The most daunting - yet exciting - part of a Disney vacation is the planning of a Disney vacation. With so many options to choose from, it’s almost impossible to feel like you’ve done enough. With a little guidance, however, you’ll be on your way to a wonderful vacation.

Before reading through the questions, take a second to download our cheat sheet (PDF - Download Adobe Reader). It’s not a one-page solution to the planning problem, just a first step to get you going.

How much are you willing to spend?
Before you begin planning your vacation, determine how much money you would like to spend. You will probably need to do a little research on current ticket prices and hotel rates, but it’s more important to know your own budget and work from there. It’s also a good idea to pick an absolute maximum spending limit for the trip. This way, once you get to Disney and find yourself surrounded by the numerous opportunities for entertainment, you won’t go crazy and forget that there will be bills to pay once you get home.

When do you want to visit?
The time of year you want to visit will determine a lot, including crowd size, entertainment options, and of course, the weather. If you’re planning on visiting during one of the winter holidays, expect larger crowds, longer lines and higher prices for hotel rooms and other seasonal extras. The additional cost may be worth it to you since the holidays often bring out the most elaborate shows and themed activities. On the other hand, if you’re looking to visit during the off-season, look to the months just before and just after the holidays. September, with the start of school and fewer families wanting to travel, is a great month to visit. The cooler months of January and February also tend to have very small crowds.

How long do you want to stay?
The longer you stay, the more you’ll be able to do and the less hectic your schedule will need to be. There’s really no minimum or maximum time that you’ll need to plan for when visiting Disney. You could stay five minutes or the rest of your life and be perfectly happy with what you were able to see and do.

Which theme parks do you want to visit?
Actually, it’s not just which theme parks you want to visit, but also which water parks, shopping districts and other resort activities you want to enjoy. There’s the four theme parks, two water parks, three shopping districts, six golf courses (including the nine-hole Oak Trail course), three miniature golf courses, three night-time entertainment areas (including a concert venue at the House of Blues and Cirque du Soleil) and so much more. Build as detailed of a plan as you can in order to maximize your time on Disney property. Also, get familiar with the layout of the Walt Disney World resort.

Who will be making the trip?
The Walt Disney World resort is an excellent location for people of all ages. Make sure to plan ahead for any very young children, elderly or disabled persons in your party. Usually, the Disney cast members will ask for this information, but in case they don’t, it’s a good idea to let them know ahead of time when making a reservation of any type.

What non-Disney activities do you want to enjoy?
There’s a never-ending list of things to do in the Orlando area. If you want to get away from Disney during your trip, make sure you have transportation figured out and reservations made, if needed. For ideas of what’s available, check out a few of our other articles.

Booking the trip
There are numerous ways to book your trip. The first and most straightforward way to do so is to call Disney’s central reservation at (407) 939-6244. The representative that answers will be able to book a hotel room, theme park tickets and lots more. As an alternative, you can use a travel agent to make your arrangements. Most travel agents have full access to all of the latest information about specials and events that are going on at the parks, so you’ll be able to plan out the perfect vacation. Another option is to book your trip online. One great new option Disney offers on Disney.com is to create a personalized theme park map that highlights all the attractions you want to hit while visiting. Based on what attractions you choose (thrill rides, kid rides, etc.) the site suggests other attractions, restaurants and recreation spots you may enjoy. The final option is to book everything yourself. This would enable you to stay off-property and potentially save a few dollars. This isn’t a bad option at all. I’d just make sure you are as close to Disney property as possible.

Last Note
As you can see from above, having a plan is essential for a Disney (or any Orlando) vacation. For other destinations, I would definitely recommend just letting things happen, but there’s almost nothing to be gained from playing it by ear in Orlando. It’s a tourist town with activities that need to be planned ahead of time.

Tomorrow I’ll post a few recommendations on where to stay and what to do during various times of the year. If you have a few weeks to plan, you might want to get the Disney Planning DVD sent to you.

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