Important Disney Planning Dates to Remember

I'm not talking about a specific date or dates on the calendar, but instead the dates when you can start some serious planning (and not just planning in your head, like I do 24/7/365).

Once you have your resort booked, the DisneyWorld website (disneyworld.disney.go.com) keeps track of the days until your trip and will send you email reminders when these very important dates come up:

Photo: ThisGirlTravels.com

As soon as you book your trip - reserve Disney's Magical Express (no email specifically for this service, but an email letting you know that you can book if you haven't already done so)

If you're staying at a Disney resort, you'll be able to reserve your FREE and FUN transportation as soon as you book your room and your flight (you will need both pieces of information to book your Magical Express trip to and from your resort so they can make sure they get you where you need to be safely and with plenty of time to spare).  It will save you headaches and money on rental cars, worrying about where you're supposed to go, parking at the theme parks, and the countless toll roads between Orlando International Airport and your Disney resort.  

Disney's Magical Express will take care of your luggage from the moment you land in Orlando until the moment you leave, so that's a big relief for anyone, but especially if you have little ones.  I enjoy riding the bus to my resort and watching the Disney TV they have with all things new, fun, and different I may want to try.  Not having to handle my luggage is an added bonus.

Be aware when making your return trip that the Magical Express will depart from your resort approximately three hours before your flight is scheduled to leave in order to ensure that you get to the airport - which is almost 30 minutes away - without worrying about running late for anyone's flight.  So, if you have a 9:00 a.m. flight, they will probably get you on the bus and to the airport at 6:00 a.m.  The exact pick up times will be referenced in your Disney packet that you will receive about 30 days before your trip. Something to consider when planning.

180 days until your trip - time to make dining reservations!

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Photo: easywdw.com

This may seem absolutely crazy, but if you've been looking at character dining or a specific restaurant, such as the hugely popular and still really new Be Our Guest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, this date is extremely important.  It means that you can make a reservation for your whole family for breakfast, lunch or dinner (depending on where you're looking to reserve and what they offer) and not have to worry about getting to the resort or one of the parks and waiting - and hoping, and possibly praying - that you'll be able to find that "must-do" meal for your kids, or for your spouse, or just you.  When that email pops up, hopefully you will have done a little research on restaurants you'd like to try so that you can make a reservation...six months before your trip.  Sounds excessive, but restaurants like Be Our Guest will book full up the same day they become available.  Trying back closer to your vacation dates may get you a reservation if someone else cancels theirs, but that's a risky venture.

Also, if you use one of Disney's Dining Plans (check the website for pricing and options), you may be limited as to the number of meals each member of your party is allowed per day.  A higher-end restaurant may count as two sit-down meals.  Sometimes you can substitute snacks for full meals.  Be sure to check out the options and pricing for each dining plan before you select one.  We don't use them because we don't eat enough to justify the cost.  If we stayed longer (a week or more), they might make sense for us.

60 days until your trip - time to make your FastPass+ reservations!

Photo: vinylmationkingdom.com

If you will be staying on property and have already booked your room and park tickets, you will have the opportunity to make FastPass+ selections for each of your vacation days up to two months before you arrive.  Why does this seem important?  The extremely popular new ride at Magic Kingdom, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, has a 90-minute queue almost from park opening if you just walk up and get in line when you get to the park (unless you're one of those people who are at the park at "rope drop" when they officially open the park and you RUN to the ride).  Same goes for Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios; there is always a line, and it is never short.

However, if you get on the DisneyWorld site or on the MyDisney Experience app 60 days out, you will be able to select three FastPass+ rides and/or attractions and modify them to fit your family's tastes and "must do" lists.  There are limits to the FastPass+ service:  the selections must all be at the same park on the same day for everyone in your party (pick all four passes at Magic Kingdom on whatever day you'll be visiting, and make selections for Epcot for another day during your trip, but not two at each park in the same day, for example).  

Sign up - no fees!
Photo: thenextweb.com

You can book more FastPass+ passes after you have used all of the ones you have reserved when you are actually IN the park, but this will give you a leg up - and you will spend less time waiting - than if you were to show up at the park and then try to score even a single FastPass+.  Booking additional FastPass+ passes after using all of your previously booked passes is a bit risky, because the next selection you want to make may not be available if it is either extremely popular, or if it is later in the day.

There is a chance that any FastPass+ times will be unavailable once you get to the parks, or if you wait to book them closer to your trip dates.  If you wait, your only options would be to A) wait in a very long line with everyone else and waste a lot of time you could be spending doing something fun, or B) skip that ride or attraction altogether.  I am of the opinion that it is good to have some planning.  My family sometimes thinks I go too far (I really don't; I just like to know what my options are and make my decisions based on all the facts), but I make sure that we have things to do and we are prepared for any day without over-planning, but also without wasting precious park hours, especially during the shorter winter park months when parks may close 3-4 hours earlier than in the summer months.

*** The big FastPass+ options (in my opinion) for each of the four parks are...

Magic Kingdom:  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain

Epcot: Soarin' and Test Track

Hollywood Studios: Tower of Terror, Toy Story Midway Mania! (almost as popular as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with long lines) and Rolling Stones Rockin' Roller Coaster

Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Kali River Rapids

If you are traveling alone or do not mind being split up from the rest of your family or traveling companions, there are three rides that offer a "single rider line" option: Expedition Everest, Rockin' Roller Coaster, and Test Track.  The wait times are far shorter than the regular lines, but again you probably won't be sitting with someone you know, and you may not even be riding at the same time.

Choose wisely.  Using the FastPass+ selection on the website will give you four combinations based on what is available and the "classes" of the rides and/or attractions.  They may even tell you that your "best option" is something you don't agree with at all.  On our last trip, the app tried to tell me that I wanted to book Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad each two hours apart.  Uh...no!  If I'm getting FastPass+, I want them closer together, so I can get on OTHER rides that don't have long queues, go to a restaurant, or even go to another park.  

Be sure to check all four of your options before you select.  You can always change them later if you'd like, including when you are in the park on the day you're visiting if you use the Disney Mobile App available on iTunes or Google Play.  Again, it will be based on availability.  There are only so many FastPass+ passes available per ride, per hour, and per day.  Once they are gone, they are gone.

60 days until your trip - check in at your resort

Check in online and skip to this line instead of waiting in queue
Photo: trb.com.au

This is not a HUGE deal, but it IS a timesaver of sorts.  Again, you'll get an email stating you can now check in 60 days prior to arrival, and you'll be able to put in room preferences (pool view, king beds, upper floor, etc.), credit card information, and verify all your personal information so that when you get to your resort, you just sign a document and head to your room - or to the parks.  If you've used Magical Express, you won't have to tote your luggage anywhere other than the airport in the city you left from, so you can go and have fun right away.

Booking special events and tours

You won't get an email for this one, but you can check the website to see what events are happening during your trip and buy advance tickets for big events such as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  These tickets cost extra, and they are not cheap, but they are certainly worth it if you want to immerse yourself in Disney fun during your trip.

Who would NOT want to be a part of this???
Photo: lebeauleblog.com

Look at this photo - it's SNOWING in Florida.  They make it SNOW!
Photo: mrschristmasblog.com

These also can become unavailable on popular dates (think weekends and closer to the holidays), so planning as soon as you see the tickets available under "Special Events" on the Disney site is important if you really want to attend something special.  For the Halloween and Christmas parties, they are available for purchase more than 6 months before the parties start, so there is plenty of time to plan.

Hayley and I took the Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot in January 2015.
We loved it!  Only $15 per person, too.

Other tours, such as the Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot, have limited availability but multiple tour times each day.  Once they get 15 or so people booked for a specific time, you'll have to pick another time, or another date.  You can call Disney toll-free at any time to book one of these other tours, but you could be waiting on hold for a long time; you are put in a queue with everyone who is booking ANYTHING for Disney World.  Try the website, or wait and book through your concierge or at the park if it's a smaller tour.

These are all great planning tools, so don't waste them!  A little planning goes a long way to having a great trip.