Planning a Last Minute Trip to Disney!

Most often, planning a trip to Disney takes months. To get the most sought after dining reservations, you need to be prepared to book a trip to Disney more than six months in advance. Dining reservations can be booked six months out and FastPasses at 60 days out. BUT sometimes, you just HAVE to get to Disney as soon as possible! 

Wishdrawals agents posing with a Viking
after riding Frozen Ever After!

This year I have booked two last minute trips, so it can be done! Well, actually three trips if you count my last minute Disney cruise. I’m by nature a planner, but with Disney I can’t stay away, so sometimes a spur of the moment trip is just what I need!

My first trip of the year was planned in about a month, and it was to ride the brand new Frozen Ever After! The trip was well worth it; the ride did not disappoint! The next trip I planned in about three weeks, and I will be surprising my daughter right before we leave in just a few short days. These types of trips are so exciting!

Here are a few tips to plan a trip to Disney in a very short amount of time:

• Be flexible with where you want to stay! 
• Every resort on Disney property will not be available. That’s totally fine! There are so many to choose from that you can pick one that is available this time, and if it is not the one you had in mind then you can plan ahead for your next trip to book the other. Think of it as a good opportunity to try something new!

• Try restaurants that are off the beaten path!



Sushi at Kona Cafe! Fabulous!

• You may not be able to get Chef Mickey’s or Cinderella’s Royal Table, but there are still plenty of great restaurants to eat at Disney. If a character meal is really what you want, you may be able to grab a reservation at Tusker House, Garden Grill or Cape May Café.
• Since Magic Kingdom has more limited table service options, instead of trying to find availability at Magic Kingdom, look at monorail resorts for table service options. My last trip we dined at The Wave at the Contemporary Resort, and it was delicious! Same thing with Kona Café at the Polynesian Resort--it is one of my favorites! Those pot stickers and sushi are out of this world!!!
• Keep checking! Just because something isn't available today doesn't mean there won't be a last minute cancellation.

• Even though every ride will not be available to Fastpass, there will still be good options.
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will likely not have any Fastpasses left after the 60 day mark. If you want to ride without waiting 1-2 hours, head to this ride at park opening and ride it first or maybe late in the evening during the nightly fireworks. At Magic Kingdom, you will likely be able to find a Fastpass for Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to give you some rollercoaster options.
• On my trip coming up, I was not able to get a Fastpass to meet Cinderella but I did get one to meet Rapunzel, so there are usually other options available!

• Lastly, but definitely most importantly, use a Disney travel planner!
• Planning a last minute trip to Disney, if you are not a professional, will be extremely overwhelming. There is so much information to research that planning a great trip to Disney is almost impossible without help.
• Travel agents provide assistance looking for those last minute dining reservations and are there to help with suggestions too.
• We also will make your Fastpass selections and help you with an itinerary to maximize your time at the parks to hopefully avoid long wait times.

Everyone should plan a spur of the moment trip at least once! It may force you out of your comfort zone; besides, it’s fun to be spontaneous...especially at Disney! 

Besides, who can stay away from Disney for long?

Emily Guice is a Disney Travel Planner at Wishdrawals Travel, a wife, a mom of a preschooler, and a prn Dental Hygienist.

She loves traveling to Disney World and has recently found a love for Disney Cruises! She is currently planning her next trip to Disney World with extended family and also another Disney cruise with her husband and daughter.

You can reach Emily via email for assistance planning your Disney vacation!