The most successful vacations are those that are carefully planned and researched months ahead of time. In fact, the planning is, for some, half the fun. Disney is so extensive and offers so many choices to fit the personalities of so many types of vacationers that it demands at least some forethought. You'll discover a wealth of options, some perfect for just about everyone, others ridiculously silly for some but perfect for others. If you neglect to do your homework, you won't know what your choices are, resulting in disappointment and frustration. The outcome can mean the difference between a smooth trip or an exasperating one.

Begin by reading this book cover to cover and visiting its companion Web site at www.wdwluxuryguide.com. Send for a free Disney vacation planning DVD at www.disneyworld.com, call the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (800–551–0181 or 407–363–5871), or visit www.orlandoinfo.com for maps of the area as well as a visitor’s guide on the many area attractions. For those interested in visiting Universal Orlando (and you should be), call (800) 837–2273 or visit www.universalorlando.com. Check out the sites listed in the following section, and remember, the help of a good travel agent may be the key to your best vacation ever.

Looking for a way to make your Disney vacation planning easier? ExploreTheMagic.com offers a Trip/Budget planner that's easy and convenient to use. http://www.explorethemagic.com/Disney-World-Trip-Budget-Planner/budgetplanner.asp

When to Go

Always a tough decision. Is it best to go in summer when the children are out of school knowing full well the parks will be sweltering and jam-packed, or in a slower season when the parks are half-empty but with shortened operating hours in which to tour them? How about over a long holiday weekend, or would it be best to simply take the children out of school? These are all questions you must weigh, all questions that will help you reach a decision best for you and your family.

Each season has its pros and its cons. The busy season brings congested parks, long lines, and higher hotel rates but also greatly extended park hours and nightly fireworks and parades at the Magic Kingdom. The slower seasons bring half-filled parks, little waiting in line, and lower hotel rates along with later opening times, earlier closing times, attractions that are closed for rehab, and often the elimination of the nighttime parade and fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. For me, hands down, I will always choose a slower season. If you can stand the guilt and your children are good students, take them out of school-do whatever to avoid the busiest times of the year. If not, the summer months or holidays are certainly better than nothing and, with a bit of planning and a lot of energy, can be more than enjoyable.

The following guidelines may not be exact since each year has different Florida resident offers, special celebrations, conventions, and so forth that affect crowd size. Use them as a general guide to avoiding the parks at their worst.

Busiest - President's Day week mid-March to the week after Easter (staggered spring break around the country the second week of June to the third week of Aug Thanksgiving Day through the weekend the week of Christmas to New Year's Day. 

Busy-The last 2 weeks of Feb (avoid President's Day week) to the first part of Mar before the onset of spring break the month of Oct (a big convention month and the PGA Golf Classic) the week after Easter until the second week of June. 

Least busy-The second week of Jan to the first week of Feb (avoiding the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in Jan) the third week of Aug to the beginning of Oct the month of Nov excluding Thanksgiving weekend the week after Thanksgiving until the week of Christmas, a special time when the parks and resorts are festively decorated for the holidays.

Think casual! Park attire is appropriate throughout Disney with the exception of the more stylish resort restaurants (for dress codes, see individual restaurant descriptions). In the warmer months of April through October, bring shorts, light-colored short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts (darker colors really attract the heat), comfortable walking shoes (bring two pairs to switch off), cushy socks, sunglasses, hat, bathing suit and cover-up, water-resistant footwear, and a rain jacket. Women should bring a fanny pack or light backpack; nothing’s worse than lugging a heavy purse around all day. For evenings away from the park at one of the more sophisticated dining venues dress is business casual, women should plan on wearing a sundress or casual pants or jeans with a stylish blouse and sandals; men will be comfortable in khakis or nice jeans (even dress shorts), and a short or long-sleeved collared shirt with loafers or sandals. Only at Victoria and Albert’s is a jacket required for men.

The remaining months are anyone’s guess. The weather is usually mild, but bring an assortment of casual clothing in the form of shorts and comfortable long pants along with short- and long-sleeved shirts, a sweater, hat, sunglasses, bathing suit and cover-up (pools are heated), rain jacket, light coat, and of course comfortable walking shoes and socks. For evenings away from the parks, women should wear smartly casual transitional clothing, and men casual pants and long-sleeved shirts. Florida is known (particularly November through March) for unexpected cold fronts that will find you in shorts one day and a winter jacket the next, although it never gets uncomfortably hot. Don’t get caught off guard or you’ll find yourself with an unwanted Mickey Mouse wardrobe. Check the Internet for a weather forecast before packing for your trip.

Water-resistant footwear and fast-drying clothes are desirable at the Animal Kingdom (you’ll get quite wet on the Kali River Rapids attraction) and most importantly at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, where several rides will give you a thorough soaking. And don’t forget plenty of sunscreen, film, memory cards, and batteries, all of which can be purchased almost anywhere in Disney but at a premium price.

How Long Should I Plan on Staying?

With four major theme parks at Walt Disney World, two more at Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, specialty parks like Discovery Cove, and several water parks, a long weekend will barely give you a taste of the many attractions in the area. Staying 7 days or more allows enough time to truly enjoy much of what Orlando has to offer. In one week you'll have time to visit all four of Disney's theme parks, spend a day at Universal, hit one of the water parks, and still have a day left over to relax by the pool and rest your feet. Ten days would really be a treat, allowing a trip to both SeaWorld and Discovery Cove plus a bit of time to stop and smell the roses.

Of course, if you can only spare a long weekend, go for it. You will certainly have some tough decisions to make. With only 3 days for touring, go when the parks are not as crowded and plan on visiting the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and either the Animal Kingdom or Disney MGM Studios with a trip in mind for the following year to pick up all you've missed.

Should I Rent a Car?

Does driving in an unknown place make you uneasy? Do you plan on visiting just the Disney parks or would you also like to go to SeaWorld and Universal? Will you be staying at a resort serviced by the monorail or a more isolated one? Would you like to dine at other resorts or do you see yourself eating at the parks or simply staying put at your hotel? All these factors play a large part in your decision. 

The drive from the airport on the new Central Florida GreeneWay is a no-brainer and finding your way around Disney is easy. Traffic is fairly light and there's excellent signage. However, if driving a car in new situations tends to be a nerve-racking experience, use Disney's more-than-adequate transportation system.

If your plans include a stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, or an off-site property, renting a car provides you with many more options. If you plan to visit Universal Studios, SeaWorld, or Kennedy Space Center, a car is the best choice.

No matter what your plans, a car is usually the best option for traveling to the Animal Kingdom or Disney–MGM Studios (parks not serviced by the monorail), the water parks, or evening restaurant-hopping at the many excellent resort dining spots. However, you may find it simpler to use Disney transportation when traveling to Downtown Disney, where you’ll want to spend the evening enjoying Pleasure Island without the worry of driving afterward, or on weekends when parking can be difficult. Think about trying Disney transportation for a day or two and, if it doesn’t work for you, then rent a car. Alamo has free shuttle service to its Car Care Center location near the Magic Kingdom, and most non-Disney deluxe hotels have car rental desks in their lobbies.

Those who would like to sample some of Disney’s excellent resort restaurants will find it time-consuming, not to mention complex, to resort-hop using Disney transportation. It requires a trip to an open park or Downtown Disney and then another bus to the resort and the same thing back again (of course you can always simplify things and take a cab). A stay at one of the Magic Kingdom resorts offers easy monorail access to the Magic Kingdom, other Magic Kingdom resorts, and Epcot. The Epcot Resorts are just a walk or boat launch away from Epcot, the Boardwalk, and Disney–MGM Studios, greatly expanding your restaurant choices.

I consider a car a must at any of the non-Disney properties, where transportation options are quite sparse—and don’t let them tell you differently. Transportation from off-site properties is inconvenient at best, offering only the bare necessities. The only exception is Universal resorts, extremely convenient to the Universal theme parks and CityWalk; if Universal is all you plan on, a car is really not necessary.

In short, you will probably be using a combination of Disney transportation and a car for added convenience. And if you’re like me and hate waiting for public transportation, rent a car to save hours of frustration.

Do remember that if your plans include a rental car, parking will be a factor. Although parking is complimentary to guests of a Walt Disney World resort, those staying off-property will pay $10.00 per day to park at the Disney theme parks. And instead of being dropped off in front of the theme park entrance, those with a car will need to catch a shuttle from the parking lot. Self parking is complimentary at the Disney resorts, but valet parking will set you back $10.00 per day. That doesn’t include the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin where it’s $9.00 for self-parking and $16.00 for valet. And factor in an even bigger charge off-property where prices vary according to resort.

The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Orlando