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When we’re here at home, my wife will ask what I want for breakfast, what I feel like doing, on a nice fall Saturday (like we’re having today) and I’ll think about it and say, “I think I want to go over to France and get a pasty at Boulangerie Patisserie and then wonder around the World Showcase.” She’ll usually say one of two things, either “Okay, “or “ya, I know.” And today, this is exactly what I feel like doing, but we’ll end up going to Dunkin Donuts instead (they have their bagel twists on sale) and then head over to the mall, my son needs some things. But it does make me think about something that can create Magical Experiences when you are in Walt Disney World it is the Unknown Magic of Planning out your Day.

When we used to go, we used to do what a lot of first time Disney visitors do. We used to sit in our room after a long day in the parks and look at our guide maps to plan out the next day. I still recommend this if you are new to the Walt Disney Resort, but with some thoughts to keep in mind. Before I go any further, I want to reiterate, here for the new people to the site, we are not Disney Commandos. We do not believe in going all day long until you drop. Our philosophy is, if anyone is cranky it is time to stop; Walt Disney World is called the Happiest Place on Earth, and we are not going to be the ones to change the name by being unhappy. So, with that in mind, these planning tips are not aimed at telling you how to complete as many attractions as you can in a day, or the best ways to dodge the lines. These tips will be more in the way of how to go about setting up your day and what things to keep in mind when you start to plan it out.

The first thing to remember is that Disney has been offering the Disney Dining Plan free to people who book for so many days in a row. You may even be one of these people. It may be being offered while you are in Disney.  What this means is that if during your trip you want to try and eat at a specific place, you need to have planned it out in advance. This may help you figure out your plans for the day. For example if you have a lunch scheduled for the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at 12:30, you really should plan on spending your morning in Disney Hollywood Studios. Another way that the free dining plan offer will affect you is that you probably won’t be able to just walk into a table serve restaurant and be able to get a seat. We had this problem last year when we went and couldn’t even find a seat in a lot of the resort restaurants. So, keep this in mind when planning your day.

Another thing to keep in mind when planning your day is who you are with. If you have little ones with you, please keep in mind that they will need a break during the day. Don’t schedule this break when you think you will need it, think about your kids. How long will they be able to stay with the plan? How long will they be able to go for before they get cranky and start to whine and cry? When you figure this out, stop 20 minutes to ½ hour before that. This will make it so you get them before any tears fall, and will also be nicer for those people who are not in your group. I hate seeing little ones crying and frustrated parents arguing with each other, when it could have been avoided, by stopping a little sooner. Just because you are stopping, this does not mean you have to leave the parks. There are plenty of quiet places to take a break or a rest in all of the parks, which will help recharge little ones batteries. (I have written about these places in the past.) Recharged little ones help make everyone’s visit a little more Magical.

Sometimes your planning will be set around a specific attraction. If you have plans for a specific attraction, try to schedule your visit there during the extra magic morning hour for the park that the attraction is in. For example, we like to ride Toy Story Mid-way Mania. We make sure we go to Disney Hollywood Studios, on Saturday, when they normally have their Extra Magic Hour. If you don’t take advantage of the extra magic hour, but want to do a specific attraction, you can always plan on being at a rope drop (which everyone should do at least once during a trip to Disney Anyway).When they drop the rope make your way to that attraction and either get a Fast Pass or ride the attraction and then go to another. I recommend not running to the attraction, (I’m thinking Soaring and Test Track) as the first wave of people that get through the ride are the runners, but the second wave is usually a smaller group of people and the queue lines will not be that bad even if you get there 10 minutes after the park opening.

The Best thing I can recommend during your planning is to not over plan. If you over plan, you have less of a chance at finding an Unknown Magic, that can create Magical Experiences. When you over plan you lose the excitement of “What should we do next?” after coming off of an attraction. Everyone in our family loves the “What’s Next” factor. For example; when you come out of Pirates of the Caribbean and you end up in the pirate gift shop, you make your way through, and now you have the option of going into Adventureland, Frontierland toward Liberty Square or back into Frontierland toward Big Thunder Railroad and Splash Mountain. What I recommend on how to not over plan is to decide what park you are going to go to; decide which attractions you really want to see, and then let the rest of the day take care of its self.

The other thing about planning is to not forget the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort. Walt Disney World is not just the four Theme Parks. There is Downtown Disney, the Water Parks, Disney Quest, the Resorts, the Miniature and full size Golf Courses, and all of the recreational activities that Disney offers, that will lead to Magical Experiences if you try them out.

So, now you know, when you are planning your day in Walt Disney World, try to keep in mind where, and when you’re going to eat; your kids and how long they can go, and the attractions you want to ride. Then don’t over plan your day, but take the time to enjoy all that Disney World has to offer. This way you can have as many Magical Experiences as possible.