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Planning a trip to Disney? Whether you’re a first-timer or a regular, and even if you aren’t taking kids along, Disney vacation planning is no small task. Of course you want to see and do as much as possible, but navigating the lines and costs can be tricky. If you’re not careful you could end up wasting time and money and being bummed out by what you’ve missed.
Enter: Disney trip planning podcasts. I bet a lot of you have never thought to search for these in your podcast player. In my opinion, listening to podcasts to plan your Disney vacation beats searching through pins on Pinterest.
The list below includes some of iTunes' highest rated podcasts for Disney World and Disneyland trip planning. I suggest scanning the episode titles and downloading a few that are the most relevant to your trip or planning needs.
5 Podcasts for Planning a Trip To Disney
1. WDW Prep To Go
This podcast is hosted by Shannon Albert, the creator of WDWPrepSchool.com, a website devoted to Disney World trip planning. It’s safe to say that she knows her stuff when it comes to Disney World. Her podcast doesn’t just focus on the Magic Kingdom; she covers all of the parks, and many of the resorts, too.
The 100 episodes on iTunes include topics like how to pick the best dates for your Disney vacation, first-timer tips and stories, what to know about Disney FastPass, tips for taking photos in the parks, Disney cruises, group trips, and so much more. She even has a few episodes about visiting California and Disneyland.
This podcast is well-produced, and Shannon comes across as being very “real”. The first few minutes of every episode are kind of a download of what’s up in her life, so you can skip ahead if that’s not your thing.
2. The DIS Unplugged
There are at least 300 The DIS Unplugged episodes available on iTunes, but you should remember that Disney policies, events, and resort specials change all the time, so some episodes will have outdated information. Still, this podcast releases new episodes several times per month, ensuring that you get the latest and greatest about all things related to Disney vacations.
There are a lot of “Top 5 Best” and “Top 5 Worst” episodes, which is great to help you cut through the noise and narrow down your options for where to stay, what to do, and when to go.
Something I really like about this podcast is how much it covers dining at Disney parks and resorts. It can cost a lot of money to feed a family for even just a weekend at Disney. The podcast gives you tips for saving money, and also tells you which restaurants or meal plans are worth the higher price tags.
Even though the cover image reads “Disney World Edition”, you’ll find quite a few Disneyland-focused episodes from 2016, and plenty of info about Disney Cruises.
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3. Be Our Guest WDW Podcast
I love a podcast that releases multiple episodes every week! Be Our Guest releases three new episodes on the following schedule: Mondays are “trip reports”; Wednesdays are listener questions; and Fridays are round table discussions between the three hosts.
The host and contributors are Disney experts; each has businesses and websites related to planning Disney and Disney vacations, and they have over 1100 episodes of the podcast. You’ll be hard-pressed not to find answers to your Disney questions.
I enjoy how much this podcast includes listeners as part of the discussion. You get to listen to a lot of first-hand accounts of regular parents and vacationers, not just the tips from seasoned travelers and Disney-goers.
4. Disney Every Week with the Passporter Moms
Jennifer and Sara, the Passporter Moms behind Passporter.com, live and breathe Disney. They’ve been offering guidebooks and planners for Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruises for years. Their podcast, which has 300 episodes available on iTunes, covers all of these and more. New episodes come out every week.
I’m a big fan of a few of their most recent episodes on “The Top 5 Biggest Mistakes…” Sometimes you just need a list of “don’t dos” to help you eliminate some of the thousands of options available when Disney planning. I also really like the Dining 101 series from 2016. And finally, an episode in January 2017 all about souvenir shopping, which you know you (and your kids, if you have them) are going to do.
Even if you don’t listen to a bunch of Disney Every Week episodes, I recommend listening to the most recent episode a few day before you leave for your vacation. The Passporter Moms include the latest news and policies from the parks, which could help you with your last minute shopping, packing, and planning.
5. Disney Wedding Podcast
I imagine that planning to incorporate the magic of Disney on your special day is even more intense than planning a standard family trip. I mean, think of all the options you have for a regular vacation at Disney, and then double that. Ay yi yi!
The Disney Wedding Podcast is hosted by Carrie Hayward, who runs the Disney Travel Babble website and also edits the Disney Wedding Passporter Guide. So yeah, she knows a little something on the topic of Disney weddings. And her podcast will give you all the important insight and tips necessary to afford and arrange the wedding, vow renewal, or romantic anniversary of your dreams.
Hayward has a lot of great guests on the show to discuss things like your wedding planning session, flower arrangements, videography, and more. This podcast is also great for anyone who just loves love and magic. Most of the episodes cover actual couples who are celebrating their love at Disney.
If you love Disney but aren’t getting married there, check out episode #221, which gives you ideas for incorporating Disney into your at-home wedding.
2 Bonus Podcast Recommendations
As an adult going to Disney, I think it’s fun to know a little of the backstory and history of Walt Disney and the parks. For some fun and interesting Disney info, I recommend listening to The WDW Radio Show, which includes some vacation planning tips, but also has trivia, history, and interviews with Disney Imagineers.
Runners who are traveling to Disney to participate in one of the Disney marathons should check out The Marathon Show podcast, which has several episodes related to Disney races.
Have you listened to one of these Disney podcasts? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts about these or other Disney shows that you’ve listened to.