Planning Your First Trip to Walt Disney World: Lodging, Tickets, and Park Visits

I know, I know. This isn’t a DIY post.

But, if there’s anything I’m a semi-expert at (even more than DIY), it’s Walt Disney World. I’m pretty sure I’ve been at least 15 times. Maybe 20. My parents are Disney Vacation Club members (aka Disney’s timeshare). So, I’ve been lucky enough to go every 1-2 years since I was a kid.

And, since we’re currently in Walt Disney World with my parents and brother, I thought, why not share some of my favorite tips for those of you who are planning a first (or second or third trip)!

In this post I’ll talk about the planning aspects : where to stay, how long to stay, what parks to go to. And, in a future post, I’ll talk more about the day to day parts of Walt Disney World: food, surviving the heat, going with toddlers, going while pregnant, things to do outside of the parks, and planning for souvenirs.

Before Deciding Anything Else, Decide This

You’ve decided to take your family to Disney World: yay! Like, double yay! You’re going to have the best time, especially if you set your expectations properly before you go! So, before you decide on anything else, you need to figure out one thing to make the most of your planning:

Is this going to be a once in a lifetime trip for your family (or a 2-3 times trip), or do you see yourselves going more often?

If this is THE trip to Disney World

If this is THE trip to Disney World, you really want to spend the extra money and get the better park tickets and stay a few extra days and get a few more souvenirs. It’s worth it for the memories you make.

And, it’s worth it to relieve some stress about trying to fit everything in to one trip. There is so much to see in Disney World that there are places to eat I’ve never tried, and rides that I don’t think I’ve been on in 10+ years, simply because there just isn’t time to do everything.

Going for a week allows you to actually go to Walt Disney World and not stress about making the most of your limited time. It gives you time to enjoy the resort pools (some of which are super cool), and to ride your favorite rides, like Splash Mountain, more than once.

But, What If I Plan on Going A Bunch?

If, on the other hand, you see yourselves going to Disney World a couple more (or many more) times in your future, a shorter trip is just fine. You won’t be able to enjoy everything Disney World has to offer–and that’s ok. Because you’ll be back in the future.

Just make sure you accept the limits on your time if you don’t want to be a stressed mess the whole time. If you’re only there for 3 days, you can realistically only do 2-3 parks and maybe half the rides in them. That’s simply not enough time to spend hours at the pool and take in all the firework shows. So, just plan accordingly. And, when you’re planning your next trip, think of what you missed out on this time, and make sure to check out it then .

Lodging: To Stay on Property or Not?

For me, this is a no-brainer. If you’re going to Disney World, you need to stay on property.

Can you save money staying off property at a different hotel or vacation rental? Absolutely.

Is it worth the savings? I don’t think so.

Staying on property brings a whole lot of perks that you may not think to budget for.

Free Transportation and Free Parking at the Parks

The biggest perk? Free bus transportation and free parking at the parks. Pre-COVID we took the buses everywhere. They arrive at the parks and each resort every 15 minutes throughout the day, are well air conditioned, and drop you off right at the front of the park. If we brought a car to Disney World, it never left the parking lot.

And, it’s a big time savings too because I’m not waiting in line to park, walking from the lot (or taking the boat from the lot) to the front of the park, or dragging my tired, screaming toddler on a boat from the park to the parking lot and still have a 20-30 minutes drive back to my off-site hotel.

With COVID (and being pregnant and my daughter too young to be vaccinated), we’re a little more cautious and aren’t taking the buses right now. But, as a resort guest we can park at any park for free. That’s a savings of $20-$30/day.

Resort Atmosphere & Amenities

For me, my favorite part about staying on property at one of the Disney World resorts is the atmosphere and amenities offered at each resort. I’ve stayed at almost all of the hotels in my many trips, and I have a hard time picking a favorite because they’re all so unique.

If you want the best pool: Beach Club. Coolest lobby: Wilderness Lodge. Best access to Magic Kingdom: Contemporary. Most to do at the resort: Boardwalk. Want to see animals from your balcony: Animal Kingdom Lodge.

No two resorts are the same. They each have their own unique theme, that Disney dives right into. Everything from the lobby to the menu at the restaurants to the room decor to the pool are designed around that resort’s theme. So, you get the immersive experience of Disney World, not only in the parks, but also at your hotel.

I will say, there’s definitely a big difference in quality of the different levels of hotels (Value, Moderate, Deluxe). If you can afford at least a Moderate hotel, I would go for it. You’ll get a bigger room with nicer decor, more food options at the resort, and usually a nicer pool.

We’ve stayed at one of the Value hotels, and it feels like you’re staying at a Disney-themed Days Inn. The rooms aren’t insulated as well, so you can hear all the kids running up and down the halls. And, usually there’s only one main eating option, so the lines can get pretty long for breakfast.

I still think the Value options are better than staying off property for convenience. But, definitely splurge on a nicer hotel if you can afford to do so.

The Parks

What Tickets to Buy

Ok, once you’ve decided on how long you’re going for and where you’re staying, buying park tickets is the next step.

Park tickets can really be customized to your stay and your budget, so you have some wiggle room here when planning your trip to Walt Disney World .

Yes, they are super expensive. There’s no getting beyond that. So, just bite the bullet and get what works best for your trip. I think it is important to note that the tickets do get cheaper per day the more days you buy. So, an adult ticket isn’t going to cost $150-$200/day for 7 days (the single day price). It’s going to cost you more like $100/day for 7 days.

If budget wasn’t a concern, I’d say get the Park Hopper Plus tickets with the Waterpark access for the whole length of your stay. You get the most flexibility of being able to do one park in the morning and something different after your midday nap/pool break. Or, taking a break from the parks and doing a waterpark for the day.

We’re doing this for our current trip, so we can take a lazy river break from the park rush one morning, and we can also enjoy Food and Wine Festival at Epcot for more than one day during our trip.

But, for most of us, budget is always a concern. So, here’s where you can customize your experience a little bit.

If you’re ok going to one park each day (Magic Kingdom on Monday, Hollywood Studios on Tuesday, back to Magic Kingdom Wednesday), then skip the park hopper option to save money.

If waterparks aren’t your thing, skip the waterpark option. Or, if your kids love the pool, and you just want to have a pool day at your resort in the middle of the parks madness, don’t buy a ticket for that day. Your multi-day ticket does not have to be used on consecutive days.

What Parks Should I Go To?

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World has one unique step that most theme parks don’t: there’s four separate parks and two waterparks to think about when planning your itinerary. Each of the 4 parks has its own theme, and they each bring with it their own strengths and weaknesses.

If you’re going for the whole week, you have time to see them all, which is great. But, if you need to pick just 2 for a long weekend, you really need to think about what your family is going to enjoy the most.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is a must for any trip. It’s the epitome of the Disney World experience, with its Main Street, Cinderella’s castle, and its variety of rides and entertainment for all ages. It has the most rides of any park, and it has the classic rides you think o ffor Disney World: Space Mountain, It’s a Small World, Dumbo, Splash Mountain, etc.

Animal Kingdom

If you have younger kids, Animal Kingdom is probably the next best option for you. They only have a few rides that younger kids can’t go on, the have a lot of shows for the whole family, and they have animals throughout the park. They do have several awesome rides for older kids (Everest, Pandora, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids), so if you have older kids, don’t count this out.

Hollywood Studios

If you have older kids or love Star Wars, Hollywood Studios needs to make your list. Star Wars land is in Hollywood Studios, as is Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Rollercoaster (the only coaster to go upside in the parks as of now). Pre-COVID they have tons of movie-themed shows, but a lot of those are on hold right now. They do have a Toy Story area for younger kids, but compared to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, there’s just not as many options for younger kids.

Epcot

And, lastly Epcot. Epcot is a little different than the other parks in that it isn’t as ride-focused. There are plenty of great ones–like Test Track, Soarin’, Mission to Mars, Frozen, and Spaceship Earth. But, rides aren’t really the focus here. Epcot’s best known for its World Showcase, where you can walk through different areas that are themed like different countries. They have food from those countries, products to purchase from there, and some shows or musical acts.

If you’re planning a Walt Disney World trip from July-November, you definitely need to go one day for the Food and Wine Festival. It’s worth a day just to try all the delicious foods from the different countries. Otherwise, if your time and budget are limited, I’d really use your judgement on if you think your family will enjoy a full day at Epcot over one of the other parks.

Ok, That’s Enough for One Post

Phew. That’s a lot of info to take in at once, so I’m going to stop there for now. This should give you a great head start to planning your family’s first (or 5th ) trip to Walt Disney World .

Next time I’ll talk more about the nitty gritty of your trip.

Thoughts? Questions? Comments?

Please share with me below if you have any questions about my experiences. Or, if you completely disagree with something I wrote. I’d love to learn more from your experiences at Disney World!

And, if you have any other travel topics you want covered, just let me know! We’ve traveled a lot over the last 10 years, and I’d love to share my favorite trips, my favorite destinations, or my biggest travel fails.

And, if you’re wondering where the DIY content is, don’t worry. I’m working on more as we speak. For now, head to our home page and you’ll find just what you’re looking for. 🙂