A trip to Walt Disney World does not come cheap, and almost all books about traveling to the World devote at least one chapter to budgeting and saving money on a Disney vacation. Getting the most out of your money isn't just about spending less, however. The old adage, “Time is Money”, is never more true than on a trip to Walt Disney World, and in this article, we'll look at saving hours of time before even setting foot in Orlando.
Time spent in the planning process is crucial to the success of a Disney trip, particularly when traveling with children and/or a larger multigenerational group. Most Disney publications and websites cover big planning decisions in depth, such as time of year to go to Walt Disney World, where to stay, how to get there, and what park tickets to buy. While they are certainly important, the focus of this article will be on those overlooked details of planning that create small time savings that can add up in a big way over the course of your trip.
Understanding Expectations
It is critical to understand and set expectations with all traveling companions, young and old, and this should be a top objective when planning a trip to Walt Disney World. Not behavior expectations (a whole article in itself), but what people expect to do and see on their trip to Walt Disney World—that is, what type of vacation each traveler desires. A well-documented recipe for disaster is to be two or three days into a trip and discover that one kid expects to go to the pool every day, the other kid expects to see princesses at every park, the grandparents expect to spend every waking moment with the entire family, and the spouse is tired of waiting for consensus after every ride. And the rumblings of unhappiness are growing louder each day. Unless you are fortunate enough to have two or more weeks at Walt Disney World, you simply cannot do it all (and even then it's debatable). A couple of hours spent communicating with all travelers, including children, a few months before the trip will be more than pay itself back during your few precious days enjoying the World.
If you have very young children (younger than about 4), then the pre-trip conversations are more about explaining what they can expect on the trip—where they will stay and sleep, what each park might be like, what characters they may see, and what their daily schedule might look like. Also, start early to help children understand at an age-appropriate level that they will see and do some things that other people really want to do, but which for them might not be as interesting. If kids young and old know this ahead of time, they will be more apt to support those different activities during the actual trip. Once in Orlando, gentle daily reminders and ensuring their voices are heard and their needs met will go a long way to avoid time sucking meltdowns.
Conduct some preliminary research into the parks and other activities available in Walt Disney World, including which resort you plan on staying at. This activity is particularly critical (and fun!) for first-time visitors. Share that research in whatever form or format works for your group, then pose a few questions to each traveler. Don't panic! Use these sample questions (tailoring the number and type of questions to your traveling party):
- What are you most looking forward to on your trip to Walt Disney World?
- On a scale of 1 to 10 or just anecdotally, how much do you enjoy each of the following: Thrill rides? More sedate rides? Shows? Shopping? Swimming? People watching? Dining experiences? Fireworks?
- Do you want to eat every meal at a restaurant, or do you want to eat some meals in the room?
- What time do you want to get up in the morning?
- Who should pay for what?
- For late risers, are you willing to get up early on at least some of the days of our trip?
- What time do you want to go to bed and how flexible can you be with your bedtime?
- How much time to you expect to spend with the group on a daily or total basis?
- How much time to you expect to spend in the parks each day?
Priorities
After compiling the information from the questions, create a list (or for us geeks, a spreadsheet) for each park, along with a miscellaneous section, and list not only the rides and attractions of most interest to each traveler, but also other things of interest such as the pool, Downtown Disney, any specific must-do restaurant, recreational activity, character meet-and-greet, and so on. Based on the answers compiled above, one item on the list could be to sleep in one day until 11:00 a.m.
Provided the logistics are possible and the item is not well outside the budget, impose no judgments or limitations; just write it all down. This is a great time to get older children (about age 5 and up) involved with not only the planning process, but also learning that other people may want to do different things than they do—so have them help research, ask questions, and compile the answers. My kids (11, 10, and 8) are always excited about interviewing their long-distance grandparents, making notes about what they want to do, then adding it to our list. On the last couple of trips, this has translated to no whining when it's time to ride “it's a small world” because it is one of their grandmother's favorites, only a brief eye-roll from my thrill-seeking son when we hop into “Mickey's PhilharMagic,” and my personal favorite, a collective, semi-tongue-in-cheek “Noooooo…” howl when we hit my must-do, “The Lion King Show”. For the truly geeky planner, ask everyone for a top 10 must-do list; that is, if at the end of the trip they have done those 10 things (or eight, or even five), the trip will be considered a big success for the individual.
This entire process may sound painful to the disorganized or die-hard spontaneous, but the fun you will have sharing ideas and the time saved by limiting misunderstandings and focusing on the top priorities of each person during the vacation will more than make up for this pre-trip planning time. However, don't let prudent planning create a schedule so rigid you stress over a little spontaneity or other change in plans. Understanding priorities will help the group recognize that a spur-of-the-moment decision to spend a beautiful afternoon at Disney Quest may mean the Lights, Motor, Action Stunt Car Show at Hollywood Studios, normally held twice daily and only in nice weather, will be skipped this trip.
This column has just scratched the surface of saving time on a trip to Walt Disney World, focusing only on the planning stage. What do you think? Is pre-trip planning overwhelming and unnecessary, or has it saved your family from sniping and stress? What are your best tips for involving long distance traveling companions or accommodating the free spirits in your family when planning a trip to the World?
Thanks for reading!
Margie Binder lives in Shoreview, Minnesota with her husband and three Disney-loving children. She has been a DVC member since 1995 and uses any excuse, including inviting herself along on relative's trips, to visit her Happy Place. She has been a helicopter pilot, special education teacher, stay-at-home mom, and corporate employee. Like many, she is either in Walt Disney World or planning her next trip. She still has her stuffed Pooh from her first visit in 1975.
