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What You Need To Know Before Planning Your Disney Vacation

If you are planning your first visit to Walt Disney World, congratulations! You will be visiting one of the most “magical” vacation destinations there is, filled with literally hundreds of attractions, rides, restaurants, hotels and events. Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to figure out how to start planning this wonderful vacation? This article will focus on some of the very first things you need to do before you book anything. Doing your research is central to planning the most affordable Disney family vacation.

If you can, start planning at least 6-9 months before you think you want to visit. And then determine when you will go. The best way to do this is to think about your comfort level with things like crowds and weather. To illustrate: if you don’t like crowds, you should not plan a visit during the most crowded times of the year like Christmas, Thanksgiving, spring breaks, or the summer. And if you hate hot/humid weather, stay away from Florida during the summer!

Next, you want to get an idea of the things that you and your family want to see and do while at Disney World. While it may seem odd to discuss this now, it is really important to your planning at this stage to have an idea of which parks your family is most interested in visiting, or if there are any special events that you want to attend. Knowing these in advance will help you plan your trip to coincide with these special events, as well as make the most of your time while there.

To do all this, good planning guides are important to give you an overview of what you can see and do at the parks. I have two favorite planning sources:

1. The Disney World website is a great place to start. as you can order their free planning DVD. To do this, you need to sign up for a log-in, which I recommend that you do. You will then be sent a lot of Disney vacation planning information, as well as be emailed special offers and promotions.

2. The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide is a helpful e-book that was written by a former Disney castmember. With a lot of really helpful park information, it is especially great at providing some excellent money-saving strategies.

OK, you know when you are visiting, and what you want to see and do. Next you need to determine how long to plan your Disney vacation for. Check your available vacation leave, as well as work/school schedules and then get an idea of how long you will need to see everything that is important to you. This relates to an extent to the discussion about the time of year you will be visiting Disney World. If you will be there when it is the crowded or the very hot summer, you will want to allow a little more time: the need for “cooling off” breaks, or navigating through crowds, means that it will take longer to do everything. And if you have little ones, add some extra break time in for them as well.

So generally speaking, how long would it take to visit each park, if you wanted to “see everything”? In my opinion, to see all four parks completely, you should plan for at least 5 full days. If any of the above conditions apply to your plans, add more time.

Finally, before you begin to book anything, decide how much you can afford to spend. In order to plan an affordable Disney family vacation, this is crucial: having a budget right from the start will insure that you are able to keep control of your costs. Be honest with yourself and realistic, and don’t feel as if you need a huge budget for your Disney vacation. It is definitely possible to have a wonderful vacation without spending a lot of money!

Once you have these four things in mind…when you are going, what you want to see, how long you can stay, and what you can afford…you are then ready to start filling in the details and booking your vacation. Lay the groundwork at the beginning, and you will have a wonderful, magical, and affordable Disney family vacation!

Discover how you can save hundreds of dollars when going to Walt Disney World with the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. For help planning your own affordable Disney family vacation and to pick up a free bonus guide that has Disney vacation planning ideas, be sure to visit www.theaffordablemouse.com.

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