Ad | This post follows a press trip with British Airways Holidays and Walt Disney World.
I’ve been booking with British Airways Holidays for over 20 years. Which is slightly alarming to write down, but here we are!
So this is my British Airways Holidays review, based on two decades of booking my own holidays and my recent press trip to Walt Disney World. Here’s why I keep coming back, what I check before booking and the things that help my holiday budget go further.
Because holidays are a big deal. You’ve saved for them, booked the time off and probably spent quite a few evenings looking at hotels when you should have gone to bed.
You want something lovely to look forward to. And you want to know you’re getting good value for your money.
I look at the whole holiday before booking
One of the things I like about British Airways Holidays is being able to book my flights and hotel together, with checked baggage included.
It gives me a clearer idea of the cost from the start. I can look at the hotel, flight times and baggage allowance together, then work out what else we’ll need.
If my dates are flexible, I check a day or two either side to see how the package price changes. I also pay attention to the flight times. A good price matters, but so does having time to enjoy being there.
My tip: work out roughly when you’ll arrive at your hotel and when you’ll need to leave for the airport on the way home. Those timings can make a difference, especially on a shorter trip.
British Airways Holidays deposits and payment options
Being able to book with a deposit and pay in instalments helps me plan and budget.
I’d divide the remaining balance by the number of paydays before it’s due, then work out whether that amount fits comfortably alongside everything else.
The important bit is using the balance deadline, rather than your departure date. Check the exact payment dates and terms for your booking so you know what needs paying and when.
I’d also put money aside for the less exciting bits: travel insurance, airport parking and any meals or transport that aren’t included. Much better to account for those early than remember them all the week before you go.
Checked baggage is one less extra to think about
When I’m comparing holiday costs, I want to know what’s included.
The British Airways Holidays baggage allowance is worth checking as part of that. Having checked baggage included means I can account for our cases from the start, rather than discovering another cost later.
Check the allowance on your particular flights, including any connecting services, and think about what your family will need.
I’d love to say I’m someone who travels incredibly light. The number of photos and outfit changes from this trip would suggest otherwise.
British Airways Club members collect 1 bonus Avios per £1 spent on qualifying British Airways Holidays packages, in addition to the Avios earned for flying.
For example, a qualifying £6,000 package earns 6,000 bonus Avios for the lead passenger. That’s a useful extra on a holiday you were already planning to book.
You can also use Avios towards eligible holiday bookings. Check the options and terms for your trip before deciding how to use them.
You can use my link here to get 500 Avios points!
My tip: make sure your Club membership details are attached to your booking. It’s a small bit of admin that’s easy to forget when you’re busy choosing hotels.
I want to know how I’m getting to the hotel
After a long flight, I want a plan. Preferably one that gets us to the hotel before everyone becomes too tired and hungry.
With British Airways Holidays, I can add airport transfers, car hire and experiences alongside flights and hotels.
Transfers aren’t automatically included in a flight-and-hotel package, so I check what’s included and budget for what we need.
My tip: make sure your transport has room for everyone and their luggage. Thankfully Walt Disney World has an abundance of travel options when staying onsite. If you’re hiring a car, check parking charges at your hotel and the places you’re planning to visit too.
There’s also a 24-hour holiday helpline, and British Airways Holidays flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected. Knowing there’s someone to contact if I need help matters to me when I’m away.
British Airways Holidays Disney packages: making the budget go further
Now, the Disney bit. Because after this trip, I have quite a lot to say!
If Walt Disney World is on your list for 2027, selected British Airways Holidays hotel-and-ticket packages include free dining and drinks, plus a 14-day Disney Magic Ticket for the price of seven days.
The offer is available to book until 4 November 2026, subject to availability and terms.
That’s something I’d look at when planning a trip, especially when trying to work out what we’ll spend once we’re there.
What to check with the Disney World free dining 2027 offer
The dining included depends on your hotel and plan. This is the detail I’d spend a little time checking before booking.
Will you mostly want a quick meal between rides, or do you enjoy sitting down for dinner? Look at the meals included with your particular plan and whether they suit the way you want to spend your days.
Not every plan includes table-service meals, and free dining doesn’t mean every meal, snack and restaurant is covered.
Selected meals come with a drink, including selected alcoholic options for guests aged 21 and over where available. Gratuities and anything outside your plan still need budgeting for.
My tip: look at a few participating restaurant menus before you go. It helps you understand how you’d use the plan and what you might want to allow extra money for.
Having some meals covered can make your spending easier to plan. And with so much to do at Disney, it’s helpful to have thought about food before everyone suddenly needs lunch at exactly the same time.
Check the ticket and hotel benefits you already have
Disney Magic Tickets include benefits beyond theme park entry, including Memory Maker with adult tickets.
That gives you digital downloads of your Disney PhotoPass pictures taken my a pro! As someone who is usually taking the photos, I love having the chance to be in them too, rather than just behind the camera!
Eligible Disney Resort hotel stays also come with 30-minute early theme park entry, with valid admission; great for racking up those extra rides!
Complimentary Disney transport includes buses, boats, the monorail and Disney Skyliner, depending on your route. Minnie Vans are a separate, paid service.
My tip: check which transport options serve the hotel you’re considering and how you’ll get to the parks you most want to visit. I’d look at that alongside the room and price.
My British Airways Holidays review: would I book again?
Yes, and it comes back to the things that make planning easier for me: booking flights and hotels together, having checked baggage included and being able to spread the payments.
I still look carefully at the dates, flight times and hotel, because those are the details that decide whether a particular holiday works for us.
With Disney, you don’t need to know absolutely everything before booking, you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed unnecessarily. Start with your dates, hotel, tickets, food and getting around. Getting those decisions sorted gives you a good starting point.
Then you can get on with the very important business of deciding which ride to do first. Or where to get a snack. Both require consideration. But snacks are always a good idea! (and included with the Disney Dining Plans! 🙏)
Click here to Explore Walt Disney World holidays with British Airways Holidays and let me know if this post was helpful!
I’m putting together a separate post with more of my Disney tips and the things I was glad I knew before going. What would you most like me to cover?
What do you think?