Hello there Christine,
A big "welcome back" to you for visiting planDisney once again! How terrific that you've got another Walt Disney World plan in the works. Woo hoo! January is one of my family's favorite times to visit, with cooler temperatures and generally lower crowds after the hustle and bustle of the holidays has subsided.
We don't have any insider information on when special deals will be offered, but we can look at historical data to get an idea. Last year the 2025 Canadian resident ticket offer was released towards the end of summer / early fall of 2024. Although there are no guarantees we'll see the same thing this year, my best advice is to keep an eye on that
Special Offers, Deals, and Discounts page. It's like a little hobby! I personally do this often, as I daydream about potential trips I'd like to take. Magical planning and pixie-dusted anticipation can be a big part of the fun!
Now for the second part of your question. One thing I appreciate about the Disney World vacation packages is the pricing is pretty straightforward. It isn't necessarily cheaper to book a hotel and tickets together, that is dependent on any deals being offered. So if you were reserving a (non-discounted) Disney Resort room and (non-discounted) theme park tickets... the price would be the same whether you purchased those separately, or together.
You can play around with that "
Build Your Vacation" search tool at the top of the page to confirm this. Experiment with a room only booking + date-based park tickets, or bundling them as a package. In my experience, it's no more economical to book hotel and tickets together.
Utilizing any Special Offers that come up is where you'll stretch your Disney dollar! So if you see both a vacation package deal and a Canadian Resident ticket deal to choose from, I would price out both options and see which will save you more.
The one advantage to booking a Disney World vacation package, or hotel and tickets together, is the deposit and flexibility. Prices are subject to change, but currently the deposit required to
reserve a vacation package is only $200. The rules are a little different with a room only reservation, which requires a deposit in the amount of your first night's stay. And when you purchase date-based tickets individually, they are typically non-refundable (although they usually can be changed, if needed). All that to say, I love the flexibility of booking a Disney World vacation package.
Christine, I know you'll find the practically perfect option to book for your amazing Disney World vacation! I hope this helps give you some clarity and ideas on what to look for. Please send me another
message at planDisney if can assist with any other questions or just fun recommendations.
The magic is calling!
Tami