Planning a Disney World vacation is incredibly exciting! It’s also incredibly involved.
One of the easiest ways to tackle Disney World planning is by thinking of it in phases.
Today, we’re going to take a look at the first phase of Disney planning. This phase details what you should be considering before and at the time you book your trip.
Of course, you can book your Disney Vacation as close to your departure day as you’d like. Sometimes, you get really good deals this way.
However, to get the most planned and customized trip, you’re better off booking around or before the six-month mark.
This will give you the opportunity to maximize your dining and planning options.
With that in mind, here’s what you should consider doing 4-8 months before your trip.
Get serious about your research
Before you do anything, it’s a good idea to do your research and figure out what you hope to do on your trip and how much you’d like to spend.
Specific activities and prices will depend on when you end up going (more on that in a moment). This is designed to give you a jumping-off point and help you set realistic expectations.
Start with some general research at first. We’ll get more specific as we move through this process.
This step is especially important if you’ve never been to Disney World before.
Create a rough budget
Once you have an idea of what you want to do and general costs, come up with a realistic budget for your trip.
As your research might show you, a Disney World trip can be customized to accommodate a wide budget range.
You’ll likely refine your budget through the rest of this first phase, but at this point, it’s a good idea to know your absolute maximum cost if nothing else.
Decide how many theme park days you want
The theme parks are the reason Disney World exists, so when you get serious about your planning, this is probably the best place to start.
Figure out how many days you’d like to spend in the parks. Do you want to spend one whole day in each park? Are there some parks you’d like to spend two days in? Do you want to park hop between a few parks in one day?
You can read more about the pros and cons of the Park Hopper ticket here.
It’s also worth noting that the more days you go, the cheaper per day your tickets will be. You can check out Disney’s park ticket pricing here.
Consider other Disney World parks and activities
In addition to theme parks, Disney World also has two water parks, a sports complex, a golf course, two mini-golf courses, and Disney Springs, which is a dining and shopping district.
You can also visit any Disney World Resort even if you’re not staying there.
If any of these activities sounds like something you might want to make time for on your trip, it’s a good idea to factor that into this stage of your planning.
Choose a resort/place to stay
Now it’s time to decide if you want to stay outside Disney World or if you want to stay on property at a Disney World resort. You can read more about the pros and cons of staying at a Disney World resort here.
If you decide to stay on property, you’ll also want to figure out which resort you want to stay at. You can read more about choosing the right resort for you here.
Nail down your dates
Now that you have an idea of what your budget, what you want to do, and where you want to stay, it’s time to consider how many days you’ll want your trip to be.
And because you now have a good grasp of what you hope to accomplish, you may end up altering your plans based on your budget and overall cost per day.
If you can swing it, it’s usually not a bad idea to have at least one day off in the middle of your trip. Going all day in the parks can be tiring. It may not be the best option for you, but it’s definitely something to think about.
Decide your dining option
Disney has some amazing food, and like everything else in Disney, it comes with a wide price range.
You can get a meal at a counter service restaurant for roughly the same price as a meal at someplace like Panera (depending on the restaurant and what you order).
You can also pay hundreds of dollars for a single meal if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.
And you can also opt for one of the Disney Dining Plan options, which allows you to prepay for your meals. (Learn more about the Disney Dining Plan and the pros and cons here).
You can also bring your own food into the parks and avoid Disney food and cost altogether. Or bring some meals and buy some meals. Whatever makes the most sense for you and your group.
Because of the Disney Dining plan option, it’s a good idea to consider how you want to eat and how food factors into your budget before you book your trip.
You can always add on a dining plan option later if you change your mind, but you’ll likely be asked about it when you book.
Start checking for deals and discounts
At this point, you should have made all of the major decisions about your trip. Now it’s time to look for deals and discounts!
Disney World regularly runs hotel discounts, room, ticket, and dining discount packages, and a free dining plan option.
To keep an eye out for the most recent discounts, check out the special offers pages on DisneyWorld.com. You can find it at the bottom of the page.
Book your trip
Now it’s time to book your trip! You can read all about how to book your trip and the different options you have in this post.
Ideally, if you’re planning on eating at a table service restaurant, you’ll want to book at least 180 days before you’re planning on leaving for your trip. This allows you to get the most out of your dining reservations.
Make your dining reservations
When you do hit your 180 day mark, go ahead and make any dining reservations you want to make for your trip. You can always modify them later if plans change, and you can cancel at no charge up to 24-48 hours before your reservation.
Start checking for flights
If you’re flying, it may be a little too early to book your flight and get the best deal, but it’s good to start peeking at flights. If you see a good deal, be sure to grab it.
Keep checking back for new deals and discounts
Check the Special Offers page regularly. Disney is always coming out with new deals and offers. If a new one pops up that runs during your stay, you can always call Disney back and ask to have any new offers applied.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What to you aim to do 4-8 months before your trip? Tell us about it in the comments!