What to expect now?

[Artoo]

I paid my trip in full (booked through the Walt Disney Travel Co.) and already received a receipt in the mail for the payment...I know I'm supposed to get some documents in the mail (luggage tags, etc), but I have no idea when to expect these. Also, will I be getting plane tickets in the mail, too?

 

[macsmom]

I received my documents in the mail today and I will be at WDW in a month. Last time I went, I received everything about three weeks in advance. So, I would look for everything about 3-4 weeks before your trip. But, to be honest, I have no idea about plane tickets. I usually drive.

danna

 

[Monty]

I would expect you won't get air tickets, most flights these days you'll get an "E-Ticket". Basically, you get a confirmation number and when you check in you provide appropriate ID and they give you a boarding pass. I haven't had a physical ticket in over five years for several dozen flights.

 

[macsmom]

This is true. In fact, I know at San Antonio airport and St. Louis-Lambert, you punch info into a machine and get your boarding pass.

danna

 

[DisneyGigi]

I got my luggage tags/travel pack about 30 days before our trip starts. A couple of days later we got another little pack with maps(not the customized maps) and a welcome type brochure.

 

[LivinWitTheLand]

You should receive your Magical Express luggage tags about 45 days before your trip.

Your hotel vouchers and final confirmation documents usually arrive about a month ahead of your trip.

If you made your airfare reservation through Disney, it depends on the airline what you get in the mail. All carriers with the exception of AirTran will issue you an e-ticket. If you are flying AirTran, your paper plane tickets will arrive in the mail with your original receipt from when you booked. All other airlines, you should just have a page in your final documents listing your flight info and letting you know that it is an e-ticket and to confirm final flight information with the airline.

 

[Ella's Mommy]

You should receive your Magical Express luggage tags about 45 days before your trip.

Your hotel vouchers and final confirmation documents usually arrive about a month ahead of your trip.

If you made your airfare reservation through Disney, it depends on the airline what you get in the mail. All carriers with the exception of AirTran will issue you an e-ticket. If you are flying AirTran, your paper plane tickets will arrive in the mail with your original receipt from when you booked. All other airlines, you should just have a page in your final documents listing your flight info and letting you know that it is an e-ticket and to confirm final flight information with the airline.

I dont know how long its been since you flew with Airtran but they also have E-tickets as well.

 

[LivinWitTheLand]

I dont know how long its been since you flew with Airtran but they also have E-tickets as well.

Airtran does have e-tickets if you book your flight directly through them. If you arrange your airfare through Disney you get paper tickets still. We have flew with them last year through Disney and received paper tickets. This year we originally booked them again through Disney and received paper tickets.

We actually ended up having to send the paper tickets back to Disney because we canceled our air reservation with AirTran through Disney. AirTran has a bad habit of over scheduling flights and then canceling them in bulk as your travel date gets closer. Last year they rescheduled our flights 8 times over the course of the summer.

Fortunately all the re-scheduled flights worked out in our favor time wise. This year, they re-scheduled us all on connecting flights through Atlanta. It makes for an 8 hour flight from Philly. Heck, with waiting in line at the airports etc. for a few hours extra I could drive.

So we called Disney and because the airline canceled our original flight, and we were not getting what we paid for any longer, we were able to cancel our non-refundable tickets. We just had to send the paper tickets back to Disney.

Disney said that AirTran is the only airline that does not issue them e-tickets for a package inclusive with airfare. Who knows why as waiting in that long line to check in is such a waste of time.

 

[Ella's Mommy]

Airtran does have e-tickets if you book your flight directly through them. If you arrange your airfare through Disney you get paper tickets still. We have flew with them last year through Disney and received paper tickets. This year we originally booked them again through Disney and received paper tickets.

We actually ended up having to send the paper tickets back to Disney because we canceled our air reservation with AirTran through Disney. AirTran has a bad habit of over scheduling flights and then canceling them in bulk as your travel date gets closer. Last year they rescheduled our flights 8 times over the course of the summer.

Fortunately all the re-scheduled flights worked out in our favor time wise. This year, they re-scheduled us all on connecting flights through Atlanta. It makes for an 8 hour flight from Philly. Heck, with waiting in line at the airports etc. for a few hours extra I could drive.

So we called Disney and because the airline canceled our original flight, and we were not getting what we paid for any longer, we were able to cancel our non-refundable tickets. We just had to send the paper tickets back to Disney.

Disney said that AirTran is the only airline that does not issue them e-tickets for a package inclusive with airfare. Who knows why as waiting in that long line to check in is such a waste of time.

Sorry:wave: I get my tickets from the Airtran site with the exception of this time when I used Priceline. And I am flying with Usair and was surprised to find out that my flight was changed without anyone calling or emailing me the change. So needless to say I will be booking directly through Airtran from now on.

 

[LivinWitTheLand]

Sorry:wave: I get my tickets from the Airtran site with the exception of this time when I used Priceline. And I am flying with Usair and was surprised to find out that my flight was changed without anyone calling or emailing me the change. So needless to say I will be booking directly through Airtran from now on.

The only airline we have not had a problem with flight changes on is Southwest.

It actually worked out to our favor canceling AirTran. Round trip with them ran us $655 for three people. We re-booked on Southwest and got $357 for three people. Saved me $300.

Where in Philly are you located?

 

[Artoo]

I am flying on US Air, so I have no idea how that works. Still no documents in the mail, either...let's see, I paid in full on the 11th and it's the 22nd. I hope they get here soon!

 

[rwdavis2]

Why don't you just call the travle company and ask them?
BD

 

[Master Yoda]

I can not give you any information on your airline tickets but all of your information from Disney will be mailed out 45 days before your check in date.

So if your trip is not for another 6 months you will probably not see anything for around another 5 months. The reason they do this is so that the information the send you (park hours, show times, refurbs etc) is as current is possible.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I paid in full on the 11th and it's the 22nd. I hope they get here soon!

It doesn't matter when you pay in full - it matters when your trip is.

For example, I could book a trip for December 2008 now and pay in full. All I will receive is a receipt or a confirmation.

I could cancel up to 45 days before travel and incur no penalty (unless airfare is involved)

Approximately 30-40 days before my trip, I should receive my Magical Express documents.

Approximately 20-30 days before my trip, I should receive my hotel and package vouchers, with luggage tags, etc.

-Joe

 

[DisneyJoe]

The reason they do this is so that the information the send you (park hours, show times, refurbs etc) is as current is possible.

Actually the reason is the 45 day cancellation.

 

[Master Yoda]

Actually the reason is the 45 day cancellation.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[Artoo]

I'm departing on October 1st. I'm just really nervous because it's my Honeymoon and is also the first time I've booked a Disney vacation.
I'll call the travel company later today. I'm gonna' try not to get too stressed about it.

 

[DisneyJoe]

For an October 1st trip, I wouldn't start worrying until after September 1st passes....

 

[Tinkerbella16]

If you made your airfare reservation through Disney, it depends on the airline what you get in the mail. All carriers with the exception of AirTran will issue you an e-ticket. If you are flying AirTran, your paper plane tickets will arrive in the mail with your original receipt from when you booked. All other airlines, you should just have a page in your final documents listing your flight info and letting you know that it is an e-ticket and to confirm final flight information with the airline.

Hmmm that's odd. We flew with AirTran last time we went to WDW and we all had gotten e-tickets for our flight. Maybe they had just started it last year.:shrug:


DME tags and all that fun stuff should arrive 30-45 days before your departure date. Then the anticipation and excitement realllly starts to build up and you'll stare at those things till the day you leave!