Hi Carolyn! Welcome to planDisney!
I'm excited you are planning a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort this upcoming holiday season! As you know, there is no better place to be during this time than walking down Main Street, U.S.A. fully decorated in its holiday décor! With your last visit to Walt Disney World being almost two decades ago, there have been plenty of changes that have taken place since that time. Let's catch you up to speed on what you need to know for planning your upcoming stay.
When booking a vacation package directly through the
Walt Disney World website, you will be able to make Disney Resort Hotel accommodations,
theme park ticket purchases, and a few add-ons to help enhance your stay. Simply open a new web browser for the website and enter in your anticipated travel dates and number of Guests for your stay. A list of resorts will populate that have availability for that time period. Once you decide on your resort, you will then need to add on the number of park days you want your tickets to be for. You'll also have the ability to add the
Park Hopper Option, which allows you to visit more than one theme park each day. Memory Maker will be an additional option to add on to your package if you want unlimited downloads of any pictures taken with a PhotoPass Photographer.
In regards to flights and airport transportation, these services will need to be purchased separately from the Walt Disney World website. Magical Express was the previous service provided to Guests staying at Disney Resorts Hotels but was discontinued at the end of last year. Mears Connect and The Sunshine Flyer are two companies that offer similar transportation options and can be booked directly through their company websites.
The Disney Dining Plan has unfortunately not returned to the Walt Disney World Resort at this time. Many Guests, including myself, are hoping for a return sometime in the near future. This should not deter you from making any Advanced Dining Reservations to restaurants you want to try. With the proper planning, you can get a great idea of the cost at each restaurant and budget accordingly. You can also purchase
Disney Gifts Cards in advance of your stay and use them for payment at many of the Walt Disney World restaurants. This way, you already have the funds dedicated to your meals.
Carolyn, if you prefer to have everything taken care of for you, I would highly consider reaching out to an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. This individual will be able to book your flights, airport transportation, resort accommodations, ticket packages, and even help with booking dining reservations. Simply perform a Google search for Authorized Disney Vacation Planners and a host of options will appear. Do some research and find the company that fits your needs. And the best part is, there is no additional cost to using this service. You'll pay the same amount as if you booked it yourself!
I hope you have a magical vacation, Carolyn!
Happy planning!
Greg