What to Consider When Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World | Travel Times and Budget

You've seen the magical commercials and "liked" social media posts from your friends' trips to Walt Disney World. Now you're considering a trip. What do you need to think about? In my next few posts, I will be talking about the aspects you need to keep in mind when you are ready to book.

Time of Travel
Just like any vacation destination, there are times when Disney World crowds are higher and times when they are lower. It probably doesn't come as a shock that school vacations mean crowded parks - summer, spring break, long weekends, etc. If you have to travel during one of these times, don't be alarmed. I can help you navigate crowds so that your trip is still amazing.

If, however, you are able to travel during a time when most kids are in school, you may want to consider that. I have two children in elementary school and one in daycare. My husband and I try to avoid pulling them out of school, but we also don't stress if we end up having to do it. For example, we are going in February for a long weekend. We will pick everyone up around lunchtime on a Thursday and they'll miss school Friday. They have a day off on the following Monday, so we are still getting in a decent trip.

Spending Labor Day at the Magic Kingdom

Budget
It's not a big secret that Disney World is not a cheap vacation; however, I can help you plan a trip that you are financially comfortable with. One great thing about Disney packages is that you only put down $200 when you book. You then have until 30 days prior to your trip to pay off your package. I know of people who will buy Disney gift cards and use those to pay off their balance. If you are a Sam's Club or Costco member, you can usually save a bit of money on gift card purchases. We do this for souvenirs. Each of our kids gets a Disney gift card to use how they'd like. Once the money is gone, though, it's gone. They have quickly realized the importance in not buying the first thing they see!

If you have no idea how much you should be budgeting for a trip, ask me. There are going to be a lot of variations in cost, but I can at least give you a starting point. It is really easy to get swept up in the magic and want to do it all, but I can help talk you through what is going to realistically work. For example, if you are spending 3 days in the parks, I'm not going to suggest adding on the water parks option. It's an unnecessary cost for you because there's so much you'll want to do in the normal parks. However, if you're staying 5+ days, then yes,  I'm going to tell you about them because you'll have the time to visit them if you wish. My goal isn't to make you spend all your money, I promise. My goal is to help you create a stress-free vacation.

This could be you!

Coming up next: resort options!

Why use a travel agent?

Before really jumping into traveling tips and Disney information and all that, I wanted to explain why you should use a travel agent and discuss how travel agents are compensated.

Why use a travel agent?

• I'm FREE to you. Yes, there are agents out there that may charge a fee for doing certain amounts of planning and other things, but I do not. 
• I wake up early and stay up late for you. Disney released a free dining promotion recently, and it was announced really early in the morning. I was awake making sure any clients I had traveling during that time frame were covered under the promotion if necessary. Dining reservations and FastPass selection windows open at 7am. If you want me to make them for you, I do it while you're snoozing. And I'm perfectly happy to do it! I think it's fun!
• I continuously find the best deals for you. Even after you have booked travel with me, if a promotion comes out while you are supposed to be traveling, I will make any changes to your package if it's going to save you money. Sometimes promotions DON'T end up being good for a particular travel package, and I take care of doing the research for you.
• No sitting on the phone on hold. I literally have phone numbers for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal stored in my phone because I have to call them often for clients. I will endure the hold music for you to make sure your vacation is what you want it to be.
• I can be as involved as you want me to be. If you like planning vacations but just need me to do the original booking, that's totally fine. If you need to email or text me with changes to your trip or questions, bring it on! I have clients who want me to do it all, and I have clients who just need me to do a couple of things. My goal isn't to hover; it's to help as much (or as little) as you want.
• I love planning vacations. I would not be doing this if it was not something I enjoyed doing. I have a full-time job but make time to do this because I think it's enjoyable. I am organized and detail-oriented, and this is a fun outlet for me. 

How are travel agents compensated?

• Even though my services are free to my clients, I do earn a paycheck doing this. How? Well, generally when you book travel, there is a service fee included in what you pay that will go to a travel agent as commission if an agent books for you. If you book it yourself, that money just goes back to the company with which you are booking. If you're paying the fee regardless, why not put it towards a human who can help you? 

The Start of My Adventure

Hi there!

I have been a travel agent/vacation planner/Disney FastPass Grabber Extraordinaire for a few months now, and I love it! My agency, Kingdom Destinations, is amazing. The people I work with are incredibly helpful, and I'm so thankful to have found them!

Now that I have a good bit of training completed and have a decent grasp on what in the world I'm doing, I want to have a space to share some stories about my travels, as well as tips, advice, and reviews on places I visit. Most of my expertise lies within Disney, but I will be sharing posts about other places and opportunities as well.

Coming up soon -- the benefits of using a travel agent and what all I can do to create your ideal vacation. I'll also explain how travel agents make money doing this. It's okay. I know you're curious.