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Are you thinking of going on a Walt Disney World vacation? You definitely need to plan in advance, because there are so many things to see and do. Here are some tips for things to do before your Walt Disney World vacation.
6+ Months in Advance
Decide when you want to go on vacation, and book your trip. At a minimum, book your hotel and park tickets – you can book airfare later. Here are some Walt Disney World hotel recommendations. Keep in mind that if you want to get complimentary MagicBands and make your FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance, you need to stay in a Walt Disney World resort hotel.
Prior to 180 days in advance, you’ll want to start sketching out your plans – decide what parks you want to visit and where you want to dine. Set up an account on My Disney Experience so that you are all set to make reservations.
180 Days in Advance
Make your dining reservations 180 days in advance. If you are staying on property, you can book for up to 10 days of your trip right at that 180 day point. Be sure to make those reservations right at that 180 day point if you want to dine at some of the most popular spots like Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table. Read more about Disney Dining here.
You can also book other experiences, including tours and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
60+ Days in Advance
If you haven’t already booked airfare, you’ll want to do that now. Then, provide your flight information to the Magical Express so that you can take Disney’s complimentary transportation to your hotel (only for WDW resort guests).
You should also decide what attractions you’ll want to experience while on your vacation. I recommend talking with the entire family so everyone has a say.
60/30 Days in Advance
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort hotel can book FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance, and guests staying off property can make them 30 days in advance. Here are some tips for booking your FastPass+ reservations. If you are staying on property, you can also customize your MagicBands by selecting the color and adding your name or nickname.
10 Days in Advance
If you have any special room requests, it’s best to make them at least 10 days in advance. Requests aren’t guaranteed, but cast members will do their best.
With some advance work, you can then relax and enjoy your vacation!
Here are some Walt Disney World hotels that I recommend – check out prices and reviews at these links. Please note that I experienced some of these resorts as part of press trips, but all opinions are my own.
- Disney’s Beach Club
- Disney Swan and Dolphin
- Disney’s Art of Animation
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Gaylord Palms
- JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes
- World Center Marriott
Disclosure: I am a Disney Parks Moms Panelist. All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the Walt Disney Company.
Emily says
Jodi, this is just the information I was looking for! My husband and I are taking our kids to Disney world and we want to be ready. The tip about making sure that we have our transportation from the airport figure out about 60 days in advance seems like a good idea. We will have to keep that in mind!
Melissa says
Hi there,
My husband and I are planning a trip in June with our three children 12, 10, 4 to Disney World in Florida. I have been slowly gathering information from pinterest and various websites. I’m starting to feel panic and anxiety rise up in me. There is nothing but negative information out there. We are renting a house off resort for a week. We do not have a plan in mind, but want this to be a great family trip. PLEASE HELP! Any and all positive and reliable information will be gladly excepted!
Jodi Grundig says
Hi! Don’t panic. You will have a great time. I’d recommend that you start with this post – https://www.familytravelmagazine.com/8-things-that-first-time-visitors-to-walt-disney-world-need-to-know/
I have loads of info on the site, just search for Walt Disney World. Have fun!