What to Do Next After Booking Your Disney Trip

You’ve booked your Walt Disney World vacation. Congratulations! Now what do you need to think about next in order to have a wonderful trip?

First, if you are a reader, planner, Type-A personality, pick up a copy of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and subscribe to Touring Plans.

If you are trip is coming up soon, you are a spontaneous spirit, or your head may spin from too much info, read my most essential tips below.

My Disney Experience

The first thing to do when you get your booking confirmation is to download the My Disney Experience app or visit mydisneyexperience.com. If you have any account with the Disney family of companies (ex: Disney Movie Rewards), you can use that login, or create a new one.

Next, add all members of your traveling party to your Friends & Family list.

Finally, enter your confirmation number(s) from your vacation package, room, or tickets into your My Disney Experience account. Match each person to their name or ticket.

Now you'll be able to book dining and Fastpasses.

Dining Reservations

Dining reservations can be made 180 days before your trip. Who wants to book their meal 6 months in advance? Well, some of the most popular restaurants will be unavailable if you try to just walk in and get a table. If you’d like to dine inside Cinderella’s castle or The Beast’s castle, you’ll have to reserve your spot early.

Book your dining reservations at mydisneyexperience.com, via the My Disney Experience app, or ask me to do it for you!

Fastpasses

For each day you are in a Disney Park, you can select up to 3 attractions that you will wait in a much shorter line for.

You can pick your Fastpasses 60 days in advance if you are staying at a Disney resort or Disney-Springs area resort, and 30 days in advance if you are staying at an offsite hotel.

You will need to know which day you will be in each park.

Book your Fastpasses at mydisneyexperience.com, the My Disney Experience app, or ask me to do it for you! The booking window opens at 7am EST on the 60 or 30 day mark before your trip.

The Best Fastpasses to Get

Magic Kingdom

#1: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Peter Pan’s Flight

Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, or Big Thunder Mountain

Epcot

#1: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (coming in Summer 2020)

Frozen Ever After, Test Track, or Soarin (You can only pick one of these three.)

HarmoniUS (coming in May 2020)

Hollywood Studios

#1: Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (coming March 4, 2020), Slinky Dog Dash, or Millenium Falcon

#2: Tower of Terror or Rockin’ Roller Coaster

Animal Kingdom

#1: Flight of Passage

Navi River Journey

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Expedition Everest

If you were not able to get a Fastpass for one of these, but know you want to ride it, get there 30 minutes before park opening and do it first thing in the morning. Alternatively, you could ride it right before park closing. As long as you are in line when the park officially closes, you'll be allowed to ride.

Once you’re in the park and you’ve used your 3 Fastpasses, you can then use the My Disney Experience app to book another and another.

Magical Express & MagicBands (If Staying at a Disney Resort)

MagicBands are durable, waterproof wristbands that serve as your admission ticket and Fastpass check-in. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you'll get a complimentary MagicBand for each member of your party. You can also use them to open your resort room door, and charge purchases and meals to your room if staying at a Disney resort.

Once your trip is booked, log into My Disney Experience and choose a color and name for each member of your party.

Note: If you are not staying at a Disney resort, you can still buy MagicBands to make life easier on your trip. If your trip is more than a couple days long, or if you are a larger family, it's worth the cost of the MagicBands to avoid taking everyone's admission card out and trying to keep them straight every time you need to tap in at the entrance of a park or attraction.

Purchase MagicBands on ShopDisney.com and link them to your tickets in My Disney Experience before you go. It will save you from standing in line at Will Call on your first day at Disney! You can head right in.

Note: MagicBands can be used again and again on subsequent trips. However, once linked to a person, they cannot be transferred to someone else.

Disney's Magical Express is the complimentary bus and luggage handling service offered to those staying in official Walt Disney World resorts.

Make sure you've given your travel advisor your flight numbers so s/he can arrange Disney's Magical Express for you. You could also call 866-599-0951 or 407-939-1936 and give them your flight numbers yourself. Your luggage tags will then be mailed to you. Please call at least 2 weeks in advance of your trip to have the luggage tags mailed in time.

Upon arrival at Orlando Airport, you'll skip baggage claim and proceed directly to ground floor for your complimentary motorcoach to your Disney resort. Disney will pick up your checked baggage and deliver it to your room later in the day. Make sure to have your MagicBands, medication, sunscreen, electronics, and chargers in your carry-on.

On the morning of your last day, you'll receive instructions on what time to be at the Magical Express pick up at your resort to return to the airport. Your scheduled pick up time is usually 3 hours before your flight but could be even earlier if you are traveling during a busy period.

Visit the Resort Airline Check-In desk at your Disney resort from 5am-12pm on your departure day to check in for your flight and pick up your boarding pass. You can even check your bags. They'll be transferred to the airline for you and you won't have to handle them until your home airport! Any remaining carry-ons can be held by Bell Services at your resort so you can be free to enjoy your last day without luggage

Resort Airline Check-In is currently available for the following airlines: Alaska, American, Delta, Jet Blue, Southwest, and United.

Helpful Info for Planning Ahead

Don’t Forget to Pack:

Sunscreen

Portable battery pack for recharging phones in the parks

A poncho or rain jacket and a second pair of shoes for each person

Rechargeable cooling fans or cooling towels

MagicBands

Bringing Food & Drink into the Parks

Disney Parks DO allow you to bring food and drinks into the parks! This is a great way to save on buying snacks, or even lunch. You can bring a soft-sided, non-rolling cooler, or just pack things into your backpack. Don't bring glass.

Every counter service restaurant provides free ice water.

Grocery Delivery

Amazon Prime Now App (delivers to all Disney resorts as well as offsite hotels) Place your order while on the Magical Express, or on your way out of the park on your first day and have your snacks delivered when you get there.

Sample snack and drink options Amazon Prime Now can deliver to your resort:

• large jug of water you can fill your refillable bottles with

• half and half (if you need REAL creamer in your resort room coffee like me!)

• sliced apples

• pretzels

• peanut butter (single-serve)

• almond butter packets

• almonds, cashews, peanuts

• breakfast cereal

• milk

• grapes

• bananas

• apples

• dried fruit

• juice boxes or soda

• Bread and cheese for sandwiches

Other supplies you may need that you can also get from Amazon Prime Now

• sunscreen

• bubbles

• batteries

• diapers & wipes

• feminine hygiene products

• any other toiletries you forgot

If you have a car and free time available, you can go to a local grocery store like Publix for more selection.

Parking

Disney Theme Park: $25/day. Can switch parks or leave and re-enter. Free for Annual Passholders.

Disney Resort (overnight): Value $13/night, Moderate $18/night, Deluxe $24/night or $33/night for Valet.

Disney Water Park: Free

Disney Springs: Free

Stroller Rental

In-park rentals:

Single stroller: $15/day for single day, $13/day for multi-day

Double stroller: $31/day for single day, $27/day for multi-day

For a stroller you can keep all week and pay less to use, check out these rental companies. They will deliver to your resort!

Buena Vista Rentals: 866-484-4797

Orlando Stroller Rentals: (800) 281-0884

Kingdom Strollers: (407) 271-5301

Magic Strollers: (866) 866-6177

If you are a client of mine, I can handle booking this for you.

ECV/Scooter Rental

Disney Parks require a LOT of walking. It is very common for elders, heavier guests, or those with mobility restrictions to rent an ECV for the day or for the duration of their trip. Do not feel shy to use a scooter if it means your vacation will be enjoyable rather than painful for you. Believe me, you will NOT stand out.

In-Park rentals: $50/day. Rent at park entrance. Cannot take out of the park. Can switch parks for the same daily fee. Check your ECV back in at the park you are leaving and you can check one out again at the next park.

Reputable private rental companies: $31/day, 2-day minimum. They will deliver the scooter to you at your resort. Scooters are foldable to fit into your vehicle’s trunk. If you’re staying at a Disney resort and using Disney transportation, the ECVs can board the Disney busses. Contact me to book this for you.

Babysitting/Child Care

Resort Kids Club options & In-room options - Coming Soon

Ticket Changes

If you need to make any changes to your tickets, and I booked those tickets for you, please contact me. I can make the changes for you.

Changes you can make to your Walt Disney World tickets include:

• Changing the usage dates of your tickets

• Adding park days

• Upgrading to a Park Hopper

• Changing it to a Flexible Date ticket

There is no fee to make changes. You just need to pay the difference between the price of your current ticket and the ticket you are upgrading or changing to.

I can make changes for you up until the start date of your ticket. Once the ticket start date has passed, all changes must be made in person at a ticket window at one of the parks.

#planning #waltdisneyworld