During the four-month-long closure of Disney World, a lot of Disney trips were canceled automatically by the company or by the families who were supposed to be going on them.

All those canceled trips mean that for many of us, we’re having to reschedule our perfect Disney vacations. That can be a pretty big bummer considering planning a Disney trip is NO JOKE.

So, if you’re stuck having to reschedule and rework all of your plans, we want to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible for you. Here are 5 BIG mistakes you don’t want to make when rescheduling your Disney trip!

1. Don’t Reschedule Your Trip TOO Soon!

We know it can be tempting to schedule your trip as SOON as possible after the parks open (trust us, we want to get back too!), but if you end up choosing days that are coming up too soon, you might run into some issues.

If you have any must-do rides or restaurants on your list, you’ll want to reschedule your trip AT LEAST 60 days in advance to ensure you have enough time to get those sought after reservations!

Leave Enough Time to Get Those Dining Reservations

Remember, you can make Advance Dining Reservations as early as 60 days out, whether you have park tickets or not! In fact, you can even make these reservations without having booked anything else for your vacation.

Having a resort reservation at a Disney World-owned restaurant will allow you to make reservations 60 days PLUS the length of your stay (up to 10 days) in advance of your trip. Many popular restaurants book up right away when reservations open, like California Grill, Cinderella’s Royal Table, or Be Our Guest Restaurant.

Plus, you’ll want to take a look at WHICH dining locations are open. Some spots still have yet to reopen in the parks, so if Cinderella’s Royal Table is a must-do — you might want to hold off. We’ve got plenty of helpful info on how to make Advance Dining Reservations as well as  TONS of restaurant reviews so you can make the best choices for your trip!

If you’re unfortunately rescheduling that dream trip you already planned months ago, this may be an opportunity to revisit your choices. Hey, maybe you can snag a hot reservation you couldn’t get the first time around?!

Click here for more info on booking Advance Dining Reservations!

2. Don’t Ignore How the Parks Might Be Different When Disney World Reopens

Things will be a little (or a lot!) different from what you remember when you get to go back into the Disney Parks. If these changes worry you at all, you might want to consider rescheduling your trip much further out than you were originally thinking.

We get it, you want to get there for that vacay as soon as it’s safe, but if you’re worried the changes could negatively impact your experience, a wait could make sense. So what sort of stuff are we looking at?

Disney World is Using Phased Reopening

Disney World is under a phased reopening model. We saw something similar in Shanghai where the hotels and shopping district reopened first, and the same happened in Disney World. Now, with the parks open, some attractions, shows, and rides remain closed.

If you’re nervous about things remaining closed, reschedule your trip for a few months from now. That way, you give Disney World (and the rest of the world) plenty of time to recuperate from the closures.

Some hotels remain closed as well! So, you’ll need to take a look at how limited some of your options might be when you plan your vacation.

Experiences May Be Different After the Reopening

Like we mentioned and as expected, things are pretty different in a reopened Disney World. We certainly don’t want anyone disappointed since things have changed. Remember, a trip to the parks right now means lowered capacity on attractions, adjusted dining experiences, and limited character interactions.

Some of these changes could be permanent, but many will potentially ease up over time allowing us to have that Disney trip that we know, love, and look forward to. Some guests may be ok with an altered experience, while others may want to ensure their trip is rescheduled far enough down the road to avoid potential changes.

There May Be More Crowds Than You’re Comfortable Being Around

On top of that, you’ll want to rethink your expectations when it comes to crowd levels. Due to limited capacity and current demand, crowds are LOW in Disney World. There are short wait times and sometimes you’ll be the only guest in a usually popular area.

Still, that doesn’t mean that you won’t end up around people. If being around others is a health concern for you, you might want to hold off on that trip — or at least skip Hollywood Studios. We’ve definitely seen some times where tighter areas get crowded and make it difficult to social distance.

We’d, of course, love Disney World to be just as it was prior to the closure, but we also want to be realistic! So much has changed not just with Disney, but with the world; so changes to keep everyone safe are necessary.

Don’t expect that arriving in the months right after the closures will put you right back in the normal Disney World we’ve all known before this. Ask yourself: Are you OK with this? If you’re not, it’s a good idea to consider booking your trip further out until any potential changes will return to normal.

Click here to see some of the crowding issues.

3. Don’t Forget to Write EVERYTHING Down

Another big tip when planning your rescheduled Disney trip is a simple one: write EVERYTHING down. We mean it. Everything. Confirmation numbers, cancellation numbers, dates, pricing, discounts, room type, dining plan specifics, etc. If you’re hoping to travel while the global health crisis is still a safety concern, this is especially true for you.

The parks are open, but that doesn’t guarantee that Disney won’t make changes. We’ve already seen further delays for certain hotel reopenings and we have to keep in mind that a reclosure of the parks is not impossible. As you know, it’s a hassle to reschedule a Disney trip and it will be even worse to reschedule it TWICE.

But keeping track of all the details in an easily located (and remembered) spot will help if you do have to dig in and reschedule a second (or third, or fourth) time (I know some of you are already on your third reschedule!).

As you’re canceling plans and rescheduling, write down everything you book or plan to book! Even write down numbers to call to reschedule again if it comes to that! Save those emails, too, in an easy to find location for reference. It’s all about making it easier for you in the instance of a closure extension. That way, if the time comes that you’re faced with a RE-reschedule, you’ve got all of the information you need handy to make it easy.

Working on rescheduling? Click here for our step-by-step guide on rescheduling your trip!

4. Don’t Forget — Different Times Of Year Mean Different Planning

If you’re faced with rescheduling your trip, you have a huge consideration to keep in mind now: You may be rebooking at a totally different time of year!

Those crowds you prepared for, special events going on, and more will be totally different depending on the time you rebook, so don’t forget to plan with that in mind! Each season in Disney has different weather, crowds, events, and seasonal costs.

Planning for Summer

If you’re rescheduling for the Summer it could be hot, hot, hot — much hotter than the Spring! So make sure you take that into account. If you have heat-sensitive folks in your party, you might want to push your vacay into the Fall.

Don’t forget that Summer is typically Florida’s VERY rainy season, with big storms coming through just about every afternoon on one part of property or another; so plan accordingly.

Summer also tends to be crowded since kids are out of school — and that means higher ticket prices. Now, so far that’s been a little different year with lowered capacity in the theme parks.

We may even see some additional discounts coming from Disney to sway Summer visitors to the parks too.

Planning for Fall

If you’re rescheduling for the Fall, you’re going to have weather that’s a little bit more forgiving like the Spring. However, Summer and Fall are hurricane season in Florida which is a big thing to consider, especially taking into account that Fall is typically the more active time of year for hurricane activity.

If you’re worried about this, it may be worth looking into vacation insurance for your trip. Now, Disney has experience with handling hurricanes, but being mindful of how hurricanes affect Disney World is worth reading about.

The Best Hurricane-Ready Hotels In Disney World

Hurricanes don’t usually reach as far inland as Orlando, but over the past couple of years, Disney World has had to shut down twice due to hurricanes. Get educated.

Fall is also typically more forgiving in regards to crowds than Summer, though that may not be the case this year due to the closures postponing trips. Plus, this is the season of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival which has already begun in a modified format in Disney World!

Fall usually brings the draw of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, however, the popular event has been canceled this year. We may still see some pared-down seasonal celebrations, but be aware that the fall in Disney World will be a little different this year.

Click here to learn more about the cancellation of Mickey’s Not So Scary.

Planning for Winter

If you plan to go in Winter, you could have the opportunity to visit the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, not to mention a chance to experience Disney at Christmastime. Oh, and don’t forget Flurry of Fun, and the Christmas Tree Trail, and so much more!

So you’ll want to do your research on how these festivals and parties work, and keep up with DFB as we bring you news about them in the coming months!

Winter is varied when it comes to crowds. Crowds ramp up to their annual peak during the two weeks around Christmas, but otherwise, they’ll be generally lower than much of the rest of the year. Still, this might change this year with rescheduled vacations from the Spring and capacity limits!

Click here to see more of Disney World at Christmastime!

And even though it’s Florida, it still can get COLD. Granted, we’re not talking “whip out your parkas” type weather (most of the time), but you may be faced with needing long-sleeves and sweatshirts. Make sure you pack those layers so you’re not shivering in line for Big Thunder Mountain. Forking over $75 or more for a Disney World embroidered fleece jacket can be painful.

Doing your research if you’re going to Disney World at a time when you’re not used to the weather, the crowds, and the special offerings can help your planning and your overall trip run more smoothly.

To learn how to best pack for your Disney vacay, click here!

5. Don’t Reschedule Without A Master Plan

Speaking of doing your research, DON’T just dive into new dates for your trip without thinking. You might think that since you already had a Disney trip planned that all you have to do is just transfer that plan to a new date.

Well, you could do that, but you’re going to have a much better trip if you do a little bit of extra prep work ahead of time (trust us!).

So, whether you’re going at a different time than usual or just want to make sure that you plan for ALL potential hitches in your rescheduled vacay, you’ll want to grab a copy of the DFB Guide!

Our ebook will give you ALL of our recommendations, reviews, tips, AND information about all of the seasonal events and parties you might encounter, restaurant details, special events, and what you can’t miss — no matter when you’re going!

SO MUCH at Disney World changes seasonally. You want to be sure you’re choosing the right events and touring strategies at the right times. Glass half full approach: this is a chance to make your trip even better than it was before all this happened!

Take this opportunity as a chance to really plan out the BEST Disney World vacation you could possibly take to make up for all the postponements. We’ll even help you do it with a 30% off discount for the DFB Guide! Just head on over to the DFB Store and pick out the guide or bundle you want, then use code 30SALE at checkout!

Whenever you choose to reschedule, we’re here to help, both with tips and tricks and with the latest news about reopening. So don’t forget to check back with us; we’ll be keeping you in the know about everything happening at Disney World!

Ready to get planning your rescheduled Disney vacay? Click here to see why now really IS a great time to plan!

Are you planning on getting a canceled Disney trip rescheduled for late in the year? What are your concerns? Share your thoughts in the comments!