Has Disney World Become Too Complicated? Experts Share Their Tips For Planning Your Dream Vacation

With more planning tools at travelers' disposal, many feel as though planning a trip to Disney requires an advanced degree to master. As theme park experts point out, however, simple strategies exist to help plan a dream vacation. While common, the feeling of overwhelm families experience wanes when they familiarize themselves with Disney’s digital tools and important dates in the planning process.

The Common Complications of Disney Vacation Planning

Experts urge travelers to take comfort in the fact that families frequently feel at best confused when planning a Disney World vacation. The Disney World vacation planning landscape looks vastly different from what it did a decade ago, especially since the rise of social media. 

Marjolein Dilven, founder of Spark Nomad, empathizes with anyone navigating the Disney World booking realm. "Planning a Disney World trip has become more complicated over the years. It can feel extremely overwhelming to plan dining reservations at 60 days out and navigate those virtual queues," she shares. "That's not taking into account the sheer size of Disney World and the amount of information available online."

Megan duBois, Senior Theme Park Editor at FamilyVacationist, agrees that visiting Disney World requires more steps than the average trip. "Planning any vacation can be challenging, but even more so at Walt Disney World, where there are different booking dates for different parts of your trip and nearly any add-on you can imagine." 

Become Familiar With Disney's Digital Planning Tools

The first step that experts advise families to incorporate into their Disney World vacation planning involves familiarizing themselves with the tools at their disposal. This begins with checking Disney's website for discounts, says duBois. "Look at Disney's 'Special Offers' page. Here is where you'll find all of the hotel and ticket deals currently being offered at Walt Disney World, and one may apply to your trip. I often check this for Florida residents and Annual Passholder hotel deals."

Alexandra Caspero, Travel Writer and Owner of Delish Knowledge, offers a counterpoint to the notion that travelers experience more complications when planning a trip to Disney World. "If anything, I think a Disney World vacation has become easier to plan thanks to all the online resources," she says. "While it can seem overwhelming when you start planning your trip, you don't need to memorize everything or read every article."

Caspero recommends that travelers download and familiarize themselves with the free My Disney Experience app before their trip. She adds, "Learn how to check wait times, use mobile ordering, and understand the lightning lane and virtual queues; this will make for a smoother trip." 

Adopt Disney's Planning Benchmarks And Quirks

Confusion fades when travelers know the uniqueness of planning a Disney World vacation. Attention must go to selecting the optimal time to travel, which, for many families, does not simply come down to school calendars.

As Alexandra Caspero, Travel Writer and Owner of Delish Knowledge, notes, "The cost of a Disney World vacation can vary, and pricing can fluctuate depending on the time of year."

The vacation itinerary, or the order in which a family visits each of Disney World's four theme parks, matters, too. Caspero adds, "Focus on what parks you want to visit — you don't have to do them all in one trip — and your goals. I recommend prioritizing which attractions and shows are 'must-dos,' as this will help determine which parks to visit on which days."

Mastering the complexities of planning a Disney World vacation also includes awareness of the key dates leading up to the trip. For example, seasoned Disney travelers know the importance of booking dining reservations at Disney World restaurants as early as possible since dining reservations open 60 days in advance.

Marjolein Dilven, founder of Spark Nomad, highlights the surprising simplicity of planning a Disney vacation by acting strategically early. Ahead of the trip, she notes, "Start by booking accommodations early, especially if you want to stay at a Disney World Resort. At the 60-day mark, prioritize dining reservations for meals your family doesn't want to miss."

duBois recommends that families prone to forgetting important dates and times set alarms. For dining reservations, she shares, "I always like to look through the options first, and write down where I want to go for each meal, then when it's time to book, I'm not wasting time looking at menus and can just book the restaurants and continue with my day."

Setting alarms also comes in handy for Disney World Multi Pass Lightning Lane reservations, which open seven days in advance for guests staying at one of Walt Disney World's resort hotels.

Well-versed Disney vacationers also know the importance of downtime once in the parks. Dilven adds, "Rushing from ride to ride leads to burnout, especially with kids. A well-paced plan beats a jam-packed itinerary every single time." Focusing on high-demand rides first opens the day up for more relaxation after checking off those must-dos.