The time it takes to plan a Disney World trip is often a surprise to many first-timers. It is a more than a little strange to have to think about what you're going to eat 6+ months ahead of time.
Today, I have an ideal Disney World planning timeline and what to do if you're short on time.
I also have a quick tip to increase your chances of getting a FastPass+ to meet Anna and Elsa.
These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.
In this article
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IDEAL TRIP PLANNING TIMELINE
- More than 6 months beforehand - pick dates, book hotel, make a daily plan and make dining choices
- 180 days beforehand - make dining reservations
- 2-4 months beforehand - book flights
- 60 days beforehand (if staying on-site) - make FastPass+ reservations and check in to hotel online
- 30 days beforehand
- if staying off-site - make FastPass+ reservations
- if staying on-site - make sure Magical Express reservations are made
- everybody - order groceries, pre-order Memory Maker
- Within 45 days after your trip - finalize PhotoPass pics and download Memory Maker pics
SHORT-ON-TIME PLANNING TIMELINE
- ASAP - pick dates, book hotel, identify high priority dining
- Book dining - stay flexible on times and consider alternatives if you can't get your first choices. Want to eat at Be Our Guest? Read my info to increase your chances.
- Plan your days based on where your dining reservations are going to be
- Get FastPass+ reservations and plan to show up early for anything you can't get a FP+ for
GRAPHIC AS A REFERENCE
Feel free to save or pin this graphic to use as a reference.
QUICK TIP OF THE DAY
People who are staying on-site and trying to get a FastPass+ to meet Anna and Elsa should log on at midnight eastern time (Updated May 19, 2016: it's now 7 a.m. eastern time) 60 days before their trip begins and book a FastPass+ for Anna and Elsa first, before booking the other days of your trip.
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Any thoughts or questions about the trip planning timeline? Feel free to leave those in the comments.
