Planning your first Walt Disney World holiday

Start with your dates and how long you want to go for

Rather than diving straight into every ride and restaurant, start with the basics: when you want to go and for how long. Think about school holidays, work, weather and how much time you realistically want in the parks versus by the pool.Once you have rough dates and duration, a lot of other decisions become easier.

Get a feel for what is there

For a first trip, it helps just to know what the main areas are, without going into too much detail.

• Magic Kingdom
• EPCOT
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom

There are also:

Two water parks – Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach (usually one is open at a time depending on refurbishments)

Disney Springs – a big area with shops, restaurants and entertainment, no park ticket needed.

You don’t need to know every ride or restaurant at this stage. Just being aware of the different parks, water parks and Disney Springs helps when you start thinking about how many days you might want in each.

Choosing where to stay: thinking about location

Next, think about what sort of base will work best for you and where it is on the map in relation to the parks.For example, you might like:

• Magic Kingdom area resorts if you want to be close to the castle and that “classic Disney” feel
• EPCOT / Hollywood Studios area resorts if you like the idea of walking or boating to the parks
• Resorts that are on the Skyliner or monorail if you prefer to avoid too many buses
• Somewhere a little quieter, maybe with more space, if you know you’ll need proper downtime

You don’t have to know all the hotel names. It’s more about how you want it to feel: fun and lively, calm and peaceful, lots for the kids on site, or easy access to certain parks.

Decide how many days in the parks

You also don’t need to be in the parks from early morning until close every single day. In fact, for many families that is a quick route to tiredness and tears.

Think about:How many full park days you’d actually enjoy

Whether you want to include a water park day

Where you’d like some slower “rest days” by the pool, shopping or visiting Disney Springs

Think about your “must do” moments

Instead of trying to do absolutely everything, pick a handful of “must do” moments for your family. This might be:

• A particular ride everyone is excited about
• Fireworks at Magic Kingdom
• A character meal
• A special treat like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Once we know your non‑negotiables, we can plan around them and let the rest be a bonus.

Remember every family is different

Some families love early mornings and are back at the hotel by early evening. Others prefer slow starts and staying out late for fireworks. Some children will happily hop between parks, others need a calmer pace and quiet breaks.

There is no “one right way” to do Walt Disney World. The aim is to plan a trip that works for your family’s energy levels, personalities and any additional needs, rather than trying to copy what someone else did online.

How I can help

If the whole thing feels a bit much, that’s where I come in. I can talk through what you want from your holiday, help you decide dates and length of stay, and suggest hotels which fit right for your family. .You don’t have to figure it all out on your own or spend hours researching. If you’d like some help planning your first (or next) Disney holiday without the overwhelm, I’d love to chat and guide you through it step by step.