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Check rates and availability at Disney's Pop Century Resort

Disney's Pop Century Resort

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Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

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Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

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Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

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Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside

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Disney's All-Star Music Resort

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Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

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Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

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Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter

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Disney's All-Star Sports Resort

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Disney's Art of Animation Resort

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Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

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Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

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Disney's Wilderness Lodge

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Disney's Beach Club Resort

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Disney's Contemporary Resort

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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

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Disney's BoardWalk Inn

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Disney's Old Key West Resort

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Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

Check rates and availability at Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Check rates and availability at The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Check rates and availability at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village

Check rates and availability at The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

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Disney's BoardWalk Villas

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Disney's Beach Club Villas

Check rates and availability at Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Check rates and availability at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House

Check rates and availability at The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

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Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

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Disney's Riviera Resort

Check rates and availability at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel

Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel

Vacation packages may be available. Select this hotel to view package prices. For room-only prices, call (407) 939-1936.†

Check rates and availability at Walt Disney World Swan Hotel

Walt Disney World Swan Hotel

Check rates and availability at The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort - A Disney Vacation Club Resort

The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort - A Disney Vacation Club Resort

Check rates and availability at Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

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Four seasons resort orlando at walt disney world resort.

Walt Disney World Area

Select this hotel to view package prices, including potential vacation packages. For room-only prices, call (407) 939-5277.†

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Select this hotel to view package prices, including potential vacation packages. For room-only prices, call (407) 934-7639.†

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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. Enter your travel dates and the number of adults and children in your party then click submit. The tool will show you the Orlando   hotels and 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:

• We have the lowest prices on our vacation homes, hotels, and theme park tickets ( Walt Disney World tickets , Universal Studios Discounted Tickets , and Discounted SeaWorld Orlando Tickets )
• We have won the Best of The Best Award for online travel agency customer service for the past 10 years (2013 through 2023).
• We are proud to offer the easiest and best cancellation policy in Orlando. Click here to see our reservation policy.
• We offer payment plans- You may call in and pay $5 or $500 on your vacation and the best part about this plan is that we do not charge you any services fees. The only thing we ask for is that your vacation is paid for in full 15 days prior to your arrival. Click here to learn more
• We only ask for a small $50 deposit to secure your reservation.
• We charge theme park tickets at the time you are making the booking, and we will send them out within 24 hours of you ordering your tickets so you can make reservations at the specific theme parks you want to visit. The lodging only requires a small $50 deposit and the remaining balance is due 15 days to arrival on hotels and 30 days of arrival on vacation homes.

Here are some great examples for creating Disney Packages…

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 mail you your tickets. Why would you want the tickets early? Simple, you can go online and register your tickets and go ahead and make your reservations. Every day you wait, there are more people who are registering before you.
• Get the Walt Disney World Base Tickets : This one tip will save you $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.

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• Stay in the Heart of the Magic at Select Official Walt Disney World® Resort Hotels

Orlando: Walt Disney World® On-Site Collection Package

Stay right in the magic at an official Walt Disney World® Resort Hotel. With exclusive theme park benefits, theme park transportation and more, make your trip more magical by being right in the center of it all. Choose from value, moderate, deluxe and deluxe villa properties to suit every budget.

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Value Resorts

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

Costco member reviews.

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort features five Disney and Disney/Pixar film-inspired themed areas. Fantasia, Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, Mighty Ducks, and The Love Bug "Herbie" the loveable VW Beetle, is five times its regular size!

Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Be surrounded in the artistry, enchantment and magic of Walt Disney and Disney and Pixar movies. Stay at a Disney Resort hotel that invites you to explore the storybook landscapes seen in such classics as Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. From delightfully themed family suites to wondrously detailed courtyards, Disney's Art of Animation draws you and your family in to become a part of some of your animated favorites.

Disney's Pop Century Resort

Experience the unforgettable fads of the 1950s through the 1990s all over again. From yo-yos and Play-Doh® to Rubik's Cube® and rollerblades, this Resort hotel salutes the timeless fashions, catch phrases, toys and dances that captivated the world through the decades.

Moderate Resorts

Disney's caribbean beach resort.

A tropical paradise built around 45‐acre Barefoot Bay, this resort hotel brings the Islands to you with swaying palm trees, white‐sand beaches and colonial architecture. Explore the lushly landscaped grounds, or simply find a hammock and soak up the sun.

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Celebrate the unique blend of Spanish, Mexican and Southwest American cultures at the newly re-imagined Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. This beautiful lakeside oasis offers classic influences, Disney touches and modern comforts to energize and inspire as you delight in an array of new features, eateries and enhancements.

Deluxe Resorts

Disney's riviera resort.

Enchantment awaits you at a resort hotel that's inspired by Europe and imagined by Disney. Here, you can delight in exhilarating activities, delectable dining and stylish accommodations – from cozy Tower Studios to spacious One- and Two-Bedroom Villas.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication at this lavish Disney Resort hotel. Unwind outdoors, indulge in a luxurious massage and watch evening fireworks light up the sky over Cinderella Castle. Just one stop to Magic Kingdom® Park on the complimentary Resort Monorail, this timeless Victorian-style marvel evokes Palm Beach’s golden era.

Disney's Contemporary Resort

Retreat to this ultra-modern Disney Resort hotel and discover award-winning dining, spectacular views and dazzling pools. Whether you’re staying in the iconic A-frame Contemporary tower or the nearby Garden Wing, you can walk to Magic Kingdom® main gate or catch the Resort Monorail as it breezes through the tower.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Delight in the formal grace of a grand New England-style yacht club at this lakeside hotel.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Escape to the rustic majesty of America’s Great Northwest. Inspired by turn-of-the-century National Park lodges, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge celebrates American craftsmanship and honors the beauty of the untamed wilderness. Soak in the splendor of the great outdoors, from nature trails through pine forests to rocking chairs that overlook a murmuring creek. Inside, discover towering totem poles, headdresses and more, and enjoy the rustic elegance of the stone hearth and roaring fireplace.

Disney's Beach Club Resort

Located along Crescent Lake, Disney's Beach Club Resort's understated elegance mixed with the summer ambiance of the New England seaside combine to create a relaxing and casual atmosphere.

Disney's BoardWalk Inn

Experience the charm and whimsy of turn-of-the-century Atlantic City at this waterfront resort hotel. Make a splash at Luna Park Pool and delight in a massage at the state-of-the-art fitness center. Discover carnival games, unique dining and exciting nightlife on the Coney Island-style boardwalk. Situated on shimmering Crescent Lake, the resort is located within walking distance of EPCOT® and Disney's Hollywood Studios®.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Step into the heart of Africa at this magnificent Resort hotel. Inspired by the traditional African kraal, the horseshoe-curved design provides spectacular views of four lush savannas that over 200 hoofed animals and birds call home. Delight in dazzling pool areas, exciting animal programs and one of the largest collections of African art in the United States as you experience your own African safari adventure with a touch of Disney magic.

Deluxe Villa Resorts

Disney's animal kingdom villas - kidani village.

Escape on your own African safari adventure at this magnificent Resort hotel. Inspired by the traditional African kraal, the horseshoe-curved design offers exquisite views of lush savannas — where over 30 species of African wildlife freely roam. Delight in dazzling pool areas, exciting animal programs and all the comforts of home in spacious studios and multi-bedroom villas.

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Experience the Disney difference by placing yourself in the midst of the magic, where moments and memories have no limits. From theme park to hotel, you never have to leave the magic.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Warm luxury meets modern elegance at this lakeside resort hotel located in walking distance to Magic Kingdom park. Delight in studios and multi-bedroom villas, kitchens or kitchenettes and dramatic views that may include old-growth cypress trees, the shimmering Bay Lake, the lush courtyard or Cinderella Castle.

Disney's Old Key West Resort

Experience the romance of the Florida Keys at this tranquil community of Conch Flats – a sprawling island hamlet with shimmering waterways, swaying palm trees and manicured golf-course fairways. Delight in sun-soaked pools, casual dining and such amenities as fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes. A peaceful tropical paradise, Disney's Old Key West Resort is also just a boat ride away from the excitement of Disney Springs®.

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Recalling the 1860's railroad hotels of the American West, Boulder Ridge Villas offer the comforts of home amid the rustic beauty of Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Dine on traditional Pacific Northwest cuisine, explore trails through lush meadows and delight in the enchanting Copper Creek Springs Pool. Just a breezy boat ride to Magic Kingdom® Park, this Resort hotel celebrates the ethos of traditional craftsmanship and the great outdoors.

Disney's BoardWalk Villas

Timeless elegance meets old-fashioned charm at this waterfront Resort hotel. Delight in saltwater taffy-colored cottages, private courtyards and picturesque gardens — plus the ragtime sounds and carnival pastimes of the exciting Coney Island-style boardwalk. Reminiscent of turn-of-the-century Atlantic City, Disney's BoardWalk Villas is located within walking distance to both EPCOT® and Disney's Hollywood Studios® park.

Disney's Beach Club Villas

Leisure, elegance and romance abound at this charming New England-style beach hotel — in easy walking distance to EPCOT® and a boat ride to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Enjoy the pools, spas and lagoons of Stormalong Bay, and the many amenities shared with Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.

Copper Creek Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Welcome to new idyllic retreat that evokes a rustic-elegant vibe — a perfect nod to the rich and pioneering heritage of the Pacific Northwest. Consider this your new go-to vacation base camp when pining for serene surroundings located just around the riverbend from Magic Kingdom® Park. Standout features include a full range of accommodations with modern amenities from Deluxe Studios to One-Bedroom Villas with a private porch or balcony.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House

The Costco Star Rating assigned to each hotel is only intended as a guideline. The rating is based on information that has been compiled by Costco Travel buyers and might differ from other references.

Property offers the ultimate in elegance and sophistication, with highly personalized service and hospitality.

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♦Early Theme Park Entry provides guests of Disney Resort hotels a 30-minute jump on their day available at all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks subject to capacity. For this benefit, you'll need valid park admission and a Disney MagicBand or Disney MagicMobile pass.

♦♦Extended Evening Theme Park Hours - Extended Evening Hours on select evenings at select theme parks. Valid theme park admission, park reservation and Resort ID are required.

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Walt Disney World® Resort

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Additional Time in the Parks on Select Nights at Select Theme Parks

Disney H2O Glow After Hours

Valid for Tickets on Select Nights 5/25/24 - 8/31/24 Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Valid on Select Nights 8/9/24 - 10/31/24 Magic Kingdom® Park

Disney Jollywood Nights

Valid on Select Nights 11/9/24 - 12/21/24 Magic Kingdom® Park

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Valid on Select Nights 11/8/24 - 12/20/24 Magic Kingdom® Park

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Orlando: walt disney world® on-site collection package.

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Orlando: Caribe Royale Orlando Package with Walt Disney World® Tickets

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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 such as kitchens and separate bedrooms, which can be 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.

Related Posts:

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The Only Walt Disney World Guide You Need

Walt Disney World can be a dream vacation destination for families, couples and friends alike—but visiting this Orlando-based theme park without knowing the lay of the land is challenging. As restaurants fill up six months in advance and rides can be booked sixty days before arrival, “just winging it” is not the move at Disney World. Thankfully, you won’t have to stick your nose in guide books for the next year to survive, as we’ve made everything as simple as possible with this definitive Disney guide.

There’s no need to spend time on message boards or frantically Google which attractions to FastPass. Consider your questions answered, your trip planned, and your Disney vacation officially set, thanks to all this free expertise:

Walt Disney World, in a Nutshell

Whatever you’re envisioning, think bigger. With four theme parks, two water parks, multiple golf courses, a sports complex as well as 25 hotels and countless restaurants, it’s less a vacation destination and more of a city sprawl with Mickey Mouse as mayor, as ends of the property span as far as a half-hour drive. Unlike Disneyland, this theme park behemoth is impossible to conquer in one day, so prepare to pace yourself.

Each of the four main parks have a distinctive theme. Magic Kingdom is the “most magical place on earth," home to the soaring castle, princess power, and all the nostalgic classics. Epcot is two parks in one, with technology and future-focused attractions as well as an around-the-world dining and drinking bonanza. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is fully movie-centric, as well as the place for all things "Star Wars," while Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a combination animal reserve, international experience, and otherworldly wonderland, thanks to the new Pandora: The World of Avatar expansion. If you don’t have tickets to the parks or water parks, explore the Pixar-themed worlds of resort hotels and well as Disney Springs, the revitalized area formerly known as Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island that has shops, entertainment and activities open to the public.

When to Visit

Busy season tends to overlap with when children are out of school, but certain weekends and holidays, like Labor Day, are reliably slower. Though the crowds tend to surge at the end of the year, the park is pure magic around Halloween as well as the holiday season (early November to early January), when no expense is spared on decor.

Booking a Walt Disney World vacation is a lot like planning a wedding: there are tons of moving parts, endless options for all kind of budgets, and you’ll want to be weary of cancelation deadlines. We rounded up plenty of advice for first-timers as well as an extra list of pointers , but whether you’re a Magic Kingdom-bound newbie or veteran, we recommend following our Disney Planning Checklist to ensure every portion of your vacation goes smoothly. Hotels and admission can be purchased separately or together, so consider taking time to explore Disney’s discount page and weigh pricing options to see which works best for you. Most importantly, sign up for My Disney Experience , the virtual planning guide that organizes your dining, hotel, and ticket hotel reservations and book FastPass+ choices in one convenient place.

Picking a property doesn’t have to be stressful. This convenient comparison of every Disney-owned resort and shortlist of the very best non-Disney hotels worth staying at will make your selection a breeze. The main difference to note is that Disney-operated hotels offer exclusive benefits like Extra Magic Hours , which grant additional time at the parks each morning or evening, as well as early FastPass+ booking, complimentary MagicBands, and Disney’s Magical Express airport bus transportation, while external properties can often be either more cost-effective—or, in the case of the impeccable Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort , much more luxurious. Many hotels are near Disney parks, but only a few are walkable: Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers a pathway to the Magic Kingdom, while Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club Resort, Beach Club Resort, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin have a pedestrian entrance at Epcot’s World Showcase.

Walt Disney World sells two formats of theme park tickets: single-day and multi-day, which lasts two to 14 days. Both can become “park hopper” tickets for a fee, allowing guests to visit multiple theme parks each day, or “park hopper plus," which offer additional admission to water parks and golf courses. (These add-ons can also be purchased separately.) Don’t forget to check for current special offers or feel the need to have a ticket on days you arrive late or depart early; there's plenty to do without paying for admission.

The Disney Difference

Prepare for smiling faces, waving hands, and a greeting of “Welcome home!”, even if you’ve never been before. The staff is extra-friendly, helpful, and willing to answer questions at any time. If problems do arise, Guest Services centers throughout the parks can fix nearly any issue. Walt Disney World is truly its own little world, complete with lots of lingo that first-timers may be overwhelmed by, so consult our Disney Glossary for translations and definitions of all Disney terminology.

From popcorn stands to AAA Five Diamond Award recipients, Walt Disney World truly offers every kind of culinary experience . All four theme parks have quick service options, table service restaurants, and character dining options where royals, movie characters, and Mickey Mouse himself roam the restaurant to greet guests individually. Disney Springs, too, has become a theme park for food with more new restaurants and food stalls than anywhere else in Orlando. Don’t miss the incredible range of dining experiences outside the parks at Disney-owned hotels just because you’re not staying there—it’s practically a must. Restaurants begin taking reservations 180 days in advance and require a credit card guarantee; no-shows and same-day cancelations will incur a $10 charge per person. If any of it seems overwhelming, Disney World vacation packages offer a Disney Dining Plan option, allowing guests to pre-pay for their meals in exchange for dining credits to use each day. Disney parks are also extremely accommodating of food restrictions and allergies, so if needed, be sure to inquire upon arrival.

Michela Sieman/Travel + Leisure

Though Walt Disney World is intrinsically tied to childhood, the options to imbibe on property are unparalleled. The resort not only prides itself on having one of the most impressive sommelier programs in the country, but creates interesting cocktails, unique beer lists, and wide-ranging wine menus for its properties. From a tiki bar to a tequila cave, there are a multitude of wonderful watering holes, and if you haven’t been in forever, Epcot’s World Showcase is essentially a worldwide bar crawl. Many Disney World drinks are cult favorites , and as of recently, alcohol is (technically) served at all four theme parks. The Magic Kingdom was famously dry, but a selection of wine, champagne, or beer is now offered to customers dining at certain table service restaurants .

Attractions

Disney World offers low-key attractions for young children and the action-averse, but there is plenty for thrillseekers, too , with rides featuring massive drops, hairpin turns, serious G-forces, and even inversions. Unlike traditional amusement parks, there’s something here for everybody, and it’s easy to get the very best seats or skip the wait. Many attractions offer FastPass+—Disney’s program allowing all guests to “skip the line” on multiple rides each day. Plotting out which rides to FastPass in advance is more of an art than a science, but our definitive FastPass+ guide makes it easy.

Entertainment

It’s not just boat rides and roller coasters—between the stage shows, evening entertainment, and “streetsmosphere," there’s plenty to see, most without even having to wait in line.

Daily performances of Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom and Mickey’s Friendship Faire at Magic Kingdom are wondrous sights, as are taking to the streets to see Star Wars’ stormtroopers at Hollywood Studio’s March of the First Order or a fire-breathing dragon crawl down Main Street, USA in Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy parade. When the sun sets, Disney World comes alive, with three nightly fireworks shows and entertainment at nearly every park. Shows like Epcot’s IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth and Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are classic crowd favorites, and that same park’s bombastic Star Wars-themed fireworks display can’t be missed. By Spring 2017, Magic Kingdom will unveil a new fireworks and projection show and Animal Kingdom will host new nighttime entertainment, bringing with it extra excitement, even if you’ve been before.

If you’re flying to Florida and traveling without a rental car, be sure to bring all your necessities, as there is no drugstore or grocery market accessible by Disney transportation.

Hotel gift shops carry a limited amount of toiletries, dry goods, and medicine, but Disney experts often ship necessities like water bottles and diapers directly to their Disney resort in advance of their arrival. (Expect a $5 handling charge per package.) Comfortable shoes are a must—you’ll walk more than you ever have in your life—and the weather shifts often, so toss in extra layers for nighttime and ponchos in case of rain. No spare room in your luggage for souvenirs? Disney gift shops can ship your purchases home, no problem.

Getting There

Orlando International Airport is the main airport servicing Walt Disney World and its surrounding areas. Guests at Disney-operated hotels are given free round-trip coach bus transportation to and from the airport, also known as MCO, on Disney’s Magical Express ; the approximately 40-minute drive can be up to $75 via taxi or $65 in an Uber. UberX pick-ups at the Orlando airport are not currently available, but drop-offs for departing flights are.

How to Get Around

Walt Disney World Transportation shuttles guests between Disney hotels and theme parks every 20 or so minutes, with drop-offs just a short distance from the front gate of each park. Because of this, Disney World is entirely doable without a car, yet some families prefer one for convenience. Standard parking costs $20 each day at theme parks, which can be used at all interchangeably. (Note that Magic Kingdom’s parking lot is at the nearby Ticket & Transportation Center, which requires an additional ferry ride to reach the park; taxis and Ubers conduct Magic Kingdom pick-ups and drop-offs from here as well.) There are options more scenic than cars, like the Disney Monorail which shuttles guests between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot or boats which operate between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. (Transportation to the parks via both methods is also available from select hotels.) As for Uber, Disney parks have become lenient to the ride-share service, but integration across the property is not yet seamless. If you’re trying to find your way through the parks themselves, the My Disney Experience app offers reliable walking directions and arrival times.

Make Your Trip Your Own

We’ve created travel guides to help everyone from skeptical parents and VIPs with money to burn to budget-conscious visitors and those who haven’t been to Disney World in decades . Whether you’re hoping to plan your dream Disney wedding , take a perfect honeymoon or simply go on aromantic couple’s trip, there are plenty of ways to tone down the family aspects and make Disney nothing short of sentimental. And, no matter if you visited last year or last century, you can make your Disney trip a little more special with our expert’s advice and in-the-know tips that will make any trip extraordinary.

What's Coming in the Future

There is plenty heading to Walt Disney World in 2017, but once Pandora — The World of Avataropens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in May, the next major Walt Disney World expansion will be Toy Story Land , a movie-themed area with rides and larger-than-life props slated to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios sometime in 2018. There are plenty more hotel expansions, dining locations and nightlife debuts to come, but the most noteworthy opening will be Star Wars Land, which will open in 2019.

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Walt disney world® resort vacations & packages.

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Visit Walt Disney World® Resort

Walt disney world® resort vacations and packages.

Disney World packages are your ticket to a magical kingdom of entertainment, where you'll be enchanted at every turn. With 4 theme parks and 2 water parks to explore, there's a lot to pack in. Make memories on Disney World trips with your favorite characters, stay at themed hotels or resorts, and watch the fireworks sparkle above Cinderella Castle. Walt Disney World® Resort is just 15 miles from Orlando International Airport and makes the perfect base for exploring the wider area. Visit the beach or check out the Kennedy Space Center for a change of pace. Discover the magic of Walt Disney vacations with Expedia.    

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Clearwater Beach Day Trip

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Cypress Forest Guided Kayak Nature Eco-Tour

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Key information on walt disney world® resort packages, top things to do on disney world vacations.

With 4 theme parks and 2 water parks, Walt Disney World® Resort has everything you need for a magical Orlando vacation . Here's what not to miss during your stay:

• Magic Kingdom® Park : Be transported to fantasy lands at the resort's most famous theme park, catch the iconic Cinderella Castle fireworks show, and meet your favorite Disney characters.
• Epcot® : Go on an aquatic journey with Moana and blast off into distant galaxies as you explore the fantastical worlds of Epcot®. The annual International Flower and Garden Festival is held here, too.
• Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park : Spot elephants and lions on a safari through Africa, take a thrilling roller-coaster ride to Mount Everest, and marvel at the 3D film that brings tiny bugs to life.
• Disney's Hollywood Studios® : Dive into the glitzy world of Hollywood with this movie-themed Disney park. Catch the Sunset Boulevard show with Mickey Mouse and join the stars at the popular Frozen sing-along.
• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park : Ride the flumes, jump around in the wave pools, or relax on sandy beaches at these epic water parks. There are attractions here for all ages, so you can take the whole family.

For further Hollywood-inspired thrills on Disney World vacations in the Orlando area, check out Universal Studios Florida® or visit Disney Springs® for shopping, dining, and live music.

Where to stay

A huge range of hotels, resorts, and private vacation rentals can all be booked as part of Disney World travel packages on Expedia. You'll just need to decide whether you prefer the convenience of an on-site hotel or fancy staying outside the resort instead. Here's what to consider:

On-site: By staying on-site, you'll have easy access to the parks, either on foot or with complimentary shuttles and monorails. Transport to the parks from the hotel is usually included in Disney World vacation packages, keeping things simple and efficient. Being so close to the attractions means you can fit more into your day.

On-site hotels are often Disney-themed too, so you'll enjoy a fully immersive stay. Use the filter on Expedia to find properties that are close to the parks, like Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge® , Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel® , and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve® .

Off-site: It can be cheaper to stay off-site on Disney World trips as there's more competition between hotels to keep prices low. Popular areas include Lake Buena Vista, Kissimmee, and Bay Lake.

Properties like Orlando World Center Marriott and Buena Vista Suites offer shuttle services to the Disney parks and have their own facilities too if you fancy a change of scene. You also have a choice of luxury hotels here, including the Waldorf Astoria , Hyatt Regency , and Ritz-Carlton . If you'd prefer not to sleep in a Disney-themed hotel to avoid sensory overload, then staying off-site is the answer.

Cost of vacation packages to Disney World

A 2024 Disney World flight and hotel package could cost from $264. For your convenience, many bundles include everything from accommodation and transfers to meals and Disney World tickets. Packages on Expedia can be tailored to your budget, so you know you're getting a good deal.

Play around with dates to see how they affect the cost of your trip. Traveling mid-week or outside the school summer vacation period can significantly reduce the price. You can also try changing your hotel location for a cheaper rate. Staying outside the resort can cost a lot less than an on-site hotel.

Family-friendly trips to Disney World

Walt Disney World® Resort is every kid's dream, but it's great fun for adults too. There's something for everyone here in Orlando, with special Disney World packages that are sure to keep the whole family entertained.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly hotels and resorts on Expedia that will appeal to younger travelers and teenagers alike. Use the search filter to choose the number of bedrooms you need. You can also narrow down your results to include specific amenities like swimming pools, cribs, and hotels with waterpark access.

How to find Disney World package deals

It's easy to book a Disney World vacation on Expedia, with the search engine working hard to find you a bundle to suit your budget. You can choose from a range of Disney World packages or create your own bespoke trip.

Start by selecting your hotel, resort, or vacation rental before searching for your preferred dates. Then, you can add everything from flights and car rentals to airport transfers and park tickets for a fully customized package deal.

FAQs for Disney World vacations

Is booking disney as a package more cost-effective.

Walt Disney packages can work out cheaper than buying all the elements of your vacation separately. You can bundle together everything you need on Expedia, including flights, accommodation, park tickets, and even other attractions in the area. The search engine will pull together prices for a huge number of different hotels and flights to quickly display some of the best prices for your chosen itinerary. Booking a package is also more convenient and hassle-free, so you can just sit back and enjoy your vacation.

What is the cheapest month to visit Walt Disney World® Resort?

The most expensive time to visit Walt Disney World® Resort is during the school vacation periods when prices are at their highest. You will enjoy extended park opening hours and special events during the summer, so there are benefits to visiting at this time of year. If you can be flexible with your dates and don't mind the cooler weather, you'll find that Disney World packages are cheaper in the off-season months. Some of the best rates can be found on stays between January and March, as well as November.

What's included in a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation package?

The benefit of booking Disney World hotel and flight packages is that everything you need for your vacation is included. That way, you don't need to worry about having to pay for extra elements and can just enjoy your stay stress-free. Your package can include as much or as little as you like, so you can fully customize your trip. On Expedia, you can add everything from flights and hotels to car rentals and tours to your package. Activities can always be added on later if required, too.

How much does a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation package cost?

The price of Orlando Disney packages varies according to the standard of hotel you choose. Rates for 2024 Disney World vacations could cost from $264. You can use the filters on Expedia to set a minimum and maximum price to find properties and rentals that best suit your budget and travel style. Your length of stay also determines the overall price, so consider going for a shorter period if you're keeping an eye on your costs. If you stay at one of the on-site resorts or hotels, you'll be closer to the parks, so you can make the most of your day rather than spending time traveling.

Can you visit both Walt Disney World® Resort and Universal Studios® on one trip?

Absolutely—Walt Disney World® Resort and Universal Studios® are just 9 miles apart, so it's easy to combine the 2 in a single trip. You can even stay at the same hotel to keep things easy and hassle-free. To make the most of both attractions, a 6-day stay is recommended. That way, you can visit all 4 of the Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks and also spend a couple of days at Universal Studios®. Don't have that much time? Split your days equally between the 2, as each has so much to offer.

How far in advance should you book a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation package?

For some of the best deals, it's a good idea to book Disney World vacations well ahead of your visit. Prices can rise in the weeks leading up to a stay, so it's usually cheaper to make reservations months in advance. You can sometimes find discounted prices at the last minute, but this isn't guaranteed, so it's best to play it safe. If you're including an international flight in your Disney World package, you can normally book these 12 months in advance on Expedia. By making an early reservation, you'll also have a choice of seats.

Are flights included in Disney World packages?

Yes, you can easily add either domestic or international flights to Disney World vacations by using Expedia. It's often cheaper to bundle your accommodation and airfare together, so this is a great way to keep costs down. The nearest airport is Orlando International Airport, just 17 miles away. Most hotels will offer airport transfers, but if this is something you need, use the filter on Expedia to ensure that a shuttle is provided.

If you can't travel, can you cancel Disney World vacation packages?

When you book trips to Disney World on Expedia, many hotels give the option of free cancellation. The rate is sometimes higher than a non-refundable price, but if you think your plans might change, this can give you peace of mind. You might also be able to make changes for free if you've booked your Disney World Orlando packages within the last 24 hours. Check the booking conditions so you know what to expect.

Reviews of Walt Disney World® Resort

5/5 - excellent.

Definitely stop at Walmart and pick up all your Disney apparel

Too much walking, most of waiting areas have no shade

Kennedy Space Center Seaworld Magic Kingdom

We had dinner at Boma and it was an excellent buffet. We really enjoyed it.

Pricing was the same on line as it was getting them at the resort we stayed at

Check all the extra $$ needed for resort fees, parking and bell hops before booking a room!

Popular places to visit

• Magic Kingdom® Park

One of the most famous theme parks in the world offers a land of fun and fantasy at the foot of a fairytale castle.

Beachcomber Beach

Why not spend a lazy afternoon at Beachcomber Beach during your trip to Lake Buena Vista? Discover the top-notch restaurants and entertainment choices in this family-friendly area.

Tibet Butler Preserve

Explore the lovely green spaces of Tibet Butler Preserve and enjoy the golf courses in Windermere. Check out the shops and top-notch restaurants in this family-friendly area.

Grand Cypress Golf Club

Play a few rounds of golf at these Nicklaus-designed, award-winning courses which are located in the very heart of sunny Orlando.

Design your own race car and take an international food safari at the theme park that celebrates human achievement.

Norway Pavilion

Bring your family to Norway Pavilion and have a fun-filled day at this theme park in Lake Buena Vista. Discover the top-notch restaurants and acclaimed theater scene in this family-friendly area.

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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 how to plan a trip that's fun and memorable without too much stress along the way.

With 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, 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 really 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 located 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 are 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 Dec. 31, 2024.

Disney typically opens reservations for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2025 availability around that time. If your plans change, you can cancel your room-only reservation up to five days in advance of arrival for a full refund. Ticket and hotel vacation packages must be canceled 30 days in advance 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 Dec. 31, 2024. Disney typically releases tickets for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2025 availability around that time.

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.

Until Jan. 9, 2024, you must have a Disney ticket and make a theme park reservation to enter a Disney park.

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 10 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, but 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, but also exciting new rides like Tron: Lightcycle Run and the soon-to-open Tiana's Bayou Adventure .

Epcot opened in 1982 and has changed drastically in the four decades since. Epcot's core message, 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, where you can visit pavilions that celebrate the arts, culture and customs of 11 countries around the world.

There are a lot of 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 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, like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror drop ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Indiana Jones 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 multi-day 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, but 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 will add to the cost of your vacation.

The first add-on you might want to strongly consider is Disney Genie+ . This skip-the-line service allows you to skip the standby line and enjoy shorter wait times for rides by utilizing Disney's Lightning Lanes.

Currently, you can only purchase it on the day of your visit beginning at 7 a.m. and the price ranges between $15 and $35 per person, per day. A handful of attractions at each park require a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase to skip the line, often for the newest rides, but many rides are available with Genie+. You don't need to purchase Genie+ to buy individual Lightning Lane selections and vice versa. The individual Lightning Lane attraction pricing varies by attraction but typically ranges between $7 and $25 per person per attraction for rides like Tron: Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

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 multi-day Memory Maker which covers your entire vacation. You can save $25 on a multi-day Memory Maker when you purchase 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 number of existing ticket stock available at the old prices while supplies last.

Related: We saved every receipt — here's how much it actually costs to go to Disney World

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

You can also use points 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 points after spending $4,000 within the first three months, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit in the first cardholder year. You can use those 75k points as the same as $750 towards travel . And 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. With the current offer, you could save $1,000 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, weekdays typically see lower crowds than weekends and school breaks.

Or, 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 Orlando International Airport or Orlando Sanford International Airport, 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 no longer charges 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 , 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 direct 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. Which transportation options you have access to will depend on which hotel you are staying in.

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 you are 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 pick-up 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 run 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 more centrally located near Disney's theme parks, as well.

Deluxe Disney resorts are the most expensive, ranging between $400 to $700 per night and up for a standard room, but 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 (non-resort 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 (this benefit is 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.

Here 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 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, but you are still 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 (DVC) points. DVC is Disney's version of a timeshare program. DVC members can rent out their points to non-members through sites like David's Vacation Club Rentals , helping you to save hundreds of dollars versus booking directly through Disney. The trade-off is that availability is limited and that the cancellation policies are much less flexible than if you make the reservation direct 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 also 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 located 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 are going to have to decide which Disney World restaurants you most want to visit. Dining options run the gamut from the predictable burger and fries 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, but there are a few popular restaurants that book up almost as quickly 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. Remember, that is 60 days prior to your visit — if you are staying at a Disney World hotel, you can make reservations for your entire vacation 60 days prior to your 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. Satuli 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," and 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, but 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 a service called Disney Genie+ that helps you skip the standby line and get on more attractions with shorter waits.

With Disney Genie+, 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 Disney Genie+ varies per park and per day. The service starts at $15 per person per day and occasionally reaches a per-person price of $35 per day during the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season or in April during spring break. You can purchase Genie+ for one of Disney World's four theme parks or a "multiple park" option valid at all four parks when you purchase through the My Disney Experience app.

Most attractions are included in the Disney Genie+ service, but one or two attractions at each park require a separate Lightning Lane purchase to skip the line. It's not necessary to purchase Genie+ to buy individual Lightning Lane selections and vice versa. The individual Lightning Lane attraction pricing varies by attraction but typically ranges between $7 and $25 per person, per attraction.

Read our full guide to Disney Genie+ .

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 30-45 minutes before that time. 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 (DAS). 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. Here are the best cards to get those points.
• Utilize 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 and 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 pre-trip 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 Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lanes 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, but 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. Popular meet-and-greets also offer Genie+ Lightning Lane access, which can cut down on the time you spend waiting to meet Mickey, Moana or Cinderella.
• Decide if you want to purchase PhotoPass photos : You can save money on Disney Memory Maker by purchasing in advance 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 Genie+: As helpful as Genie+ can be, there is a bit of a learning curve. Study up using our Genie+ guide and Disney's own overview before your visit. It's good to know which attractions participate in Genie+, 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 and 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 most certainly will not play out exactly how you planned.

Keeping a loose itinerary leaves room for magic moments like stumbling upon a favorite character, noticing a super-short 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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Admission to Disney's Blizzard Beach or Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park is dependent upon whichever is open. Please check our Know Before You Go 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.

Tee times are required for Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course and are subject to availability. ESPN Wide World of Sports admission valid only on event days; some events require an additional admission charge; there are no events on certain days; days and hours of operation of concessions, venues and attractions vary. Visit www.espnwwos.com for more information.

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• Countless memories are waiting to be made at Magic Kingdom Park . Watch in wonder as fairy tales come to life and dreams become reality.
• Explore an all-new land at Disney's Hollywood Studios - Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Live your Star Wars adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
• Become immersed in the magic of nature like never before as you explore Pandora - The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park .
• Looking for something delicious? Epcot is now more flavourful than ever with festivals offering the best in food, art, music and more.

Discover Walt Disney World

The CHEAPEST Way to Get From the Orlando Airport to Disney World

in Disney Parks , Featured , Theme Parks , Travel , Walt Disney World

Tens of millions of people travel to Central Florida every year to visit the Walt Disney World Resort. While many of them choose to drive to save a little bit of money, millions more take to the skies out of either choice or necessity.

They typically fly into the Orlando International Airport, which is only about half an hour away from The Most Magical Place on Earth. However, they have to figure out how to get from the airport to Disney World and start their vacation.

Related: Our Best Suggestions for Traveling to Disney Resorts from the Airport

For years, Disney worked with Mears Transportation to get its guests to and from their Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Then, in 2005, Disney began its own bus service called the Magical Express. The Magical Express would pick guests up from a designated spot in the airport and drop them off at their hotel. And the best part? It was completely FREE!

Related: Disney World Removed a Ton of Free Services, Leaving Guests Feeling Nickel and Dimed

Sadly, in 2021, Disney — under the leadership of unpopular CEO Bob Chapek — announced that the Magical Express would be ending in early 2022. They cited consumer preferences as the reason for ending the Magical Express, but guests fought back against that notion, claiming that Bob Chapek was just trying to be cheap and save money.

It’s been more than two years since the Magical Express ended, and Disney World guests still voice their frustration over the change. Many are finding getting from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Disney World difficult and expensive. Uber and Lyft can be quite pricey, and Mears Connect is $16 each way.

Related: Fired Disney CEO Bob Chapek Rips Bob Iger’s Plans For Company

But it doesn’t have to be!

Guests arriving at MCO can take the Lynx bus, and it will drop them off in Disney Springs . From there, they can board the Disney bus that will take them to their Disney Resort hotel. While it is not the most direct route, the price can’t be beat. To take the Lynx bus to Disney Springs is just $2 one way. Yes, only $2!

If you would like to take the Lynx bus to Disney Springs, then you’ll want to head to Terminal A. There, the bus will pick guests up in spots 38 through 41. The route guests want to look out for is called Link 311.

The one-way trip will take about one hour.

What is your preferred way to get from MCO to Disney World? Do you think Disney should bring back the Magical Express? Let us know in the comments!

The ultimate guide to Orlando’s best theme parks

A holiday to Orlando tops most families’ bucket lists thanks to year-round sunshine, child-friendly accommodation and world-famous theme parks.

With their magical mix of high-octane thrills, traditional charm and dazzlingly detailed immersive theming, Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort are fail-safe favourites for any parent planning a Florida trip their kids will never forget.

Throw in big-name attractions from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Toy Story, Marvel, Frozen, Minions and Jurassic Park and it’s no surprise that Orlando is the most popular destination in the US for British visitors.

However, there’s more to a holiday in Orlando than simply buying theme park tickets. From navigating queues for the most popular rides to cutting costs in the parks, here’s what I’ve discovered on my visits to Florida to help you have a stress-free holiday to remember.

Read more on USA travel :

• Best cities to visit in Florida, from Miami to Jacksonville
• The best US National Parks to visit
• Best beaches in Florida for pure white sands, turquoise waters and rolling dunes

When should I book?

As early as possible to nab the cheapest flights and best hotel deals. Standard rooms at Disney’s most affordable properties sell out first, yet offer the same perks as the priciest on-site hotels, including free resort transportation to Disney World’s four parks, early park entry and advance restaurant booking.

Check disneypackages.co.uk for early booking bonuses too. Rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort with its three heated pools and nightly campfires start from £126pp per night in 2024 including direct flights, dining credit and park tickets. You’ll save even more if you can avoid school and US holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break in March and April. The quietest months include January, February, May, late August, September and early November.

Should I book the cheapest hotel at Universal Orlando Resort?

Not always. Rooms at the three most expensive Universal hotels – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort – start at £369 per night but include an Express Pass to access shorter queues in the resort’s two theme parks, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Even in peak season, it’s almost always cheaper to stay at one of these if you’re considering buying Express Passes anyway as these start at £91pp a day. Remember the pass includes days checking in and out too, so even one night’s stay will give you two day’s queue-jumping. Consider ticking off the busiest rides before moving to a cheaper hotel for days by the pool or visiting Disney World and nearby water parks. Try Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, which has a surfboard-shaped pool, in-room pizza delivery and rooms from £109 per night.

Can I skip queues at Walt Disney World Resort?

Yes, but you’ll need to buy a Disney Genie Plus+ pass, starting at $30 (£24) a day and requiring a separate theme park reservation and ticket. This can only be bought from midnight on the day of your visit and allows you to use the Lightning Lane entrance at selected rides. You can make your first selection at 7am, then the next once you tap in for that ride or after two hours, whichever comes first. Disney estimates this allows you to ride two to three attractions a day more quickly, but I’ve usually managed more, especially in the Magic Kingdom. Reserve the most popular ride first on the dot of 7am, then pick up reservations for quieter rides through the day, setting a phone alarm to remind you when each booking window opens. If parks are busy, it’s well worth the extra cost and I’ve never waited more than 15 minutes in any Lightning Lane, compared to 90 minutes or more in the regular queues.

How can I make the most of my days at the parks?

Arrive early and stay late as wait times drop when families with young children leave or people head for dinner. It’s also easier to get on rides more quickly during evening fireworks displays. Try to see theatre shows like Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ hilarious Frozen Sing-Along or Universal Studios’ Bourne Stuntacular in the afternoon when crowds are heaviest and temperatures highest. It’s also worth using the single-rider line to fill any spots left on rides by larger groups. This is free and much quicker than the regular queue, but you will ride separately from the rest of your group.

Any advice for Disney World?

The Walt Disney World Resort covers a colossal 43 square miles so consider where you’ll be each day before booking restaurants, so you’re not jumping between the four huge theme parks. On-site buses, boats and monorails are free, but leave an hour to travel between places. Uber is also very reliable, and much quicker and more convenient if time is tight. For dining, book restaurants in advance, order quick-service meals on the app to skip queues and remember that character breakfasts are much cheaper than dinners if you’re splurging on a meal with Mickey and friends. Rides not to miss include the brand-new, exhilarating TRON Lightcycle/Run; Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance; and the spectacular Avatar Flight of Passage.

And at Universal Orlando Resort?

Carry as little as possible. You’ll need to stow everything in free but very small lockers for several rides including The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit with bigger lockers costing $2 (£1.60) a ride. If you’re using an Express Pass, bring a lanyard from home for easy scanning as one in the park will cost at least $20 (£16). Most importantly, go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to sample butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron and ride a real-life Hogwarts Express either first thing or before the parks close to avoid huge crowds. Be warned that wizard robes cost around $139 (approx. £111) so bring one from home or call in at Target or Walmart just outside the resort as both stock a huge, reasonably-priced range of Universal and Disney merchandise.

Travel essentials

A 14-night stay at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida costs from £1,766pp with Walt Disney Travel Company International. This includes accommodation at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, direct return flights with British Airways, $504 Dining and Merchandise Credit, a Disney 14-Day Magic Ticket for the whole party and a $400 Disney Gift Card; disneypackages.co.uk .

Seven nights at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort including Universal Orlando 3 Park Explorer Tickets cost from £2,881 based on two adults and two children aged three to nine sharing a standard two-queen room. A Universal Orlando 3 Park Explorer Ticket costs from £329 per adult and £319 per child aged three to nine, valid for up to 14 consecutive days; attractiontickets.com .

Virgin Atlantic flies daily between London Heathrow and Orlando from £403 per person.

Read more: Taking the Brightline to Disney – why I switched road for rail to travel from Miami to Orlando

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I booked a trip for May of 2025 in Orlando, there are no special discounts for resorts that far out, but if some come up can I still apply those even though the trip is already booked? ”

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Is Disney World’s Jungle Cruise closing? Here’s what to know before your next trip to Magic Kingdom

Planning a trip to see the 8th Wonder of the World? You might want to hold off until the holiday season.

Disney World announced that its Jungle Cruise attraction at Magic Kingdom will be closed because of refurbishments starting Aug. 26.

Why is Jungle Cruise closed at Disney World in Orlando?

The exact reasons for the refurbishment has not been released. WDW Magic does share that several permits were recently filed for the attraction, including one with contractor Underwater Engineering Services Inc.

Theme parks fans know the ride has gone through different "reimaginings," adding new animatronics and details to its backstory. It has not been closed to refurbishment since 2017.

When will Jungle Cruise reopen at Disney World in Orlando?

While the company has not announced a specific reopening date, it has shared on its website that the attraction is scheduled to reopen before the winter holidays begin at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

However, the ride has been removed from the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party attraction lists.

Is there a 'Jungle Cruise' movie? How to stream movie starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt

For those who already have a trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom set for fall 2024, you can still get your Jungle Cruise fix.

Disney turned its iconic rides into a movie in 2021, joining the ranks of "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Haunted Mansion" and "Tower of Terror."

Set in 1917 during World War I , USA TODAY wrote that the Jungle Cruise movie stars Emily Blunt as Lily Houghton, a British botanist in search of a legendary ancient tree that has petals with amazing healing properties and the potential to change medicine forever. She needs a way to get to it, though, and she heads down to South America where she meets Frank Wolff (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), a financially strapped riverboat captain who gives tourists jungle rides chock full of groan-worthy jokes and the occasional factoid.

More: Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson reveal most awkward 'Jungle Cruise' kiss, dirty jokes cut by Disney

Lily hires Frank and set sail in his dilapidated vessel to find their treasure, dealing with pesky natives, rocky waterfalls and other various obstacles on the way. 

The movie also stars Jesse Plemons, Edgar Ramírez and Jack Whitehall.

What other ride, attraction closures are at Disney World resorts in Orlando?

As of July 15, here are the refurbishment closures announced for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida:

• World Premiere Food Court , EPCOT - until July 31, 2024
• Peter Pan's Flight , Magic Kingdom - until Aug. 20, 2024
• Stormalong Bay and Shipwreck Pool , Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort - TBA
• Fantasia Pool , Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort - TBA

Disney Tourist Blog also notes that permits have been filed for Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom, saying it's an "open secret that the roller coaster is closing for roughly one-year." There has not been any announcements from Disney World.

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Lightning Lane Multi-Pass debuts at Disney, replacing Disney Genie Plus

Lightning lane multi-pass debuts at disney.

Visitors planning a trip to Disney can now reserve rides and shows ahead of their visit with the newly named "Lightning Lane Multi-Pass," formerly Disney Genie Plus.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Visitors planning a trip to Disney can now reserve rides and shows ahead of their visit with the newly named "Lightning Lane Multi-Pass," formerly Disney Genie Plus.

Guests staying at a Disney Resort can make their selections at least seven days in advance, while all other guests can make selections at least three days before their visit. Each reservation grants three initial selections, with the option to book more after using the first selection at the park.

Pricing and attraction times will also be available before purchasing passes.

Walt Disney World food prices are outpacing inflation: report  

What's a Lightning Lane?

If you purchase the Genie+ service, you'll be directed to the Lightning Lane when you visit the attraction of your choice at your scheduled time. The Lightning Lane is the name of the line you'd stand in to wait for the ride. 

"It's like the passing lane on a highway...you'll zip on by the stand-by queue, typically with a shorter wait time," Disney said. 

There's a checkpoint to scan in before getting into the queue. 

Not all attractions offer a Lightning Lane. 

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What was Genie+? 

Genie+ was a ticket add-on that guests could buy when visiting a Walt Disney World park. It allowed guests to return to an attraction at a scheduled time instead of waiting in line. 

To use Genie+ for a Disney park trip, guests had to sign up by 7 a.m. on the day they plan to visit. 

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Finally, a Way Around Exorbitant Rental Car Surcharges for Tolls

Temporary toll passes, now free for those who rent cars at the Orlando airport in Florida, allow drivers to avoid charges for toll payment devices. Could this be a model for other destinations?

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

Tolls have long been the curse of rental car drivers, who often find their final bills inflated by per-day charges for access to automated toll payment devices provided by rental car companies.

Now one toll authority in Florida aims to eliminate rental car sticker shock. The Central Florida Expressway Authority , based in Orlando, has begun issuing temporary toll passes available free to travelers who rent cars at Orlando International Airport , allowing drivers to pay for toll road access like a local.

The program — which the toll authority says is the first of its kind in the nation — aims to ensure that a traveler’s last memory of a trip to Orlando is not being gouged by fees for a rental car transponder.

“There was a misconception that toll agencies like us or Florida’s Turnpike were getting those fees, and we’re not,” said Michelle Maikisch, the executive director of the Central Florida Expressway Authority. Usage fees often go to third-party contractors that handle toll payments for rental car companies. “Our governing board is made up of local elected officials and they were getting calls and emails. They challenged us to come up with a solution,” Ms. Maikisch added.

Signs throughout the Orlando airport for the Visitor Toll Pass direct travelers to download the pass app, where they can register for an account with a credit card. After registration, users receive a QR code that releases a toll pass from one of six vending machines near the airport’s rental car counters. The tag is designed to hang from the rearview mirror of a car.

Enrollment requires that travelers deposit an initial $10, which is used to pay for tolls. After that $10 is spent, a user’s credit card is charged each time a toll is incurred. If a traveler does not use the full $10 to pay tolls, the balance will be refunded to the credit card after the tag is returned. Travelers can return the tags at 14 drop boxes around the airport; failure to return them incurs a $10 fine.

Using toll roads to travel from the airport to Disney World typically costs $6.19 in tolls, according to the toll authority. On top of the tolls, rental car companies often charge transponder usage fees. For example, Avis charges $6.95 a day on rentals in Florida once the device is initially engaged — whether or not you use the transponder to pay a toll on any day — with a cap at $34.95 for any rental period not exceeding 30 days.

To avoid excess charges, renters at the Orlando airport must decline the use of a transponder or payment service when they reserve or check out a rental car and, where applicable, make sure the toll transponder in the car is set to the closed or nonpayment position.

While the Visitor Toll Pass program remains limited to Orlando’s main airport rental car facilities, the pass works on all toll roads and most bridges throughout the state.

Orlando International, which handled 57.7 million passengers in 2023, is considered the world’s largest rental car location . Pilot-tested in 2018, Visitor Toll Pass, which has a 99.5 percent approval rating from past users, according to the authority, was expanded to all of the airport’s terminals this spring.

Nationally, travelers have other means of avoiding toll fees, including bringing their own transponders from home — making sure in advance that the transponder is compatible with the destination — or renting from the car-sharing platform Turo , which only charges processing and administrative fees for such things as when drivers incur a toll beyond the scope of the host’s transponder.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

San Diego:  Dripping with flowers, adorned in murals and fronted by gorgeous beaches, the city is almost too pretty to be taken seriously. It excels at being underrated and overlooked .

Switzerland:  Nostalgic for a time before ubiquitous connectivity, a writer ditched his phone and relied instead on serendipity — and hand-drawn maps made by people he met along the way .

Paris:  These six Parisian boulangeries will satisfy your cravings  for the crustiest baguettes, the airiest brioches and the flakiest viennoiseries.

Athens and Crete:  On a family tour of Greece, a writer followed the small footsteps  of some of ancient mythology’s biggest fans.

Izmir, Turkey:  The vibrant, 8,500-year-old “Pearl of the Aegean” has again redefined itself as a hub for international explorers , with a 2,400-year-old bazaar and the ancient Agora as chief attractions.