Important Dates to Know When Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation

Planning a Walt Disney World vacation is magical — but timing is everything! From booking your resort and dining to snagging park reservations and special experiences, knowing when to mark your calendar can make all the difference between a smooth trip and a stressful one.

Here’s your guide to the most important dates and timelines when planning your Disney vacation.

1. Booking Your Resort Stay

When: As early as possible

Walt Disney World resort rooms open for booking long before tickets and packages do. If you have specific travel dates or a favorite resort (like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort or Pop Century), book early. Popular times like holidays, spring break, and summer fill quickly.

Travel Genie Tip: Booking through a Travel Genie ensures you get access to the best promotions automatically — even if they’re released after you’ve booked!

2. Advance Dining Reservations (ADR)

When: 60 days before your check-in date

Dining reservations open at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time exactly 60 days out — and if you’re staying at a Disney Resort, you can book for your entire stay (up to 10 days) at once!

This means you’ll have first access to hard-to-get favorites like:

  • Cinderella’s Royal Table

  • Space 220

  • Oga’s Cantina

  • Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast

Travel Genie Tip: Your Genie will handle this for you! You can sleep in while we snag your dream dining reservations.

3. Enchanting Extras & Special Experiences

When: Also 60 days in advance at Midnight EST.

These include popular add-ons like:

  • Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointments

  • Fireworks dessert parties

  • Keys to the Kingdom tours

  • Savi’s Workshop (build your own lightsaber!)

These experiences book up just as fast as dining — so your 60-day mark is key.

4. Final Payment Deadline for Vacation Packages

When: 30 days before your arrival

If you’ve booked a Walt Disney World vacation package (resort + tickets), your final balance is due 30 days prior to your check-in date.

Room-only reservations have different policies — typically requiring one night’s deposit upfront and the remainder at check-in.

5. Booking Flights

When: Around 6–8 months in advance

While Disney doesn’t sell flights directly, locking in your airfare early helps you get better rates and more ideal flight times — especially for peak seasons.

Travel Genie Tip: We’ll help coordinate your flight arrival with your Disney transportation or private transfer to ensure a smooth start to your trip.

6. Special Event Tickets

When: Usually 3–6 months before the event

Disney’s seasonal events like:

  • Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

  • Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

  • After Hours events

They sell out quickly! Watch for Disney’s announcements and let your Travel Genie grab them as soon as they’re released.

7. Genie+ and Lightning Lane Planning

When: Day of your visit

Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel can purchase and make Lightning Lane selections up to 7 days before their park visit (for their entire stay, up to 14 days).

Guests not staying at a Disney Resort can make their Lightning Lane selections 3 days before their park visit.

Travel Genie Tip: Booking early gives you the best chance at high-demand attractions like TRON Lightcycle / Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance!

Final Thoughts

A Disney vacation is full of magic — but it’s also full of moving parts. Knowing these key dates helps you stay one step ahead so you can focus on the fun instead of the stress.

And remember: your Travel Genie will handle all these details for you — from dining reservations to discount monitoring — so you can simply show up and enjoy your dream vacation.