So, you’re tossing around the idea of visiting Walt Disney World in 2018? We agree that with new expansions, fantastic resorts, incredible theme parks, wonderful entertainment and delectable food, there’s never been a better time to visit. However, for first-time planners sorting out plans for 2018, there are a few things we here at Disney Addicts thought it would be helpful to know. With this in mind, we give you 10 Tips for Those Planning a 2018 Walt Disney World Vacation.
1. There are a few discounts out for Early 2018 but packages later in the year are non-discounted. Those looking to bag a bargain straight out of the gate for 2018, would do best to look in the early part of the year. Walt Disney World is currently running two promotions. The first is a Play, Stay and Dine Package for select stays between January 1st – March 10, 2018. As of going to print, this offer has been out for over a month and availability is very patchy. To secure the offer guests would need to book by December 22, 2017. The second offer is a Room Discount good on select stays between January 1- April 14, 2018. Guests in the Deluxe or Villa Category can save up to 25%, Guests at Moderates 20% and Values 15%. This offer would need to be booked by January 2, 2018. Both offers are limited and have many exclusions. For details on both, check out this article. For guests travelling later in the year, the packages quoted just now would be non-discounted as Disney will not release discounts for travel dates for Summer and Fall 2018 until into next year.
2. Caribbean Beach Resort & Coronado Springs Resort are Going Through Massive Renovations – 2018 marks an exciting year for renovations at two of Disney’s Moderate Resorts. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is being completely revamped with new central amenities, eateries and a waterfront space. Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is having a new high rise hotel tower built as well as a lot of work done to landscaping and waterways. Though you may see great rates for these resorts going into 2018, it is important to know that you will encounter construction. If you don’t mind a bit of upheaval if it means a good rate then these properties may be perfect for you. However, if you think construction could put a damper on your vacation consider booking one of the Port Orleans properties in the Moderate category instead.
3. Disney World is Already Pretty Booked Up the Weeks of Valentines and President’s Day – I’ve been working on a lot of quotes recently for guests looking to book during the weeks of Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day and I thought it worth pointing out that availability is incredibly tight. This is one of the most popular weeks to visit Walt Disney World as lovebirds and people looking to take advantage of the long weekend flock to the parks. If you’re were thinking of squeezing in a trip the weeks of February 11th and February 18th, you may face very limited resort availability. Is it still possible to find a package during this week- yes! However, you will feel the crunch and may have to compromise when it comes to resort choices.
4. Free Dining Has Historically Been an Autumn Promotion – Those looking to book a vacation as part of Disney World’s insanely popular FREE dining promotion should know going into 2018 that this usually an Autumn only promotion. The promotion typically runs from the end of August through until December. It is unlikely that you will see it offered during the Spring or Summer months. Also, we don’t know yet whether FREE dining will be offered in 2018. Disney has made a lot of restrictions to the offer over the past few years so its something we in the Disney-sphere are carefully watching. Should you hold out for FREE dining? I get asked this question every day and always say that Disney discounts shouldn’t be taken as a given. Book early to lock in the rooms and packages that you want but make sure your package is in your “comfort zone” in case discount offers don’t spring up like you’d hoped.
5. There Will Be Other Promotions Offered Throughout the Year- In addition to FREE dining and the two Early 2018 offers listed above, Disney does historically offer other discounts throughout the year. Here’s a quick look at what else was on offer in 2017 so you know what to be on the lookout for.
- Discounts for January – June 2017 : 10 – 25% off Room Discount Offer. On sale after Christmas 2016 through to the end of March 2017 for travel dates between February 20, 2017 and June 10, 2017. This was a room-only discount with savings between 10- 25% depending on the resort category.
- Summer Discounts for May – August 2017: Free Quick Service Meal Package. On-sale dates were December 28, 2016 through February 12, 2017 for stays starting May 30th thru August 24, 2017. The package offered 1 free Quick Service meal a day per person. Visitors over 4th of July weekend were not eligible for the discount. Summer Room Discount Offer. Released on March 17, 2017 and bookable through July 14, 2017, Disney offered an Enchanted discount for stays from May 28th thru until August 31, 2017. The discount offered 15- 25% off accommodation depending on where you stay. The higher the resort category the greater the discount.
- Fall Discounts August – December 2017: Fall Room Discount Offer. On April 24, 2017 Disney released 2 promotions for the latter half 2017. The first was a 15 – 30% room discount offer. The discount was good on vacations running from August 1st – October 1st, 2017 and was bookable until August 31st, 2017. As with previous room discounts, the percentage of savings was greater the higher your resort category with Deluxe Resorts offering a larger discount than Values.
6. Toy Story Land Will Open in Summer 2018 – Those wanting to see and experience something new at Walt Disney World may want to wait until the Summer of 2018 and beyond to enjoy the new Toy Story Expansion coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This new area of the park will offer a brand new family coaster, Slinky Dog Dash as well as fun ride dubbed Alien Swirling Saucers featuring everyone’s favorite little green aliens and of course “The Claw.” The area will also feature a new quick-service eatery modelled after Andy’s Lunch Box. Guests who haven’t been to Disney in a while will definitely want to check it out the Pandora: The World of Avatar area of Animal Kingdom Lodge which opened up last year.
7. Christmas Will Be a Very Busy Time to Visit Walt Disney World in 2018 – I’m always surprised by the number of first-time visitors that tell me they’d like to visit the parks during Christmas when everything is “a bit less busy.” On the contrary, Christmas is actually one of the busiest times of year to visit Walt Disney World with the parks often nearing capacity on the Christmas and the days following. Can you still have an amazing destination Christmas at Walt Disney World? Absolutely, but it does require a bit of extra planning and a brave-the-crowds sort of attitude. Other busy times of year include Memorial Day Weekend, Summer, Labor Day Weekend, and Thanksgiving. For a more thorough list of best/worst times to visit in 2018 check out this article.
8. Some Times of Year are Better To Visit Disney World Than Others Off-peak seasons at Walt Disney World are slowly becoming a thing of the past. However, there are still some times of the year that tend to be not as busy as others. Great times to go would be the month of May, late August, September, Early November and Early December. These tend to be good times of year when it comes to smaller crowds, milder temperatures and potential discounts.
9. You Can Pay A Deposit for Your 2018 Vacation and Not Pay Anything Further Until 30-Days Before Your Travel Dates – A lot of first-time visitors don’t realize that deciding to commit to a Walt Disney World vacation doesn’t need to mean breaking the bank right before the holiday season. Quite the opposite. Whether you’re staying 2-days or 10-days, when you book a Walt Disney World vacation package, a $200 deposit is required per room to secure your reservation. Nothing further is due until 30 days before your vacation. This gives families plenty of time to save in the lead-in to your holiday. Guests can also cancel anytime up to 30 days before your vacation and receive a complete refund.
10. Booking Now Doesn’t Mean Missing Out on Discounts Later – If you book your package directly with Disney or with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, discounts can be applied to your reservation even after you’ve booked. As a matter of fact, a good Disney Travel Agent will always be looking to make sure that you are getting the best rates out there. Booking early is a great way to secure the package you want while waiting to see if a special discount comes up.
These are just a few of the tips we here at Disney Addicts hope to share with you in the year ahead. Keep following along for the latest Disney planning tips and tricks and with our sister site Chip and Co. for the latest in Walt Disney World news and updates.
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Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider booking your next Disney holiday with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I can help you plot out your perfect holiday, work with you to come up with unique ways to make your holiday truly your own, and make sure that you are always getting the best deals and discounts (even after you’ve booked.) Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook.
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