Planning your Disney Vacation

The Clermont family has 3 Disney World, 1 Disneyland and 2 Disney Cruise vacations under our belt. I've had many friends and family ask me for advice on planning these trips and I'm finally taking the time to go over some of our tips for the early planning phase!

Why Disney? Isn't it mainly for kids?

I get this one a lot. A majority of people I talk to are completely confused by my and my husbands excitement. My first trip to Disney was when I was 17 and just graduated. At first I was completely upset and couldn't see how a teenager could possibly have fun in a place swarming with cartoon characters. I quickly changed my mind. I fell in love with the resorts and the dinning and shows. Throw in a few thrill rides and I had the time of my life! Disney has some high class mixed with the fun and that is what made me a fan. When I became a parent, then I really started looking at the other elements. This is why you don't need to have kids to enjoy these trips and there is no kid too old or too young to enjoy it either. I'll post tips on age groups later. The cruise is the same. I've heard many friends who don't have kids say they've been invited on a Disney Cruise with family members and they turn it down because they hear Disney and think "screaming kid fest". Again, Disney has class like you wouldn't believe. You are not boarding a floating Chuck-e-Cheese. Promise! If you do have kids of your own, but can't see a cruise being relaxing if your kids are with you, wrong again! There can be plenty of moments of alone time mixed with the great family memories.


You freak me out with your intense schedules and major planning! Are you saying I have to do this if I want to have a good time at Disney?

Absolutely not. In fact, I say if planning stresses you out or you don't have months in advance to decide if you can/want to go, then don't worry about it and go! If you have one day to spend there, do it! If you don't care about missing a certain ride, let alone know what rides there are anyway, then don't worry about it! You will still have an amazing time! Hands down! If my family was told we'd have a day a random day at Disney last minute, we would still have an amazing time! (This actually happened once and I will post that experience later as well).

However, yep there's a but! If you have this fantasy in your mind for how your Disney trip will go, you may want to do a bit of research. I have a friend who has a 3 year old daughter. She wrote me saying she made the decision to take her daughter to Disney World within a week. She saw a few things I had done with my girls and dreamed of those things for her girl! Her fantasy included things like an amazing picture in front of the castle (Christmas card worthy), catch a few rides, a mother-daughter lunch at the castle and an epic meet and greet with Ana and Elsa since her girl is obsessed and then leave in the morning because they can't afford more then that one day and she needed to get back to work.
The problem with having a wish list like this (and to many they don't see it as a wish, but very possible) is that in most cases, maybe one thing could actually work out in the end. In my friends case that one thing would be some rides. When I told her this she got frustrated and I've heard it several times. People hate the idea of NEEDING to plan certain things in advance and really can't fathom the idea of their sweet girl being turned away from her perfect lunch at the castle.

Think of Disney World as the hottest 5 star restaurant in the heart of the city. You can't decide on a whim that Saturday night to just show up and ask for a table. They won't tell you to leave, and you could probably stay and wait if you want. But the current diners made reservations months ago. Lets say after hours of waiting you get in. But hey! You heard the chef sometimes does a surprise dish and one friend even told you about a complimentary desert that came out! You expected a perfect evening with all of your expectations met, but it was never a secret that a little heads up was all it would take. Again, you can still get a great meal that night and a fun look around, but if your heart was set on getting right in and certain other details, its on you.

Disney World in particular has a brutal reservation system. I say brutal because it is! If you don't reserve something there is a very very good chance it will not happen during your trip.

Here is my typical planning experience -

About a year out I start LOOKING at various dates. I plug in our party and try out the outcome in different resorts at different times of the year. I compare rates. About every two years. Yes this has gone on since before my oldest was born, so NO! I don't go to Disney World randomly. It took years to find the best deal for my family. If I find a budget and time frame that works I make sure the dates are far enough in advance to make reservations. There is a date that opens up for you to do so. I'm talking on the hour, you get up and login in and with list of hopes and dreams in hand you fight! Sound dramatic? It is. I'm talking "Black Friday" stuff here. I mean hundreds of people logining in a the same time because they're going on the same time frame as you.  Last trip I lost a nights sleep! Even though I was up and sleep deprived, and I signed in at the right moment, a fast pass to meet Ana and Elsa was gone! You would think there would be an uproar right? But for the passes that do work its bliss. Its basically one day of stress and organization in return for a vacation with all your kids wishes coming true. And if, like me you didn't snag that meet and greet you have plenty of time to either say they won't be available, or honestly don't even mention they'd be there at all. My girls had no clue! Problem solved. Most of the time that wish list is more us parent's wish list FOR our kids. I am so guilty of this it's not even funny. But I've learned to "Let it go" (sorry I had to) or I won't have a good time at all.

So here are the questions to keep in mind during the planning stages -

How "Disney" are you?
If your kids have never seen Peter Pan, then chances are the heartache of missing that ride won't happen. If you have no idea who Marie is, then you don't need to sweat looking for character schedules. I had a friend who's daughter only cared about Ariel. So they made that a priority and then had fun hanging out and going on rides with short wait times. They had a great time! If it's your dream to dine at Be our Guest (Beauty and the Beast restaurant) you will not be able to walk up and get a table. People book months in advance. So in this case pick a date far out and be patient.

How many times would you want to go?
I mean in your lifetime. Most families I've talked to said they plan on one big Disney World trip while their kids are young. If that's the case, it doesn't hurt to plan ahead. In the end, even if you use a bunch of tips and save a bunch of money, its still going to cost a pretty penny. Hands down, always. So if its your one time, I say plan! Research other blogs and the websites in plenty of time. The only times I've heard families complain is when they tried to cut major corners to save a buck. They didn't really save much in the long run and had some cranky moments.

Are your dates flexible?
If so, then shoot for off season! I've done Disney World in the summer once and Disneyland in the summer. There is a major difference! I will post about off season perks in another post. If your dates aren't flexible, you will still have a great time! Prepare for higher costs and higher wait times. Summer, Thanksgiving, Spring Break and Christmas break hold a risk of not getting some must dos. My advice if you find yourself only having those options? Don't have any high expectations. Don't have any dreams set or things you must see or experience. Just be! Just take it a step at a time and take in what you can. Another warning, parks are known to close early for parties that are separate tickets and usually sold out way in advance, so don't be surprised if you're asked to leave by 7 during holiday weeks. Or not being able to get into the park at all if it's full capacity. That sounds like I'm being a downer, but by preparing for the worst you can "Let it go" and have more fun.

Do you have a "must do" on your list?
If your child's one dream is to meet Elsa, then you really shouldn't book only one month out. If you are feeling nostalgic and really want to eat at the Be Our Guest restaurant, then you need to book way in advance (months). Disney's websites have lots and lots of tabs listing every restaurant and attraction with descriptions.  I took the time to read each one AND then googled each one and looked at various reviews and tips. The website may simply say "Reservations recommended" but google that bad boy and you might find an abundance of review from people saying "Um log in midnight the night before and fight for it 4 months in advance or you can kiss that chance goodbye!" or "I went to see how long the wait was and we spent over an hour waiting and still didn't get in! My kid was so upset!" If you do the research you might find out about a place you and your family will really enjoy and know how much time you'll need to book it! Another example, know which park is which. I knew a woman who kept telling me over the span of a few months that she really wanted to take her kids to Epcot! I was like "Yes! go! Its great!" She finally decided to do it. She had budgeted one day in that park and two hotel nights due to limited time with it being a business trip. When she got back I couldn't wait to hear how they liked it. I found her extremely mad! Why? Because her kids didn't get to see Cinderella's castle. She felt Disney didn't make it clear that Epcot was a different place. She thought it was all one area and thought it was Disney World and Epcot was a different name for it. As surprising as this might seem for some, it kinda made sense to me. Again, if you don't do a simple look at their website, I can actually see this happening. ALSO! They list high requirements for each ride! This can avoid major heartache! If you do a little research you might find that that $400 day was pretty much a waste because your two kids could only ride a couple things and they weren't very thrilling at all! Also know the difference between Disneyland park and Disney World. There are several differences. If your son is the biggest Cars fan on the planet you don't want to melt in frustration when you find it missing from Florida.

Do you like perks?
Then look into a Disney resort. The perks are extensive. At land I stayed at a "Disney recommended" resort and saved a lot. However seeing how those perks didn't apply, ended up making me feel like I actually lost money in the long run. Again, I'm one of those chicks that does get pretty upset if we don't get to ride a certain ride together AND more then once because I like my tickets to stretch. So if you're a family who doesn't know what Big Thunder Mountain is then you may not feel like you're wasting money.

Now I'll break down the different Disney trips and my opinion on what fits best.

Disneyland and California Adventure
Walt Disney's first park. Its filled with nostalgia and classic charm. Its also way smaller then World. California Adventure is separate and is separate admission, but it's on the same chunk of land. Many described it to me as "across the street" but there isn't even a street, not one with cars anyway. That's how close it is. So you could very well get a park hopper pass to enjoy both in one day and have a great time. Maybe you've been to World and want to go again, but the though tires you out already. I say that Disneyland is full of "Best of" World's attractions. I didn't know a couple years ago that they had Tower of Terror and Big Thunder Mountain etc. This park is also better if you have a baby in my opinion. There are a lot more "dark rides" (these are the slow moving rides that look at a bunch of those animatronics aka "puppets" as some say). For every fast moving coaster/ride we went on three slower ones that my baby could go on.

Disney World = Magic Kingdom/Epcot/Hollywood Studios/Animal Kingdom
The big dog. These are 4 different parks. The distance between these parks can't be reached on foot. Magic Kingdom has Cinderella's castle, and many of the fairy tale rides. Epcot has some fun thrill rides (all very coveted fast passes) and that chain of "countries" you get to visit. Its a great place for teens and adults, my kids happened to love it but its been a hit and miss with other families with small kids. Hollywood studios as some fun movie rides and shows that aren't just Disney cartoons. They have Tower of Terror and a Star Wars ride we love! Great for all ages, but if you have a teen this might be the top pic for them. Animal Kingdom is beautiful and pretty low key. Its the day with the least running around for us. The shows are amazing (Nemo!) and Expedition Everest is one of the best coasters, and last I checked the most expensive ride ever made. That ride alone is worth a visit. This may not be the best park for babies or small children (that don't meet high requirements) My toddler sat out for too many her first trip, the second it was still about 3 she couldn't. Reminder that the website has high requirements listed! Check ahead to avoid heartache! (Lesson learned) If this is your one big trip, I'd say make the time and plan for all the parks. I wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on 4 days at Magic Kingdom and completely skipping the other parks. The amount is the same why not change it up? If its your 2nd trip then I can see skipping one if it really didn't work.

Disney Cruise
If you want to really relax and still enjoy the Disney flair, this is your trip! Look for last minute bookings if your not one to hoard excursions, you'll save hundreds. I'm such a planner that I got really nervous before our first sailing. I had no idea what was going on until the night before. This became the secret of true relaxation for a crazy planner like me. The night before you get a schedule of all the following day's activities. Then I would sit with my family and highlight what sounded fun. Which at first I tried to cram a lot only to find the activities often repeat later! Opps! They have amazing shows and restaurants. The kids center is very safe and fun! Your kids have a tracking device the whole time on the boat. Disney has a private island called Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. Its become one of our favorite places to be! Most sailings have Pirate Night and everyone gets into it! Kids and adults both! Everyone dresses up and you have a special Pirate dinner, then a dance party and fireworks! The Disney cruise was the ultimate relaxing time for me!

Those are the starting questions when thinking of planning a Disney vacation. I'll be posting more specific topics from here on out touching on different things spanning all locations!