With the cost of a Disney vacation continuing to rise, many families are looking for a Disney vacation payment plan to finance their trip. Although Disney does not have a formal payment plan system, there are some ways to pay for your vacation in installments.
The most obvious payment plan is with a credit card. Pay for your trip in full with the card, and then pay off the balance as you are able. You will incur interest fees (and have the potential of late fees) this way. But if you use a card like the Disney credit card or a card affiliated with an airline, you could benefit from rewards programs that could provide some extras during your visit.
A better option is to book your trip through the Walt Disney Travel Company, pay the $200 deposit, and then make payments in the months leading up to your trip. Disney does not charge interest while you make payments, which is a huge benefit over the credit card route.
When we plan our trips this way, I just divide the total cost of the trip by the number of months until our vacation. I then mail in a check each month with the confirmation number for the reservation. There is no interest accrual. The only catch is that the package must be paid in full 45 days prior to arrival. (This differs if you make a ‘room only’ reservation, where the room must be paid for upon arrival to the Resort.)
If you purchasing a package, purchase the travel insurance. It is additional, but it is worth it in case you need to cancel your vacation for any reason. If you just need to reschedule your vacation, give the Walt Disney Travel Company a call and they will accomodate you. There might be a change fee if the room rates are more expensive than your original trip, but this is a much better option than losing out on any payments you may have already made. Remember, Disney wants you to ultimately pay for your trip and take that vacation of a lifetime. If things come up and you need to adjust the date, give them a call and they’ll work with you.
One last tip is that you should plan for the trip you can afford today, not for the trip you think you can afford months from now. While it can be easy to plan big when you are just making payments, it is a lot smarter to pay for what you can afford now. You can always do an upgrade down the road. But getting in over your head in debt is a tough hangover to shake. Book a moderate vacation and then upgrade if you have the funds after all the payments are made.