Hey there, Jeremy, and welcome to planDisney! I am happy to help you navigate your First Time visit to the Walt Disney World Resort. The planning process can be a lot to digest initially, but let me assure you that your trip will not be ruined. After all, its Walt Disney World - and there's not a way to ruin that! If your 5-year-old is anything like mine, they will be in awe simply being on the vacation of their dreams!
Jeremy, the first step in planning your vacation is to secure your
Theme Park Tickets and
Disney Resorts Collection hotel. Both of these purchases can be managed online through the Walt Disney World website. I did a quick search for your expected travel dates and found reservation availability at several hotels. If you'd like a recommendation in this area,
Disney's Pop Century Resort is a favorite for my family. Pop Century has great theming, a perfect price point, and the
Disney Skyliner that directly connects to Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. I'm sure your 5-year-old will love whizzing above the traffic on the way to the Theme Parks. If your budget allows, you can also consider a Moderate or Deluxe Resort stay as part of your vacation. I recently stayed at
Animal Kingdom Lodge in a savanna-view room with a view of the animals! It was the perfect way to start a Theme Park morning.
PG Pro Tip:
Rent a Stroller. Your 5-year-old may look at you weird when you pull out the stroller but trust me on this. After walking 2 or 3 miles with many more to go, the stroller will become their - and your - best friend! Each Theme Park has strollers available to rent near the entrance for an additional fee. Keep in mind that the in-park rentals have to be returned as you exit each Theme Park and can't be used at your resort or Disney Springs. Because of this, our family usually opts to rent a stroller using an outside vendor like the Disney Featured Provider, Scooterbug, so that we can use our stroller outside of the parks.
A part of securing your Theme Park Tickets is determining how many park days you would like and whether you need the
Park Hopper Option. Park Hopper Privileges give you the ability to visit multiple Theme Parks in a single day. With your dates, I would suggest buying 4-day Theme Park Tickets so that you get to experience each of the 4 Theme Parks. And since it is your first visit, I would forego adding the Park Hopper options. In my experience, we prefer to spend our time in a single park each day. We enjoy the slower pace and the chance to really immerse ourselves in the park. Having 4-day tickets also gives you the option to include a rest day in your visit. After all, it is vacation! There are so many fun things to do at Walt Disney World outside the Theme Parks.
If you would like to talk through these decisions in more detail, feel free to reach out to a Cast Member by calling (407) 939-1936. The Cast Member would be happy to get your reservation booked for you and explain everything to you along the way. And of course, you can always stop back by the panel with any additional questions you have.
Now take a deep breath, Jeremy. Disney Vacation planning is full of decisions, but the reward is oh so great! Your family is going to have an amazing time!
To Infinity and Beyond,
PG