Planning a Disney World Vacation for your entire family can be challenging – it’s not like you don’t already have enough on your plate. The good news is, moms like you are known to have some magic up their sleeves, and with these Disney World Vacation planning tips, you’ll be making your family’s dream vacation come true — left and right!

1. BOOK YOUR VACATION AT LEAST SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE

While it is true that a Disney World Vacation can add up – depending upon where you stay, what dining option you select, and how big your family is – it’s NOT expensive to lock in your trip with a deposit. For a Disney World Vacation package the deposit is $200 per reservation; for room only it’s one night’s room charge. The benefit to booking early is exponential, as dining reservations open six months prior to the reservation date. Booking early is the only way to guarantee your family has the best chance of dining when and where they want.

2. MAKE FULL USE OF ADVANCED DINING RESERVATIONS

There’s a reason Disney opens up dining reservations six months in advance. On any one night over 80,000 people could be staying on resort property. So if you want to score a dining reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table inside Cinderella Castle, you pretty much need to book your dining reservation the day it becomes available. And if you’re not sure what day your going to spend at what park or where you want to eat — don’t let that stop you. Make reservations anyway where you THINK you might be and what you THINK you might want to try. You can always cancel the reservation at no cost later (as long as it’s 24 hours in advance); but if the restaurant gets all booked up, you’re out of luck.

3. STAY AT A DISNEY RESORT

If you’re going to do Disney World, then DO Disney World right and stay on property. There are affordable options for almost any budget. If you stay off property, you lose some of the magic. Disney goes through great lengths to ensure their resort hotels are every bit as magical as their theme parks — that’s why imagineers design them too! Plus, staying at a Disney resort comes with great perks — like free transportation to the parks and a much earlier fast pass booking window of sixty days.

4. AVOID PARKS ON THEIR EXTRA MAGIC HOUR DAY

You’ve probably heard that one ‘major’ perk of staying on property is the extra magic hours — special hours when select parks are open only to resort guests. The problem is, EVERYONE knows about this so almost ALL resort guests go to the park with the extra magic hours. My advice: don’t go to the park with the extra magic hours.

5. DON’T MAKE EVERYDAY A PARK DAY

I know, you’re going to Disney World FOR the parks. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend every day at one. There’s so much more to see and do at Disney World — like rounds of golf at Fantasia Gardens or a guided two-hour fishing trip on Bay Lake. And don’t forget about the amazing resort hotel pools, like the Dig Site at Coronado Springs. Besides, your feet will thank you.

6. BE PREPARED FOR RAIN

It amazed me how many people are surprised when it rains during their Disney World trip. It’s Florida! It rains almost EVERY day. As a mom, you have to be prepared for this. Buy cheap ponchos on Amazon before your trip, or if you’re not a poncho family, buy small umbrellas that can fit into a back pack. And while you’re at it, pack some extra socks too, just in case. Soggy socks are the worst.

7. BRING SOMETHING FOR CHARACTERS TO SIGN

Taking pictures with characters — face or fur — is fun, but getting autographs is even more fun. Kids love collecting autographs from their favorite characters. Every Disney character has their very own unique signature. It’s really cool to compare them all. And for moms, I especially recommend bringing a photo frame mat and having the characters sign it. When you get home you can take your favorite vacation picture and frame it with a mat filled with Disney character signatures.

8. SPLURGE ON AT LEAST ONE CHARACTER DINING MEAL

Speaking of characters, the best way to meet them is by booking a character dining meal. It’s just like it sounds. You eat your meal and Disney characters come to you. No waiting in line. More one on one interaction. And they’ll sign autographs and take pictures just like they would at a normal meet and greet.

9. STAKE OUT YOUR FIREWORKS AND PARADE SPOTS EARLY

People love to ask me when Disney World is not busy. My answer is always the same — Disney World is ALWAYS busy. It’s just less busy at certain times of the year. This is why you should stake out your fireworks and parade spots early. How early? I recommend anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour depending upon where you want to watch. If we’re talking Fantasmic and you don’t have a fast pass or a dining package ticket, DEFINITELY an hour. Disney can turn you away if the stadium is packed. (I’m speaking from experience.)

10. DON’T FORGET ABOUT VIP TOURS AND DESSERT PARTIES

Don’t want to spend an hour waiting for fireworks or Fantasmic, then book a Fanstasmic dining package with guaranteed seats, or a dessert party for reserved fireworks viewing. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you don’t just have reserved viewing, you have prime viewing. There’s a ton of other VIP experiences as well, like the Wild Safari Trek at Animal Kingdom or the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at the Magic Kingdom.

11. BUY DISNEY TRADING PINS ON EBAY BEFORE YOUR TRIP

Pins, pins, everywhere you go you’ll see Disney trading pins! Moms forget that you don’t have to buy trading pins AT Disney to participate in the trading fun. You can buy Disney trading pins in bulk from online stores like Ebay. You save money and your kids have even more pins to trade during their vacation.

12. GET EVERYONE A FREE DISNEY BUTTON

Is it your Birthday? Anniversary? Someone’s graduation? Don’t forget to get a free Disney button to wear throughout your trip to celebrate the occasion. You’ll be surprised at how many of the cast members will give you well wishes based on the button you’re wearing. Not celebrating anything in particular? That’s okay too – make something up. Disney also has “I’m Celebrating” buttons and you can have a cast member write anything on it, like ‘Mickey waffles.’ Yum!

13. DON’T RENT A STROLLER AT THE PARKS

Traveling with a stroller can be a big pain in the butt — you know this. But what many moms don’t know is that if you rent a stroller at the parks you can’t take it with you back to your hotel; it has to stay at the park where it was rented. Instead, I suggest using one of Disney’s preferred stroller rental companies. They’ll deliver the stroller to your hotel, for you to pick up at check-in, and then pick it up from your hotel the day you check out. You can usually save money this way too! Win, win!

14. VISIT DISNEY’S BOARDWALK

Wait, you’ve never heard of Disney’s Boardwalk? It’s the best! Disney imagineers have recreated an old-fashioned Boardwalk — straight out of the turn of the century. There’s an ice cream parlor, bakery, fine dining, shopping, and adult-only clubs. But the best part is the Boardwalk has free nightly family entertainment — jugglers, comedians, and magicians. It’s the perfect way to spend an evening away from the parks.

15. DINE AT A RESORT HOTEL RESTAURANT

You’d be surprised at how many restaurants there are on Disney property and that’s because the hotels are filled with unique and fun dining experiences that reflect the hotel their in. A meal can be just as adventurous as a ride. And being that it’s Disney, there’s something for everyone in the family, no matter what cuisine tickles their fancy. My personal recommendation — Whispering Canyon Cafe. Make sure you ask for ketchup. 😉

16. SPEND AT LEAST HALF A DAY AT DISNEY SPRINGS

Formerly known as Downtown Disney, Disney Springs is home to over 150 shops and restaurants — including a bowling alley, an AMC movie theater, Cirque Du Soleil, and the world’s largest Disney store.  It’s the single best place to knock out all the souvenir shopping — for the family with you and for those still back home.

17. SET ASIDE TWO DAYS FOR THE MAGIC KINGDOM

The Magic Kingdom has 37 attractions and shows to enjoy, so do your family a favor and don’t try to cram all the fun and excitement into one day. You will be dead — especially if you have little ones.

18. GET AN IN-ROOM CELEBRATION

Want to see the same glow in your children’s eyes like you do on Christmas – when they wake up and see all the presents Santa’s left them? Imagine their eyes when they open the door to their hotel room and discover a giant Mickey plush with balloons and a banner! Disney World has their own florist department that offers a myriad of in-room celebrations based on occasion, theme, and budget.

19. BRING A GOOD PAIR OF WALKING SHOES

When I spend a full day at Disney World, I average about 25,000 to 30,000 steps. That’s what my FitBit says anyway. You might not walk that much; I love to park hop because I can ride more of my favorite rides and eat at all my favorite restaurants. Regardless, you will walk… A LOT. Make sure your shoes are comfortable — forfeit looking cute. Your feet will thank you.

20. DO AN ACTIVITY AT FORT WILDERNESS

Like the Boardwalk, most families don’t know about all the fun activities that Fort Wilderness has to offer. You can take a wagon ride or a carriage ride. You can ride a horse. You can even take an archery lesson. If you have a more outdoorsy family, you should definitely check out the activities at Fort Wilderness. Dad might even be impressed.

21. CHOOSE YOUR FAST PASS RIDES WISELY

Don’t waste fast passes early in the morning or late at night when the park is less crowded. And don’t use your fast passes on rides that have higher occupancy rates — like Nemo at Epcot or Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Little Mermaid at the Magic Kingdom. Use your fast passes on rides that don’t have high occupancy and for times that are busy — late morning through early evening. 

22. USE CHILD SWAP

Child swap is a great way for kids to ride their favorite rides twice, without waiting in a long line, and without utilizing fast pass. Of course, this depends upon how many people are in your party. I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty here of how to use child swap, because it can get a little complicated, but the basics are as follows: an adult waits with a child who can’t ride a ride and the rest of the party rides. The adults then switch places, and the kids who can ride, can ride again.

23. DON’T PAY FOR BOTTLED WATER

I cringe every time I see a mom or dad buying bottled water. It’s expensive and it’s water — you can get it for FREE! Any quick service restaurant will give you a free cup of ice water, all you have to do is ask. Personally, I always go to the Starbucks (there’s one at each park) and ask them for a free ice water. It’s much bigger than the ones at the quick service locations.

24. STICK TO YOUR BUDGET

For the sanctity of a happy household and happy couple post Disney, don’t blow your budget. Stick to it. This is why many families prefer to book a package with dining included — they know almost the total cost of their vacation upfront. For souvenirs, I recommend buying Disney gift cards in advance. Once they’re spent, that’s it! And you know you’ve stayed within your budget.

25. MEET MICKEThis is the most important of any of my tips. You can plan a Disney World vacation as much as you want, but unexpected things will happen. That’s the nature of life. Don’t promise your kids they’ll meet Anna and Elsa. Don’t promise your teenager that they’ll be able to ride Avatar: Flight of Passage and Navi River Journey. What if your child gets a cold? Or Navi River Journey breaks down and it’s the last day of your trip? Tell them you HOPE they’ll be able to do those things. Nothing is worse than hearing, “But Mommy, you promised!”Y AT TOWN HALL IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM

No Disney World vacation is complete without a visit with Mickey Mouse. After all, it all started with him! But there’s only one location where Mickey actually talks. And that’s at Town Hall in the Magic Kingdom. Your kid’s jaws are guaranteed to drop!

Last, But Not Least… Don’t Make Promises To Your Kids

This is the most important of any of my tips. You can plan a Disney World vacation as much as you want, but unexpected things will happen. That’s the nature of life. Don’t promise your kids they’ll meet Anna and Elsa. Don’t promise your teenager that they’ll be able to ride Avatar: Flight of Passage and Navi River Journey. What if your child gets a cold? Or Navi River Journey breaks down and it’s the last day of your trip? Tell them you HOPE they’ll be able to do those things. Nothing is worse than hearing, “But Mommy, you promised!”