All You Need to Know About Disney But Didn't Know Who To Ask

Thinking of planning to trip to Disney World? Whether it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a thrice-a-year adventure, it takes a lot of planning to ensure a fun time will be had by all. There are many decisions to make and twenty people who have been to Disney World twenty times will each tell you twenty different ways to do Disney. Here are some questions that came up when I planned a trip and I am letting you know what I learned to save you some time:

When is the best time of year to go to Disney World? Keep in mind that there is no perfect time to go to Disney. Looking at it another way, every time is perfect to go to Disney! The kids won't miss school if you go during winter break in February, but the parks are the most crowded this time of year (and other times when kids are out of school) and dining as well as lodging are much more expensive. Lodging in a studio at Disney's Lake Tower, for example, is $438/night (+tax) during "value season" and $655/night (+tax) during peak periods. You can find information on predicted park crowds at every Disney theme park for each day of the year at Undercovertourist.com https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/#calendar. Weather in Orlando can be lovely or stiflingly hot and rainy, so you may want to factor weather patterns in when planning.
How far in advance of going to I need to plan the trip? Planning your vacation far in advance will give you more choices as dining reservations can be made 180 days from the day you arrive. If Disney dining is important to you, you'll want to book your hotel and flights a few months in advance so that you can book your dining experiences.

How much does it cost to go to Disney World for a week? You can go on a Disney World vacation week for a family of four for $4,000 to$15,000, if not more. There is a huge range of hotels, food options, and entertainment options. Disney World is not known for being a budget savvy traveler's dream destination, but it is known for being the "happiest place on earth" and people are willing to pay a lot for this.

Should you stay at a Disney resort or off-site? Staying on Disney property offers advantages such as free transportation to and from the airport and transport around the parks including extra hours at the parks (a.k.a magic hours), the ease of charging expenses to your room and one-stop dining reservations. Disney resort guests are entitled to magic (wrist)bands that allow you to book FastPass+, Disney's new FastPass system, 60 (versus 30) days in advance. However, Disney properties are pricier than non-Disney properties for significantly smaller accommodations. Having a car and staying off site may be advantageous if you're looking to save money or to diversify your Orlando experience with visits to non-Disney parks like Universal or Sea World. People who stay on Disney property tend to feel like it's worth the expense and those who stay off-site often swear by it for the flexibility and the savings (which can be in the thousands for a one week stay.) Lynn Marvin goes to Disney World two to three times a year with her husband, three kids, and her mom. "We've stayed both on and off site at Disney and we think we get more value out of Disney properties," she said. Deluxe Disney resorts sleep six and it's less expensive for them to stay there than to get two rooms or a suite off-site. Disney's Fort Wilderness is considered a moderate-level resort and can sleep up to six adults in a well-appointed cabin. "Disney transportation runs regularly, and sometimes the off-site shuttles run on the hour which isn't convenient with kids," she added. They try to go during value versus peak season when rooms are 40% less. Lindsay Gravin stays off-site with her family of six that includes her in-laws. Her in-laws live in Florida and have a car which helps make staying off-site feasible. "I like the flexibility that a non-Disney property gives us," she said. "We have about three times as much space in the townhouse we rent than at a Disney villa or suite at a third of the price. I like having choices of things to do or buy that aren't all Disney all the time." The townhouse has a private pool for each unit as well as larger pools for the complex, playgrounds, a full kitchen, and laundry in the unit. "The best part for us is that we don't have to sleep with the kids. Also, the condos all have strollers so you don't have to spend money to rent a stroller every day at the theme parks or lug them with you from New York!" she exclaimed.

Should you buy a food plan? Like everything at Disney, the food plan is loved by some and unloved by others. "We never do a meal plan because it never seems like it's worth it," said Lynn Marvin. Meal plans limit where you can eat and what food you can order. Although it may seem like it would help you budget since you pre-pay for it, many items are excluded, (tax and gratuity are also extra,) and some people think it's too rigid. My own family of four stayed at Disney's Fort Wilderness Cabins and found that packing a suitcase full of food and buying things like milk at the Disney store (even at $5 a half gallon) saved us hundreds of dollars as well of hours of time sitting in restaurants when our kids just wanted to be on rides and see shows. We packed sandwiches and snacks for lunch and most night made reservations for dinner at Disney restaurants. One mom I spoke with said, "What I regretted most about our Disney trip last year was making so many dining reservations because we spent more hours in restaurants than enjoying the park activities. My kids' small appetites and lack of attention span made our frequent sit-down meals stressful!"

Which Character Dining experiences are best? Character dining abounds at Disney World. Your family pays a premium to eat a meal while characters come to your table rather than you waiting in line at the parks to meet them. Lynn Marvin favors the restaurant Akershus in Epcot for "princess" character dining. Their reviews on Trip Advisor are just as favorable for Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom. Both of these restaurants book quickly, so again, planning is key. My own family loved 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian for dinner. The theme was Happily Ever After and Cinderella and her stepsisters as well as her stepmother and the prince were fabulous entertainment during a terrific meal. They were very entertaining for kids and adults alike. Whereas "human" characters speak and interact, "nonhuman" characters like Winnie the Pooh and Goofy do not, so keep that in mind. "Our favorite all around dining is Disney Junior at Hollywood Studios," said Lynn. "There's Jake the Pirate, Doc McStuffins, Handy Manny, and Sofia the First- great for little kids! This is our favorite and we have done almost all of the character dining." There are also dinner shows available such as Hoop Dee Doo Review and Mickey's Backyard BBQ.

What are the best parks for different age groups? Again, different people have different experiences at the parks; some people love Epcot with younger kids and some people feel like little kids are boxed out of most of the experiences there. After doing an extensive review of online resources and talking to several Disney "fanatics," here's what seemed to top the lists by age group (including non-Disney parks in Orlando):

• Babies (0-2 years): Magic Kingdom (and Sea World if you're exploring other parks in Orlando)
• Toddlers (3-5 years): Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Sea World
• Elementary age (6-9 years): Most of them. Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, as well as Universal and Legoland (non-Disney)
• Tweens (10-12 years): Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, Hollywood Studios, both Disney water parks, and Universal Studios and Sea World (non-Disney)
• Teens (13-17 years): Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, Epcot, and the water parks

What are the best resources for planning a Disney vacation? The Disney website is well organized and chock full of information. Mousesavers is a good site to go to for Disney tips and message boards as well as to keep abreast of available discounts. Undercover Tourist has savings and information as well. Touring Plans is a customizable step-by-step plan for visiting the parks that allows you to input exactly what you want to do and receive the best plan for your day in terms of lines and time. If you want to skip or add something you can "optimize" your plan at any time and the app is downloadable to your smartphone.

Last, Cori Shifrin, a Disney travel agent who lives locally suggested using Disney gift cards purchased at Target for a 5% discount on everything Disney. If you use your Target Redcard (the Target-issued credit card) to purchase, for example, $3,000 worth of Disney gift cards with the Target Redcard you will receive 5% off your total gift card order. You can then use the gift cards to book or buy anything Disney-related thereby saving $150 for every $3,000 you spend. She also suggested that you make a budget, plan your vacation at least seven months in advance, spend as many days at Disney World as possible, and work with a Disney travel agent to plan the trip since they know Disney well (and there's no additional cost to you). Cori can be reached at Magical Vacations Travel: cori@magicalvacationstravel.com or 914-414-3593.