Holly Jolly Christmas Vacation!

Let's get down to business shall we? The reason I love to share with you how my family prepare and plans is to help you! I hope it gives you some insight as to what I love to do and also to help you and your family prepare for your Disney vacation.

Just to recap a bit, I shared with all of you that we are planning our next big family vacation this upcoming December. Our last trip as a family was in the fall of 2011 where we went to both Walt Disney World and on a Disney Cruise. Since then I've taken a few trips solo as well as a trip with just my hubs.  With Kennedy turning 3 this month we thought it was about time we take her again...plus we have our newest addition to join us!

So how did we decide WHEN to go on vacation? Well for us this year it was simple. We needed to go during a break between semesters (my husband is studying to become a Special Ed teacher) and we wanted to take advantage of FREE dining. Plus if you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know we are crazy about Christmas!!

If you are trying to decide when your family should take a Disney vacation, keep a few things in mind!

• Are you willing to take the kids out of school?
• What weather are you most comfortable in? Do you mind the heat and humidity or would you prefer it a bit cooler?
• How about crowds? Would you like to visit when the parks are a bit slower/emptier or do you not mind visiting with tens of thousands of your fellow Disney fans?

Many people are in the same position as we are this time.  Our work/school lives dictated WHEN we are able to visit Walt Disney World. If you are flexible, here are some great times of year to vist!

• January (my personal favorite) with the exception of President's Day Weekend as well as the Disney Marathon
• Most of February with the exception of Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
• March and April can be tricky depending on Spring Breaks and when Easter falls
• Early May through Early June except Memorial Day
• September and October

While you may find pockets of less busy times, those in general are the best times to go for lower crowd levels and best prices.  Sometimes, like in our situation, going during a slightly more crowded time of year may be worth it for special events like Christmas, Star Wars Weekends, Food and Wine Festival, etc.  If you have a good plan and realistic expectations, you can still make it an amazing and magical vacation!

Need a bit of help planning? That's what I do!!  For a free quote and to take advantage of my FREE services (did I mention FREE?), email me at amanda@mouseketrips.com!