Hi Cynthia,
Planning a Disney World trip is a huge part of the fun for me. There are so many options available to make your trip extra magical and ensure that your entire travel party will have an excellent time. The first thing you will need to figure out will be which Disney Resort hotel fits your travel style and also accommodates the number of guests in your party.
In the past few years, Disney Resort hotel reservations and
Disney World Vacation Packages have been released between late February and early June. I would expect this to be the same going forward. If so, reservations for your 2026 adventure could open as early as February of 2025 or as late as June of 2025. A good place to start would be to create a list of your top 3 resort choices and identify your ideal travel dates. If you have this prepared ahead of time, it will make booking your vacation much easier as soon as 2026 bookings open up.
To figure out which
Disney Resort hotels fit your budget, search the same time period you plan to visit but one year earlier to see a rough estimate of the cost to stay at each resort. Since you mentioned a larger group, I would take a look at the
Deluxe Villa accommodations. These rooms offer a multi-room home away from home that has a kitchen, multiple bathrooms, and a living room area for your group to congregate in.
If your dates are flexible, I would take a look at the various
events, holidays, and festival offerings available throughout the year to see if any of them are of interest to your travel group. I almost always visit while there is a festival happening at EPCOT. The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival,
International Flower and Garden Festival, and
International Festival of the Arts offer decadent food booths, entertainment, and unique experiences that enhance your trip around the world. Holidays are also extra special at Disney World and bring with them fabulous decorations, specialty events, and fun food options. Picking a holiday or event that is not to be missed for your travel group may help you narrow down your date range!
As you start your planning, don't hesitate to come back with more questions. We love to help you plan your next trip here at planDisney!
Happy Planning,
Jenna