Hi Tessa!
Thanks for bringing this question to planDisney!
First and foremost, I apologize for it taking me a few days to get back to you. I was actually out of town on a Disney World trip with my family! Which makes me that much more excited for you to be planning your trip! You're about to make so many special memories.
When
starting to plan a Disney World vacation, I’d peek at the
Special Offers page to see if any of the current deals would work for your family. If any of those work, that’s the icing on the cake!
From there, start looking into
resort options to see where you’d like to stay. There’s such a huge variety when it comes to budget, location, and overall vibe, so that choice will really come down to your family’s priorities. I highly recommend staying at a Disney World resort, so you can
take advantage of the perks, such as Early Entry into the theme parks and being able to book your Lightning Lanes further in advance.
You’ll also want to decide on the number of park days you’d like to do and what
type of ticket you’d like to purchase. I’m a fan of having a
park hopper ticket, but if you’re a first-time guest, a 1 Park Per Day ticket might feel a little less overwhelming when it comes to planning.
It’s good to note that if the child in your party is under 3, they will not need a park ticket!
Once you’ve made those big decisions, it’s time to book the trip! You can do so by following the prompts under the Build Your Vacation section at the top of
Disney World’s website. Then you’ll want to make a
My Disney Experience account. I’ve found it easiest for every adult to make their own account, then link your travel party together via the
Family & Friends List.
Now’s when the fun starts! You can start diving into
what the parks offer, where you’d like
to dine, and whether or not you’d like to use
Lightning Lanes. If you’re visiting over Thanksgiving, you’ll be there during prime
holiday time, which brings extra magic to the parks in my opinion. If you’d like to add on to the holiday festivities, you can consider purchasing separate tickets to
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and/or
Jollywood Nights.
While this is just a general overview for now, feel free to come back and visit us as you start getting more into the details of planning. We’re always happy to answer any other questions or cover specific topics more in depth. Happy planning!
Jenn J.