The holidays can be a MAGICAL time to visit Disney World.

Disney World holidays bring parties and events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom, the Festival of the Holidays and the Candlelight Processional in EPCOT, plus all the beautiful holiday decorations. And Santa, of course! But holidays also bring CROWDS, which means planning your trip as far as you can in advance is an ideal plan.

Book Park Reservations NOW

Park Reservations are still required in Disney World through at least 2024 and trust us — you don’t want to risk them selling out. You can already book your November and December 2023 park passes, so at this time you just need tickets or a hotel reservation to book your park passes.

Without a park reservation, you can’t get into a Disney Park, nor are you able to Park Hop, which is only allowed after 2PM and after you scan into your original reservation. Holidays tend to sell out fast in Disney World, so don’t assume you can wait.

The 2023 Disney World Park Passes you NEED to book now.

Avoid Price Increases

Price increases are pretty much expected in Disney World and that can also apply to hotels and tickets. You might think it’s better to buy tickets closer to your trip but you’re better off booking as soon as you’re able to, BEFORE any new price increases are put into effect.

If you book as soon as you know your trip dates, you’re getting ahead of any potential 2023 hotel and ticket price increases. Book now to lock in your rates!

Disney CEO Bob Chapek comments on potential price increases in Disney Parks.

Start Monitoring Flight Prices

It’s time to start monitoring flight prices — yes, even this far in advance! There are good and bad times to book flights and it’s also good to know which apps and websites are the best to get the cheapest options. Planning so far in advance also gives you time to identify peak times to buy, as you observe prices changing.

You can try using Google Flights, apps like Troupe, or whatever you feel comfortable using. You don’t want to wait until flights reach a price that’s out of your budget.

COMPLETE guide to booking the cheapest flight to Disney World!

Be Ready For 2023 News

As the holidays get closer, Disney will announce dates of events, festivals, and more, and as soon as those official dates are released — you can imagine what happens next. Hotels and park reservations fill up FAST.

However, if you already have your trip booked when the news drops, you won’t have to stress much at all other than getting event tickets! You’ll already have a head start on your bookings before they start selling out.

Holiday events to prepare for typically include Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom, the Festival of the Holidays in EPCOT, potential attraction openings, and more. Disney typically announces these events a few months before they begin, so if you wait until then you might not have enough time to get your plans cemented.

Find out how EARLY you should plan your 2023 Disney World vacation.

You’ll Have Time to Save and Budget

If you start planning your 2023 holiday Disney World trip now, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to save and budget for over a year before your visit. Instead of dropping cash on everything all at once, you can book your trip slowly and have plenty of time to save for everything you need — hotel, tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.

You can also budget to pay a set amount each month, which also gives you the freedom to pay for your trip little by little. Either way, the longer in advance you plan your Disney World trip, the more of a financial advantage you have.

Small price increases that make a BIG difference to your Disney World budget.

BONUS

As a bonus, you have the opportunity to give your kids a gift they won’t forget. This Christmas, tell them they’ll be spending next year under the tree at Magic Kingdom!!

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed by everything involved in planning a Disney World trip, don’t stress! Using a travel agency like Small World Vacations can make a HUGE difference. They can do all the booking for you, find discounts you didn’t know existed, and basically take away all the stress of planning.

Keep following DFB for more Disney travel tips!

Should I use a travel agent for my Disney trip? Find out more here!