CHAPTER
THREE
BACK TO CHAPTER ONE
Chapter 2
Just like an artist sketches before they put paint-to-canvas, we have to get a faint view of our overall vacation before we set anything in stone.
This part is my FAVORITE, especially since I can do it while sitting in bed in my pajamas. When we rush ahead to the end of planning: reservations are made, dining is booked, etc. we can completely miss the bones of a successful plan.
Love, Dana
Have you been referring to your checklist? This will help keep you organized!
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- Your travel dates
- Festivals + events
Think fireworks, Mickey's Christmas Party, etc. - Crowd level predictions
I use the crowd calendar from UnderCover Tourist. Don't put TOO much weight on crowd predictions, but it can give a great baseline when you don't know where to start. - Park Hours
While you can't confirm these hours if your trip is more than 60 days away, check the schedule as far as Disney's calendar will allow just to get a baseline.
Start "Sketching"
01.
TRAVEL DATES
EVENTS
PARK HOURS
CROWDS
Make a vacation sketch with me!
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GOOGLE SHEET
Create a Vacation Sketch
Instead of going in "order" of parks, plan to visit the park that’s labeled LOW in crowd predictors for that day. For example, if you fly in on Friday, you don't have to visit Magic Kingdom on Saturday because that’s the first one you want to see. If it predicts crowds will be high, plan your days around it.
I don’t care if you’re six or sixty, it's always a good idea to head back to your room from 2PM to 4PM for a nap or sit by the pool.
This is always the most crowded and hottest part of the day. If you want to stay in the park, block off this time to see a show or find a quiet place to rest.
Sketching "Hacks"
ONE
TWO
If you're visiting in the fall/winter, remember that there are nights that Magic Kingdom closes early for Halloween + Christmas parties.
Use this to your advantage! "Party days" have much lower crowds (about 30% shorter wait times). If you are okay with missing the normal fireworks at night, or can come back on a different night, visiting Magic Kingdom on party days is my favorite trick.
FOUR
While I'm not a big fan of "rope-dropping", I do like to take advantage of the mornings, when crowds are the lowest.
I like to say “early to rise, early to nap" because the only way I can get out of bed before 7:30AM is to gift myself a nap later. And coffee.
THREE
GET CRAFTING WITH THESE
Rest Day
Park
Two
Park
One
Park
Four
Park
Three
Try the "park-park-rest" schedule
A common question is "how many days is the right amount for Disney World?" If this is your once-a-year family vacation a full week is ideal. You'll have 2 travel days, 4 park days, and a break in between. The example below is how I usually plan out our week:
How many days do we need for the parks?
There are 4 parks in Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
Do we want to visit more than 1 park in a day?
There will be an option add a "park hopper" to your ticket. This lets you visit more than one park per day. These are more expensive but come in handy when you want to have more flexibility.
Do we want to experience any WATER PARKS?
There are 2 water parks on property, which may be of interest to you if you're visiting during the summer months.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER before moving on
Buy Your
Park Tickets
A plus ticket gets you an equal number of "plus visits," to
Blizzard Beach Water Park, Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (currently unavailable), or a round at one of Disney's 3 golf courses.
Park
Hopper Plus
Allows you to visit 1 park per day (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom.)
You cannot visit multiple parks on the same day, but you can leave and return to the same park.
Base
Ticket
1
Deposit: 1st night's cost + balance due at check in
Tickets can be added later or through a third-party
Can be made up to 499 days beforehand
1
2
Allows you to hop (scan) into multiple parks in 1 day.
Park hopping starts at 2pm.
You'll need a park reservation for the FIRST park you visit and scan in before hopping to the 2nd.
PARK HOPPER OPTION
Deposit: 1st night's cost + balance due at check in
Tickets can be added later or through a third-party
Can be made up to 499 days beforehand
1
A plus ticket gets you an equal number of "plus visits," to
Blizzard Beach Water Park, Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (currently unavailable), or a round at one of Disney's 3 golf courses.
Park HOPPER PLUS
3
Buy Your Park Tickets
If you already booked a vacation package with Walt Disney World, you can skip this step and confirm that you can see your tickets under your Profile.
But if you rented DVC points, are staying off property, or only booked a room, it's time to buy park tickets! There are 3 options:
02.
Allows you to hop (scan) into multiple parks in 1 day.
Park hopping starts at 2pm.
You'll need a park reservation for the FIRST park you visit and scan in before hopping to the 2nd.
2
Park Hopper Option
3
Commonly Asked Ticket Questions
What's a Park Hopper?
DOES MY BABY NEED A TICKET?
HOW DO I LINK OUR TICKETS TO MDE?
CAN WE LEAVE + COME BACK?
Adding the + Park Hopper option to your ticket let's you visit more than one park per day, or "hop".
Right now, Park Hopping hours start at 2PM each day. You have to have a Park Reservation for the first park you plan to visit AND enter that first park before you can scan into another. A Park Reservation isn't needed for any park except the first one you want to visit.
What's a Park Hopper?
DOES MY BABY NEED A TICKET?
HOW DO I LINK OUR TICKETS TO MDE?
CAN WE LEAVE + COME BACK?
Nope! Children under 3 years old do not need a park ticket.
What's a Park Hopper?
DOES MY BABY NEED A TICKET?
HOW DO I LINK OUR TICKETS TO MDE?
CAN WE LEAVE + COME BACK?
If you purchased through Disney and entered in the same email as your My Disney Experience account, they should be already linked under "My Tickets + Passes."
If you missed it, go back and watch this video from Chapter 1 where I go over how to set up your My Disney Experience account.
What's a Park Hopper?
DOES MY BABY NEED A TICKET?
HOW DO I LINK OUR TICKETS TO MDE?
CAN WE LEAVE + COME BACK?
Even if you only purchased a base (or single-day) park ticket, yes! You can leave to take a break, and then come back to the same park later.
If you have a + Park Hopper option added, you could scan into all 4 parks in one day if you wanted to. Just make sure you have a park reservation for your first park, and start hopping after 2PM.
Having everyone connected through My Disney Experience helps things run smoothly. Ideally, both parents should have their own MDE accounts so they can both order food, book Lightning Lanes, etc. for your entire group.
Take the time now to confirm that ALL of your party is under your Family & Friends list. When it comes to children: the person who creates a child’s profile will manage all the plans for that child.
MOM's MDE ACCOUNT
Here's an example of linking:
03.
Link Your Family
& Friends
MOM's MDE ACCOUNT
Mom
Child 1
Child 2
Dad
before
DAD's MDE ACCOUNT
Mom
Dad
Child 1
Child 2
DAD'S MDE ACCOUNT
Mom
Dad
Child 1
Child 2
after
How to link to anyone's My Disney Experience account:
04.
Until January 9, 2024, you'll need both tickets and Park Reservations for the dates you want to visit. For example, if you want to visit Magic Kingdom on December 22nd, you'll need ticket and park reservation for December 22nd.
And since you're all linked up with your family - you can make Park Reservations for everyone!
Make Park Reservations
MAKE PARK RESERVATIONS
SKETCH YOUR VACATION
MAKE PARK RESERVATIONS
You're on your way to creating the vacation of your dreams, I can feel it! This first chapter takes a lot of brain power - you got this!
continue to chapter 3
