Hey there, Leah, and welcome to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by the panel with your question! It’s so exciting to have you hear planning out your very first visit to The Walt Disney World Resort! I still remember my first Disney Vacation like it was yesterday. It quickly became one of my favorite core memories! I’m sure it’ll be the same for you and your son!
Leah, the first place I like to start my
Disney Vacation Planning is by choosing my
Disney Resorts Collection hotel. Resort hotels range in tier from the Value Category, which is easier on the vacation budget, to the Deluxe Category, which typically offers more amenities. I like to recommend
Disney’s Pop Century Resort for first-time resort Guests. Pop Century offers some amazing theming and two forms of resort transportation in the
Disney Skyliner and
Disney Bus Transportation. The Pop Century Disney Skyliner station puts you moments from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This quick transportation time means that you have more time for fun in the Theme Parks! If you are not interested in Pop Century, I suggest reviewing the Resort Hotel listing, browsing reviews, and choosing the best option for your vacation party.
Once you have decided on your resort hotel, the next stop is choosing
Theme Park Tickets. If you would like to visit multiple Theme Parks in one day on your visit, you can add the
Park Hopper Option to your Theme Park Tickets as you checkout. I recommend Park Hopper Tickets when you have a smaller vacation party or spend less than 4-days at the resort. As a family of 6, we always opt for the Standard Theme Park Tickets. My kids are usually Disney-tired after just one park! I suggest considering at least 4-day, Standard Theme Park Tickets. Four day tickets give you the option to visit each Theme Park once and spend the entire day exploring! Since this is your first trip, you will probably want to soak in as much of the Theme Parks as you can.
After your Theme Park Tickets are purchased and linked to your
My Disney Experience account, you can book your
Theme Park reservations. Walt Disney World currently requires Park Reservations and valid Theme Park Tickets to enter the parks, so you will have to create a reservation for each day you plan to spend in the parks. December is a higher crowd time, so I recommend that you reserve your parks as soon as you know which days you are traveling.
These three steps will get you started on your vacation planning! And if you have more questions while planning,
stop back by and let me know! Don’t forget to grab a Celebration button for you and your son once you arrive at your resort hotel! These little buttons are great ways for everyone across the resort to celebrate your first visit and birthday with Disney!
You’ve got a friend in me,
PG