The Disney family vacation is the ultimate in family fun. Every child dreams of the day his or her family will go to Disney, and the trip provides magical and lasting memories for young and old.

We last went to Disney when we only had two kids; Cassidy was 5 and Matthew was 11. Since then we’ve always had a little one who was too small to go, but as soon as little Rachel is a little older I’m sure we’ll be heading out again.

For us, Disneyland is a much shorter trip, and of course it’s less overwhelming because there are fewer parks to visit. But next time, I think we’ll load up the camper and take a road trip to Florida to see all that Disney World has to offer.

I’m already scoping out the situation and making plans for our whirlwind Disney family vacation. I hope these tips can help some of you who are planning a similar trip to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and beyond.

First, I know that we’re going to want to go in the off-season, and you should plan your Disney family vacation that way, too. The easiest way to frustrate a bunch of kids (and adults, too) is to make them wait in a long line to go on what is comparatively a short ride, only to have to wait in another long line for the next ride.

Visiting the parks outside of the summer season will cut down on some of the crowds. The ideal time is in the early spring or late fall. January or February is a great time to visit, and you know we can use a break from Colorado’s winter weather by then!

No matter what time of year you have your Disney family vacation, you need to plan to be at the park before it opens. Crowds are lighter early in the day, so that’s your best time to ride the rides that everyone wants to go on. Then you can take a break in the middle of the day when it’s hot and crowded, and go back to the park (or visit a different park) when it’s less crowded in the evening.

Staying at a Disney hotel or resort in or near one of the parks can be very helpful in terms of making transportation easier, since the hotels have free transportation to many of the parks. The resorts often have special programs where you can go to the park early or stay later than regular guests to the parks. Also, you can buy your tickets at the hotel and avoid the lines at the ticket counter when you get to the park.

The best deal is to get multipark passes for your Disney family vacation. That means you can visit any park in the Disney system as often as you like for as many days as your pass lasts. This builds ease and flexibility into your travel plans, which is always good when traveling with children.

When you get to your Disney family vacation, remember to bring along water so you don’t have to stop at the pricey vendors (except for ice cream). If you want to eat at specific restaurants, make sure you have a plan and call ahead to get on the restaurant’s wait list (many restaurants don’t take reservations but will give you priority seating if you call ahead).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly when you have a bunch of kids, set a budget for souvenirs and stick to it. Plan to allow each child a certain amount of money, or one trinket per park, or whatever works for you. Explain to the kids how you’re going to work souvenirs, and be firm when your kids have had enough. You don’t want to blow your budget because you couldn’t say no to one child, so now all four need something extra.

These tips should help you have a lot of fun and keep from being overwhelmed on your next Disney family vacation. Say hi to the mouse for me!