Hi Travis,
Welcome to planDisney!
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow since you are planning a visit to the Walt Disney World® Resort! We are definitely here to help you get started and to answer questions along the way. If you need someone to actually make reservations for you, that would be a
Disney reservations specialist or a travel agency. I want to reassure you - with a little research, you can book your own
vacation package. So, let's start with a few tips and then you can decide!
First, take a look at the
Disney Resorts Collection and decide which resort hotels you might prefer. Determine your budget first and then start pricing out possibilities. Be sure to check the
Special Offers. Resort hotels like
Disney's All-Star Movies and
Disney's Pop Century are typically more budget-friendly than resort hotels like
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and
Disney's Contemporary Resort. We have enjoyed each of these resort hotels but really love being within walking distance to a park. Both Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are within walking distance to Magic Kingdom and they both have access to
Walt Disney World® Monorail Transportation.
As you consider your resort hotel options, also think about which kind of amenities you would prefer. My family enjoys having multiple dining options. At Disney's Contemporary Resort, for example, we will dine at Chef Mickey's, Steakhouse 71, and California Grill. On resort days when we just relax by the pool, we will stop in to get a quick lunch from Contempo Café and enjoy the air conditioning for a few minutes.
As you start pricing vacation packages, you will also need to consider how many days you want to visit the theme parks. I always suggest at least a 4 Day Standard
Theme Park Ticket so that you can visit each park at least once. As our kids got older, we did start using tickets with the
Park Hopper® Option, but when they were younger, a standard theme park ticket worked quite well. Finally, consider adding one of the
Disney Dining Plans. If you do decide to add a dining plan, remember that your meals are allotted
per night of stay, so be sure to add up the total number of meals you would receive and make sure that would be enough for your family or group.
Travis, I hope this helps you get started. When we planned our first two Disney trips, I did use a travel agency, but then felt much more confident about the process. You can also always
call to speak to one of the amazing cast members about your trip. Final tip - looking at your arrival date, you could also experience
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. As you continue your research, I have no doubt that you will find your groove with some
practically perfect planning!
Magic and memories,
Donyell