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Planning a Family Vacation to Disney World: What Worked for Us
By Kaitlyn Fraser
Visiting Disney World with the whole family is magical, exhausting, and worth every moment—if you plan it right. When I first began preparing for our family trip, I was overwhelmed by choices: four parks, countless rides, dozens of resorts, and dining options that could fill an entire city.
Now that we’ve been there, experienced the magic, and returned home with happy (but tired) smiles, I want to share exactly what worked for us. This is not a generic guide—it’s based on our actual experience, tested strategies, and real lessons learned.
Whether it’s your first time or you’re returning for another dose of pixie dust, these tips will help you navigate Disney like a pro while keeping the whole family happy.
Setting the Budget Before Anything Else
Before you even start looking at tickets or hotels, decide how much you want to spend—because Disney magic comes with a price tag.
When I started researching, I quickly realized that costs could spiral out of control if I wasn’t careful. Park tickets, resort stays, meals, transportation, souvenirs—it all adds up.
We set our budget in three main categories:
Park Tickets – This was our biggest expense. We opted for 5-day passes without the Park Hopper option to save money and avoid overwhelming the kids.
Accommodation – We decided to stay on Disney property at a moderate resort. The convenience was worth the extra cost.
Food & Extras – We gave ourselves a daily meal budget and set aside extra for character dining and souvenirs.
💡 Tip: Disney often has seasonal promotions (like free dining plans or ticket discounts). Check their official site before booking.
📷 Image suggestion: A colorful infographic breaking down typical Disney trip costs.
Choosing the Right Time to Go
The time of year you visit can make or break your experience. We chose early May for a few reasons:
The weather was warm but not brutally hot.
Schools were still in session, meaning fewer crowds.
Prices were lower than peak summer or Christmas.
If you have flexibility, look for low to moderate crowd times on crowd calendar websites. Avoid major holidays and school breaks unless you’re okay with higher prices and longer waits.
📷 Image suggestion: Calendar graphic highlighting the best months to visit Disney World.
Staying On Property vs. Off Property
We debated this for weeks, but ultimately chose to stay on property at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Here’s why it worked for us:
Free Disney Transportation – Buses, skyliner, and boats made it easy to get around without a rental car.
Early Theme Park Entry – We could enter 30 minutes before the general public, which made a big difference for popular rides.
The Disney Immersion – The resort theming kept the magic alive even when we left the parks.
That said, off-property hotels and vacation rentals can save you a lot of money, especially for larger families. If you choose that route, make sure you factor in transportation and parking costs.
📷 Image suggestion: Split-screen image comparing a Disney resort pool vs. a nearby off-property vacation rental.
Planning Park Days Strategically
We visited all four Disney World parks—Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. To avoid burnout, we planned one park per day and included a rest day in the middle.
Our schedule looked like this:
Day 1: Magic Kingdom
Day 2: EPCOT
Day 3: Rest Day at the Resort
Day 4: Hollywood Studios
Day 5: Animal Kingdom
💡 Tip: Resist the urge to cram too much into one day. Disney is about enjoying the experience, not rushing from ride to ride.
📷 Image suggestion: Illustrated map of Disney World showing all four parks.
Mastering the Disney Genie+ System
The Genie+ system lets you skip regular lines for certain rides. We debated whether to get it every day—it’s an extra cost per person, per day—but we found it worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Here’s how we used it effectively:
Book Early: We made our first selection right at 7 a.m. through the app.
Stack Rides: We prioritized popular attractions like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash.
Refresh for Openings: Sometimes rides show up as available later in the day, so keep checking.
📷 Image suggestion: Screenshot of the Disney Genie+ booking screen.
Food & Dining Tips That Saved Us Time (and Money)
Disney dining can be overwhelming, but here’s what helped us:
Mobile Ordering: Order meals through the Disney app to skip lines.
Share Meals: Portions are often big enough for two people.
Character Dining: We booked one special character breakfast instead of multiple, which kept the kids thrilled without breaking the budget.
Pack Snacks: Disney allows you to bring food into the parks, and it helped us avoid meltdowns.
Our favorite food finds:
Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom 🍍
School Bread at EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion 🥐
Ronto Wrap at Hollywood Studios 🌯
📷 Image suggestion: Close-up of a Dole Whip with Cinderella Castle blurred in the background.
Keeping Kids Happy and Energized
Disney can be exhausting for little ones (and parents). Here’s what kept everyone in good spirits:
Midday Breaks: We left the parks in the afternoon for a swim or nap before returning for evening shows.
Comfortable Strollers: Even if your child doesn’t normally use a stroller, bring or rent one.
Surprise Treats: We let the kids choose one special snack or souvenir each day.
📷 Image suggestion: Photo of two kids wearing Mickey ears with ice cream cones.
Our Must-Do Attractions at Each Park
From our experience, here are the rides and attractions worth prioritizing:
Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Festival of Fantasy Parade.
EPCOT: Frozen Ever After, Soarin’ Around the World, Spaceship Earth, World Showcase exploration.
Hollywood Studios: Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King.
📷 Image suggestion: Collage of the top attractions from each park.
The Importance of a Rest Day
This was one of our best decisions. On Day 3, we didn’t step foot in a park. Instead, we:
Slept in
Had a leisurely breakfast at the resort
Enjoyed the pool and playground
Explored Disney Springs for shopping and snacks
That rest day recharged us for the second half of the trip and prevented burnout.
📷 Image suggestion: Relaxing poolside photo at a Disney resort.
Disney Springs: A Bonus Destination
If you have time, don’t skip Disney Springs. It’s free to enter and has fantastic shopping, dining, and entertainment. We loved:
World of Disney Store – The biggest Disney store on the planet.
Ghirardelli Soda Fountain – Indulgent sundaes worth every calorie.
Live Music – Bands play in the evenings, creating a lively atmosphere.
📷 Image suggestion: Nighttime shot of Disney Springs lights reflecting on the water.
Capturing the Memories
We invested in Disney’s Memory Maker photo package, which gave us unlimited professional photos from rides and photographers throughout the parks.
If it’s not in your budget, make sure to still:
Ask PhotoPass photographers to take pictures with your phone.
Capture candid moments, not just posed ones.
Take a family photo in front of each park’s iconic landmark.
📷 Image suggestion: Family photo in front of Cinderella Castle.
What We’d Do Differently Next Time
Even with great planning, there are things I’d adjust:
Pack Fewer Clothes: Laundry facilities at the resort mean you don’t need an outfit for every single day.
Plan More Evening Activities: The parks feel magical at night, and we didn’t take full advantage.
Stay an Extra Day: There’s always more to see and do.
Disney World can be magical for everyone—but only if you pace yourself, budget smartly, and keep realistic expectations. Our trip wasn’t perfect (we had our share of meltdowns and rainy moments), but the smiles, laughter, and shared experiences far outweighed any stress.
If you take away one thing from our trip, it’s this: plan ahead, but also leave room for spontaneity—because sometimes the best Disney moments happen when you least expect them.