How to PLAN for Walt Disney World
In my last blog, I talked about planning for travel and when traveling internationally I always start with the air travel portion of the trip and work from there. When I plan for Disney (particularly Walt Disney World), it is ALWAYS reversed in that I need to make sure of availability of rooms before I look at airline travel. I need to have an idea of the dates that I am considering, and I always try to have a “window” of dates. One other thing that you absolutely need to consider when you are talking about Walt Disney World (WDW), is where you want to stay on the property (keep an eye out for an upcoming blog about hotels you might want to stay at when visiting WDW). I will always recommend that you stay on the property…even though it might be slightly pricier, you have access to all the WDW transportation, so we never even rent a car! And by staying on site, you are firmly enveloped in the Disney Bubble – the magical feeling of being in a completely different world.
Once you have decided on one or two options of where you might want to stay at WDW, then it is time to look at availability. I will tell you that you can always book at WDW directly for hotel rooms and there are MANY choices and resorts. You also have a choice in that the resorts fall into value, moderate or deluxe resort categories. There is another great option, particularly for family travel. We are Disney Vacation Club members (their version of a timeshare), but Dave’s Vacation Rentals (Rent DVC Points & Save on Disney Vacation Club Resorts | David’s Vacation Club Rentals) allows you to book a Disney Vacation Club property from a member who will not be using it. You get access to the villas that are part of Disney Vacation Club and often can get a studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms and possibly even a Grand Villa. We used their service before we had our Disney Vacation Club membership, and it is amazing! You can learn the details of how it works on their site, but when you use their service and get a reservation, you get a full Disney reservation – just as if you were the DVC member.
The Disney Vacation Club properties typically have a kitchen, washer/dryer and can sleep 4 or 5 people in a studio or 1 bedroom, 8 or 9 people in a 2 bedroom and up to 12 people in a grand villa. For a family, that is often way more convenient than a hotel room. You have all the same Disney “perks” that you have when staying in a hotel room on Disney property including early park access and the Disney transportation system, and you can link your stay to your My Disney experience app! (The app and its use will be at least a whole separate blog on its own!)
When you book directly through WDW, you know if a room is available immediately and you can also be looking at airfare. When you book through Dave’s Vacation Rentals, it can take them some time to “confirm” your reservation. Basically, you make a request for dates and your location choices using their online reservation form and pay $105 (which is returned to you if they cannot secure you a reservation). I would recommend that you have an idea of the air travel portion when you make the request for Dave’s Vacation Rentals even though you may not want to book it until your reservation is confirmed.
One other note that I will make about hotel reservations made directly through WDW is that they can be made about 9 months in advance. For Dave’s Vacation Rentals those can be requested up to 11 months in advance of your trip. I would recommend you do that sooner than later as you will have a much better chance of getting exactly what you want for your trip.
Once you have booked your reservations for both your stay and your airfare, then you should book your Disney park tickets about 6 months in advance. By purchasing park tickets in advance, you may avoid potential price increases. Park reservations and dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance of your trip. I know some people think it is crazy that you need to book dining 60 days in advance but if there is somewhere you want to eat, then you absolutely need to do that. (I will cover that in more detail in another post as it is its own game of planning!) I truly book my dining reservations in the order of where I want to eat as opposed to starting by the first date of my visit.
There are so many steps in booking a Walt Disney World vacation. But take it from me, being prepared will help make the vacation run smoother.
Oh, and Disneyland, that’s a separate conversation!
#treeknows
