How To Book Walt Disney World From The UK
A guide to the best ways to book a Walt Disney World holiday package from the UK.
If you're looking for how to book Walt Disney World or the best ways to book from the UK, this is for you. There are primarily two ways to book a Walt Disney World holiday. The first is as an ATOL-protected package, and the second is the DIY method where you book each part of the holiday individually. One isn't inherently better than the other - both come with their own pros and cons. The way we book our Disney holidays here at Mickey From The UK has changed over the years, which we'll share at the end of this guide.
Walt Disney World Holiday Packages
A flight, hotel and ticket Walt Disney World package is the easiest way to book. Our recommended way to book is through Disney directly - Disney Holidays - also known as the Walt Disney Travel Company. You can find out why in our Why You Should Book Walt Disney World Direct With Disney article. Dealing with Disney directly on their freephone number is much easier than having to go through a third party if you need to make any changes.
Adding Flights Direct With Disney
Some people don't realise that when you book direct with Disney you can add a flight to your holiday, making your package ATOL protected. Flights can only be added up to 11 months in advance, so if you want to book earlier you can still secure your package with just a £50pp deposit. When your 11-month mark arrives, you can add your flights. Disney has partnered with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines, giving you different choices and price points.
Other Options
You can also book your Walt Disney World package through travel agents such as TUI or Virgin Holidays. If you'd rather use a travel agent than book with Disney directly, I'd generally advise booking with the agent that operates the airline you want to fly with. If you want to fly TUI, book through TUI. If you want to fly Virgin Atlantic, book through Virgin Holidays. This comes down to the ease of customer service if anything goes wrong.
Travel Agent Warning
Many travel agents have burned customer trust in recent years - some are taking bookings and deposits for holidays and flights not yet on sale, then customers are stung when prices are officially released. Never book any date with a travel agent unless it's already available to book on the official Disney Holidays website.
DIY Walt Disney World Bookings
DIY Walt Disney World bookings mean booking each element of your trip yourself. This usually means booking your Walt Disney World hotel and ticket package direct through Disney and then booking flights and other activities separately. When you do this you're not ATOL protected, but as long as you have adequate travel insurance and paid at least £100 of your flight cost on a credit card, you should be covered in the unlikely event of an airline failure before departure.
Flights
Once you've booked your hotel and ticket package through Disney directly, it's time to look at flights. You might want to add a couple of nights at a Universal Orlando hotel, or add a Disney Cruise onto the end of your holiday - in those cases you can't add flights to a Disney package and must book them separately.
Flights can vary drastically in price depending on the time of year and your airline of choice. A good starting point is a comparison site like Skyscanner, where you can get an overview of what's available from your airport at the time of year you're travelling. The main airlines flying from the UK to Orlando are Virgin Atlantic, TUI, British Airways, Norse Atlantic and Aer Lingus.
Booking Walt Disney World Tickets
If you're staying off-site and booking your hotel or villa separately, buy your Walt Disney World park tickets before you depart. Our Walt Disney World Ticket Guide covers everything you need to know about UK-exclusive Disney Magic Tickets. Buy your tickets either directly with Disney or through a genuine UK vendor.
Other Activities
If you're DIY-ing your holiday and adding other activities such as visiting Universal Orlando, you can book other Orlando theme park tickets through UK vendors like FloridaTix or Attraction Tickets.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is essential when visiting America - there's no NHS equivalent, and medical treatment can cost tens of thousands of pounds. A few providers worth considering are listed below.
Airport To Resort Travel
Once you've sorted your hotel, tickets and flights, all that's left is transport between Orlando airport (MCO) and your resort. If you want a shared coach transfer, Mears Connect is the main option. Otherwise it's easy to grab a taxi or use Uber or Lyft from the airport.
How We Book
Back in the day we were loyal Thomas Cook customers. When they went bust I started using TUI as they flew from Bristol on their Dreamliner planes. Since they dropped that route I've been DIY-ing, and have enjoyed the flexibility ever since. For my Walt Disney World hotel and ticket package I always book direct with Disney. Depending on the trip, I might add a couple of nights at a Universal Orlando hotel - booked through Hotels.com - with tickets from FloridaTix. If we're adding a Disney Cruise we book that through Disney Holidays or direct on the Disney Cruise Line website. Flights we book directly with British Airways or Aer Lingus.