by Wishes Diva
So you’ve planned the ultimate Walt Disney World vacation for your family in your head. You know exactly where you want to stay and how much it will cost and what dates you are going even… But when you go to book, the resort you want is unavailable! So what now? What do you do now that your perfect vacation seems ruined months before hand? Don’t panic! There are plenty of options in tips for what your next steps could be. I hope that this article will help you decide what to do next!
If you’re like me, whatever you plan a Disney trip you always plan way ahead of time. I am very “type A” personality and I like to have all of my days planned as far down as which rides we will be doing when. Recently I planned a trip, and I thought I had it all figured out in my head until I went to book and the resort that I wanted was unavailable!
Now there are several reasons why your resort may be unavailable for the dates you were looking. First it could already be booked. This happens a lot in peak season and also when there are conventions or sports competitions (like cheerleading or baseball) happening at the ESPN complex. Another reason may have to do with your party size. There are certain resorts that will accommodate larger parties, or sometimes resorts will only hold specific rooms for larger parties. So that maybe something to consider as well. Your resort may also be booked due to a holiday or run Disney event. Things like this all play a factor into why the resort we may be unavailable for the week that you chose.
Screenshot of the Disney World website for booking rooms
Regardless of the reason, here are some tips for what you can do next!
1. If you are booking directly through the Disney website, be sure that your search bars are all accurate information. Also be sure that you have not narrowed down your choices too much. For example if you want to stay at a value resort, don’t just select one choice from the drop-down menus but rather select the entire value resort category from that menu to ensure you will see different options at the level you choose. The same goes for moderate and deluxe as well.
Screenshot of room category examples for the Disney World booking
If you are booking through a third-party like a travel agent, be sure to ask them what resorts they checked before you get upset that you don’t have the options that you want. Most travel agents are great and have probably already checked for your other options if you first choice is not available! But it definitely does not hurt to double-check with them to be sure your family has a magical time! Here at Tips from the Disney Divas and Devos recommend using Patricia at All 4 Dreams Travel. You can request a free quote here.
2. Think about why you like the resort that you were looking for. Was it the dining choices? Was it the pools? Was it the theme? Was it the amenities offered? Was it distance to the Parks? Was it the size of the room? All of these things are great factors to consider when trying to find a similar resort. The Disney website has a lot of great resources that you can use to look up pictures and blueprints of the different rooms at different resorts. It definitely pays to do your homework and research ahead of time so you can figure out what will best suit your family. Hopefully before you picked the resort you originally wanted you did some research into these choices. If you did then you should be able to pick a second or third choice fairly easily!
Pool area at Pop Century
3. Ask around for help! If you have friends or coworkers or social media pages that are Disney pros, use them! There are hundreds of pages on Facebook that are specific for each resort at Disney. In the past I have found this to be very helpful. Now I will caution you that not all of them are as helpful as others. Some pages can’t have negativity and drama between the members so be aware of that before you join any page. But finding a page where you can freely ask questions about the new resort that you have booked can be extremely helpful. You can also reference touringplans.com and search for your resort on there. That website is full of tons of great information.
Lion King courtyard at Art of Animation
4. Ask the Divas and Devos! Our website is full of information about so many different aspects of Disney! We have a bunch of articles related to each resort as well. Utilize the search function on our website to check out information and pictures of different resorts! Some of our most recent resort reviews includes: All Star Movies, Port Orleans Resorts, the Contemporary, Bay Lake Tower and Fort Wilderness. There are also a ton more that you can find as well!
I hope that these tips can help ease your panic the next time that you find the resort you want is unavailable! Keep in mind that in this Diva’s opinion, no matter where you stay at Walt Disney World, your vacation is going to be pure magic! Enjoy!
