Best Sources for Disney World Trip Planning
Updated: 2/29/2020
Over the years our trips have benefited from the hard work of other Disney vloggers, bloggers, podcasters and IGers.
I regularly follow favorite sources to keep up to date on Disney World and Disney Cruise Line. All of that great information hasn’t cost me a dime. So, in the spirit of season, I”d like to give a little Thanksgiving shout-out to all of those folks who work hard to make my trips to Disney World better. Hopefully, I am returning the favor by pointing you to these great sources for Disney World trip planning.
Okay. Now, let’s talk Disney trip planning turkey.
I’m breaking it down by specific areas to help to narrow your search. The Food, The Parks, The Resorts, The Shopping, The Attractions and The Cruises. All of these folks dish out the best up to date information and tips on all things Disney World. However, I think they each have strengths in certain areas.
Below is a list of what I think are THE BEST sources for Disney Trip Planning.
The Food: Making Dining Decisions For Your Trip
AJ and her team have everything covered. ANY new snack, festival food, dining package, cocktail or park dining strategy can be found on this site. Disney Food Blog’s YouTube Channel, DFB Guide, is great and also covers topics outside the scope of food. Truly the best source for all things Disney dining related.
Trying to figure out where to eat on your trip? AllEars.net has an amazing up-to-date online tool to research dining options before you lock in Advance Dining Reservations. Review menus and check out what is and is not on the Disney Dining Plan . It covers the parks, the resorts and Disney Springs.
These folks are really one of the best sources for ALL Disney information. (More on them below in park planning section). They also have a comprehensive online tool for searching Disney World menus that you need to check out.
These two have a great YouTube channel full of information from park livestreams to RunDisney. I regularly watch all of their videos, but particularly admire their honest and down to earth Disney parks dining reviews. Josh and Taylor are fun to watch and cover dining locations at the parks, resorts, Disney Springs and beyond.
The Parks: Developing Park Strategies
The most well-rounded Disney World trip planning site for beginners. Period. When I began planning my first trip to Disney World as an adult, I was totally in the dark. That first trip and all the others were a success because of their site. Shannon and her WDW Prep School team offer solid information and park tips. Their blog is great but their Instagram stories just get better and better. Check out their stories for seasonal and park party information before you go.
The BEST Disney parks planning resource that you might not know about yet: Mouse Hackers. While they have a great blog (their FastPass strategies article is THE BEST), I’m here for their Instagram stories. Brief but comprehensive real-time posts FULL of tips on rope dropping and FastPasses are Mouse Hackers specialty. I will take their boots on the ground Instagram stories over any crowd calendar. They are like wildlife photographers of the Disney parks. Explaining the guest herd at every park in every season.
There are many social media folks out their documenting as they roam the parks. Serena at Living by Disney is next level. Her Instagram stories are entertaining and chock full of information without being overly long and rambling. She is another rope dropping wonder and has the Instagram highlights to prove it. At the parks for every after hours event and party, she also offers great park tips year round. A Living by Disney weekly email goes out every Tuesday. It includes a current calendar of what’s going on, going out, or coming up in the parks.
If you have a specific question, Be Our Guest Podcast is a great resource. They have three weekly shows. Mondays are trip reports (and Facebook Live Q & A). Wednesdays are listener email or call-in shows. Fridays are panel discussions. It’s run by a group of Disney experts/fans/travel agents who regularly go to the parks. I listen to them when I cook. Multitasking!
Here is a great catch-all resource that has been in the Disney information biz for a long time. The DIS are a one stop shop for Disney trip planning. WDWInfo, their web site, has everything from news to think pieces. The DISUnplugged has weekly discussions on YouTube that are also offered as podcasts. Best of/worst of shows that parse out information in shorter bits are also on their YouTube channel. Last, but not least, they operate an online message board: DISBoards. People from all over with varying areas of Disney parks, cruise, and resorts experience haunt those boards. Whatever question you have, someone will be able to answer it.
These are the park touring plan and crowd calendar gurus. They developed an actual mathematical algorithm to compile crowd calendars and touring plans for Disney parks. Their touring plan app can be purchased by subscription, but they have plenty of free information. Brian’s “Beat the Crowds” videos offer great overviews of the parks with maps! Not sure of the park layout and how to position yourself for rope drop? Those videos should help. Also, TouringPlan’s Len Testa publishes “The Unofficial Guide to Disney World.” It is the only book you will ever need about Disney World.
Another great source for all around Disney parks information (World, Land and International) is Carlye Wisel. A legit full-time theme park journalist (Travel and Leisure, Eater) Carlye has a deep love for the parks and always ferrets out off the beaten path wonders. Her Instagram stories and posts are full of wide-ranging information. She is a quirky delight and well worth following.
The Resorts: Where to Hang Your Mouse Ears
WDW Prep School has a great online resort pros and cons page that lays it all out for you. This is a good place to start deciding where you want to stay. It’s also super helpful if you are stuck between a few options but can’t decide.
TouringPlans also has an exhaustive list of room tours on You Tube. They aren’t flashy videos, but you get the details you need about the layout, the location and the amenities.
Tom and Sarah Bricker, the brains behind Disney Tourist Blog, are great resources for room reviews. They keep on top of any resort refurbishments and often are one of the first to post about it. They compare value, moderate and deluxe resorts on property in a way that is helpful in the planning process. All of their Disney World information is current and very useful.
The Shopping: Planning For A Disney World Haul
Many social media influencers regularly post on park and Disney Springs merch. Nobody does it as well as Allyson (@magicandwishes). If it’s new merchandise, Allyson is on it. Her Instagram Stories don’t just pan through the racks. Allyson tries stuff on, fan girls over her favorites and curates lists for her “Take my Money Tuesdays.” She also covers a wide range of merchandise at different price points. Her Instagram stories offer entertaining overviews of current park goings-on and her love for all things Disney in infectious. I have met her in the parks and she is a genuine sweetheart.
The Attractions: Deciding What To Do And See
For those of you with little ones, WDW Prep School has a constantly updated height requirement page. It’s a super easy tool for seeing what your kids can ride before you make those FastPasses. They also maintain great park guides on which attractions you should and shouldn’t make FastPasses for.
This pioneer Disney parks vlogger has a ton of great information about the parks. What I really appreciate are Tim’s POV thrill ride vlogs. As a nervous rider, his videos really helped me out (particularly his Flight of Passage video). I know some people would rather not have a ride spoiled by watching a video. Fear outweighs that for me. I need to know what’s coming, people! If you are anxious about getting on a particular ride, this is a great way to see how it works.
The Cruises: Disney At Sea
For sheer entertainment value alone, the DisLyfeofOurs family is worth watching. Their Instagram stories are incredibly funny as well as informative. While I thoroughly enjoy their trips to the park, DisLyfeofOurs really shine on the Disney Cruise Line. They film while on board and offer information that other vloggers often overlook. They are a hoot to watch and drop a lot of really good information along the way.
Michael Kay’s YouTube channel is a great source for Disney World information particularly now that he is a local. His cruise videos are extremely thorough and he has been on all 4 of the current DCL ships. His love for Disney is genuine and infectious.
The DIS launched a new website dedicated to Disney Cruise Line information: DCL Fan. In conjunction with the DCL areas of the DISBoards, it’s definitely a helpful trip planning tool.
The DIS Unplugged’s Craig and Corey have covered shorter DCL cruises. Their “Two Dudes on a Cruise” vlogs are amusing and very thorough. The WDW Couple also have a few great DCL vlogs (particularly their Palo brunch review.)
No doubt about it. These folks have a deep love for all things Disney parks related. Several of them relocated to Orlando just be be closer to the magic. I hope that they are actually able to enjoy some time in the parks. “Working” the parks every month or in some cases every week is a daunting task. Imagine the hours spent noting crowds and testing posted wait times. Don’t even get me started on the food. Have you ever tried taking the “perfect” picture of food in a crowded park while it melts in the Florida sun?
So, a BIG THANKS to everyone on this list. They may get to spend more time in the parks than I do but they work for it. Compiling information on the go and then posting it in an easily understandable format is no small feat. I greatly appreciate all of the tips that have helped to make our Disney World trips so great!
