Hi Carlos,
Welcome to planDisney! I’m honored that you came to us with questions about your first-time Walt Disney World visit. You’re asking some pretty great questions – I hope that I can shed some light on how you can embark on planning the most magical vacation you’ve had yet.
The first thing you need to do is figure out where you’d like to stay. There are over 25 unique hotels in the
Disney Resorts Collection. Each hotel falls under 1 of 3 categories:
Value,
Moderate and
Deluxe. While the Deluxe resorts will have more amenities, you’ll find that kids love the Value resorts due to their immersive, larger than life theming. My own 7-year-old has stayed at several resorts, but his all-time favorite resort was
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. This resort has theming from The Lion King, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid and Cars, so there really is something for every little Disney fan. My little one hasn't stopped talking about our stay yet and its been several years. He's dying to go back!
The best time to save money on your vacation is usually in late August/early September and late January/early February. The best weather in my opinion, though is in late fall/early winter. Another great perk to visiting during that time of year is the fact that you'll get to experience Disney World's holiday celebrations like
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party if you choose to purchase tickets for those.
Use the
Special Offers page to find deals on resort stays and tickets. Give some thought to planning a resort day at your hotel. My family loves to hang out by the pool, relax and enjoy our resort amenities on our resort day. Once you’ve nailed down where to stay and how many park days you need, get familiar with the
My Disney Experience app. This will be your best friend while you’re visiting because you can navigate the parks like a pro with it.
Those are the basics of planning a Disney vacation. Sounds simple, right? It really is. If you’d like to consider a few upgrades for your visit, think about purchasing
Lightning Lane passes which help guests skip the traditional standby queue. They're a great way to save time waiting in line - you can enjoy other experiences in the parks while you wait for your return times. You may also want to give some thought to adding a few
Enchanting Extras to your visit. These add-on experiences are a fantastic way to make your vacation memorable for years to come. You’ll find everything from archery to horse-drawn wagon rides.
Carlos, I hope I’ve provided enough information for you to make some decisions and get started with planning a vacation to the Most Magical Place on Earth. Know that I am
just a few clicks away should you have more planning questions. Good luck with planning, and TTFN.. ta-ta for now.
Sakinah