Planning, Planning, Planning…

When planning a trip to the happiest place on earth, one has many things that they need to think about. Planning a vacation to the Walt Disney World resort is not as easy as it used to be. If it has been a while since you have visited, there might be new resorts, rides and even new theme parks.

Where to Stay

Where you stay when you are visiting Disney World can be crucial. 33 resort and hotels are spread out the 47 square mile property. 24 of these resorts are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. These resorts each have a unique theme and vary in price to fit practically everyone's budget. The five categories that these resorts fall into are: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Cabins and Campgrounds and Disney Vacation Club Resorts.

You should make your hotel decision based on how you like to vacation. I feel that if you like to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you should choose one of the nicer hotels. For me, the hotel is a place to sleep. It really doesn't matter where I stay, as long as it has a bed and running water. The quality of pools and hotel amenities all depend on the amount of money that you are willing to spend. In the end, a hotel should be a place that you can afford, but also allow you to feel comfortable.

Dining

There are at least 217 different restaurant-type locations at Walt Disney World. Most sit-down restaurants require a reservation. Cinderella's Royal Table is the hardest restaurant to get in to. Reservations open up 90 days in advance and most popular times are spoken for within minutes of the reservation line opening. I have had the opportunity to dine in Cinderella Castle a few times, and it is pretty exciting. Who doesn't want to eat lunch in a castle?

My advice is that you should really study a Disney World guidebook, such as Birnbaum's Walt Disney World. This guide has been around since at least the late 1980's. My family has utilized it since its inception and now we don’t even need it. It has the easiest to use interface and finding restaurants is a snap. Once you have found what restaurants you would like to eat at, try and make a reservation, so you are able to enjoy dining there.

I hope that these insights into planning a Walt Disney World vacation have helped you. It has taken me years to figure out just what I know about Disney World, and I hope that some of my knowledge benefits you. If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask.