If a trip to Disney World is on your horizon, you’re in for a magic journey. But planning a Disney World vacation can be daunting. At over 43 square miles, there is so much to do at Disney! Between dining reservations, Genie+, and all the newest attractions, it’s hard to know where to start.
That’s where Guide2WDW comes in.
Our site has hundreds of helpful articles and a treasure trove of Disney World tips. But this page is where you should begin. These are our recommended Disney World planning resources. From which travel agent to use to which rides to prioritize, this page will kickstart your WDW journey.
Resources for Before You Go to WDW
Which Disney World Travel Agent to Use
Whether you’re planning your first trip or your 50th, a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner can be your best friend. They can find you the best deals, book you the best accommodations, and take care of making dining reservations — all for free! Using a Disney Travel Agent can actually save you money and a lot of work.
Vacationeer isn’t just another travel agency; it’s Guide2WDW’s officially endorsed agency and our pick for the best Disney World travel agency. Their friendly Disney experts live and breathe the parks. They specialize in Disney vacations, including Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and Walt Disney World. I’ve been constantly impressed by their speedy responses and stellar reviews, which is currently a 5-star rating on Google from 731 reviews and a 4.9/5 on Facebook from over 250 votes.
Lastly, they are one of the only Diamond Level Earmarked Authorized Disney Vacation Planners, which is a designation Disney gives to a select few of the best travel agencies. That’s the kind of trust and excellence Vacationeer brings to the table.
So, if you’re planning a vacation, starting with a free quote from Vacationeer might just be your best first step!
Where to Buy Discount Tickets
If you want an easy way to save money on your vacation, buy your tickets from an Authorized Disney Ticket seller. However, you have to be careful, because there are a ton of scams out there. That’s why we only recommend buying either directly from Disney or from Undercover Tourist.
Guide2WDW’s Pick: Undercover Tourist
Whenever possible, I buy my tickets from Undercover Tourist. They consistently offer great deals on Disney World tickets. A family of four can easily save over $270 on 5-Day Park Hopper Tickets compared to buying directly from Disney.
Guide2WDW recommends Undercover Tourist, because that’s what my family has personally used for years! I have always gotten my tickets within minutes of placing my order, and they’re super easy to link to the My Disney Experience app.
Once the tickets are linked, all I need to do is show up to the gate with my Magic Band or Apple Watch.
You can read more about saving money on WDW tickets in our Discount Disney Tickets Guide.
What to Pack for Disney World
A Disney vacation is unlike anything else. So you have to pack for it unlike any other trip.
In our Ultimate Disney World Packing Guide, we share all the items that we’ve found useful at WDW over the years. From cheap ponchos and Disney Gift Cards to neck fans and anti-chafe balm, these items can save you a ton of money and help you stay comfortable during your trip. Here are a few of our most recommended items.
Featured Items
The full packing guide has over 70 items on it. I’m not saying you need to pack every single thing on the list. But use it as a resource to get ideas for what to pack and what to buy.
We also have some more focused packing guides, including What to Pack if You’re Bringing a Toddler to Disney and Items to Beat the Heat at Disney.
When to Go to Disney World
Once you’ve decided to go to Disney World, the next two biggest decisions you’ll make are when to go and how long to go. Here’s our advice:
- How many days should I go to Disney World? I’d recommend 5-7 days of your vacation in the parks at Disney World. But obviously that depends on your budget, your time off, and your personal interests. You can read our guide on How Long to Stay at Disney World for more insights.
- When should I go to Disney World? In our guide on When to Visit Disney World, we break down everything from the least crowded months to the busiest weeks. You’ll also want to factor in the weather and special seasonal events. We love visiting in early March, October, May, and the first couple of weeks in December for the best mix of weather, crowds, and special things to do.
- Know which parks to visit on which days. Each park has its own crowd patterns. I’ve analyzed years of crowd data to give recommendations on when to visit each park, such as avoiding Magic Kingdom on Mondays or visiting Hollywood Studios on Sundays. You can find the full breakdown here:
What Reservations to Make for Disney World
Disney World requires a bit of planning before you head to Orlando. Most of that involves making lots of reservations.
Here are the reservations that you must make for your Disney World vacation.
- You’ll need to make Park Pass Reservations, where you select the first park you’ll visit on a certain day. Date-based tickets will no longer have to make park reservations starting January 9, 2024.
- You’ll also need to make a hotel or resort reservation. It’s important to make this early, as Disney resorts and certain third party hotels give you access to perks such as being able to make dining reservations earlier.
- You will want to make dining reservations, especially for the most in-demand restaurants at WDW like Ohana, Space 220, and Be Our Guest.
Speaking of dining reservations, you’ll definitely want to get acquainted with that system. Our Guide 2 Disney World Dining Reservations gives you a complete rundown of everything you need to know about Advanced Dining Reservations. This includes how early you can start making Disney dining reservations, how to score last minute tables, and how to use the Walk-Up Waitlist.
Resources for While You’re At Disney World
What to do at Disney World
With four theme parks, two water parks, and a shopping and dining district, there’s literally too much to do at Disney World in one vacation. I’ve been to Disney World dozens upon dozens of times, and I still haven’t done everything.
Don’t try to do it all while you’re at Disney World. Instead, pick the best of the best attractions, as well as the activities that best fit your interests.
We have a comparison of all four theme parks, as well as a ranking of every attraction in each park. You can use these guides to find out what you must do and what you should skip while you’re at WDW.
- The Best Rides and Attractions at Magic Kingdom
- The Best Rides and Attractions at EPCOT
- The Best Rides and Attractions at Hollywood Studios
- The Best Rides and Attractions at Animal Kingdom
- Disney World’s Roller Coasters, Ranked
- Every ride at Disney World, Ranked
If you’re worried about getting sick, we also have a complete Motion Sickness Guide, which lets you know what kind of motion each ride at WDW has.
How to save time with Genie+ and Lightning Lane
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Disney World lets you skip the line… for a price. Certain rides in each park have a Lightning Lane entrance, which is a shorter line than the regular standby line. If an attraction has a 60 minute standby wait time, you can expect to wait 5-10 minutes in the Lightning Lane.
You can access the Lightning Lane one of two ways:
- Genie+: For $15-$30/day, you can make one-at-a-time Lightning Lane reservations at a select number of attractions. We refer to these attractions as Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions. You can read the full list of Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions here.
- Individual Lightning Lane: For two attractions per day, you can make an a la carte purchase to enter the Lightning Lane. These attractions are usually the newest and most in-demand rides, and they are not included in Genie+. You can find the list of Individual Lightning Lane attractions here.
You can read more about Lightning Lane and Genie+ in our in-depth guides:
What to eat at Disney World
You could go to Disney World, not step foot on a single ride, and still have an amazing time. Why? Because there is incredible food all throughout WDW!
However, that doesn’t mean everything is exceptional. For every signature dining experience, you’ll plenty of bland burgers and generic chicken nuggets. So it’s important to know where to find the best restaurants, quick service meals, and snacks throughout the parks.
- Magic Kingdom Dining Guide
- EPCOT Dining Guide
- The restaurants with easy to get reservations that are actually worth it
- Character Dining at Disney World
- How to save money on Disney World food
- Disney Dining Tips and Tricks
We are currently working on brand new content to expand our Disney World dining guides, so stay tuned!
How to get around Disney World
Disney World is MASSIVE, so you’ll want all the information you can get on navigating the 43 square miles. Our Disney World Transportation Guide shares details on how to get to all the parks and Disney Springs, plus info on the monorail, Skyliner, and Disney busses.
Disclaimer: Guide2WDW may earn a commission from affiliate links in this article.
Stay tuned for more Disney World resources!
We are always adding new content and videos to our site, so be sure to bookmark this page as we add more WDW resources and recommendations.
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