is booked!

There’s never any obligation to book and their services are free, so there’s nothing to lose by contacting them for a quote.

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Selected tickets include admission to a Disney Water Park †

Includes admission to Disney's Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, whichever is open.

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At Magic Kingdom Park, pure fantasy reigns. Believe in make-believe as you race through a diamond mine on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, sail with Pirates of the Caribbean, fly with Dumbo, join 999 happy haunts in Haunted Mansion or take the wildest ride in the wilderness on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Every day is a chance to live happily ever after.

The Magic of Possibility

The magic of possibility welcomes you to EPCOT, where it's fun to do the impossible. Twist, turn and blast through an awesome intergalactic chase on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, sail to Arendelle with Elsa, Anna, Olaf and friends on Frozen Ever After and stroll through worlds of flavors, music and other delights during festivals like no other.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Let Your Adventure Begin

Let your adventure begin at Disney's Hollywood Studios where you become the hero in the story. Take a ride on the cartoon side with Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway on their first-ever ride-through attraction, play big in Andy's backyard with favourite Pixar pals in Toy Story Land and step into all the thrills of a galaxy far, far away at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Alive with Magic

At Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, you'll find a natural wonderland alive with magic. Discover a world beyond belief in Pandora - The World of Avatar and climb atop your very own mountain banshee. Encounter giraffes, elephants, lions and more on the amazing Kilimanjaro Safaris and explore the heights of Expedition Everest where the mythical Yeti has a thrilling secret to reveal.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon

Soak up the Sun

Escape to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park for a storm of fun in the sun! This Water Park features the largest inland surfing lagoon in Florida. You'll also have the chance to plunge down rushing rapids, sunbathe on the sandy beach and glide down the lazy river on a relaxing raft ride. Everyone can hang ten, or take five in this tropical paradise.

Disney's Blizzard Beach

Dive into Fun

This Water Park is a winter wonderland in the middle of the Sunshine State! Admire the 'snow-capped' mountain that overlooks the Park - before plummeting from its peak into the waters below! Whether you prefer to chill out on the lazy river, relax on the white sandy beach or plunge down one of the tallest, fastest body slides in the world – it’s fun for the whole family.

Walt Disney World Tickets

Buy before you fly - from just €60 per day.

Buy your tickets before you fly to make the most out of your Walt Disney World visit. Choose from our range of flexible ticket options - there's something to suit every type of visit, so you can experience the magic your way. Our Park Hopper Plus option gives you unlimited daily admission to all 4 Theme Parks, plus Water Park fun and more!

Buy Walt Disney World Tickets

Disney Resort Hotels

Stay in the heart of the magic - up to 20% off hotels.

The unique Disney Resort hotels feature the same legendary storytelling, detail and service found in the parks. With more than 25 hotels, there are accommodation choices for almost every family's needs and budget. Plus, you'll receive exclusive guest benefits including extended time in the parks and complimentary transportation across the Resort.

Enjoy up to 20% off Disney Resort hotels

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†Selected tickets will include admission to Disney's Blizzard Beach or Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, whichever is open. Please click here for the most current information on Disney Water Parks. At this time a park reservation is not required to visit a water park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change. Water parks are subject to rehabilitation, seasonal, capacity and weather closures, or may close for other reasons.

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Disney World Vacation Packages

Step 1 : Choose your travel dates to begin crafting your magical journey.

Step 2 : Select the perfect Walt Disney World tickets to match your adventure, whether it's a base ticket or a Park Hopper option.

Step 3 : Book your lodgings from our extensive selection of Orlando hotels and vacation home rentals.

Step 4 : Review your choices and check out to finalize your unforgettable vacation package.

Follow these easy steps to create a seamless and enchanting Disney experience that promises memories to last a lifetime.

Get the best deal on Disney vacations and purchase a Walt Disney World vacation package complete with lodging and Walt Disney World tickets together. Customers who purchase a Disney Package save an average of 12% more than customers who buy each item each.

To find the absolute best  Walt Disney World vacation package  please use our custom package builder above or below. It will assist you in building your amazing  Orlando vacation package  in just a few short minutes.

They system will walk you through step by step how to build a custom Disney World package complete with lodging and theme park tickets. After choosing your tickets, we will show you the Orlando   hotels  and  Orlando vacation home rentals  we have available during your travel dates, after you select your lodging the tool will walk you to the best options for choosing the   Walt Disney World tickets  for your party. If you have questions, please feel free to call us toll-free at  (800) 641-4008  and one of our friendly Reservation Specialists will be more than happy to assist you in planning your best  Orlando vacation .

Benefits of booking Disney Packages with OrlandoVacation.com:

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Tips for getting the best deal on a Walt Disney World package:

Make Your Theme Park Reservations:  Once you know everything is set with your vacation we suggest you go ahead pay off your  Walt Disney World vacation package deal  as soon as possible so that we can email you your tickets. Why would you want the tickets early? Simple, Disney no longer requires reservations at their parks but the prices do fluctuate, and we have never seen the prices go down. When you book a Disney World Package with us, we are locking your Disney tickets in at the price they are when you put the deposit down; however, if the prices increase before you pay for them in full you might be subject to a price increase.

Get the Walt Disney World Base Tickets : This one tip will save you around $50 per person on your Disney package price. A recent study showed that nearly 75% of the people who go to Walt Disney World buy the Park Hopper Option, but 60% of the people never actually use it. Our suggestion is to order your theme park tickets without the Park Hopper Option. When you are here in town if you find yourself really wanting to hop from park to park you can always go to the customer service desk at each  Disney theme park  and ask them to add the Park Hopper Option to your tickets which they will gladly do.

Orlando Family Vacations

Walt Disney World Resort Near Orlando, Florida

This is your chance to immerse yourself in a wonderland for all ages where you'll find a dazzling array of entertainment, attractions and recreation options — including our theme parks: Magic Kingdom park , Epcot , Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park .

A Disney Experience for Every Time and Season

Explore the full range of family vacation activities available at Walt Disney World Resort — from world-class entertainment and shopping opportunities to amazing indoor and outdoor recreation.

Spend your days venturing through 4 jam-packed theme parks before making time to cool off at a duo of splash-tastic water parks . Then, when the sun goes down, head to Disney Springs for spectacular entertainment, tempting dining choices and dozens of unique shops.

In addition, Walt Disney World Resort is also home to several seasonal events — including:

Hit the High Seas Aboard Disney Cruise Line

Walt Disney World Packages 2024-2025

Discover Affordable, Flexible, and Magical Walt Disney World Packages for 2024 and 2025

Are you heading to Walt Disney World? A great way to get the most magic out of your Walt Disney World ® vacation is to stay right in the middle of the magic with a Walt Disney World® package.

Choose from a variety of Walt Disney World package options Walt Disney World ® packages are available with options to fit your budget and taste. Choose from Disney’s affordable value resorts with unique theming to the luxurious deluxe resorts . Enjoy the convenience of a package that is bundled park tickets and a Disney dining plan, which not only save you money but also enhance your Disney experience. With a Disney resort hotel package, you can truly do Disney your way!

Explore Walt Disney World Packages by Year

• 2024 Disney Resort Hotel Packages Plan your 2024 dream vacation a Disney resort hotel package.
• 2025 Disney Resort Hotel Packages – Book early and secure your magical Disney experience.
• 2026 Disney Resort Hotel Packages – Look ahead and join our wait list for future Disney magic.

Walt Disney World Package Options

Maximize Your Disney Experience with a Walt Disney World® Package Walt Disney World ® packages are more flexible and magical than ever. Enjoy new attractions and great resort benefits , making now the perfect time to visit. Choose from a variety of Disney resorts that match your budget and style. Each Walt Disney World ® Resort Hotel offers unique benefits and a touch of Disney magic. Enhance your experience by adding a Disney Dining Plan, offering significant savings at Disney restaurants, dinner shows, and character dining events.

Flexible Disney Theme Park Tickets Start with the base ticket to decide the number of days you want to visit the theme parks. A Base Ticket allows admission to one theme park per day, and you choose which one of the four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks to visit each day.

Enhance Your Visit with the Park Hopper® Options Maximize your fun with the Park Hopper ® Option, allowing you to explore multiple theme parks in a single day. For even more excitement, opt for the Park Hopper Plus Option, which includes additional visits to water parks and other Disney attractions.

Add a Disney Dining Plan for Ultimate Convenience Disney has two dining plans available to guests with a Disney resort hotel package. A Disney dining plan package offers guests a convenient and cost-effective way to enjoy meals across Disney properties. Choose from the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan and Disney Dining Plan .

Expand Your Vacation with Additional Options With a Disney resort hotel package, you can also add options like vacation insurance, ground transportation, and recreation options.

Add Disney’s Memory Maker to your package

Imagine if your vacation magical moments were captured for you and available for digital download. The Memory Maker product does just that, preserving those special moments for you, so you can relax and simply enjoy the fun of being with your family and friends in the most magical place on Earth.

It starts with the team of Disney PhotoPass™ Photographers who’ll preserve magical memories for your family at hundreds of photo locations throughout Walt Disney World® Resort. All those great shots are magically captured: posing in front of Cinderella Castle, screaming down Splash Mountain® attraction, enjoying breakfast at Chef Mickey’s and so much more.

An unlimited array of the photos taken by Disney PhotoPass Photographers during your vacation, PLUS photos at select attractions and dining locations, will be captured. Forget about having to purchase each photo individually – with Memory Maker you get digital copies of them all to download! You can relive all your favorite memories and share them with family and friends.

You can learn more at the Disney’s Memory Maker website or ask your The Magic For Less travel counselor.

Plan your magical Disney vacation with our expert help At The Magic For Less Travel , we specialize in helping our guests with planing magical Walt Disney World® vacations. Our team of travel agents are ready to guide you through the many Walt Disney World® package options available and help you select the perfect package to meet your budget and needs.

Use the form below to request a FREE, No-Obligation Quote from one of our travel agents.

Our  services  are provided FREE of charge. You won’t pay more when you book with The Magic For Less Travel.

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A magical guide for how to plan a trip to Disney World this year

Editor's Note

If you want to know how to plan a trip to Disney World, you've come to the right place. This guide includes tips for choosing the right Disney World hotel for your budget, deciding which ticket type is right for you, determining which extras are worth splurging on and planning a trip that's fun and memorable without too much stress along the way.

Disney World offers four theme parks; two water parks; more than 25 on-site hotels; over 200 dining locations; and more attractions, experiences, shows and shops than we can list here. So, the best way to build a magical Disney World vacation is with planning, preparation and realistic expectations.

Planning a trip to Disney World should be fun and build excitement for your upcoming trip, and this guide can help.

How to start planning your trip to Disney World

There are a few questions you will want to answer early in the process of planning your Disney World vacation:

• What is your budget? Your budget will determine most other factors of your vacation, including where you stay and how many days you visit. How much it will cost you to go to Disney World can vary widely based on the choices you make.
• When will you go? You may be at the mercy of work or school schedules, but if you have the flexibility, you can plan your trip when crowds are smaller or the weather is better. The summer can be very hot and rainy. The week between Christmas and New Year's is one of the busiest, and weekdays when most kids are in school are often the least busy days.
• Where will you stay? You will typically pay more to stay in one of Disney's on-site hotels, especially at the moderate and deluxe tiers, but you'll also get perks like early theme park entry. Before you choose, you'll want to consider your budget, whether you want a themed room like the Royal Guest Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and if you want to be near a certain Disney park. Pro tip: Renting Disney Vacation Club points can help you stay at a deluxe hotel for a moderate price.
• Which parks will you visit on which days? Depending on the length of your vacation, you may need to prioritize which parks you plan to visit. This will also influence whether you purchase one-park-per-day or Park Hopper tickets that allow you to visit multiple parks daily. If you have little kids, be sure your family will have the stamina for multiple parks per day before shelling out the extra cash to hop.
• Where will you dine? Popular Disney dining reservations get snatched up almost as soon as they become available. You'll want to plan ahead for any character dining or other table service restaurants, so you don't miss out.

It is important to book your hotel, dining and theme park tickets as early as possible for the best rates and availability. Disney also periodically releases special offers on hotels and vacation packages that you can often apply even if you have already made your reservations.

Related: Are the Disney Visa credit cards worth it?

We will dig deeper into each of these topics in this guide. Once you have a rough outline of your vacation based on the questions above, here are important dates to keep in mind so you can make your Disney dream a reality.

How soon can you book a Disney World hotel?

Disney releases hotel availability periodically, so there is no exact date that Disney hotel reservations become available. You can currently book Disney World hotel stays through Oct. 31, 2025.

Disney typically opens reservations for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2026 availability around that time next year. If your plans change, you can cancel your room-only reservation up to five days before arrival for a full refund. Ticket and hotel vacation packages must be canceled 30 days before arrival to receive a full refund.

When can you purchase Disney World tickets?

Disney World tickets follow the same availability calendar as Disney hotel reservations. You can purchase tickets (or vacation packages including a hotel and tickets) through Oct. 31, 2025. Disney typically releases tickets for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2026 availability around that time next year.

All tickets are date-based, and the price of one-day tickets also varies by park. You can purchase your tickets any time before you visit; the price won't change regardless of how long you wait. Theme park tickets are nonrefundable, but you may be able to change your ticket date if your plans change.

When do Disney World dining reservations become available?

You can begin making dining reservations 60 days prior to your visit. If you are staying in a Disney World hotel, you can make dining reservations 60 days before your check-in day for your entire stay (up to 14 days).

Reservations open on Disney's website or the My Disney Experience app between 5:45 a.m. and 6 a.m. EST, or you can call 407-939-DINE beginning at 7 a.m. EST; however, coveted reservations may already be snatched up by that time. You can cancel most Disney World dining reservations up to two hours before your reservation. Exceptions will be noted in the confirmation email you receive at the time of booking.

If you're not yet sure where to eat, here are our favorite restaurants at Disney World .

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

What are the 4 parks at Disney World?

Each of Disney World's four theme parks is uniquely themed and packed with fun. You can learn more about each park — including attractions, shows, parade times and interactive maps to help you find your way around — in the My Disney Experience app.

Here's a bit more information about each and some tips for choosing the right ticket type to visit them all.

Magic Kingdom

Open since 1971, Magic Kingdom is Disney World's original theme park. This park is a world of fairy tales and fantasy, where you'll find five themed lands: Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland and Liberty Square.

Magic Kingdom is home to some of Disney's most iconic attractions, including Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan's Flight and the Haunted Mansion. It also has exciting new rides like Tron Lightcycle / Run and the park's newest ride, Tiana's Bayou Adventure .

Epcot opened in 1982 and has changed drastically in the four decades since. Epcot's core purpose, however, hasn't changed: sparking visitors' imaginations through science, technology, nature and the human experience. The park is sectioned into "neighborhoods" — World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery and World Showcase. You can visit pavilions that celebrate the arts, culture and customs of 11 countries around the world.

There are many new things to see at Epcot, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana and the all-new fireworks spectacular, Luminous: The Symphony of Us .

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a movie-themed park that has lands and attractions inspired by blockbuster films and beloved Disney characters. In Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge , you can pilot the Millennium Falcon and meet familiar (and sometimes furry) faces like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca and Rey.

In Toy Story Land, visitors shrink to the size of Woody, Buzz, Jessie (who you can meet here, by the way) and Andy's other toys. The land's Slinky Dog Dash coaster is a family-friendly ride that's perfect for a kid's first roller coaster.

Outside of the lands themed to specific films, much of the park evokes an old Hollywood glamour that makes you feel like a bona fide movie star. In these areas, you'll find some of the park's most iconic shows and attractions are also some of its longest-running; these include The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror drop ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular .

Disney's Animal Kingdom

More than 2,000 animals — from about 300 species — call Disney's Animal Kingdom "home," but this is not a zoo. However, you can visit many of these animals via walking trails, the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride and even a petting zoo.

In addition to the creatures and landscapes found on Earth, you can visit another planet at Pandora — The World of Avatar or go back in time at DinoLand U.S.A. The animals aren't the only things that are "wild" at Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest is a thrilling coaster; Avatar Flight of Passage puts you on the back of a banshee as you fly over Pandora; and Dinosaur sends you careening through the Cretaceous period in an off-road vehicle.

What type of Disney tickets should I buy?

Disney world base tickets.

You can purchase one-day or multiday Disney World tickets. All tickets are date-based, and the price varies depending on the date of your visit. If you purchase a one-day ticket, the price will also vary based on which park you plan to visit, with Magic Kingdom being the most expensive.

Disney World Park Hopper tickets

A base ticket only gets you into one park per day. If you want to visit multiple parks on the same day, you will need to purchase the Park Hopper option with your ticket. (You can also add it on in person after you arrive.) You can save money by only visiting one park per day, but it does limit how much you can see and do during your vacation.

A Park Hopper Plus ticket includes two visits to either Disney's golf courses, miniature golf courses or water parks. However, this is only worth it if you know you will use it all.

Disney World special event tickets

Some of Disney's after-hours events , like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party , require a separate ticket. The park is only open to guests with special event tickets during these events. If you plan on visiting for one of these parties, you may be able to forgo a general admission ticket that day and utilize your special event ticket, as you can usually get into the park a few hours before the party starts.

Disney World ticket add-ons

There are two major ticket add-ons that you should consider. Both can be worth it, but they will increase the cost of your vacation.

The first add-on you might want to strongly consider is Lightning Lane passes . By purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can skip the standby line and enjoy shorter wait times for most Disney World rides. However, a handful of attractions at each park require a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass purchase to skip the line. (Read more about Lightning Lane passes in the section on saving time in line further along in this guide.)

Another popular add-on is Disney's Memory Maker . Memory Maker gives you unlimited downloads of pictures taken by PhotoPass photographers during your vacation and on-ride photos. You can purchase a one-day Memory Maker for short visits or a multiday Memory Maker that covers your entire vacation. You can save $25 on a multiday Memory Maker when you purchase it at least three days prior to your visit, so it's best to purchase it when you buy your tickets.

How to get discounted Disney World tickets

Aside from Disney's own discounts, you can sometimes save money on Disney tickets by purchasing them from an authorized third-party reseller. There are a few reputable sources out there for Disney World tickets, but our go-to is Undercover Tourist .

Depending on your ticket type, you can usually save between $5 and $100. One of the best ways to save money with Undercover Tourist is when Disney World raises ticket prices , which usually happens at least once per year. Undercover Tourist typically has a limited amount of existing ticket stock available at the old prices while supplies last.

Related: Disney World discounts: Get a free Park Hopper ticket upgrade, hotel savings and more

If you are a Florida resident or an active or retired U.S. military member , there are generously discounted Disney World tickets available directly through Disney's website.

You can also use points or miles to pay for your Disney tickets , and that's a strategy we strongly recommend to keep costs down. For example, with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , you can earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months of having the card. You can use those 75,000 miles as the same as $750 toward travel .

While ticket-only packages from Disney World typically don't code as a travel charge, buying them from Undercover Tourist — or as part of a larger hotel and ticket package directly from Disney — typically does code as a travel charge. So, you could save $750 just like that.

Is booking a Disney vacation package a good idea?

If you are staying in one of Disney World's on-site hotels or a certified " Disney World Good Neighbor " hotel, you have the option to bundle your hotel stay and theme park tickets into a Disney vacation package. Normally, these packages are not discounted, but they can be a great value if Disney runs any special vacation package promotions .

Aside from discounts (and the fact that it all likely codes as a travel charge for point-redemption purposes), there's one major reason to book a vacation package: When you purchase your tickets and hotel together, you only have to pay a $200 deposit at the time of booking. Payment in full is due 30 days prior to arrival. If you purchase your tickets separately from your hotel stay, you will have to pay the full amount at the time of purchase.

This is another great example of why you should book through an authorized Disney travel planner who can compare prices for you and keep an eye out for discounts.

When is the best time to visit Disney World?

Do you want the lowest crowds or the best weather? Do you want to attend a Halloween party or see Magic Kingdom's 65-foot-tall Christmas tree ?

The best time to visit Disney World depends on your reason for visiting.

If you want moderate temperatures and less chance of rain, you may want to plan your visit between October and December. If you want shorter waits, your best bets are late January, early May or just after Thanksgiving before the crowds descend upon the parks for winter break. Of course, regular weekdays typically see lower crowds than weekends and school breaks.

If you are planning a Disney World vacation on a budget, opt for midweek dates in August and September 2024, when prices start at $109 for a one-day ticket.

Read our full guide on the best times to visit Walt Disney World .

What's the best way to get to Disney World?

Getting to Orlando and getting to Disney World after arriving are two different topics, so let's look at each.

What is the closest airport?

The closest airport to Walt Disney World is Orlando International Airport (MCO). Most major airlines fly into MCO, and you can reach Disney World in about 25 to 30 minutes from the airport, depending on traffic. If you are flying Allegiant or Sun Country Airlines, you'll fly into Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). SFB is smaller than MCO and farther from Disney World. From SFB, it is about a 45-minute drive to Disney World.

What is the best way to get to Disney World from the airport?

Because of its size and proximity to Disney World, MCO has more and better options to help you get between the airport and Disney World.

From MCO or SFB, you can rent a car or use a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft. If you do rent a car from MCO, you can forgo paying tolls through the car rental company (which often comes with an additional fee) and pick up a Visitor Toll Pass to save on tolls during your trip.

Disney does not charge a parking fee for overnight hotel guests, so if you rent a car, you can park at your hotel and drive to Disney's theme parks without additional fees.

Keep in mind that you may not need a car if you don't plan on leaving Disney property after you arrive. Disney has a robust internal transportation system that operates between its on-site hotels and theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs.

You can also use Disney's official airport shuttle, Mears Connect , to travel from MCO.

Mears Connect is a shuttle service that picks you up from MCO and will drop you off at official Disney World hotels and a handful of nearby hotels. Pricing starts at $16 one-way for adults and $13 one-way for children. Mears Connect offers shared shuttles, where you will stop at multiple Disney hotels on the way to your own. You can pay an additional fee for an "express shuttle" that takes you directly to your resort. The easiest way to reserve your ride is online through the Mears Connect website.

What is the best way to get around Disney World?

If you are staying on Walt Disney World property, you can utilize Disney's complimentary transportation for travel between your resort and Disney's theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs. Disney offers transportation by bus, boat, monorail and Disney Skyliner gondola system. The transportation options you can access depend on your hotel.

All Disney hotels offer regularly scheduled bus transportation around the resort. Transportation begins 45 minutes prior to the theme park opening and up to one hour after the theme park closing.

Guests of Disney's Magic Kingdom-area resorts — Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa — can use boat or monorail transportation to travel to the Magic Kingdom. There is also a monorail line that will take you to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where you can transfer to a separate monorail line that goes to Epcot. These hotels also offer a walking path to Magic Kingdom.

Guests of Disney's Riviera Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Art of Animation Resort and Disney's Pop Century Resort can use the Disney Skyliner gondolas to travel to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot. All Disney World visitors can also use Disney Skyliner to travel between these two parks, regardless of where they're staying. It's a fun and scenic way to get around the resort.

Many Disney World hotels also offer ferry boat transportation to nearby parks. The BoardWalk-area hotels, for example, offer boat transportation to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Fort Wilderness, Disney's Wilderness Lodge and others offer boat service to the Magic Kingdom. You can view a full list on Disney's website . You can also walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios from any BoardWalk-area hotel.

Whichever transportation option you choose, you can view the schedule, routes and stop locations in the My Disney Experience app or on video monitors at each stop location.

You can also utilize Disney's Minnie Van service for door-to-door (or door-to-front gate, as it were) service between your hotel and Disney's theme parks. You can book these private rides in red-and-white polka-dot vans directly through the Lyft app. Accessible rides and child safety seats are available.

Though not "official" Disney World hotels, Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotel guests have access to Disney's complimentary ferry boat service to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. A walking path is also available. These resorts also operate their own shuttles to Disney's theme parks, which pick up approximately every 20 to 25 minutes throughout the day.

Disney Springs hotels operate their own shuttle services, independent of Disney's transportation. If you are staying at one of these hotels, you can inquire about scheduling and pickup times at the front desk.

What's the best place to stay on a Disney vacation?

There are more than two dozen Disney World hotels to choose from, so your main considerations will be your budget and what type of hotel experience you are after. Whether you want over-the-top Disney theming, an upscale cabin in the woods or a luxury villa with access to a club lounge, you can find it at Disney World.

Disney offers three hotel tiers: Value, Moderate and Deluxe.

Value Disney resorts are the most affordable, with prices ranging between $125 and $300 per night. Value resorts offer quick-service, cafeteria-style dining outlets and large pools but don't have full-service restaurants or pool amenities like waterslides and hot tubs.

On average, Moderate Disney resorts cost between $250 and $400 and offer amenities you won't find at Value Disney resorts. Some have full-service restaurants, and the pools are better-themed and equipped with waterslides. Many of them are also in central locations near Disney's theme parks.

Deluxe Disney resorts are the most expensive, ranging between $400 and $700 per night for a standard room. They also have the best locations, amenities and dining. You can expect large, well-furnished guest rooms, pool complexes with hot tubs, waterslides and beach areas, multiple full-service restaurants, spas and more.

Regardless of which hotel you choose, Disney's on-site hotels offer perks to enhance your stay:

• A 30-minute jumpstart on your day with Disney's Early Theme Park Entry benefit
• The ability to purchase individual Lightning Lanes for eligible rides begins at 7 a.m. on the day of your visit (nonresort guests can't do this until the park opens)
• Complimentary hotel and theme park parking
• Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels on select nights (also available to guests of Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels, as well as Shades of Green)

Best hotels at Disney World

The best Disney World hotel for you depends on what you are looking for in a hotel stay. If you don't plan on spending much time in your room, you can save a lot of money by staying in a Value resort.

If you plan on spending part of your vacation enjoying hotel amenities like the pool and restaurants, you may want to choose a Moderate or Deluxe resort.

Or, if you have a large family that won't be comfortable in a standard room, one of Disney's family suites might be your best bet.

Below are a few of our favorites.

Best Disney World resort if you are on a budget: Disney's Pop Century Resort may not be the most glamorous hotel at Disney, but the kitschy 1950s through 1990s theming and the starting price of around $200 per night will surely put a smile on your face. This resort has three pools, a playground and an arcade. Guest rooms are furnished with either one king bed or a queen bed and a space-saving table that folds out into a bed. It is also one of two Value resorts with Skyliner gondola access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Best Disney World resort for large families : Disney's Art of Animation Resort is in Disney's more affordable Value category and has family suites themed to popular Disney films like "Cars," "The Lion King" and "Finding Nemo" that sleep up to six guests. The pool here is the largest at any Disney World resort, and you can take the Disney Skyliner gondolas to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Standard rooms are also available.

Best Disney World resort for swimming : Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts are sister properties near Epcot. The two resorts have rooms that average around $600 per night and share access to Stormalong Bay, the best pool at Disney World . Stormalong Bay is really more than a pool. It is a water park with sand-bottomed pools, a lazy river, an activities pool with a volleyball net and daily pool games and a shipwreck-themed waterslide.

Best Disney World resort for a luxury stay : If the sky is the limit for your Walt Disney World vacation budget, the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge are some of the finest accommodations you can choose. With two bedrooms, a fireplace, a screened-in porch, a hot tub and lakeside views, these cabins are anything but rustic. The privacy offers you a chance to wind down after a long Disney day. Still, you are close enough to take a boat ride to Magic Kingdom and enjoy the amenities and dining in the resort's main lobby.

If you are leaning toward a luxury Disney stay, you may be able to save money by renting Disney Vacation Club points. DVC is Disney's version of a timeshare program. DVC members can rent out their points to nonmembers through sites like David's Vacation Club Rentals , helping you save hundreds of dollars versus booking directly through Disney. The trade-offs are that availability is limited and the cancellation policies are much less flexible than if you make the reservation directly through Disney.

Read our full guide on the best hotels at Walt Disney World .

Best hotels near Disney World

Disney World also partners with a handful of off-site hotels where you can still take advantage of certain benefits like Early Theme Park Entry and complimentary transportation while paying less than you would for an official Disney World hotel. These hotels also participate in major hotel points programs, so you can earn or redeem points for your stay.

The Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels all participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program. While not technically Disney hotels, they are on Disney property between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy elite member , these hotels offer benefits like complimentary upgrades, a welcome amenity and more.

Related: This affordable new Disney Springs hotel includes free hot food and 6 nightly drinks

Disney Springs has seven hotels from brands like Wyndham, Hilton, Holiday Inn and others. All of these are adjacent to the Disney Springs shopping and dining district, and some have room rates that start at close to $100 per night. These can be a great option if you want to save money and don't mind leaving the "Disney bubble" at the end of the day.

Read our full guide to Disney Springs hotels here .

What are the best restaurants at Disney World?

With more than 200 restaurants to choose from, you will have to decide which Disney World restaurants you most want to visit. Dining options run the gamut from the predictable burger and fries spot to an out-of-this-world restaurant in space.

Read our full guide to the best restaurants at Disney World .

Hardest Disney reservations to get (and how to get them)

Many of these restaurants are quick-service or snack stands that don't require advance reservations. However, there are a few popular restaurants that book up almost as soon as reservations become available.

If you want to dine with Disney royalty at Cinderella's Royal Table, for example, you'll want to make your reservation as soon as you can. Those staying at a Disney World hotel can make reservations for the entire vacation 60 days prior to check-in day.

Related: 'Be our guest' at these 5 best character dining meals at Walt Disney World

Other reservations that book up quickly include Storybook Dining at Artist Point , Space 220 at Epcot, California Grill, 'Ohana, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Hollywood Studios and Topolino's Terrace, especially for the character breakfast. All of these have great food and atmosphere, making them popular for new and returning guests.

Best quick-service restaurants at Disney that don't require a reservation

Luckily, there are plenty of Disney restaurants with delicious food you can get your hands on without a reservation. Satu'li Canteen in Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom is consistently ranked as one of the best quick-service restaurants anywhere at Disney. The food is fresh, flavorful and surprisingly inexpensive. You can get a build-your-own bowl with beef, chicken or fish for less than $20.

Other must-try quick-service restaurants include Ronto Roasters at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (the Ronto Breakfast Wrap is the best handheld meal at Disney), Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom for New England-inspired fare and Regal Eagle Smokehouse at Epcot for all things barbecue.

Using the Disney app to improve your dining experience

The My Disney Experience app is a must for your Disney World vacation for checking wait times, finding your way around and more. When it comes to dining, you can use it to find walk-up dining availability, score last-minute reservations, see what restaurants are nearby and place mobile orders at select quick-service restaurants.

When you place a mobile order via the app, you choose what time you would like to pick up your order (with the option to modify if plans change). When you arrive at the restaurant, you can click "I'm here. Prepare my order." Then, you'll receive a notification on your phone when your food is ready.

Should you buy a Disney Dining Plan?

The cost of dining at Disney can add up quickly, and Disney offers two dining plan options that may help you save money. The Disney Dining Plan lets you prepay for a specified number of meals and snacks for your Disney World vacation. You receive a certain number of meal and snack credits for each night of your stay.

The Disney Dining Plan is both convenient and flexible. By prepaying for your meals and snacks, you won't have to pull out your wallet for every meal and snack, and you aren't required to use a set number of credits each day. You can redeem them anytime during your stay in the way that best works for you.

There are two options: the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Plan. The first is a bit less expensive and allows for more flexibility. The second is best if you plan on more sit-down dining and character meals during your vacation.

Whether or not you can save money with a Disney Dining Plan depends on how you utilize the credits. It is possible to break even or come out ahead if you maximize the value of your credits and actually eat all of the food available on the plan. If you don't use all of your credits, you are essentially leaving money on the table. Our guide can help you out with the math.

Read our full guide to the Disney Dining Plan .

How to save time in line at Disney World

Most Walt Disney World attractions offer a standby line. The only exceptions are new attractions, which will often offer a virtual queue for a limited time after opening. When Disney World is busy, though, standby lines for popular attractions can climb as high as two hours. Luckily, Disney has Lightning Lane passes that help you skip the standby line and get on more attractions with shorter waits.

With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can skip the standby line and utilize a much shorter Lightning Lane for most attractions. You can only purchase this add-on service on the day of your visit, beginning at midnight (though you will likely be safe waiting until you wake up in the morning, except on Disney's busiest days).

The cost of Lightning Lane Multi Pass varies per park and per day. The service starts at $15 per person, per day. It occasionally reaches a per-person price of $35 per day during the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season or in April during spring break.

If you are staying in a Walt Disney World hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve hotels or Shades of Green, you can purchase your Lightning Lane passes at 7 a.m. EST seven days before your vacation for the length of your trip. If you aren't staying in one of these hotels, you can purchase three days before your visit, one day at a time. When you purchase, you can also select your first three Lightning Lane Multi Pass rides and arrival windows as well as any Lightning Lane Single Pass rides and arrival windows.

Even if you plan to "park hop" to multiple parks in one day, you will purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and make your first three selections for the first park where you plan to use it. After you use your first selection, you can make subsequent selections for any other park you wish to visit.

Most attractions are included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service, but one or two attractions at each park require a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass purchase to skip the line. The Lightning Lane Single Pass pricing varies by day and attraction. It typically falls between $7 and $25 per person per attraction for Disney's most popular rides, such as Tron: Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

You don't need to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to buy individual Lightning Lane Single Passes and vice versa.

If you are staying in one of Disney's on-site hotels or in select "Good Neighbor" hotels, as mentioned in the section above, you can also save time in line by utilizing Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. You can get into the parks 30 minutes early with the early entry benefit, but you actually want to arrive at the front gates 30 to 45 minutes before that. This will give you time to get through security and to the roped-off area where they hold guests, making you one of the first in line to rush to your favorite ride when early entry starts.

Related: Your guide to visiting Disney World with a child on the autism spectrum

If you or someone in your party has a disability that makes it difficult for you to wait in a traditional standby queue, you can also save time by registering for Disney's Disability Access Service. You need to start the registration process before your visit, and full instructions are available on Disney's website .

How to plan a Disney World trip on a budget

While sensational stories about $2,500 meals at Disney make for good headlines, it is totally possible to visit Disney World on a budget .

Related: Yes, you can visit Disney World on a budget: Here's how I did it

Here are some of the most important things you can do to make your Disney vacation budget manageable:

• Stay at a Disney Value resort like Disney's All-Star Movies Resort or use Marriott points to stay at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve. These are the best cards to get those points.
• Use Disney's complimentary parking and transportation for on-site guests instead of renting a car.
• Purchase groceries for some meals and snacks, and only buy one or two meals in the parks each day.
• Don't visit the parks every day you are at Disney. Stick to one park per day, avoiding park hopping. You can save on tickets by spending a day swimming or visiting Disney Springs.
• Don't forget to periodically check Disney's website for discounts. Even after you book, you may be able to apply a hotel or vacation package discount that can save you even more money.
• Be on the lookout for discounted Disney gift cards to help cover the cost of your trip and/or use points for the tickets.
• Visit during less busy times of the year. Ticket prices are cheapest in August and September, with one-day tickets starting at $109.

Disney World pretrip checklist

Now that you've determined your budget, purchased your tickets, booked your hotel and made a few dining reservations, your trip is nearly planned. There are some other details you'll need to consider to make your trip as magical as it should be. Here's our ultimate Disney World pretrip checklist:

• Pack accordingly : Depending on when you visit, you could be dealing with heat, humidity, afternoon showers, chilly temperatures or a mix of all of the above. It's important to pack comfortable shoes and clothing no matter when you visit, but you may also want rain gear, sun protection or a warm jacket, depending on the weather. You can read our full Disney World packing guide here .
• Download the My Disney Experience app : This app is an invaluable tool that you will use daily during your visit. You can use it to check everything from wait times to walk-up dining availability. You can also use it to navigate the parks with turn-by-turn walking directions, purchase Lightning Lane passes and even open your hotel room door.
• Check the park hours before your visit : You can view the park hours on the Walt Disney World website or the My Disney Experience app. Each park has separate opening and closing times, and parks occasionally close early for special events like Halloween and Christmas parties. When you view the park hours, you'll also be able to see times for any parades or fireworks shows happening each day of your visit and plan for early entry or extended theme park hours for eligible on-site hotel guests.
• Check the height requirements for attractions: If you are traveling to Disney World with young children, you can check the height requirements for attractions on Disney World's website or in the My Disney Experience app. There are also measuring stations at all attractions that have a minimum height requirement. Still, it's better to know ahead of time to avoid tears if your child isn't quite tall enough.
• Know where to find your favorite characters : Most Disney characters have designated meeting times and locations, which you can find in the My Disney Experience app. Booking a character meal can be a great way to meet multiple characters at once, but you can also meet many characters in the parks.
• Decide if you want to purchase PhotoPass photos : You can save money on Disney Memory Maker by purchasing it before you visit. It's the easiest way to capture your vacation memories and an add-on we highly recommend. You can view and download your photos in the My Disney Experience app.
• Study up on Lightning Lane passes: As helpful as Lightning Lane passes can be, there is a bit of a learning curve. Study up using our guide and Disney's own overview before your visit. It's good to know which attractions participate in the service, how to reserve Lightning Lane access and how to make the most of the service.
• Plan for downtime: One of the biggest mistakes people make at Disney World is overscheduling their trip and leaving no time for rest and relaxation. If you are visiting for more than a few days, try to schedule a day away from the parks where you swim, explore the other resorts or just lounge around the hotel. It'll help rejuvenate you for the rest of your trip. For shorter trips, you may want to schedule a slow morning or return to your hotel early one day instead of being at the parks from opening to closing every day of your trip.

Read all of our best Disney World tips here .

Bottom line

There you have it — the ultimate guide to visiting Walt Disney World.

In addition to the planning and preparation you've now mastered, there are two very important things you must do during your Disney World vacation: Don't overplan, and have fun. It's much better to have a short list of "must-do" rides, restaurants and activities than to have a minute-by-minute itinerary that almost certainly will not play out exactly how you planned.

Keeping a loose itinerary leaves room for magical moments like stumbling upon a favorite character, noticing a supershort line for a ride or deciding last-minute to watch a parade you happened upon. You can't do everything in one trip anyway, so do the things you can and save the rest for next time when you are a certified Disney pro.

FOR NO-COST-TO-YOU ASSISTANCE IN PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Related reading:

• The best Disney World hotels for your stay
• The 21 most underrated things at Disney World: What to see, do and eat that many guests miss
• Forgetting to do this 1 thing could ruin your Disney trip
• Disney's take on timeshares: Guide to Disney Vacation Club
• 8 Walt Disney World experiences that don't require a park ticket

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Disney World Solo Trip: 2024 Ultimate Guide To Making The Most Of Your Vacation Alone!

Do you want to go on a solo trip Disney World?

Or perhaps you think people will notice that you’re by yourself?

I understand how you feel because I was once that person.

Before my first time of going to Disney World alone, I was afraid of sitting next to a stranger on a ride or eating at a Disney restaurant alone.

If this sounds like you, then I’m here to help guide you to planning THE perfect solo Disney World trip just for you!

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY  DISCLOSURE  FOR MORE INFO.  Which means if you click on certain links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Why Have a Disney World Solo Trip

Since I started traveling to theme parks alone, I’ve noticed that I’ve become more confident in introducing myself to new people.

This gives me a chance to truly be myself, since I am in my “zone.”

The Disney Parks  are suited for solo adult travelers.

It goes without saying that my trips are more are refreshing when I’m not able to find someone to go to Disney with me.

Don’t get me wrong, there are moments when I want to reach out to others in the park, but   the introvert inside of me has to push through my own self-limiting thoughts  and strike up a conversation.

Recommended: The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide

How Do You Do Disney World Solo?

Now that’s a big question to answer.

In today’s article I will show you how to do one of Disney’s parks by yourself.

If you want to learn how you can go to all other theme parks alone, then be sure to get your copy of  The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide .

What to Do First If You’re Afraid to Go to Disney World Alone?

I recommend scheduling a tour on one of the first few days of your trip.

This is a good way to break the ice on your solo theme park vacation and you never know what adventures may happen afterwards.

Tours such as:

• Keys to the Kingdom at the Magic Kingdom
• Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot
• Epcot Seas Adventures – DiveQuest
• Savor the Savanna: Evening Safari Experience at Animal Kingdom
• Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom

Top 10 BEST Things to Do at Disney World for Solo Travelers (2024)

What is the Best Disney World Solo Trip Itinerary?

Before you make your way to the Happiest Place on Earth, you need to have a good game plan.

• Day 1 – Arrival Day + Disney Springs
• Day 2 – The Magic Kingdom
• Day 3 – Epcot
• Day 4 – Hollywood Studios + Animal Kingdom
• Day 5 – Disney Springs + Departure Day

Read NEXT: How to Do Walt Disney World in Just 3 Days!

11 Beginner Tips for Your First Disney World Solo Trip

Now that we’ve talked a little bit about what you can expect, do you still think it’s weird to travel alone to a theme park?

I know you’re probably thinking this has got to be the oddest idea but trust me, you can do it!

There’s a way to do Disney World solo without thinking it’s weird….

…that’s if you know what to do.

Let’s go through the best Disney tips for your next vacation!

1. Start Small with Solo Travel

Because this way of travel can be intimidating to Disney fans, I recommend easing into solo travel.

For example, try getting to one of the parks ahead of your group.

If you guys plan to meet up at the Magic Kingdom around 10 a.m ., then get to the park at 8 a.m. just to see if you feel comfortable conquering Disney alone.

You can be there for rope drop, plus you can knock out a few rides before meeting back up with your family.

This may just convince you to try a whole day of Disney on your own.

Recommended: Top 5 Ways to Find Cheap Disney World Tickets for Your Vacation!

2. Plan and Research Your Disney Vacation

The idea of going to Disney alone may already be too stressful for you, so I highly suggest planning out your days ahead of time.

This will decrease the anxiety of doing Disney World by yourself.

If you have an itinerary , then you won’t dwell on the fact that you’re traveling on your own.

To help you, grab your ULTIMATE guide below where I walk you step-by-step to planning your first solo Disney World vacation confidently and with a plan through this simple guidebook!

Save the Disney World adult solo itinerary cheat sheet to your phone!

Are you planning a Disney vacation soon? Read the  Disney World Vacation Planning Guide  for your next dream trip!

3. Book Your Disney Lightning Lane and Reservations Early

Lightning Lane reservations to the hottest attractions such as the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster in Hollywood Studios or Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom need to be booked right now!

You will thank me for this because your Disney World solo vacation will go smoother.

In addition to booking your Lightning Lane Passes, you’ll want to make other reservations early too. If you have a must do Disney bucket list item , then this is your chance to do it!

This is your time to have many YOLO moments on your solo trip! I say make that reservation at one of your favorite Disney restaurants like Victoria & Albert’s.

You will be the envy of all your Disney friends.

Walt Disney World is the top tourist destinations in the world. This is an advantage for you, because you will never have to think of what to do.

Dinner shows, VIP tours, and special events are just a few experiences to make a solo Disney vacation spectacular.

You’ll want to book your dining or special event reservation as soon as you know your vacation dates. The popular restaurants and annual events book up rapidly.

Hipster Power Tip: Disney is remarkable about solo diners at Character Meals. They’re more than happy to help you with photos and make you feel special.

4. Theme Your Days at Walt Disney World

What I mean by this is to make it a day of doing every theatrical show at the Magic Kingdom or even a day of trying a dish in each country at Epcot World Showcase.

Sometimes I plan a day full of water rides and some days are just a day of character meet and greets. Every type of themed day can be found inside the Walt Disney World Resort.

Read NEXT: 9 Safety Tips for Women Traveling Alone to Disney World (Solo Travel)

5. Do Disney Your Own Way!

Since it’s your solo Disney trip, it’s a time to do Disney your way!

This is the MAIN PERK of going to Walt Disney World alone.

In order to get all your Walt Disney World must do’s, I suggest doing a bit of researching on the web and writing everything down you want to accomplish.

Ready to plan your theme park trip? Watch the best vacation planning tips on YouTube. Get started here!

6. Choose the Perfect Disney Hotel

It’s easy to  book a hotel  and stay cooped up in your room only leaving to go to one of the parks.

This is not the best way to get comfortable with socializing with people on your solo trip. Just ask yourself:

How sociable do you want to be?

Perhaps a  Bed & Breakfast  would be a perfect way to make sure you keep your socializing goals to the forefront. You will at least have some interaction with the owners.

I highly recommend choosing a lively hotel. Staying at a hip hotel with an active bar area, such as the Swan and Dolphin Hotel , makes it easy to meet new people.

You can even do this when you’re on a trip with a group of people as a way to get used to doing things alone.

This can be done by stepping away for an hour to hang out at the bar or inside the hotel lobby.

Many of the onsite resorts and hotels have hip lounges with staff bringing the theme park magic right in the bar.

So, make good use of the lobby, common room or lounge area of the resort. Try to engage with people while in the common areas and avoid looking down on your phone.

It’s like saying  “don’t talk to me on my Disney trip.”

Instead, have an open posture that’s inviting and just people watch. Eventually there will be an opportunity to start a conversation.

What are the best Disney resorts for Solo Travelers?

• Swan and Dolphin Resort
• Encore Resort  (perfect if you’re meeting family or friends later)
• Disney Wilderness Lodge Resort
• POP Century Resort
• Holiday Inn Express

Read NEXT: 5 Best Disney Resorts for Solo Travelers (Great Places to Travel Alone)

7. Don’t be Afraid to Socialize

Try not to be shy. I know it can be intimidating to introduce yourself to people. It’s so easy to just stay to yourself.

I know firsthand what it’s like to be an introvert, but get out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to at least one person on your solo Disney trip.

Get familiar with  your social media community.   There are lots of Facebook groups dedicated to Disney enthusiasts.

These groups usually have people in it who frequently travel to Disney parks solo. They’re also places to get instant theme park news and the latest theme park hacks and tips.

Online Solo Traveler Groups

Your  Instagram community  is another place to get to know others online.

Groups found on Facebook is a great way to find other Disney World singles. There are multiple groups within the site for adults who love going to the parks alone.

I have personally used online groups throughout the years and have met some of my best friends on there.

Once these relationships are formed online, it makes it easier to meet singles at Disney World.

Join the Conversation on the  Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Community on Facebook!

8. Let the Cast Members Know You’re Alone

Disney Cast Members enjoy chatting with theme park goers. Be sure to mention your solo journey to park staff. You never know what you may receive.

Parks like Walt Disney World are known for  “plussing”   visitors vacation.

Read NEXT: How to Be Alone at Disney Without Feeling Lonel y

9. Take Lots of Photos at Walt Disney World

Get as many selfies as you can of your newly created Disney memories. You can also take advantage of the PhotoPass System at Disney, where Cast Members will take photos for you that can later be retrieved digitally (on your computer or your phone).

Don’t forget to take photos with characters in the park.

This may seem a little childlike, but it’s actually a pretty cool thing.

I know people who go alone just to do character photos. Character lines can be long and are considered as important as an actual attraction.

With your Walt Disney World photo memories, you’ll always remember why your solo trip  was worth the effort.

Hipster Power Tip: Epcot is the best Disney Park to go solo!

10. Know Why Doing Disney Solo is Amazing!

Let’s go over the benefits of traveling alone to Walt Disney World.

Perk #1: Freedom.

There’s an incredible sense of independence when you’re exploring the parks by yourself.

You can watch Belle and all of her magical friends perform on stage at Hollywood Studios without anyone mocking you about your choice in entertainment.

A big plus is that your day will move a lot faster, meaning that you’ll do more without the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Perk #2: You Become a Better Problem Solver.

With the solo experience you gain the advantage of becoming a better problem solver.

Because it’s just you on this vacation path, you will have to come up with plan A, plan B, and plan C for some of the theme park events.

When you’re with a group of people you may have many different opinions or solutions to problems that arise However, when it’s just you, you become the sole problem solver.

Perk #3: You Meet Incredible Solo ThemeParkHipsters

Since I started going to Disney by myself, I’ve noticed that I’ve become more confident in other social settings.

Traveling solo to Walt Disney World makes me happy , which makes me more comfortable introducing myself to others.

You may notice when you’re with your friends you’re more involved in the conversation, but when you’re alone you’re softly nudged to spark up a conversation with someone waiting in an attraction line with you.

Read NEXT: 21 Solo Travel Quotes to Inspire You to Go to Disney Alone

11. Remember You’re Home and You’re Never Truly Alone

When you arrive at Walt Disney World you are home. The cast members, the characters, the Disney guests are all your family.

This is the most magical family reunion!

Ready to start planning your next Disney World vacation? Listen to the  latest podcast episode on Apple  or on your  non-Apple  device now!

My Final Thoughts

Have I convinced you to go to Walt Disney World solo? Be courageous, take the leap and go!

Don’t spend your life waiting for others schedule to line up with yours in order for you to make that solo trek.

If you want to go to Disney World solo, then go!

Traveling solo to Disney brings me joy. It is my Theme Park Therapy and I want it to become yours.

Let me know below if you’ve ever went to Walt Disney World by yourself? I want to hear about your Disney World solo trip report in the comments section below.

If you enjoyed this article, then you’ll love these:

• 15 Easy Steps to Go to Walt Disney World Alone
• 18 Tips for Going to a Theme Park Alone
• Magic Kingdom Solo Tips
• Epcot Solo Tips
• How to Do Disney’s Animal Kingdom Alone
• Hollywood Studios Solo Tips

Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!

About the Author

My name is Nikky. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor , and a writer who loves ALL things amusement park related!

Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories.

Connect with me on Instagram!

Theme Park Travel Guidebooks

(Original Date: July 2018/Updated on September 23, 2024)

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5 Best Spas in Disney World For a Relaxing and Rejuvenating Day Away from the Parks!

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How to Do Disney World Right, With Short Lines, Michelin-Starred Food, and Upscale Hotels

Skip the lines, dine at a michelin-starred restaurant, or live in a mansion near the magic kingdom. this is how to do disney with a dose of luxury..

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Private VIP tours are the key to unlimited access to FastPass+ attractions, door-to-door transportation, and behind-the-scenes shortcuts at Walt Disney World.

Courtesy of Walt Disney World

Forget the spinning teacups and hugs from Winnie the Pooh—there’s an entire world of experiences happening at Walt Disney World for those in the know. Truth be told, not everyone is sweating it out in line for the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster. There’s a way to skip stressful Genie+ planning and dining-reservation wrangling in favor of a blissful day bopping between rides and ridiculously good food. From phenomenal properties to private tours, here are the most extravagant ways to enjoy that Orlando trip.

Private VIP tours

The VIP Tour is so much more than a way to skip the lines on attractions across Walt Disney World. Led by professionally trained staffers who know the ins and outs of everything at the Orlando parks, VIP guides—lovingly referred to as “plaids” because of their uniforms—simply get the job done, no pixie dust required. They’ll pick you up from your accommodations, customize an itinerary just for you (at one or more parks), bypass lines, and fill the day with fun behind-the-scenes facts and stories.

Once you’ve booked your tour (or a non–Disney Vacation Club reservation at certain levels of room type), you have further access to the Signature Services team of concierges. They can help arrange reserved seating at parades or dining reservations, or clue you in to the ideal viewing spot for fireworks over Cinderella Castle. Pricing ranges from $450 to $900 per hour for up to 10 guests with a seven-hour daily minimum; theme park admission and gratuity not included. For VIP tours, call 407-560-4033 to book beginning 60 days in advance. For Signature Services, call 407-939-7777.

This dish of hamachi and watermelon radishes is available only at Victoria & Albert’s, the AAA Diamond–rated restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Ultra-fancy dining

Although you may not think “fine dining” and “Mickey Mouse” go hand in hand, Walt Disney World’s Victoria & Albert’s (inside the stately Grand Floridian Resort & Spa ) earned a Michelin star in 2024, the first restaurant owned and operated by a U.S. theme park ever to win that accolade. Its tasting menu and oft-booked Chef’s Table make it the pinnacle of edible experiences at Disney World—although plenty others are hiding in plain sight. A private dining experience in Cítricos ’s wine cellar at the Grand Floridian, a customized California Grill meal served deep beneath the Contemporary Resort ’s A-frame structure, and an extravagant one-night-only Disney dinner series can be made possible through Disney’s Signature Services concierge .

Even Disney Springs , the hybrid mall–entertainment complex just beyond the parks, offers high-end dining at restaurants helmed by such famed chefs as José Andrés (Jaleo by José Andrés), Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto Asia), and Art Smith (Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’) with various special and seasonal events. Prefer a taste of the champagne life in lieu of a full glass? Don’t miss the “Outstanding by the Ounce” menu of tasting-size pours at Wine Bar George , also in Disney Springs, a must-do for wine aficionados.

Home ownership in Golden Oak includes access to Markham’s, a restaurant exclusive to the Golden Oak community.

A Disney castle of your own

You can’t move into Cinderella Castle, but for the discerning Disney guest who hopes to permanently set up shop in the Mouse House, there’s Golden Oak , a community of luxury mansions four miles from the Magic Kingdom. Each of the approximately 300 homes comes with benefits like round-trip park transportation, exclusive events (ranging from unique food and beverage offerings to holiday parties), a zero-entry swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness center, an 18-hole golf course, and private access to Markham’s, a newly remodeled restaurant packed with rustic-modern touches and subtle nods to Disney history.

Golden Oak’s steep price tag will make that week at Disney’s Grand Floridian seem cheap—the homes here range from $1.5 million to $20 million—but a community this idyllic explains why so many owners reside year-round. Guests looking for something even more luxurious can scoop up Golden Oak mega-mansions built in conjunction with Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. These large-scale properties, starting at $5 million, grant full access to the golf course and pools at the AAA Five Diamond Resort hotel as well as luxe built-in features, like chef’s kitchens for in-home hotel catering. Some new Four Seasons homes are currently in the works, with sales on boutique homes expected to start in late 2024. Contact Golden Oak Realty at 407-939-5577 to inquire about both Golden Oak and Four Seasons ownership options.

Enchanting extras

Rest assured, there are plenty of ways to send your Walt Disney World trip over the top without buying a mansion. Everything from its deluxe resorts (some rooms let you gaze at Cinderella Castle from your balcony) to on-site spas, upscale Disney Springs shopping, and in-room surprises can enhance your next visit for an affordable sum.

Disney Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons cater to guests celebrating once-in-a-lifetime events. Whether you’re taking a private pontoon boat out to watch nightly fireworks from the water or attending an in-park dessert party, there’s always a way to make your trip that much more special .

This article was most recently updated on September 20, 2024, with current information.

How to Find the BEST Vacation Home Rentals Near Disney World (Your Ultimate Guide)

Are you trying to figure out how to find one of the best vacation home rentals for your upcoming Disney trip?

Well, look no further!

I am here to help.

When planning your vacation to Walt Disney World , one of the first things you’ll need to start with is a place to stay.

There are so many wonderful options to choose from while you’re here and I’ve stayed at quite a few of them to help you decide which one is the best option for you.

Today I will give you the ultimate guide (along with expert tips) for you to make your final decision.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY  DISCLOSURE  FOR MORE INFO.  Which means if you click on certain links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Why It’s Important to Choose the Best Vacation Home Rental Near Disney

Before you start picking out your perfectly themed vacation rental near Disney World, you should get familiar with some of the basic information.

An Orlando, Florida vacation home gives you the option to stay on a property in a resort community with options to have a condo, townhouse, or single-family home.

This allows you to have the comfort of home with resort-type amenities all within a gated community.

These types of homes always have plenty of room and are perfect alternatives to hotels or extended stays (over 4 days) and trips with large groups.

ORDER NOW to secure your Walt Disney World theme park ticket! GET MY TICKETS.

Why Should I Book an Orlando Vacation Home Rental?

The Orlando vacation home rentals near Disney affords you the ability of convenience, because you’ll no longer have to worry about where to store food from that bucket list restaurant or how to avoid going over your food budget at the Disney Parks.

You’ll be treated with fully equipped kitchens, multiple bedrooms, a spacious living room, and most of the time your own private swimming pool with a nightly rate that averages less than a hotel.

Especially a hotel on theme park property.

What are the Advantages of Staying in an Orlando Vacation Home Rental?

As mentioned before, most luxury vacation home rentals come with a fully equipped kitchen, a private dining area, larger square footage, and FREE amenities. This means you can save money dining and travel lighter.

Just in case those weren’t enough things to show how awesome the vacation home rentals near Disney World are , check out my top advantages of staying in one of these luxury homes.

Book your discounted Orlando Vacation Home with TopVillas TODAY!

3 Reasons to Stay at a Resort Home in Orlando

Now that you understand why it’s important to pick the best vacation home rental for your Disney World vacation, it’s time to go through why you should consider staying at one for your trip.

1. You Will Save Money

You will save a significant amount of money on your Walt Disney World trip, by booking a vacation home.

Most people think a home rental will break the bank, but this is not true.

Not only will your accommodations cost less, you’ll save on food because you will not be required to eat on theme park property or at a hotel. Dining can add up quickly on a vacation.

2. You Will Get More Space

The average vacation home rental in Orlando that’s near Disney is 1,800+ square feet versus a hotel room which is around 325 square feet.

3. You’ll Avoid Hidden Fees

Amenities vary per hotel and some are associated with extra charges. Hidden costs such as:

• high parking fees
• bottle water fees
• energy surcharge fees
• internet fees

These are just a few of the unexpected charges you may face when staying in a hotel when compared to staying at one of the Disney vacation homes nearby.

8 Expert Tips for Choosing a Vacation Home Rental Near Disney World

Let’s go over some of the best tips I’ve discovered when picking out a Disney vacation rental.

1. Find a Vacation Home Close to Walt Disney World Resort

Depending on the location you choose, you could be driving over 45-minutes if you don’t find the best area to get your holiday rental.

Orlando is a large city in size and along with the monstrous traffic. You could be commuting up to an hour to Disney if your location is not strategically chosen.

Not the best way to start your magical vacation.

So, focus your search on family-friendly luxury vacation homes within a 20-minute drive to Walt Disney World.

2. Get as Many Rooms as You Need

One of my favorite advantages of getting a vacation home is the option to get as few rooms or as many rooms as necessary.

At a top-notch luxury resort such as, the Encore at Reunion Resort , it’s not uncommon to find a home with at least 11-bedrooms. This is one of the best options for large reunions or family vacations.

There’s not much of a difference in price if you get a home with an additional bedroom.

If you’re on the fence about booking a 5-bedroom vs 6-bedroom vacation rental in Orlando, then I recommend going with the higher number just to be on the safe side.

3. Look for Disney World Packages When Booking Luxury Resort

I recommend booking a Walt Disney World vacation package that includes park tickets.

Many of the luxury vacation homes in Orlando are authorized Disney ticket providers and are usually able to give a great deal. You’ll want to avoid buying tickets at the park gates, as you’re more likely to pay a higher cost.

4. Pay Attention to Payment Options

Many of the Orlando vacation home rentals will allow you to make payment arrangements based on the length of your stay.

However, there are other rental agreements that require the vacation cost to be paid in full.

If you’re not ready to pay the full amount, then I suggest working with Top Villas. They only require a deposit of 20-50%  of the total coast to get your reservation.

After that, all you will have to do is pay the full amount 56 days out from your Orlando trip.

I also love how easy it is to use their website and how easy it is to communicate with them both before and during your vacation.

Hipster Power Tip: Always ask your rental provider for a full list of fees. It’s not uncommon to pay a small cleaning fee or similar, but if the fees you’re expected to pay end up doubling the price then avoid booking with that company.

5. Review the Cancellation Policy

Be sure that the company you’ve booked your vacation home with, has clear and detailed cancellation policy.

You don’t want to be stuck in a vacation home agreement that will not allow you to cancel if you’ve made proper notice.

Also check to see if there are possible options for rental agreements that have to be terminated last minute. This will give you peace of mind when booking your vacation home stay.

Are you planning a Disney vacation soon? Read the  Disney World Vacation Planning Guide  for your next dream trip!

6. Pick a Company with a Great Reputation and a Variety of Orlando Vacation Homes

I recommend choosing one website that houses a variety of vacation villas and homes in the Orlando area .

This will give you plenty of options and availability when it comes to choosing a home based on amenities, location, and price.

Visiting multiple sites can get cumbersome, so shoot for a website such as Top Villas to see each selection of homes near Disney World.

Don’t forget that a trusted company with an impeccable reputation goes a long way and will save you any grief. Top Villas’ process is super simple and convenient.

Ready to start planning your next Disney World vacation? Listen to the  latest podcast episode on Apple  or on your  non-Apple  device now!

7. Choose a Place with Great Amenities

Empowering yourself with the knowledge that your vacation home will come with basic features such as a fully equipped kitchen, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms is good to know.

However, you should also check on little details that may affect your stay. Such as:

• Is a large kitchen important to you?
• What about a luxurious clubhouse in the resort?
• How important are washers and dryers to you?
• What about a private rec room or movie theater inside your Orlando vacation rental home?
• Do you want an Orlando vacation home rental with a pool?

These are just a few amenities you should think about when choosing your Orlando vacation home near Disney.

Hipster Power Tip: Most vacation homes in Orlando come with a private swimming pool and sometimes a private hot tub as well.

8. Use a Vacation Home Rental Specialist

On most rental websites you have the option to book your stay online (which is what I do most of the time). However, I recommend working with an expert directly who can help you select the best home for your trip.

Many of the vacation home specialists have superb information on the area you want to stay in.

They also know what details to mention to you, that you may not think of when choosing your home.

A rental specialist will walk you through every step of picking your Walt Disney World vacation home rental.

This allows you to take it easy and count down the days to the start of your magical vacation!

You can take advantage of all the special offers Top Villas has going on by using this link for a discount off your visit at Reunion Resort.

Ready to plan your theme park trip? Watch the best vacation planning tips on YouTube. Get started here!

My Final Thoughts on Vacation Home Rentals Near Disney World

For lots of different reasons I recommend  Top Villas , which offers 24/7 guest support. They also have an office in Orlando, which makes it more convenient to connect with them.

Choosing the right vacation home rental near Disney should not be stressful. I hope I was able to provide you with the best tips for selecting your perfect place.

5 Best Vacation Home Resorts in Orlando, Florida

Before you go, these are my top picks just for you for ALL budgets:

• Reunion Resort
• Encore Resort
• Margaritaville Resort
• Championsgate Resort
• Regal Oaks Resort

You can read more tips for choosing the 5 Best Orlando Family Resorts with a Water Park here.

Have you ever stayed at a vacation home near Walt Disney World? If so, what did you like best about doing your Disney trip this way? Leave your comments below.

If you enjoyed this article, then you’ll love these:

• Disney World Packing List
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review
• CLC Regal Oaks Vacation Home Resort Review
• Top 10 Themed Vacation Rentals Near Disney World that Won’t Make you Miss Staying on Property!
• 3 BEST Disney Moderate Resorts for Solo Travelers
• Review & Guide: Universal Orlando Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!

About the Author

My name is Nikky. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor , and a writer who loves ALL things amusement park related!

Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories.

Connect with me on Instagram!

Theme Park Travel Guidebooks

(Original Article Written in 2018/Updated on September 21, 2024)

The post How to Find the BEST Vacation Home Rentals Near Disney World (Your Ultimate Guide) appeared first on ThemeParkHipster .

Caution: Disney World Travelers Should Consider Delaying Their Visit This Week, Reschedule Your Vacation

in Disney Parks , Walt Disney World

Visiting Walt Disney World Resort this week might not be the best idea if you are looking to avoid a hurricane.

While Orlando was a great location to build a theme park empire thanks to the lack of snow and cold temperatures, allowing it to be open year-round, the negative thing about any spot in Florida is the possibility of thunder storms on a daily basis and hurricanes.

Orlando experiences an average of 117 rainy days per year, with the heaviest rainfall typically occurring from June to September during the peak summer season. However, rain showers can happen year-round due to the area’s humid and moist climate.

This is why many attractions at Walt Disney World Resort feature indoor areas and covered queues, allowing guests to enjoy the experiences without weather disruptions.

Even in the event that a strong hurricane hits Orlando this year, guests at Walt Disney World can feel confident in their safety. The park’s buildings, including Cinderella Castle, are designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, and cast members are well-trained in ensuring guest safety.

Disney’s ability to manage hurricanes is so impressive that many locals choose to stay at a Disney Resort when a major storm is approaching. So, if you’re visiting during hurricane season, rest assured that staying at a Disney Resort hotel will offer both safety and comfort should severe weather affect Orlando during your trip.

That being said, a storm is headed for Florida this week, and it is predicted to become a hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is closely monitoring two systems that have the potential to develop into tropical depressions or storms in the coming days. One of these systems is located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, while the other is situated in the far eastern Atlantic.

“1am CDT Monday 23rd Sep Key Messages for system in NW Caribbean (#AL97). Watches or warnings could be required for portions of the Yucatan Peninsula or Western Cuba later today. Interests in the #Florida Panhandle & west Florida coast should monitor closely.…”

1am CDT Monday 23rd Sep Key Messages for system in NW Caribbean ( #AL97 ). Watches or warnings could be required for portions of the Yucatan Peninsula or Western Cuba later today. Interests in the #Florida Panhandle & west Florida coast should monitor closely.… pic.twitter.com/mq2S9nokyN — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 23, 2024

The Caribbean system, currently a broad area of low pressure, has been exhibiting increasing organization with showers and thunderstorms as it approaches Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. According to NHC senior hurricane specialist Brad Reinhart, environmental conditions are favorable for further development of this system. It is likely to form into a tropical depression or storm within the next day or two as it moves northward across the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

If this system intensifies, it could become Tropical Storm Helene. In the next several days, heavy rains are expected to impact portions of Central America, prompting the issuance of watches and warnings in those areas.

Later this week, the system is forecast to move generally northward across the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This development has prompted the National Weather Service in Melbourne to closely monitor the situation and issue potential tropical cyclone advisories for the northern and northeastern Gulf Coast.

While it’s too early to accurately predict the system’s intensity and track, there is a possibility of heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and strong winds in Florida. Additionally, the Florida peninsula could experience more rainfall over the weekend following the system’s passage, as the ground may already be saturated.

Meanwhile, a second system in the far eastern Atlantic also has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm. This tropical wave, located between the coast of west Africa and the Cape Verde Islands, is showing signs of organization with shower and thunderstorm activity.

The NHC forecasts a 20% chance of development for this system within the next two days and a 70% chance within the next seven days. If it develops, it could be named Isaac, as it is the next name on the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season list.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the peak period for development occurring from mid-August to October, and this year was initially predicted to be explosive. 

The last hurricane-turned-tropical storm by landfall happened at the end of August and was called Hurricane Debby. It did not affect Disney World operations in any way, but other surrounding theme parks like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay did shut down for a few days. It is likely that this may happen again due to the location of that theme park, and where the hurricane is predicted to hit.

While Disney will be equipped to handle the storm, it is likely that we will see many guests look to reschedule their trips to avoid the hurricane. 

Would you visit Disney World if you knew a hurricane was on the way? 

Stay in the Magic… and Play!

Customize a walt disney world resort vacation package to suit your style and budget., start planning your disney vacation, what’s exciting and new, finding nemo: the big blue… and beyond.

Witness a stirring spectacle of puppetry, music and more during this reimagined stage show set in Nemo’s vibrant underwater world.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Bring the whole family to zip, dash and scurry through Gusteau’s kitchen as you take in the sights, sounds and even smells from Remy’s world.

TRON Lightcycle / Run

Leave the real world behind in this high-stakes race across the Grid—the dark, computerized world from TRON .

Watch in awe as Mickey Mouse’s dreams come alive in a nighttime musical with stunning effects, dazzling pyrotechnics and more.

4 Enchanting Theme Parks

Magic kingdom park.

During your visit, you can:

• Be dazzled by music, dancing and vivid pageantry during the Festival of Fantasy Parade —a grand tribute to the tales and inhabitants of Fantasyland.
• Enjoy iconic attractions and experiences across incredible lands—including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train , a swaying family coaster ride that will have you racing through a diamond mine.
• Rediscover beloved classic Disney attractions such as Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and “it’s a small world.”
• Delight in family-friendly thrills on ever-popular coasters like Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad .
• Leave the real world behind for a high-stakes race across the Grid—the dark, computerized world from TRON —on TRON Lightcycle / Run .

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

• Celebrate the magic of nature at Pandora – The World of Avatar . Here, you can fly on the back of a banshee on Avatar Flight of Passage, hike amid floating mountains in the Valley of Mo’Ara and take a mystical boat ride into a bioluminescent rainforest on the Na’vi River Journey.
• Set off in an open-air vehicle across a lush African savanna teeming with exotic animals on Kilimanjaro Safaris .
• Speed through the Himalayas on a runaway train while avoiding the Yeti as you conquer Expedition Everest .
• Wave to beloved Disney Characters as they sail along the Discovery River on fabulous flotillas.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Pack your imagination, switch tracks and take a ride on the cartoon side like never before when you hop aboard Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway .
• Live your adventure in a galaxy far, far away at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge ! Experience 2 thrilling attractions, build your own droid or lightsaber, savor Batuu’s tasty food and beverages, shop for Star Wars -themed merchandise and more!
• Discover big fun for kids and grown-ups alike at Toy Story Land . Take a wild ride on Slinky Dog Dash and go for a whirl on Alien Swirling Saucers.
• Watch in wonder as Mickey Mouse’s dreams come alive in Fantasmic! —an extravagant nighttime musical with stunning effects, dazzling pyrotechnics and more.
• Celebrate every season at themed festivals featuring fantastic food, live entertainment and more—select dates throughout the year.
• Blast off on an intergalactic chase with Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Star-Lord on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind —a coaster inspired by the rockin’ movies.
• Board an ancient Norwegian vessel and be whisked away to the kingdom of Arendelle during a Frozen Ever After adventure.
• Journey around World Showcase , where you can explore the culture, arts, food and beverages of 11 different countries.

Save on Rooms This Fall and Holiday Season

Stay in the magic with disney resorts collection, enjoy more time in the parks.

Early Theme Park Entry Guests of Disney Resort hotels can get a 30-minute jump on their Disney day with early theme park entry —available at all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks. This popular benefit will continue through 2025!

Early theme park entry gives you a head start in the parks, so you’ll have access to select attractions, shops and dining before regular hours. And you can enjoy this benefit on each day of your stay—in any park, subject to capacity.

For early theme park entry, you'll need valid admission and a MagicBand, Disney MagicMobile pass or Key to the World Card. Theme park reservations may be required based on admission type.

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels or Disney Deluxe Villas can enjoy extended evening hours —experiencing select attractions, shops and dining after regular park hours—in select theme parks on select nights. This popular benefit will continue through 2025!

Together with early theme park entry—available to all Disney Resort hotel Guests—you’ll get to arrive earlier and stay later so you can maximize your time in the parks!

Review our calendar for extended evening hours and dates .

If using a ticket with the Park Hopper option that requires a theme park reservation, please remember that you must enter the park where you made your reservation before you can visit other theme parks.

Start Your Stay with a Water Park Day in 2025

With this water park benefit, you can splash into fun on the day you arrive. Get ready to zip down thrilling water slides, relax on sandy beaches, float along a lazy river... and let your cares drift away. Learn more about the Walt Disney World water parks .

How to Make the Most of This Benefit

Learn more about this water park benefit for Disney Resorts Collection hotel Guests! Discover helpful tips and details about water park entry, transportation, parking, water park essentials and more.

Important Information About This Benefit

• This benefit is exclusive to registered overnight Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel with a check-in date from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. View eligible Disney Resorts Collection hotels .
• This benefit is only for registered overnight Guests listed on the Resort reservation for the eligible Disney Resorts Collection hotel .
• This benefit is only on the day of check-in, and is valid for admission to either Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park or Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park (whichever is open). This benefit cannot be transferred to a different day. Check the park calendar and operating hours closer to your 2025 arrival to plan your check-in day.
• Usage of this benefit is subject to availability.
• Water parks are subject to extended rehabilitation, seasonal, capacity and weather closures, or may close for other reasons.
• Each of our water parks is refurbished annually. These routine maintenance periods are staggered, so Guests with valid water park admission should be able to enjoy at least one water park experience year-round.
• Water park admission is nontransferable, nonrefundable and has no cash value, and excludes activities/events separately priced or not open to the general public.
• Parks, attractions and other offerings subject to availability, closures and change or cancellation without notice or liability. No refund or credit given for any such changes or cancellation. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed.

Savor a World of Flavor

With tasty meals and snacks moments away, it’s easy to make the most of the magic during your stay.

Explore dining experiences available for booking during your vacation.

View a full list of the dining options at Walt Disney World Resort.

Add a Dining Plan

Now you can add a dining plan to Disney Resort Hotel Packages.

Dining plans can add the convenience and flexibility of prepaid meals and snacks to your vacation—and give you peace of mind.

Highlights include:

• Savings: Save up to 20% on dining for kids ages 3 to 9 when you purchase a dining plan for your family as part of a Disney Resort Hotel Package! Savings compared to the nondiscounted price of menu items available to kids ages 3 to 9 at participating locations when purchased without a dining plan. Actual savings vary based on menu items ordered.
• Convenience & Peace of Mind: With 2 dining plans to choose from, you can spend more time with your family enjoying the Disney magic (and less time on meal budgeting). And this gives you the opportunity to say that magic word to your kids... "Yes."
• Flexibility: There are more than 200 locations to dine at throughout our Disney Resort hotels, theme parks and select locations at Disney Springs. So there’s something to delight nearly every taste!

Learn more about dining plans .

Immerse Yourself in the Magic

From unique accommodations to distinctive dining options, themed rooms and more, the Disney Resorts Collection offers Guests a variety of options that exemplify the Disney difference.

Proximity Staying at a Disney Resort hotel keeps you in the magic—close to the theme parks, water parks and shopping at the Disney Springs area.

Activities and Amenities Disney Resort hotels feature amenities that immerse Guests in the worlds of classic Disney tales—including themed pools with slides, poolside activities, Character Dining experiences, unique recreation, delightful surprises and so much more.

Endless Possibilities With all of the great options in the Disney Resorts Collection, you’re sure to find one—or more than one—that fits you. From theme to budget, you have a world of amazing options to consider. You’re not just choosing a place to sleep at night—you’re choosing your home for the duration of your Walt Disney World vacation.

Want to wake up, look out your window, and say good morning to a giraffe? You can when you stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge . Ever stayed on the shores of the South Pacific? Drift away to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort . Or come home to larger-than-life recreations of scenes from favorite Disney and Pixar classics at Disney's Art of Animation Resort !

These are just a few of the Disney Resort hotels that await you at Walt Disney World Resort !

Make the Most of Your Visit

Get around with ease.

Resort Transportation

Our complimentary bus , boat and monorail services are available to take you to popular destinations throughout Walt Disney World Resort—some Disney Resort hotels even offer convenient walking paths to nearby parks.

Plus, the most recent addition to our fantastic world on the go, Disney Skyliner lets Guests glide across the sky while traveling between:

• EPCOT (International Gateway)
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort

Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels enjoy complimentary standard parking at Disney theme parks, Disney water parks and the Disney Springs area.

Add More Magic

As a Disney Resort hotel Guest, you can purchase a MagicBand+ at a special pre-arrival price.

MagicBand+ includes all of the features you’ve come to love with MagicBand—and more! Your MagicBand+ can be used to:

• Unlock your Disney Resort hotel room
• Enter theme parks and water parks (with valid admission)
• Check in at Lightning Lane entrances and virtual queues
• Charge food and merchandise purchases**
• Discover enchanting surprises and interactions across Walt Disney World Resort
• Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your Disney account

Learn more about MagicBand+ .

Lightning Lane Passes: Purchase 7 Days in Advance of Your Stay

Save time in line for select attractions and experiences with our Lightning Lane passes ! If you’re a Guest of a Disney Resort hotel, you’re eligible to purchase Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance of your stay, for the length of the stay (up to 14 days). Guests of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green may also enjoy this early-purchase benefit. All other Guests are eligible to purchase passes up to 3 days in advance of their park visit.

Purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to enjoy multiple experiences or Lightning Lane Single Pass (up to 2 per day, subject to availability) for one of our most in-demand attractions—those not available with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Or purchase both and enjoy more magic in every moment of your day!

Learn more about our Lightning Lane passes .

Note: Lightning Lane passes are nonrefundable and nontransferable. Lightning Lane passes, attractions and experiences may vary by date, are subject to change or closure, are limited in availability and are not guaranteed, and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection. Price, terms and entitlements are subject to restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice or liability.

Make Reservations for Dining and More Get ready to dine or unwind! Here’s when you can make reservations for dining and Enchanting Extras Collection experiences :

• Guests with a Valid Disney Resort Hotel Reservation: Make reservations for your entire length of stay (for up to a 10-night stay) up to 60 days in advance of your arrival! This can help you enjoy streamlined vacation planning , since you can make all your reservations on the same day—rather than checking availability day after day.
• All Other Guests: Make reservations up to 60 days in advance.

To dine at an in-park, table-service restaurant, a confirmed dining reservation for the total number of Guests—regardless of age—is highly recommended. You will also need valid admission for the same park on that same date for each Guest ages 3 and up. A theme park reservation may be required based on admission type. Learn more.

Dining reservations do not guarantee access to a park, and Park Hopper availability may change daily.

** Credit card must be presented at Disney Resort hotel check-in for purchases with MagicBand. Purchases are charged to your Disney Resort hotel account.

Enjoy Magical Extras with Your Package

More fun for everyone, disney water parks.

Zip down some of the world's tallest and fastest waterslides, plunge into fun on a family raft ride, feel your cares drift away on a lazy river or unwind on a sandy beach. Plus, your little ones can splash around in kid-sized areas!

Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park – Closed for Refurbishment Chill out in a winter wonderland at a one-time ski resort that melted into warm water.

Here, you can:

• Conquer the slopes of Mount Gushmore on Summit Plummet —one of the world’s tallest and fastest free-fall waterslides.
• Zoom down other thrilling waterslides, like the Downhill Double Dipper and Slush Gusher .
• Float along Cross Country Creek , a 3,000-foot-long lazy river.
• Let your little ones explore Tike’s Peak , a water play area with a snow castle fountain and kid-sized waterslides.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – Now Open! Delight in this tropical paradise that’s been transformed by a legendary storm into an oasis of pure excitement.

• Ride a wave at Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool —North America’s largest wave pool.
• Grab a friend and take the plunge down Crush ‘n’ Gusher , featuring thrilling dips and turns.
• Watch your little ones enjoy a whimsical water playground with pint-sized slides, water cannons and other fun features at Ketchakiddee Creek .
• Relax as you float along Castaway Creek and take in lush, tropical surroundings.

Important Information Valid water park admission required. Water parks subject to seasonal and weather closures. Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is currently closed for refurbishment.

Disney Springs

Find happily whatever you’re after at Disney Springs:

• Delectable dining options to please almost every palate
• Shopping galore , from unique boutiques to whimsical Disney-themed stores
• Fun for all ages , with bowling, a movie theater, a carousel and more
• Live entertainment , including Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil® and Disney—a first-of-its-kind creative collaboration between 2 iconic memory-makers

Delectable Dining

• Character dining (with modifications) at Garden Grill Restaurant, Hollywood & Vine, Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera, Chef Mickey’s and more
• Signature dining where you can celebrate a special occasion in style
• Counter-service restaurants —ideal for grabbing a quick bite on-the-go
• Mobile Order at select quick-service restaurants, which enables you to save time by ordering ahead via the My Disney Experience app
• Spectacular rooftop dining at California Grill, Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera and Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood

When to Make Dining Reservations Get ready to dine! Make advance reservations at select Walt Disney World restaurants.

Enchanting Extras Collection

• Hands-on Star Wars experiences at Droid Depot and Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers (with valid park admission)
• In-Room Floral & Gifts , featuring beautiful gift and snack baskets, themed balloon bouquets and enchanting floral arrangements—all designed to celebrate your special moments
• Capture Your Moment , a personalized photo session with Disney PhotoPass photographers in a Walt Disney World theme park
• Fascinating tours that take you to special locations at Walt Disney World Resort—including Savor the Savanna and Behind the Seeds

Explore the Enchanting Extras Collection .

Design Your Disney Vacation

Explore places to stay.

Choose from uniquely themed Disney Resort hotels—with options to suit your style and budget.

Buy Park Tickets

Purchase park tickets—and get ready to experience the theme parks and water parks!