If you can even believe it, it is time for Part Three and the grand finale of Walt Disney World vacation planning! After doing a little happy dance to celebrate your future visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth, you may have since:
- Picked travel dates
- Selected accommodations
- Decided how many days to visit the theme parks
- Booked a vacation package (or resort stay and park tickets)
- Set up My Disney Experience and linked the above reservations
- Made travel arrangements
- Chosen where to spend each vacation day
- Made Advanced Dining and Enchanted Extras reservations
There are only a few items still to take care of after you work your way through the checklist above. The finish line is closer than ever, and you will be on vacation before you know it! With that incredibly happy thought in mind, here is what is left to accomplish:
- Would you like to add some vacation extras, like MagicBands and Memory Maker?
- What would you like to see and do when you’re in the parks?
- Will you use Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass, or Premier Pass services?
And if you happen to have some extra time on your hands, you could also consider some fun bonus vacation prep tasks like:
- Are you bursting with excitement and looking for a few ways to channel it all?
- What should you pack?
MEMORY MAKER & MAGIC BANDS
If you plan to use Magic Bands at Disney World, visit the Disney Store website to check out available colors and styles. Since shipping times can vary, consider placing your order at least 2 to 4 weeks prior to your trip. This is also a great time to think about whether or not you’ll buy Disney’s Memory Maker. Memory Maker gives you access to unlimited downloads of all of the PhotoPass photos and videos taken during your trip. Save money and get Memory Maker at a discount if you purchase it at least 3 days in advance of your arrival.
CREATE DAILY ITINERARIES
It’s now time for a task that may feel tedious while you’re in the midst of it, but I assure you it will pay off in spades once you are on vacation. Your job here is to devise step-by-step touring plans for each day you plan to be in the theme parks. These little babies will come in handy by helping you stay one step ahead of the crowds and minimizing the time you wait in line for attractions. You don’t need to create a strict schedule right down to the minute, but it is still ideal to take some time to think about and design a plan for all of the attractions and entertainment you’d like to experience. Some things to consider include:
- When you plan to arrive at the parks
- Your attraction must-dos
- Parades, shows, and evening entertainment
- Any reservations you may have
- When you plan to eat and take breaks
- Will you use Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, or Lightning Lane Premier Pass
There are many ways to build an itinerary, and they will all be unique to the parameters outlined above. For example, a day that starts and ends at the Magic Kingdom with young children will likely be different than the same day planned with teenagers. An amazing source to help get you started with your touring plans is none other than the experts themselves, TouringPlans! Leading the way with up-to-the-minute information about all things Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and more, TouringPlans is a one-stop shop for everything you’ve ever needed to plan your perfect vacation. I have been a TouringPlans subscriber for years and can attest to the invaluable resources and tools they offer, INCLUDING customizable step-by-step itineraries for all of the theme parks. If creating your own plans seems too daunting, look no further than TouringPlans. You will indeed be in the best of hands!
PLAN FOR LIGHTNING LANES
At Disney World, guests can reduce their wait time and skip the standby lines at select attractions using Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, or Lightning Lane Premier Passes services. Any guest with valid theme park admission can purchase and utilize these services.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass provides skip-the-line access to select attractions at each of the four theme parks. Purchasing this service allows you to select up to three Multi Pass experiences and arrival windows at the same theme park for your length of stay. As soon as you redeem a Multi Pass selection, you can log in to your My Disney Experience app and select a new Multi Pass attraction; and continue doing this throughout your park day. If your tickets include the Park Hopper option, you can choose a Multi Pass experience in a different theme park as soon as you redeem your first Multi Pass attraction on the day of your park visit.
Lightning Lane Single Pass entry is an “á la carte” purchase offered separately from Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios, and Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. Single Passes can be purchased with or without the Multi Pass service, and you can choose up to two Single Passes per day of your visit.
Disney Resort hotel guests can begin making Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass selections at 7 AM EST, 7 days before check-in, for their entire length of stay. Guests with date-based tickets can make selections at 7 AM EST, 3 days in advance of their ticket start date, for the entire length of their ticket. Guests with tickets that require a park reservation can make selections 3 days in advance of the reservation date and must book one day at a time. If you plan to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Single Pass during your vacation, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with how these services work and decide which selections you’ll try to make first when your booking window opens. The services are only accessible via the My Disney Experience app, so be sure you have the most recent app update before departure for full access.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass provides one-time access to all available Lightning Lane entrances in a single theme park without needing to select arrival windows. Scan in at any Lightning Lane attraction whenever you wish, allowing the ultimate flexibility throughout the day. Premier Pass is available in limited quantities and includes all attractions available with the Multi Pass service as well as those that are part of the Single Pass offerings. Disney Resort hotel guests and other select hotels including the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green Resort can purchase Premier Pass at 7 AM EST, 7 days before check-in. Annual Passholders and guests with date-based tickets can purchase the service at 7 AM EST, 3 days before their park visit.
And, time permitting…last but not least…
BUILD SOME EXCITEMENT
I absolutely love all of the build-up and anticipation in the weeks leading to a Disney vacation. I think it is almost every bit as enjoyable as the vacation itself. So while this next step is totally optional, if time permits I would highly recommend sprinkling in a few activities here and there to embrace the building excitement as you await your trip to the magic. (Besides, is there really such a thing as too much excitement?! For Walt Disney World I, for one, would have to say no!) Some fun ideas to consider could be:
- Countdown Calendar:
- Just like the many Advent calendars used to count down to the holidays, you could create your own Disney-fied version to count down to your departure date. It could be something as simple as writing the number of days left until your big trip on a chalkboard or whiteboard, and erasing and replacing with the newest number each morning. Or you could tap into your imagination and get your creative juices flowing to craft something a bit more elaborate. Whichever approach you take is sure to get everybody looking forward to vacation with eager anticipation!
- Themed Movie Night:
- Watching Disney movies is one of the most surefire ways I know to get myself and my family into the Disney mood. There are so many incredible films to choose from, and the weeks leading up to a trip to the parks are a perfect time to revisit old favorites or press play on any you’ve not yet seen. And planning an evening with food and snacks inspired by these movies is like the cherry on top of the whole experience. Dirt pudding with plenty of gummy worms thrown in for good measure would be the perfect complement to a Lion King movie night, for example. Or, perhaps a batch of Tiana’s “man-catching” beignets to go alongside The Princess and the Frog…or Jolly Roger pizza boats and fruit swords while watching Peter Pan…or a hearty spaghetti and meatballs dinner to accompany the 1955 animated classic, Lady and the Tramp… And the list goes on and on! The sky is the limit on what you can do, and the weeks before heading to Orlando are a terrific time to channel your inner chef and get a jump start on making vacation memories.
- Make a Disney Playlist:
- Listening to your favorite Disney songs is an easy way to get pumped for Disney World, and music streaming services are a fantastic source for finding just about every tune you can think of. You could create a playlist of your favorite songs from the various Disney movies, attractions, parks, and even resorts, and play it in the background around the house or driving in the car.
- Listen to a Disney Podcast or Check out a Disney YouTube Channel:
- Listening to Disney podcasts is a guilty pleasure I enjoy year-round at home. They are fun and informative and I love their ability to transport me to my happy place so that I can vicariously soak in some pixie dust from afar. Listening to planning advice and anecdotes from time spent at the parks and resorts can also be another really neat way to generate excitement and get into a solid vacation frame of mind. But if podcasts aren’t your thing, watching YouTube videos of the Disney parks would certainly do the trick as well. Videos of dining reviews, on-ride attraction POVs (Point of View), and general walk-throughs in the parks are invaluable sources of knowledge, entertainment, and excitement, just like their audio-only counterparts.
- Go Shopping:
- There’s no need to wait until you’re on vacation to start souvenir shopping. You could treat yourself now to a few new goodies to use in the parks! Perhaps a t-shirt or sweatshirt featuring your favorite characters or attractions, or maybe a themed Mickey ear headband or customized MagicBand, or possibly one of the ever-popular spirit jerseys or one-of-a-kind Loungefly mini backpacks? There is no time like the present to indulge a bit and go shopping before vacation. A little retail therapy now will surely leave you energized and ready to go, all while looking and feeling your Disney best!
START PACKING!
Once you’ve worked through all of the logistics of planning, there is just one thing left to do – grab those suitcases and get packing! Depending on the time of year you are visiting, weather could be a factor in determining the clothing that you bring. Most of the year Orlando will be hot and shorts and t-shirts will work just fine. Conditions can vary greatly between November and February, however, so you may find that you’ll want to add warm layers for cool mornings and evenings. Aside from the clothing for the duration of your stay, other key items to include in your luggage are:
- Swimsuits
- Toiletries and medications
- A good bag or backpack to carry with you in the parks
- Reusable water bottles
- Camera
- Device battery packs
- Ponchos
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Autograph books and pens for characters and/or pins and lanyards for trading
And definitely don’t forget to leave extra room in your suitcase for mementos and souvenirs from your time away!
RELAX AND ENJOY!
And there you go! You have made it through all of the prep and planning, and you are ready for vacation! Disney World can certainly feel like a complicated and overwhelming destination to plan for – but as my husband always loves to say, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! With that sage advice in mind, I have found that breaking everything down into manageable steps like we’ve done in Parts One, Two, and Three has helped me time and again to stay organized and calm through the entire planning process. And, I hope you’ll feel the same way as well as you get ready for your Walt Disney World Resort visit. And whether it all goes according to plan, or diverts here and there, just know that you are fully prepared and will have a wonderful time no matter what!
