Every year, millions of people visit Walt Disney World, it is after all the most popular tourist destination in the world. Even though you may stay in the same hotel as another family, and go to the exact same theme parks, everyone has a different Disney vacation. Here are our top 10 tips for planning your WDW vacation. If you are going to spend the money, you might as well do it right.

#10: Plan for down time - Walt Disney World is huge, and often very crowded and hot. Nothing can ruin a vacation to Walt Disney World, especially if you have little kids, than trying to do too many things in one day. During your planning, make sure you figure in some down time at the resort for naps or swimming. You will be surprised how refreshed your group will be near the end of the day, while others are having to go home early after trying to stay in the parks for 16+ hours at a time.

#9: Disney Message Boards - Visit a few different Disney message boards while planning your vacation. You can ask questions, or read about other’s trips. Any tips you can pick up will help you on your vacation, plus you might make a few new friends. We suggest DisBoards, they are the biggest, but can be overwhelming to find helpful information. Also check out MouseBuzz, smaller and more intimate that DisBoards.

#8: Pick your resort wisely - Making sure you stay in the right resort for you is very important. Whether it is the location, theme or quality of the resort, each Disney resort differs, and most likely, one resort may be better for you. If you are unfamiliar with the resorts, make sure you spend time doing the research to find the right resort. Looking at pictures and maps is the best first step. We suggest SuiteDisney, for each Disney resort, they have hundreds of quality photos. They also have great photos of the parks and resorts.

#7: Check Park and Parade Hours/Plan your days -  Disney World posts park, parade and fireworks hours 6 months in advance for each park. They also post a schedule of Extra Magic Hours for the parks as well. You need to check out the hours and schedules for each park, and plan out which parks you will be doing each day. While you don’t need to stick to the schedule once you are there, things always change, it is nice to have the schedule set up, and go from there. You can see current Magic Kingdom park hours here, and from there, you can get to the other Disney parks and other months.

#6: Plan and Book Early - Make sure you start your planning as early as possible.  Planning early allows you time to figure out where you want to stay, gives you the best opportunity at getting the resort and room type you want, and get discounts on your reservation. You will also then have plenty of time to make dining reservation and any other plans you need. We usually plan 12 months in advance for our trip.

#5: Disney Guide Book - We suggest you pick up a good Disney Guide book for your trip, even if you have been 100 times before.  A good guide book will inform you about changes at the parks, new rides or restaurants, and will give you good insight to what will work best for your family. We suggest either the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World or the Passporter’s Guide to Walt Disney World. Both books are honest and insightful. Our friends over at Disney World Guide have a great overview of all Disney Guide Books.

#4: Travel During the Off Season -  No one likes crowds. Try to plan your trip during an off season time at WDW. If you can avoid summer, which is very crowded and very hot, and also Spring Break and Christmas, which while not hot, are just as crowded, you should have a much better Disney vacation. Please note that you will need to do more research than just making the assumption that any month will not be crowded. With the numerous Disney sites and guide books, people have figured out that some months are really good times to go, as they historically have very low crowds. Those months are now extremely crowded. For example, for years, early December was the best time to go, no crowds, great weather and you get to take advantage of all the Christmas activities and decorations. The last few years, the first two weeks of December have been sold out, and just as crowded as Christmas week. This is a good question to ask on a message board.

#3: Disney Discounts - Disney World typically offers discounts on rooms and packages throughout the year, but more specifically, during slower times of the year. Another great reason to plan early and travel during the off season. Lately, Disney has been releasing discounts about 5 months before the travel dates, and they usually only last a few weeks, and if you miss them, you are out of luck. We suggest checking out MouseSavers, they do a great job of keeping people up to date on current Disney discounts. There is usually no problem adding a recently released discount to an existing reservation, so no need to wait for the discount to be released to book the reservation.

#2: Use a Disney Only Travel Agent -  In all honesty, this should be #1, but it was a toss up, so I switched places. Using a Disney Travel Agent will help you immensely, and usually will save you money over booking directly with Disney, or heaven forbid, and internet travel company such as Expedia (please, please, never, ever book your Disney Vacation this way). A Disney specialist will be able to help you pick the right time to travel, help you with your resort choice, make dining suggestion, and answer any other question you may have. They also should take care of any discounts for you, assuming you booked early. We strongly suggest Mouseketrips, the only Disney Travel Agent we would ever use.

#1: Advanced Dining Reservation - I cannot stress how important making your Disney Dining Reservations are to the quality of your trip. Since the introduction of the Disney Dining Plan, all of the resort and theme park restaurants are for the most part, sold out all year long. Disney now allows you to make your Advanced Dining Reservation up to 180 days in advance of the day you check in (assuming you are staying on Disney property). Some reservations, such as Cinderella’s Royal Table sell out quickly, usually within a month of opening, most restaurant are still available 3 - 4 months before your travel, but the earlier you can make your reservation, the better choice you will have of restaurants and times.  The planning early and planning your days really helps when planning your dining reservations.

With this ten Disney planning tips, you should be well prepared for your Disney World vacation, and should be set to have a fantastic time.

Downtown Disney, which is basically a big outdoor mall by Disney, is a fun destination during your Walt Disney World vacation. First off, it is free, well, as long as you don’t buy anything, which is unlikely. Second, it is a nice break from the parks. Plus, there are some fantastic stores and restaurants that you really need to visit before heading home. Here are our top 10 stores at Downtown Disney:

#10: Disney Tails - Do you have a pet that loves Disney as much as you do? Disney Tails offers unique, and in many cases personalized gifts for your four legged friend. They also offer freshly baked treats, a great place to pick up the friend you had to leave at home.

#9: Mickey’s Pantry - If you are looking for a great gift, or something to spice up your kitchen and remind you of your Disney World vacation, Mickey’s Pantry has Disney themed kitchen items, from mugs and glasses to cooking utensils, cabinet knobs and small appliances. Some of their  items are really nice looking, and are more of a hidden mickey feeling, while others are Disney all the way.

#8: Pooh Corner -  If you know someone who wishes they lived in the 100 acre woods, Pooh Corner needs to be on your list. Whether it is Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga or Ro, Disney has your needs covered. Fantastic little store with some great Pooh items.

#7: Team Mickey Athletic Club - For all sports fans, this is a destination rather than a shop. Great jerseys, balls, shoes, shirts and sports items of every sort. This store is always crowded, and deservedly so. Take your time looking around, Team Mickey has a much better ESPN selection than the ESPN store on the Boardwalk.

#6: The Art of Disney -  My personal favorite in Downtown Disney, The Art of Disney features all sorts of Disney art, from lithographs to posters and even those fantastic big ceramic  characters. If you are looking to decorate an office (as I am constantly doing) or a room in your home, The Art of Disney will features some affordable, and not so affordable, works of art to make your room special.

#5: Lego Imagination Center - The only non-Disney shop in the Top 10, the Lego Imagination Store is probably the best presented store in Downtown Disney. Over sized Lego items are all around the front of the store, and even a huge Lego dragon in the lake not far from the entrance. Legos are about all that are available in the store, but who doesn’t love Legos?

#4: Once Upon a Toy -  Great Disney and other toys, from board games, stuffed animals and the world famous Disney Mr. Potato Head. My favorite toy is the model monorail, and it is tough to narrow it down to just one toy.

#3: Disney’s Days of Christmas -  Whether you are visiting Disney World around the Holidays, or in the middle of Summer, Disney’s Days of Christmas is always stuck on December 25. A great place to pick up new ornaments or decorations for the upcoming Christmas season.

#2: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique - While technically not a store, I had to list Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in this Top 10. Probably the best place on earth for little girls, BBB takes you on  a magical adventure of turning you from a normal little girl into a princess, complete with gown, brand new hairdo and tiara. If you, or your daughter has ever wanted to be a princess, you have to make a reservation.

#1: World of Disney - The World of Disney is the ultimate Disney Store. This place is huge, and covers everything Disney, from clothes to pins and everything in between. This should be your first and last stop when visiting Downtown Disney.

Walt Disney World some fantastic character meals, but honestly, how many can you really do during your Disney World vacation? I get burned out after two. Now that my kids are older, we may do one if we do any. I can only take so many buffets, and I want to enjoy my meals while at the parks, that is half the fun of going. So, where can you go where the food for adults is fantastic, it is still entertaining and the food for kids is even better?

#10: 50’s Prime Time Cafe - Traditional Meatloaf - Super fun place to eat, and the kids just love it when Dad has to eat his green beans and clean their plate. Good food, good fun.

#9: Spoodles - Beef Kabob - Loud, fun restaurant not far from Epcot. The Beef Kabobs have great flavor, and are familiar enough to kids that they have no problem eating them.

#8: Restaurant Marrakesh - Vegetable Couscous - the traditional meal of Morocco is presented to kids in a cool, different restaurant. With the chance for kids to learn how to belly dance, and the vegetable couscous, Restaurant Marakkesh will make you feel like you are in Morocco.

#7: Chefs de France - Croquette de Boeuf En Brioche - In what is in essence a fancy hamburger with an even fancier name, Chefs de France offers kids a chance to eat in a French restaurant without having to eat escargot.

#6: Rose and Crown - Cottage Pie - A super good mixture of things all kids love, ground beef, mashed potatoes and cheese. Throw in a few carrots and you have yourself a fantastic cottage pie. Great views of Illuminations from most of the outside tables, this is an interesting place to eat.

#5: Flying Fish - “Flying Fish” of the day - The Flying Fish offers the freshest sea food at Disney World, and the kids options are no different. If your kids love fish, this is the place to go. Small and intimate, all kids love the open kitchen.

#4: Coral Reef - Grilled Mahi Mahi - With an entire wall that is a open view of an aquarium, the Coral Reef offers wonderful fish for kids and adults, and an ever changing view of fish, sharks and turtles.

#3: Artist’s Point - Baked Salmon - Artist’s Point is famous for their Salmon entree for adults, and their kids option is just as good. Great restaurant with great views during the day, and after dark, the walk through the Wilderness Lodge courtyard is fantastic.

#2: Yachtsman Steakhouse - Slow Roasted Prime Rib - If your kids love beef, Yachtsman will offer you better options than anywhere on Disney property. This Prime Rib is so good, I have seem parents trying to trade their meals for their kid’s Prime Rib.

#1: California Grill -  Oak Fired Rib Steak - Great kids meal, and with a towering view of the Magic Kingdom, California Grill is the number one kids meal in Walt Disney World. Make your reservations for an hour before the Magic Kingdom fireworks, you will have fantastic food and an even better view.

Walt Disney World has 23 resorts on Disney property, and there are hundreds of off-site resorts near Disney World. Disney offers many benefits to stay in one of the Disney resorts, and honestly, I can’t give you any benefits to staying off site. While I had a hard time limiting this list to the top 10, I managed to do it finally.

#10: Refillable Mugs - All of the Disney resorts offer refillable mugs for sale, good for your entire trip at your home resort, and can be filled with soda, as well as tea, coffee, hot chocolate and some resorts even have frozen Coke. Mugs run about $13 each with tax, and if you are staying for longer than a few days, the refillable mugs make for a great way to save money on drinks while at your resort, and a great souvenir that you can take home with you.

#9: Free Parking - Disney resort guests get free parking at their resort, as well as at all of the Disney theme parks, water parks, and other Disney resorts. If you are driving to Disney World, or renting a car once there, the free parking is very nice, and a big money saver. Off-site guests pay $10+ per day to park at the theme parks, an expense that you don’t have to pay.

#8: Room Key Charging - Staying at a Disney resort, at check-in, you get the option of setting up your room key as a virtual credit card. You will be able to use your room key to charge at all Disney restaurants, resorts, gift shops, well, basically everywhere on property that accepts a credit card, and is Disney owned (some of the restaurants in Downtown Disney do not accept room keys as payment). This is a great convenience, as you don’t have to carry your entire wallet or purse, just your room key and a few bucks in cash. Each charge is itemized and can be checked out at your front desk at any time. At check-out, you can confirm all charges, and they will be charged to your credit card in one lump some.

#7: Resort Deliver of Package - Image, if you can, walking down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, and your daughter falls in love with a life size Pooh bear in one of the shop windows. Remember, it is 9 AM. What are you going to do? Staying at a Disney resort, you can go ahead and buy Pooh and have it sent back to your resort, you will be able to pick him up when you return from the parks, and only have to carry him up to the room. A much better option that having to carry Pooh around the Magic Kingdom all day.

#6: Disney Resorts - Disney has some of the most unique resorts around. Staying off-property, you may get a nice pool, but it will be basically a hotel. Disney has a resort surrounded by live animals (Animal Kingdom Lodge), one that makes you feel like you are really in the South Pacific (Polynesian) and a near replica of the Old Faithful Lodge from Yellowstone (Wilderness Lodge). All Disney resorts offer great theming, and really give you a unique vacation experience.

#5: Disney Transportation - Whether it is one of the Disney buses, Disney boats or the monorail, Disney offers a fast and fun way to get from your Disney resort to any part of the Walt Disney World kingdom. All of the Disney transportation is included in your Disney resort stay, and most kids have just as much fun getting to the parks as they do once they are in the parks. There is just something magical about riding the monorail back to your room.

#4: Disney Dining Plan - Disney World offers a great dining plan that can be used in the resorts and theme parks, but the only way to get it is to stay at a Disney resort (you must also purchase a Magic Your Way package including your resort room and park passes, but that is a small requirement). The Dining plan is a great money saver, and a great way to budget, as you know the cost of all that theme park food in advance. It also allows you to be able to go to restaurants you normally would not, as everything is paid for in advance. I no longer will go to Disney without the Disney Dining Plan, it just make my vacation just that much better, I can’t imagine going without it.

#3: Extra Magic Hours - Each day, at least one Disney theme park is open one hour early, and at least one is open three hours late, in addition to the hours the parks are open to the public. So, by staying with Disney, you can enjoy the Disney theme parks for 4 hours longer each day. Not only are many of the day guests gone once the parks close, but all of the Disney theme parks are beautiful at night, it is a real treat to be able to walk around a non-busy park and just enjoy the sites.

#2: Disney’s Magical Express - All Disney resort guests, who fly into Orlando International (MCO) receive free airport transportation to and from their Disney World resort. In addition to the transportation, Disney will also handle all of your luggage, so you just hop off the plane and onto the Magical Express, and your luggage will show up in your room later on in the day. A great convenience for those flying in, and a huge money saver, as you no longer have to rent a car at the airport. The Magical Express is fast, convenient and best of all, free.

#1: Disney Magic 24 hours per day - Kids and adults alike feel the Disney theme parks are magical. Staying at a Disney resorts means you never have to leave the magic. Whether it is the fantastic Disney resorts, wonderful Disney service or the special events going on at each resort, you never have to leave Disney on your Disney vacation. Watch the Water Parade from the beach at the Polynesian, release lady bugs into the gardens at the Grand Floridian or take a resort tour at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Do you have any other reasons why you stay on Disney property?

Epcot hasn’t always been associated with rides. Great food and education was the name of the game for years. In recent years, Walt Disney World has spent millions, if not billions, or dollars to upgrade the park and install state of the art rides. Here are our top 10 rides in Epcot:

#10: The Seas with Nemo and Friends - Located in what used to be the Living Seas pavilion, it has now been turned into a Nemo themed pavilion. The Seas with Nemo and Friends takes you underwater with Mr. Ray in search of his class. Great special effects, you get to go through the giant aquarium that is the center piece of the pavilion. Fun for everyone.

#9: Maelstrom - Located in the Norway pavilion, Maelstrom takes you on a Norwegian adventure through the history of Norway. Complete with a visit through a historic town, evil trolls and a big water fall, Maelstrom isn’t to the level of most Disney rides, but it is fun, and usually easy to get on. There is also a beautiful movie after you get off the ride that presents the wonderful areas of Norway. You can bypass the movie if you wish, but you must wait for the doors to open, which is every 10 minutes or so.

#8: Living with the Land - My long time favorite in Epcot, I would have listed it higher but many find it boring. Take a gentle boat ride through a Jungle, desert and prairie before entering Epcots greenhouses. Check out the innovative ways Disney grows food for many of their restaurants, including growing food without soil. Very informative, and relaxing. Little kids and teens may find some of the ride boring, while other parts hold their interest pretty well.

#7: The American Adventure - Located in the American Pavilion in the World Showcase, the American Pavilion was long the center piece of Epcot. Fantastic animatronics, wonderful historic footage and unique technology are used to tell 200+ years of American history in 30 minutes.

#6: Turtle Talk with Crush - Located in The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk was a unique attraction for Disney that has now been reproduced at Disneyland (California Adventure) and more recently the Monsters Inc.Laugh Floor in the Magic Kingdom. Crush, while completely animated on screen, interacts with audience guests, including answering questions and poking fun of adults. Great attraction for kids, and different every time, so you can easily see it several times during your trip.

#5: Honey I Shrunk the Audience -  The original 4-D Disney Movie (if you don’t count Captain EO), it has kicked off a few other versions including It’s Tough to be a Bug and Mickey’s Philharmagic. Watch as Professor Szalinski, the star of the Honey I shrunk the “blank” movies receives an award for the inventor of the year, and accidentally shrinks the audience. Fun, action packed “movie”, with a few scary parts. Some little kids may be scared, but you an always leave if needed.

#4: Mission: Space - Located in Future World, Mission: Space is a great ride, taking you to Mars, complete with full G-Forces and troubles galore. Great ride, including guest interaction required to get you to Mars.  Mission: Space isn’t for everyone, and several people have actually died after riding it. Disney now offers a non-spinning side, which isn’t quite as fun, but if you suffer from nausea, you might want to consider that side.

#3: SpaceShip Earth - The original attraction of Epcot, SpaceShip Earth takes you on a history of the world, specifically, a history of communication. Great animatronics , complete with sound and smells to match the scene, SpaceShip Earth is entertaining and educational at the same time. A recent update has added to many of the scenes. If there is a line, come back later in the day, usually by late afternoon, you can walk right on.

#2: Test Track: Located in Future World, Test Track was Epcot’s original thrill ride. Replicating a car testing grounds, Test Track takes you through the testing of a new car, including the high speed banked turns. The single rider line is a great way to bypass the line if it is long, but be warned, your party will be separated.

#1: Soarin’ - Located in The Land pavilion, Soarin’ is basically a duplicate of Soarin’ Over California that opened in California Adventure. Soarin’ replicated a hang glider ride over California, including a visit to Disneyland. Fun for kids and adults, the sights, sounds and smells are amazing, just a fantastic family ride.

Epcot features some great rides, and really shouldn’t be missed on your Disney World vacation. Give it a try, you will be amazed how fun and beautiful the park is. Oh, and lines for Soarin’ and Test Track are often very long, so make good use of the Fast Pass system early in the day.