Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can be challenging because there are many options. In addition, Walt Disney World has its own language – with various acronyms and terms that may seem very difficult for beginners to learn. Because a Disney vacation can be expensive, you want to get it right.
Many families will book Disney World family vacation packages, which can include hotels, park tickets, and dining. It can be a convenient way to make sure that you get everything that you need to book before your trip (although restaurant reservations and purchase of Lightning Lane Multi Pass are separate).
Thinking of planning a vacation to the Walt Disney World resort? Here’s everything you need to know about Walt Disney World family vacation packages.
Disclosure: I am a former planDisney Panel member and have been on some complimentary press trips at Walt Disney World, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, and a purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no cost to you.
When booking your Walt Disney World vacation, consider purchasing through our affiliate Get Away Today. They offer great prices on tickets and can book many hotels.
Booking a Disney Vacation Package
You can book a Disney vacation package to best suit your needs. These packages can be booked directly through Disney (online or via phone) or a Disney travel agent. If you aren’t entirely sure what you want or how to proceed, I’d recommend booking your Walt Disney World resort vacation package through a travel agent.
Included in Disney Vacation Package
Because Disney vacation packages are flexible, you can choose whether to include the Disney Dining Plan and/or ground transportation.
- A room at a Walt Disney World resort hotel
- Tickets to the parks
- Disney Dining Plan (either Quick-Service or the standard dining plan)
- Memory Maker
- Ground Transportation (car rental)
- Travel Protection (travel insurance)
These are all options, so you don’t need to include everything in your vacation package. It’s up to you.
Options in Your Walt Disney World family vacation packages
Thinking of booking a Disney vacation package? First, you’ll want to decide on the dates that you plan to go. This is the first step – everything else flows from there. As you decide, check out the best times to visit Walt Disney World here.
Once you choose your dates, you’ll find out which resorts are available. You can find out more about choosing a Walt Disney World resort here. When you select your preferred resort, you can see the available room types.
Keep in mind that last-minute bookings can often be difficult. The Disney resort rooms sell out, especially when there’s a special event at the parks – like the Walt Disney World marathon. Purchasing your vacation package as early as possible is best to have the best available choices.
Every resort has a different set of room types. These vary by resort but can include preferred locations and various views. You can save money by getting a standard room with no view – so think about how much time you plan to spend at the resort. You won’t want to pay for something that you aren’t going to take advantage of.
If your preferred resort isn’t available for your chosen dates, you’ll want to pick different dates or a different hotel. If any Disney special offers are available for your trip, you should be able to access them now.
After picking your resort, you’ll see ticket options. First, you’ll choose the number of days. We usually get tickets for about five days, although we’ll stay for six days. That way, we’ll have the option of going to Disney Springs one day. Hanging out at your resort is another great option, especially if you want to enjoy the resort amenities (like the pool).
After picking your days, you’ll choose the type of Disney World park tickets you want. Base tickets include one theme park per day. Or, you could decide to get park hoppers and will be able to go to more than one park per day.
You can also add on admission to the water park/sports. That comes with admission to the ESPN Wide World of Sports, Oak Trail for 9 holes of golf or foot golf, for minigolf, or for admission to the water parks.
My family prefers the four theme parks (the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom). But, if you like water slides, the two water parks are fantastic.
Our family always gets the park hopper option because we like being able to go to dinner in a different park than the one we spend the day in. Finally, you could also choose the park hopper plus option. With those tickets, you’ll also be able to visit the water parks (among other fun options).
At this point, you’ll receive the price of your package and be able to add any additional extras. You can add one of the dining plans, add ground transportation, and purchase Memory Maker before getting your final package price.
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Want to purchase the Lightning Lane multi-pass? That can be done seven days in advance of your visit (for on-property guests) or three days before your park visit for an off-property guest.
There are a few other things to note. The Magical Express is no longer offered, so you’ll need to find your own transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport if you are flying in. In addition, MagicBands are not offered to resort guests, so you can purchase them (or reuse older ones) if you want to use them.
In 2025, Disney resort guests can also visit a water park for free on their arrival day only. See this article for more information on how it works.
