If you have just decided to take your family to Walt Disney World for a vacation then let me offer you my congratulations.
But I also need to tell you that your work is not yet done.
Unlike a week at the beach you can't just book your trip and then forget about it until you arrive.
If you want to make your vacation so magical that your family will treasure the memories forever then you need to do a little planning.
So read on and I'll let you in on a secret or three.
1.
Break the rules and pack your alarm clock My number one tip for getting the most out of your Disney vacation is to pack an alarm clock.
I know what you're thinking.
This is supposed to be a vacation so the alarm clock should stay at home.
That's what the majority of people think, which is why they all sleep in and then arrive at the park gates at about 11am.
Which is why in this case, the early bird catches the worm.
If you can arrive at the park gates about half an hour before the official opening time you will quite literally have the parks to yourselves for a couple of hours.
Trust me; you'll experience more in those two hours than the sleepy heads will see in a whole day.
You don't even need to worry about missing out on sleep as you'll have plenty of time to go back to your hotel in the afternoons to have a long nap before heading back to the parks for the evening entertainment.
2.
Make dinner reservations before you travel There are more than 100 restaurants on Disney property and many of them are world class.
If your family wants to experience some of the popular table-service restaurants, including those where the characters are present, then you'll need to book in advance.
You can make your Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days before you travel; call Guest Services or make them online.
3.
Don't try to cram too much in People often ask me why I continue to go back to Disney World year after year and my answer is that even after 20 years of vacations at the Resort I still haven't seen everything there is to see.
The Resort is twice the size of Manhattan and with four themeparks, two water parks and a shopping village to name but a few things there is absolutely no way you are going to be able to see everything in one vacation.
Try and squeeze it all in and you will just end up feeling tired and grumpy.
Instead you should spend some time before your trip finding out more about what the Resort has to offer and writing down a lost of what you and your family really want to experience.
From there you will be able to create a plan to help you maximise the magic for you and your family.