There’s a lot to plan when you’re heading to Walt Disney World! Today, we’re going to talk about where to start.
This post aims to help you pick the best dates for your trip, walk you through the early decisions you should make before your book your trip, and give you some options to use when it comes time to actually book your Disney World Vacation.
Know Your Budget
Before you even get started, it’s important to know how much you can afford to put into your trip. You can do Disney cheaply or you can go big.
It is absolutely possible to have a magical time regardless, but it’s important to know where you stand before you even get started.
Pick Your Travel Dates
One of the first things you want to figure out is when you want to go to Disney World. If you’re looking for low crowd times, you’ll want to plan to go during the school year and avoid holidays and long weekends.
Typically the best times to be in Disney World crowd-wise are late January through February (avoiding the three day weekends in each month), Early to Mid May (before Memorial Day), and September through October (before Halloween).
It’s also good to keep the weather in mind. Disney will be open during most weather conditions. They only close the parks when it is genuinely unsafe for guests to be there. But there are typically regular pop up showers (and downpours) in the spring and summer, and the summer and fall is hurricane season. The summers are also very hot!
You will likely have a magical time regardless of the weather, but if you’re looking for both low crowds and a lower chance of rain and heat, February is probably your best bet.
Pick a Place to Stay
When you’re booking your hotel, you first have to decide if you want to stay in a Disney Resort or a neighboring hotel.
Disney Resorts are more expensive, but they also come with tons of amenities and extras, like the Magical Express from the airport, early FastPass booking, etc. But if that’s not in your budget, you can stay at a neighboring hotel. These hotels won’t offer as much, but most still cover the basics (like getting you to and from the parks).
If you want help choosing a Disney Resort, check out this post!
Travel
The next thing you need to consider is if you’re flying or driving.
If you’re driving, consider your route, how long the trip will take, and any accommodations that may need to be made en route. It’s also worth noting that if you’re staying at a Disney Resort, there is a cost per night to park your car at your resort.
If you’re flying, I suggest checking out possible flights and pricing before you book your trip and consider what time of day you want to arrive and depart. This can help you save money and get the most out of your trip.
For instance, flights in the middle of the week are typically cheaper. And if you’re arriving early and leaving late, you might want to consider going to parks or checking out Disney Springs on those days.
Also, if you’re planning way ahead, you may even want to start using a credit card that offers air miles as rewards.
Park Tickets
The next thing you want to think about is your park tickets. There are three types of tickets you can purchase.
A 1 Park Per Day Ticket allows you entry to 1 theme park per day for the number of days of your choosing.
A Ticket with Park Hopper Option lets you switch between multiple theme parks in one day for the number of days you choose.
And a Ticket with Park Hopper Plus Option gives you all the benefits of the Park Hopper option along with access to Disney’s Water Parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and the Golf and Mini Golf courses.
The base ticket price can vary based on the day you choose to start your trip on, but at the time of writing this, the ticket starts at $109/day for ages 10 and up. The Park Hopper is an additional $60/day, and the Park Hopper Plus is an additional $80/day.
Something else to keep in mind, you don’t have to be in the park every day of your trip to have a good time in Disney. In fact, a few low-key days to explore some resorts and check out Disney Springs can be a nice way to break up the busier (and more exhausting) park days.
You can learn all about Disney Park Admission options on their Admissions page.
Food
At this point, you don’t have to completely plan what you’re going to eat, but you should consider if you’re going to bring food or eat in the parks.
And if you’re going to eat in the parks, you should then consider if you’re going to pay out of pocket as you go, or if you want to jump on the Disney Dining Plan (which allows you to prepay for your food ahead of time).
For the Pros and Cons of the Disney Dining Plan, check out this post!
You can typically add or subtract the Dining Plan down the line if you change your mind, so you’re not too locked into anything until you make your final payment, but it’s something to think to consider.
Packages and Discounts
Disney typically offers deals and discounts for resort rooms, park tickets, dining, or a bundled deal when you book all three. The slower times of year tend to have more discounts.
You can find all the current offers by checking out the Special Offers page of Disney’s website.
How to Book Your Trip
There are three options you can take to book a Disney Vacation.
Call Disney Directly
This is how I typically book my trips. Disney has a staff of cast members standing by to help you get your rooms, park tickets, and food options in order.
Because you’re dealing with Disney cast members, you’re getting people who know the ins and outs of Disney. They can make suggestions, answer your questions, and direct you to various Disney experts if the situation calls for it.
They will also spend hours on the phone with you to help you create a trip that meets your needs, and they’ll be happy to do it!
This service is free to use. The one thing you want to make sure you do is to ASK about special deals and discounts that are running as not all cast members volunteer this information.
This option is best if you’re planning on staying on Disney property and you want to be more hands-on with planning your trip.
You can call (407) 939-5277 to book your trip this way.
Use an outside Disney Travel Agent
The next way to book your trip is by using an outside Disney Travel Agent. These are third-party travel agents who are authorized to book trips through Disney.
The advantage here is that these travel agents know the ins and outs of Disney and, because they don’t work for Disney, their loyalty is more towards you and less towards making Disney money. If they make you happy this time, you’re more likely to come back to them for your next trip.
Disney travel agents do earn a commission from Disney if they book a trip for you, so there’s still some incentive on their part, but this also means you don’t have to pay for their services.
This option is great if you would prefer someone else take more of a lead in planning your trip or if you want help but aren’t planning on staying and/or eating at Disney.
Book Online Yourself
The third option is to skip help altogether and book your trip entirely yourself via Disney’s Website.
This means you go through and book your resort, add your park tickets, add the dining plan (if you want it), and make sure any special offers are applied.
The advantage of this is that you’re in complete control of your trip. The downside is, it might be easier to make a mistake or overlook an important detail.
If you are going to use a cast member or travel agent, I would suggest moving through the site as if you were going to book your trip so you have an idea of what the cost should be. This way you won’t have sticker shock when you’re quoted a price, and you’ll be able to follow up and ask questions if the price seems higher than you estimated.
Next Steps
Once your trip is booked, check out this post to see what you should plan ahead for before you leave for your trip!
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: How have you booked your Disney World Vacation in the past? Tell us about it in the comments!