When you first start thinking about how to plan a Disney vacation, excitement is often overshadowed by questions that can leave you feeling totally overwhelmed. Where on earth do you start? What parks should you visit? How long do you need to ‘Do Disney’?

And then you realize it’s not all about the mouse. What about Universal? Harry Potter? Downtime?

Trust me, it’s totally normal. By the end of this page, you’ll have your bearings and know which parks you want to visit. You’ll have all the knowledge you’ll need to start planning the best Disney vacation ever.

Firstly, you have to accept it’s impossible to see everything. If you are limited to a short stay, your very first task will be to figure out which parks are most important to you.

It will be different for every family. It will depend on age, agility and stamina.

So, grab a coffee, set aside a little time and dive right in to planning that Disney vacation.

Timing will very much depend on your budget, crowds, weather and school breaks.

Orlando Weather:

With Florida sunshine pretty much glowing all year round, you can’t go far wrong at any time of the year.

• Winter: Days are generally warm and sunny with very little rain or storms. We sometimes get cold snaps, (and occasional overnight freezing) during January and February. Evenings can be cool, dressing in layers is the key.
• Spring: Beautiful hot sunny days, warm nights and very little in the way of rain and storms.
• Summer: The summer months can be hot and humid with daily showers. And of course it’s hurricane season from May to November. Although Central Florida rarely gets hit, travel insurance is highly recommended. The parks are well geared up for rain though, so it won’t dampen your fun.
• Fall: Warm sunny days, pleasantly warm nights generally, but can sometimes chilly. Dressing in layers is once again recommended.

Theme Park Crowds

Busy crowds can make or break a Disney vacation. The time of year you visit can make a huge difference. In general, weekends are always busier and any holidays are extremely busy.

We used to have slow times, but not so much any more. The Orlando parks are fairly busy all year round, but there are times when it’s much more manageable.

• Mid January to Mid February: It’s after the Holiday rush and before Spring Break, so crowds will be lower. The weather is cooler though so dress in layers.
• May: Apart from Memorial Day Weekend, May is pretty much a great month to visit. The weather is perfect and crowds are moderate. Epcot Flower & Garden Festival will be in full swing, so avoid weekends at Epcot if you want to avoid higher crowds.
• Mid August to Early October: Most days/nights at Disney will be very manageable. Some Orlando halloween events start in September, (August for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party). Labor Day Weekend will be the busiest time during this period.
• Early November through Mid December: With the exception of Thanksgiving Week, which is super busy, most of November and into December are terrific weather wise and reasonable for crowds. Holiday events in Orlando start early November, which means you’ll get all the magic of Christmas without the Holiday crowds. Once the Holiday crowds arrive, it’s a game changer and crowds are intense.

Busiest Time to Visit Orlando:

• Holidays: From around December 18th through early January, Christmas crowds are extremely high. Christmas week through New Year is wall-to-wall packed, with capacity being reached on some dates.
• Presidents Week: A very busy week in February, especially over the weekend.
• Spring Break: This can stretch from March onwards and runs into Easter. Spring Break crowds will be highest from mid March through to early April.
• Easter: Extremely crowded over Easter week.
• Summer: As we head through June, the crowds will increase and will be busy until schools start to go back mid August. July 4th week is very busy.
• Thanksgiving: A very busy week with high crowds.

Orlando Annual Festivals & Events

There are some regular events that might sway your decision on when to visit. Either to enjoy the events or avoid the crowds. Halloween is huge in Orlando and starts mid August. Holiday Events start early November.

• Disney World:
  Holiday/Christmas events cover all 4 Disney parks from early November to early January.
  Check our Guide to Christmas at Disney.
• Epcot:
  International Festival of the Arts – January -February.
  International Flower & Garden Festival – March – May.
  International Food & Wine Festival – July – November.
  International Festival of the Holidays – November – December
• Magic Kingdom:
  Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party
  Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
• Hollywood Studios
  Holiday Events
• Universal Orlando:
  Halloween Horror Nights – Select nights September and October
  Holidays at Universal – November through early January.
  Mardi Gras – February to April
• Seaworld Orlando
  
• Seven Seas Festival – Winter/Spring months.
  Electric Ocean – summer months.
  Halloween Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream Select nights September and October.
  Craft Beer Fest – September to October
  SeaWorld Christmas Celebration – November and December.

Orlando Theme Park Closures & Maintenance

Other factors which might affect your Disney vacation planning are closures. The Orlando theme parks often close rides and attractions for maintenance during slow times.

Touring Plans have a comprehensive list of all scheduled closures.

If there is a specific attraction that’s high on your list, make sure it’s up and running during your dates. Touring Plans Closures.

Well that’s simple. Stay at one of our vacation homes close to Disney! Seriously though, as with everything else when you plan a Disney vacation, there are endless choices for Orlando accommodation.

Staying in the Disney bubble is the only way for some families. Some guests just love the total immersion and the whole Disney hotel experience. Others prefer a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks.

• On-Site at Disney
  Disney 2024 room rates range from around $150 in low season to $960 during holidays for value resorts. Moderate resorts range from $270-$3700 a night. De-Luxe resorts start around $480 a night and go right up to $6500 a night for a 3 bedroom bungalow at Polynesia Resort. All plus tax.
  There’s something for every budget at the Disney Resorts.
• On-Site at Universal
  There are several hotels at Universal Orlando within walking/boating distance of the parks. Prices are similar to Disney, offering basic rooms right up to luxurious presidential suites.
• Vacation Homes
  As you may have gathered, we might be a tad biased towards vacation homes! We stay on-site at Disney too, but we love the space, privacy and freedom that a vacation home offer.

If you need convincing, take a look at Reasons a Vacation Home is the Perfect Choice.
Our 3 bedroom home starts at $210 a night plus tax, to sleep up to 7. Our 5 bedroom home starts at $300 a night plus tax, to sleep up to 12. We also have a partner offering 4 bedroom homes listed on our website as an alternative choice for you.

Pricewise, Orlando vacation rental homes are a no brainer and represent amazing value compared to hotel rooms.

The first thing you need to understand is that Disney is HUGE. I’m talking gigantic, massive, enormous huge. This ain’t no walk in the park. Disney World is over 40 square miles. The size of San Francisco.

There are four totally separate theme parks, two water parks and a dining, retail and entertainment complex called Disney Springs.

Printable Disney Theme Park Maps:

• Magic Kingdom
• Hollywood Studios
• Epcot
• Animal Kingdom

Magic Kingdom:

A great park for smaller kids, but perfect for teens and adults too. Magic Kingdom is really where the magic happens, of course sprinkled with Pixie Dust.

You’ll find rides, shows and an abundance of character meetings. The Disney Enchantment fireworks every night are wonderful.

Animal Kingdom:

Perfect for animal lovers, this park is heavy on making conservation and education fun. You’ll find a few thrill rides at Animal Kingdom and of course, the hugely popular Pandora: World of Avatar.

Flight of Passage is one of the most popular attractions in all of Disney World.

All ages will enjoy Animal Kingdom.

Epcot:

Older children will enjoy Epcot and adults too. But there is still plenty for kids to do at Epcot.

Epcot is split into 2 different halves made up of 4 ‘neighborhoods’.

• The front of Epcot is home to World Celebration, World Nature and World Discovery.
• World Showcase is a large lagoon surrounded by 11 countries showcasing food and traditions of each country. Eat your way around the world.

Hollywood Studios

All about the movies, Hollywood Studios is home to plenty of rides, shows and attractions and is great for all ages.

Star Wars features heavily with several attractions and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a whole land themed on the franchise.

Disney Vacation: Water Parks

Terrific fun and a great way to cool down during your Disney vacation. Two water parks are available at Disney World – Blizzard Beach & Typhoon Lagoon. See our Guide to Orlando water parks 

Disney Vacation: Disney Springs

A dream for shoppers with an array of brand label stores and unique boutique specialty shops. Dining options are endless.

Plenty of entertainment too, day and night. Disney Springs is a great place to just stroll around and get a dose of Disney vacation magic without the park ticket price.

Don’t forget it’s not just a Disney vacation, there’s a whole world of other attractions too! You might want to take some to explore the other amazing theme parks Orlando has to offer. Or visit local towns, watch a rocket launch, spot some manatees.

There’s so much more beyond Disney!

Here’s an outline of the other major Orlando theme parks to add to your planning list:

Universal Orlando Overview

Two totally separate theme parks are at Universal Orlando. Both feature a section of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Volcano Bay is a themed water park. A third park, Epic Universe, will open in 2025.

Universal Studios Florida

All about the movies. Some great roller coasters and lots of virtual reality rides and attractions. Universal Studios is home to the amazing Diagon Alley in the Wizarding World Harry Potter.

Islands of Adventure

Thrill seekers will find some great rides and attractions in several different themed lands. Islands of Adventure has Hogsmeade in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

You can ride the Hogwarts Express between the two Harry Potter worlds.

Volcano Bay

This themed water park is totally immersive. Water coasters/rides, slides and an enchanting theme throughout.

Universal Tickets Overview

You need a park ticket for each theme park. If you want to visit more than one park on the same day, you will need a park-to-park ticket.

You also need a park-to-park ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express, which connects the two sections of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter together. Kings Cross Station is in Universal Studios and Hogsmeade Station is in Islands of Adventure.

To include Volcano Bay, Universal’s themed water park, you need a 3 park ticket.

NEVER, EVER buy Universal tickets at gate! It will cost you $20 more per ticket. Even if you’re already stood at the entrance, you can still buy your tickets online and they will be $20 lower.

SeaWorld Parks Overview

Three parks in Orlando belong to SeaWorld, plus two in Tampa Bay (just over an hour away). It’s yet another consideration for your Disney vacation.

SeaWorld Orlando:

Slowly morphing towards family entertainment, rides and festivals, rather than killer whale shows. Animals still feature throughout the park is SeaWorld are huge in animal conservation and eduction. Plenty of rides, shows and animal encounters for all ages.

Discovery Cove:

A little higher priced as far as theme park tickets go. But, it’s such a unique experience, if budget allows then do consider it.

You can interact and swim with dolphins and explore underwater worlds. All food and beverages are included and entry is limited to a set amount each day so you are never over crowded. Advance booking recommended.

Aquatica:

A themed waterpark offering water rides and activities

Busch Gardens:

A terrific theme park over in Tampa Bay. Lots of animals and some of the best roller coasters available in Florida.

Adventure Island:

Themed water park by Busch Gardens.

LEGOLAND Florida Overview

This bricktastic park has over 50 rides, shows and attractions inspired by popular LEGO^® brands and characters. Also, there’s a LegoLand Water Park, a world-famous botanical garden and the Peppa Pig Theme Park too.

LegoLand Florida is aimed at kids aged 2 to 12 and offers a day of family fun.

We hope this Disney vacation planning guide will help you plan a Disney vacation that will be the best ever! We’re always here to answer any questions, don’t hesitate to message us, use the chat box, or contact us through our Contact Page.