The Five Ws of Preparing for Your Walt Disney World Vacation

Allison Flynn5.12.19Getting ready for your magical Walt Disney World vacation is a mixed bag of emotions. There are FastPasses to select, dining reservations to secure, outfits to plan (OK, maybe that’s me more than my family.)What can you do to prepare for your Walt Disney World vacation? First, if you haven’t already done so, you can reach out to one of our fabulous vacation experience architects at Wishes Family Travel. Actually, that should be your FIRST step!!For the purposes of this post, I’m going to assume you’re already in the middle of planning with your Wishes architect. She will send you TONS of information – be sure to read it all!In addition to what she sends, you can be doing other things to get yourself and your family ready for rope drop on your trip!WalkSeriously, start walking daily, at least 60 days ahead of your trip. This doesn’t have to be a marathon, but it does help you get ready for all the walking you’ll do in the parks and around your resort.WatchIf you’re like me and you like to be prepared for rides, attractions, resorts, and more. Did you know as a vacation experience architect, even I still can learn something new about Walt Disney World Resort almost daily?One of my family’s favorite things to do to build excitement (or allay fears) is to watch videos about the parks. One of our favorite channels is The Tim Tracker. Tim and his wife, Jen, visit the parks regularly. His videos not only give you an insider’s view, but he’s also very honest in his reviews.We also like to watch official videos from Walt Disney Parks to get the scoop.And, there’s nothing better than hearing from other agents. Our Wishes agents visit the parks regularly, too, and share our knowledge in video format!WaitWaiting is very hard, especially for children. If you’re getting asked daily “When do we go to Disney?” then creating at countdown chain, picture, etc. is for you. There are literally oodles of ideas all over Pinterest (check my Pinterest board for more on this) to choose from. For my personal trip, I opted to go with a printable we could frame and mark off days with a dry erase marker. That way, we can use it again and again!Wish listKnowing ahead of time that it’s impossible to see and do everything there is to do at Walt Disney World is key to your vacation satisfaction. It’s so important as you’re doing research to let your Wishes agent know of any wish list items you have for this trip. Want to make sure you try a Dole Whip? Tell her! Want to finally visit Animal Kingdom Lodge to see animals? Tell her! As I make plans for my guest’s trips – and my own! – I take into consideration things we’ve discussed in creating an itinerary. While you can’t do it all, you CAN do the things that interest you most (within reason).WelcomeRealize that this is not just any other vacation, and welcome concerns, questions, comments and more from your travel party. And be sure to bring any of those questions or concerns to your agent’s attention. Trust me when I say I’ve probably been asked a question just like yours before!I’d love to work with your family on creating a vacation you won’t forget. If you’d like me to be your vacation experience architect, please call me at 828-289-7658 or email me at allisonf@wishesfamilytravel.com. You can also keep in touch through my Wishes Facebook page.