Hi Steven!
I'm happy to hear you're in "planning mode" for a Walt Disney World Resort vacation! Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question.
I can understand how you could feel a bit overwhelmed when it comes to putting together the pieces of your "vacation puzzle" to make the days flow just right. As many times as I've visited through the years, I still feel like I need a spreadsheet to fit in all the fun things I want to see and do at The Most Magical Place on Earth! While I don't have access to someone
specific you can call or email to help you organize your vacation, I can certainly give you some suggestions and ideas to help get all of your magical plans in order!
When booking a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, Guests can build their own vacation on the
Walt Disney World website, or use the services of an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. I always recommend using a Disney travel specialist, mainly because their services come at
no extra cost to Guests! Disney Vacation Planners can help navigate Park Pass reservations, make Advance Dining Reservations, and help streamline your vacation days so that all your plans flow well together. The best part about using a Disney Vacation Planner is that they will monitor your booking for any discounts that could save you money - who doesn't love to save money? If you've already booked your vacation online, as long as it's less than 30 days from booking and not paid in full, a Disney Vacation Planner can take over the reins and help you complete your travel plans. A search on Google can help you locate an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner near you.
Another tool I use when planning a Disney vacation is to make a calendar chart of my vacation days, with each day separated into Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. On each day, I'll list park hours for all four theme parks and
Disney Springs. Once I've made my
Park Pass reservations, I'll start deciding which
Advance Dining Reservations I'm going to try and secure for each day - I'll even make notes of the best snacks in each park, and what time we plan to enjoy them! 60 days out, I'll do my best to secure the Dining Reservations we want, and I'll add them to my calendar. As an Annual Passholder, I have the option of "Park Hopping" after 2pm each day, to visit the other three theme parks, based on availability and crowd capacity. Guests can choose this option by purchasing theme park tickets with the
Park Hopper option. I tend to schedule my days around the park hours, and "hop" later in the day to whichever parks have the latest closing times. Another thing I always add to my chart is my travel strategy to get from place to place. Walt Disney World Resort is a big vacation wonderland, and complimentary transportation makes it easy to get around *if* you have a plan!
Check out this article with Transportation Tips from planDisney panelists.
I hope these tips help you get your vacation days organized into a practically perfect Walt Disney World getaway. Please come back and visit us here at planDisney for advice from Guests just like you who love to share our Disney knowledge and experiences to help you plan the most magical vacation ever!
Diane W.