Hi there, Jennifer! It's great to see you again at planDisney - I hope our planning advice has been helpful in the past. Ironing out the details for your next
Walt Disney World Resort vacation is always a good idea. I love having a trip to look forward to! Let's get right into the details of coordinating your group's travel plans to maximize your time together.
I have some recent experience on this particular topic, as I just returned from a quick trip with some of my planDisney pals. Some folks are Annual Passholders, while others purchased date-based tickets for the trip. I ended up doing most of the bookings for our
Lightning Lane passes, and it was honestly really easy!
In preparation for your vacation, your first step should be to ensure that your foursome is connected via the Family & Friends List in
My Disney Experience. This is a breeze to do in the
app - click on the three horizontal lines at the lower right (the "hamburger menu"), then scroll down to the "Profile" options. From here, select "Family & Friends List" and choose the option to "Add a Guest". Be sure to allow your pals to see all of your plans!
As for important dates to note, you can start booking
dining reservations beginning 60 days before your check-in date. It doesn't matter if you all are connected at that point - you can just make reservations for a party of 4. However, your friends who are purchasing regular tickets should complete this transaction at least 8 days before your February check-in date so that you can make any Lightning Lane bookings together. That window will open 7 days before arrival, starting at 7:00 AM EST. I recommend deciding what you want to do and designating one person to handle all of the bookings - I did this for our group and it ensured that our plans lined up!
Certain attractions in the theme parks operate with a
Virtual Queue system, with slots usually opening daily at 7:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Again, it's a good idea to have one person ready to pounce at those times - you can check that your entire group is selected so you all receive the same boarding groups.
Jennifer, I hope this information is helpful for your planning purposes! I'm so glad you decided to be our guest again at planDisney. Please don't hesitate to stop by again anytime if we can assist with additional questions.
See Ya Real Soon!
Susan