Beyond the Rides: Disney World Extras & Magical Memories | Beginner’s Guide Part 2 - Ep. 685

Planning your first Walt Disney World vacation can feel overwhelming. How far ahead should you plan? How much should you budget? Do you really need to schedule every minute?

And what about all those Disney extras you may not even know exist?

This week, I’m continuing our Disney World for Beginners series with two great friends and Disney experts — Toni-Ann Zarcone, co-host of the Disney Crush Podcast, and MandieRae Malinoski, travel advisor and owner of Royal Escapes.

We start with the basics and quickly discover one of the most important Disney planning lessons:

Have a plan…but don’t plan the magic right out of your vacation.

We geek out about:

👉 Why trying to “do it all” can actually hurt your Disney vacation

👉 When you should start planning and which dates really matter

👉 What a good Disney travel advisor should do for you

👉 Realistic ways to think about the cost of a Disney World vacation

👉 Resorts, dining, Lightning Lanes and finding value for your family

👉 Private fireworks cruises — and why we think they can be an incredible value