Hiya, Courtnie! Welcome to planDisney!
There’s a lot that goes into planning a trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth. When you first look into it, it definitely can seem a little overwhelming. But let me tell you, you’ve come to the right place!
First things first, the Walt Disney World Resort website makes planning a vacation pretty seamless. On the welcome page, you’ll see a “Build Your Vacation” link right at the top of the page. Here, you’ll enter your travel dates, along with how many Guests will be in your travel party. You can select specific Disney Resorts from this initial menu. However, I would strongly leave this set to the default “All Resort Hotels”. Once you’ve done that, click on the green button that reads “View Rates”. From this next page, you’ll be asked to select your
Disney Resorts Collection hotel. You’ll have many different options to choose from! To help you decide which resort might be right for you, each resort includes a “Resort Overview” link. Once you’ve selected your resort, you’ll be asked to choose the room category that best suits you and your travel party.
Next, you’ll need to choose your
tickets. You’ll be able to select how many days you’d like to visit the parks, as well as the ticket type that best fits your plans. The available options include 1 Park per day, Park Hopper Option, Water Park and Sports Option, and Park Hopper Plus Option. Each ticket type will include a description to help you sort out which ticket type will be best for your vacation. If this is your first visit, I highly recommend at least four park days if time and budget allow. This will ensure you can visit each park at least once. It’s important to note that you won’t see and do it all in one trip. But that’s OK! It gives you plenty of reasons to plan a return visit.
Next, you’ll be prompted to add a Dining Plan. In short, the
Disney Dining Plans allow you to prepay for meals ahead of your trip. For many Guests, this convenience alone makes the Dining Plan worth considering. If this is something you’re interested in, you’ll be able to choose between the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, and you’ll be able to review the cost for each. Since you’re planning to travel in 2028, you should also have the option to choose the Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan, which is being added to the Disney Dining Plan lineup in 2027. And that’s really all it takes to book a trip to Walt Disney World Resort!
In terms of payment plans, as of this writing, Walt Disney World vacation packages currently require a $200 deposit when you make your booking. The final balance will be due 30 days before your scheduled arrival date. You can make payments as often as you like from the time you book to the time when final payment is due. The earlier you book, the more time you’ll have to spread out your payments.
Now, that’s a lot of information! If you have any questions during the planning process on any of these topics, please don’t hesitate to come back and see us here at
planDisney. We’re always happy to help!
Happy planning!
Olivier