What You Must Do 60+ Days Before Your Disney Trip

“Alexa, how many days until April 11?“

“24 Days.”

Just a little over three weeks from now we will be flying to Orlando, Florida to spend some time with Mickey and his crew and a few days soaking up some sun at the beach! This will be Erin’s FIRST trip to Disney World and Ashley can hardly wait to show her the Happiest Place on Earth. We visited Disneyland two years ago, but let’s be honest, there’s no place like Disney World. 

Of course, when you decide to plan a trip to Disney so many details are involved; we want to share with you the “how-to’s” and the “what-to’s” to make your own Disney trip one to remember. These things should all be done between 2 and 3 months before your departure date (more than 60 days).

Tips:

1. Book a stay at a Disney Resort. Staying at a Disney Resort gives you extra “perks,” such as early access to Fast Passes, Disney transportation, complimentary MagicBands, and sometimes extra “Magic Hours.” There are resorts and rooms at all price ranges. Staying somewhere like The Contemporary or The Grand Floridian could cost you a pretty penny, but will be sure to please. You can stay at one of the All-Star Resorts for less money and still get the “Disney Resort experience.”
2. Get Your FastPasses. At exactly 60 days (we’re talking exactly– at MIDNIGHT), you can get your FastPasses. The good rides go really fast and you’re only able to have three at a time. Once you use one in the park, you can get another, but you want to start out with 3 good ones so know the date of 60 days before your arrival. 
3. Customize Your Magic Bands. Your free MagicBands need to be customized (name and color) 30 days before your trip. If you don’t customize, you won’t get to choose. You can buy other colors and special designs from the Disney Store.
4. Book Your Meal Reservations: Neither of us have ever done the Disney Meal Plan, but have heard it’s not worth it. You still will want to eat at the amazing places Disney has to offer and you don’t need to be on the meal plan for that. Make those reservations AS SOON as possible, especially if you plan on eating at a park (castles included). DisneySprings (formerly Downtown Disney) is a great place for meals on your non-park days.

   *If you want more information on any of these topics, utilize the pink links above.

   *For more park information, you can read my previous Disney World posts about Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. 

Things to Buy (2 Months Before):

1. Mickey Ears: Not only can they be a little pricy in the parks, but they can also be the same ears over and over. Hop on Etsy and see the thousands of varieties they have to offer. Ashley got Louis Vuitton ears from Best Day Evear and Erin scored Gucci ears from MilitaryMouseEars (see above photo)– both made from previously loved hand bags and sold on Etsy. They have all types, colors, and glittery options for every type of extra and basic. 😉 Order early; they can take a month+ to arrive.
2. Disney Jewelry: We recommend making these purchases out side of the park due to the fact that they can be so expensive. Check out Etsy for some cool Disney-themed jewelry. (We’re wearing these dainty gold necklaces.) However, Disney Park exclusives like the Alex and Ani bracelets we collect are always the exception– and we plan on getting a new one to commemorate our upcoming vaca!
3. MagicBand Skins: We decided we needed to spruce up our MagicBands for our second day of Disney. Ashley did hers all up in BB8 while Erin stuck with her all time favorite, Beauty and the Beast. You can see what our MagicBands look like above. The skins were purchased from the Happy Sticker Shop on Etsy. The skins were reasonable and saved us about $30 when it comes to buying a themed MagicBand. 
4. Custom Shirts: If you’re planning on ordering matching family tees or a custom Disney design, these can take 2 weeks to 2 months. Lisa from teeminu24.com designed us each an awesome shirt for one of our park days. We can’t wait to show you those– but you’ll just have to wait. 😉

If you’re planning a trip to Disney, you have to get on the ball early– unlike many other vacations. Hopefully, these tips help you with your next trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!

More Disney coming soon– and we just can’t wait! 

xo,
Ash & Er