Thank you for contacting Glass Slipper Concierge for your Walt Disney World® Resort Vacation! We will need to discuss several things in order to put together the best package for your family. Below are some of the things you'll need to start considering. Planning a Walt Disney World Resort vacation deals with a ton of choices and, often, one decision dominos into 100 other decisions! It's my job to take a million options and whittle them down to a manageable handful that just relates to your family, budget and situation.
When to Visit: If you are one of the lucky ones that can plan your visit around the Crowd Calendar, you're probably wondering when are the "lowest crowd" times. Unfortunately, those days are a thing of the past. Disney has figured out how to keep their parks full year-round with Discounts, Festivals, Marathons, etc. So, now, there are "really crowded" times and "not as crowded" times.
In general, think about a basic school calendar...if kids are in school, crowds are lower. If kids are out of school, especially on holidays, crowds are higher. Crowds are lowest right before and after big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Summer and Spring Break. So, overall, late-April to May, January, September to early October, early Thanksgiving and the 2nd week in December. The downside to these dates are that park hours tend to be shorter, more rides are down for refurbishment and weather may not be the most desirable.
Length of Visit: Ideally, you can stay a minimum of 5 full days plus your Arrival & Departure day (6 nights total). Magic Kingdom® Park takes up to 2 days to tour and Epcot®/Disney's Hollywood Studios®/Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park each take one day to tour. Five full days will allow you to see "everything" at a leisurely pace with 2-3 days of nap/pool time. More than 5 full days will give you a day to relax and enjoy your resort, preferably in the middle of your week, to recharge for the rest of the vacation!
You can still see everything in four full days as long as you arrive early or depart late. Any less than 4 full days and we'll have to make some tough decisions like what park do we omit or we'll need to get rid of naps. OR you may want to add on the Park Hopper option ($80/person).
Where to Stay: "On Property" vs. "Off Property": It's strongly suggested to stay "on property", at a Disney Resort. This will allow you to enjoy all the extra benefits like complimentary airport transfers, ability to purchase the Dining Plan, make your Fastpass reservations at 60 days (vs 30 days for off-property guests), Resort Package Delivery, free parking and Extra Magic Hours Benefit are the most popular. The biggest benefit you'll notice is that, by staying on property, you stay "in the magic", enjoying Disney's quality customer service, cleanliness and family-friendly atmosphere. Reality lies on the edge of Disney's property line...avoid it at all costs. 😊 Walt Disney World Resort separates its resorts into three categories: Deluxe, Moderate and Value.
Deluxe Resorts: These have the highest quality, are the most comfortable and most convenient to the parks. These rooms have 2 queen beds, small fridge and private balcony. Some have an additional small murphy or day bed. While they have the most amenities like restaurants, lounges and shopping, they are best known for their locations, pools and views. These are the resorts that are on the monorail, have views of Magic Kingdom, Disney's Boardwalk Entertainment District or exotic animals right outside your balcony! Most are walking distance to 1 or 2 parks and have the most options for transportation, getting you to the parks (and back home late at night) the quickest with the least amount of waiting (and carrying sleeping tots). Pools at these resorts are beautiful and have fun slides, splash pads and other activities. Some are even themed with pirate ships or volcanoes! Villas: Most of the Deluxe Resorts also have Villas which are condo-style rooms with full kitchen, washer/dryers and living rooms. These are a great option for families that want some privacy. Bonus: Deluxe Resorts have Club Level rooms which makes you a VIP. The best benefits are having access to the Club Lounge which serves daily continental breakfast, snacks, drinks and cocktails throughout the day AND giving you the opportunity to purchase more Fastpasses and reserving at 90 days from Arrival, giving you a big jump on the crowds.
Moderate Resorts: The moderate resorts are very large with the rooms located in buildings scattered around the property. Room have 2 queen beds and some have a small murphy bed. They are motel-style so they open to the outside and do not have balconies. They are a little farther from the parks, requiring a bus ride to all 4 parks, stopping at several bus stops along the way. Pools have a slide and are nicely themed to the resort. These resorts also have a restaurant and a food court.
Value Resorts: These are for the most budget-conscious. They are brightly-colored, heavily themed and cartoonish. Rooms have full-size beds and are the smallest on property offering little in terms of storage and extra seating, thus their maximum occupancy is 4 people plus a child under 3. They tend to be louder than other resorts because they cater to large cheer, football, soccer and tour groups. Pools at these resorts do not have slides. Parks are accessible via bus that will stop at other Disney locations (like water parks) on the way to the main parks. NOTE: Disney's Art of Animation Resort is a special resort, that we call "Value Plus". The standard rooms are themed to the Little Mermaid. They also have Family Suites that are perfect for a larger family--they have a queen bed in the bedroom, full-size sleeper sofa and full-size murphy bed in the living room, 2 bathrooms and a kitchenette. The Family Suites are themed to Finding Nemo, Cars and Lion King. These suites can accommodate up to 6 people plus a child under 3.
Here is a great illustration of the different sizes of room categories:
Park Tickets: For most families, a Base Ticket is sufficient. This means you can visit one park each day. For families with limited time, older kids (or no kids), may want to consider adding the Park Hopper® Option for $90/person. This will allow you to visit a park all day and hop over to another park that may be open later. We can discuss your needs to get the right ticket for your family and budget.
Dining Plan: The Dining Plan is a great addition to any Walt Disney World Package. While saving you about 10-12% of Disney's expensive food, it mainly provides convenience. By prepaying for meals that you will eat anyway, it makes your vacation all-inclusive and puts you in a "vacation mindset". Instead of pulling out your credit card every 5 minutes and ending your vacation with a huge bill, you will have pre-paid for everything and can enjoy your vacation. Those on the Dining Plan order off the same menu as those paying out of pocket so you have the same choices!
The most popular dining plan is the Plus Dining Plan. This will give you the same number of Table Service Credits and Counter Service credits as the number of nights of your stay. For example, a 6-night stay will give you 6 Table Service Credits, 6 Counter Service Credits and 12 Snack Credits. These credits can be used in any combination but it averages out to 2 meals per day, usually lunch and dinner, although the credits can be used for any meal.
The other dining plans we can discuss are the Quick-Service Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan. Each have their own advantages but most Guests purchase the Plus Dining Plan.
These are the initial components to consider and we can discuss these more in detail. But it gives you something to think about as you discuss with your family! I look forward with designing and customizing your package!