Walt Disney World, Orlando Florida: The Planning!

I figured if I am going to start a travel blog, why not start with the Happiest Place on Earth...Disney World!!! Hands down, this is my favorite destination for both myself and the rest of the family. We do Disney in our eyes the right way...there is NO rest for the weary on our Disney trips!!! 
I have been to Disney in Orlando four times; once as a kid with my parents and brother Adam, once as a Senior in high school when I was there to dance the halftime show of a college bowl game, then twice as an adult with Brian and Paige. Us three went once in February and once in October, both months I highly recommend because of low crowd levels, and in October you have the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!!!

Since I have so many hints and recommendations for Disney this post will likely be broken into parts. I think the easiest way to do this is to devote one post for each of the four parks, because although it is considered one destination, Disney World truly is four different adventures within, each with loads to talk about!!! :). Most of my destinations will be within one post...but I think Disney is deserving of more than that!
Before I get too far, I need to fill you in on the must have's for planning a Disney trip...which will be the focus of this first post. First off, I always purchase the most updated "Unofficial Guide to Disney World." It is truly a wealth of information on restaurants, rides, hotels and more! Speaking of restaurants...did you know you can start booking your dining reservations 180 days out?? Seems crazy, but some restaurants, like Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle, truly books that quickly. Last time my 180 mark hit, I was in Nashville at the Bachelorette party of my dear Sister in Law Miranda, but that didn't stop me from setting my alarm for 6 a.m., heading to the lobby, and booking my restaurants!!! Don't worry...I will let you in on my favorites!! 
We always do the deluxe dining plan on our trips, which gives you three full meals a day as well as numerous snacks, and you can use the plan at all the signature restaurants or counter service ones! I am talking appetizer for EACH person, meals for each and a dessert for each! Crazy! There are other dining plans out there besides the deluxe, and each is a great value. Plus, it is paid for before you even head to Florida, which means one less expense to worry about once you hit the land of Mickey! At the end of the trip we usually have some meals left just from skipping a meal on certain days, so we stand in line at one of the quick service restaurants and "pay it forward" to a family waiting in line! Love it! Also, we have usually accumulated lots of snacks at the end, so we hit the gift shop and stock up for back home! 
Another great planning tool is http://www.allears.net where you can check out full menus for all the restaurants and view photos, among many other great tools! My other favorite, that I still frequent to get my Disney fix, is http://www.disboards.com I am totally hooked on their forums where I can read reviews, follow trip reports and much, much more! I have learned so many great tips from that site and highly recommend it! 
We of course can't forget the official site at http://www.disneyworld.com which is helpful as it gets closer to your trip to plan park hours and check on ride closings. My favorite feature of the site is the FREE customized maps that you can design and have mailed to you. These maps come personalized, and you pick the spots throughout each park you want labeled and numbered on your own map. I got ours in the mail and couldn't believe it...it truly looked like a treasure map! A great keepsake and handy planning guide in one!  
Many ask if we rent a car, and we always do, and typically find an insanely cheap rate a few weeks out, but if you choose not to, Disney offers many forms of free transportation, and even the free "Magical Express" from the airport that takes you directly to the hotel! 
As for our favorite hotels, I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, a moderate resort, but the last two times have stayed at the value All Star Movies Resort and love it! The huge life like Disney characters spread throughout the themed resort is always a huge draw, and like I said before...our trips to Disney don't include a lot of downtime at the hotel! Even if we did...we really do love the All Star resorts and would stay there again for sure! Now if we ever did a Deluxe...I think I would love to try Animal Kingdom Lodge where you can have a room overlooking a Savannah with animals! Ahh!!
A fun idea we have done the past two times is contact http://www.disneyflorist.com who will customize any kind of gift basket you want, sign it from the Disney characters, and have it delivered to your hotel room when you arrive! We typically have one made that includes an autograph book, pen, personalized Mickey ears and a few other extras. Last year we went around Paige's birthday so they added some birthday items to it. Such a fun way to start off the vacation right!!! 

Don't forget, plan ahead and save ahead, because we all know Disney isn't cheap. It is nice to pay for everything in advance (and you have to if booking a package), because then you know you truly can afford to take the vacation!! Make sure you research the different hotels and dining plans to find the right package that fits your budget...no matter what, you are in Disney and bound to have a MAGICAL time!!!
Tired of the planning talk?? Time to talk about our trip!!! So be sure to come back tomorrow where I will talk all about our trip, starting with The Magic Kingdom!!!