A trip to the Walt Disney World Resort requires some research and forward planning to ensure you're getting the most value out of your time in the parks. Since we aren't actively booking and planning individualised trips at the moment, we have compiled a list of some of our favourite planning resources to help you get started with your own planning journey.
Walt Disney World Planning Resources
Books
A great starting point for Walt Disney World novices. This book provides the basics required for planning your trip without overwhelming you.
Available in Kindle format.
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At 856 pages, this guide is a good option for those that have a good handle on the basics and want to delve further into what Walt Disney World has to offer. It's also a good option for those people that thrive off knowing as much as possible about the destination they'll be visiting.
Available in Kindle format.
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This book isn't so much a planning resource but it is a great way to kill time when waiting in queues at the parks.
Available in Kindle format.
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This is a great book for the kids in your family. It includes an overview of all the attractions in the theme parks and provides a place for the kids to record what they do each day of their visit. It is probably too heavy to carry around the whole trip but provides a nice down time activity when away from the parks.
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An alternative to the standard Disney autograph books with ample pages for all your autograph hunting needs. This book provides space for character autographs, photos and memories. There are definitely lighter autograph books available but they don't feature the same interactivity as this one.
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Another option for your autograph book needs. This isn't designed as an autograph book and is fairly large to carry around the parks (I wouldn't attempt it without a backpack) but it makes for a beautiful keepsake and provides an ice breaker of sorts with the characters.
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iOS Apps
This is Disney's official app and is a must for in the parks. It allows you to make and modify dining and FastPass+ reservations on the go, check on attraction wait times and character appearances along with a slew of other features. It isn't the easiest app to navigate but it's a necessary evil.
Here's the app version of the book mentioned above. With a point scoring system to keep track of your finds it's certainly a little more convenient to carry around the parks.
We like this app for its simplicity and quick access to menus, park hours and wait times. Whilst not as pretty as Disney's official app, we tend to find what we're looking for a little faster using this app.
This isn't really a planning app, aside from the fact that you should download it and set up an account before your trip! Uber is a popular choice for Walt Disney World guests looking to get around the resort faster than Disney's transport allows. It's also an option for visiting locations offsite such as Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, the outlets and even Kennedy Space Center. If you don't want to rent a car, this is a possible alternative to cabs.