If you are making your first trip to Walt Disney World, or your first trip in a long time, there are a few things you should do to prepare yourself and your family for your magical vacation.

1. Familiarize yourself with the park layouts-you should have a general idea of how all the parks are laid out and what major attractions your family would like to experience. Don’t forget to check the height restrictions on the major attractions. Nothing is worse than getting up to the height check and finding out your little one doesn’t hit the mark. This can be devastating, if you know your child isn’t going to be able to ride a certain attraction, start preparing them for it ahead of time.

2. Work in a pattern-When you are looking at your park map, try to pick a route that maximizes your time and minimizes your running from one land to the next. You’d be surprised how much time you lose crossing Mainstreet U.S.A. countless times to go to Space Mountain, then Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, then back to Space Mountain, etc. Try to tour the lands by land and do and see what you can in that land before heading to another one.

3. Plan for a break-Disney is a big place and you won’t realize how big until you’re on your feet all day. In the summer months the heat and humidity can suck the life out of you in no time. Make time to take little breaks for a healthy snack (a piece of fruit or a bottled water are a great idea) to re-charge and re-fuel. The little 5 minute “break” you just took could save you from a day’s worth of exhaustion, aggravation and frustration.

4. Plan a Character Meal-If you have family members who want to meet the Big Cheese and friends, plan a character breakfast. It’s a great way to start the day, you get a hearty meal and Mickey and his friends will come visit you, at your table in the lovely air conditioned restaurant. You won’t have to stand in line outside in the blazing inferno of the heat and risk not getting your autograph and picture and characters will generally take more time with your child during a character meal where things are less rushed and more controlled.

5. Extra Magical Hours: If you are staying in one of the Disney resorts, you will have Extra Magical Hours, this means you’ll be allowed into a park either an hour early or you’ll be able to stay late. The times and days rotate for the parks so check the calendar of events to find out when your extra magical hours are. The parks are far less crowded during this time and you can get a lot of ground covered. If you have late magical hours, take a break at your resort in the afternoon (the pool is a great place to cool off and have fun!) and then head back into the parks for dinner and your late night magic. The rides will shut down at park closing, but you can enjoy a nice slow walk out of the parks.

There are many ways to experience the magic of a Disney vacation but I guarantee you a pixie perfect plan will give you magic beyond compare!