5 Reasons Proper Planning is a MUST for Your Disney World Vacation!

Some people love planning and others hate it, but there are 5 Reasons Proper Planning is a MUST for Your Disney World Vacation! If Disney World is on your upcoming vacation list, check out these reasons you need to start planning now.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

So, you want to go to Walt Disney World and everything you hear kinda overwhelms you. I get it, I do! Between MagicBands, FastPasses and such, the days of going to Walt Disney World on a “whim” are long gone. Yes, I said it, LONG GONE. Sorry guys, like it or not Magic Bands and Fastpasses are here to stay! I know you have heard the HORROR stories of Magic Bands not working and people hating Fastpasses. Why? Because people hate to plan out every detail of their magical vacation before it even arrives. BUT……. All of this is put into place for a reason. Honestly MagicBands and FastPass+ were invented to help you, the guest of Walt Disney World.

While My Disney Experience, MagicBands and FastPass+ are not technically new anymore, they are still under construction and my guess is, it will ALWAYS be under construction. Disney is a multi-million dollar company and they need to roll with the times! They are always trying to find a way to make the customer experience better through technology and any other way they can. Like it or not technology is here to stay. Unless you live under a rock, you will run into change and Disney is no exception!

Proper Planning is Key

So proper planning is the key! I promise you, if you know what to expect and plan accordingly, you will thank yourself when you arrive! You will have memories of Uncle Fred screaming like a little girl on the Tower of Terror and your children thinking you are the best parent in the world. They will think you are so awesome, they will forget you said NO to that concert or toy they had to have. (Okay maybe, I took that too far.) But, you will remember all of these memories and not the horror of long lines and cranky kids. Right?! Right! So let’s get started! Here are my 5 Reasons Proper Planning is a MUST for Your Disney World Vacation!

1. You will spend a lot of time in lines IF you don’t plan properly! You are allowed to make three Fastpasses from home through My Disney Experience 60 days in advance if you are staying on property or 30 days in advance if not.  If you are traveling at a busy time of year you may want to take a few minutes and do this. Decide what the “hot spots” are for you and your family and make those your fast passes. Especially if you have little ones!  Reserving your three FastPass+ rides or attractions sure beats a 100 minute wait for Peter Pan’s Flight. Don’t believe me? Well, do, true story people!

Fun times, Fun times! You can always add more Fastpasses at the parks after you finish your first initial three or you can say, “the heck with it” and do your thing and not worry with them anymore. But, my advice is to at least use your first three Fastpasses.

2. You WILL get turned away from your favorite restaurants on Walt Disney World Property IF you don’t plan properly! Sorry, this one makes A LOT of people mad, but sorry Charlie! You can make your dining reservations 180 days out from your trip and all of the POPULAR ones go fast. (Don’t shoot the messenger. Sorry, it-is-what-it-is!) Make your reservations ahead of time. If you show up just when you want to eat, no reservations, guess what, NO GO. Especially if it is a busy time of year!

3. You won’t be ahead of the game IF you don’t plan properly! Chances are if there is extra Magic Hours at one of the parks, it will be more crowded that day. If you plan ahead you would know this and know to go to another park and plan your day away from this park.

4. You WILL have A LOT of ADULT and CHILDREN meltdowns IF you don’t plan properly! Yes, I said it, ADULT meltdowns happen. I have seen adults and children alike having meltdowns (I am not excluding myself). Those meltdowns could be avoided with proper planning. Let’s face it, Disney World is a busy place no matter when you go and everyone has the same agenda. Everyone wants to have a PERFECT and MAGICAL vacation! You spent A LOT of money on this vacation, dang it, and it’s going to be FABULOUS. But guess what, so did everyone else who is there! If you don’t plan properly, then you are going to be super grumpy. When you don’t plan, tempers flare and people get impatient.

5. You will do A LOT of back-tracking IF you don’t plan properly! I hear time and time again some people feel like they hardly get to ride anything when they visit. But, if you plan accordingly you won’t hop from park to park or even from one side of a park to another. You can plan and layout your day accordingly. When you go on a whim, you may find yourself skipping from one side of the park to the other. That’s a lot of wasted time and energy if you ask me! Even with three kids under the age of five we ride A LOT of rides and get to experience A LOT of experiences because we plan accordingly.

Please know I do not go around the park with my pen and paper like some crazy tour guide. I promise! But, I do have a plan laid out in my head. I am constantly checking My Disney Experience app and I do not feel like I am over scheduled. I’m not saying you must do all of these things, but I do recommend considering them. I know several families that go without making plans, but personally I would rather have a plan and then not follow it if we don’t need it as opposed to the opposite option. I’m just saying, think before you wing your next Walt Disney World trip.

Can you handle it? Do you plan every aspect of your Walt Disney World trip? Do you lean on an experienced travel planner to plan for you or do you wing it and hope for the best? Join the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss your planning style and many other Disney related topics.

Ready to plan your magical vacation? Go HERE for a FREE quote!

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