Plan a Disney Vacation Quickly and Spontaneously!!! It’s Fun!

How to react when a friend says “Let’s go to Disney World next week!”

You say “Definitely!” of course! Time to plan a Disney vacation QUICKLY!!!

First, a little backstory. I spend between 20-30 days a year at Walt Disney World in Florida, and have for many years. We used to spend a weekend a month in Disneyland (California), but lately have made only yearly pilgrimages to that particular magical location. I fly cross-country to Disney World 3-6 times a year (yes, I’m a little obsessed). My husband and I have even been members of the Disney Vacation Club (the Disney specific timeshare) since 2007, which we absolutely love and use to its absolute fullest.

Oh, did I mention I live in Nevada?

So, yeah, I’m that person everyone comes to when they are planning any type of Disney vacation (I’ve even done a few Disney cruises!). Friends, relatives, friends of friends, people who notice my shirts, people in the grocery store, EVERYBODY asks me about Disney. Many times it’s how to save money, but often it is how to get the most out of their time at Disney.

So, here’s how/why I had to plan a Disney vacation so quickly…

The Phone Call

Anyway, back to our story… On Wednesday, a good friend called me up feeling quite restless and sick of the cold weather (okay—40 degrees, but still!).

“Let’s go on a trip next weekend,” started the conversation. When I hedged a little, she hit me with the biggie: “How about we go to Disneyworld?” She hadn’t been in about ten years, and that was with students (see my blog on student organizations, she is a DECA and FBLA adviser like me!). Instead of the normal, logical “Are you crazy???” response, I spoke without hesitating: “Let me price it out.”

The Dilemma if You Plan a Disney Vacation Quickly

The challenges I need to quickly solve in order to make this happen were three-fold:

1. Read my blog about Crazytown: My first dilemma was my mom! I spoke to the sweet husband, who recognizes I need respite care on a regular basis, so that ended up being no problem.
2. Next was cost: Can I pull this off without breaking the bank? That demanded research.
3. Last was desire: Do I even want to go to Florida? Okay—totally kidding here! Of course I wanted to hit WDW!

The Deciding Factors

When you are faced with this delicious dilemma, you are going to need to crunch the cash numbers, and desirability numbers on your own. When you have to plan a Disney vacation quickly, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it worth it to you to uproot your life with very little notice and fly across country for a long weekend? 
• Do you suffer from jetlag when you fly longer than three hours? That would definitely stop me from going for a quick weekend. 
• Is there anything you’re going to miss that weekend? My kids are grown and my weekends are devoted to Mom usually, so nothing for me. What’s your situation?
• Do I have the available cash to make this a non-stressor? Only you can answer that, but consider it carefully. Don’t let a quick weekend add any stress to your life! It’s not always worth it. 

Planning the Disney Resort

I’m firmly in the camp of staying on-site in Disney World. For Disneyland, it’s better for our family to stay off-site directly across the street, but in Florida we are always onsite. We love the idea of being in the “Disney Bubble” and not having to worry about transportation. When you add in the extra time the resort guests are allowed in the parks, and the ease of moving from park to hotel and back, there is no contest. Yes, you absolutely pay a premium for these benefits, but especially for a short trip, it was a no-brainer.

So when I had to plan my Disney vacation quickly, an online search told me two things:

1. There were no DVC resorts available, so we couldn’t use our timeshare!
2. The rooms ranged from $200 to $900 a night for that weekend.

We plan on hitting the theme parks hard for this trip, and plan to sleep primarily once we were dead, so we chose the least expensive option. I love a resort with amenities and fancy pools and restaurants, but only if I spent time in the hotel! Well, not this time.

The least expensive hotel was Disney’s Art of Animation, and we secured a room in the Little Mermaid section. This “value resort” by Disney terms, has upgraded transportation options with the Skyliner taking you to and from two of the four theme parks. The other parks are always accessible by a free bus system. 

Planning the Flight

I am the biggest fan of Southwest Airlines (SWA). Through the years, there have been many times I’ve needed to change or cancel flights due to my parents’ health or other situations, and Southwest has the absolute best change and cancel policies of any airline. Further, they still allow two free checked bags and a free carry-on. To be honest I’m a bit of a heavy packer…Okay, I fall into “over-packer” status, so this policy suits me. What about you?

My biggest piece of SWA advice is to keep checking your flight right up until you are ready to go, because Southwest pricing is quite fluid. Their prices fluctuate constantly – even if they aren’t having a sale at the time! Just yesterday my $49 flight to Long Beach next month dropped to $39. Not a huge savings, but I want every travel dollar I can get when I plan a Disney vacation this quickly!

That said, I was still stunned to find Las Vegas to Orlando flights for next weekend at only $123 each way, non-stop, and at the times we needed to fly! It was meant to be!!! So never skip planning a discount a last minute trip because of assumed high costs! Do your research—you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. I booked it without a second thought.

Planning our Transportation

Getting to the Flight

It surprises me every time I travel how much I need to spend on travel outside of the airfare! I’ve come to realize this needs to be a line item in my budget, otherwise I wonder where the disposable vacation cash has gone.

For this particular extravaganza, I need to leave my car at the airport. While economy lot parking is only $12, parking in the terminal garage is $20. Which to choose might sound simple—I’m a budget-minded person in all aspects of my life—but it really isn’t. While I would love to save the $30 by parking economy for the four days, I’m arriving to the airport from school and will be cutting it a little close. I don’t want to worry about the shuttle from the economy lot, and then the shuttle back on Monday night when I’m exhausted and need to work the next day. I’m going terminal parking, and will cut down on my Mickey ice cream bars on the trip to make up for the cost increase.

Arriving in Orlando, Florida

Arriving in Orlando at midnight on Friday will mean no surge pricing for Uber and Lyft from the airport. Remember this important detail: Rideshare programs pick up directly outside of the SWA luggage carousel 14, so they are super easy and convenient after a long flight. Support the small business operators and take the rideshare! It’s worth the additional tip! This is also our plan to return to the airport on Monday. 

If you have multiple people, tons of luggage, or want to make a quick grocery store stop on your way to the resort, there are multiple companies in Orlando that will greet you at luggage and whisk you away in a town car or larger. While this service is significantly more money round trip, a grocery stop with a young family might be worth it for you to pick up snacks – perhaps some breakfast danish and a case of water. 

For this trip, landing at midnight, two middle-aged women (there, I said it), just get me to my bed at Art of Animation!

After I Planned This Disney Vacations so Quickly, Here’s How It Went:

The Execution

So, we pulled it all together in time. The planets aligned and we both have amazing husbands to help! After teaching all day Friday, we met at the SWA gate and hugged and giggled at our weekend getaway! Traveling with a friend is an amazing experience and I highly recommend it to everyone. Last weekend my husband went surfing with friends in California, and this weekend I’m in Florida—it’s a great life that we are excited to share with others.

An important detail is to determine how costs will be divided—do this in advance so everyone is onboard. With another friend, I do hotel and she does food, but for this weekend, we totally went “Dutch.” We split the hotel costs evenly and paid for our own food. No matter how you decide to do it, I strongly suggest you decide in advance so there are no misunderstandings. A weekend getaway is no time to be anxious about money!

We worked the theme parks from open to close—even at our ages!!! Sleep was the lowest priority and getting the most out of our days was the top priority. We purchased Disney Park Hopper tickets for the three days, so we could move freely through the four theme parks. Without the Park Hoppers, we would have only been able to go to three parks in three days, so we definitely felt it was worth the $85 upgrade. It worked out very well, as we ended up moving to a different park every day!

The Experience

I’m glossing over so many details in an effort to get to this section—the experience. It is so worth it for the experience that the time, effort, money and sleepless weekend pale in comparison to what I gained from this experience. 

My life is no more stressful than yours. As a reader, you know Mom has moderately severe dementia and we care for her at home. You know I have a full-time job teaching, and three grown children. You also know I’ve got a marriage I need to take care of as we are moving towards retirement. Like I said—no more stressful than your life.

It’s not just a cliché, but a way of looking at your daily existence and turning it into a vibrant and exciting lifestyle where you feel engaged and invigorated every day. All told, this weekend would cost you approximately $1,000 as I wrote it, but you can do so much for considerably less. Don’t let anything stand in the way of you getting away for a weekend with someone who feeds your soul. A staycation can be absolutely wonderful, and few things are as meaningful as a weekend in the woods or hiking a canyon. Make it happen!

The Emotional Experience

Without going into details about rides and meals and how many steps we walked, let me share with you the emotional experience of this weekend:

• I was able to shed the responsibilities of being a care-taker and wife for the weekend. I was just Patti walkin’ down Main Street eating a pretzel. It’s very freeing.
• I laughed out loud so many different times. From screaming on a rollercoaster to late-night snacking in the hotel room, laughter just bubbled up from deep within my chest.
• There were no worries about traffic. Once you are in the “bubble” of wherever you are staying, you can leave the car keys and the stress of commuting on a daily basis for a few blissful days.
• I controlled the cash outlay. If I wanted a special treat, I bought it. I didn’t have to buy five for the entire family, and I could even skip it if I wanted. This is how I keep the budget at a reasonable level.
• I was “good tired”. Like you, I spend my life half-exhausted due to the many responsibilities. When’s the last time you were good tired? That’s the tired that comes from exerting yourself for a joyful experience—not to satisfy someone else or complete some routine tasks. It’s a wonderful feeling to be good tired—you should try it.

The Aftermath

I’m on the plane right now jetting back to my “real life” in Las Vegas. Yes, I video chatted with the husband and Mom over the weekend, and I did grade papers at midnight one night in the hotel, but otherwise I was just Patti this weekend. I did what Patti wanted, ate what Patti wanted, purchased what Patti wanted, and make decisions to benefit Patti. Why is this so valuable? How does that extend into my real life in the coming weeks? How is my life enriched by this experience?

• I am relaxed and well-rested. Yes, even without sleep I feel well-rested, because I only had myself to be concerned with.
• I have a much better attitude towards my situation. I find myself much more patient and understanding with Mom following a weekend away.
• Smiles come easier for a few weeks. I reflect on the experiences I had, and the things we did, and I find myself smiling so much more.
• I’m proud of myself. I put myself first, which so many of us fail to do on a regular basis. That makes me feel proud and empowered. 

So do it, my friends. Take the short weekend getaway with somebody that feeds your soul. If you want to do Disney, by all means ask me for suggestions and details, but no matter what you choose—choose freedom!

Thank you for reading this far!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some of the other awesome trip advice, here – especially when you need to plan a Disney Vacation quickly! Or perhaps you’re interested in something else we talk about here? Either way, we appreciate you!

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