Tackling a Walt Disney World vacation is stressful, there is no doubt about it. Planning any sort of getaway for your family takes a lot of time, energy, and planning! Planning a magical trip to Walt Disney World should be fun, right? Not stressful!
There are plenty of ways to plan to make your Walt Disney World vacation less stressful from the early planning stages to the journey home. Today, I am going to share some tips with you for how to make your Walt Disney World vacation less stressful.
We all care about quality and value when it comes to a vacation. Everyone wants the biggest experience for their dollar, don’t they? You can have a low-stress, magical, and joy-filled vacation with the right expectations and some flexibility.
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Keep Your WDW Vacation Short
First, keep your Disney trip “short and sweet”. The average Disney vacation is 6-nights. Visiting for six nights or less is ideal! It is so easy to give into Disney FOMO, and when you have a shorter trip, you can narrow your focus and not feel over scheduled. Plan to have less days of park tickets than the total of days you will be in Orlando. Visiting a park EVERY. SINGLE. DAY is too much!
RELATED READING: How to Plan a Long Weekend Trip to Disney World
Plan in Advance
Next, plan way in advance. I cannot stress this enough. Planning in advance is a huge advantage in so many ways. First, you can get the Disney resort and room category (Value, Moderate, Deluxe) you want. This alleviates having to make a second or third choice decision, and end up staying at a more expensive or just not the resort you want.
Planning in advance also allows you to narrow down dining choices and then you can be prepared to book meals when your window opens.
Choose the Must Do’s
Give everyone in your family the opportunity to choose two things. What are the two things every person wants to do to make this the BEST Disney trip ever? Is it a character meal? Or perhaps watching Disney’s Enchantment from Dumbo? Does your child HAVE to see Elsa?
This is the chance to make it happen! Letting each person choose their absolute must do allows you to plan your days in a less stressful way. Everyone will be happy, and it takes some of the pressure off to do it all.
Start Early on Park Days
Get an early start. While sleeping in on vacation is a luxury, sleeping in at Walt Disney World will just put you behind for the day. This can lead to a lot of unneeded stress. Arriving at the theme park gives you a jump start on the day and you will be ahead of the crowd.
Try to be at the park entrance 30-40 minutes before the posted opening time. Plan to eat a bit earlier than a “normal” meal time as well. This allows you to stay ahead of the crowd, and enjoy a less crowded meal experience.
Plan Non-Park Days
Take a break from the theme parks. This is SO important. The Walt Disney World theme parks can be so stimulating for adults and kids! Not only do your feet and legs need a break from all the walking, but your family will appreciate some pool and resort time.
We like to save our shopping and go to Disney Springs on a non park day. You paid a good amount to enjoy a Walt Disney World Resort, so having at least one day of your trip as a resort day to enjoy it and the amenities is a good use of time! It also saves you the stress of being on the go all the time.
RELATED READING: Best Things to Do with the Family at Disney Springs
Plan for Something You Love
Don’t forget about yourself. So many times as parents, we are asking ourselves, “What would my son love about Magic Kingdom?”. Or, “Will my daughter want to enjoy the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?”
What about you? Eating at a nice restaurant like Narcoosee’s or California Grill is a nice way to enjoy something you love. Your kids are going to love it all! For our family, this is often how we decide where to stay.
As a lover of the Deluxe Disney Resorts, I am very adamant that we stay at a resort with good transportation options and close to the theme parks. The rest of our trip, I let my family have more of a say in how we spend some park days or where we eat. Don’t feel guilty about deciding which aspect of your Disney vacation is something you’ll enjoy.
Deliver Groceries to Your Disney World Resort
Grocery orders to your resort are a must. In recent years, it has become extremely popular to have Amazon, InstaCart, or a private service deliver groceries to you at your Walt Disney World Resort. I can tell you from experience, this is one of the things that saves me SO much stress.
We order a case of water, some dry snacks, and sometimes easy breakfast items to our resort. They are waiting for us when we get there, and it takes some stress off our food budget for sure!
Research Transportation Options
Do your research ahead of time for transportation. Know the transportation options to and from the theme parks and your resort. Dining at a resort? Find the best path to that resort BEFORE it’s time to leave your room. Disney buses do not run from resort to resort, so that is a really important thing to plan for!
RELATED READING: The Complete Guide to Disney World Transportation
Disney buses do not (currently) run from theme parks to Disney Springs. These are the sorts of things you want to have in mind before you arrive so you can get where you need to go and have plenty of time to enjoy yourself.
Overall, it comes down to doing some research, asking the right questions, and having an overall plan. Reaching out to a travel planner who specializes in Disney travel is a great idea as well! They are well versed in all the happenings and aspects of planning Disney, and can be a great asset to your planning. How do you plan a stress free Disney trip?
