Hello Jillian! The Disney Parks Moms Panel loves advance planners! Let's be honest...the sooner you book, the sooner you can start getting excited for that magical Walt Disney World Resort vacation! You are correct that you can book a
Disney Resort Hotel room-only reservation 499-days in advance, but not before. It is important to note that you can only book that far in advance by calling (407)934-7639. These reservations cannot be booked online. This reservation option will not allow any advance Disney Parks tickets or Disney Dining Plan reservations.
There are definitely some benefits to booking early. You certainly have a very good chance of booking a Disney Resort Hotel room of your choice. Another benefit of booking early is you can start paying-off the vacation once you book it. Booking early can also give you peace of mind because the Walt Disney World Resort has a generous cancellation policy. Guests can cancel a room-only reservation up to five days prior to the start of the reservation.
Jillian, because you are an advanced-planner, you might consider taking a look at some of the many free
vacation planning videos that are available on the Walt Disney World Resort website. Also, because you are planning so far in advance, take full advantage of that generous 180-day window to book an advanced dining reservation at any of the
Walt Disney World Resort restaurants. There are so many to choose from and the food options are mouth-watering. Let the 499-day countdown begin!
Hakuna Matata! Jonathan G.