Timeline for Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation

28Sep 2018 by Tiffiny

I recently spoke with a Disney cast member family. We were talking about why Disneyland and Disney World were such different experiences. Disneyland is the kind of park you can make a spur of the moment decision to go to. Disney World takes a lot more planning. According to my friend this was a deliberate decision so Disney can provide two different types of experiences. Because Disney World is so large and insular, you should be aware of the ideal timeline for planning.

Keep in mind it is not impossible to plan a last minute trip to Disney. I’ve done it for families who found last minute airfare deals. You just have to modify expectations when you do last minute planning.

Ideally you decide you’re going to Walt Disney World more than six months out. This is so you can call for Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR’s) starting 180 days our from the start of your trip.

This article assumes you have a basic understanding of Disney World practices. If you are a beginner, I recommend you go to the Start Here page and read the articles listed there. This article will be at the bottom.

181+ Days Before

You’ve decided to go to Disney World! Congratulations! If this is your first trip go to Start Here Page and familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of Disney.
Look at a crowd calendar and decide the time of year you want to go on vacation.
Using the crowd calendar, decide which parks you’ll visit and which days you will visit them for your trip.
Decide on your accommodations. Will you stay on property or will you stay off property? What fits your budget?
Purchase your tickets/vacation packages. Disney has an annual price increase the first part of June. You can lock in your vacation package with a $200 deposit, and when the price increase hits you will not be affected (provided you don’t make any changes to your plans). If a special offer (free dining) comes up, you may be able apply the discount if you have not fully paid off your balance and IF they have your type of room available. (Not all resorts offer free dining).
If you plan to stay on property, decide if you will use the dining plan.
Whether or not you have a dining plan, decide which table service restaurants you’ll visit. Have at least three options as your top choices for the park you plan to visit each day. Ideally your reservations will not have you park hopping. Remember you can’t eat at restaurants like Biergarten and Akershus in Epcot, the Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom without them. For a full description of restaurants requiring reservations go here.
Start looking for airfare deals.

180 days from the first day of your trip

At 5:45 get online and start trying for dining reservations. You can call at 6am for your advanced dining reservations.
1. Here is a tip, if your Disney resort reservations are for on-property, one of the perks is you can start making ADR’s for the entirety of your trip starting 180 days from your check-in date. This means if you are staying on-property for five days, you can really make reservations 185 days out. The longer your stay, the more likely you are to get the reservation you want.
If you are staying off-property, you’ll have to get up each morning to make your reservations.
Re-evaluate if your chosen park for a specific day can stay the same or needs to change. Try to keep park hopping to a minimum (once or twice over five days may be okay, but every day is too much).
If you need to rent specialty medical equipment (including special needs strollers), make the reservations.

Two months (60 days) before:

If you’re staying on-property, make your fastpass+ selections. (If you’re off-property, you’ll have to wait).
Start countdown activities if you haven’t already done so.
Go over your Magically Capable packing list and start collecting items. (Like inexpensive ponchos or souvenirs you may want to bring).
Make any final specialty medical equipment reservations.
Finalize airfare and travel plans.
Order groceries online for highest discount from some grocers (like Garden Grocer).

45 Days Prior

Pay off Disney resort balance.
You must have paid balance on your vacation or start facing penalties.
Arrange to get a note from your doctor for medical travel needs.

30 Days Prior

If you haven’t made your final payment, your Disney resort reservation will be canceled.
Make your Fastpass+ reservations if you are staying off-property.
If you want to change any of your reservations/FastPasses, you can start checking for cancellations.
Continue or begin countdown activities.
Begin going over airport travel social stories.
If you feel your child will need to practice before your flight, one airline told me to go to the airport with your reservation ahead of your flight and speak with a counter agent. They can arrange for you to practice going through security and will tell you if any exceptions (like shoe removal for over 13) will be given. Check with your airline to make sure they have a similar policy.
Make sure you’ve ordered/customized your MagicBands if staying on-property.

Two weeks before:

Start packing-It may seem a bit early, but with my special needs children, I start packing about two weeks before we leave. I first gather everything in either one of our larger suitcases or a laundry basket. I prefer the basket so I can check off items as I repack them. Things we don’t need everyday like the noise reducing headphones go into the basket. The trickiest part is making sure any little people/toddlers don’t take things out of the basket.
Your MagicBands should have arrived by now. If not, call Disney. (407) 939-4357.
Give copies of your itinerary to your whole family. Let them know where you may have to deviate from your plan.

1 week before:

Make sure you have all your documentation, reservations and confirmations gathered. I recommend you take screenshots of your FastPass+ and Dining reservations from the Disney World App in case you run into poor Wi-Fi or cell service (Verizon seems to be the best in Orlando).
If you haven’t ordered your groceries, you can order through Amazon’s Prime Now groceries.
Back up your photos and make sure you have storage space for new ones.

Two Days Prior

Finish packing everything. If you are heading into the parks right away, make sure your park bag is easily accessible.
Make sure you have the most current versions of airline entertainment, Disney World and Play Disney apps.

Day of Departure:

Have fun. Relax and know that things will happen to make your plans change a little. That’s okay. You’ve done your best to plan for contingencies. Go with the flow, and enjoy the magic that is Disney.

I hope this helps you in knowing the order and timing of Disney decision making. Good luck and see you in the parks!

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