Hopefully starting a good 6-9 months in advance, you will need to first decide when you are going to go. To determine the best time for your family to visit Walt Disney World, it is important to evaluate your preferences for things crowds and weather. For example, if you are not thrilled with crowds, don’t plan a visit during the crowded summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring breaks. Do you hate heat and humidity? Don’t go during Florida’s brutal summer.

The next thing you will want to do is figure out what you and your family want to see and do while at Disney World. Seem strange? Believe it or not, you will find it helpful to know at this point in your planning, which parks you will be spending most of your time at, or if there are any special events you will want to attend. By looking at this early in the process, you can then plan your trip to take advantage of this information.

To do all this, good planning guides are important to give you an overview of what you can see and do at the parks. I have two favorite planning sources:

1. The Disney website where you can order their free planning DVD. You will need to sign up for a log-in on their site which I highly recommend. You will then get lots of Disney vacation planning information and will be on their email list for promotions and special offers.

2. The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide is a helpful e-book that was written by a former Disney castmember. With a lot of really helpful park information, it is especially great at providing some excellent money-saving strategies.

Now that you have an idea when you are visiting and what you want to see and do, you need to see how long you will be at Disney World. After looking at your vacation time available, work/school schedules etc., consider how long you will need to see everything you want to see! This somewhat ties into the original discussion about the time of year you will be visiting Disney World. If you will be there during the more crowded times or the hot summer, you will need to allow for additional time: more people and/or the need for park breaks to cool off, means that it will take longer to see everything you want to see. Likewise, if you are traveling with very young children, it will be important to add extra time for breaks as well.

So generally speaking, how long would it take to visit each park, if you wanted to “see everything”? In my opinion, to see all four parks completely, you should plan for at least 5 full days. If any of the above conditions apply to your plans, add more time.

Finally, before you begin to book anything, decide how much you can afford to spend. In order to plan an affordable Disney family vacation, this is crucial: having a budget right from the start will insure that you are able to keep control of your costs. Be honest with yourself and realistic, and don’t feel as if you need a huge budget for your Disney vacation. It is definitely possible to have a wonderful vacation without spending a lot of money!

Once you have these four things in mind…when you are going, what you want to see, how long you can stay, and what you can afford…you are then ready to start filling in the details and booking your vacation. Lay the groundwork at the beginning, and you will have a wonderful, magical, and affordable Disney family vacation!

Learn how you can save money when going to Walt Disney World with the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. For help planning your own affordable Disney family vacation and to pick up a free bonus guide that has Disney vacation planning ideas, make certain to visit www.theaffordablemouse.com.

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