Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation

A Walt Disney World vacation is usually a trip planned by most families and tends to rank as one of the most memorable in a child's life. Many families who come on a Walt Disney World vacation choose at least one and sometimes all four major theme parks that encompass Walt Disney World. These four parks are: Magic Kingdom (basically a duplicate of Disneyland and designed for children and adults alike), Epcot (not many rides, more for adults than kids), MGM Studios (for older kids and adults-movie-theme rides and shows), and Animal Kingdom (for adults and kids-usually the most crowded). This vacation can be costly and very complex, so plan carefully and do your homework before you go. A good place to start is by clicking here and getting some good ideas about planning your trip.

Preparing for your Walt Disney World Vacation

When you plan this Walt Disney World vacation, you will want to take into consideration the weather. The weather can be hot or moderate, depending on the time of the year, but either way, you will want to make sure that you are prepared to handle the elements. You should make sure that you have sunscreen along, sunglasses, plenty of water or non-dehydrating fluids like juice (yes, the parks do allow you to bring a a backpack along and some of the water parks even allow coolers. Bring clothes that you don't mind getting wet in. Consider a spare change of clothes, in case you don't want to wait to dry out after getting soaked. You should also have some warm clothes accessible if you happen to be vacationing during the winter months. Bring along snacks or sugar free energy drinks for your family, that way you can quickly "recharge" and not have to spend as much money on buying food. Monitor your kids energy. If you are feeling tired, they are getting tired. Take a quick break, grab something to eat, maybe take a quick nap on the lawn and then get going again. If you don't, you are asking for a melt down from one of your kids. Wear comfortable shoes and be ready to do a lot of walking. If you have young kids, make sure you have a stroller along, you don't want to carry them around for several miles.

If you are staying in a local hotel or resort, get a map and plan out the routes that you will be taking. This is especially important if you plan to drive yourself.

Some families are not happy to find that Epcot sells alcohol. You should prepare yourself and your family for this eventuality and plan accordingly. It is best to leave before the evening and consider leaving if you see a lot of college age kids running around, especially around March. Epcot has a Wine and Food festival in the fall and it is not uncommon to see a lot of drunk people. If you don't approve of your children seeing this kind of behavior, avoid vacationing during this time.

What you should know for your Walt Disney World Vacation

Your family can get tired of the Walt Disney World vacation side of things and want a break. Then would be a good time to check out some of the other cool destinations close buy like the Kennedy Space Center which is around an hour to an hour and a half drive east. You could also head 4 hours south to the Everglades and take a real ride on a swamp boat.

Orlando and Key West also have Gay Day celebrations and this can cause a lot of consternation to unsuspecting families. Orlando Gay Day is in the first week of June and Key West (seems all year round) but has a big one in the first week of April, these are subject to change.

You will want to know when the parks close and open. Obviously the the earlier you get to the park, the sooner you can get on the rides and beat the noon day rush. Noon tends to be the busiest time for people to enter the parks, so a good idea is to find out when the park opens and get there 30-60 minutes early. You should also have your rides pre-selected, that way you can get at least one ride in before the long lines develop. Most of the parks stay open until at least 10 p.m. except for Animal Kingdom which closes earlier. You can call 1-407-934-1639 (1-407-W-DISNEY) or log onto their website to find out the times.

Best Walt Disney World Vacation Tips If you can take your family vacation getaway between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you will find the weather to be good, although cold at night and the crowds to be much less. Christmas decorations are set up in all the parks and it is easy to get in the spirit. The downside, however, is that the parks close up much earlier. Another good time is in January and late April to the end of May.

If you plan to vacation in the summer months, try to go in late August, when the resorts will lower their prices. These prices are often cheaper than the winter month prices.

Get a fastpass. This is the best thing to have if you like to go on rides. Follow the link to learn more about fastpass.