Hi Todnee!
Thanks for reaching out to me with your question! I'm happy to guide you through your Disney vacation planning and set you up for a successful visit filled with unforgettable memories!
While our magic wands aren't able to reveal recommendations for specific trip planning agencies, if you do decide to go that route, I'd recommend ensuring that they are an authorized travel retailer specialized in Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Oftentimes, asking friends for word-of-mouth recommendations is a great place to start. All that being said, you can go out on your own as well and book directly through the Walt Disney World website.
We can help you navigate the planning process with our own brand of magic here at planDisney. Our advice comes from personal experiences and the heart, as we truly love helping fellow Guests plan and feel confident about their upcoming travel plans. I can give you a brief breakdown here of the steps that I usually go through to plan a Disney vacation, and of course, I or any of my panelist pals are happy to elaborate or provide specific recommendations on hotels, dining, attractions, experiences, and more!
When planning a Disney vacation, the first step will be to think through travel dates, hotel accommodations, theme park tickets, and a few add-ons like the Disney Dining Plan and Memory Maker. The earlier the better when it comes to locking in these specific aspects of your trip to give you the largest selection of hotels and room types. On the website, you can build a package yourself by navigating to the "Places to Stay" tab. This will walk you through the process of inputting your travel party and preferred dates and show you what's available for hotel accommodations. Hotels are divided into three tiers: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value, all offering top-notch Disney experiences at different price levels. After that, you will see your options for theme park tickets, followed by specifics on the Disney Dining Plan and Memory Maker.
The second step in your planning will be making your dining reservations. Your window will generally open up 60 days ahead of your arrival at 6:00 AM EST. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort can book reservations for up to 10 days of their stay at the 60-day mark. I highly recommend having a wish list of reservations you'd like to make, along with dates and approximate times. As I mentioned, my planDisney pals are happy to make specific recommendations if you have special requests!
The final pre-planning step will be 7 days ahead of arrival, when Guests of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass, or Premier Pass. If you are not staying on property, Guests have access to these options 3 days ahead of their park day. If you need further guidance here, drop us a line!
Todnee, I hope this helped lay the groundwork for a successful visit! We are happy to help you layer in park day strategies, dining reservations, favorite photo spots, and more. The magic is yours, and we are happy to help you find it here at planDisney!
Tara