All the Basics for Planning a Disney World Trip

The Disney World Basics below cover some of those topics that you’ll likely run into when planning your trip but we break them down into easy-to-understand chunks so that you can pick and choose exactly what you need.

In this article

Terminology every Disney World visitor should know

If you only have time to read up on a few topics, these should be at the top of your list:

Packing & travel checklists

Checklists are a popular way keep track of things and we’ve got you covered with a couple very helpful (and downloadable!) versions:

Don’t leave home without it

After all the planning is done one of the best things you can do to ensure your trip goes smoothly is to pack the right stuff.

Whether you are driving or flying we have a list for you.

Check out our Ultimate Disney World Packing List for help.

Eliminate the worry

Unless you have somebody at home watching over stuff in your absence you’ll likely find that there are some things you’ll need to take care of before you leave home so that you can relax while you’re away.

Our Pre-Vacation Checklist can help you with that.

Our best tips and advice for avoiding the lines at Disney World

Our goal is to help keep you out of long lines so that you can be in the parks enjoying your vacation.

Here’s some of our best advice for how to do just that:

Use FastPass+

If your goal is to avoid long lines you’ll definitely want to learn about FastPass+.

FastPass+ is the handy system Disney uses to help guests dramatically decrease their waits on some attractions.

It’s 100% free to use but in order to maximize it you’ll need to book your FastPass+ reservations as soon as your window opens.

Learn all about how to add, edit, and copy FastPass reservations in My Disney Experience

Learn how to navigate the crowds

Anymore, because of special events and holidays and runDisney races, crowds at Disney World are pretty much a sure thing but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have an amazing trip!

Find out our best tips and advice for how to Handle the Crowds at Disney World

Use Extra Magic Hours wisely

Extra Magic Hours sound like they should be something…magical, but that isn’t always the case.

We do think that they make sense sometimes but you definitely want to be strategic about it or else you’ll find yourself in heavy crowds with long lines.

Learn about Extra Magic Hours at Disney World

Our top tips to make your vacation better

Plan for your reservations

Missing a reservation date can mean the difference between snagging the ideal FastPass+ time for an attraction or ending up not being able to book a FastPass+ for it at all.

We can help you figure out exactly when you need to be booking all your reservations so you don’t miss out.

Here’s how and when to make all Disney World reservations.

Little things can make a big difference

There are lots of little (and easy!) things you can do to help make your trip plans even better. Most don’t cost a thing but they can definitely save you lots of time and stress.

Read about these 6 things to help you plan a trip to Disney World.

Start (and end!) your trip with a bang

Arrival and departure days can be stressful but they don’t need to be. We have lots of tips and advice for making the most out of them.

Here’s our advice on how to plan Disney World arrival and departure days.

Things that might surprise you

Do you know where you can purchase gum on Disney World property or what you can find at the Boardwalk area?

Even after hundreds of days on property we are still learning new stuff but there are some things we wish we had known before our first trip.

Check out these 10 things most Disney World first-timers don’t know.

Adjust to your timeline

Ideally you’ll be planning your vacation at least 6 months out and if your window is shorter than that you’ll want to adjust your schedule.

Here’s our Ideal Disney World planning timeline (and what to do if you’re short on time).

Learn from our mistakes

One of the best ways to learn is through making mistakes but that doesn’t mean you have to be the one making them.

Whether you are finding yourself overwhelmed or just need a little bit more information on how to plan the perfect Disney World vacation for you and your loved ones, we have some resources to help.

Disney World vacation planning can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s some advice to help.

So, you’re overwhelmed, huh? See if this helps.

We have definitely learned a lot in the years since our first Disney World vacation. Read about some of the mistakes we made so that you can avoid doing the same!

5 mistakes I’ve made when planning Disney World trips

In all likelihood you’ll probably misplace at least 1 thing while at Disney World. Regardless of how big or small, Disney makes it easy to track down your lost items.

Find out how Walt Disney World Lost and Found works.