Hiya, Porscha! I'm so glad you found the trail of pixie dust that Tinker Bell left for you and followed it back to us at planDisney!
Oh boy! Planning a trip to
The Most Magical Place on Earth is SO exciting, but it also involves making a lot of choices. I'd love to help you do "the next right thing," as my pal Anna says! When I begin to plan for my Walt Disney World Resort vacations, I try to keep in mind three things: when I want to visit, where I want to stay, and where I'd like to eat.
First, decide when you'd like to visit! Do you want to visit in the spring when all the flowers are in bloom? Do you prefer to have an early fall trip with lower crowds? What about a visit during the merriest time of year? If you need some inspiration, take a look at this
Tickets & Visits Guide! You can sort sample itineraries by types of vacations or seasons to see what offerings will be available.
You'll also want to find which
Disney Resorts Collection hotel you'd like to call "home" for the length of your stay. Personally, my husband and I really enjoy Disney's Pop Century Resort, Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, and Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Not only are you able to be fully immersed in the magic, but there are also
so many benefits of staying at a Disney Resort hotel - such as the ability to enter parks 30 minutes early!
Once you pick your dates and your Disney Resort hotel, you can go ahead and
book your vacation package! You'll be able to select your dates, hotel, and number of Theme Park Tickets. After you've secured your Theme Park Tickets for your travel party, be sure to make your Theme Park Reservations using the
Disney Park Pass system! This is the best way to reserve the parks you wish to visit on each day of your trip.
Porscha, how do you want to plan your meals during your trip?
Advance dining reservations can be made 60 days prior to your trip for the length of your stay (up to 10 days) when you're a Disney Resort hotel Guest. For
table-service restaurants, I would recommend doing just that! With
so many incredible restaurants to choose from, you're sure to find one that's just right for you and your travel party. I'd recommend choosing locations that are close to where you'll be for the day. For example, if you'd like to eat at
Be Our Guest Restaurant, make sure that's reserved on the day you're visiting Magic Kingdom Park! For me, I like to plan for one sit-down restaurant per day, then I
mobile order the rest of my meals through the
My Disney Experience app.
I hope this gives you a starting point as you plan your magical vacation! If you have any other questions, please visit us again. After all - you've got a friend in me!
Your Fairy Godmother in Planning,
Michelle