Welcome to planDisney, Lena, from a fellow Illinois resident! How exciting that you are planning a visit to Walt Disney World for next July! The initial planning is my favorite part! I love researching the different hotel options and planning my park days.
One of the awesome things about booking your Walt Disney World vacation on the
website is that you can reserve your reservation with just a $200 deposit. Your final payment is due 30 days prior to your arrival, and you can make payments at any time on the MyDisneyExperience website. So, while there is no actual layaway plan, you can kind of make your own!
You can begin budgeting for your trip by purchasing Disney Gift Cards at a local warehouse club store (with maybe a small discount), or at the
Disney Gift Card website. I try to purchase at least one gift card each paycheck, for at least $100. You can combine these cards on the Disney Gift Card website (up to $1000 per card), and then use them to pay for some of your vacation.
Once you book your vacation package, you will want to be sure to create your
MyDisneyExperience profile and link your reservation. Once that is done, you can make your theme park reservations for your trip. I know it is a lot to think about right away, but these can usually be changed, so I recommend booking them ASAP.
I hope this helps with your vacation planning! Please come back to planDisney with other questions that come up as you continue this journey.
Happy Planning,
Tracy