You're going to Disney World! Now what??

Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can be extremely overwhelming, especially if you haven’t visited in a long time. Gone are the days of simply showing up and hoping for the best. These days, the savvy Disney-goer has booked dining reservations six months in advance and chosen specific days and times to FastPass favorite rides well before arriving on Disney property.

Our FastPass+ tips and tricks

FastPasses have certainly changed over the last ten years or so. Those of us who have been visiting Disney for a long time remember the days before the Fast Pass even existed. If a park was crowded, you’d just have to stand in line for the attractions you wanted to enjoy. Other than trying to enter the parks right at opening, there wasn’t much you could do. With the growing popularity of the parks, guest satisfaction began to decrease after people realized they were spending too much of their vacation waiting in line rather than enjoying the attractions.

Our Disney rhythm

People are different and families are different. Everyone has his own idea of what the “best” vacation is, and the following is ours. It may not be right for your own family, but we thought sharing our “Disney rhythm” – the way we do it – might be helpful to others planning their own vacation.

When should I visit?

According to various sources and the Disney website, here's what's been historically true. Keep this in mind when planning your trip.

Lowest attendance:  

·         January (except New Year's Day) until just prior to Presidents' Week in February

·         The week following Labor Day until the week prior to Thanksgiving

·         The week following Thanksgiving until mid-December

More Moderate Attendance:

·         After Presidents' week in February through early March

·         Late April through early June (except Memorial Day weekend)

·         Columbus Day Weekend (October)

·         The first part of Thanksgiving week

Highest Attendance:

·         Presidents' week in February

·         Mid March through Late April ("Spring Break")

·         Memorial Day weekend

·         Mid June through Labor Day

·         Thanksgiving Day and weekend

·         Christmas week through New Year's Day