Booking Your Disney Vacation

We start to get the Disney Trip "bug" about 6-8 months after we have arrived home from our last trip, not counting our return flight where we dream about what we want to do the next time we go to Walt Disney World.  If we wait a few more months, it seems like we go to Disney every 14-18 months. 


I always book our trip at Disneyworld.com website.  I've heard horror stories from people that have purchased from other non-Disney websites and they turn up for their reservations to find out that they don't have reservations and some thing, some where got mixed up and they are left in the lurch.  I chose not to even go there and book directly with Disney.  Plus, the Disney Castmembers are so friendly and helpful.  


How to Book Your Disney Vacations:  


1.  Call Disney at (407) 939-7675 and speak with a friendly cast member.  See if there are any discount codes attached to your (or your spouse's) address.  Check your email addresses for any email notifications as well.  You may have a great discount that you don't even know about.  All of Disney's promotions have dates of validity...example Free Dining will be valid during your stay between 5/28-11/17.   For more information about getting your name and address into Disney's "address book", please see My Top Ten Disney Tips #7.

2.    Pick your dates of travel.   Many things can influence the dates.  I look at the discounts available to me, resort price, and airfare.  Find the best combination, and those are our dates.  Most times, I find that flying midweek gives us the best airfares.  


3.  Choose your resort.  The Disney website is awesome at showing you the rates for the resort you are looking at and usually a resort that may be just slightly more and less than the one you are currently looking at.  You can always change your resort "home" after you make your reservations, but at least you have your first resort to fall back on, if you can't get into the other resort later.  Two of the last four trips we've made to Walt Disney World, we started at one resort and changed to another for many reasons.   Disney Cast members are very helpful and got us to the resort that we needed--no questions asked.  


4.  Relax for a minute....then start looking at which restaurants you'd like to try during your stay.   This is important to do early.  You can make your Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) as early as 180 days (yes, about six months) before your first scheduled day at Walt Disney World.  I'm totally serious.    Many of the most popular restaurants and character meals will fill up as soon as the window opens up.  We like to pick different parks each day, so we coordinate our restaurants and parks together.  Less travel time to the restaurant means more time to play!  For example, we will make our ADR for Akershus Fairytale Princess Dinner on the day we plan to be at Epcot, Cinderella's Royal Table Restaurant we are at the Magic Kingdom.  Getting your ADRs is serious business at our house.  We have a ADR Countdown to our 180th day.  We know EXACTLY the day that we are able to make our ADRs and we aren't afraid of staying up all night to get the best times available.  I will have another post about the ways to make your ADRs soon.


5.  On your 180th Day from your trip (or as soon as possible) make your Advanced Dining Reservations by either calling (407) WDW-DINE or by going online to the Dining Reservations.  I will have another blog post about ADRs soon.


6.  Please consider one of Disney's Dining Plans (DDP).    You are in the parks and you do HAVE to eat, so you might as well do it for the most cost-effective way possible.  We have been to Disney without the Dining Package and we regret it when we spent well above what the dining plan would have cost us.  The last three trips, we have gone during the "Free Dining" Promotion, and we have enjoyed every bite!  Disney does a fantastic job feeding thousands and thousands of people each day. You can always add a DDP to your reservations at any time.  Think about it though....Even if you do not have the Dining Plan, try going to one of their famous restaurants. They are famous for a delicious reason.  


7.  Book your flights.


8.  Make your own Disney Custom Map.   Not only are they free, but they are great for finding your way around the parks to the attractions YOU want to see and experience.  They also make great souvenirs too.  I'd recommend allowing for 4-6 weeks for delivery after you've completed your maps.  Remember, there are always maps at the entrance of all the parks, in the lobbies of each resort and throughout the parks as well.  


9.  Start packing!  I'm one of those crazy ladies that start packing about a month in advance, but that is me.  I'll have packing tips on another blog post soon.  


10.  Take advantage of Disney's Magical Express.   Once you arrive at the Orlando Airport (MCO), you can leave the "real world" behind you and hop aboard  the complementary (that means awesomely free)  Disney's Magical Express (DME).  Disney has nice, air-conditioned motor coach busses that will take you to your resort and you can check in.  It's fabulous. No need for directions or stressing out about which exits to take.   You just sit back, relax, and let the vacation begin!  You can also use these same services returning home.  Plus, you save money because you don't need to rent a car too! AND, they have people at the Orlando Airport to collect your checked luggage.  No baggage claim, just go straight to the fun.  Your bags will come behind you in a different truck and be delivered directly to your room.


11.  Enjoy your magical vacation! Once you arrive and check-in at your resort, you will be given your "Keys to the World", also known as your tickets to the park.  They look like credit cards with your name on the front and a black swipe stripe on the back.  Your resort cast member will be able to link your Key to the World to your credit card, so you don't have to worry about carrying your credit card or money while in the park.  After you check in, have a wonderfully, magical trip!