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What You Need to Book Before your Vacation to Disney World

What You Need to Book Before your Vacation to Disney World

If you haven’t been to Disney World in a while or ever you may be wondering what you need to know about planning your vacation. It’s essential to book certain parts of your trip in advance so you don’t miss out on anything. So let’s take a look at what you need to book before your vacation to Disney World.

Dining for Your Disney World Vacation

Prime Rib at the Yachtsmen Steakhouse

This one is an important one since dining is such a big portion of your Disney World vacation. You can book dining 180 days out on MyDisneyExperience.com or by calling. I find it best to map out a general idea of which park/s you are going to do on each day of your trip. From there you can then create a restaurant wish list and then you know what to book. Not sure how to start mapping out your Disney World vacation? I highly recommend signing up for our mailing list and getting your copy of our FREE Printable Disney Daily Vacation Planner.

If you are going to try to eat at high demand, difficult to book Disney World restaurant you are going to want to be at the ready at 7 am EST to book your Disney dining reservations. It is best to make reservations for every day in advance, you may cancel your reservations 24 hours in advance with no charge.

Bonus Tips: If you can’t get a reservation somewhere you want to try OpenTable.com. They have select Disney World restaurants, not all of them. You will find that most of the spots they have been at Disney World resorts and Disney Springs. Basically, the places that don’t require a ticket to get into. If you want to know The Hardest Dining Reservations to Get at Disney World get all the info here!

Fastpasses for Disney World

What You Need to Book Before your Vacation to Disney World 1

If you plan on going any time of year Fastpasses are a must for each park day you are planning. There is no longer a coveted quiet time at Disney World. It is always busy and crowded and lines get longs for all sorts of attractions. This is why reserving your Fastpass is so important.

If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort you can book your Fastpasses 60 days in advance of your trip. You have a 30 head start on everyone else, be sure to take advantage of this. If you are looking for Slinky Dog Dash or Flight of Passage Fastpasses booking your reservation at 7 am 60 days out is crucial. Not staying on property? That’s okay you still get to book your reservation 30 days in advance. Remember no matter whether you are staying at a Disney resort or not you will need to have a Disney World park ticket tied to your account.

Not sure which Fastpass to pick at each park? Read our guide on Best Disney Fastpass Picks for Each Park plus you should also read Fastpass Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make at Disney World.

Hotel Stay for Disney World Vacation

Polynesian resort pool

Of course, you are going to need a place to stay during your vacation. The earlier you book the more options you have. If a sale pops up or prices drop you can always call and get your booking adjusted to save money. These days I prefer to just book via an Authorized Disney Vacation planner because they handle all of this for you without you having to do a thing.

Special Events

What You Need to Book Before your Vacation to Disney World 2

Heading to Disney World during one of their many festivals? You may want to book a special event. During Halloween, you can experience my favorite special event Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. There are special seminars and classes you can book during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. Then at Christmas time, you can enjoy many special festivities. Of course, the major one being Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. In the offseason, Disney has also been running After Hours at the Magic Kingdom. Reservations can be made at (407) WDW-TOUR.

Just about any time of the year, you can find a different variety of dessert parties at the Disney World Parks.

Tours at Disney World

Rope bridge Wild Africa Trek

Disney World has a lot of awesome backstage tours that give you a peek behind the Disney magic. The great thing is you don’t have to spend a ton either. You can take the Behind the Seeds Tour for just $25 per person and the Caring for Giants tour is just $30 a person. If you are a die-hard Disney fan I recommend one of the longer tours like Backstage Magic and Keys to the Kingdom.

Princess Makeovers

If your little princess is headed for a makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique we recommend booking your reservation early. While it is possible to get a last-minute spot on one of their two locations you are going to be limited to the oddball times they have. You can go to the Disney Springs location or to the Magic Kingdom location at Disney World. Booking early makes it so you aren’t forced into planning your whole day around your princess’ appointment.


Hopefully, this gives you a good jumpstart on planning your perfect Disney World vacation. If you are looking for more tips on beginning your planning process be sure to read Disney World Vacation Planning Timeline and also 110 Disney World Tips for Trip Planning. Also, don’t forget to download our FREE Printable Disney Daily Vacation Planner and order your Order a FREE Official Disney Vacation Planning Videos.