Is it impossible to plan a last-minute trip to Walt Disney World? Nope, I’ve done it a few times. The first thing to remember is that a Disney trip requires planning. For my first trip, I had a couple of weeks to plan for four of us. Then, I had a last-minute trip for two adults to EPCOT for one day. After several trips over the years, I’m sharing my top tips to plan a last-minute Disney trip.
Top Tips to Plan a Last-Minute Walt Disney World Trip
Disney is not a destination where you can wing it.
- Buy the book. I bought the one with the most pages.
- Then I read it cover-to-cover. Is it boring? You bet, but I still read the book. Don’t skip the book!
- Then, I took the book. The thick, heavy book lived in my backpack. Hard to believe, but I thumbed through the book A LOT in the parks. I checked to see how scary a ride was for my youngest. I checked whether a ride was worth the wait. The book was right.
- I made a touring plan with the help of the book, and I stuck to it. A plan helped to keep my group on schedule and use our time wisely.
- I packed snacks, like protein bars, nuts and fruit leather, and stashed them in the backpack. Each of us had a water bottle, so we didn’t sip on soda in the parks. The food at Disney can be expensive, and the quick-service food is so-so at best. I ate kids’ meals. I’m not proud. Pro tip: Have the kids hold a table so no one asks how many kids you have.
- I stopped by the Dollar Store and loaded up on glow sticks, autograph books and Disney tattoos. I threw this stuff in their cinch sacks with a couple of Sharpies.
- Get Mickey Ears before you leave (they are a lot cheaper). The same goes for Disney t-shirts; it’s easier to keep an eye on your kids when they are all wearing the same shirts.
- A note about dining reservations: I skipped this because my boys aren’t into food and Disney characters. They would rather ride rides. So, if you are planning a last-minute trip, don’t sweat the dining reservations and eat at quick service instead.
The Best of the International Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT
If Your Favorite Resort is Booked
I didn’t have a lot of time to plan one of my Spring trips, about a month. The first thing I did after getting my airline tickets was book rooms.
So the value-priced rooms disappeared before I could snag one for the Saturday night of our five-day, four-night trip to Walt Disney World.
To make it work, I had reservations at three different resorts. No biggie, I’ll just transfer resorts. I’ll make it work. I’m a family travel writer; it’s just part of the job. That and I didn’t have a choice.
So, I learned a lot from my three-resort tour of Walt Disney World. My trip was part of a work conference, so a couple of rooms were booked at a Walt Disney World deluxe resort. Since I arrived early to explore the parks, I booked a room at a value resort. Then, the least expensive room I could find for a Saturday night was at a moderate resort.
I had a freak-out moment when I couldn’t find a room for under $600 for a few weeks. I wasn’t going to spend that on a family trip. If I’m spending that kind of money on a room, my lovely children will be at Grandma’s. But maybe that’s just me.
By stalking the Walt Disney World website, sometimes more rooms became available about 4 weeks out. Don’t count on this feature, but check daily for resort availability. If a room does become available, grab it and don’t wait. You can always cancel.
Walt Disney World will transfer your luggage for free from one Walt Disney World resort to another Walt Disney World resort. Just drop your luggage at Bell Services, and they will handle the rest. Just remember to take what you need for the day, including swimwear.
Resort Review: Pop Century Resort
Walt Disney World Value Resorts
The Pop Century Resort is a value resort ($-$$) 1.7 miles away from Hollywood Studios. It features four areas named after decades of the 20th century, with a total of 2,880 rooms along the shores of Hourglass Lake and across from the Art of Animation Resort.
The Pop Century Resort is fun. The buildings exude energy and draw me through the resort. From the four-story tall bowling pins and the ginormous 60s flowers pasted to the sides of the candy-colored buildings, this place is a hit with the young at heart.
Hits of the Pop Century Resort
- Over the top theme that kids love
- Nice pool
- Great option if you plan on spending all your time in the parks.
Misses of the Pop Century Resort
- Farther away from parks but closer than off-property lodging
- Limited activities for kids, no fishing or pirate cruises
- Limited to quick-service dining
- No character breakfasts
- Small rooms and skimpy linens
Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts
The Caribbean Beach Resort is a moderate resort ($$-$$$), 4.1 miles from Epcot. An expansive property that includes seven villages with a total of 2,112 rooms along the shores of the 45-acre Barefoot Bay.
The Caribbean Beach Resort evokes the calm and serenity of a beach vacation, yet includes a resort-style pool that’s sure to excite the kids. With its expansive grounds and lush, tropical landscaping, the Caribbean Beach Resort never felt crowded.
Hits of the Caribbean Beach Resort:
- The Fuentes del Morro pool is one of the best Walt Disney World resorts.
- Lots of activities for the kids, like fishing excursions and pirate cruises
- Larger rooms with more amenities are nice if you’ll be spending more time in the room
- More dining options, quick service and casual dining
- A pool in every village
- White-sand beaches
Misses of the Caribbean Beach Resort:
- Huge resort that requires its own bus to get around
- No character breakfasts
- No private patios or balconies
- A motel feeling, I entered my room from an outside corridor.
Resort Review: The Caribbean Beach Resort
Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts
The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa ($$$$$+) is Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, located on 40 acres next to the Seven Seas Lagoon. Built to resemble a grand Victorian seaside resort of the late 19th century, it features 867 guest rooms across the main building and five additional buildings. Next to the lagoon is a pool, a white sand beach, a marina and a view of Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom.
The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa offers a grand experience for families who yearn for the convenience of a Walt Disney World Resort and want a refined environment to decompress from the energy of the parks. Walking into the Grand Floridian lobby is a sensory experience; the architecture is as impressive as the 3-foot-tall flower arrangements that greet me. The service is refined yet welcoming.
Hits of the Grand Floridian Resort
- Beautiful accommodations
- Lots of dining options, including quick service, casual dining and fine dining.
- Character meals
- Lobby entertainment
- The most transportation options to get to the parks—bus, monorail or ferry
- The highest level of service of the Walt Disney World resorts
- One of the best spas in Orlando
Misses of the Grand Floridian Resort
- Nice pool, but not my kid’s favorite
- My kids were immune to their luxurious surroundings and wanted to spend all their time in the parks.
- Beautiful property,y but off-site luxury resorts give you more for less.
If you are considering an off-property resort, I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. It is not the most luxurious of its properties; however, it is a luxury option.
Note about Transferring Resorts during your Stay
I had to change resorts three times during my five-day/four-night stay at Walt Disney World, and they will transfer your bags free of cost. I preferred to pack up our bags and roll them down to bell services that transferred them in the afternoon, usually between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
If I wanted a bellhop to grab my bags from my room, I would have to stay with my bags until the bellhop arrived. I found this inconvenient since we wanted to get to the parks as early as possible.
The process was fairly easy, and I had only one small incident. One of our bags had a tag stating it was left on the transportation bus. Nothing was missing.
Disclosure
Some of the rooms were hosted. This post contains affiliate links.
Know Before You Go:
- By checking frequently for cancellations, I found a room on a booked Saturday night about 3 to 4 weeks before my scheduled arrival.
- Make reservations as soon as possible, even for slower months, if you visit during a weekend.
- If you are transferring resorts during your stay, pack light. One rolling bag per adult. One rolling bag for every couple of kids. Backpack for the adults and cinch sacks for the kids.
- Missed all the dining reservations? Skip it. There are plenty of quick-service places to eat. My kids didn’t miss the experience and just wanted to ride the rides.
- Pack refillable water bottles and skip the soda. Take protein or granola bars for snacks while in line or on the bus.
- Bring running shoes for the park. No flip-flops, sandals or hiking sandals; they all killed my feet.
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