Planning for Disney World! | 6 Months Out

Our Disney World vacation is in 6 months, and planning is well under way! I’ve been to Disney World once before, but this will be a first time for Kris and Mason, so I want their time there to be as magical as possible.

We are travelling with my dad and step-mom, and we recently held a family meeting at their house to discuss our plans. I created a full presentation using Canva to show them the resort I wanted us to stay at, flight info, ticket pricing, etc etc. When you’re spending this much on a vacation, you want to be prepared.

Here is what we’ve done so far at 6 months out:

Booked our resort

The resort is one of the first things I wanted to book. We are using a travel agent that my parents found, and she was able to help us book everything. We are going during off season, but since people didn’t travel as much during the pandemic, everyone is travelling now, and things book up quickly. We are staying on site at the Disney Pop Century Resort. I wanted a resort that had access to the skyliner, good dining options, a fun vibe, and in the value category. Pop Century is a fan favourite that checked all of those boxes.

Booked our flights

Flights are obviously the next most important thing to book, and we checked them off the list this week! Now that the resort and flights are booked, the smaller pieces can begin to fall into place. Along with flights, we have also checked insurance to make sure we have medical coverage in the states, and have looked into trip insurance.

joined disney facebook groups

I want to be as prepared as possible for this trip, so I’m fully leaning into “Disney Adult” mode right now. I joined Facebook groups for Canadians going to Disney, one for our resort, one that explains Genie + and lightning lanes, etc.

Watched endless Disney park tiktoks

Before booking our resort, I watched a ton of TikToks on what value resorts are best. I’ve stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort at Disney before, and enjoyed it, but since it’s Mason and Kris’ first time at Disney, I wanted something with a fun theme. The Pop Century Resort has a really cool retro theme, 3 different themed pools, a groovy flower themed poolside bar, and lots of cool photo opportunities. Watching different TikToks has also given me a good idea of what activities and restaurants we may want to experience when we’re there. Also, since we are doing carry-on only, I’ve been watching a lot of packing videos for ideas on how to pack light and maximize space.

Started planning our outfits

Yes, I am that person. We will have different themed t-shirts for each park, and we’ve started planning out our themes. I want to pack as simply as possible, so my plan is to wear t-shirts and biker shorts/leggings the entire week. Before we leave, I’m going to sort out our outfits for each day, so there is no digging through the suitcases and throwing clothes everywhere when we arrive. I’ve also ordered a couple of cute accessories from Etsy, and I’m going to try my hand at making Mickey ears sometime soon. I want to pack light, so aside from a couple pairs of Minnie earrings, I won’t be packing any jewelry, purses, etc. I’m planning on getting one crossbody/belt bag to take to all of the parks. We will also each only be taking 2 pairs of shoes- sneakers to wear there, and a pair of comfy shoes (Crocs, slides, etc)

The last time I went to Disney, smart phones weren’t a thing, so I don’t have any of my own pictures from that trip. I want to make sure we are capturing some really fun and memorable moments this time- and planning our clothes in advance just adds to the magic.

Planning our purchases

Since we are travelling carry-on only (a carry on bag each, plus a backpack each as a personal item), we will have a limited amount of space to bring things home. I definitely want to get things while we are there, and I’m sure Mason and Kris will want to do a bit of shopping, so we have to be strategic about this. My anxiety can’t handle checking a bag and worrying about if its going to make it or not, so we need to find a way to do this. One way, is to plan our purchases.

The main shopping I’m planning on doing is at Disney Springs. I’m in the process of compiling a list of all the stores at Disney Springs that we want to go to, and what we want to buy at each store. I’ve watched enough Disney TikToks to know what kind of things the stores have, and I’m working out what I want to buy. Now, we are travelling wtih a 9 year old, so there will be some impromtu buys- but I’m planning on packing his bags in a way that allows room to bring a few things home.

So that’s where we are so far with planning! I’m loving this process so far, and kind of thinking I need a career as a travel agent lol. If you’re planning a Disney trip too, let me know what you’re most excited for in the comments!

D