6. Book your dining reservations.
Dining reservations at Disney World can also be made in advance—180 days in advance. And because so many of Disney’s dining venues are wildly popular among Guests, if there’s a dining experience you’re really hoping to have, it’s vital to make your reservation 180 days in advance. For example, restaurants like Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom book very quickly once the reservation window opens. If you wait to make dining reservations until a month or so before your trip, your choices in dining experiences will be greatly limited.
7. Buy your tickets from Disney World or from an authorized Disney ticket seller.
If you booked your vacation as a package through Disney World, your tickets will be included in the price of your vacation. But if you choose to purchase your tickets separately, beware of scammers. Don’t buy tickets from just anywhere. Be sure to only purchase your park tickets online from Disney’s website, at the gates once you get to the parks or from a seller that is listed as an authorized Disney ticket seller. Never, under any circumstances, should you purchase tickets on eBay or Craigslist. You won’t truly know what you’re getting until you get to the gates at Disney, and that’s a terrible place to discover that you’ve been scammed!
8. Read up and research.
If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World, it’s a good idea to read about all the ways there are to experience magic in the parks. Even if you’ve been several times before, it can be helpful to read up on all the new additions to the parks since Disney is always growing and evolving to guarantee Guests the best experience possible. Visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com for information on everything from resort hotels and restaurants to attractions, rides and more. And be sure to read your email newsletter from DisneyFanatic.com and HowtoDisney.com so you always have the latest information about Disney World.
9. Talk about your trip with the kids.
Before you leave for Disney World, visit with your kids about what they think the trip might be like. Ask them about what they’re looking forward to doing while in the parks, which characters they want to meet, which shows they’d like to see and what they’re looking forward to most out of everything. Online planning videos are available from Disney World at www.disneyplanning.com/destinations. Watching these videos with your kids can help them to get an idea of what Disney World is like—especially if they’ve never been or if it’s been a while since they were last in the parks.
10. Buy a park bag.
If you’re going to Disney World, you’ll need a bag specifically for use in the park. This is true whether you’re traveling alone or in a large group. It can be very helpful to have essentials right at your fingertips, such as sunscreen, ponchos, pairs of dry socks (in case yours get wet from rain or water rides), lip balm, credit and gift cards, portable chargers, Disney trading pins and more. Backpacks work best because they can be worn instead of carried, freeing up your hands and making for a less cumbersome way of carrying things into the parks.