For me, with my addiction, there are few things as fun as planning a Disney vacation. For the most part, WaltDisneyWorld.com is a pretty user friendly website for doing just that. While there are some features that could be improved, the interface is pretty solid.
My parents are planning a trip in October. They're hoping to get the free dining special offer for their dates. Would you believe that there are no moderate or deluxe hotels available with that offer for the entire length of their stay? Daily, I visit the website to see what's available. The website is set up nicely for you to see if there are specials for your stay. Some places try to hide the discounts, but the Disney site puts them right there for you to see.
The special not available for the resort you chose? No problem. The site makes other suggestions, based on what is available. Once you start your search, there is a side bar that allows you to edit any part of your potential reservation.
Once you have the hotel you want for your chosen dates with your preferred discount, you can then add or change your tickets. You can add different ticket features. Planning on flying in to Orlando? Disney will take you from the airport to your hotel at no extra charge. All you need to do is let them know when you make your reservation, and they'll give you a ride. You can do all of that while making a reservation online.
Let's say you're not ready for that kind of commitment. You can still price out your options using those same tools. You can look at the cost for different hotels. There is a place where you can see all of the ticket prices with all of the different bells and whistles. If you're looking for basic information, the Disney website is the place to go.* It's easy to navigate and user friendly.
Another nice feature is the online dining reservation feature. You can now make your dining reservations right on the website. You can input the date and time, and the site will show you all available restaurants. You can filter by type or restaurant or location, as well. Reacting to popular demand**, Disney has also put their menus on the site. If you're looking at a particular restaurant, you can view their offerings, usually for each meal time. In the past, I had to visit multiple sites to garner that information. It is nice to have it all in one place.***
Additionally, there are a great many more resources on the site. You can get park hours, as well as a list of rides that are being refurbished. You can research the special Disney events. More information is also available about each resort. If you want something more concrete, you can order a trip planning video or personalized maps, all free of charge.
While the website is much nicer than in the past, with more useful bits of information, there are still small bugs that need fixed. For example, my trip countdown has been stuck at 48 days since we made our reservation. Let's just say that number is incorrect. It hasn't been changing. Of course, that's a small complaint. Heck, you can even check in online, so I shouldn't really be complaining about anything. Although, it still doesn't show all my dining reservations like it is supposed to.
If you are thinking about a Disney vacation, the first place you should go is the Disboards, but if you're ready to take the plunge, don't hesitate to use the website to book your vacation and meals. It's user friendly, and you don't have to give all of your information like you do on the phone. Or rather, it's just a bit easier if you would have to call multiple times.
*Yes, I know that makes perfect sense. That being said, there are times that a website is so unpleasant that I would rather guess at the information than use it.
**And common sense.
***Now, they just need some food porn to go with it.
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