How to Plan a Magical Walt Disney World Trip with your partner in 2022 / 2023 (departing from the UK)

Maddie West -

Disclaimer: Please note that this is not a 100% conclusive travel booking list as everyone's personal circumstances will determine additional options that may need to be accounted for prior to travel. This blog post is not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company, any affiliates of Disney, or any other company mentioned in this post. All recommendations are based on my own opinions at the time of writing. Additionally, COVID-related travel precautions have NOT been factored into the below breakdown, mainly due to how quickly the rules change.

Here's a list of what will be covered below:

  • Resources / Disney World tips and tricks
  • Travel bookings & budget planning
  • Money-saving tips for Disney World
  • Disney Trip Planning - dates and accommodation
  • Travel Day tips
  • What to do in Walt Disney World
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
- Walt Disney

If you're anything like me, you would've spent countless hours in lockdown watching Disney vlogs and dreaming of what it would be like to walk down Main Street and experience the most magical moment of seeing Cinderella's Castle for the first time.

(And also thinking about those scrumptious-looking pink sugar cookies that everyone gets from Walmart!)

I've spent hours-upon-hours looking into all of the different options that go into booking a Disney trip - which hotel should I choose? Which rides should I go on first? What time of year would be best for me and my partner to go?

Sooooo many options!!!

It's also quite difficult trying to find information about the not-so-fun things you need to think about like Travel Insurance and Visas, etc.

Therefore, I've put together this handy travel guide so that you can have all of the information in one place to help you with organising your own Disney adventure!

Resources / Disney World tips and tricks

There's always something going on at Disney World!

And if you're not in the know, you might miss out.

There are also certain times of the year where merch and snacks are available for a limited time only, so it might be worth checking some of the below resources to stay up-to-date and help you to figure out when you should book your trip:

More than just food! This is definitely the top place you should go to for Disney insider tips, merch and snack reviews, upcoming events, budgeting, etc.

This is such a great tool to get a really good overview of everything you need to know about the parks, the rides, transportation options, dining, disability access, etc.

After seeing Aladdin, we all wish we had a friend like the Genie - and now we do! Disney Genie is their new intuitive/personalised itinerary planning tool where you can see the wait times for rides, make dining reservations, know when the parades and meet-and-greets are, etc.

If you're familiar with fast passes, this is basically what Disney Genie Plus & Lightning Lane is - getting on the rides you want without having to spend aaaages waiting in line. It does however come at an extra cost, but if you get major FOMO, especially when the parks are super busy and the wait times are long, then this is a must-buy. Disney Genie Plus covers fast pass bookings for the majority of attractions. BUT, the two most popular attractions in each park come at a premium which is where you'll then need to pay extra to purchase the Lightning Lane fast passes. Or you could also stick with the standard Disney Genie Service and purchase fast-passes on an ad-hoc basis for all attractions on Lightning Lane (I'd recommend sticking with the standard Disney Genie Service if the parks aren't very busy). The premium Lightning Lane attractions include:

Magic Kingdom - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & Space Mountain

Epcot - Frozen Ever After & Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Hollywood Studios - Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway & Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Animal Kingdom - Avatar Flight of Passage

Photo by Brian McGowan / Unsplash

I absolutely ADORE Adam and Gary C going on their moo moo sharoo's around the Disney parks. Their YouTube travel vlogs honestly bring me so much joy, and if you haven't seen them, I 100% recommend you do! Adam's Disney World and Disney Cruise Dream Guide books are so rich with useful information and personal recommendations from Adam's extensive experience of the parks. I've already pre-ordered Adam's 2022-2024 Disney World Guide - so bloomin' excited!

Victoria's YouTube channel is also such a fantastic resource of visual information from another very experienced Disney enthusiast! She knows all the best places, all the insider tips, and has the most gorgeous playsuits! You'll definitely be a lot more prepared for your own Disney trip after binge-watching Victoria's vlogs of her travels around the parks.

With Ever After Holidays you'll be able to find good deals, and also speak with a travel team that includes Disney enthusiasts (just like you) and ex Disney cast members who can provide you with their extensive expertise/help tailor a whole Disney trip to your needs. They are also ABTA and ATOL protected, meaning your money will be financially secure. Plus, you can also combine your Disney and Universal bookings - nice and easy having it all in one place!

Attraction Tickets is yet another wonderful Disney Trip planning/booking service (and also includes discounted tickets for UK & European attractions too!). I strongly recommend having a browse through their amazing offers and bundles, and comparing them to what it would cost to book directly with Disney, or any other travel partners. But, be sure to read the small print - once you've got your park tickets, you'll need to register them on the My Disney Experience app and reserve the days you'll be attending the parks, otherwise, you won't be allowed in!

Gotta be careful of Miss 'Rona trying to ruin your trip!

Definitely VERY important that you have a valid ESTA before you fly!

You should absolutely make sure to have a read of the GOV.uk page on up-to-date travel advice for travelling to the USA. Make sure you're fully aware of any entry requirements, the Visa requirements, local laws and customs, etc.

This is a really good search tool for when you just want a quick overview of what the travel requirements are going to look like when travelling to a different country on specific dates, and you can also adjust the search based on if you're vaccinated or unvaccinated traveller.

I love this tool, you can search for your desired flight dates, browse the available flight times, and you can also view flight rates throughout the whole month (see: Skyscanner tips and tools: how to search flight prices across whole month | Skyscanner's Travel Blog), which can help you find the cheapest dates to travel on within your desired timeframe. You can also find flight rates from 3rd party providers, but I wouldn't recommend this as their change/refund policies tend to be more restrictive compared to booking directly with the flight provider. (This is if you choose to book your flights separately from your other bookings).

  • Additional tips

Make sure to check your baggage allowance with the airline you book with.

Look into the different Air Miles schemes with different airlines, it can help you save up for your next Disney trip a lot quicker!

Map out all of the toilet and water fountain stations around the parks (you should also be able to get free ice water at any quick service location).

Remember to take your own umbrella/rain mac/poncho for rainy weather, and sunglasses/handheld fan for sunny weather. It sounds like quite simple advice, but if you forget one of these things, they'll cost a fortune to replace in the Disney parks. And the Floridian weather can change very abruptly, so try to pack everything you might need into a backpack each day.

If you're a glasses-wearer, it could be a good tip to go to your local opticians before your trip to try out contact lenses. I personally love wearing my glasses, but in the Floridian heat when you're sweating and lathered in suncream, it can get pretty annoying having to push your glasses up all the time/have the fear that they might slip off when you're on rides.

Photo by Jess Bailey / Unsplash

Disney bookings & budget planning

Sometimes it can be difficult to keep track of everything you have/haven't booked.

So I'd definitely suggest that, if you have a printer, print out a paper copy of each of your bookings, and keep them together in a folder or travel document wallet.

Or, you can save all of your digital email booking confirmations into a separate email folder.

This will help you keep track of everything, and the documents will be easily accessible when you need to use them.

  • Flights
  • Accommodation (also factor in the resort fees if applicable)
  • ESTA
  • Travel Insurance
  • Disney Park tickets (can optionally include the Memory Maker photo pass)
  • My Disney Experience app (to book your park attendance days)
  • Disney Genie Plus/Lightning Lane (if applicable)
  • Travel SIM/phone roaming charges
  • Call your bank to let them know you'll be using your bank cards abroad
  • Transport to the UK Airport (this could be by train, coach, driving - if you're driving, remember to book short or long stay car parking)
  • Transport to the Orlando, Florida hotel (this could be by taxi, car hire, or the Mears Connect shuttle service which is replacing the Disney Magical Express bus service, see more info here: Mears Connect Bus Service to Walt Disney World | Florida Review and Travel Guide)
  • Car hire & car insurance (if applicable)
  • Transport to the parks each day (if applicable)
  • Dining each day (and if you're a fan of snacks, definitely budget for Epcot's tasty treats from around the world)
  • Tips for waiters and hotel service
  • Shopping & gifts (some items will incur additional sales tax at the till)
  • Transport back to the Florida Airport (this could be by taxi, car hire, or the Mears Connect shuttle service)
  • Transport back home (this could be by train, coach, or driving)
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash

Money-saving tips for Disney World

Altogether, this will roughly cost £3.5k - £4k each for a 2-week stay if you're sharing some of the costs (such as accommodation, meals, or transportation) equally with your partner.

Also, keep in mind that some of the costs (such as accommodation and park tickets) might allow you to place a small deposit to secure the booking, meaning that you don't have to pay the full amount upfront.

This is handy for when you still have a bit of saving up to do, and so you can schedule the trip for when you know you'll have enough saved up.

For example:

You already have £3k saved up for your trip, and can comfortably save £200 per month. Meaning that you'll be able to reach your savings goal of £4k in 5 months. At this point, you will have enough for the upfront costs (such as flights, ESTA, travel insurance, etc.) as well as enough to place deposits for the non-upfront costs (such as accommodation, park tickets, etc.) if you book your Disney trip to commence in 5 months time.

Please make sure to read the guidelines and policies for any bookings you make by placing a deposit - as they may require you to pay the full cost within a certain timeframe before your trip.

It's also worth mentioning that choosing to pay a deposit rather than the full cost upfront may work out to be more expensive (e.g. hotels will sometimes charge more if you want to pay when you get to the hotel), so definitely weigh up your options before going ahead with the bookings.

As mentioned earlier, you can bundle your bookings on the Disney World Holidays website (see: Walt Disney World® Official Site | Disney holidays from Walt Disney Travel Company) or with Ever After Holidays (see: About - Ever After Holidays) or with Attraction Tickets (see: AttractionTickets | Award-Winning Orlando Park Ticket Provider) or any other trustworthy travel booking site. It's worth having a browse and looking around for the best deals at the time of booking.

Photo by Lareised Leneseur / Unsplash

Disney Trip Planning - dates and accommodation

The magic is fast-approaching. And your dream holiday is starting to feel more real!

So it's time to get booking!

Choosing dates that are the right fit for you and your partner is probably going to be the biggest factor that plays into how your Disney experience will go.

If you're not a fan of sweltering heat, then it's best to book your trip during the Winter/Spring months.

If you're not a fan of crowds, then avoid peak times such as Christmas, American holidays/school breaks, or festivals such as the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, etc. If you do want to go to Disney during an event season, it would probably be worth saving that for your 2nd or 3rd trip to Disney.

In regard to finding accommodation that's the best fit for you, it's worth having a browse of the guides I mentioned earlier on: The Disney holiday planning booklet (see: FREE Holiday Planning Tools | Walt Disney World® Official Site (disneyholidays.co.uk)) and Adam Hattan's Disney World Dream Guide (see: Books – Adam Hattan Shop).

If you want to utilise the free Disney transportation systems (such as the Skyliner or Monorail), then staying on Disney property is the best way to go.

And if you also want to include a few Universal Orlando days in the 2nd week of your trip, it may be worth switching from your Disney property hotel to a Universal property hotel so that you have all the perks of both hotels, plus you won't have to wake up as early/pay more to travel to the Universal resort.

You could also look into the costs of staying in a hotel away from Disney/Universal property, or look at hiring a villa if you're planning to travel as part of a group of friends/family, but make sure that you're not too far away otherwise the transport costs to/from the parks will start to add up!

Photo by Naida Marin / Unsplash

Travel Day tips

And so it's finally the day you've been waiting for - Travel Day!

Everything is packed and ready to go.

You've got your travel wallet full of travel documents.

You've weight-checked/size-checked your luggage.

You've got your comfy yoga leggings and a hoodie on, with lots of lip balm, moisturiser, and chewy sweets at the ready!

You've also got a book to read/Film & TV shows downloaded from Netflix to keep you company on the looooong flight.

Next, you need to make sure to allocate enough time to travel to the airport, and arrive at the airport with 3hrs to spare before your flight departure. It's super important to make sure you're at the airport with lots of time to spare, especially with the additional health and security checks. You never know what could go wrong on the day!

Once you've gone through security, make sure to fill up your water bottle at a water fountain station, or make sure to buy plenty of water in duty-free. Stay hydrated folks!

And when you're on the plane, make sure to get out of your seat to stretch your legs/do a few laps of the plane every now and then. It'll be good for your sanity, and for avoiding the achy feeling you get when you hardly move all day.

You can also make sure you know exactly where you need to go when your plane lands in Florida by either following the instructions given to you by whomever you arranged your transportation booking with, or by binge-watching Disney World travel day vlogs on YouTube (especially if you're a visual or auditory learner).

Aaaand you made it!

You might be feeling a bit low on energy so don't worry too much if you can't face going to the parks. Make sure to rest, unpack, get something to eat, and work your energy back up for a brand new day in the most magical place on earth!

Photo by Stone Hood / Unsplash

What to do in Walt Disney World

I think it's pretty much tradition to go to the Magic Kingdom on your first day, to feel that overwhelming sense of awe and excitement from seeing Cinderella's castle for the first time.

From there, it's completely up to your personal preference on what you want to do/explore!

Thrill-seekers will enjoy the plentiful amount of rides and roller coasters.

Those who love to soak up the atmosphere can have a nice sit-down in one of the cafe's with a beautiful view, interact with the characters, or watch out for the parades.

Tip: make sure to pick up the park map at the entrance, as this will give you a guide of when the parades are, and where everything is (including toilets, food service, Memory Maker photo pass points, etc.)

I'd recommend leaving any shopping until the end of the day so that you don't have to lug any gifts around with you (although you can ask one of the Disney shop assistants if they're able to keep the item behind the counter so you can pick it up at the end of the day).

Make sure that any gifts you do buy are suitcase-friendly.

If you're feeling like a foodie day, then definitely head over to Epcot and try out as many snacks as you can possibly fit in!

One of my dream Disney snacks to try is actually over in Gaston's Tavern located in the Fantasyland section in the Magical Kingdom - the infamous Cinnamon bun (definitely get one to share as the portions are HUGE and mighty, much like Gaston, and his ego).

And if you're travelling during one of the hot weather seasons, then definitely make sure to schedule in a few water park days throughout the week!

Plus some rest days (this is why booking a 2-week stay is ideal). Trying to do it all will definitely tire you out, so make sure to check in with yourself and your partner if either of you are feeling a bit burnt out/need some time to chill.

There are soooo many restaurants and dining options to choose from. There are ones with Disney characters that will come and interact with you at your table, fancy themed restaurants, even fancier restaurants at the luxury Disney hotels, and all the quick service dining options across the parks that offer quick/cheap themed meals that differ depending on which 'world' you're in.

So depending on whether you're going out for a date night, or just want to try out a quick themed bite to eat, there's something for every occasion. Definitely check out The Disney Food Blog (see: the disney food blog | food IS a theme park) for more specific recommendations.

Photo by Eva Darron / Unsplash

And as your time in the "world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy" draws to a close, make sure the day before that you test pack everything into your suitcases and that everything fits nicely.

Also, make sure to leave a tip out for the person who's been kindly servicing your hotel room.

Before you head back to the airport, check once again that you have all the relevant travel documents you need to travel back to the UK, and that you haven't left anything behind in the hotel room.

And then, it's time to say goodbye/until next time.

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Currently residing in West Sussex, Maddie is a 26 y/o blogger and illustrator with a passion for mythology, legends, fairytales & folklore. You'll regularly find her escaping into fantasy books, films, TV, and games.