What You Don’t Even Know That You Don’t Know About Planning a Disney World Trip

Photo credit: Christian Lambert Photography via Flickr

That’s a mouthful.

But it’s true. If you are just starting to think about planning a trip to Disney World, there are some things you know that you don’t know. Like, you might not know which resort is best for you. Or maybe you aren’t sure how Park Hopper tickets work.

But then there are the things you don’t even know that you don’t know. These are the things you might not ever think to google, because you don’t even know the question to ask. And yet, these pieces are incredibly important to a fun, laid back, stress free vacation. Let’s take a look.

1. You don’t know that dining reservations are a HUGE must. And not just that, but that dining reservations open 180 days before your arrival and many do book up completely quite early on. This is a sad issue for families who arrive at Disney World and wander into a restaurant only to hear that they aren’t accepting and walk ups that day. And then they try the next one – same thing. That’s not what you want for your family.

2. You don’t know that Fast Pass+ reservations are extremely important and open 60 days before your stay if you stay on property. Having replaced the old system, these new Fast Passes allow you to reserve three rides per day ahead of time – and that’s a must if you don’t want crazy long lines.

3. You don’t know that afternoons are craziest. Want to see some crazy long lines? Show up to the parks after lunch hour. Want to avoid the longest lines? Show up before the park opens and take a break during the afternoon. I promise it’s not only possible, but highly enjoyable. With a good plan in place, you can still get everything done AND go back to your resort to enjoy the pool or take a nap in the afternoon – while everyone else stands in the longest lines.

4. You don’t know that WHEN you go is an important factor in what your vacation will be like. Some dates are so crazy that the parks close to capacity and people can be denied entrance. Some dates are much, much lower crowds. Some dates are intensely hot and incredibly humid. Some are warm and pleasant. And then there are the various special events throughout the year that can change the atmosphere and crowd levels as well. Not all times of the year are created equal for visiting Disney World, (not to mention the difference in pricing).

5. You don’t know that it’s possible to have a strategy to avoid waiting in long lines at all. Most people assume that Disney World is synonymous with long lines, having heard that from friends or family. But what you might not know is that some people manage to avoid the majority of the lines and wait very little throughout their day. How? Through a very carefully and strategically built plan. What’s even better is that you don’t have to worry about spending weeks and weeks researching and figuring this out if you use a planning service that specializes in Disney like this one. I, for example, specialize in arranging all aspects of a Disney vacation including fully customized touring plans for each day so that you don’t wait in the long lines.

It always seems that one of the most difficult part of planning a Disney World trip is that people aren’t even sure what they are supposed to know before they go.  Now you’re ahead of the crowd with these 5 tips!  If you find yourself really wanting to be ahead of the crowds and having a stress-free experience, with fully customized vacation plans and all arrangements handled for you, be sure to contact me for a free consultation.

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