The Best First Decisions to Make Before You Book Anything Disney
- Mystee Ipong
- Mar 9
- 11 min read
Before you book a Disney hotel, buy park tickets, or start watching Lightning Lane strategy videos, there are a few decisions that will shape your entire trip. Many families jump straight into booking dates and resorts, only to realize later that they never stopped to decide what they actually want the trip to look like.
Walt Disney World is enormous. The resort covers more than 40 square miles and includes four theme parks, two water parks, dozens of resorts, hundreds of restaurants, and more attractions than most families could realistically experience across several vacations. Because of that scale, the biggest mistake new planners make is trying to figure out everything at once.
Disney planning becomes much easier when you step back and answer a few foundational questions first. What matters most to your family? How do you want to spend your time? Are you trying to maximize rides, enjoy food and experiences, or simply spend time together without rushing?
Once you make a few key decisions up front, the rest of the planning process starts to fall into place. Hotels become easier to choose, park days start to make sense, and you can begin building a trip that feels exciting without trying to do the impossible.
Start With a Family Priority List
The best place to start is not a crowd calendar or a hotel search. It’s your family. One of the simplest and most effective planning tools is having every person going on the trip pick their top three priorities.
Ask each person to choose:
One ride they really want to experience
One park, land, or area they’re excited about
One experience that feels special to them
Example:
Mom
Guardians of the Galaxy
EPCOT food booths
Dinner at a resort restaurant
Dad
Rise of the Resistance
Tower of Terror
Steakhouse dinner
Daughter
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Meeting princesses
Riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Son
Building a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Slinky Dog Dash
Once everyone has a short list, your planning immediately becomes more focused. There is simply no way to do everything Disney offers in a single trip, and trying to will usually leave everyone exhausted and disappointed. By identifying each person’s top three priorities, you set realistic expectations while also making sure every member of the family gets to experience something they were truly excited about.
Decide When You Can Actually Travel
Many Disney guides focus heavily on finding the “perfect week,” but the reality is that most families are limited by real life. School calendars, work schedules, sports seasons, and holidays often determine when a trip is possible.
Common travel windows include:
Spring Break
Summer vacation
Thanksgiving week
Christmas and New Year’s
Early December
January and February
Every one of these windows has trade‑offs. Summer offers long park hours but intense heat. Holidays bring incredible decorations but larger crowds. Winter often has comfortable weather but shorter park hours.
The most important thing to remember is that the best time to go is often simply the time your family can go.
Decide Your Budget Range
Disney trips can vary dramatically in cost depending on where you stay, how long you visit, and how many extras you add.
Before looking at resorts, it helps to decide roughly what kind of trip you want to build.
Typical planning styles include:
Budget‑focused trips
Value resort or off‑site hotel
Mostly quick service dining
Fewer add‑ons
Balanced trips
Moderate resort
A mix of quick service and table service
Lightning Lane for busier days
Convenience‑focused trips
Deluxe resort
Multiple dining reservations
extra experiences or tours
None of these approaches are better than the others. They simply reflect different priorities and travel styles. For many families, the final plan ends up being a mix of these approaches. For example, you might decide the hotel room itself isn’t a top priority and choose a value resort, but dining is important to your family, so you use the money you saved to book a few table service meals or special restaurant experiences during the trip.
Decide Where You Want to Stay
Where you stay has a major impact on transportation, daily planning, and overall trip convenience. Disney resorts are typically grouped into three categories: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe, and each tier offers a different balance of price, location, and amenities. Sometimes the biggest difference is not the room itself, but how easy it is to get to the parks.
For example, two value resorts might have very similar rooms, but one may have access to the Skyliner transportation system, which can make getting to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios significantly easier. Many families choose Pop Century over the All‑Star Resorts for this reason alone.
Staying on Disney Property
Benefits include:
Early park entry
Disney transportation (buses, Skyliner, boats, and monorail)
Lightning Lane booking advantages
Fully immersive Disney experience
Disney resorts also vary by category:
Value Resorts – lowest price point, smaller rooms, big Disney theming
Moderate Resorts – more space, quieter environments, additional dining options
Deluxe Resorts – closest locations to parks, larger rooms, and the most convenient transportation
Location can sometimes matter more than the room itself. Resorts connected to the Skyliner, monorail, or walking paths to parks can dramatically reduce travel time during your trip.
The main trade‑off is price. Disney resorts are often more expensive than nearby hotels.
Staying Off‑Site
Benefits include:
Lower nightly rates
Larger rooms or vacation homes
Kitchens and more living space
However, off‑site guests typically need to plan transportation themselves, whether that means renting a car or relying on rideshare services. Travel time, parking costs, and traffic can all affect your daily schedule, so these factors should be considered when comparing off‑site options.
Decide How Many Days You Need
One of the most common mistakes first‑time visitors make is underestimating how large Disney really is. Each park can easily fill most of a full day, especially Magic Kingdom, and trying to stack too many parks into a short trip can quickly lead to exhaustion.
General guidelines:
3 days
Focus on highlights
4 days
One park per day
5 days
More relaxed pacing
6+ days
Add rest days, water parks, or additional parks
Whenever possible, it is also helpful to schedule a break day. Disney days are long and involve a lot of walking, and having a slower day in the middle of the trip can make the rest of the vacation much more enjoyable.
Good break day ideas include:
Resort pool day
Visiting Disney Springs
A water park day
Resort hopping
Sleeping in
Some families also take advantage of arrival day by visiting a Disney water park instead of a full theme park. It can be a fun way to start the trip without committing to a long park day after travel.
Others prefer to rest during the day and attend a special event at night, such as Mickey’s Not‑So‑Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Taking it easy earlier in the day can help everyone stay energized for the later hours that these events usually require.
Decide If You Want to Visit Universal
Many families visiting Orlando also consider adding Universal Orlando Resort to their trip. This is an important decision to make early because it can affect your trip length, budget, and transportation plans.
Universal is not part of Walt Disney World, and it is located about 20–30 minutes away depending on traffic. Because of this, most Disney transportation options will not take you there, so you will typically need your own transportation, such as a rental car or rideshare service.
Universal Orlando currently includes three theme parks:
Universal Studios Florida
Islands of Adventure
Epic Universe (which recently opened)
Universal is especially popular for:
Harry Potter fans (with lands in two different parks)
Thrill ride enthusiasts
Families with teenagers or older kids
If Harry Potter, major roller coasters, or new attractions like Epic Universe are high on your family’s priority list, Universal can be an exciting addition to an Orlando trip.
If you plan to visit Universal, most trips require:
One full day at minimum to see highlights
Two days for a more relaxed experience across multiple parks
Adding Universal to your itinerary can also influence other planning decisions, such as trip length, break days, and whether renting a car makes sense for your stay.
Decide Transportation Plans
Transportation is another early decision that shapes the rest of the trip, and understanding how Disney transportation works can make planning much easier. Walt Disney World was designed to move millions of guests each year, so the internal transportation system is surprisingly intuitive once you understand how it works.
Getting to Orlando
Most families choose between flying and driving.
Flying usually means arriving at Orlando International Airport (MCO), about 25–30 minutes from Walt Disney World. After landing, guests typically reach their resort by:
Uber or Lyft
Private car service
Rental car
Shuttle services like Mears Connect
Families staying on Disney property often skip renting a car if they plan to stay inside the Disney bubble.
Driving is common for guests within road‑trip distance and provides more flexibility for grocery runs or visiting Universal.
Getting Around Once You’re There
Disney offers a large internal transportation network connecting resorts, parks, and Disney Springs.
Options include:
Buses connecting all resorts to parks
Skyliner gondolas connecting several resorts to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios
Monorails serving Magic Kingdom area resorts
Boats and ferries between certain parks and resorts
Transportation is free for Disney resort guests and runs frequently throughout the day.
However, convenience varies by resort. Resorts connected to the Skyliner, monorail, or walking paths often provide much faster park access than resorts relying only on buses.
Guests staying off‑site typically need their own transportation, whether through a rental car or rideshare.
Decide Your Dining Style
Disney dining ranges from quick meals between rides to elaborate character dining experiences. With hundreds of restaurants across parks, resorts, and Disney Springs, food can easily become one of the most memorable parts of a Disney trip.
Dining reservations open 60 days before your trip, and many of the most popular restaurants book immediately at that window.
Because of this, it helps to decide your dining approach early.
Dining styles often include:
Flexible dining
Mostly quick service
Mobile ordering
Mixed dining
A few special reservations
Mostly quick service
Dining‑focused trips
Character meals
Signature restaurants
Multiple reservations
Some of the best restaurants at Disney are actually at the resorts, not inside the parks, so researching ahead of time can help you discover hidden favorites.
Many families also use grocery delivery to have breakfast foods, snacks, and drinks delivered to their resort.
Disney also offers dining plans again, which bundle meals and snacks into a prepaid package. Many families enjoy the all‑inclusive feel, though it can be a lot of food during busy park days.
Decide Whether to Use a Travel Planner
Disney travel planners can help with booking hotels, tickets, dining reservations, and answering planning questions.
The cost of the trip is usually the same whether you book through Disney or a travel planner, unless the planner charges a planning fee. Many Disney-focused agents charge no fee at all.
However, using an agent can slightly limit direct control over your reservation because some payments or changes must go through them.
Travel planners can also watch for new promotions or discounts and help apply them to your reservation if they become available.
Decide Which Extras Actually Matter
Disney offers many optional upgrades and special experiences, and this is one of the areas where planning a Disney trip can become both exciting and overwhelming. Beyond rides and shows, there are dozens of extra experiences that can add something unique to your vacation, from special events and guided tours to photo packages and themed transformations for kids.
The important thing to remember is that you do not need any of these extras to have an amazing Disney trip. Many families visit the parks without purchasing any upgrades at all and still have a fantastic experience. However, some of these options can add convenience, reduce wait times, or create memorable moments that become highlights of the trip.
This list covers some of the most common extras families consider when planning their vacation, but it is far from a complete list. Disney regularly introduces new experiences, seasonal events, and limited‑time offerings, so there are always additional options you may discover as you research your trip.
Understanding what each experience offers and deciding which ones truly matter to your family can help you avoid over‑planning while still leaving room for some of the special moments that make Disney vacations feel unique.
Lightning Lane
Lightning Lane lets you skip the standby line for select attractions by reserving a return window in the Disney app. Families visiting during busy seasons often find this helpful, as it can significantly reduce the time spent waiting in line.
For guests who want to maximize the number of rides they experience in a day, Lightning Lane can be one of the most valuable upgrades available. It can also make the day much easier for families with younger kids who may not want to stand in long lines for long periods.
Memory Maker
Memory Maker is Disney’s professional photo package. Disney photographers are stationed around the parks and can take family photos, castle photos, and special "Magic Shot" photos. It also includes ride photos.
Many families enjoy this option because it allows everyone to be in the picture instead of one person always being stuck behind the camera. It can be especially valuable for once‑in‑a‑lifetime trips where families want professional photos throughout the parks.
Dessert Parties
Dessert parties are special events that include reserved viewing areas for fireworks along with desserts and drinks. Instead of waiting an hour or more to secure a good viewing spot, guests attending these events are given access to a designated area for the show.
For families who want a more relaxed fireworks experience without the stress of finding a viewing location in crowded areas, this can be a popular option.
After Hours Events
After Hours events allow guests to stay in the park after closing with much lower crowds. These separately ticketed events usually include complimentary snacks like popcorn, ice cream, and bottled drinks.
Because attendance is limited, wait times for popular rides are often much shorter than during regular park hours. Many guests choose After Hours events specifically to experience major attractions with minimal lines.
Water Parks
Disney has two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. These parks feature water slides, lazy rivers, wave pools, and family attractions designed for guests of all ages.
Many families choose to visit a water park on a break day or arrival day, especially during warmer months. It can be a fun way to enjoy Disney without committing to a full theme park schedule.
Guided Tours
Disney offers several guided tours that provide behind‑the‑scenes insights, priority attraction access, or educational experiences about how the parks operate. Some tours focus on park history, while others explore areas normally not accessible to regular guests.
These experiences are often popular with Disney enthusiasts or families who want a deeper understanding of how the parks are designed and run.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a special experience where children can be transformed into Disney princesses or knights. Cast Members help with hairstyling, costumes, accessories, and photos, creating a full magical makeover experience.
For many younger guests, this becomes one of the most memorable parts of their entire trip. Seeing their child walk through Magic Kingdom dressed as a princess or knight can be a moment families remember long after the vacation ends.
Ultimately, the goal with Disney extras is not to do everything available. Instead, it’s about identifying the few experiences that will make your family’s trip feel extra special while leaving room in the schedule to simply enjoy the parks together.
Disney Planning Starter Worksheet
Before booking anything, sit down together and fill this out.
Family Priorities
Trip Basics
Travel dates:
Trip length:
Flying or driving:
Staying on‑site or off‑site:
Park Planning
Magic Kingdom day:
EPCOT day:
Hollywood Studios day:
Animal Kingdom day:
Break day planned:
☐ Yes
☐ No
Adding Universal:
☐ Yes
☐ No
If yes, how many days?
☐ 1 Day
☐ 2 Days
Dining Style
☐ Mostly quick service
☐ Mix of both
☐ Dining‑focused trip
Dining Plan:
☐ Yes
☐ No
Transportation Plan
Flying or Driving:
Airport Transportation:
☐ Uber / Lyft
☐ Shuttle Service
☐ Rental Car
Getting Around Orlando:
☐ Disney Transportation
☐ Rental Car
☐ Rideshare
Extras We Care About
☐ Lightning Lane
☐ Memory Maker
☐ Character dining
☐ Water park
☐ After Hours event
☐ Dessert party
☐ Guided tour
☐ Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Other Extras:
Package Builder
Resort Chosen:
Ticket Type:
☐ Base Tickets
☐ Park Hopper
Dining Plan:
☐ Yes
☐ No
Memory Maker:
☐ Yes
☐ No
Transportation Needed:
☐ Airport Transfer
☐ Rental Car
Universal Added:
☐ Yes
☐ No
Completing this worksheet before booking anything can make Disney planning dramatically easier. Instead of trying to plan the entire resort at once, you’re building a trip that reflects what your family is actually excited about.
Final Thoughts
The biggest secret to planning a great Disney trip is understanding that you are never going to do everything. There will always be another ride, another restaurant, another show, or another experience you could add. Even people who visit regularly still discover new things every trip.
That’s why the early decisions matter so much. When you start with your family’s priorities, realistic expectations, and a clear idea of what kind of trip you want to take, Disney planning becomes far less stressful.
Instead of chasing every attraction on the map, you’re building a vacation around the experiences that matter most to your family. And in the end, those are the moments everyone remembers anyway.
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