Planning a trip to disney world in 2026? Read this first!

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World in 2026, you’ve come to the right place! I’m Ginger Pierce and I help busy families plan Disney vacations every single day. As a travel agent who specializes in Disney Destinations, it’s literally my job to know the ins and outs of planning a Disney trip and I’m going to share the top 5 things you have to know if you’re headed to the parks this year.

Tip #1: It matters where you stay.

I see this all the time online: “The hotel doesn’t matter, you’re just going to sleep there.” But at Disney World, that logic doesn’t hold up. Disney World is massive–like 2 times the size of Manhattan massive–so a good central hotel location is going to save you time and hassle when it comes to getting around. For convenience, onsite hotels are going to beat offsite hotels every time. But not all onsite hotels offer the same level of convenience and amenities. A good rule of thumb is to look for onsite hotels that have multiple modes of park transportation, such as a bus and a boat or a bus and the Skyliner or monorail. These hotels typically have a more central location, whereas the hotels that offer only bus transportation are typically on the outskirts of Disney property. My personal favorite onsite options are Pop Century if you’re looking for a value resort, Caribbean Beach if you’re looking for a moderate resort, and Boardwalk Inn if you’re looking for a deluxe resort. All of these properties have multiple ways of getting you to the parks: Boardwalk is even walking distance to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios!

But there are more reasons to stay onsite than just convenience. There are added bonuses such as free water park admission on your check-in date, free early park admission each day you have tickets, free kids dining plans with the purchase of adult dining plans, free transportation to the parks and Disney Springs, earlier booking windows for dining and Lightning Lanes, and free evening extended hours for guests at deluxe and deluxe villa hotels.

Tip #2: There will be advance planning involved. 

Disney World isn’t the kind of vacation you can wing if you want to get the most out of your experience. Popular restaurants can get booked up 2 months in advance. Desirable Lightning Lane time slots can be gone within minutes of going on sale. If you don’t know when your booking window for those things opens or how to navigate the My Disney Experience app, it’s highly possible that you could miss out on something you want. But, even if you don’t plan to make any dining or Lightning Lane reservations, there will still be strategy involved in your vacation. You will need to know the order in which to queue for the rides in each park, which shows or parades you want to see, and where to find the characters you might want to meet. Showing up in the parks with no plan or prior research is the number one way to set yourself up for a vacation that is more frustrating than fun.

Tip #3: You need to build in rest time.

As important as planning is at Disney World, you don’t want to over-plan. Many guests don’t realize how tired they will get in the parks, especially in the heat. It’s important to allow time to sit down, cool off, stay hydrated, and regroup for more fun. My favorite way to do this is to book a dining reservation for lunch each day. This gives you some dedicated time to sit down in the air conditioning in the middle of the day and refuel. Book a character meal for lunch and you’re killing 2 birds with one stone. You can cool down as the characters come to your table and avoid waiting in line for character meets later.  

Tip #4: You need to keep your eye on special event dates and refurbishment schedules.

Disney has different events and activities throughout the year that can result in early park closures or elevated crowd levels that can impact your experience. Also, Disney performs routine maintenance each year on different resorts and is consistently updating things in the parks. If you don’t know your trip coincides with these events or refurbishments, you can find yourself disappointed or unprepared for the change. A lot of new experiences are coming to the Disney parks in 2026 which gives us all a lot to look forward to, but this can lead to temporary construction inconveniences leading up to their arrival and elevated crowd levels once they arrive.

Tip #5: You can get free help planning the details.

Many people don’t realize that working with a travel agent like me is 100% free. You don’t pay any more for your vacation when you book it with me than you’d pay booking on Disney’s website. But when you book with me you get someone to help you weed through the hotel and ticket options, make your dining reservations for you, provide you with a park touring strategy, monitor for discounts, and be in your corner if something goes sideways during your trip. You don’t lose control of your vacation when you book it with an agent because the agent can help with as much or as little of the planning as you want. For more information or to get a quote on your vacation, click here. I would love to help you plan your 2026 adventure!