Planning a 2023 Disney vacation or a few days at theme parks during your trip to Florida, California, or beyond? You’ve come to the right place. We have guides filled with tips and tricks, itineraries, and money-saving info for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland.
These guides will help you plan every step of your visit, from pricing out hotels and airfare to using transportation efficiently, eating at the best restaurants, and more. Spending a bit of time with these free guides will save you hours of headaches on vacation and will make your trip stress-free…or as close to stress-free as possible.
Each of the guides has links to additional posts that offer more detailed information about particular subjects. Click those links if you need to know more about anything. We hope these planning guides help make your next Disney vacation an easier, less stressful, more enjoyable, and memorable experience! 🙂
Trip Planning Guides
Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide – Disney’s largest theme park resort complex, located near Orlando, Florida. Our guide covers everything you need to know about the 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, Disney Springs dining & entertainment district, and over two-dozen hotels that make up the sprawling Walt Disney World Resort!
Disneyland Trip Planning Guide – The OG of Disney theme parks, and only one Walt Disney himself ever walked. Disneyland is now joined by Disney California Adventure, a few hotels, and Downtown Disney. Disneyland also just debuted Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, one of the most highly-anticipated theme park expansions ever, and we cover how to experience it without going mad.
Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide – Located just outside of Paris, this complex was previously known as EuroDisney. It’s the most popular tourist destination in France, and one of the most visited locations in all of Europe. Disneyland Paris has two theme parks, several hotels, and more. It’s more of an “acquired taste” than the other parks, but like a fine French wine, it’s better sipped than chugged.
Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea Trip Planning Guide – Japan’s two Disney parks are also the two best theme parks in the world. Tokyo DisneySea is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, whereas Tokyo Disneyland is like a “greatest” hits album of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. These are world-class destinations that every Disney fan should make a point of visiting if they can, and even non-fans will enjoy.
Shanghai Disneyland Planning Guide – Disney’s newest park in Shanghai, China opened just a few years ago but is already growing. This is the destination where culture shock is most likely, but Shanghai Disneyland has a lot going for it–and is another park worth your time.
Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide – Now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has opened at Disneyland and forever changed that park, Hong Kong Disneyland is arguably Disney’s most charming and quaint park. Its castle is currently being enlarged (yes, that’s correct) and in recent years, several Marvel attractions have debuted–with more Marvel and Frozen on the way.
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa Trip Planning Guide – More a cross between a lavish ocean-side resort and a water park than a theme park, Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii is a beautiful, relaxing, and culturally authentic experience. We highly recommend it if you’re visiting Oahu.
Disney Cruise Line Planning Guide – With its own private island and 4 ships in its fleet (plus several more coming soon), Disney Cruise Line is becoming a formidable premium product in the cruise industry. Even sailing without kids, we absolutely love Disney Cruise Line. Find out what makes DCL special in our planning guide and other resources about it!
Hope these help! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments here (or on those particular guides). We receive email notifications when a comment is left, and we try our best to respond to all questions.
In addition to our Disney trip planning resources, we have some other guides that we’ve written in response to questions received on many of our Disney Parks Trip Reports. In those, we share a ton of meticulous detail about what we do each day of our visits, share photos, and go off on random tangents about nothing in particular. We have a lot of fun in the parks, and hope that comes through in our trip reports!
We “reluctantly” concede that we do have a lot of fun when we tour the parks, and that’s because we think we enable ourselves to do that by planning and doing things right. Trips are a lot more fun when you plan properly: if you wear comfortable shoes, bring delicious and energizing snacks, read the right books to prepare for your trips, or use the right apps.
For Disney updates, discount information, a free download of our Money-Saving Tips for Walt Disney World eBook, and much more, sign up for our free monthly newsletter! If you enjoy any of our planning resources or other posts, please share them with your friends, or leave a comment below letting us know. Thanks for reading!
Your Thoughts
If you are a Walt Disney World or Disneyland veteran, what planning tips would you offer? If you’re a first-timer, is there anything else you’d like to know? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi Tom,
I have some crystal ball questions for you.
Our trip which would be our sons first trip to Disney world was rescheduled from the spring of 2020 to Nov 28, 2021 – Dec 4, 2021. We are hopeful that traveling from Canada to the US will be open. Based on past years prior to Covid, the week after Thanksgivings seemed to show a drop in park attendance. Based on what you are seeing do you think that will be the case for this year?
Also what I think you have park planning tips/options for visiting with young children. Where/how can I find these
Cheers
Matt
hello, we are planning from 24.9. to 30.9.22 or from 03.10. to go to the all star movie until 09.10.22.
which date would you recommend us, because of the love bugs, they were really disgusting last time.
the first appointment would be interesting because of the 50 year magical package, as we are traveling from germany.
what would you advise us? best regards birgit
New to this all. Looking for information. Looks to be a good place to do so.
Hi! We have a WDW trip in Feb, 2021. Our 14 year old daughter was just diagnosed with mild autism, which explains why long lines on prior visits are so difficult for her to manage! Now that there are ZERO fast passes, we are concerned about lines. Do the parks provide assistance to kids with spectrum disorders? Thank you!!
Please notify us of updates regarding dining plan thank you.
May ideas when 2022 will open for reservations. Based on this article I thought Jan 2022 would be good for the hotel reservations but when I just called I was told nothing past 12/31/21. I’m looking to go the last week of January 2022.
Do you have historical data on what nights of the week Disney has offered Christmas or After Dark parties around Christmas? I am wanting to make a 1 night DVC reservation at 11 months while my SIL will be visiting next Christmas that will have a strong probability of coinciding with an evening event that Disney will probably not schedule until August.
Hope to hear from you
..
Hi Tom, we’re considering visiting WDW and staying at Kidani in mid-August. Have you been there during these unusual times and if so, how was it? We don’t intend to go to the parks but are just looking to get away (from DC, plan to drive) and just enjoy the resort, outdoor dining, animal watching, all with safety mind of course. We’re thinking with Kidani being more ‘remote,’ social distancing will be easier. What do you think?
Love hearing from you guys with updates, thanks! Just wondering what your thoughts are on why my Sept 2020 tickets are still “Park Hopper”? Does this mean it’s possible hopping could be reinstated? Thanks for feedback, if nopark hopping I will need to change my current park pass options since there are parks in which we would never spend the whole day.
Hi. We have a vacation to Disneyland this December 1 – 8 planned and I am debating on if I should cancel. It will be our first time there, but dont want to have to wear masks or not see characters..How long is this Corona going to last? I have had enough!
Me and my wife wanna take my 2 granddaughters on a disney trip they’ve never been out of the state of Michigan and unlike with him to see walt disney I’m 60 years old my wife is 56and I’d love for us to take them on a nice little tour over Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida
They’ll love it! What a great idea!
How much are the price in 2020 for citypass.
Thank you!
I want to unsubscribe from your email list.
Thank you for your great information on planning a Disney trip! My family and I want to go to Disney this summer, but we’ve never been before and have no idea how to plan it. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information when trying to plan the perfect Disney trip.
We are new FL residents and just starting to get our “Disney” feet wet. That said, we are not ready for an annual pass. I wanted to get the 3 or 4 day resident Discover passes for a trip in September but the current offer/pass expires at the end of this month (June 2019). Are these typically short term options? Will there be another similar option for fall? Thanks!
Me and fiancé are thinking about buying the season passes! We love Disney and we are also thinking about going on our honeymoon at Disney! I Would love and tips or best time to go etc. thank you!
My husband and I went on our honeymoon there 20 years ago and we are going back this year……great idea you will have a great time
Hi Tom and Sarah!
I’m trying to plan our next trip for mid-November 2019. I love Star Wars but I’m hoping that we are going to get there before Galaxy’s Edge opens – so we can miss the crowds. How likely do you think that’ll be??