vacation planning

Planning A Disney Vacation - The Devil is in the Details

Do you need a travel agent specializing in Disney destinations?

The types of people who benefit most from having the help of a travel agent that specializes in Disney destinations like Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise line and Adventures by Disney.

The types of people who benefit most from having the help of a travel agent that specializes in Disney destinations like Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise line and Adventures by Disney.

For every person who loves researching and planning trips, there is at least one busy person who just doesn't have time to wade through mountains of information and appreciates a disney-focused agent who eats, sleeps & breathes this stuff. For one thing, you don't know what you don't know and first time or infrequent visitors to Disney World find it helpful to have an agent that walks them through the vacation planning process.  Not only that, but there is a lot of old and just plain wrong information out there - we focus on the Disney destinations so that you get accurate, up-to-date information.

Here’s how we help you have a great vacation

Hotels and building location requests -  Picking a hotel that is a good fit for your needs is just the beginning of what your travel agent can do for youMost people don't add building location requests to their reservations and we do it for every client. (not guaranteed, though Disney does try).   Guests don't always realize that a few Disney hotels don't have elevators which is fine for a lot of people but becomes very difficult if someone in your party has mobility issues or if your drying to carry a sleeping child or stroller up the stairs. We also watch for discounts and promotions and automatically apply the best available offer to your qualifying reservation.

Dining Reservations - people sometimes don't realize the sheer size of Disney World and they'll book dining that has them wasting a lot of travel time or scheduled at times that cause them to miss parades or other priorities - we watch for red flags like that.   Not everyone plans a trip six months or more in advance, which is when you can start booking Disney Dining reservations, and they have trouble getting good reservations for their trip.  We can help with offering good alternatives and watching for cancellations.

All FastPass+ options are not created equal - for example, not everyone realizes that having a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ reservation is more helpful than any others in those parks and that certain FastPass+  options don't really bring any benefit to the table.  We can help guide you through these challenges.

We want to help you have the most wonderful, most memorable Disney vacation possible. We know that giving you good, up-to-date information and a few simple tools will make a huge difference in your Disney vacation. Long lines become short lines and you will have great memories of shared experiences instead of missed opportunities.  That's why we're called Build A Better Mouse Trip.

Your travel agent – You have one agent from start-to-finish who knows your name and your priorities and who wants to do everything possible to help you have a wonderful experience.

“Best Days” Itinerary – We’ll help you build an itinerary that includes your priorities for fireworks, parades, crowds and shows. Then we help with dining & Fastpass+ reservations.

We Are Fee-Free - We book directly through Disney and we never charge a service fee so you never pay any extra to use our services when you book your trip through us.  You can have all the benefits Disney offers PLUS all the services we offer.  You can also purchase planning services through us if you've booked on your own or through another travel agency.

Let's Start Planning A Great Vacation!

Free Up Vacation Money by Using What You Have

Vacation Money Tip: We cut grocery shopping to just fresh items & essentials twice a year - the months before vacation and Christmas -to free up some cash and force us to use or dispose of those odds and ends that hide in the corners of the pantry and freezer. Partial bags of pasta and frozen veggies work well in stews and casseroles. My kids think I am being a fun mom when Friday night dinner consists of a buffet of random portions of pizza rolls, tater-tots, fries, and taquitos. That giant canister of oatmeal can be used for breakfast, in cookies, and as a topping for a fruit crumble. You'll also use up, rather than throw out, perishables before your trip. If you find yourself passing over the variety of soup or box of Quinoa that you bought on an impulse, this is a great time to decide to pass it on to your local food bank before it expires and goes to waste.


Don't Miss Out On Great Experiences At Disney World!

We want to help you have the most wonderful, most memorable Disney vacation possible. We know that giving you good, up-to-date information and a few simple tools will make a huge difference in your Disney vacation. Long lines become short lines and you will have great memories of shared experiences instead of missed opportunities.  That's why we're called Build A Better Mouse Trip.

Here’s How We Help You Have A Great Vacation:

  1. Your travel agent – You have one agent from start-to-finish who knows your name and your priorities and who wants to do everything possible to help you have a wonderful experience.

  2. “Best Days” Itinerary – We’ll help you build an itinerary that includes your priorities for fireworks, parades, crowds and shows. Then we help with dining & Fastpass+ reservations.

  3. Saving Money – Of course we watch for discounts and promotion and automatically apply the best available offer to your reservation but we also help you avoid up-sells and options you won’t use.

  4. We Are Fee-Free - We book directly through Disney and we never charge a service fee so you never pay any extra to use our services when you book your trip through us. You can have all the benefits Disney offers PLUS all the services we offer.

Let's Start Planning A Great Vacation!

Vacation Tip: Test Your Clothes Before Your Trip

Orlando Theme Park Tip: Take a brisk walk in the clothes you plan to wear to Disney World, Universal Orlando, or SeaWorld to see if they remain comfortable.

Orlando Theme Park Tip: Take a brisk walk in the clothes you plan to wear to Disney World, Universal Orlando, or SeaWorld to see if they remain comfortable.

Once you've planned your clothes for your trip to the Florida theme parks, test your outfits by walking briskly around the block because you'll probably walk 6-10 miles over the course of a day in the Orlando theme parks. Dealing with shorts that scrunch up all day or that shirt button that keeps unbuttoning when you walk is not how you want to spend the precious vacation time you've worked so hard for. Have your kids test their clothes too. Although you can find apparel at the theme park gift shops, it is easier and less expensive to make adjustments to your vacation wardrobe before you go.  

Orlando Theme Park Vacation Tip - Test your shoes and socks before your trip to Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. You'll do a lot of walking and you want your feet to be comfortable.

Orlando Theme Park Vacation Tip - Test your shoes and socks before your trip to Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. You'll do a lot of walking and you want your feet to be comfortable.

Think too about how quickly or slowly your clothes dry because you might get soaked to the skin on Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom) or Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom) at Disney World, Dudley Do-Right's Rip-Saw Falls or Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (Islands of Adventure) at Universal Orlando, and Journey to Atlantis or the Shamu show at SeaWorld.    Click here for Monica's rain poncho tips. 

Don't forget to take your socks for a test drive (test walk?) in the shoes you plan to wear to the park.  I once had to hunt for a gift shop at Disney California Adventure that sells socks because the pair I was wearing kept sliding down and bunching up in the middle of my shoe.   

Here are a couple of additional apparel tips from our friends

Jeni says, "I remember having all new clothes / undergarments / socks.  Bra + see through shirts...definitely not cute!"

Kathy added this great suggestion:  "And definitely DO NOT BUY NEW SHOES. Learned that the hard way on my trip there in 2000.  Had to use my mother's wheelchair in EPCOT because my feet hurt so bad."  

Planning a Disney Vacation?

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Disney World Tip from Toni: Give Yourself Permission to NOT do it all!

Disney vacations are a huge investment, and many people try to do EVERYTHING to feel like they're getting their money's worth and end up stressing themselves out to the extent that they don't actually enjoy the trip!

We plan these things for a living, and any good agent will tell you you can't do it all. Give yourself permission to enjoy the time you're spending with your friends and family without feeling you're missing out on something - the only thing you're missing is your own sense of enjoyment.

About the Author: Toni is a travel agent who specializes in Disney World and Orlando theme park vacations.   Because of her extensive experience, she is a great one to have in your corner when you're headed to Orlando.

Get a Quote on your next adventure

Planning a Disney Vacation?

You'll definitely want to subscribe to our free newsletter. You will receive a link to 40 great Disney World Freebies in your welcome note and several helpful “how-to” e-guides over the next week. Unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you for subscribing!