How Many Disney Days Do We Need?

If you're planning a Walt Disney World trip, you may have just now realized that purchasing tickets for your entire family will probably be the most costly part of your vacation. Because it is so costly, I recommend the one-park-per-day rule (so no Park Hopper option, already making your tickets exponentially cheaper) as well as a four-days-for-parks rule (so, you will see each of the four Disney parks on your trip). Rules, rules, rules, right? Obviously you should adjust this for your family, but let me show you why I will always try to stick to this.

The first obvious reason is the cost of the park tickets with no additional options:

Option A:

4-Day Magic Your Way tickets for a family of two adults and two children: $1256.72(includes tax & this is purchased directly through Disney's site)

Option B:

4-Day Magic Your Way tickets for a family of two adults/two children from Undercover Tourist: $1245.80(includes tax PLUS you get a 5th Day for FREE)!

Option C:

Military family? Your costs are further discussed here. The savings is VERY significant vs. purchasing park tickets through other sources.

Thankfully, it doesn't take a mathematician to see that Option B is potentially a better option. I say, "potentially," because the costs many don't consider when adding park days begin to add up. Nonetheless, even if you choose to follow my one-park-per-day and four-days-for-parks rules, buying that second ticket from UT would save you money, even when not using your 5th free day.

What are those other costs you need to consider? Let's take a look:

• Parking: staying off-property will cost you $17 each day. 

• Dining: This article recommends counting $60/adult and $45/child per day to calculate the cost of food on vacation. Let's say that's true - a 5th day at Disney would cost you an additional $210 in food money.

• Souvenirs: Yes, you can just say no. However, if you're anything like me, after 5 days of kids being out of their normal routines, and walking past hundreds of shiny, pretty things, saying, "no," can be wearing. We actually have vowed to say, "Yes!" to as much as possible on vacay (read more here). We encourage our kids to earn their Disney Dimes and we have bought their souvenirs on sale via Target and The Disney Store before going. Nevertheless, you could conservatively spend $40-$50 on a stuffed toy and Mickey balloons.

If your family of four spent all of the above estimates, that 5th day may actually cost you over $270! Could you get away with much less? Absolutely. No souvenirs, and bringing your own foods could significantly impact the cost of a 5th day. You could even squeak by with spending under $40 on that 5th Disney day.

The second, and not-as-obvious reason to not spend a 5th, 6th, or 7th day at Disney World is one that is more...sentimental? Spending one day per park leaves more to see on your next trip! Many people can tour Disney every year, multiple times, and never get burned-out. It is an ever-changing place, afterall. But I love the feeling of leaving some stones unturned and looking forward to the next family adventure. It helps prolong the sense of excitement and wonder to know that we'll have to plan an additional trip in the coming years, just to see what we couldn't on the first trip.

How many days have you spent touring the parks? Was it too long, too short, or just right for your family? 

Saying "Yes!" Will Transform Your Vacation

When you add children to your life, they bring emotions you didn't know you could have, love that could burst your heart, and demands that can seriously make you reevaluate your life choices:

"I don't need to shower today, I definitely did that last week."
"I didn't like that perfectly marker-less space on my wall anyway."
"Does going to the dentist twice a year replace brushing my teeth on a daily basis?"

Ok, so we have probably all felt these (and several other) extremes at some point when parenting, but it isn't all bad by any means. Our babies have given us renewed perspectives, a reason to laugh, and shown us that unconditional love really does exist.

Of all the monumental and tiny happenings that children have introduced into our lives, there is one for which I wasn't prepared. If you're reading this, and you're a new parent to a new baby or perhaps haven't added a child into your world, evaluate how many times per day you utter the word, "no." I can't be sure, because my brain has basically turned to mush in the last 7 years, but I think that "no" was a rather minor word in my vocabulary. Times, they have a-changed.

"No" encompasses at least 1/3 of my spoken words for the day. There are days where I am positive it is the only thing I say. I say it so much that I roll my eyes at myself, my tongue hurts from hitting the roof of my mouth, and semantic satiation steamrolls any direct effect it had on the situation.

I love giving joy to my children. I love surprising them with a "Yes!" when they are least expecting it. It assures them that I am human, compassionate, and even capable of fun. <- All of which is questioned on a daily basis by at least one of my tiny, lovely people.

Vacation is the perfect time to strike "no" from your vocabulary. This doesn't mean you should buy and consume everything in sight with no respect for your bank account, patience, or calorie intake. It simply means you have to plan on saying "yes." Ask everyone what they want to do on vacation- then make it happen. We are riding a ferris wheel (The Orlando Eye- I can't wait!) for our 4-year-old. We're spending several hours in Downtown Disney's LEGO Store since we couldn't get to Legoland on this trip for our 7-year-old. Our 5-year-old will meet Anna & Elsa even if it eats up a FastPass+ or takes hours because "yes" is our new "no." There will be icecream in our lives while on vacation. It may replace a meal. Mickey balloons that cost $10 each will be happily attached to every beautiful little wrist in our group because we budgeted for it, we know they will ask, and the light in their eyes when we say, "yes" will be worth all 4000 pennies it will cost us.

How have you said "yes" to your kiddos on vacation? Was it as worth it as I imagine it will be? 

Balloon image copyright of Mark Chandler. 

Disney World Planning Tools

Planning for Disney is a multi-resource kind of endeavor. Many people employ the use of travel agents (read this enlightening article about travel agents) which can cost you NOTHING! If you're
interested in seeing what an agent can offer you, you might try:

Ears of Experience: a Disney-centric travel agency that is fee free! Their website could use some updating, but they are active on Facebook and one of their specialties is booking military discounts with Disney vacations for current/former service members. Their services are free so long as you are booking at a Disney-owned resort for accommodations. If you aren't, there are concierge packages available to you for $130-$150 and those services include personalized itineraries, dining reservations, and more! (also recommended by Military Disney Tips - see below!)

If you want more options for finding a travel agent, look no further than than this agency locator: Authorized Disney Vacation Planners. Travel agents and agencies come with all different skill sets- you MUST use one that is a Disney-centric agency if you want to get the best deals and most thorough info on current WDW happenings. This site will return a list of local-to-you agents or online agents (or both) and you can then further research their websites and    policies to find your right fit.

Aside from travel agents, you will find hundreds of blogs, Disney-related Pinterest pages, and websites devoted to planning tips, itinerary-building, maps, and more. Some of the sites I've taken advantage of:

Touring Plans - for $12.95, you get year-long access to TP's excellent trip-building tools. Interactive itinerary-builders allow you to use pre-made itineraries with wait and walk times for your specific dates based upon crowd-data for those dates. You can go on to customize your itinerary completely per day adding any and all types of attractions. You gain access to the TP forums upon joining, and the friendly forum members are ready to offer advice and answer questions. If you are detail-oriented and need to          understand just what it will take to make a plan for your Disney trip
(read more here about planning vs. not planning your days in the parks).

Kenny the Pirate  - If you're interested in meeting characters while you're at the World, Kenny the Pirate is for you! This blog has many useful features (a crowd calendar and character location maps are just two of them!) Kenny even has an info-packed app! It involves a couple more steps to properly work on your device than your typical app, but the reviews say it is worth it!

WDW Prep School - Shannon's blog is packed with good stuff for your trip to Disney World. Her site is clean, neat, and easy to navigate. One of the coolest features of WDW Prep School is that Shannon does podcasts! So if you're strapped for time and can't sift through tons of info on your computer, you can take her anywhere!

Military Disney Tips - though it isn't the prettiest of prettiest when it comes to blog designs, it has TONS of info for military discounts of every kind (and they aren't limited to just Disney discounts, but other major Orlando-area discounts as well). The Armed Forces Salute FAQ section is thorough and perfect for any and all AFS ticketing questions. If you're part of the military sector- you can't plan without stopping in here and having your questions answered by Steve!

Mouse Savers - this site is so simple and easy to use, it is one I'd recommend to start with if you're overwhelmed by Disney planning. The info that is included here is extensive, well-organized, and easy-on-the-eyes as there aren't visual distractions, just information.


Finally, in 2015, a Walt Disney World trip can't be planned without the use of Pinterest (Well, ok, maybe it can, by why would you want it to be? All of those colorful pictures and diverse posts- I can't get enough!).

Which sites and apps (post on must-have apps coming later!) have you relied on when you're planning a WDW vacation?