Vacationing at Walt Disney World in Florida, USA, is a lot of fun… once you’re there. But getting there can be confusing, with all the options you have regarding travel, lodging, and tickets.

Before you set out on the vacation of a lifetime, here are three questions you need to answer when planning a trip to Disney World.

Is it better to drive or fly?

The way you get to Disney World can end up being a significantly memorable part of your vacation – in a positive or negative way. So consider the following before booking your flight or gassing up.

Driving has a number of incentives. For instance, driving allows you to bring food along with you. This means you don’t have to worry about where your next meal or snack will come from; bringing food can also save you money. Also, choosing the driving option allows you to bring a stroller and avoid the high stroller-rental fees. Other incentives include stopping along the way for roadside attractions, and the ability to extend or shorten your trip as you see fit.

On the other hand, there are a number of reasons why nobody would blame you if you flew. Those reasons include you arriving at your destination quicker, potentially having a more comfortable trip, and not having to fret about finding or bringing food with you -it’s all there on the plane.

So, whether you choose to fly or drive, now you’ll be able to make your decision, confident that you know what you’re getting yourself in for.

What’s the cheapest way to get tickets?

Once you’ve made it to Walt Disney World, you’ll probably want… to go to Walt Disney World – that’s where the tickets come in. So how can you go about getting the most bang for your buck? Because ticket prices regularly change, and there are many vendors selling tickets, there isn’t any one answer to that question – but there are a few great places to start your search.

Before we go any further with the discussion of where to buy your tickets, we need to address when to buy them. Unlike our previous question, this one has an easy answer: as soon as possible. Once you’ve decided to take the vacation, buy your tickets as soon as possible. Do this because Disney’s ticket prices actually change, and you can lose serious money if you delay.

Now, you can buy your tickets directly through Walt Disney World, but there are a number of other vendors that promise reduced rates for identical products. Undercover Tourist, for example, sells tickets for less than gate prices. To sweeten the deal even further, Undercover Tourist’s website tells you which parks are busiest on which days, so that you can get more time on the rides and in the shows and less time waiting in line.

In addition to these options, you will find more if you wait to purchase your tickets until you are in Orlanda. Once there, you will find variou a vendors (many of which are located inside of hotels) that will offer deals that are similar to the Undercover Tourist website.

So use these tips and get started on your search for tickets as soon as possible.

Where should I stay?

Where you stay during your vacation can play a major role in your overall enjoyment of your trip. That being said, Florida has no shortage of hotels, so finding the right lodging to complement your dream vacation can be tough – but not impossible. Here are some tips to help you find a hotel you’ll be happy to stay in.

The first thing you have to decide when it comes to your lodgings is whether or not you would like to stay on the premises of Disney. To help you decide, here are some things to consider about both possibilities.

If you do not stay on Disney’s premises, your hotel may have awesome amenities, including pools, game rooms, and activities, but it won’t have anything with a Disney theme.

If you do stay on Disney’s premises, you can looking forward to experiencing a lot of unique Disney content.

That being said, why would someone not want to stay on Disney’s premises, knowing that they would be missing out of some really cool Disney stuff? The cost. Hotel rates change constantly, but in general you can expect to pay half, if not less than half, on your hotel if you stay off of the park’s premises, than you would if you stayed on it.

Now, to justify their high prices, Disney teases a number of creative, handy incentives that you can enjoy – if you stay in one of their resort hotels. These incentives include Disney bringing your bags from the airport (if, indeed, you fly) to your hotel without you ever dealing with baggage claim, complimentary resort transportation and parking, extended theme park hours, character dining, and themed rooms.

So, yes, you pay a premium for the full Disney experience. For some, it’s not worth it; for others, that’s what their whole trip to Florida is about. Wherever you fall, there are tons of options, so do your homework (don’t worry, it’s fun homework!) and find a place that you’ll love.

Whether you decide to fly or to drive, to buy your tickets straight from Disney or from another vendor, to stay on Disney’s premises or not, use these tips to help you craft the perfect vacation for you and your family. One that gets you the most bang for your buck, keeps your vacation as hassle-free as possible, and let’s you have a great, fun time at Walt Disney World.