Hello there Tyrah,
Welcome to planDisney! Thanks for dropping by with your Disney World planning question. We love to help fellow guests, and I'd be happy to get you started in planning your magical vacation next summer!
On the Disney World website there are a variety of choices available when planning your trip. If guests plan to stay at an off-site hotel, they are able to purchase just
Disney World theme park tickets. Prices will vary slightly based on the dates that you plan to visit the parks. For those who would just like to book a stay at a Disney Resort, hotel-only reservations are also allowed.
But my favorite option is to reserve a Disney World vacation package, which includes both a Disney Resort and theme park tickets. There are some definite
perks to staying at a Disney Resort, so this is what I always highly recommend to friends! I love that Disney offers a nice range of prices, themes, and amenities to suit a variety of budgets - Value, Moderate, and Deluxe resorts. My family enjoys staying in that "Disney bubble" the entire time. We even skip the rental car, and just utilize the
complementary Disney transportation. If you choose to reserve a vacation package, you will also have the option to add a
Disney Dining Package.
A great first step when doing your planning is to use the
Build Your Vacation search tool at the top of the Disney World website. Type in your travel dates, number in your party, and take a look at the resort availability and prices. You can play with options like number of theme park ticket days or adding a dining plan and see how that affects your total package price.
Another thing I like about reserving a Disney vacation package is the flexibility it allows. You can make your reservation for a refundable $200 deposit (prices subject to change), which will lock in your preferred resort, room type, and dates. You can then easily make payments in any amount or frequently towards your vacation, up until the total amount is due 30 days before check-in. Another great tip is to keep an eye on the
Special Offers, Deals & Discounts page! If a special offer becomes available that will work for your plans, you can easily change your reservation to take advantage of that deal and save yourself some money. Woo hoo!
Ok Tyrah, I feel like I've given you some pixie-dusted homework to get started on. I hope this helps! If you'd like any additional recommendations on selecting a Disney Resort, special places to make a dining reservation, or even just more information on the Disney Dining Plan... please send me a
message at planDisney. I'll be wishing upon a star for you to have the best. Trip. Ever!!
Go. Live your dream.
Tami