How To Plan A Disney World Vacation Step By Step
Disney Travel || Tags: Disney ||So you want to go to Disney World? If it’s your first time you might have no idea where to even start! Well I have a little quite a bit of experience with that! Here’s how to plan a Disney World Vacation step by step!
1 Year to 6 Months – Determine Your Budget And Travel Dates, Book Package
Once you’ve decided to take a vacation to Walt Disney World you’ll need to decide when to go! Different seasons have different events, like Flower and Garden Festival, Food & Wine Festival and the Halloween or Christmas parties. You might want to consider the weather was well. The summer is hot, but tends to rain daily for a little while. The winter is a bit cooler and drier.
The next thing to consider is your budget; some times are more expensive, and you may need more time to save for your vacation! Your budget will also determine where you will stay on your trip. We are big fans of staying on property at the value resorts, they are the cheapest on property and you get all the great perks of staying in the Disney bubble!
Check out this post to learn how you can save money at Disney
Before booking, you’ll need to decide how long you’ll stay! I think the longer the better ;). If you want to do most of the rides in all 4 theme parks you’ll need at least 5-7 days!
60 Days – Make Dining Reservations
We loooveeee eating at Disney World. (ps have you read this post about snacks? Every time I look at it I drool). If you want to eat at the table service restaurants you’ll need to make reservations. You’re able to make reservations online 60 days in advance of your stay. If you’re staying on property you’ll be able to make reservations for your whole stay, if you’re staying off property then you’ll only be able to make them 60 days in advance of each day of your trip.
Making reservations is really easy to do online on the Disney website. Simply select “Make Reservations” under the “Things To Do” tab, select your park or resort, date, party size and time. The times available will display and you can select your time! You’ll have to put in your name, any allergy or special diet information, and use a credit card to hold the reservation. If you don’t show up to your reservation you will be charged $10 a person!
You’ll also need to decide if the Disney Dining plan is worth it for your family. You can read all the details in this post, but basically there are 3 levels of plans, where you prepay for your meals. We like the regular dining plan; you get one quick service meal, one table service and 2 snacks per person per day!
30 Days – Make Final Payment, And Check In For Hotel Online
By now you’ve done a lot of your planning! 30 days before you check-in to your Disney resort, you have to make your final payment.
Online check in for your Disney hotel is available 30 days in advance, it makes the check in process way easier! If you’re coming from within the US, you can skip the check in desk completely, Disney will text you your room number, and use your magic band to open the door. For international guests, it will make your check in process so much smoother!
3 Days – Buy Memory Maker
Memory Maker is a photo package offered by Disney. Disney’s PhotoPass photographers will take your photo and scan your magic band, those photos will show up on the My Disney Experience app, and online for you to save. Be sure to purchase the Memory Maker at least 3 days before your trip for $169, because it goes up to $199 once you arrive. If you’re wondering if the Memory Maker is worth the price, check out this post!
2 Days – Pack & Put On Luggage Tags
Okay so I would probably pack more than 2 days in advance but it’s a great day to at least make sure you have everything you need! Here’s my list for what you need!
You can also use the yellow luggage tags sent to you by Disney and you won’t have to pick up your luggage if you are flying into Orlando. Just get on the Magical Express bus from the airport to your resort and Disney will deliver your luggage to your room.
1 Day Before – Download The MDE App
The My Disney Experience app is available on the app store. You can use it to check wait times for rides, to find where your fav characters are available for photos, check restaurant menus, make additional Fast Passes, check your dining reservations and so much more! The parks even have free Wi-Fi so you wont have to use your data.
Arrival Day – HAVE FUN!
Once you land and get all settled in, ENJOY & have a Dole Whip for me!
Do you have any advice on how to plan a Disney World vacation? Let us know in the comments!
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4 responses to “How To Plan A Disney World Vacation Step By Step”
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I love seeing it laid out by date ranges, as I think most people dont realize how much preplanning goes into doing Disney “right”. Last minute arrangements often cost you a lot more!
This is a great post! I completely agree with you about Memory Maker – totally worth it!!
Great timeline! While Disney vacations require more planning, they a way more *MAGICAL*.
This is super helpful for new guests. I’m going to pass it off to family and friends going for the frist time.