Information, hints and tips you'll need when booking and planning your Walt Disney World holiday from the UK
Choosing a holiday can be daunting at the best of times, organising a Walt Disney World trip takes this to a whole new level. It's time consuming and somewhat baffling, but to get the best out of your experience, the effort is worth it.
Here, I've put together a list of tips, ideas and advice, which we've picked up when booking and planning our Walt Disney World holidays. Including the answers to many questions we're often asked by people looking to book their first trip.
As a British family, some of this will be more relevant to UK travellers. However, much of the information applies to anyone considering a trip to Walt Disney World, wherever in the world you're from.
Walt Disney World is huge!
As the world’s most visited holiday resort, Walt Disney World needs to be large enough to fit thousands of people in daily. And one aspect many first time visitors can’t comprehend is the sheer scale of it.
If you’ve ever visited Disneyland Paris or Disneyland California, it’s easy to assume Walt Disney World is simply a slightly bigger version. It’s actually almost 4 times the size of Disneyland Paris.
Disney World is situated within 43 square miles of Orlando, Florida. This vast area holds: 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 1 shopping and entertainment district, 34 hotels, 5 golf courses, 2 miniature golf courses, 1 camping resort, and a sports complex.
To help you get around, there’s a large network of roads, as well as waterways, a monorail, plus a sky gondola system. In short, it's huge!
Before I move on, it's important to clear up some confusions many people make when visiting Walt Disney World for the first time:
- The Disney hotels are not located inside the parks. Although some parks are within walking distance of certain hotels, if you book to stay at a Disney Resort, you won't be able to walk to all of them.
- There are no Harry Potter themed attractions in Walt Disney World. To experience these, you'll need to visit Universal Orlando Resort, which is a completely different location approximately 25 minutes away.
- Disney World is not a relaxing holiday. The parks open early and close late. So staying ahead of the crowds often requires you to be up early, plus you'll need to plan some late nights if you wish to catch the nighttime shows. You can also expect to walk an average of approximately 8-10 miles per day.
1. When is the best time to visit Disney World?
To get the best experience out of a trip to Walt Disney World, I recommend at least 2 weeks for your holiday. Even then you won't be able to see and do everything, but the longer the better.
If school holidays are your only option, that leaves Easter, Summer and Christmas.
There are pros and cons to each:
Easter is one of the most popular and most expensive times to visit Walt Disney World, so expect long queues and empty pockets. On the plus side, the weather at Easter is usually ideal with warm, but not stifling summer temperatures.
Summer obviously opens up more options for travel dates, but the biggest draw back in July and August is the high temperatures and the energy sapping humidity. It’s hot, humid and right in the middle of hurricane season, with rain of biblical proportions. This can significantly affect touring the parks. Rides shut down in thunderstorms, pools are closed and guests get drenched! If summer is your only option, consider travelling as late in August as possible. Many American schools are back in session by mid-August, which empties out the parks a little.
Christmas and Disney, two words which conjure up magical thoughts, so what could be more magical than Disney at Christmas? The decorations around the parks and resorts are (apparently) amazing, the weather is great for touring but beware, this is the busiest time of year - especially the week between Christmas and New Year.
For shorter trips, if you have longer half term breaks, or you're not tied to school holiday dates, February, May and October are also good times to visit Walt Disney World.
Booking for February was recommended by a Florida resident we chatted to on a previous visit. She told us it was the perfect temperature and the parks weren’t too busy.
We booked a May trip back in 2014. The crowds were slightly lower than in the summer, but the temperatures were just as brutal. Apparently, it was the hottest May for 5 years...typical!
Crowds are also lower in mid-September, although high temperatures and humidity can still be a factor.
Hint: The American school calendar differs from the UK, so check both term dates before you decide to book a visit - the last thing you want to do is arrive at Walt Disney World in the middle of Spring Break!
2. What is the best age to take children to Walt Disney World?
A question we're asked a lot. Our answer is always: it depends on the dynamics of your travelling party.
Check the minimum height requirements for attractions
For anyone travelling as a family group which includes small children, I suggest checking the minimum height requirements. Most attractions aimed at very young children don’t apply any restrictions, so everyone can experience them together.
Potential problems arise when your group includes some members who don’t meet the minimum required for some of the bigger rides.
Disney Cast Members are notoriously strict when it comes to height restrictions. Smaller guests are measured at the entrance to rides, then sometimes again further down the queue. If so much as a piece of paper can fit between the top of the smaller guests head and the measuring stick, they will be turned away.
Disney World offer a Rider Switch system. This involves one adult riding (with those children who are able to ride, if applicable) while another adult waits with the smaller child(ren). The adults then switch places, so both can experience the attraction.
The main drawback to this is the amount of waiting around for the smaller child, or splitting the family group for a while. However, with a bit of planning, you'll find plenty to keep little ones occupied while you wait.
I've put together a separate post listing all attractions with a minimum height requirement, plus how the Rider Switch service works, as well as ideas of what to do while waiting here:
Factor in feeling frightened
A child may meet the required height restriction, but there’s also the fear factor to consider. Even the most confident child might not be eager to jump aboard The Tower of Terror or The Haunted Mansion. Big Thunder Mountain has it’s frighteningly loud moments, the screaming emanating from Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest might put some slightly nervous guests off, while others may not like the dark/noises/intensity/queueing area of some attractions.
I strongly advise you to consider your first few rides, even if you think you have a little daredevil on your hands. The stimulation and high excitement levels that Walt Disney World generates can easily become overwhelming. Launching straight onto a fast roller coaster with jerky, loud and dark moments is often not the best way to introduce some children to the delights of the theme parks.
Getting them acquainted with more tranquil rides first, then building up to the bigger ones, might just save you from having to experience It’s a Small World over and over and over again. It doesn’t have a frightening queue, areas of darkness, loud noises or big drops, but that music will plague you for life.
3. Where should we stay?
Onsite or offsite? Hotel or villa? Deciding where to stay during your holiday throws up a whole load more options to consider:
Onsite
There's something magical about waking up in the 'bubble' of Walt Disney World, but as you would expect, there's a premium to pay for having so much fun on your doorstep. Unfortunately, the level of resort guest privileges has significantly declined over the years. However, it's still worth considering staying onsite for part of your trip, especially if you make use of any UK packages on offer.
As standard, all Disney Resort guests benefit from:
- Free Disney transportation around the Walt Disney World resort.
- Early Entry into the parks - where the parks open 30 minutes early for Disney World Hotel Guests.
- Free Parking at the theme parks.
- Ability to book up to 10 days worth of Disney Dining Reservations 60 days before your trip (rather than on a day-by-day basis)
- Deluxe Resort Guests are also eligible for Extended Evening Hours. This is when Magic Kingdom or Epcot remain open on selected days for 2 hours after official park closing time.
In addition, there are often some great offers available for UK residents. These could include one or more of:
- Free nights accommodation
- Free Disney Dining Plan
- 14 day park tickets for the price of 7
- Free Memory Maker
- $200 or $100 gift card to use during your stay
Sometimes a combination of these offers are available, it depends when you book your holiday (not the dates you travel, the actual date you pay your deposit). Some of the offers are also dependant on the Disney resort you choose to book.
If you book through the UK Walt Disney World Travel Company via www.disneyholidays.co.uk you’ll also receive some Exclusive Disney Magical Extras. These include between 10-20% off selected dining, merchandise and activities, plus 15% off your first online order at DisneyStore.co.uk.
Approximately 3 weeks before your travel date, you'll receive a pack containing the Magical Extras, an information booklet and some fun luggage labels:
Choosing a Disney Resort to suit you depends on a number of factors. These include group size, whether you're planning to take advantage of the Free Disney Dining offer and of course, budget.
The differences in Walt Disney World Resorts.
Disney categorises its resorts in to 3 main types: Deluxe, Moderate and Value.
Disney World Value Resorts
These are the least expensive, and are often the choice of large groups. Value resorts have the smallest rooms (with the exception of the Art of Animation Suites), and lack the finesse and recreational facilities of the more expensive hotels.
Value resorts have food courts rather than restaurants, however, they do have large pools (although none have slides) and are the cheapest way of staying on Disney property. This makes them a great choice for anyone just wanting to use the resort as somewhere to sleep after long days in the parks.
Disney World Moderate Resorts
Moderate resorts have larger bedrooms, and some even offer themed rooms, such as the Pirate Room at the Caribbean Beach Resort, or Royal Guest Room at Port Orleans Riverside - complete with light up headboards.
Moderate resort pools all have a waterslide, and each hotel offers extra recreational facilities. These vary between locations, but can include fishing, volleyball, bike rentals and horse drawn carriage rides. Plus a fun activity we’ve always enjoyed is the evening campfires with complimentary marshmallows.
As well a food court, there is at least one table service restaurants at each Moderate resort. Giving guests a wider choice of dining options.
We've stayed at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside on a couple of occasions. This moderate Disney resort is one of the best, and I wouldn't definitely recommend checking it out if you're seeking a Disney hotel within this category. You can read my full review here:
Disney World Deluxe Resorts
Disney's Deluxe resorts are the most expensive, boast the biggest rooms, best locations, and great facilities.
Rooms in the Deluxe resorts are accessed from internal corridors within the main building, rather than directly from outside, like the other resorts.
All Deluxe hotels also have the option of booking a Concierge level room. Which gives these guests access to a private lounge, where complimentary drinks and snacks are offered.
The Deluxe resorts also include 1 and 2 bedroom villas, complete with kitchen area and living room. As well as Studios with an adjoining kitchenette, housing a sink, microwave and small fridge.
Group Size
If you're a group of 4 (or less), the choice is yours. 5 or above, and your options become more limited. The tables below gives an overview of the number of guests each type of room can accommodate:
Value Resorts
| Resort | Standard Room | Family Suite | Resort Area (i.e nearest park/area) |
| Disney’s All Star Movies | 4 | - | Animal Kingdom |
| Disney’s All Star Sports | 4 | - | Animal Kingdom |
| Disney’s All Star Music | 4 | 6 | Animal Kingdom |
| Disney’s Art of Animation | 4 | 6 | Wide World of Sports |
| Disney’s Pop Century | 4 | - | Wide World of Sports |
All rooms can sleep an additional child up to the age of 3, in a cot.
Moderate Resorts
| Resort | Standard Room | Family Suite | Resort Area i.e nearest park/area |
| Disney’s Caribbean Beach | 5 | - | Epcot |
| Disney’s Coronado Springs | 4 | 6-8 | Animal Kingdom |
| Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside | 5 | - | Disney Springs |
| Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter | 4 | - | Disney Springs |
Also a Moderate Resort is Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, which have cabins to sleep 6.
All rooms can sleep an additional child up to the age of 3, in a cot.
Deluxe Resorts
| Resort | Standard Room | Deluxe Studio | 1 Bedroom Suite | 2 Bedroom Suite | 1 Bedroom Villa | 2 Bedroom Villa |
| Disney’s Contemporary & Bay Lake Tower | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
| Disney’s Grand Floridian | 5 | - | 6 | 8 | - | - |
| Disney’s Polynesian Village | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | 8 (Waterfront Bungalows) |
| Disney’s Wilderness Lodge & Villas |
4 (Deluxe Rooms sleep 6) |
5 | - | - | 4 | 8 |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | - |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Kidani Village) | - | 5 | - | - | 5 | 9 |
| Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas |
5 (Deluxe Rooms sleep 6) |
5 | - | - | 4 | 9 |
| Disney’s Beach Club & Villas | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| Disney’s Yacht Club | 5 | - | - | 4 | - | - |
| Disney’s Old Key West | - | 4 | - | - | 5 | 9 |
| Disney’s Saratoga Springs | - | 4 | - | - | 4 |
8 (Treehouse Villas sleep 9) |
All rooms can sleep an additional child up to the age of 3, in a cot.
Hint: If the price of these is beyond your budget, consider booking 2 (or more) connecting rooms at one of the value or moderate resorts.
Hint: If you're pricing up different Disney hotels, play around with dates a little. We've sometimes noticed a huge difference in the price of some Deluxe Resorts when altering the start date by one day.
Disney Dining Plan
The Disney Dining Plan hasn't yet returned since the parks reopened. However, when it does, this is another aspect to take in to consideration when choosing which Disney hotel to book, because the level of the Free Dining Plan depends on the category of resort you book.
Value Resort Guests are allocated one free breakfast voucher per person, per day.
Those staying in a Moderate Resort are eligible for the Quick Service Dining Plan. This includes 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks per person, per day.
While guests who book a Deluxe Resort receive the Disney Dining Plan - 1 table service meal, 1 quick service meal and 2 snacks per day.
The Disney Dining Plan also includes a refillable resort mug for each person in your party. Plus, as of 2018, it entitles you to a speciality non-alcoholic beverage, or an alcoholic drink of wine, beer and cocktails with every meal purchase.
Although it isn't offered as part of the UK Free Dining option, the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan includes 3 meals per day. Guests have a choice of quick service or table service, plus 2 snacks.
You can upgrade to this, or any of the other plans by paying an extra fee. This is something we took advantage of in 2017. Our stay at Port Orleans Riverside included the Free Quick Service Dining Plan, but we were keen to eat at some of the table service restaurants. So, for an extra £56 per day, we upgraded to the Disney Dining Plan, which included all of our table service meals.
Non-Disney hotels in Disney World
There are a number of non-Disney operated hotels situated in Walt Disney World, mostly in the Disney Springs area.
Some are within walking distance of Disney Springs, most offer a free shuttle to the parks and have different packages on offer.
Visit www.disneyspringshotels.com for up to date prices and information on the hotels within the Disney Springs area.
Disney World Swan & Dolphin
Two other hotels worth a mention are The Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin
Despite both of these resorts bearing the Walt Disney World name, they are not owned by the Disney Corporation.
However, they are situated within the parameters of Walt Disney World, in a very enviable Epcot Resort location, within walking distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Both hotels are serviced by the complimentary Disney transportation, and provide one of the cheapest ways to stay at Deluxe accommodation within Disney World.
One drawback is that these resorts are often used for various conferences, so they do have a more corporate vibe than the other Deluxe Disney hotels. However, a benefit of this, is that some of the best bars and restaurants on property are located here. The pool areas and public spaces are equally impressive.
Rooms at the Swan and Dolphin resorts can be booked via the Disney website (search for details by clicking on the 'Places to Stay' tab at the top of the UK Disney World home page, then choose 'Other Select Deluxe Hotels'). If this doesn't work, try via the owner company websites (Sheraton- Dolphin and Westin - Swan).
Offsite
If you decide against staying onsite, there are plenty of alternatives, including a whole host of hotels and self-catering accommodation to suit every budget.
Non-Disney Hotels
Before you decide to book a non-Disney hotel, check exactly what is on offer.
Free breakfasts: A big bonus. The offsite hotels we’ve stayed in have included a pretty decent breakfast in the room price. These far outweigh the limited selection of breakfast pastries available from counter service locations around the parks. Although the park table service restaurants offer a more hearty breakfast, these are expensive and time consuming.
Complimentary Shuttle Service: Beware! Some shuttles only operate to and from one park (commonly Epcot). So, to visit the other parks, you’ll need to transfer to another bus, expect to add another 35-45 minutes to your journey, then repeat the process in reverse for the return journey.
Some non-Disney hotels, mainly those which can also be booked through the Disney website, have a more extensive shuttle service. However, this service is still considerably more limited than the continuous Disney buses. There may only be one morning bus and one returning evening bus, which dictates your arrival and departure time at the parks.
Pay to park. Some offsite hotels will charge you a nightly parking fee, or will add on a ‘resort fee’ to include parking plus extras such as Wi-fi. Another small cost which can add up over the length of a holiday.
Disney also now charge for overnight parking at their resorts (previously a free benefit). The charges are on a tiered system according to resort ctegory: $13 per night for Value resorts, £19 for Moderate and a whopping $24 for Deluxe.
Private Villa
If you don’t fancy sharing a room with the kids for 2 weeks, are travelling in a large party or simply want more space, there’s an abundance of private villas available to rent.
Judging by the constantly increasing number of new builds popping up around the Disney area, this option is as popular as ever.
With such a huge choice, choosing one can become a little overwhelming. To narrow down your search a little, try ranking your options in order of preference. Consider: distance to the parks, gated communities, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, private pool, local amenities, price!
There are a number of websites offering rentals, having only booked through Trip Advisor, I can’t recommend one first hand. I have, however, been told that Windsor Hills and Vista Cay Resort are both great places to stay, so perhaps check these out.
4. How do we book our Walt Disney World holiday?
So, you’ve decided when you want to go and where you want to stay, now all you have to do is book the holiday. Surprise, surprise, more choices to consider:
Through a Travel Company
Such an overwhelming experience can feel less daunting when you’ve got the support of the ‘experts’. The whole trip is put together in a nice, neat package of flights, accommodation and park tickets. But don’t settle for the first price you’re quoted.
We’ve had success with high street agents price matching online quotes, as well as discounting to match rival companies.
What you see isn’t always what you get:
Travel companies tend to offer free car hire for the duration of your holiday, but the insurance cover is often a compulsory extra. The price of separate insurance can outweigh the cost of hiring a car with insurance included, so check what you’re getting before you consider this a good deal.
We always use Alamo, which includes the hire car and insurance. Just make sure you book your car hire early as prices can rise significantly nearer the start of your holiday. In 2017, the price of our car hire doubled just a few weeks before our travel dates.
Many travel companies will also claim they’re offering the same deals that booking directly through Disney will benefit you. However, in our experience, especially when we’ve asked for a discount, the gift card has always been omitted. While not exactly a deal breaker, the $200 gift card is worth around £150, so check your numbers.
Directly through the Disney website: www.disneyholidays.co.uk or www.disneyworld.disney.go.com
Booking your whole package (flight, accommodation and tickets) through the Disney website is one option. Disney tend to quote for flights with American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Delta and Virgin. Not every available flight will be quoted. However, if the flights suit, the full Disney package can work out cheaper than booking each component separately.
You will not be able to book a flight package through Disney until 11 months before your holiday, as this is when the majority of the flights will be released by the airlines.
It is possible to reserve your Disney hotel and park tickets via the Disney website, then call Disney to add flights on once they become available. This is especially helpful when trying to secure the UK promotions which often end earlier than the date on which the flights are released.
We tend to reserve our hotel and park tickets using the Disney website, then book flights directly with the airlines as soon as they become available to gain the cheapest flights.
Tour operators have the option to book packages and flights more than 11 months before you wish to fly. So, there are numerous options available.
Booking flights
We’ve flown to Orlando with Virgin, TUI and British Airways, and would happily fly with any of these airlines again.
Economy seats for all of these operators had plenty of legroom, seat back entertainment systems with up to date movies, meals and drinks included, as well as a generous luggage allowance. The only additional cost we’ve incurred has been to book our seats to ensure that we all sit together.
There are some minor differences between the airlines economy class (which I've outlined in the table below), but the main one is that Tui fly to Melbourne Orlando airport, not Orlando International.
| Airline: | Hand Luggage Allowance
(per seat) |
Hold Luggage Allowance
(per seat) |
Seat Pitch | Meals and drinks | Airport |
| British Airways | 23kg | 23kg | 31 inches | 3 course meal, pre-landing snack and all drinks included | Orlando International |
| TUI | 10kg | 20kg | 32 inches | 3 course meal, pre-landing snack and all drinks included | Melbourne Orlando |
| Virgin | 10kg | 23kg | 31-32 inches | 3 course meal, pre-landing snack and all drinks included | Orlando International |
The table above relates to Economy seat tickets only. Upgraded ticket types will result in upgraded features, such as extra luggage allowances, larger seat pitches or increases in meals offered, depending on the airline and ticket type purchased.
Hint: Consider booking a non-direct flight to Orlando. We’ve travelled via Atlanta on two of our trips, which saved us over £600 each time on the flights alone. In 2019, we flew to Miami, which was over £1000 cheaper than the direct flights available. So this is another option to consider.
Hint: If you’re planning to fly with Virgin Airlines, search for flights on the Delta website. As they’re partner companies, you’ll still fly on the Virgin plane but Delta will sometimes release their flights a day or two ahead of Virgin.
5. How do we book our Disney Park Tickets?
UK residents get a great deal when it comes to Disney tickets:
- UK tickets are Hopper Tickets, enabling you to ‘hop’ between the 4 parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) and 2 waterparks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon) as much as you wish.
- 14 day tickets are available for the price of a 7 day. This sounds like a major saving, it actually only works out at £10 per ticket, but that’s enough for a couple of Mickey ice-cream bars, so it’s all good!
- Memory Maker, Disney’s Photography service, is now included with all UK tickets. The standard gate price for this is $199 (approximately £150), so it’s a fabulous benefit.
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, park tickets can be added as part of your holiday package, whether you book through the Disney website or a tour operator.
Free Dining is linked to on-site guest tickets, so if you’re looking to secure the Free Dining promotion, park tickets must be included at the time of booking.
For guests planning to stay in an off-site hotel or villa, you can still purchase tickets through the Disney website, simply click the ticket only option on the front page.
Free Dining is only available to those guests staying at a Disney resort and there is a slight discount given to onsite guests, so you might find cheaper tickets through other companies.
Other websites worth a look are:
This company offer free delivery, no credit card fees and actual tickets (not vouchers to be redeemed). They also have a fabulous selection of tickets for other Orlando attractions, including: Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, Sea World, Aquatica and Busch Gardens.
We have used this company for tickets in the past, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.
Another company worth checking out is Attraction Tickets Direct
So, as you can see, there's lots to consider when booking your Walt Disney World holiday, but I hope that sharing our knowledge and experience has helped you in making the decisions which are right for you.
There's a huge range of further Walt Disney World information on our Disney pages. Below is an idea of what you can find:
