The document provides planning tips and information for visiting Walt Disney World, including recommendations for the least and most crowded times to visit, accommodation options at different price points, sample one-day schedules for each of the four theme parks, an overview of ticket types and dining plans.

1. Plan Your
Walt Disney
World
Vacation
By Jessica Strull

2. Planning
Ahead
• Least Crowded
– 2nd week of January through first week of
February (excluding Marathon Weekend)
– Week before Labor Day until the start of Epcot’s
Food and Wine Festival
– Period after Food and Wine Festival ends until
Thanksgiving week
– Week after Thanksgiving through week before
Christmas

3. Planning
Ahead
• Average Attendance
– 1st week of January
– 2nd week of February until Presidents’ Week
– End of February through 2nd week of March
– Last week of April through May
– Thanksgiving week (excluding Thanksgiving Day)

4. Planning
Ahead
• Most Crowded
– Major Holidays
– Presidents’ week
– Marathon Weekend
– 3rd week of March through 3rd week in April
– June through the 3rd week of August
– Epcot Food and Wine Festival
– Christmas through New Years Day
– Anytime school’s out for vacation

5. Planning
Ahead - Tips
• Weekends tend to be among the most
crowded times
• Thursdays and Fridays are the 2nd most
crowded days
• On hot/humid days the water parks are much
more crowded

6. Accommodations
• 5 different price categories
– Deluxe ($265-$4230)
– Disney Vacation Club* ($300-$2405)
– Moderate ($159-$405)
– Value ($84-$405)
– Campground ($48-$119)
*Disney Vacation Club Membership Required to stay here

7. Accommodati
–
ons
• Deluxe
– Animal Kingdom Lodge
BoardWalk Inn
– Contemporary
– Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
– Polynesian
– Swan & Dolphin
– Wilderness Lodge
– Yacht & Beach Club
• Disney Vacation Club
– Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
– Beach Club Villas
– BoardWalk Villas
– Bay Lake Towers (at Contemporary)
– Disney’s Old Key West
– Disney’s Saratoga Springs
– The Villas at Wilderness Lodge

8. Accommodati
–
ons
• Moderate
– Caribbean Beach
Coronado Springs
– Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside
– Fort Wilderness Cabins
• Value
– All Star Movies
– All Star Music
– All Star Sports
– Art of Animation
– Pop Century
• Campground
– Fort wilderness Campsites with:
• Partial hookup
• Full hookup
• Preferred/Premium Sites

9. Magic
Kingdom
• Six different “lands”
– Main Street USA
– Adventureland
– Frontierland
– Tomorrowland
– Fantasyland
– Liberty Square

10. Magic Kingdom
One Day Sample
•
–
–
Schedule
Begin day with a walk down Main Street U.S.A on your way to:
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Railroad
• Then backtrack to Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and
Enchanted Tiki Room.
• Cross over to Frontier Land near the Enchanted Tiki Room. Consider lunch at this point (you will be
near Pecos Bill Café or Columbia Harbour House.
• Be sure to check out the Hall of Presidents (this is also air conditioned!)
• If time allows, visit the Haunted Mansion before the afternoon parade
• Then on to Fantasy Land, make sure to see:
– Mickey’s PhilharMagic
– It’s a Small World
– Peter Pan’s Flight
– The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• See Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and the Race Cars at the Tomorrowland
Speedway
• View Wishes, the fireworks display, from the middle of Main Street
• Watch the Main Street electrical parade from Frontier Land

11. Epcot
• Future World
• World Showcase

12. Epcot
One Day Sample
• Schedule
Start the day with Future World’s Soarin’, Test Track, and
Mission: Space
• If time allows, visit The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Enjoy ImageWorks, a small high tech playground
• Stop for lunch, you will be around The Land’s Sunshine
Seasons, The Electric Umbrella, or Coral Reef
• Visit Spaceship Earth before making you way to World
Showcase
• Start in Canada, proceed counterclockwise around the
lagoon, and take in as much live entertainment as you can
• After dinner, find a spot to watch IllumiNations (best areas
near Italy and Japan)

13. Disney’s Hollywood
Studios
• Hollywood Boulevard
• Sunset Boulevard
• Pixar Place
• Streets of America

14. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
One Day Sample Schedule
• Start out by getting a Fast Pass for Toy Story Mania
• Begin the day with Rockin’ Roller Coaster followed by Twilight Zone Tower
of Terror
• If Beauty and the Beast starts soon, grab a seat, otherwise head to Voyage
of The Little Mermaid and American Idol Experience
• Grab lunch at the 50’s Prime Time Café, Sci-Fi Dine In Theater, or Staring
Rolls Café
• Find a spot 20-30 minutes early to watch the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun
parade
• Make sure to visit Muppet Vision 3D, Studio Backlot Tour, Star
Tours, Extreme Stunt Show, and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• If you missed Beauty and the Beast, go now, and if you haven’t gotten to
the Great Movie Ride, be sure to experience
• If Fantasmic is playing, get a spot in line at least 50 minutes before
showtime

15. Animal Kingdom
• Africa
• Discovery Island
• Camp Minnie-Mickey
• Asia
• DinoLand USA

16. Animal Kingdom
One Day Sample
• When you arrive,Schedule
make sure grab Fast Passes for Expedition
Everest and check the schedule to see Festival of The Lion
King and Finding Nemo – The Musical
• Head over to DinoLand USA and ride Dinosaur
• Take young children to The BoneYard
• In Asia, ride Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest, and visit
the tigers at the Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Stop at the Yak and Yeti or Tusker House for lunch, then
climb aboard the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki’s Planet
Watch
• Wander the Discovery Island trails around the Tree of Life,
see how many animals you can find in the tree and roots
• Finish off the day with a screening of It’s Tough to Be a Bug

17. Ticket Types
• Magic Your Way Base
– Access to one park for the day
– 1-10 days, unused days expire 14 days after ticket is activated
• Park Hopper
– Access multiple parks on the same day
– $55 add on, regardless of number of tickets
• Water Park, Fun, and More
– Access to both Water Parks and other attractions
– $55 add on
• No Expiration
– Unused tickets never expire
– $25-$225 depending on number of days

18. Dining Plan
• Quick Service Dining
– 2 Quick Service Meals, 2 Snacks per night
– Resort Refillable Mug
• Dining
– 1 Quick Service Meal, Snack, 1 Table Service Meal
per night
• Deluxe
– 3 Meals (any type), 2 Snacks per night
– Resort Refillable Mug