Four Ways to Book a Disney World Vacation

Looking forward to a Disney World vacation is a great feeling, but before you can anticipate, you have to lock it in. Some people love planning and research, some would love to wave a magic wand, and some don’t care as long as they didn’t overpay. What’s the best way to book a Disney vacation? We’ll compare four options so that you can decide what’s right for you.

This is how I usually make my Disney World plans, but I’m kind of a control freak. What’s not great: if I’m interested in any discounts that are released later, it’s on me to keep checking for them. And then it’s on me to try to rebook my reservation.

The good news: if you make a reservation yourself, you can transfer it to a travel agent within 30 days of booking. And then they can keep track of discounts for you.

Use A Travel Agent

Disclaimer up front: yes, when you write for a travel blog you get to know many travel agents personally. It might sound like I put this section together just to rustle up some business for my besties. But travel agents can be so beneficial that I’d be committing blogger malpractice if I didn’t lay it all out.

There are four big wins of using a travel agent:

• They have tremendous expertise
• They may offer swag or perks
• They will pro-actively rebook you if discounts are released
• What they do for you When Things Go Wrong

Onsite or off-site? How long to stay? Park hoppers or a base ticket? A travel agent can learn a bit about your family and use their knowledge of “the product” to help you find a personalized answer to these questions. When you book with a TA, you can be more confident that you’ll get the vacation you are expecting to have.

True story: I had a Disney cruise booked in April 2020, and I rebooked it for 2021 before Disney canceled it. When Disney did cancel it, I wasn’t sure if I qualified for the Future Cruise Credit. I wrote my travel agent, only to find she had already gotten the credit for me and applied it.

This story shows how effortless it can be to capture discounts with a travel agent. But it also shows how invaluable they can be when something goes wrong. When Hurricane Milton changed a lot of Disney World travel plans this year, agents spent a lot of time on hold with airlines and Disney. Their clients didn’t.

Using a travel agent doesn’t usually cost you anything, so you might wonder why we’re only halfway through this article. You can save more money with the next two approaches. But you’ll be giving up a few things to lock in those extra savings.

Rent Disney Vacation Club Points

Renting Disney Vacation Club points is a popular strategy for saving money on Deluxe-level resorts. How much money? Often 40-60%, or sometimes more. You’ll get a Deluxe stay at the same prices you’d pay for a Moderate. (Value, Moderate, Deluxe, Villa: What’s the Difference Between Disney World Resort Categories?)

With that kind of savings, you might instantly wonder why everyone isn’t doing it. The quick answer is that DVC point rental is not very flexible. You need to be able to plan well in advance, or at the last minute. And you must be very confident (very confident) that you’re not going to cancel. This is because you may not be able to get a refund on your vacation unless it’s through travel insurance.

You also won’t be able to reserve these rooms as part of a package. That means no bundling your room reservation with refundable tickets or dining promotions. You can add the Disney Dining Plan, but only for full price – no Free Dining, even if your dates qualify.

There are a few companies that serve as brokers between owners and renters. On their sites, DVC point rentals come in two flavors.

Confirmed Reservations

“Confirmed reservations” means that the owner has already booked the stay. You get the dates and resort that you see. The biggest upside of a confirmed reservation is that you can book it as soon as you see it. Also, these reservations can have some of the highest savings.

With a bespoke reservation, you make a request and the broker matches you with an owner who can make the booking. Pricing is per point, so your cost will depend on how many points the owner needs to spend. The upside here is that you get exactly the resort and dates that you want.

The downside is that there’s no guarantee. A longer lead time increases your chance of success, but that means you need to start as much as 11 months in advance. It’s not for everyone.

Book On a Third-Party Website

Third-party sites also come in two flavors. There are transparent sites where you can see what you’re booking like Expedia and Orbitz. Third-party sites also come in two flavors. There are transparent sites where you can see what you’re booking like Expedia and Orbitz. “Blind bidding” deals on sites like Hotwire and Priceline require a little more risk tolerance but can offer more savings.

With third-party reservations, refund and cancellation rules are whatever the site you booked with says they are. You won’t be able to call Disney for any changes you might need. (FAQ: Canceling a Walt Disney World Vacation) Travel insurance can reduce the risk, but it will cut into your savings.

Linking your reservation in My Disney Experience to access on-site perks can be trickier. You may need to go back and forth with your booking site a few times to get the correct number.

As with DVC rentals, you won’t be eligible for any package features. Unlike DVC rentals, there isn’t any way to add the Disney Dining Plan to these reservations.

If a Disney Special Offer is available, it’s usually better to take that discount and book with Disney. But otherwise, third-party bookings can be a good way to get a Disney World room at a reduced rate. When there is a crop of Priceline or Hotwire hidden deals available, we will often publish an article highlighting them.

What To Take Away

How should you book your Disney vacation? The answer to this partly depends on you.

⭐ Booking directly with Disney is good for those who are confident about exactly what they want. They’ll need to watch for discounts and rebook on their own. I should note that when I told a travel agent that I do it myself because I don’t want to bother an agent with multiple changes, she laughed at me in the nicest possible way. They’re used to it, she said, and they don’t mind.

⭐ Travel agents have a well-deserved reputation for taking away the stress of vacation planning. This can be especially helpful if you’re a first-timer. Agents can help with decisions, find great deals, and proactively rebook for discounts. And they shine if there’s a problem when you’re already on your way. Plus, they’re free to use! If you’re set on making the initial with Disney yourself, you can transfer it to a travel agent within 30 days of booking.

⭐ Disney Vacation Club point rentals offer huge savings if you want to stay in a Deluxe resort. The trade-off is that you may not find what you want. And you’ll want travel insurance because cancellations and changes are Not A Thing in the point rental world.

⭐ Third-party sites limit you to room-only reservations, and may have stricter cancellation policies. But if it’s dry season in Disney special-offer world, they can be a good way to find a reduced rate on lodging.

⭐ No matter how you choose to book, a TouringPlans subscription can help you save time and money on your trip. We can help you find savings on tickets, the best way to tour the parks, and more.

What’s your favorite way to book a Disney vacation? What has worked and not worked for you in the past? Let us know in the comments!