Walt Disney World is one of the most popular vacation spots on Earth, but there are a lot of details and planning involved in visiting. Do you need a Disney planning course?
We spoke to AAA travel advisor and Disney expert Cady DeBlois to learn the basics for making your next trip a dream come true.
Listen to Our Podcast
For more tips on planning your family trip listen to Episode 2 of our podcast, Merging Into Life: Theme Park Secrets.
Tune InHow many Disney vacations do you book per year?
In 2024, I booked 75 Walt Disney World vacations.
How do you learn new things about Disney vacations?
Disney’s College of Knowledge is an amazing training resource that keeps our advisors up to date on all things Disney — from Walt Disney World to Disney Cruise and Adventures by Disney. I also love following Disney’s social media platforms for new details about their products.
What is your favorite type of Disney vacation to plan?
My favorite type of Disney vacation to plan is for multi-generational families. This usually consists of grandparents, their children and grandchildren. I love getting to know my clients and understanding their must-dos for the adults and children. When Disney planning, I always have each person pick out the top three things they would like to experience, and we work to create an itinerary to make them all happen.
What types of services do travel advisors provide for a Disney vacation?
Your dedicated travel advisor will take the time make dining and logistical recommendations to help clients optimize their Disney Parks experience. We can walk clients through the various aspects of the My Disney Experience app, which is very important to be comfortable with before arriving on-site so they can hit the ground running at the very beginning of their vacation.
How much time should guests devote to each park?
For your first visit, I always recommend dedicating one full day to each theme park and including one non-park day to enjoy the amenities at your resort or visit Disney Springs. After your first visit, you’ll find your favorite things to do and decide if there are any parks you would only like to spend a half day at using the Park Hopper option.
Do guests have to arrange transportation from the airport or from their hotel to the parks?
There are a few different ways you can get from the airport to your resort that you should arrange in advance. Mears Connect is a shared shuttle service that services the Disney area resorts — this tends to be the most popular option. You can also book a private transfer service, rent a car or utilize a rideshare service upon arrival. To get from your resort to the theme parks, you do not need to make any arrangements in advance. The buses run every 15 minutes or so to all of the theme parks.
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Book NowIs it necessary to download the My Disney Experience app?
Yes! The My Disney Experience app is going to be the key to your success while visiting Walt Disney World. The app is how you will book Lightning Lanes, check wait times, view your plans such as dining reservations and more. Two of my favorite features of the app are the directions feature and the mobile food ordering feature. The directions feature tells you the most efficient way to get to a certain attraction from where you are in the parks. The mobile ordering feature will allow you to select a time slot and place an order at most quick-service restaurants, so you can skip the long lines during the lunchtime rush.
Should guests stay on Disney property? What are the advantages?
I absolutely recommend staying on property. There’s nothing like fully immersing yourself in the Disney bubble. A few advantages include early park admission, extended evening hours for deluxe resort guests, complimentary transportation to the theme parks, early access to booking Individual Lightning Lane attractions and early access to dining reservations. When you stay on property and bundle your resort stay with your tickets, there are also flexible payment plans available.
Learn more about the perks of staying at a Disney hotel.
Do travel advisors get any special deals for their clients?
Travel advisors will monitor our clients’ reservations for any additional discounts provided by Disney that may be applicable to their reservations. Once those discounts are available, we will automatically apply them for our clients.
How do clients pay when booking Disney? Is it in installments?
Clients pay Disney directly for their vacation packages, but your payments will always go through your travel advisor. To confirm your reservation, Disney requires a $200 deposit at the time of booking and the rest of the balance is due 30 days before check-in. Between the time the deposit is made and the final payment date, clients are free to make payments as often as they would like to.
Is the dining plan worth it?
It depends on your individual travel party — there isn’t really a one-size-fits-all for dining. If you are planning to have a table service or character dining experience each day, I think it’s worth the cost. Most of your meals would be paid for in advance and you can get the best bang for your buck. However, travelers who may not want sit-down meals might prefer to split an entree at a quick-service restaurant or order groceries to their room instead. I recommend speaking with your travel advisor to weigh the options for you.
Which nighttime experiences and fireworks shows should guests make time for?
You should make time for Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios), Happily Ever After (Magic Kingdom) and Luminous (Epcot). Disney offers dining packages for Fantasmic and Luminous, which is a great perk. The dining packages allow you to make a dining reservation at select restaurants in that park and get preferred seating for the show. For Happily Ever After, there are some dessert parties with preferred seating locations that are available to book as well. If you’re visiting during Christmas or Halloween, the exclusive fireworks at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are a Walt Disney World must-do!
What are your favorite rides or experiences?
My favorite rides in each park are the Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom), Avatar: Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom), Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (Epcot) and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios). A few of my other favorite experiences include Fantasmic and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Hollywood Studios), the food and drinks at Epcot’s seasonal festivals, the animal walking trails at Animal Kingdom and finishing up a long day at Magic Kingdom with a sweet treat from the Main Street Confectionary.
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