AA Mom And Kids Mickey Ice Cream Bar; DinoLand U.S.A.; animal kingdom
  • On May 7, 2013
    Sandra Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    This is our first trip to Disney. And I have to say, it has been so overwhelming on planning it! How does an itinerary work and do I have to tell customer service, when I purchase the tickets, what parks will be visited on certain days?

    Hi Sandra! There's so much to see and do at Walt Disney World that it can feel a little overwhelming to plan a first visit there, but we're happy to help here at the Moms Panel! Doing a little advance planning can really help ensure that you'll have a fun and relaxing vacation, and you can design an itinerary that's as detailed as you like. Some people devise a full daily schedule for their families, but I prefer to just have a general plan of where we'll be and what we'll do each day. The itinerary is just for your family's use and you don't have to have a plan when you purchase your park tickets. You're welcome to visit any of the parks on any day.

    When I'm planning my own Disney vacations, I start by consulting the park calendars for the dates of my trip. The calendars tell you the operating hours of each park and the Extra Magic Hours schedule. Use this information to plan which park to visit each day. If you want to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours, plan to visit the park that has special access for Disney resort guests each day. If your family doesn't like the idea of getting up early or staying up late to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours, then plan to visit a park each day that's not hosting them so you won't have to deal with the additional guests they can bring to a park. If you want to see Fantasmic, plan to visit Hollywood Studios on a day when the popular show is scheduled. If you want to see a certain parade or fireworks show, plan your park schedule around those performances.

    Once you've made a schedule of the parks you plan to visit each day, then you can make your dining reservations at restaurants in or near those parks. Knowing the park hours and performance times enables you to book a character breakfast before a park opens or make sure you'll be finished with dinner in time to watch an evening parade.

    If you need more help, come visit me again at the Moms Panel!
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Meet the Panelist: Amanda, North Carolina

I'm a busy mom of two from North Carolina who loves to find ways to stretch a Disney Dollar so that I can enjoy the luxury of Disney's deluxe resorts and fine dining. Learn More About Amanda

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