Disney Deadline Countdown: Dates You Need to Know When Planning your Disney World Vacation

If you’re ready to book your Walt Disney World vacation, there are several important deadlines you’ll need to know. Follow this countdown to look like a pro and get the most out of your magical Disney vacation!

Here we go!

499 Days: You can begin booking rooms at Walt Disney World resorts. You won’t be able to add tickets or dining plans until closer to your vacation.

200 Days (ish): Packages generally become available for booking in June prior to the year you want to book. What makes a reservation a WDW package? When you book a room plus additional pieces such as tickets and dining plans.

180 Days: Dining reservations open for your vacation at 6:00 am online and 7:00 am by phone by calling 407-WDW-DINE. If you are hoping for a popular restaurant (such as Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom), we definitely recommended booking reservations as soon as your 180 day window opens. You can always modify them later if your plans change. If you are staying on-site at a WDW hotel, you can book dining reservations for your entire stay, up to 10 days, starting at your 180 mark. You might hear people refer to this as your 180+10.

60 Days: If you are staying on-site, you can begin booking your Fastpass+ selections at 7:00 am online. Like dining reservations, we highly recommend you book your Fastpass+ as soon as your 60 day window opens to claim hard to get rides including Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom.

60 Days: Online check-in available for Disney resort guests. When you check-in online you will be able to make select room requests, such as ground floor or close to transportation. These requests aren’t guaranteed. With online check-in, you may be able to bypass the standard resort procedure, skipping the registration desk and going straight to your room with your Magic Band. You’ll receive a text message from Disney letting you know your room is ready!

30 Days: Balance due for vacation packages. You will need to log in to your My Disney Experience account online, or call – the payment won’t apply to your credit card automatically. For room only, balance is due at check in.

30 Days: If you are staying off-site, you can begin booking your Fastpass+ selections at 7:00 am online. It may be harder to get the Fastpass+ you want, since on-site guests had a 30 day head start, but don’t give up! We got our Flight of Passage (hard to get!) Fastpass+ just 10 days ahead of our June 2017 vacation. Just keep checking!

30 Days: Deadline to cancel a package reservation with no fee. From 2-29 days, the cancellation fee is $200, and within one day of arrival you lose the total package price.

11 Days: If you want something more than the standard grey option, you can customize the color (and text inside your Magic Bands) up to 11 days before your vacation. Then they they will be mailed (for US addresses; outside the US you will pick up your bands at your Disney resort). If you customize 5-10 days before, you will receive your bands at your Disney resort.

Disney resort guests receive Magic Bands as part of their reservation. Currently, you can pick from pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, or grey.

3 Days: Deadline to purchase Memory Maker (Disney’s photo package) at the discounted advanced purchase price. If you buy Memory Maker at the discounted price of $169.00, there is a three day waiting period before photos will be included in your price. If you buy Memory Maker at the regular $199.00 price, it will be active immediately.

24 Hours: Deadline to cancel most table service dining reservations and not be charged a fee of $10 per person.

Ready to get planning? Bookmark this page to stay on top of your Disney planning deadlines. Questions? Leave a comment below or follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WordofMouseWDW.

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