Thinking about going to Disney World in 2023? You may think you’ve got TONS of time to plan your adventure, but you might need to start taking action sooner than you think!

Between Park Pass reservations, hotel bookings, and reservations for popular restaurants, there are a lot of factors to consider before booking your trip. Here are some of the things you should be thinking about as you plan your 2023 trip and some reasons why you might want to start planning right NOW.

2023 Vacation Packages, Hotels, and Tickets

You may not have realized it, but vacation packages, hotels, and park tickets are all already available for booking and buying for Disney World for 2023. In fact, 2023 vacation packages became available quite some time ago.

If you’re hoping to book when there’s generally the most availability, then you’ll actually want to get started on those 2023 plans right NOW. As we get closer to 2023 and finally make it into the year, certain hotel rooms or days could start to sell out, especially when it comes to special rooms like those that have been re-themed to The Incredibles at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, or rooms with central locations like those with walking distance to the parks.

Hotel availability can vary, so again if you want to give yourself the best chance to get the room you want, you may be better off booking NOW, or at least sooner rather than later. If the room you want isn’t available, you may want to consider booking something that is available and then modifying/canceling your reservation later on if something better opens up. If a hotel discount offer later becomes available, see if it can be applied to your trip.

If you decide to hold off on booking until later, just know that your hotel choices might be a bit more limited. But keep checking for the room you want or work with a travel agent to make the booking process easier. We highly recommend our friends over at Small World Vacations! Their services are totally FREE and they can help you get the best deal for your trip!

Click here to learn about the BEST hotel rooms in Disney World

Park Passes

The Park Pass reservation system may have been introduced after the pandemic-related closures, but it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon. Various Disney executives have commented on just how beneficial the Park Pass system has been when it comes to controlling crowds, managing capacity, and reportedly improving the guest experience.

So, like it or not, the Park Pass system is something you’ll have to consider ahead of your 2023 trip.

Right now, the calendars for 2023 are basically fully available, but that might not last forever. Popular days, particularly those around holidays, can and do fill up. Disney has even indicated that they have seen demand in excess of the Park Pass reservations that are available.

While those Park Pass reservations may not fill up for several weeks or months, particularly if you’re not planning to go to Disney World until late in 2023, you may still want to book those Park Pass reservations ASAP.

If you book your Park Passes now, you’ll give yourself the best chance to grab the reservations for the parks you want on the days you want. If you change your mind later, you’ll be able to cancel or modify your reservations. But it’s better to have your Park Pass reservations set up than wait until it’s too late and dates have already started to fill up. Our recommendation is that as soon as you book our hotel and tickets, you snag up those Park Passes too.

If you do end up waiting until a little bit later and things have filled up, be sure to check the Park Pass calendar repeatedly. We have seen some days fill up, only to later be replenished, so things are constantly changing!

Click here to see what some Disney executives have said about the Park Pass system

Pricing and Price Increases

Pricing and price increases are other things you want to consider when thinking about when to start planning your trip. As we noted above, 2023 vacations are now up and available for you to book, which means pricing details for those trips and tickets are also available.

But, prices could change in the future.

In the past, we’ve seen ticket prices change in February and other months. Based on AllEars.net’s historical data, since 1971, the months where the most price increases have taken place are February and June, followed by October and March.

We’ve already seen some hidden price increases put in place for 2023. Though the ticket price range itself hasn’t changed, we have seen some days get moved into a higher ticket price bracket, meaning those days are deemed more in “demand” and made more expensive than they were during the previous year.

Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek has indicated that prices could once again increase in the future. When talking about price increases, Chapek shared, “If demand goes up, then we have the opportunity to do that.” And considering the fact that Disney has shared demand has been resilient and long-lasting, price increases are likely to be a part of our future.

So if you want to get the best deal, you’re probably better off booking sooner rather than later so you can “lock in” the prices as they exist right now. Then, if the prices go up for tickets, you won’t have to worry because you’ve already made your purchase at the existing rate. If you’re curious to know what days might be best (or worst) from a pure price perspective, you can click here to see the cheapest days to visit Disney World in 2023 or click here to see the most expensive days to visit Disney World in 2023.

Dining Reservations and Other Extras

While you might be able to book your hotel room and Park Passes WAY in advance, the same cannot be said about dining reservations and many reservations for special experiences (like tours or other special offerings) at Walt Disney World.

When it comes to dining reservations and “enchanting extras experiences” (like tours), generally reservations can be booked 60 days ahead of your trip.

You might think “if I can’t make dining reservations until 60 days out, maybe I should just wait until then to book my hotel and set up my trip.” But that would NOT be the way to go! At that point, many hotel reservations might already be booked up, Park Pass reservations could fill up for popular days, and ticket or hotel prices may have gotten an increase.

So you’ll probably want to book your vacation package, hotel, or tickets well ahead of this 60-day mark to give yourself the best chance to get the tickets and room you want at the best price, but you will also want to set an alarm for that 60-day mark to make sure you can grab the dining reservations or other special event reservations you want.

Can you wait until later to make dining reservations and special event reservations? Sure! But just know that your availability might be a bit more limited. Reservations for popular restaurants can fill up quickly, but if you’re more of a go-with-the-flow and whatever is available type of person then that might be fine for you.

If a popular restaurant is the one you’re after and you don’t make those dining reservations until later, be sure to check daily for availability to open up. As folks get closer to their trips and cancel reservations they don’t need, that availability can open up for you!

Click here to see what will be the hardest Disney World dining reservations to get in 2023

Big Opening Dates

Finally, you’ll want to consider BIG dates coming up in 2023 ahead of your trip plans.

Here are a few days you’ll want to be aware of for your 2023 trip, either to avoid or to make a point to visit:

• 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend — January 4th-8th, 2023
• American Youth Flag Football league World Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports — January 21st-22nd, 2023
• 2023 Princess Half Marathon Weekend — February 23rd-26th, 2023
• 2023 Springtime Surprise Weekend — April 13th-16th, 2023
• The 50th Anniversary will end at Disney World — March 31st, 2023
• The Cake Bake Shop will open at Disney’s BoardWalk (sometime in 2023)
• Summer House on the Lake will open in Disney Springs (sometime in 2023)

When it comes to 2023, you’ll also want to keep refurbishments and closures in mind. For example, the Disney Skyliner will be closing for refurbishment in late January of 2023, temporarily removing that transportation option at the Skyliner resorts. There will also be a number of pools undergoing refurbishment starting in early January, and some refurbishments will last for quite some time.

Also in 2023, the pirate-themed rooms will no longer be available at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, so that’s something to keep in mind. You can click here to see our full page of updates about ride, restaurant, and resort closures and construction in Disney World to get the latest info.

And that’s a look at some of the things you need to consider BEFORE you book that 2023 vacation and when considering how early to book your 2023 trip to Disney World.

What do you think? When will you be planning your trip ASAP or waiting until later? Let us know in the comments.

Stressed out at the thought of planning your trip all alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their services are free and they’ve got a wealth of knowledge about planning trips to the Most Magical Place on Earth. They can help guide you on your trip planning journey to make sure you don’t miss a step!

Need more help planning your trip? Click here for the ULTIMATE guide to planning a Disney World vacation, or click here for our month-by-month guide to planning your trip! Stay tuned for more news.

Click here to learn about the most EXPENSIVE days to visit Disney World in 2023

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Have you planned your 2023 Disney World trip yet? Tell us in the comments!

The post How Early Should You Plan Your 2023 Disney World Vacation?  first appeared on the disney food blog.