So, you’re dreaming of a magical Disney vacation, filled with sunshine, laughter, fantastic new rides, entertaining shows, special memories with Mickey and perfect family photos posed in front of the Castle. GREAT! How on earth do you do that?

Step 1. Contact a trusted travel agent who is beyond experienced with Disney destinations.

This list could actually be so much longer. But because you’re going to do this the best way, by enlisting a trusted Travel Agent, we’ve narrowed it down quite a bit. Here at Blue Shore Vacations, I have over 30 personal Disney destination vacations under my belt. That’s personal time, on the ground, doing this as a Disney Resort Guest! No better way to know what you need to know before you go!

There are a lot of really great times to go! But there is absolutely no one best time to experience Disney.

Step 2. Together decide when the best time would be for you to go.

Trust me when I say, you need to leave this to the professionals. What’s good for your sister’s, neighbor’s, cousin’s best friend, may or may not be appropriate or the absolute best for YOUR family. Each family is different. Together we will talk about your particular priorities. It’s such a balance between so many variables, like school and work calendars, ages of your family, and what’s most important to you. There are a lot of really great times to go! But there is absolutely no one best time to experience Disney.

Step 3. Decide what your price range is.

And how much flexibility you have! If you’ve never been on a Disney vacation, it can be difficult to guess at what is included and how much that might cost in the end. My best advice is to have an amount you think you might need, but be willing to adjust, just in case you have more wishes on your list than you knew.

We want you to get this just right!!

Step 4. Choose your Disney Resort.

This is one of my favorite parts of the planning process!! Walt Disney World has over 30 different uniquely themed resorts! Each one will provide an experience like no other. With so many options for location, dining, amenities and theming, this is an important part of the conversation between you and your travel agent! We want you to get this just right!! And if you fall in love with two resorts? Well, you’ll just have to plan to go back next year.

Step 5. Pick your Theme Park Tickets.

Theme Park Tickets are anther beast because technically Walt Disney World has 6 Parks between the 4 Theme Parks and 2 Water Parks! Do you plan for park time on arrival day and/or departure day? Do you need a day off in the middle of your trip? Should your family Park Hop? What about those Water Parks? Once you narrow down all of those answers plus how many days of park time you want, you can finalize the dates of your vacation!

You just can’t fly by the seat of your pants anymore.

Step 6. Secure your dining Wish List and make a plan for nailing it.

Once upon a time, you could walk up to almost any of your favorite restaurants and grab a table any time of day. Not so anymore! These days, almost all restaurants are full and not able to take walk up customers on the spur of the moment. However, as a Disney Resort guest, you will have priority to book your dining reservations before the general public. Even so, there are more than a handful of meals, mostly Character Meals, that book up within 5 minutes on the day they’re released. So, it is important to have these conversations with your Travel Agent plenty early so we can be sure to give your family the best chances of getting exactly what you wish. Don’t worry, this in no way changes the great dining experiences you will have. Disney is fully prepared and staffed! You just can’t fly by the seat of your pants anymore.

Step 7. Plan any celebrations!

So, why are you taking this special trip? Is it someone’s birthday? Did someone recently graduate? Is there an anniversary in the group? Some other milestone? Even if none of those apply, but this is your first trip, Disney is a celebration making machine!!! Need a romantic meal? One of the best places is The Wave on top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Want to celebrate a little one’s birthday with Mickey? Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort has a new Character Meal with Mickey and friends that would be great! Honeymooners can have custom Ear Hats and well wishers will congratulate them all day long. First timers can grab their free Disney Buttons that let everyone know they’re celebrating their first trip. From special souvenirs, meals, tours or photo moments, Disney is filled with ways to make all your celebrations special.

Step 8. Arrange your transportation.

Whether you’re driving to meet Mickey or flying to Orlando International Airport, our Travel Agents will help you plan your arrival so all goes smoothly. From arranging your airport transfers (absolutely no need to rent a car), to suggested driving routes to arranging for your rental car just for for your beach extension, we’ve got you covered.

…then you can sit back and begin your vacation countdown!!

Step 9. Start your vacation countdown! Leave the rest up to your Travel Agent!

Once you’re booked and all the above decisions have been made with your Travel Agent, then you can sit back and begin your vacation countdown!! We will handle all the details from here on out. We’ll remind you when it’s time to make that final payment. And we’ll send your Welcome Packet so you’re fully prepared before you even leave home. You’ll know what to do on rainy days, how to explore other resorts, how to maximize arrival and departure days and more. No client of ours will be burning daylight trying to understand the My Disney Experience App while standing on Main Street. You get all that info before you go.

Well, that is the basics on How to Book Your Best Disney Vacation Ever! Stay tuned for more on each step, right here on the Blue Shore Vacations Blog.

What’s your favorite step in the vacation planning process?