Planning An Affordable Disney Vacation: Four Things You Must Know Before You Book Anything
Planning your first vacation to Walt Disney World? Feeling overwhelmed by trying to decide where to start? You will be visiting a “magical” vacation destination, with an amazing variety of rides, attractions, restaurants, hotels and events…and it can be confusing to someone new to Disney. This article will focus on the very beginning of the process: what you must know before you book anything. This important part of your research is the best way to plan the most affordable Disney family vacation.
Hopefully starting a good 6-9 months in advance, you will need to first decide when you are going to go. To determine the best time for your family to visit Walt Disney World, it is important to evaluate your preferences for things crowds and weather. For example, if you are not thrilled with crowds, don’t plan a visit during the crowded summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring breaks. Do you hate heat and humidity? Don’t go during Florida’s brutal summer.
The next step then is to determine the things that you and your family would like to experience at Disney World. I realize this seems odd to do this at this part of the process, but it is very helpful to your planning to know which parks you are most interested in, or if there are special events you want to be a part of. You want to know these things at the beginning so you can plan your trip accordingly.
You will find it helpful to have some good planning guides to provide you with an overview of what there is to see and do at the parks. I find two to be especially good:
1. The Disney website where you can order their free planning DVD. You will need to sign up for a log-in on their site which I highly recommend. You will then get lots of Disney vacation planning information and will be on their email list for promotions and special offers.
2. The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide is a helpful e-book that was written by a former Disney castmember. With a lot of really helpful park information, it is especially great at providing some excellent money-saving strategies.
Since you now know when you will be there and what you want to do, you will want to see how long your Disney vacation will be. Once you see how much available vacation leave you have, and check your work/school schedules, you will then need to determine how long you will need to see everything on your list. This relates somewhat to the original discussion about the time of year you will be visiting Disney World. If you will be there during Florida’s hot summers, or the most crowded times of the year, you should plan for additional time: more people or park breaks to cool off will result in it taking longer to see everything. The same applies to if you are bringing little ones, as you will want to add in extra break time for them as well.
So how long does it typically take to visit each park, if you want to see and do “it all”? I honestly advise you to plan for at least 5 full days to see all four parks completely. And if any of the above applies to your plans, then add a little more time.
The final step before you start booking your vacation, is to decide how much you want to spend. To plan an affordable Disney family vacation, this will be extremely important. Having a budget in mind right from the start will help you keep control of your costs. Be realistic and honest about this part, and don’t worry if your budget is not huge: you can still have a fantastic vacation without spending a huge amount of money!
When you are going, what you want to see, how long you will stay, and what you can afford…these are the things you need to know at the very beginning. Once you do, then you can proceed to booking your vacation, and can look forward to having a fantastic and affordable Disney family vacation.
Discover how you can save hundreds of dollars on a Disney vacation with the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. For help planning your own affordable Disney family vacation and to pick up a free bonus guide that has Disney vacation planning ideas, make certain to visit www.theaffordablemouse.com.