Hiya Tom. Welcome to planDisney, and thanks for stopping by with your question.
Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can feel like a lot at first. There are so many pieces to think through, from where to stay to how you want to spend your days in the parks. The good news is that once you break it into a few key decisions, the whole process becomes much easier and actually pretty fun. You’ve already locked in your dates, which is a great first step, so let’s talk about the big choices that come next: your resort, your ticket type, and whether a dining plan makes sense for your trip.
The Disney Resorts Collection includes three categories.
Value resorts offer the lowest price point and a ton of Disney charm. If you want a great family setup, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has spacious family suites and quick access to the Skyliner. In the
moderate category, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort delivers that relaxed island feel and a central location with the Skyliner running right through it. When it comes to
deluxe resorts, I usually go back and forth between Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort. The Grand Floridian gives you luxury, beauty, and a walking path to Magic Kingdom, while the Beach Club puts you steps from both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios and offers Stormalong Bay, which, in my opinion, is the best pool on property.
Once you’ve narrowed down your resort, you’ll want to look at your
ticket options. You can choose a standard ticket that lets you visit one theme park per day, or add the Park Hopper option, which lets you move between parks whenever you want. I always lean toward Park Hopper tickets because they give you flexibility to shift plans around dining reservations, crowd levels, or nighttime spectaculars.
You can also decide whether to add a
Disney dining plan to your package. The Disney Dining Plan gives you a set number of quick-service and table-service meals per night of your stay. The Quick Service Dining Plan keeps things a little simpler with all quick service meals. Some guests love the convenience of having their meals paid for upfront, and others prefer to pay as they go. It all depends on your style.
You’re off to a great start, Tom. Once you’re ready, head to the Walt Disney World website, plug in your dates, and explore which resorts are available. After you select your resort, the system will walk you through tickets, dining plans, and the rest. Once your package is booked, you can turn your attention to the fun details like dining reservations,
Enchanting Extras, and
Lightning Lane planning. Dining and extras can be booked at the sixty-day mark, and Lightning Lanes open for Disney Resort hotel Guests seven days before arrival.
If you want help shaping your day-by-day plan or mapping out which parks to visit when,
send me another question. I’m happy to help you get everything lined up.
See you real soon,
Brent