How to Plan a Trip to Disney World

A visit to Disney World often finds its place on many travel bucket lists, drawing an average of around 58 million visitors to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and other Disney parks each year. But planning a trip to Disney World can be daunting, especially when you want to make the most of your time and ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

If you’re gearing up for a Disney World vacation, the vast size and endless options available might leave you wondering where to even begin. From accommodations and timing to tickets, park reservations, dining, and fitting in all the attractions you desire, there’s a lot to consider.

This guide is your roadmap to navigating everything you need to plan, organize, and prepare for ahead of your trip. As you dive in, consider jotting down notes on standout points and decisions you make along the way – like choosing the optimal month for your visit with family or friends. This method will help you streamline your thoughts and pave the way for a seamless and enjoyable vacation experience that everyone in your group will cherish.

Ready to embark on your Disney adventure? Let’s dive in!

Getting Started!

While Florida’s weather is typically stable with abundant sunshine throughout most of the year, variations do occur, and rainfall can happen. If you’d rather avoid the disappointment of getting caught in the rain, especially while waiting in line for a ride (nobody wants to be soaked to the skin!), you may prefer to choose a month with statistically minimal rainfall. However, if you’re okay with some rain but want to be prepared, it’s essential to know which months are more likely to require packing waterproof gear.

Weather isn’t the only consideration when determining the best time to visit Disney World. Crowd levels fluctuate throughout the seasons, influenced by school schedules and holiday events. For instance, during Christmas, Halloween, and other national holidays, crowds swell due to school and work breaks, with many visitors eager to experience Disney World’s festive celebrations. Additionally, Disney World hosts its unique events like the Garden and Flower Festival in Spring, attracting even more visitors. While a Christmas trip promises magical moments, you’ll need to weigh that against the likelihood of longer queues for rides.

Visiting during off-peak times is advisable if possible, as fewer crowds mean shorter lines, allowing you to make the most of your visit. However, if you’re constrained by factors like having young children or limited vacation time, there are still better options than the peak summer season.

When deciding when to visit Disney World, consider what you want from your vacation.

Plan Your Days

It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s wise to plan your Disney World visit before purchasing tickets, once you’ve decided on the timing of your trip. There’s a wide range of ticket types and add-ons like Disney’s PhotoPass to consider. Before buying tickets, it’s essential to have a clear idea of which park you want to visit on which days and what attractions you hope to experience each day. Consider the time of year and expected queue lengths – off-peak times allow for more activities, while peak times may require longer wait times between rides.

Each park offers a plethora of attractions, ensuring days of entertainment. Grab a notebook and prioritize the parks you want to visit most, along with must-do rides and experiences. This will help you allocate your vacation time effectively.

For a streamlined experience, consider using the Genie app to create a day-by-day itinerary at Disney World. The app can organize your ride choices by proximity and provide real-time queue updates, helping you maximize your time for laughter and memory-making while minimizing wait times.

Now that your itinerary is sorted and you know which park you want to visit and when, it’s time to book your tickets! This is the super exciting moment when your dream Disney World vacation truly comes to life.

You can book ticket packages for seven days or fourteen days, with options available for everything in between. These tickets cover entry to all parks and water parks. Additionally, you have the option to add on extras like the Park Hopper, allowing you to visit another park after 2pm, the Memory Maker (Disney’s PhotoPass), providing unlimited downloads of all photos taken on rides and by Disney Staff, and the Genie+ service, which we’ll discuss further later on.

If you’re staying with All Vacation Dreams, our expert team can assist you in booking everything you need, taking the stress out of organizing your Disney tickets.

Download the My Disney Experience app and link your tickets

After booking and purchasing your Disney World tickets, the next step is to download the My Disney Experience App.

This app allows you to link your park tickets, keeping them easily accessible and secure. With your tickets stored in the app, showing them on the day is as simple as opening your phone and accessing the app – no worries about misplacing or forgetting them. If you prefer not to download an app, you can also accomplish this by signing up for an account via the Disney World website.

The My Disney Experience app is indispensable for your vacation. Not only does it store your tickets, but it also allows you to make park reservations and restaurant bookings, as you’ll learn more about later on.

Book Park Reservation

Now that your tickets are booked and linked to your My Disney Experience app for quick and easy access, the next step is to secure your park reservations.

This feature is relatively new at Disney World, requiring visitors to make a reservation for the park they plan to visit each day. Without a reservation, even if you have a ticket, you won’t be granted access. Therefore, it’s crucial to arrange these reservations promptly. Fortunately, this can be easily done within the My Disney Experience app. Remember, you’ll need to make a reservation for each park for each day you plan to visit.

There’s an exception to this rule if you’ve booked a Park Hopper ticket. With a Park Hopper ticket, you can visit a second park after 2pm each day. While you’ll need a reservation for the first park you visit, you won’t need to make another reservation for the second park visited in one day. You’ll be granted access to this second park after 2pm without a reservation, provided it’s not already at capacity.

What is the Disney Genie Pass?

The Disney Genie pass is a free service available on the ‘My Disney Experience’ app, designed to help enhance and streamline your time in Disney’s parks. It allows you to fully customize your Disney trip, as it provides planning tools, the ability to order food, secure dining reservations, and offers recommendations throughout your visit via a real-time tip board.

With the Disney Genie pass and its array of free planning tools, you can have your day meticulously planned from start to finish. Know precisely which ride to head to next, keep your dining reservations secure, and even pre-order your meals from your favorite quick-service restaurant. You have the flexibility to structure your day exactly how you prefer, all conveniently organized on your phone. Plus, you can easily access showtimes for performances and daily events to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

Before you even set foot in the park, you can input your “top picks” for the day. This feature is particularly useful if you know what you want to do but aren’t sure of the best order. The Disney Genie Pass will then generate a personalized itinerary just for you based on your preferences.

For those who prefer spontaneity, the Genie Pass has you covered as well. It offers suggestions throughout the day, allowing you to plan as you go while ensuring you make the most of your Disney experience.

Book all your dining through the Genie Pass

It’s very easy to book fabulous dining experiences using the Genie pass:

• It’s very easy to book fabulous dining experiences using the Genie pass:
• First, open the ‘My Disney Experience’ app.
• Look on the menu for ‘My Genie Day’ and select this option.
• Click ‘My Tip Board’ at the top of the screen.
• You’ll see a list of experiences and dining that you can book. You’ll also see information including food order pickup times and walkup wait times.

Are all restaurants included?

You will see a list of all the restaurants that are available on the day of your visit. Once you select one, you will have the opportunity to book a time at the restaurant or order from quick food venues.

Can I put in dietary requirements?

You can use the Genie pass to select dietary requirements. Many dining establishments at Disney World and Disneyland have menus for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-conscious diners.

Recommendations throughout your visit

Feeling hungry? Simply open the Disney Genie app, and you’ll discover a curated list of dining recommendations throughout the park. No more aimless wandering from restaurant to restaurant – the perfect meal for you is just a tap away.

But that’s not all the Genie Pass offers. It also provides suggestions on which theme park rides to experience next, recommends attractions tailored to your preferences, and even suggests ideal locations to meet your favorite characters.

Not thrilled with a suggestion? No problem. With the Genie Pass, flexibility is key. Easily remove any recommendation, and it will promptly be replaced with another option, ensuring your Disney experience is perfectly tailored to your preferences.

Minimize wait times at Disney

This convenient app provides you with real-time and estimated wait times for rides throughout the park. With this information at your fingertips, you can strategically plan your itinerary to minimize time spent waiting in queues and maximize your overall day. Additionally, you can now utilize a virtual queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at Disney World, further enhancing your experience.

Ultimately, the Disney Genie Pass ensures you make the most out of every moment of your visit, allowing you to enjoy all the attractions and experiences the park has to offer without unnecessary delays.

What is the Genie Pass replacing at Disney?

Disney has phased out the complimentary FastPass, FastPass+, and Disney MaxPass services.
As part of this transition, FastPass kiosks have been removed from the park, and these passes are no longer available for purchase. Instead, they are being replaced by ‘Lightning Lane’ entries to rides and attractions. Visitors can now purchase Lightning Lane access through the new Genie tool in the My Disney Experience app.

What is the Lightning Lane feature?

The Lightning Lane feature is a premium service that allows you to bypass queues on the most popular rides for an additional fee. The cost of Lightning Lane access varies depending on the season and day of your visit.

Individual Lightning Lane Selections are available for purchase separately on each day of your visit. To book attractions using the Individual Lightning Lane Selections, you’ll need to do so each morning of your trip for the rides you plan to experience that day.

Individual Lightning Lanes

Certain highly sought-after rides are not included in the Lightning Lane feature. These rides, also known as pay-per-ride attractions, offer the option to pay a one-time fee to bypass the regular queue. For instance, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one such attraction.

If you opt for this service, you can book these pay-per-ride selections for the same day as your visit. They can be used for the most popular rides across all the theme parks, making them ideal for visitors who plan to park-hop.

The cost of Individual Lightning Lane selections can vary, typically ranging from $7 to $15. These selections can be purchased via the Disney Genie feature on the My Disney Experience app.

How many rides a day can you use the Genie+ on?

As many as you can fit in! The only stipulation is that you can’t use it to ride the same ride twice. You also cannot select a preferred ride time, but have the option to choose the next available ride time. 

Are there any tips and tricks to using the Genie Pass?

The Genie Pass proves invaluable for visitors on a tight schedule, allowing them to bypass queues and access rides more swiftly.

Once you’ve tapped in for your Lightning Lane reservation, you can book your next one immediately, provided at least 120 minutes have elapsed since your last reservation. This ensures minimal wait times between rides.

Plan your day accordingly, as you’re permitted to arrive 5 minutes early for your attraction reservation and up to 15 minutes late.

For assistance with your Genie Pass, seek out guest experience team members stationed at kiosks throughout the park.

If you’re utilizing the Genie+ Lightning Lane tool, it’s advisable to make your first reservation as early as possible. Popular attractions tend to fill up quickly, so securing reservations promptly is key.

Stay with All Vacation Dreams

For those planning a trip to Disney World Orlando, now is the perfect time to explore your accommodation options.

Whether you’re a couple, a family, or a large multigenerational group, our luxury vacation homes come in various sizes and styles to suit your needs. From themed kids’ rooms to private pools and game rooms, our properties boast a plethora of 5-star amenities.

Located just a short drive or shuttle ride away from the parks, our resorts ensure a first-class Disney vacation experience. Plus, our Guest Experience team is readily available to enhance your vacation with an array of Travel Extras.

Other useful resources

• A Disney World Fastpass+ guide
• How to save money at Disney World
• What’s new at Disney World in 2021-2028

You can see all of our Orlando villas HERE.  

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