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People often ask me how I plan my Disney World trips. Now, here’s a disclaimer for you–I am not, nor have I ever been, a travel agent. I’m not an expert. I’m just an average person who likes to read and do research. I’ve learned through experience. And, I’ve decided to share my strategy with you.

First, pick a date.

There are several great websites to use for crowd calculators, but to be honest, I don’t use them to choose the week we’re going. We are very limited on the time we have off. Dennis owns a moving company, so summer is out (if you need a mover in Northeast Ohio or Western Pennsylvania, give us a call). I teach and only have three personal days a year. If we want to go for an entire week, it’s one of the following three busiest times of the year: Thanksgiving, Christmas, or spring break. Since we also sell Christmas trees at my parents’ farm, Thanksgiving week is very difficult. We did it last year, but said never again.

Some of the websites that have useful crowd calculators are Touring Plans, Undercover Tourist, Dad’s Guide to WDW, and Kenny the Pirate. Touring Plans does charge a fee to use some of its features. It’s $14.95 a year, but there is a discount if you have a current copy of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.  The other websites are free.

Then, book your hotel.

Once you have your dates, book your hotel. Room only reservations can be made up to 499 days in advance; packages usually come out each summer and can be booked for the following year. You will need to call to book if packages have not come out yet. The number is 1-407-WDISNEY.  The great advantage to planning early is that you can make payments on a package. When you book a package, you put $200 down, and the balance is due 30 days before check-in. Payments can be made as often as you like–the only stipulation is that they be at least $20.00. For room only reservations, you just pay the first night and pay the balance when you check in. However if you do book early, room rates for your time period may change slightly.

If you are planning to use Disney’s Vacation Club, reservations can be made 11 months out at your home resort and 7 months out at other resorts.

Next, choose which park you plan to visit each day.

Now, while I don’t use a crowd calculator to choose which week to go, I do use one (usually Touring Plans) to choose which park to visit each day. Crowd calendars do change, and Touring Plans will send you an email if any of the dates during your trip do have changes. Park hours may not be finalized when you first pick your dates or Extra Magic Hours may not be published.

Make dining reservations.

Dining reservations can be made 180 ahead of your check-in date. If you are staying on property, you can book up to 10 days of your stay at that time (essentially up to 190 days in advance). If you plan to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the castle, stay on property and make your last day a Magic Kingdom Day.  Try to book Cinderella’s Royal Table for the last day of your reservation. You can book dining online at 6 a.m. or by phone (1-407-WDW-DINE) at 7 a.m.

You will need a credit card to guarantee your dining reservations. However, you can cancel dining reservations without penalty as long as it’s at least 24 hours in advance. Dinner shows and Cinderella’s Royal Table require full payment when booked.

After you book your dining reservations, decide whether or not the dining plan is for you. If you have several character meals, it could make sense for your family.  There’s a great calculator here. Remember, you can always add more meals if you decide to upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan. Many of the restaurants will have availability after the 180 days. Just make sure you make reservations for your must-do places early.

Schedule tours and special experiences.

Many of the special tours and experiences can also be booked 180 days in advance.  You will need to call 1-407-WDW-PLAY for specialty events like fireworks cruises or 1-407-WDW-TOUR for experiences like the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. If you want a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique make-over for your little one, you need to book it early, especially if you want to have it at the castle. The number is 1-407-WDW-STYLE.

Make Fast Pass+ reservations.

Once you know which parks you’ll be at each day and have secured your dining reservations, it’s time for Fast Passes. Fast Passes allow you to legally cut the line–they are shorter lines. All guests receive three Fast Passes each day; you can book more after using the first three. You can make your Fast Pass+ reservations 60 days (plus 10) in advance on the website starting at 7:00 a.m. Schedule the hardest to get passes first (Slinky Dog Dash and Flights of Passage). Remember, you must have tickets attached to your account to schedule Fast Passes.

There are a lot of different strategies for using Fast Passes. I usually prefer to book mine in the morning and then try to add others later in the day. I never waste a Fast Pass on a show or attraction that usually has a wait time of less than 45 minutes. If the park has Tier 1 and Tier 2 rides (currently Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), I try to schedule a day for each of the Tier 1 rides. For example, all the Toy Story rides in Hollywood Studios are Tier 1 currently because Toy Story Land just opened. I made Fast Pass reservations for two different days–one day to ride Slinky Dog Dash and another to ride Alien Swirling Saucers.

If you’re not staying on Disney property, you can make your Fast Pass+ reservations 30 days in advance. You may not get the most popular rides, but you should still have a good selection.

Prioritize and be flexible.

Decide what’s most important for your family. Is it more important for Suzy to have breakfast with the princesses than for the entire family to ride Test Track?  Consider adding the park hopper option to your ticket if you can only get Cinderella’s Royal Table and Flights of Passage on the same day.

Plans change. Rainstorms shut down rides. Be flexible and know that Disney’s cast members are doing their best to make your experience magical. You can’t see and do everything in one visit. It’s impossible, so just relax and go with the flow. You can always book another trip!

Most importantly, have fun!

To see my other articles about Walt Disney World, click here.

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