Are you planning a Disney World trip sometime within the next few years?

In case you missed it, 2023 Disney World vacation packages are already available and you can even make 2024 Disney World park reservations. But if you’ve got plans to book your Disney World hotel years before your trip, the way you can book your hotel in advance has changed.

Up until now, people could look online and book their regular Disney World hotels and packages within the dates Disney had released. For example, packages for 2023 became available in June of 2022. So as of that time you could look ahead and book your 2023 trip. BUT if you wanted to book a stay BEYOND what Disney had officially released, you could book just a hotel room as far out as 499 days from the current date.

This rule applied to room-only reservations, but it was a convenient way to check off one item on your Disney World planning checklist and get your hotel secured, as long as you weren’t relying on booking a Disney World package.

As of August 19th, 2022, however, things have changed. You can now only book your Disney World hotel through the end of Disney’s “annual product release dates.” In other words, it appears room-only stays will be limited to whatever dates Disney has already released for general booking. Currently, that’s December 31st, 2023 because vacation packages through 2023 have become available.

Guests will no longer people to book a room-only reservation BEYOND Disney’s “released annual product dates.” For example, even though August 25th, 2022 is exactly 499 days from January 6th, 2024, you can no longer book a room-only hotel reservation for that date.

Instead, Disney World vacationers will need to wait until Disney opens up reservations for the following year to book a room for those dates. Disney has said that for those looking to book beyond the available dates, new annual packages and extended hotel bookings typically open in late spring.

This change specifically appears to affect room-only hotel reservations made far in advance, so it might not affect you if you prefer to book vacation packages or aren’t looking to book that far out. But it’s still important to know!

If you’re overwhelmed by all these planning steps and rules, we recommend talking to our friends over at Small World Vacations! They’re a FREE travel agent service that can help you avoid all the stress of planning, including getting your tickets, dining and hotel reservations, and more.

And before you book anything, make sure you review all the current Disney World deals and discounts that could apply to your trip! Check out the full list of up-to-date Disney World and Disneyland deals by clicking the link below:

Click here to see all of Disney World’s current deals and discounts.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World planning tips, and make sure you follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook so that you never miss a thing!

Here’s everything you need to know about planning a trip to Disney World in 2023!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Will this affect your Disney World plans? Tell us in the comments!

The post NEWS: CHANGES Announced for Disney World’s Hotel Booking Process first appeared on the disney food blog.