Anyone Got Any Suggestions on Planning a Disney Vacation?

Disboards.com. Get a book. And don't waste another minute. You have less than 3 months to plan and I'm sorry to say in that busy time of year you have already probably missed out on dining reservations. Or at least times and places you want. Deals can be found at Disneyparks.com or call to make a reservation and they can help you too.

There is so much to plan so you're not overwhelmed at the happiest...I mean biggest....place on earth. Good luck!

I would stay on property. It will be very hot. Really no discounts available. I have tried every which way. The best way I found was to go to Allears.net. Decide on hotel. Have stayed at the Pop Century which is a Value hotel. Actually the best value one. Also have done Fort wilderness Lodge. Depends on your budget. So pick a hotel, call Disney. Book hotel, tickets and dining plan if you want. We love the dining plan together. Packages run more because they throw in things that no o e really wants.
If you fly in, you get off the plane and catch the Disney bus. They deal with the luggage. Same going back. That is my suggestion. Been there 18 times!!!! Also plan on parks in the morning and back to hotel to swim in the afternoon and a nap.

Other people would not agree with me. You can stay off property, but then you need a car, parking. My way once you get off plane you stay in oneplace the whole time.

Make your dining reservations as soon as you book your reservations. If you have any questions PM me. Allears.net gives you all the info you ever needed..

Try to do at least one "character" meal, your kids will LOVE it. We all loved Chef Mickeys..meal was buffet style with open floor plan. Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy came around to each table and stopped long enough for you to take pictures of them with the kids. I suggest the adults sit on the inside & the kids on the outside of the table so the characters can get closer to the kids & you are on the opposite side to take the pictures.

As you enter Chef Mickeys they take a group photo of your family & ours was so good that I just had to purchase it. I can't remember the exact price but it was actually reasonable. I think about $35 for 3 or 4 pics.

PS...sit down meals require reservations..sometimes 3-6 months in advance..so call SOON & have a wonderful time!!

Yes- use a travel agent!! We had my step-mom help us with our vacation and she is a PRO (literally). They know all of the tricks about where to stay, eat, get photos, everything. We ran into a few snags (like our tickets getting lost in Hurricane Sandy) and she dealt with everything for us. They get paid by the companies they work with, so you don't pay more. SO SO worth it to use a real, live, human travel agent for a trip like this.

I would definitley stay on property. You wont need a car9or carseats) that way , The magical express (bus) will take you to your resort.If you can afford a deluxe resort the Wilderness lodge has a boat to take you to the Magic Kingdom . You will spend lots of time at that park , especially at night for the fireworks and parade. Disney is offering a discount on rooms right now . Also, ask for a manager discount . My friend did that and got a room upgrade. Also, make sure you tell them its your first time . Book through the Disney (407)WDISNEY. We usually book our airfare separately then call and give them our flight info to get on the Magical Express. Do you have boys ,girls ...If you get the dining plan you will want to book your restaurants .Go to allears .net for great information . If you give a lillte more info about what your kids are into i can give more help on dining .Have a Magical Trip !

I will second the Ohana family breakfast at the Polynesian. Reservations open 90 days out from your visit. My family will do that every Disney visit from now on. Character meals at the resorts are better, because you're not rushed. It also does not take park admission to get to the resorts, so I would do it on the last day when you are leaving (if you aren't going to a park on that day.) If you plan it that way, you can also take a later reservation for breakfast when it won't be as busy. We also did the Safari Breakfast with Donald & Friends at Animal Kingdom. The plus to that was that you can get in the park earlier if you get one of the early breakfast reservations. However, the character visits were much more rushed and the food was not as good as Ohana.

Take at least a couple of pairs of comfortable shoes for everyone who is walking. Changing out your shoes (and socks) frequently will help prevent blisters from all of the walking you will be doing. Definitely take a collapsable stroller for the 3-year old. Many buses and boats (and exits) have a shorter line for strollers.

Staying on park gets you the Extra Magic Hours and the free transportation means you won't have to pay for parking like you would if you drive yourself to the park. Totally worth it. They have a few new resorts opening with family suites and awesome-looking themes, like the Disney Art of Animation resort. Haven't stayed at one yet, they just opened last fall, I believe. But I will likely stay at one of those next visit.

Also be aware that they will let you bring a cooler into the park. You can bring drinks and sandwiches, which I would recommend. Not only will getting food in the park cost you much more $$$, you will also loose A LOT of time waiting in dreaded lines!

Know where the child care center is in each park. They are air-conditioned and they have tables and chairs to feed your kids in a more comfortable, less-stimulating environment.

Don't overschedule. Allow yourself flexibility to go where they mood strikes you, enjoy your resort's amenities and listen to your kids. Take breaks before they get cranky.

Use FASTPASS! It's free and takes a lot of the wait out of the more popular rides.

I could go on, but just try to have fun and enjoy the MAGIC! :-)

Thanks for asking this question, i am also going in June. I will say that i got the unofficial guide to disneyworld and its been very helpful. the last time i was there was 1999.
we are staying off property as our friend has a time share but the hotels i have looked at were nice and we actually were going to stay at pop century if the time share didnt pan out.
good luck to you.

Dreams unlimited travel is awesome. 4 months is not long to plan.

Just got back from Disneyland with my almost 3 year old. We stayed at one of the resorts on the property. I can't tell you how much that helped. It is certainly more expensive but worth every penny. If you can swing it, I would do that. This way, you can be at the park for a few hours in the morning, head back to the hotel for a couple of hours of rest/nap/pool/quiet time at the hotel and then head back out.

I also got the Birbaum's Guide to Disneyland (pretty sure they have a Disney World version, too). That was really helpful in planning out eating, shopping, etc).

If you plan on dining at Disney sit down restaurants you need to make reservations now.
I love Coronado Springs Resort and it is a moderately priced resort....if your budget allows though the Polynesian is very nice and with a great location but I can't justify the cost.
My daughter was still riding in a stroller at age 7:). Make sure they are light weight so you can easily fold them down for the bus rides.
Get to the park close to opening time. You can do so much because the lines are considerably shorter. Eat lunch at your resort.... Much better food than at the parks....spend the afternoons at the pool. Take advantage of Disney hours.
Get the book "The Unofficial Guide to DW"
Have a blast!!!

Off resort is cheapest we are staying at a beautiful condo ost us a hundred a night I'm a mom of 6children one other adult. It's twenty mins away from Disney land and ten away from sea world. Good luck find your tickets on line cheaper.

The best advice I can give you is to get the book The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It is the greatest book EVER for planning a trip to Disney! It gives you a breakdown of every ride, parade, hotel, restaurant, character dining opportunity, everything and it can give you the pros and cons, because it's unofficial. It also gives you rating scales for all the rides and it tells you how toddlers, preschoolers, grade school kids and teens rank all the rides and also if certain rides might scare some children. It tells you the best time of day to go to which park, when to go to lunch so it's not as crowded, where the best places are to see the parades or the night shows. It is a wonderful resource and I wouldn't go to Disney without it!
I would also recommend staying on the property. There is transportation to the resort from the airport( if you're flying down) and then there is transportation to anywhere in Disney using the busses. You just have to get in the right line at the front of your hotel. You don't have to worry about parking or paying to park or remembering where you parked, etc. The only time I wouldn't recommend staying on the property is if you were going to go other place in Orlando, but I guess you could always get a cab if you stayed on property.
In the book, it talks about great websites to go to for discounts on tickets and other things in the Orlando area. There is one website called touringplans.com and you can get printed touring plans and maps of all the parks. They have plans that they have created or you can customize your own touring plan to fit your schedule and your family's needs. I absolutely LOVE to plan Disney trips and am actually starting one for my friend and her son and me and my son for next year. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I also found some good pins on Pinterest about Must- Dos and tips. You could go to my Pinterest page and they are on my Disney board. Good luck and I hope you have a great time at Disney!

We've been a minimum of 8 times. Always planned about 1 year in advance.

Character meals and most popular venues book quickly, months in advance.

The only hotel we've ever stayed at Disney is the Polynesian which is on the monorail line, very nice resort, boat taxi to MK, many perks and it is pricey but for us.. Worth it. Never stayed elsewhere.

Loved the chef Mickey at Contemporary and breakfast at OHana Polynesian for character outings. We did the regular luau at Polynesian.

Taxi from airport ---- straight shot--- not on the free shuttle which can take longer to Disney resorts.... Was about $100 each way and worth it.

We never did dining plans... That's a great way for Disney to make $$$

I worked directly with WDW customer service and always had good results. We bought park passes good from check in through midnight of checkout day... Any park, any time, no limit.

We've stayed in the concierge at Polynesian which has more perks but it is pricey., there was food 24/7 , great accommodations, great views. Concierge is a premium price but you get premium products. Last time we got a private safari at Animal Kingdom which was so overwhelming and super! Each hotel and level of service has perks. We would not have done the concierge when daughter was younger and not able to truly enjoy the perks.

I've heard of websites that get deals and good luck with that.

No matter how you approach it... Disney is expensive.

If you stay off property you still pay parking for the day at a respective park or general location.

We did pay way more to be on the monorail line, however, it was SO easy to run back to the room for a nap, something needed, etc.

Personally... I could stay at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian and never leave the hotel property... It's nice!!

Best wishes to you!!