Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World vacation planning

Walt Disney World_® Resort is the most visited vacation spot in the world. It has four theme parks, two water parks, over 25 Disney Resort hotels, and the Disney Springs_® Area. Whether it’s your first time at Disney World or a return trip, a good plan makes all the difference. The Walt Disney World guide walks you through every step, from your first booking to your last day in the parks.

How to plan a trip to Disney World

Use this Disney World planning guide as your timeline. Start six to eight months out and work through each step in order. Here’s the path most families take when planning a Walt Disney World Resort trip.

• Choose your travel dates. Crowds, prices, and weather all shift by season. Picking the right week can save money and shorten wait times.
• Decide how many days you need. Most families need five to seven days: four park days, a rest day, and travel days on each end.
• Pick where to stay. Disney has Value, Moderate, and Deluxe Resort hotels on property, plus off-site options nearby. Your resort choice shapes your daily itinerary and your budget. Compare your options.
• Buy your park tickets. Ticket prices vary by date and number of days. The more days you add, the less each day costs. The Park Hopper_® Option lets you visit more than one park in a day. Learn about tickets.
• Book dining reservations. Popular restaurants fill up fast. Reservations open 60 days before your check-in date. Start with the basics of Disney dining.
• Set up the My Disney Experience app. The My Disney Experience app is how you manage your trip: park tickets, dining, Lightning Lane passes, mobile food orders, and wait times. Get it set up early.
• Plan your park days. Decide which park to visit each day, then map out your must-do rides and shows. A Good Story Vacations travel advisor can recommend which parks fit your family’s ages, must-dos, and energy levels.

When to visit Walt Disney World

Your best time for visiting Disney depends on your family’s priorities. Do you want the fewest crowds? The lowest prices? Warm but mild weather? A seasonal event?

The fewest crowds and lowest prices come in mid-January through mid-February and late August through September. Late summer is hot and humid. January is quiet but cooler. Spring break and the week after Christmas are the busiest times of the year.

Fall has the EPCOT_® International Food & Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The holiday season starts in November. Decorations go up across every park.

Knowing how to plan a Disney trip around your school calendar matters. Pick the best week for your family and then browse crowds, prices, and weather week by week to lock in your dates.

How many days do you need?

Most families need five to seven full days for a Walt Disney World Resort trip. That breaks down to four park days, a rest day, and travel days on each end.

If your family has young kids or anyone who tires out in the heat, plan a rest day after your second or third park day. The resort pool, a water park, or a morning at Disney Springs keeps energy up for the rest of the trip.

Disney ticket prices drop as you add more days. A five-day ticket costs less per day than a three-day ticket. Longer trips save money on a per-day basis.

You can figure out the right trip length based on your family’s ages, park priorities, and travel days.

Where to stay at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Resort has over 25 Disney Resort hotels. They fall into three tiers: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. Every on-site resort has free transport to the parks. Guests also get Early Theme Park Entry, which means 30 minutes in the parks before the public.

• Value Disney Resort hotels. The most affordable option. Rooms are smaller, but you get the same park perks. Good picks for families who plan to spend most of their time in the parks.
• Moderate Disney Resort hotels. Larger rooms, themed pools, and sit-down restaurants. A solid middle ground for families who want more room and a nicer resort feel.
• Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Disney Resort hotels. The closest resorts to the parks, with the best dining and the most space. Some are walking distance to EPCOT or Magic Kingdom Park.

Each tier has a different feel. Value Disney Resort hotels are fun and colorful with large-scale themes. Moderate Disney Resort hotels have more trees, more space, and more dining. Deluxe Disney Resort hotels are the closest to the parks and have the most to do without leaving the resort.

Off-site hotels along International Drive and in the Kissimmee area can save money. The trade-off: no free Disney buses and no Early Theme Park Entry.

You can compare all three tiers side by side to find the best match for your group.

How much does a Walt Disney World trip cost?

A Walt Disney World Resort vacation can fit many budgets. Your cost depends on four things: when you go, where you stay, how many days you visit, and what you eat. A Value resort trip costs far less than a Deluxe resort stay with sit-down dining every night.

Here’s how to think about your budget:

• Resort hotel. This is the biggest variable. The gap between a Value and a Deluxe room can be hundreds of dollars per night.
• Park tickets. Prices scale by date and number of days. Visiting during off-peak dates costs less.
• Food. Ranges from quick-service meals (counter service, around the price of fast food) to fine dining at signature restaurants.
• Lightning Lane passes. These are an extra cost on top of your tickets. Lightning Lane Multi Pass covers multiple rides per day.

Disney also offers vacation package deals that bundle your resort and park tickets together. A vacation package often saves money over booking each piece on its own, and it lets you spread payments out over time.

Disney’s official site has current pricing for vacation packages, tickets, and dining plans. Prices change by season, so check for your dates.

A Good Story Vacations travel advisor can help you build a trip that fits your budget. They watch for discounts and free dining plan offers that Disney puts out through the year. When a deal drops, your advisor rebooks you at the lower price.

The four theme parks at a glance

Walt Disney World Resort has four theme parks. Each one has its own feel, rides, and must-dos. Most families visit one park per day.

Magic Kingdom Park

The classic Disney theme park. Magic Kingdom Park has more rides than any other park on property. Top picks include Space Mountain_®, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Pirates of the Caribbean_®. Cinderella Castle sits at the center. For many families, this is the park that feels the most like Disney. First-time visitors often spend two days here.

EPCOT

EPCOT has four neighborhoods worth a full day. Big rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Test Track_® sit in World Discovery. World Showcase has 11 country pavilions around a lagoon with food, drinks, and culture. The park hosts four festivals each year. The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival in the fall is a favorite.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge_®, Toy Story Land, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™. The rides here are some of the most thrilling in all of Walt Disney World Resort. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash draw big crowds, so arrive early.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Built around nature, wildlife, and adventure. Kilimanjaro Safaris_® takes you through an open savanna with real animals. Pandora—The World of Avatar has Avatar Flight of Passage, one of the most popular rides on property. The park closes earlier than the others, so morning is prime time.

What to know about tickets, Lightning Lane, and dining

Three systems at Walt Disney World Resort take some planning ahead. Here’s what you need to know before your trip.

Tickets

Disney sells base tickets and tickets with the Park Hopper Option. Base tickets give you one park per day. The Park Hopper Option lets you visit a second (or third) park after 2 p.m. Ticket prices change by date, and longer tickets cost less per day.

Lightning Lane

Lightning Lane Multi Pass lets you reserve times to skip the standby line at rides. You buy it through the My Disney Experience app. Lightning Lane Single Pass covers the top rides one at a time for an extra fee. Both are optional. They save time on busy days.

Dining

Disney dining ranges from quick-service windows to character meals to sit-down restaurants. Popular spots fill up months ahead of time. Reservations open 60 days before your check-in date for resort guests. Disney offers a free dining plan a few times per year, and it saves a lot on food costs when it’s out. Dining plans cover meals and snacks at set prices.

Walt Disney World tips for first-time visitors

Planning a Disney World first time trip can feel like a lot. These Walt Disney World tips will help you avoid the most common mistakes.

• Wear walking shoes. You’ll cover 20,000 to 30,000 steps in a park day. Broken-in shoes make a real difference.
• Arrive at rope drop. Getting to the park before it opens gives you the shortest waits of the day. The first hour is the least crowded.
• Use mobile order for food. The My Disney Experience app lets you order meals ahead of time. You skip the line and pick up when you’re ready.
• Pack a poncho, not an umbrella. Florida rain comes fast and goes fast. A cheap poncho fits in your bag and works better on rides.
• Take a midday break. Head back to the resort pool for a few hours in the afternoon. Come back for the evening when the parks are cooler and the lights come on.
• Download the My Disney Experience app early. Link your park tickets, set up dining, and explore wait times before you leave home. The more you do before your trip to Walt Disney World Resort, the less stress on the ground.

Why use a travel advisor?

A Disney travel advisor saves you time on the parts of Walt Disney World trip planning that take the most effort. They watch for resort discounts. They recommend resorts, restaurants, and ticket types based on your family. And they handle changes when Disney shifts hours or adds new deals.

Good Story Vacations advisors are Disney specialists. They’ve planned hundreds of Walt Disney World Resort trips. They know the details first-time visitors miss. Which rooms have the best views. Which ride to book first with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Which places to eat are worth a wait. Those are the calls a Good Story Vacations advisor makes for every family they work with.

FAQ