Planning a Disney World Vacation in 2026

A Disney World Vacation in 2026 brings with it a few new experiences, fewer crowds at new attractions, and some construction across the parks. There are continuing perks for Disney Resort guests, like the free Water Park ticket on check-in day, and early entry at the parks. As well as a new Mandalorian storyline coming to the Millennium Falcon ride in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know when Planning a Disney World Vacation.

2026 at Walt Disney World is a great year to travel, if you’ve been missing out on the fun. Newer experiences like the Starlight Parade at Magic Kingdom, and the Zootopia Show at Animal Kingdom join other newer attractions like the Spaceship Earth Lounge, the Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After Stage Show and the Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge too. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about planning a Disney Vacation in 2026.

Disney World Calendar

While choosing when to visit Walt Disney World may depend on work, school, and a variety of factors, it pays to know everything that’s happening during your trip. Our Disney World Calendar shows you all the events, visiting groups, anniversaries, and ride openings throughout the year.

Disney World Basics

Planning a Disney Vacation typically involves a lot of steps. As such, consider this your checklist for a Disney World Vacation in 2026. And if you go through this post, answering all the questions, you’ll have a complete Disney Vacation planned in no time. Getting some basic questions out of the way first will help nail down your Disney Vacation Planning for 2026. And we’ll share some details along the way so you can make the best choices as you tackle this vacation planning project.

To make things easy, get a handle on the main questions involved in planning a Disney World trip. Only you can answer these, and they will make planning your Disney World Vacation enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

1. How many people are in your travel party?
2. How will you get there?
3. When do you want to visit?
4. How long will you stay?
5. Where do you want to stay?
6. How many days will you be in the parks?
7. What is your Disney budget?

Who is included in your Travel Party?

How many people are going with you on this vacation? Is this a Disney adult trip or a family trip? Will you have pets that need boarding during your stay? Think of things ahead of time. It will be important that each person in your party has a My Disney Experience account. Before you do anything else, take some time to get these set up if you have not already!

How will you Get There?

Will you be driving or flying to Disney? Perhaps you are considering taking the train? We sometimes recommend driving to Disney, simply for convenience and safety. If flying you will need to consider airlines, the cost for each person, and additional transportation once you arrive in Orlando. Keep in mind that there are new ways to get from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World that will cost you.

When do you want to Visit?

Choosing the right time to take a Disney World Vacation can make or break your vacation. Take a look at our 2026 Disney Calendar of Events to get a handle on the holidays and events that may be happening during your stay. Things like runDisney marathons, festivals, and holiday weekends can all interfere with the best-laid plans. So, as you’re figuring out work and school schedules, compare them against the calendar to see what may conflict with or support your Disney Vacation. Be sure to check out the Best Time to Visit Walt Disney World post. And if you’re hoping to be in the parks during a certain festival, party, or holiday, take a look at our Year of Walt Disney World Events to get a glimpse of happenings each month.

How Long Will You Stay?

We always recommend staying on vacation as long as possible. Obviously. But since everyone has a “real life” to get back be sure to check out our post on How Many Days Should You Stay at Disney. This will give you a good idea of what you can fit into your vacation without feeling rushed. And give you some insight into what you may want to skip if you need a shorter vacation. The sweet spot tends to be between 7-12 days to help you really make the most of your vacation.

Where do you want to stay?

Choosing a Disney Resort or a Hotel Near Disney World is one of the most important parts of your trip, and will make or break the magic when it comes to having a good Disney Vacation. We talk more about Disney Resort options late in the post. But here are some things to consider. Will you want a resort within walking distance of certain Disney parks? Do you plan to have a car at Disney World and drive to the parks each day? Are you staying at any late night events  in the parks, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, that may warrant a resort that easy to get back to late at night. Are you planning to take breaks at the resort throughout the day, to stay out of the heat and crowds? Figuring out your ideal day at Disney World, can help you choose the best resort for your trip.

How many days will you be in the parks?

One of the best ways to save money on a Disney trip is to have fewer park tickets. This not only saves money, but also sanity, as every Disney trip is typically a mad rush to the rides, restaurants and shows. As such we typically recommend skipping the parks on your first day at Disney World, and your last day at Disney World. As both of these days are travel days, you may not be able to justify the cost of a park ticket, on a day when you can’t spend the full day in the parks, or are jet lagged from the trip.

What is your Disney budget?

How Much Does a Disney World Vacation Cost? To be clear, it doesn’t matter what amount you set for your Disney Budget. If it’s lower, then you can simply plan to stay at the cheaper Disney Resorts. While having more money allotted to your Disney Budget is helpful, and offers you tons of flexibility, we’ve done Disney World for 5 days on a $1500 budget, with 3 people in the past, and so can you. Things like traveling during the cheapest times of year, choosing the cheaper rooms, and finding Disney hotel deals with a third party, are all things you can do to save you money at Disney World. Choose an amount that works for you, and you can calculate the prices of things as you work through this planning checklist.

Disney World Planning Checklist

Planning a Disney Vacation typically involves a lot of steps. As such, consider this your checklist for a Disney World Vacation in 2026. And if you go through this post, answering all the questions, you’ll have a complete Disney Vacation planned in no time. Check out the Disney Vacation timeline to give yourself an idea of what to do when. 

1. Set up a My Disney Experience Account on the Disney Website
2. Choose How to Get There ( Fly/ Drive)
3. Choose Where to Stay ( Pick Your Resort)
4. Buy Your Tickets or Vacation Package
5. Get Your MagicBands
6. Book Your Transportation
7. Build Your Disney Itinerary
8. Book Dining Reservations
9. Add Special Event Tickets
10. Decide What to Pack

Add the My Disney Experience App to your Phone

Its important to download the My Disney Experience App on your phone. Once signed into your Disney account on this app you can access your park tickets, resort reservations, dining reservations, mobile order, and choose your Lightning Lane Passes. Check out everything you can do on the My Disney Experience App. This will be your most helpful planning tool for your vacation.

Get a Disney MagicBand+

In order to make the most of everything Disney Parks has to offer, then having a Disney MagicBand+ is necessary. It can open your resort room, scan you into your lightning lane rides, interact with the Golden Statues in the parks, and more.  You can buy these ahead of time at Disneystore.com, in the parks, and at a discounted rate when purchasing a Disney Vacation package.

Planning Sheets for  your Trip

If you want to see your vacation in print, so you can organize every day of your trip, we recommend grabbing one of our Vacation Planning Printables from the shop. Featuring fill in planning sheets so that you can plan your Disney Day Itinerary, Disney World Ride and Restaurant Lists and lined sheets so that you can organize your packing list, these are invaluable at making planning a Disney World Vacation easier.

Disney World Tickets and Packages

When choosing your Disney World Tickets as part of your vacation package there are a couple of things to consider that may help you save money, or help you save time. 

2026 Ticket Price Ranges Per Day

• Magic Kingdom: $139 – $199
• EPCOT: $129 – $184
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $139 – $194
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $119 – $179

Will you Want to be in the Parks Every Day of your Vacation?

The best length for a Disney Vacation is typically 7 days. Planning a week at Disney World means you’ll have at least one day in each park, and time enough to Visit the resorts, and Disney Springs. This also means you would need 5 park tickets for 7 day vacation, and plan to skip the parks for two days of your trip. Check out Disney World Checklists for what to do in each park, each day. 

What To Do At Walt Disney World Without a Park Ticket?

You can save money on tickets by skipping the parks on certain days of your vacation. From Mini Golf to Walking Paths, we’ve rounded up some fun ways to just take it easy on vacation. Check out 23 Things to do at Walt Disney World Without a Park Ticket for some ideas to help you save money and have fun, without the crowds.

Are you Adding a Park Hopper Ticket?

Do you need to be in more than one park per day? The Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket is an extra add-on ticket per length of your stay, so can get very pricey as an extra perk if you have several people in your travel party. The Park Hopper Ticket allows you access to more than one park per day and is an added convenience. As Walt Disney World is made up of 4 parks, this could allow you to spend your morning at Magic Kingdom and your evening at Hollywood Studios. We find there is enough at each park to warrant a full day, so never get the park hopper ticket. 

Are you Adding a Water Park and Sports Ticket?

Walt Disney World has 2 water parks; Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. They are open year-round. If you are traveling during the extremely hot and humid summer months of Florida, then a Disney Water Park ticket added for each person in your travel party may be a good idea. Just like any Disney park you can go and stay all day. The sports complex ticket gets you access to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course, and Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course.

Are you Adding Event and Party Tickets to your Vacation?

While the EPCOT festivals are FREE and included with your park tickets for the day, other events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are extra. For events like these, since special event tickets can often be as expensive as regular Disney tickets, we recommend skipping your day park ticket on the day of your special event. This will save you some money and allow you time to explore Disney Resorts, Boardwalk, or Disney Springs. Here are some additional events to consider adding to your Disney World Vacation in 2026.

• Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party: Magic Kingdom, mid-August- October.
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: Magic Kingdom, late November- December.
• Disney After Hours: Select Parks, intermittently throughout the year.
• Fireworks Dessert Party: select parks, intermittently offered throughout the year.

Are you Adding a Walt Disney World Tour to your Vacation?

Another way to make your Disney World Vacation in 2026 extra special is by adding a Tour. We most like the little tours that don’t take a ton of time, but still give you a behind-the-scenes look at Disney World, in all its glory. Tours can range from tens of dollars to hundreds of dollars per person. So be sure to do your homework if you’re thinking of adding a Disney World Tour to your trip. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Behind the Seeds Tour EPCOT 
• Wild Africa Trek Tour Animal Kingdom

Disney World Events 

Some of the best parts of a Disney World Vacation are the events. Epcot Festivals included in the price of a park ticket, specialty snacks, and even parties that cost extra, can all make your trip extra special. Here’s the lineup of when things are happening at WDW in 2026. 

Epcot Festivals

Happening throughout the year, back to back, you will most likely be visiting during one of the Epcot Festivals in Disney World. As such, along with the Disney Special Events that happen throughout the year, like special Disney After Hours events, you’ll have even more options of things to do during your visit. 

• Festival of the Arts at Epcot: January 16- February 23, 2026 CONFIRMED
• Flower and Garden Festival: March 4- June 1, 2026 TENTATIVE
• Food and Wine Festival: August 27 – November 21, 2026 TENTATIVE
• Festival of the Holidays: November 27 – December 25, 2026 TENTATIVE

Parties 

Parties for Halloween and Christmas includes special parades, fireworks, snacks, merchandise, and more! As such, be sure to read our guides linked below so you can get all the details on dates, costs, and more. 

• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: August 7 – October 31, 2026 TENTATIVE
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: November 4- December 18, 2026 TENTATIVE
• Jollywood Nights Christmas Party: November 7-December 19, 2026 TENTATIVE

After Hours

In addition to the regularly scheduled EPCOT festivals, and annual parties on the Disney World Events Calendar, you can also attend evening events in the parks. These Disney After Hours dates happening throughout the year, are offered for an extra cost, at select parks, on select nights only. These events require a special ticket, and take place after hours, with limited capacity. For the latest you can check out the Disney After Hours Events which includes all current event dates. 

runDisney 

Each with special themes, be sure to check out the runDisney Event Schedule for 2026, to see which races happen when. And if you’re not heading to the parks, you can still run a virtual race, with all the prizes, at home. Check out the runDisney Virtual Race Events as well. Here are the dates confirmed and tentative dates for runDisney Walt Disney World Races this year. 

• January 7-11, 2026: runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend CONFIRMED
• February 26- March 2, 2026: Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend CONFIRMED
• April 16- 19, 2026: runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend CONFIRMED
• October 22- 25, 2026: runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend TENTATIVE

Anniversaries

If you’re visiting in 2026, you can count on anniversaries that include new snacks, new merch, and perhaps a new Dooney and Bourke Disney bag. So, if you’re in the parks during a special anniversary, keep an eye out of limited time events, merch, and snacks to celebrate. 

• March 4, 2026: Zootopia 10th Anniversary
• April 12, 2026: James and the Giant Peach 30th Anniversary
• June 9, 2026: Cars 20th Anniversary
• June 21, 2026: Hunchback of Notre Dame 30th Anniversary
• July 2, 2026: The Great Mouse Detective 40th Anniversary
• October 1, 2026: Magic Kingdom’s 55th Anniversary
• September 28, 2026: Epcot Food and Wine Festival 30th Anniversary
• November 23, 2026: Moana 10th Anniversary

Disney World Changes

If you’re headed to Walt Disney World in 2026, in addition to all the holidays, group visits, and events below, you may also be up against constructions, refurbishments and new attractions. Here are all the new Disney World Attractions, and potential construction projects in 2026 that may affect your vacation. 

• Mandalorian and Grogu at Millennium Falcon | Hollywood Studios – May 22, 2026
• Muppets Rock N Roller Coaster | Hollywood Studios – Under Construction 2026
• The World of Monsters Inc. | Hollywood Studios – Under Construction 2026
• Cars Land | Magic Kingdom – Under Construction 2026
• Tropical Americas Land | Animal Kingdom Park – Under Construction 2026
• Disney Villains Land | Magic Kingdom – Under Construction 2026

Disney World Resorts

With over 25 resorts at Walt Disney World, at a variety of price levels, there are many places to stay on property at Walt Disney World. Are you looking for something fun that feels like Disney, as an All-Star Resort? Or something more relaxed and island-like like Caribbean Beach Resort? Perhaps you want glamourous accommodations at the Grand Floridian or animal viewing from your room at Animal Kingdom Lodge? Maybe you’re hoping for tons of ease and convenience and want a resort within walking distance of Hollywood Studios Park and EPCOT. Maybe check out the Boardwalk Inn? Think about which resort will make your Disney Vacation feel special. Walt Disney World has a variety of different resort types and category tiers. Here are the three options you can choose from and the transportation options at each. 

• Disney Value Resorts: Bus transportation. Pop Century and Art of Animation also have Skyliner transportation.
• Disney Moderate Resorts: Bus Transportation. Caribbean Beach Resort also has Skyliner transportation. The Port Orleans Resorts have boat transportation to Disney Springs. 
• Disney Deluxe Resorts. Bus transportation. Some offer monorail, ferry, and Skyliner transportation.

Disney Resort Perks in 2026

If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort in 2026, there are several perks you can count on as a Disney Resort  guest. 

• Early theme-park entry. Allowing entry into the parks 30 minutes before park opening.
• Discounted MagicBands upon checkout.
• Able to book Lightning Lane Multi-Pass  7 Days in Advance of Trip
• Chance to add the Disney Dining Plan to your package.
  • Free Kids Dining Plan with Purchase of an Adult Plan
• FREE Water Park admission on Check-In Day.
• Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for Deluxe Resort Guests
• Early booking for Special Events, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
• Free Disney Theme Park Parking

Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort Guests

Available to Disney Resort Guests, Early Theme Park Entry is a perk that allows guests to enter the parks 30 minutes before the official park opening time. Early Theme Park Entry Crowds will still be high. So, we recommend getting to the gates at least 30-60 minutes before your early theme park entry time if you’re hoping to rope-drop popular rides like Rise of the Resistance or Flight of Passage. 

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours

For Disney Deluxe Resort Guests, extended theme park hours are available for a couple of hours after regular park closing. At Magic Kingdom Park this means guests can typically stay from 11 pm to 1 am. At EPCOT guests can stay from 9 pm to 11 pm. Neither Animal Kingdom nor Hollywood Studios are currently included in this benefit. Be sure to check the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Schedule.

Free Water Park Admission on Check In Day

If you’re heading to Disney World in 2026, and staying at a Disney Resort, you get a Free Water Park Ticket for each person in your party on Check-In Day. This is a $70 dollar value. So if you planned on visiting the water parks anyway, you can save some money on your Disney World Vacation. 

Free Disney Dining Plan for Kids with Purchase

You can save some money on food during your Disney Trip, by getting a Free Kid’s Dining Plan, for kids age 3-9, when you buy an adult Dining Plan. Typically about the same cost as buying your food in the moment, the DDP allows you to pay for your food at Disney World ahead of time. 

Disney World Restaurants

One of the biggest expenses of a Disney Vacation in 2026 is food. Whether it’s the $10 breakfast and coffee, the $15 lunch, or the $40 dinner, something will catch you off guard when it comes to the cost of food. Disney snacks alone can be close to 8 dollars each, and you have to consider that’s just for 1 person. Check out our Disney Dining Budget post for details on how to budget your Disney food expenses. We typically say plan for between 70-100 dollars per person per day. If you’re interested in pre paying for your food at Disney World, you can grab the Disney Dining Plan!

Dining Reservation Timeline

The Disney Dining Reservation window for guests is 60 days before the first day of their vacation. We recommend reserving the most popular restaurants as soon as the window opens. As dining reservations are increasingly difficult to obtain during the busiest times of the year.

Disney World Rides

If you’re hoping to skip the line that is available via the Disney Lightning Lane service plan to spend about an extra $30 per person per day for a Lightning Lane pass. Alternative Rides Strategies  include aiming for popular rides at meal times, and during parades, arriving early, or staying late, and making a plan of which rides in each park are on your must-do list. This can help you keep an eye on high priority ride wait times in the My Disney Experience App throughout the day.

Disney Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Single Pass

Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi-Pass can be found within the My Disney Experience App and allows guests to have everything about their vacation at their fingertips. Typically between $20-$30 dollars per person per day. Though depending on demand and time of year, this can go as high as $35. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows Disney Resort Guests to choose an initial 3 lightning lane passes per day. These can be scheduled up to 7 days in advance of your trip arrival date. Non-resort guests can schedule up to 3 days in advance.

Disney World Transportation Options

It’s easy to use Disney Complimentary Transportation during your stay. Every Resort offers Disney Bus, and select resorts offer boat transportation, the monorail train, walking paths and the Disney Skyliner as other options to get to and from the parks and Disney Springs. This is one of our favorite ways to stay in the Disney bubble on vacation.

Transportation from the Orlando Airport to WDW Resort

You are on your own in regard to transportation to and from the airport to Walt Disney World. Of course, if you are driving to Walt Disney World then you can skip this step. If not be prepared to factor in transportation costs as needed. Whether that be a rental car or Uber, or Mears Connect, if you’re not driving to Disney, add this to your planning.

Disney World Vacation Cost

Just like everything Disney Vacations are getting more expensive. A week long trip to Walt Disney World for a family of four typically costs around $6000. With a price hike at least once a year, it’s best to local in lower prices now and adjust your vacation later.  That said, here are a few things to help you get the most value for your Disney World Vacation in 2026. Consider grabbing discounted Disney Gift Cards to pay for your vacation make the most of your budget. 

What is your Maximum Disney Budget?

A big thing to consider is your overall Disney Budget. Whether you are going into your planning with a maximum number you can’t go over OR just a general idea of costs you can stomach here are a couple of things to know.

• The longer you stay at Disney, the cheaper per-day ticket prices become.
• There are three levels of Disney Resorts when it comes to pricing; Value, Moderate and Deluxe.
• There are deals all year long that may work for you on Disney’s Special Offers page.
• Certain times of year are much cheaper. January, August and September are the cheapest months to visit Disney World. 
• Consider a Disney Food Budget as part of your expenses, as this cost can be close to $100 dollars a day per person, depending on the type of dining you choose.
• Discounts and special offers can be applied to an existing reservation.
• You will not Save Money on your Disney Vacation by waiting to book. Booking as early as you can lock in lower prices and gives you time to take advantage of deals that pop up along the way.
• Work with a Disney Travel Agent for Free to make the most of your budget.

Disney World Vacation Booking

If you’re looking at this list and wondering where to start, grab our printable Disney Deluxe Planner for a fill-in template that will get all your thoughts and ideas in one place. You can also bring all these questions to a Disney travel agent to get help with your vacation planning.

How do You Book a Disney Vacation?

Once you have gone through the entire planning process you are ready to book. You can do this quite easily by visiting the Walt Disney World website, putting in your dates, selecting your resort, and choosing your tickets.

• Disney World Packages (Resort Room + Tickets): A $200 dollar deposit is required to hold your vacation. The remaining balance is due 30 days before check-in. You can add the Dining Plan (when available). You are able to add Memory Maker. Your Disney Vacation can be canceled and refunded up to 30 days before your trip. Magical extras are included.
• Disney World Room Only: The deposit is your first night’s resort rate at the time of booking. The remaining balance is due at check-in. No dining plan is offered at checkout. Tickets purchased separately cannot be refunded, though the date of the tickets can be changed. No magical extras.

Can I book A Disney Vacation Now?

YES! 2026 Disney Vacation Packages are available now. Check out our Disney Timeline for all the details. In general, a Disney Resort room can be booked about 16 months in advance and Disney Packages for each year are usually released the previous summer. If you’re planning a Disney World Vacation in 2026, you can book it now.

What’s included in a Disney Vacation Package?

A Disney Vacation Package includes your hotel stay, your park tickets and your magical extras, which includes things like discounts on surrey bike rentals, Splitsville Lanes and free Miniature Golf Tickets. Magical Extras are only available if you stay at a Disney Resort. Staying at a Disney Resort also gets you perks like Early theme Park Entry, complimentary transportation, and the ability to purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Pass passes up to 7 days in advance of your trip.

Disney World Cancellation and Change Policies

Be aware of Walt Disney World’s cancellation policies. If you cancel less than 30 days before your trip there is a fee of $200. If you cancel less than 6 days before your trip the fee is the first full night’s room rate. You can change the date of your vacation up to 30 days before your vacation. Check out the Disney World website for all of Disney’s Cancellation policies.

Disney World Vacation Tips

There are always certain things that make a Disney World Vacation easier. Here are some of our best Disney Tips for an easy vacation.

Book Your Vacation Early

We share this with the knowledge that travel is at an all-time high, and if you are competing with just about everyone for rooms, rides, food, and space.  So, if you’re hoping for a Disney Vacation in 2026 and beyond book as early as you can! You can always adjust days, or add special offers along the way without any fees up to 30 days before your vacation, just by calling Disney.

If Flying, Book Your Flight Early

Airline fuel is expensive. As such, airline travel is getting more and more expensive! That said, just like hotel and car rental, if you are flying to Disney, be sure to book it as far out as you can. Try to select arrival dates of Tuesday or Wednesday- which are generally the cheapest flying days. At the latest, try to book your airline travel at least 45 days before your vacation mark for the best price. If you’re looking to avoid bag costs, try Southwest. If you’re looking for non-stop flights, we recommend Spirit. And if you’re anywhere near a Jet Blue hub, that’s the airline to choose.

Use a Travel Agent

Don’t be afraid to use a Disney Travel Agent. These are EXPERTS that are absolutely FREE and can help you with Advanced Dining Reservations, Lightning Lane Pass booking, and getting the cheapest rates for your whole trip. 

Visit During Low Crowd Times

A Disney Vacation in 2026 should see average crowds. You can expect high crowd levels through the summer and into fall as a result of this new attraction. Check out our Best Days to Visit the Disney Parks for a monthly breakdown of what is happening throughout the year.

A 2026 Disney World Vacation

Hopefully this post has helped you get a handle on all the things to consider for your trip. From where to stay to where to eat, to how to pay for it, and what’s happening while you’re there! No matter what, a Disney trip is always a fun time. Reach out if you have questions or need help planning your next trip!