Hiya Janice,
Welcome to planDisney! I am Ashley, and I am excited to be a part of your Walt Disney World Resort planning journey. Planning trips to the Most Magical Place on Earth is one of my top 5 favorite things to do. Knowing where to start is half the battle, but hopefully, I can help point you in the right direction.
For me, everything starts with three main questions:
1. What is your budget for the trip?
2. How many days do you want to spend at Walt Disney World?
3. When do you want to visit?
Depending on your answers, you can start looking for the best available deals that align with your trip. I always recommend looking into building a
Walt Disney World Resort Package (which combines a stay at a Walt Disney World Resort Collection Hotel with Theme Park tickets). Staying on-site at a
Disney Resort Collection Hotel has so many perks, and they are priced for whatever budget you have in mind. I also love the ease of
getting around the parks that staying on-site offers. You save a lot of money not renting a car or paying for parking.
Deals on resort accommodations are always being added, so keep an eye out for the best deals that align with your trip timing.
Now even though we don’t talk about Bruno, we can and should talk about Theme Park tickets. If you are a first-timer to Disney World, I suggest the
Standard Theme Park Ticket without the Park Hopper Option. Each Theme Park has so much to explore that you will appreciate not having to miss anything to hop to another park (you might even want more than one day per park).
Once you have your Theme Park tickets and resort hotel accommodations now, you can build on all of the additional experiences such as
Genie+ services,
dining reservations, and
Enchanting Extras. There are so many ways to personalize your vacation and make all of your dreams come true. Depending on what time of year you visit, there are many incredible After Hours Events like my favorite
Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours and festivals such as
EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival.
I know this is a lot of information, but so many resources are available to you in your planning journey (including planDisney panelists). One that you may not know a lot about is Disney Authorized Vacation Planners. These wonderful folks can help you plan your trip in detail at no additional cost to you.
I hope that I have answered your question and given you some tips that will help you begin planning.
Have the most Magical day, and Happy Planning!
Ashley F.