Trip Planner

How it works

How does the Orlando trip planner work?

Three steps, none of which commit you to anything.

1. Choose the guide you want first. There are five, described in the cards below. Every guide is a full page on this site, free to read now, with no sign-up needed.
2. Tell us your travel month. This is the part that makes the planner useful to you and to us, so here it is plainly: tell us your travel month and we will send rate news for that month. Rates vary by date, and popular weeks fill first. Knowing when you plan to travel lets the reservations team tell you about a seasonal rate or a direct offer at the point you are actually shopping.
3. Get the guide by email and plan in order. After you submit the form you land on a short confirmation page and receive an email with a link to your guide. From there, work through the planning order further down this page: suite and dates first, then park tickets, Disney dining, groceries and the shuttle.

The big questions

How many days do you need, and when should you go?

Most people arrive here asking how many days a first Walt Disney World or Universal trip needs, whether a seven- or ten-day itinerary with kids should include rest days, what an Orlando family vacation costs, and how to plan around the school calendar. The guides go into detail. Here is the short version.

Days and rest days

Plan one park per day and leave gaps. A rest day in a suite costs very little when there is a full kitchen, a heated pool, a hot tub and a screened balcony to spend it on, and it is easier to give up than to add once you are here, so build it in.

Where the budget goes over

We will not quote a total, because ticket prices, flights and rental cars are not ours to set. What we can tell you is where families are surprised. Resort fees are one: WorldQuest’s $20.00 plus tax per suite, per night is included in the rate when you book direct, and collected at check-in when you book through a third party. Theme park parking is another: Walt Disney World charges $35.00 per day for standard parking (August 2026, subject to change), which the complimentary shuttle to EPCOT® and Disney’s Hollywood Studios® avoids. Eating out for six, three times a day, adds up fastest, which is why the kitchen matters.

Six people, one suite

A family of six fits in one three-bedroom suite, which sleeps six to eight with a king bed, a queen bed and two twin beds, plus a living room, dining room and full kitchen. A two-bedroom suite sleeps four. Some suites also have a sleeper sofa; call the front desk before arrival so it can be noted on your reservation.

The school calendar

School holidays are the busiest weeks in Orlando, and popular weeks fill first. If your dates are fixed by a school calendar, the answer is to book early: the Plan Ahead & Save offer (code ADV) gives 20% off stays of three nights or more when you reserve at least six months out. If your dates are flexible, set a rate alert for the months you are weighing and let the rate news help you choose.

Orlando beyond the theme parks

Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is 1.7 miles from the resort, Old Town in Kissimmee 3.2, SeaWorld® 6.7, Gatorland 8.6, Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park 10.7 and Wild Florida 32.9. The Concierge desk can suggest dining and transport for any of them; see Explore Orlando.

Plan direct

Why plan with the resort instead of a listing site?

A listing site can show you a rate. It cannot apply a promo code or reserve a shuttle seat. The differences below are the ones the resort publishes.

More on the why book direct page.