Disney Travel Planning – how to decide where to go!

This is a topic I could go on about for hours. So instead I will devote a month (at least) of post to the topic instead. Let me start by saying I come from a Disney family. My son’s first and second trips were to Walt Disney World and in his 3.5 years of experiences he has been to Walt Disney World 4 times, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort twice, Disneyland once and on one Disney Cruise. I also have savings building up on the side for the someday trip when we take him to Disneyland Paris (but he needs to be older as that’s far and expensive). This might be more info then wanted but I’m using it to illustrate that we really love Disney. Also, the same child goes by a motto of “On Friday’s we wear Mickey”.

Deciding where to go…

There are a few factors at play here. Ask yourself the following questions to help with your decision:

• How long do you have to travel?
• Ages in your group?
• Where are you coming from?
• Are you amusement park people?
• General Budget?

Breaking this out a bit lets look at each question…

• How long do you have to travel?
  • To really cover Walt Disney World, especially for a first timer you need a minimum of 3-5 days. If you include the water parks then 4-6 days. If you have more time then that, awesome, anything less you will be running and you will have to miss some stuff.
  • The shortest Disney Cruises are 3 nights. There are 3 and 4 night Bahamas Cruises. 5-7 night Caribbean Cruises. 7 night Alaska Cruises. European Cruises tend to run 7-11 days. Transatlantic and Panama Canal Cruises are usually 11-14 days and then there always a few other options.
  • You can cover Disneyland or Disneyland Paris in 2 days. Both only have 2 parks. At Disneyland there is the Disneyland Park and California Adventure. In Paris the is the Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. Both have a shopping district as well and are both conveniently located by a major city with lots of other attractions.
  • Disney’s Vero Beach Resort – I would give at least a couple days to visit the area buts it’s a perfect place for a quick relaxing getaway and one of the closest things you will find to Cast – A – Way Cay without taking a cruise.
• Ages in your group?
  • All of Disney is great for all ages but Disneyland has more of a Fantasyland then WDW or DLP which is perfect for younger guests.
  • Cruises are wonderful for all ages but with little ones you need to come super prepared or be ready to pay extra. Also children under 3 can only do the Small World Nursery so they miss out on a lot of the kids programs. Cruises are awesome for multigenerational travel as there are truly options for everyone!
  • Vero Beach is perfect for all ages as they have lots of daily activities or you can relax at the beach or pool or visit the area.
• Where are you coming from?
  • Depending on how much time you have, geography can be a key factor. Also if you live in California or Florida there are discounts for residents.
  • If you are in Europe, then DLP is your most accessible park and a wonderful place to visit, especially if you don’t have a lot of time.
• Are you amusement park people?
  • If yes, then Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris are all great options.
  • If no, there are things besides rides but it may not be worth the cost.
  • If no, the a cruise or a resort like Vero Beach might be right for you!
• General Budget…
  • Disney is expensive, however with some planning you can make it work for many budgets. I will do a whole post on that soon.
  • While there are some deals, especially on the shorter cruises, Disney Cruise Line is typically more expensive then a parks trip.

Hopefully these questions will at least help you narrow things down a bit! The most important thing is to plan something that everyone in your party will enjoy! Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions…