The Mistake I Made Planning Our First Disney Trip…

Look at these BABIES!! This was Feb 2020, our first family trip to Walt Disney World.

When we planned our first trip to Disney World, I assumed our one-income teacher budget meant we needed to handle most of the planning ourselves.

Like a lot of families, I thought professional planning help was something you only got if you were spending a lot — or something you paid extra for. So I approached the trip with a very DIY mindset from the start.

I found a hotel chain in Disney Springs that we normally stayed in—because I thought the “Disney Bubble” was mainly a sales gimmick. I bought our park tickets through a friend who was a Disney travel agent. At the time, I didn’t ask many questions beyond that. I didn’t know I could, and she didn’t volunteer anything more. I assumed tickets were tickets, and that planning was just… up to us.

What I didn’t realize then was that the level of planning support varies widely from one Disney travel agent to another.

Some bookings are fairly transactional: tickets are issued, and families handle the rest on their own. Other agents take a much more hands-on role, helping families think through timing, park strategy, dining, and how to make the most of their trip — even on a tighter budget.

I didn’t know there was a difference.

So I did what many parents do: I researched, compared, second-guessed, and tried to piece everything together myself. I spent hours reading blogs and forums, trying to make the “right” choices—but there’s just SO much information out there, so many voices, so many opinions! I felt like I ate, slept, and breathed Disney for 6 months!

The trip itself was wonderful — Disney is still Disney — but the planning process was far more stressful than it needed to be. And afterward, I realized something important:

I didn’t need to choose between staying on budget and having support.
I just didn’t realize how much easier — and more enjoyable — the trip could have been with the right planning support.

That experience stayed with me.

Later, as I learned more about how Disney travel planning actually works, I realized that many families make the same assumption I did: “If we’re watching costs, we probably shouldn’t ask for help.” Or, “If we already bought tickets, that’s all the help there is.”

Neither of those things is necessarily true.

The level of planning support can vary widely from agent to agent. Some focus primarily on booking. Others focus on guiding families through the entire planning process — helping them understand options, make intentional choices, and feel confident before they ever arrive.

When I eventually became a Disney vacation planner myself, I knew exactly which kind of planner I wanted to be.

My goal has always been to offer full-service planning support — not just booking — and to do that for families across a wide range of budgets. I don’t believe thoughtful guidance should be reserved only for the most expensive trips. Especially now, I think families need to believe that someone is looking out for them — that care, attention, and a little bit of magic aren’t reserved for the biggest spenders, but are part of what makes a Disney trip meaningful in the first place.

I share this story because I see families all the time making the same assumption I did — that staying on budget means figuring everything out on your own.

What I’ve learned since is that good planning support isn’t about spending more. It’s about having someone help you make thoughtful choices with the budget you already have.

If you’re wondering what planning support could look like for your family, you can read more about how I work here.