This is Post #2 in my latest series: Daydreaming of Disney. It’s never too early to start thinking about future vacations. Even if you’re not quite ready to book your next trip, there are plenty of ways to get excited and start collecting ideas! If you’d like to read the entire collection of posts, you can find them here.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Disney vacation?
Is it riding Space Mountain first thing in the morning? Giving Mickey Mouse a hug? Maybe treating yourself to a three-course meal at Be Our Guest Restaurant?
Every family experiences Disney differently. In fact, even frequent Disney-goers will tell you that no two trips are the same. Each time we head to the parks or set sail aboard a cruise ship, we’re going with different interests, goals, and expectations.
What will make your family’s vacation unforgettable is knowing what your priorities are and knowing what activities you’d love to experience. Here’s how to have some fun exploring all the amazing things you can do on a Disney vacation!
What’s Important to Your Family?
Before you figure out what to include in your trip, and even before you start sourcing info from Facebook friends, you should know what types of vacations experiences matter most to your family.
How important are the following activities to you?
- Riding Attractions
- Meeting Characters
- Dining in Fun Restaurants
- Swim Breaks
- Seeing Fireworks
Of course, these are just a few examples from the Disney Parks. Gather together and discuss which types of experiences are “must do’s”, which would be fun to do, and which you don’t have much of an interest in. Focus on this particular trip; you might find that, while you usually don’t care about sit-down meals at theme parks, you’ve seen some amazing menus lately that you don’t want to miss out on.
Don’t forget to keep in mind your vision of what you want your next vacation to feel like.
Here’s an example of my family’s priority list from our last trip to Walt Disney World Resort:
- Thrill Rides (including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)
- Family-Friendly Rides (anything for kids under 38″)
- Unique Dining & Character Meals (plus some personal favorites)
- First Visit Traditions (personalized ear hat, castle photos)
- Happily Ever After Fireworks (Magic Kingdom)
When you kick off planning already knowing what’s important to you in a trip, you know that you’ll be able to design a personalized experience. And that’s the secret to a satisfying vacation!
Time to Do Your Homework
Now that you know what you want, it’s time to learn what you can do on a Disney vacation. This is where the real fun begins.
We’re going to do a little research.
At this point, our goal is to simply get familiar with the attractions, accommodations, and experiences that are available. Don’t worry about coming up with strategic plans or reading through every description. Just pay attention to the experiences that stand out to you and your family.
Tip: If you’re working with me on your trip, we’ll be arranging 1-on-1 planning sessions to go over ideas and recommendations for your visit. You get to do as much or as little planning as you like!
The best place to start is to explore Disney’s websites. Here is where you’ll find the most up-to-date information on available activities along with general descriptions:
- Walt Disney World® Resort
- Disneyland Resort®
- Disney Cruise Line®
- Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa®
- Adventures by Disney®
Additionally, you can start browsing through blogs (like this one), Pinterest, Instagram, Google images, YouTube, and Facebook groups. Take note of rides, snacks, shows, or anything else that looks like it would be fun for your family.
Tip: When it comes to crowd-sourcing ideas for a Disney vacation, it’s kind of like announcing that you’re pregnant – you’ll get 100 well-intended opinions thrown at you like a fire hose. And, they may not be good fits for YOUR family. Take every idea with a grain of salt, consult with an experts on which options are best, or simply focus on some private research first.
Visualize Your Vacation
So now you have a list of ideas. How do you use them?
There are a few ways you can start picturing your vacation:
Vision Board
Create a collage (hard copy or digital) that shows off the images and ideas that get your family most excited about your upcoming trip. Cut out pictures from brochures/magazines, draw pictures, and get creative. Post your vision board somewhere you can all enjoy it.
Pinterest Board
If you don’t have a Pinterest board filled with Disney ideas and tips, are you really planning a vacation? Set up a new board with a fun title, add a target date to it, and start pinning! Remember: your boards can be public or private.
Trello Board
Trello is a list-making application that is free to use. Create lists reflecting hotels, rides, shows, snacks, or anything else that is important to your family. You can add notes to each of the cards you create as you learn bits of info along the way.
Evernote Notebook
I’m a personal fan of Evernote. It’s a digital notebook where you can store all types of ideas, from images to links to lists. It’s a great way to organize both your ideas and your inevitable plans. A vacation planning notebook can be shared with your family, allowing everyone to update ideas along the way.
The best thing about setting up these resources is that you can collect ideas over time. Even if your trip is a few years away, you’ll have a great kick start to your plans when the right time comes.
Get Everyone Involved
No matter which option, make sure there’s a place for everyone in the family to offer their input. Unless you’re traveling alone, it’s not just your vacation.
And yes, the kids should get a say too.
But how do you get everyone involved? And how do you juggle everyone’s wants and needs?
First, set aside some family planning time. This is a great activity after dinner or during weekend afternoons. Depending on how close to your trip you are, you can schedule weekly or quarterly sessions. You can also set them up whenever you’re feeling cooped up and want to get excited about a future trip.
Next, gather some resources. Pull up websites, get some brochures, set up YouTube on the TV, etc. Get some snacks, load a Disney playlist on Spotify, and a notebook ready.
Start by asking questions. Here are some that are perfect for kids:
- What would you be most excited to do on a Disney vacation?
- Which characters would you love to meet?
- Which sounds like more fun to you: riding a roller coaster or swimming in the pool?
- What new things would you love to try on a vacation?
- What does “vacation” mean to you?
Finally, start browsing through some of those websites and resources.
Take notes on everyone’s responses. Then, ask which ideas are MOST important to each member of your family. Place a star by those requests.
Make sure everyone has a chance to speak. It can be helpful to take turns around the table if you have quieter family members. Be open to discussing any ideas, and keep a family rule that no one is allowed to laugh at any suggestions.
Tip: If you’re planning a trip with extended family or friends, set up a private Facebook group where you can share ideas. Offer polls and discussion questions.
When it does come time to plan, focus first on those “must do’s”. It’s likely that there won’t be enough time to do everything on your family’s wish list, so cover the “must do’s” and work the rest in as you go. Make sure everyone gets at least one “must do” included in the plans.
Gathering ideas is some of the most fun you’ll have leading up to your Disney vacation. There are so many incredible Disney experiences awaiting you – you just need to figure out which ones sound like they’d be perfect for your family!
Next Post: What Would We Need to Make Our Trip Happen?
