Hi Jarrad,
Glad you stopped by today at the
Disney Parks Moms Panel. Let me help your vacation questions. It may be several months away, but there's no best time to start planning than now!
Booking a
vacation package is a great way to combine a stay at a
Disney Resort Hotel with
Theme Park Tickets. You can even add a
Dining Plan, airfare or vacation insurance to your package. You can book it online, by speaking to a vacation planning expert at (407) 939-1936, or a travel agent.
To answer your first question, only you can decide what risk are you willing to take. For example, my family usually drives to Florida from New Jersey, so we opt not to get it, since vacation packages can be modified or even canceled without penalties up to 30 days before arrival. However, when we sail with
Disney Cruise Line, we absolutely get vacation insurance.
Regarding Disney Dollars, unfortunately they are no longer available, but are still accepted as form of payment. Instead, you may want to get
Disney Gift Cards, which are accepted everywhere throughout the Resort, and are good for merchandise, food and even to pay off your Resort Reservation or Theme Park Tickets.
One last tip: keep in mind
dining reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance. Some restaurants, like
Cinderella's Royal Table fill very quickly so start planning today.
Ricardo.