It’s that special time again! Walt Disney World Resort bookings for theme park tickets, Disney Resort hotel stays and packages for visits in 2023 are now available. Before you visit, there’s a lot to consider. The Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration is going on through early 2023. The World’s Most Magical Celebration is an 18 month overlay that starts October 1st, 2021 and ends March 31st, 2023. If you’re wanting to get that earidescent magic into your trip, early 2023 it is. Then there are festivals and seasonal offerings to consider. For more information that will help you plan your next trip, you can also follow along with our monthly Walt Disney World updates series. Each month we cover reopenings, new rides and shows, refurbishments and more! Let’s dive into an overview of the Disney vacation packages 2023 has to offer.
Disney Vacation Packages 2023: Self Booking or Using a Travel Planner
2023 Disney vacation packages are now available to book online or through your travel planner. You are able to just book a room, buy tickets or book a package which consists of a room and tickets. Online you can start with the Build Your Vacation bar up top on the Disney World website. This prompts potential visitors to start by choosing dates, the number of adults and children in the travel party and hotel preference. From there you can search through hotel availability. The next step is adding tickets and extra options like park hopping if you so choose.
If it’s been a while since your last trip, or you’re a first timer, know the famed Disney Dining Plan still hasn’t made a comeback. At this time Disney vacation packages for 2023 can consist of a hotel room and tickets. Nearly everything else is booked separately and individually. Authorized Disney travel planners are incredibly helpful and provide fee free planning. Not only will they book Disney vacation packages but they can plan an itinerary, book dining reservations and special extras mentioned below and more.
Comparing Disney Vacation Packages and Renting Hotel Rooms with Booking with DVC Points
After a quick search for four week nights in August of 2023, results brought back a rate of around $2300 before taxes for a stay at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Results will vary, of course. Also note this doesn’t include any discounts that someone might be eligible for like Florida Resident, Annual Passholder or Disney Chase Visa. If you’re a regular Disney goer that goes every year or every other, you might want to consider Disney Vacation Club. Even if DVC seems out of your budget upon first glance, resale DVC might be the perfect fit. Resale contracts are sold by Members, not Disney, and are much more affordable. Buyers often save thousands with resale. And if you’re already committing to going to stay at Disney regularly, or want to, this could be a much better spend.
For example, as of June 2022, resale contracts at Disney’s Beach Club Villas are going for around $171 per point in price depending on the size of the contract. Contracts with high point values typically go for a little less per point and contracts with less points are priced a little higher per point. It’s worth considering that a small 75 point resale DVC contract can be bought for around $14,000. When you’re paying between $2000 and $3000 for the hotel on one short vacation and could pay $14,000 for many years of vacations, it’s time to get out the calculator. Note there are also annual dues to consider but resale DVC still comes out ahead in most cases. Disney vacation packages are exciting but getting an excellent price on years of Deluxe hotel stays is even better.
Early Theme Park Entry Extended Through 2023
Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort Hotel Guests has been extended through 2023. This is like an Extra Magic Hours replacement but allows guests to enter Walt Disney World theme parks 30 minutes early every day. This, of course includes Disney Vacation Club properties! See the official site for more information on Disney World early entry. Here’s the full list of eligible resorts with Disney Vacation Club properties in bold.
Disney resorts with perks include Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort,
Disney Vacation Club resorts include Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village, Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Additional resorts with these perks include Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort, B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando, Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, Four Seasons Resort Orlando, Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista.
Disney Genie+ Changes
Moving forward, Disney Genie+ is no longer part of pre-booked Disney vacation packages. Instead, it is only available for purchase in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit. Advanced purchase is no longer offered. If you’ve already purchased Disney Genie+ in advance it will be honored. Disney Genie+ will now be sold in limited quantities as well. It’s possible it could sell out for the day with these changes in place. The pricing structure for Disney Genie+ has also changed and now fluctuates based on the day like tickets. The service started at $15 but has since been as high as $22.
Disney Vacation Packages 2023 and the Disney Dining Plan
Disney announced the Dining Plan would return ‘soon’ in 2021. At this point, the popular offering is still not available. Even when the Disney Dining Plan is available to be booked as part of Disney vacation packages, there is still additional planning to do for dining. Whether you have the Disney Dining Plan or not, you still need to book Advance Dining Reservations for sit down restaurants. Dining reservations are very necessary for most restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort. Character dining is especially popular. It’s possible to book some dining reservations the week of your trip. For the best outcome, book as soon as possible. This will help you get your top restaurant picks.
Tips for Disney Dining
Dining reservations can be made online, via the My Disney Experience app or by calling (407)WDW-DINE. If you aren’t able to get the restaurant reservations you want during the initial booking period, there’s still another chance. Yes it’s possible, though not so efficient, to keep checking back up until your trip. However, the most effective time to check is the day before or the morning of when you potentially want to dine. Many reservations become available each day as guests cancel or change their plans. When looking for reservations during your trip, always try the morning of or the day before. Those cancelling reservations and wanting to avoid fees need to cancel within a certain period of time, hence freeing up space. You can always visit the concierge in the lobby for assistance on your trip.
Booking Enchanting Extras for 2023
After the 2020 closure, the Disney World vacation experience debuted with fewer options and offerings out of necessity. For 2023, more is available including many Enchanting Extras as Disney calls them. These are exciting plans and offerings to include in your vacation itinerary for an additional cost. These also must be booked separately and are not part of Disney vacation packages. The most popular and well known of these may be the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. As of late 2022, only one of these locations has reopened. That’s the Magic Kingdom location which is inside Cinderella Castle. This salon style princess hair and makeup experience is for young guests between the ages of 3 and 12.
Other beloved Enchanting Extras include spa services like those enjoyed at the Grand Floridian Spa and Mandara Spa. Massages, facials and more can help you truly relax on your trip. Grand Floridian Spa appointments can be booked online as can Mandara Spa appointments. Guided tours are also a fun part of the Disney Parks experience. This can include varying styles of touring the parks from educational commentary to expedited access to attractions. Some fan favorites are the Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot and special animal experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom like Up Close with Rhinos.
Celebrate with Something Special on Your Disney Vacation
More extras you’ll love at Disney Springs include Vintage Amphicar Rides and the Aerophile balloon ride. Again, these are an extra cost and not included with Disney vacation packages but very memorable. It’s nice to have options and cater to your travel party’s interests. Drawn to Life Presented by Cirque du Soleil and Disney is also something that will add to any trip. This is the first true collaborative effort between Disney and Cirque and it’s a wondrous production that leaves guests delighted.
Then there are extras like cake ordering which can enhance special occasions. If you’re tempted, remember life is a special occasion and cake on vacation is always a good idea. Specialty Mickey Mouse cakes can be delivered to your restaurant table when ordered in advance. For vegan, gluten free or dairy free diners or those avoiding other common allergens, try Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC. This grab and go spot located at Disney Springs also takes orders for cakes in advance. Erin McKenna’s cakes can also be delivered to participating table service restaurants.
Celebrate something special by trying something new on your next trip. The Wilderness Back Trail Adventure at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a Segway tour. For more magical fun, consider Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Savi’s Workshop Handbuilt Lightsaber experience, Surfing Programs at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Splitsville Luxury Lanes, fireworks dining packages, private specialty cruises, Sangria University at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, swimming with dolphins at Epcot, the Fort Wilderness Archery Experience, golf lessons, horseback riding, horse drawn carriage rides, fireworks dessert parties, painting experiences and more.
The number to call for booking most Enchanting Extras is 407-WDW-PLAY. See more magical add ons on the Enchanting Extras page on Disney’s site.
DVC Resale Experts
DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. Disney Vacation Club is the ultimate way to plan your Disney trips for years to come. Resale DVC presents the opportunity to buy a contract from a Member that’s selling theirs instead of from Disney directly. This often saves Members thousands of dollars for the same great timeshare experience aside from a few small differences. You can trust our licensed real estate agents, who are former Disney Vacation Club Guides, to answer your questions and help you every step of the way. See our resale DVC listings for a look at what’s available right now.
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