There is so much to see and do at Disney World!

From the major changes in Animal Kingdom to the new shows coming to Hollywood Studios, there is a lot to keep up with when planning your ultimate trip! That’s why we’re here to help whether it’s your 1st time or 100th time heading to see Mickey.

You’re planning your first trip to Disney World! Woo hoo! You’ve decided to go, you’ve saved your money… now what? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Disney is kinda our obsession and after 15 years of the DisneyFoodBlog being around, we’ve learned a thing or two. First thing to know, this doesn’t have to be stressful! 

To help ease your stress, our ultimate tip we can give is to use Small World Vacations! Small World Vacations has so many experienced agents who are here to help you with whatever you need for your Disney vacation. These agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings and compare discounts to figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans.

Best of all? These services are free of charge to you! You have a Disney expert at your fingertips, ready to help get you the best deals, all for free. Talk about a stress relief! Utilizing Small World Vacations is the first step in our trip planning and you should consider making it your first step too.

Once you’ve realized you don’t have to be stressed, planning gets much easier from here. If it’s your first time going to Disney World, you should first consider when you’re going. There are pros and cons to every season of travel. January to early March is one of our preferred times because of the chill weather and lower crowds thanks to schools starting back. Mid-March to May is when Spring has sprung and although there are some Spring Break crowds, the weather is still mild.

June to August is when the summer heat kicks in but this is the most convenient time for lots of families thanks to summer break! Finally, August to December is when the holidays kick in at Disney World! Halloween and Christmas decor is up (for the most part) and it’s a very magical time.

You can’t go wrong with any of these times in Disney, you just have to decide. There are things to consider like EPCOT festivals, After Hours Events, and crowds. Luckily we’ve written an entire breakdown of the best times to go in 2025 right here. Once you’ve chosen your date, the budget is next!

Disney World can be pretty pricey if you aren’t careful so this is a super important step if you want to go on vacation without spending your life savings. We aren’t even kidding, you could do that in Disney World if you really wanted to. You need to consider costs like tickets, hotels, food and drinks, merchandise, parking fees (if you aren’t staying at a Disney resort), and lightning lane multipasses. 

Some add-ons could change your pricing like the Disney Dining Plan and other options like a payment plan. We’ve broken down roughly how much a Disney Vacation in 2025 will cost you right here. Once you know how much you’re willing to spend, you can start deciding on your hotel! 

This is a great time to utilize your Small World Vacation agent. There are so many Disney resorts, sometimes it’s just nice for someone else to give you the highlights so you can make the easiest choice. There are over 25 Disney hotels to choose from and they are ranked on a scale of Value Resorts, Moderate Resorts, and Deluxe Resorts.

Value Resorts are the most affordable, Moderate Resorts are a step above, and Deluxe Resorts are where the real money comes into play. Things to consider when choosing a hotel are price, themeing, transportation options, and food options. Every resort has something different so it’s important to keep in mind the things you care about and not just what the internet tells you to care about. Hopefully, it’s not a surprise that we’ve written a definitive ranking of all of the Disney World hotels!

If you’re going all in, you can also purchase your tickets through a Disney Vacation package which lumps your tickets and hotel together. There are several deals that you can get by utilizing a Disney vacation package that your Small World Vacations agents can alert you to. One deal that is running at the time of writing is Free Disney Dining so make sure to see what you qualify for.

Now you’ve got your dates, your budget, your tickets, and your resort! You’re at the base level of being ready to head to Disney World. Your countdown is on and the vacation is finally happening. The only other major thing to consider before getting there is how much you want to plan. Do you want to have every second scheduled? Do you want to have no schedule at all? Well, that’s up to you.

We find that planning in the middle is our best approach. Making a priority list but knowing that things might go awry is the best place to be mentally before heading down. This is where the most fun parts start. Deciding which rides you want to ride, snacks you want to eat, and ears you want to buy is where the best parts come in.

So now all you need to do is get your ride and show priority lists started and your snack list written down. Don’t forget that the easiest way to plan any Disney trip is through the help of Small World Vacations. Let them do the heavy lifting so you can enjoy your Disney World vacation to the fullest. Don’t forget to keep following DFB for more planning tips and tricks!

The ULTIMATE Guide to Planning A Walt Disney World Vacation