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Planning Your Walt Disney World Vacation

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 7 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #622 in Travel, #27116 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

A Disney World Vacation Planning Checklist

 

The key to having a great vacation at Walt Disney World is planning ahead. You definitely don't want to leave things to chance when you are on a once in a lifetime trip. Disney World is huge and the number of things to see and do is endless. Without planning ahead you may not get the most out of your vacation.

Fortunately, there's plenty of help online. So much in fact, that it can sometimes feel daunting, especially if you've never been there before. That's why I've created this lens - to help you sift through all that info and get to the really helpful stuff.

I've planned so many Disney vacations for myself and others that I've lost count. These are the things that I do when I plan each and every trip.

1. Get Help

Vacation Planners 

Mouse Fan TravelUsing a vacation planner is a great way to maximize your time and money. My favorite is Mouse Fan Travel. They are experts when it comes to Disney World. In addition to the specialized Disney training they've received, the planners at Mouse Fan Travel are also big Disney World fans themselves with many trips under their belts.

The coolest thing is that it doesn't cost anything to use Mouse Fan Travel. You get their services for the same price (or less) than booking with Disney or other suppliers directly - and they do all the work, not you!

They are the BEST in my book - and I think you'll find that many people agree!

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Mouse Fan Travel

Disney Vacation Specialists - No fee & expert more...6 points

Disney World Info Sites 

AllEars.Net

Anything, and everything that you want to know about Walt Disney World can be found on AllEars.Net. I'm not kidding - this is THE best site online to find anything you want to know.

Need to know what time the parks close - it's there. Want to know if there are any vegetarian dishes at a particular restaurant? Just check the menu section. Is there any construction happening at the hotel you want to stay at? You'll find that too.

Keep this link handy because you're going to find lots of reasons to visit AllEars.Net!

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AllEars.Net

Just the best Disney World information site there more...7 points

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TouringPlans.com

How to make the most of your time and spend less t more...3 points

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MouseSavers.com

Great money-saving tips!1 point

Where to Ask Questions 

Tagrel.comSometimes you just want to talk to someone who's been there. When this is the case, I recommend you turn to the Disney online community. There are many discussion forums where Disney World fans connect with each other.

My favorite is Tagrel. The folks there are the nicest bunch of people I've come across on the internet. If you stop in to say hello you'll be welcomed in like you're family. They'll be happy to answer all you Disney World questions.

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Tagrel.com

Friendliest Disney community online!7 points

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DISboards.com

This is the big one! It's the largest online Disne more...0 points

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Disney World Trivia .com Forums

Walt Disney World Discussion Forums - Walt Disney more...0 points

2. Choose Where to Stay

Disney's On-Site Resorts 

Disney has twenty different resort areas right on the Disney World property. These resorts are a little more expensive than staying off-site but I think it's definately worth it. A few of the perks you get when staying in a Disney hotel are Magical Express, free transportation, and Extra Magic Hours. Besides, their resorts are beautiful. I always stay on-site to experience all the Disney magic!

Yacht Club MarinaFor descriptions of all the different on-site resorts, click on the name and you'll be taken to an FAQ page for that resort on AllEars.Net. You'll find all the facts you need plus photos and reader reviews of every resort.

Have you stayed at any of these resorts? You can really help out the first time planners by offering your recommendations. Just click on the little triangle next to the number of your favorites.

Disney's Value Resorts 

Amenities at value-priced resorts include food courts, pizza delivery, luggage service (hourly), swimming pools, bus transportation. (quoted from AllEars.Net)

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Pop Century

4 points

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All Star Music

1 point

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Fort Wilderness Campground

Fort Wilderness isn't really considered a value re more...0 points

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All Star Sports

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Disney's Moderate Resorts 

Amenities at moderate-priced resorts include full-service restaurants, food courts, room service (limited), luggage service, swimming pools with a slide and hot tub, on-site recreation, bus or boat transportation. (quoted from AllEars.Net)

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Caribbean Beach

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Disney's Deluxe Resorts 

Amenities include full-service restaurants, room service, luggage service, valet parking, swimming pools, beach access, on-site recreation, on-site childcare, monorail, boat or bus transportation. (quoted from AllEars.Net)

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Beach Club

1 point

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Boardwalk Inn

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Dolphin Resort

0 points

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Swan Resort

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Shades of Green

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Yacht Club

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Disney's Vacation Club Villas 

Saratoga Springs FountainA very affordable way to stay in some of the nicest on-site resorts is to rent Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points. Learn all about renting DVC points here.

Amenities at these resorts offer full-service restaurants, kitchen facilities, pizza delivery, luggage service, swimming pools, on-site recreation, front-door parking, flexible room arrangements, bus or boat transportation. (second paragraph quoted from AllEars.Net)

Off-Site Resorts 

There are a number of great off-site hotels, resorts and vacation homes. Please add links to your favorites.

3. Get Yourself There

Driving to Disney World 

Here are a few tools to help you if you are planning to drive to Walt Disney World.

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WDW Driving Directions

Handy, one-page printable sheet of driving directi more...1 point

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AllEars.Net Resort Driving Directions

Getting from the airport to your WDW resort, with more...0 points

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How to Prepare Your Car for a Trip

Tips to eliminate some common car-related vacation more...0 points

Air Travel 

Southwest Ding! FaresComing from the Pacific Northwest, I fly to Orlando when visiting Walt Disney World. I usually fly with Southwest Airlines because of their great Ding! fares and how quickly I am able to earn free flights.

When I want to check other airlines, I always start my search at Booking Buddy. It's a terrific site that allows you to search many different travel sites without having to enter your travel information on each site. It's a great time-saver!

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Southwest Airlines

Sign up for Southwest's Ding! Fares.5 points

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Booking Buddy

Easily compare flights from over 40 travel sites. more...2 points

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Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Cheap Airfare, Airline Tickets ...

Compare airfares with SideStep, the traveler's sea more...1 point

Magical Express 

Disney's Magical Express is a free airport shuttle, luggage delivery and airline check-in service for Disney hotel guests. You board a bus at the airport that makes the rounds to several resorts. You don't even have to get your luggage - they pick it up for you and deliver it to your room.

If you don't want to deal with renting a vehicle, and you don't need to stop for groceries, and you aren't in a major hurry - then Magical Express is a great service. I've used it a number of times and loved leaving the driving to them!

Towncar Rental 

Another way to get from the airport to Disney World is to rent a towncar. The great thing about using a towncar service to get from the airport to your resort is that you can stop and pick up some groceries on the way. You can often cover the cost of the rental with the money you'll save by eating some of your meals in your room.

I've used Tiffany Towncar Service in the past and have been pleased with their service everytime.

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Happy Limousine

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4. Choose What To Do

Tickets 

Daylight TomorrowlandYou can save both time and money by purchasing your park tickets before you leave home. There are several reputable ticket brokers. My favorite is Maple Leaf Tickets. I've purchased tickets from them many times and they've always been great.

Disney's ticketing options can be a little confusing if you aren't familiar with them. Before purchasing your tickets I recommend checking out the WDW Ticket FAQ on AllEars.Net.

Beware of claims of extremely discounted or free Walt Disney World tickets offered online. Often these are ploys to get you to listen to a timeshare sales pitch. I will delete any links added below that are not from reputable ticket brokers.

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