Where to Start:

3 questions to answer before you book anything

This is the thing I hear most from my friends. "I want to go to Disney but I have no idea where to start."

I get it. Disney is overwhelming. There are a thousand options and about ten thousand opinions, and half of them contradict each other.

Here is the truth: there is no right way to do Disney. As much as this whole site exists to give you advice, only you know what actually works for you and the people you are traveling with.

So here is how I tell my friends to start. This is not coming from a travel agent. I have recommendations, but I do not have an agenda. (No shade at all. We love our TA and will always recommend her. I just know that sometimes you want advice from someone who is not officially in the industry, so you never have to wonder whether you are being sold something.)

Before you look at a single resort photo, ask yourself these three questions.

By the way, you should ask yourself these three questions before planning ANY trip, not just Disney.

Question #1: WHY

There are a million reasons to go to Disney. What is yours?

Specifically, for the trip you have in mind right now, what is the reason you are going? This is a conversation to have with your travel companions before you even start thinking about booking. Everything flows from this question: your dates, who comes, where you stay, and how you spend your days.

Here is what I mean:

Bucket list trip with little kids? If you are treating this as a one-time, do-it-while-they-are-small trip, you may want to stay at a Monorail resort for a full week and hit every park more than once.

Birthday trip for one kid? Pick a resort that matches their interests and build the whole itinerary around them.

Girls trip? Off-site or something in the Epcot area for a long weekend is probably your best bet.

Multi-generational memories? Look into a DVC rental.

Get aligned with your travel companions before you do anything else. Seriously, anything.

Question #2: WHEN

Once you know your WHY, the next thing to figure out is when you are going. Pricing and available activities vary substantially depending on when you show up.

Some things to work through:

  • When do you have PTO?

  • When do your kids have off school, and how do you feel about pulling them out? (That is a post for another day, but generally I vote yes to taking littles out of school.)

  • Do you want to be there for an Epcot festival? Halloween? Christmas?

  • Can your family handle summer heat?

And most importantly: are your dates flexible?

Flexibility can save you a LOT of money, either by traveling when there are deals or by grabbing a last minute DVC rentals. Our favorite times to go are when we can get a room discount and, if possible, when crowds are low.

One very important note on WHEN

If you have a child under age 3, your WHEN should be before they turn 3.

Kids under 3 are completely free. Not just park admission, but Lightning Lanes too. That is hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars back in your pocket. You do still pay for their food and for getting them there, but the savings are real.

This is the single biggest reason I push back on "we will wait until they are old enough to remember it." I did a solo trip when my daughter was 2 and it was incredible and about $1,3000 less than if we did the same thing a year later! Sure, she won’t remember it, but I did and so did my credit card bill.

Question #3: Budget

Finally, what can you actually spend on this trip? Your answer will be shaped by your WHY and by your financial situation, and both of those are personal.

Line items to account for:

  • Airfare or gas

  • Park tickets

  • Lightening Lanes (this is a non-negotiable line item in our opinion)

  • Resort or hotel

  • Meals

  • Extras

  • Souvenirs

  • Outfits and gear (stroller, shoes, matching outfits if that is your thing)

At the very least, know your hotel number before you do anything else. That one decision drives most of the rest of the trip.

A few honest notes:

Credit card points are worth considering, especially for flights or off-site hotels.

Park tickets mostly are what they are. I have heard of gift card hacks, but I have never tried one, so I am not going to pretend otherwise.

Food, extras, souvenirs, and pre-trip gear are the most individual choices on this list, and they are where budgets quietly balloon.

We have a LOT more to say about budget. Follow us on our socials, where we will get into worth it vs. not worth it, points hacks, and continuous posting on discounts and deals as they come.

Now What?

Once you have your three answers, start booking

Most of the time, our recommendation for your next step is to book with a travel agent.

We love and highly recommend our partner agent, Mindy with Tink's Magical Vacations. I am VERY picky about travel agents, and I can probably be a difficult client. Mindy is knowledgeable, patient, and always reliable. I have been sending my friends and family to her FOR YEARS.

Contact Mindy HERE or by email at mindy@tinksmagicalvacations.com. Mindy gives a free gift on your vacation to everyone we refer, so make sure you tell her Magic Without Misery sent you.

One exception: if you are seriously interested in renting a DVC villa, especially if you have a lot of time to plan, contact David's Vacation Club Rentals first to see your options. It is usually a major money saver. If David's does not fit your plan, go straight to Mindy.

Our detailed How to Book advice lives HERE.

For honest thoughts on resorts, follow us on Instagram and read our recommendations HERE (this part of the site is updated frequently)