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8. Make your FastPass+ selections. If you’re staying on Disney property, you can make your FastPass+ selections 60 days in advance. And even if you’re not staying on property, you can still make your selections 30 days in advance. And you don’t want to overlook this part of your planning, especially if you’re visiting the parks during peak seasons. FastPass+ ...

10. Hit your local Disney store. Or visit www.ShopDisney.com. That’s because you can purchase official Disney Parks gear and often save some money when you do. Buy a couple of shirts for the family so that everyone has something “Disney” to wear from day one. Just be sure if you shop online, that you place your order in time to ...

9. Make your Disney World bucket list. This is for first-timers in the parks as well as 100th-timers in the parks. There’s something so magical about making a long list of experiences you want to have once you’re at Disney World and then crossing them off each time you have an experience. The best thing about a Disney World bucket ...

12. Customize your MagicBands. If you’ll be staying in a Walt Disney World Resort, you’ll receive an email with a link to the site where you can choose the color of a MagicBand for each member of your traveling party. It’s very important to do this so that you can receive your family’s MagicBands at your home or office via ...

11. Buy your park bag essentials. You’ll want to do this before you get to the parks. That’s because although you can purchase many of these items at Disney, you’ll save some green if you buy them at Target, Wal-Mart or CVS before you leave for your trip. Some essentials for your bag include baby wipes, sunblock, hand sanitizer, candy, ...

14. Book your dining reservations. Disney World encourages you to continue your early planning by allowing you to make your dining reservations up to 180 days in advance of your trip. You can book your favorite Disney World restaurants by calling (407) WDW-DINE or via the My Disney Experienceapp. No matter which you use to book, just be sure to ...

13. Buy your park bag. If you’re planning to explore the Walt Disney World theme parks, you’ll want to have access to items you’ll need, but without carrying a purse, duffel bag or any other type of bag that might be a nuisance. Backpacks usually work very well. Any backpack is a good idea, so long as it is sturdy, ...

17. Book your airline tickets. Once you have your vacation dates set in stone, it’s time to book your airline tickets, if you’ll be flying to the Orlando, Florida area. Be sure your vacation dates are set firm first because it can cost you almost as much to make changes to your tickets as it did to purchase them in ...

16. Read up and research. If this will be your first trip to Disney World, be sure to research all that Disney has to offer. Read all you can about the fun you can experience at Disney World, and start to talk with your family about those options. Even if you’ve been several times, you’ll want to refamiliarize yourself with ...

15. Begin to familiarize your children. This is especially important if you have younger children, or if you have a child with special needs. That’s because both young children and children with special needs can often benefit from being prepared for upcoming trips. Let them know a little about what they might look forward to, and if it helps to ...