6 Things to Keep in Mind When Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World

3. Dining

Guests are allowed to make dining reservations up to 180 days in advance, and for many restaurants on site it is highly recommended that you adhere to this suggestion. Restaurants like Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table and Le Cellier tend to have no reservations available because people book them so far out. If you want to dine at one of these or perhaps another popular restaurant on property, be prepared to make your reservation way ahead of time. You can always cancel if you decide to dine elsewhere, but it’s good to have it just in case.

2. FastPass+

If you are staying on property, you are able to make fastpasses 60 days in advance. For other guests, it’s 30 days in advance. You will find that the extra 30 days gives you a better chance at snagging really popular fastpasses for attractions such as Flight of Passage and Seven Dwarves Mine Train. After that 60-day mark, it becomes nearly impossible to find them, especially for the newest attractions in Pandora—The World of Avatar. This is also a good time to make sure your kids meet the height requirements for the attractions you want to ride, because nothing hurts more than your child not being able to experience something they’ve truly been looking forward to!

1. Staying on or off property

This is something that you want to figure out immediately after deciding when you’d like to visit. Staying on property has a lot of benefits, such as transportation, easier access to the parks and extra magic hours. However, staying on property can be more expensive than staying off property. I’ve done both and can honestly say that if you can, spend the little extra and stay on site, even if it’s just at an All Star resort. Not having to worry about driving after a long day at the park is worth it to me, plus you can start your day with Mickey waffles!

While there are many things you’ll want to keep in mind when planning your trip, these are six that I find myself thinking about every time I go to plan my trip—and I’m an annual pass holder! It will help you maximize time and have a stress-free vacation once you arrive.