Book a Walt Disney World Vacation like a seasoned pro with these five tips. It’s easy to buy a Walt Disney World vacation package.
It’s easy to buy a Walt Disney World vacation package. However, to give your vacation the best start, there are some things you should know before booking. These five tips will help you book your Disney vacation like a pro.
Establish travel days
If you are flying into Orlando, especially from the west coast, your flight schedules will have a major impact on what you are able to do once you finally get to Disney World. The use of your travel days has a ripple effect that will impact your schedule for the remainder of the trip. In most cases, you will want to think of the vacation as what happens between those days. When
booking, remember the number of nights you will pay for as they correspond to the number of days.
Basically, if you fly in on the 26th and fly out on the 30th, that means you will have 3 full days, 4 nights out of 5 total vacation days. That doesn’t mean you can’t do anything on the days you check in or out, but don’t count on anything other than dinner and breakfast reservations. Personally, for the most efficient way of getting everything done, I think that on the day you get to your resort, it’s a great day to explore the resort itself, then, on your full days, leave them to the parks only.
Choosing a hotel
Budget is a huge deciding factor in where you stay. There are great advantages to staying at a Disney hotel, so if budget allows, you should stay on property. The second most important factor, next to your preferred theme, is location. Since it is a drive to get from anywhere to anywhere in Walt Disney World, you will want to establish a home base that is nearer the places
that interest you most. Crescent Lake, for example, is home to three deluxe resorts and perfect for Epcot and Hollywood Studios lovers.
If you aren’t renting a car or driving to Disney World in your own car, don’t worry. There are plenty of available modes of free transportation. Still, location is important.
Of course, if you are planning to visit all of the parks, it really comes down to theming and your budget, although, keep in mind, pick a hotel that has a short distance to each park for limited tantrums with the kids.
Park Hopper Passes
A Park Hopper pass is a ticket Disney offers where you can enter one park and then enter as many others as you like. (Basically, you’re not restricted to just one park a day.) Of course, these cost extra per person, so I recommend sticking with the one-park-per-day option unless you have less than four days. (assuming you wish to visit every park.) Park Hopping is extremely time-consuming and very exhausting for younger children. Many a mom or dad has regretted purchasing the Park Hopper ticket, saying “My kids were happy with the one park and besides, they were too tired to hop,”. And, you lose money, especially since you have to buy the tickets in advance, so you don’t know whether your family will be done with the park or wanting to finish the day there. It’s totally up to you, just make sure you know the risks.
Special offers
Before booking, but also after, click the Special offers om of the page under Places to Stay.” This will bring up a bunch of enticing offers for specific dates and packages. Even if you aren’t able to take advantage of an offer, continue to check back after you book. An applicable offer might turn up that you can call in and ask them to apply.
Dining plan
With all the packages offered, you can save some money. The more park tickets you purchase the lower the cost is for each day of admission. Unfortunately, that does not translate to the dining plan. If you prepay for this expecting to save money, you will find yourself scrambling for your entire vacation to get your money’s worth. Instead, just plan out a simple daily budget. Take snacks into consideration. Most are $5 and under. Counter service meals are usually up to $14 per person, and table service varies. The fancier high priced restaurants will cause you to double down with two dining credits for one meal. Just when you think you might have an edge, you lose another credit.