Planning timeline!

When is the best time to start planning your Disney World vacation? What comes after you book it? When do you do what?

These are questions I get a lot :) So here's my suggested timeline!!

7 months or more prior to travel: Select a date and contact Fairytale Journeys by Stephanie for a quote on your vacation package. Book the reservation with a minimum of a $200 deposit. Begin researching Disney restaurants and make note of any that sound interesting to you. Create a My Disney Experience account and link your resort reservation. Customize your Magic Bands.

6-1/2 months prior: Finalize your dining selections.

6 months prior (180 days exactly): Book dining reservations. Online reservations open at 6:00am EST on the dot, whereas the phone lines open at 7:00am. If you book your package with me, I'll do it for you!

4-6 months prior: Research the parks and all the attractions. Make a list of your must-do attractions. Familiarize yourself with the park layout by studying the park maps. Watch the planing DVD. Make a countdown chain. Put away money each week to pay for the trip. Purchase Disney gift cards periodically to use for souvenirs.

2-1/2 months prior: Finalize your Fastpass+ selections. Choose 3 per day to book ahead of time. I can help you decide by offering advice on which attractions need them most.

2 months prior (60 days exactly): Resort guests can book Fastpass+ online at 7:00am on the dot. If you book with me, I'll do it for you! If you are able to, pay off your balance. If you plan to rent a car, stroller, or ECV/scooter/wheelchair, reserve it now. If you haven't yet, make sure you customize your Magic Bands in My Disney Experience.

6 weeks prior: If you need to make any changes to your resort package, do it now. This is your last chance to change resorts, add a dining plan, alter the length of your park pass, etc... without incurring a penalty fee.

1 month (30 days exactly): If you are staying off Disney property, book Fastpass+ online at exactly 7am. Pay your vacation package in full. Start packing. Have your suitcases out and toss things in whenever you think of them.

2 weeks prior: If you'd like a grocery delivery, set that up now. You should have received your Magic Bands, Magical Express packet, and resort voucher booklet by now.

1 week prior: Pack. Make sure you have all of your travel documents in your carry on bag, including your Magic Bands. If you'd like to add Memory Maker, do so now if you haven't already.

24 hours prior: If you are flying, check in online for your flight. If you are flying Southwest, make sure you do it exactly 24 hours to the minute to ensure the best boarding group number possible. Print boarding passes, if you desire. (You can also print at the airport.) Finish packing. Attach the yellow Magical Express tags to your checked bags.

Morning of departure: Double check to make sure you have everything, including any medications you need. Then enjoy your vacation!

Packing doesn't have to be stressful.

I think most people stress out about packing for vacation. Making sure you have enough clothes. You never know what will happen. Or sometimes what the weather will be like. (There are certain times of year that Florida is VERY unpredictable). Medications. Necessary equipment. (My husband has a C-Pap and my son has a nebulizer). Making sure you don't go over that 50 pound maximum for flying. Especially if you bring your own bottled water and/or snacks.

I am a list maker. I start making my packing list far in advance. Every time I think of something, I add it to the list. Or I throw it right in the suitcase, if its something I won't need to use at home. I pull out the suitcases like a month before any trip. I gradually toss in things. When I get to about a week before, I pull it all out and start to organize. I do my laundry and start packing what we need. I count out underwear and socks- one for each day plus at least 2 extra. (You just never know!)

Many people like to bring their own snacks and drinks. When our kids were little, we loaded up. Breakfast stuff, Capri Sun pouches, Horizon milk boxes. Especially when my son was 2 and still free, but ate a lot of food! LOL My growing boy! I brought tons of fruits cups and granola bars, etc.. I would bring an entire suitcase just with food and drinks and diapers and wipes. I didn't care, because we always fly Southwest and we can each check 2 suitcases. But not everyone can check that many bags, or wants to. A great packing tip is to leave all that stuff at home and buy from a local service like Garden Grocer, who will deliver anything you need to your resort. Or you can ship the stuff from home to your resort.

But the very best tip I can offer in regards to packing is to not worry about forgetting something. Disney sells just about everything you could possibly need. (Except rechargeable camera battery chargers. It cost me $50 plus the cost for the charger to take a cab to a nearby Target to get one on day 2 of our trip one year.) And medications. But everything else, they have.