How do you plan a Disney trip when you don’t know your dates yet?
Pick the season first, then the trip length, then the resort hotel tier. None of the three needs a date, and together they make up most of the plan. Lock in the resort hotel and tickets early, then move the reservation if your dates shift, subject to availability. Everything else, like dining and ride passes, comes 60 days out or closer.
Pick the season before the dates
The real decision is when to visit at the season level: crowds, heat, and events differ far more between February and July than between one February week and the next. Settle the season and the dates become interchangeable, which is exactly what a family without a firm calendar needs.
Trip length is the second dateless decision, and how many days you want changes the budget more than the week you pick.
The resort hotel tier is the third. These three choices are the same in any month, so you can make all of them before you have dates.
Lock in the resort hotel and tickets early. Room inventory gets much tighter as the trip gets close, and a family that waits until 60 days out has missed the best selection. The rest of the choices can wait: dining opens 60 days out, Lightning Lane passes open seven days out for resort hotel guests, and park hours post closer to the date.
When to pick dates fast
- Holiday and break weeks. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and spring break sell out earliest. If the trip can only happen on a school break, book those dates as soon as the school posts them.
- Trips planned around an event. Disney announces festival, party, and runDisney® weekend dates months ahead. When the event is the reason for the trip, wait for the announcement, then book around it.
Booking before your dates are set
Book a refundable package in the middle of your likely window, with tickets included if you can already say how many park days you want. Moving it is a modification, not a cancellation, and you can move it as many times as you need, subject to availability.