When I talk to someone about their upcoming trip to Disney and I hear the words “wing it” or “we don’t need to plan” I tend to shudder a little, and then I just feel sorry for them. Inevitably, these people will return from Disney and be totally exhausted, complaining about how horrible their trip was. Please, for the love of Disney, make an itinerary!! For your sanity, for your family’s sanity, I beg of you, do not “wing it”.

Yes, making an itinerary is overwhelming which is why I like creating them for people, but it is not impossible to do it on your own if you break it down step by step.

PARKS: First you need to determine how many days you are going into the parks, and if you are getting park hoppers or not. If you are unfamiliar with the Disney lingo, park hoppers allow you to visit multiple parks in one day, whereas the regular tickets allow you only one park per day. They actually make it fairly reasonable to upgrade to a park hopper, so if it fits your budget, I always recommend getting the park hopper.

DINING: Decide which park or parks you are going to. Decide what meals are a priority for you. Do you like to get out to the parks early, or is breakfast super important to your family? Do you like to grab a quick lunch on the go, or would you rather sit down for a table service meal in the middle of the day?

Our family is always focused on dinner. We do a quick breakfast and lunch on the go or at the pool most days, but dinner is something we never, ever “wing”. When you are making dining reservations, please keep in mind the location of the restaurant, how you are getting there, and how long it will take to get there.

When you plan ahead Disney can be relaxing! People don’t believe me, but I’m serious, it’s all about using common sense. Don’t plan a lunch at Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom Lodge when you’re spending the morning at The Magic Kingdom. This would be a logistical nightmare. I like to refer to the ever valuable advice: K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid. Plan your meals either in the park or near the park you plan to go to that day.

FASTPASSES: The next part of the itinerary is discussing which rides everyone wants to go on and determining the ones that need FastPasses. FastPasses are helpful when used correctly. If you don’t know how the park is laid out, look at a map. If you can help it, you wouldn’t want to FastPass Big Thunder Mountain from 9-10am, and Space Mountain from 10-11am because they are on completely different sides of the park.

Many people take two days at Magic Kingdom. If that is your plan, on one day you should start RIGHT, meaning, walk down Main Street and head right to Fantasyland or Tomorrowland. The other day you should start LEFT and head towards Frontierland or Adventureland.

Plan your itinerary of rides according to the section of the park you are going to. You can always go to the other side later, but don’t think zig-zagging your way around the park will be enjoyable because I promise you it won’t be.

Keep in mind that all of my advice is coming from a place of not wanting to wait in line. You can do any kind of itinerary you want if you don’t mind waiting. If you want to limit walking and waiting, be sure to map it out.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and need some help, feel free to reach out to me at ellen@magicalmadesimple.com.

An itinerary is a must with a group this big, although I will argue even a 2 person trip should have a plan of attack.

by Ellen Volpe – Co-Owner of ET Family Travel