Whew! We bet you’re now wondering how in the world (no pun intended) you’ll find the time to fit everything at Walt Disney World into your vacation. It’s simple: You can’t do it. Even a month-long stay wouldn’t be enough to do and see everything. Rather than try to fit everything into your vacation, make a practical plan.

Naturally, you can’t plan everything in advance, nor should you try—spontaneity and discovery are two elements of a great vacation. Yet it is a good idea to get a feeling for the parks, attractions, and activities before you go and to make a note of the ones you simply “must” do. This helps you create an itinerary and keeps you from missing the things you’ve got your heart set on.

First, read the preceding pages carefully to gain a solid idea of what the Walt Disney World Resort is all about. Next, make a list of all the things you’d like to see and do. This can be a great family activity. Make it a free-for-all, no-holds-barred event—what we call a “blue-sky session.” List everything, no matter how impractical, silly, or expensive. Once you’ve got a good list, pare it down to the things that are most important and copy them to the worksheet on the next two pages. List the activity, where in the “World” it is located (i.e., which park or resort), its approximate cost, and any notes (including why it’s on the list). Tip: If you're using the LIVE! Guide, use the checkboxes next to each attraction to mark interest for each family member!

When you’re done with the list, take a good look at the locations. Are several located in the same park? If so, can you do them all on the same day? Go through the list and note other patterns. With luck, you’ll have a better sense of where you’re headed. Next, assign the activities to specific days of your vacation, using the Day/Date column on the far right. For example, on a recent trip, we wanted to visit Spaceship Earth, race around Test Track, and watch IllumiNations. All those activities are at Epcot, so we grouped them together on our third day. We put a “3” next to each of those items, but you could write “Wed” or the date instead. If you’ve planned too much for one day or place, your Cost and Notes columns may help you decide which activities to keep and which to throw out or schedule for another day.

Not all activities can be decided this way, nor should they. Some choices should be spur of the moment. Be sure to “schedule” some free time in your trip—preferably a whole day or two. Use