Thinking of starting to plan for 2009, am I mad?!

[OrlandoMagic]

I haven't even been on this years holiday yet (not long yet! :cool1: ) and already I am starting to think about going back in 2009! Does anyone else start to plan this far ahead? Or am I getting a little carried away?

Im thinking of going in October 2009, flying with Virgin/BA (Using Airmiles) and staying 7 nights onsite (very first time!!! :) ) and 7 nights somewhere close to Universal, maybe Crowne Plaza.

Also thinking about DDP for the 7 days whilst onsite. When will the best deals for this come out? Also which is the best of the disney value resorts?

All tips and comments welcome! ;)

[wayneg]

If you know when you want to go then you have to start planning as soon as things become available. I have Disney cruise booked for August 09, price will probably go up nearer it gets but we pay lower price if it comes down.
I have been looking at Virgin packages for next August for 25 nights for 3 adults but they are way OTT, Flights, Hotel and Car £4,242.75. Done it myself for the this August £1,950 (using miles for flight).
I always start as soon as packages come out then usually wait until 11 months out to book flight only, then start looking at hotels when flights are booked.
Can't help you with ddp, we prefer offsite hotels and dining.

[Booknut]

I think your best bet if you want a good deal is to wait and see if they offer free dining again. This past year we could book the free dining deal through Disney UK in September. You pay rack rate for the rooms but with the free dining its not a bad deal. And I think it only applied to moderate and deluxe resorts.

Price wise I think a 7 night stay at the POFQ with 10 day base tickets and free dining was around $1660 so around £880. The tickets are good for 14 days so you could still use them once you were off-site for the second part of your trip. Park Hopper tickets might add another £80-£100.

If you stay at a value and pay for the dining plan (which this year is $37.99 a head per day I think for adults) you're looking at around $1600 for the week so you're actually better off going in September and getting free dining as you could stay in a moderate as opposed to a value.

These figures are for 2 adults. I don't know how many of you are going so I did the calculations for 2!

If you look on allearsnet.com you can find details on all the resorts and prices at various times of the year.

And no, I don't think its nuts to plan ahead, i'm already deep into planning our first trip to WDW with our daughter in January! :thumbsup2

[TinkTatoo]

I haven't even been on this years holiday yet (not long yet! :cool1: ) and already I am starting to think about going back in 2009! Does anyone else start to plan this far ahead? Or am I getting a little carried away?.......

We've got our next trip in August this year but I've already booked a Gulf Coast villa for August 2009 and also plan to spend a week in California. I'll book the flights as soon as they are released in Sept 2008 and once I've done that I'll book or CA hotels.

I love planning :surfweb: and usually have two trips on the go

[CustardTart]

Haven't been on our hols this year but that doesn't mean I haven't already booked a DCL cruise (like Wayne says, the further out you book, the cheaper it is) and a Fly-Drive with VH for August 2009 as the quote for 3 weeks was slightly less than I expected to pay. Just got to find a nice villa in St. Pete's and book AKV when the window opens - then we're sorted... :goodvibes

Like Jakki, I love planning and inevitably have 2/3 trips on the go... :cool1:

[OrlandoMagic]

Thanks for all the replies so far, some very helpful info! :thumbsup2

If we do choose to go in October is there any dates we should avoid such as school holidays? By the way it will only be me and my GF travelling. :)

Thanks.

[wayneg]

Columbus Day Monday, October 12, 2009

That weekend is usually busy. Apart from that UK half term week. Don't think US has any other holidays that month.

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree with what has been said so far, there is nothing wrong with planning ahead on holidays.
Sometimes if you have annual passes for Disney or Universal it can also help too as you can do 2 holidays within a 12 month period.

October is a good time to go, whilst it may be busier at certain times it doesn't attract the crowds the likes of Easter does - I would just go off the price personally.

[wayneg]

Sometimes if you have annual passes for Disney or Universal it can also help too as you can do 2 holidays within a 12 month period.


Or 3, even better :banana:

[JohnnySharp2]

Or 3, even better :banana:

Hopefully we will do 2 August 2008 and July 2009.

[craigs bride]

i already started planning our trip last yr we have booked our villa already, im just waiting on the flights to be available for me to book then it will be the park tickets to get

[Scottish-Helen]

I'm thinking about October 2009 already as well. Am desperate to book but will just have to be patient as we're going to do New York with it. I've been over Halloween on 2 ocassions and it was my favourite time to go.

You can never start planning too early, it's half the fun !!:banana:

[natalielongstaff]

we are hoping to go back in 2009 and ive started to plan our trip :cool1:

[Lisash]

I break out in a rash if I haven't got at least three planned going forward :rotfl:

[meryll83]

We've just booked our next trip to WDW and first Disney Cruise for October 2009! :cool1:
Granted, we are a little ahead with our planning this time, as it's for our wedding/honeymoon.

Someone mentioned free dining, however this only runs until the end of September normally. Last time we used free dining on the last date available and that was departing 29th September.
If you can go a bit earlier to get this option (if they offer it, it will prob be available from about this August/September) I'd definitely do it again, plus you'll miss the October half term (late October) but Halloween events will already have started.

Unfortunately this time, we have to go in half term, as DF's parents work in colleges, we'll miss the free dining period by about 3 weeks :sad1: We've booked early as we suspect that being over a school holiday there won't be any deals for this time of year.

Last time we booked the previous September, and as well as free dining, Virgin were also offering 2 free nights at Pop over that period, so we got a really good deal :thumbsup2

[OrlandoMagic]

I am starting to think maybe late september is better than October, it certainly seems a lot cheaper when im looking at prices for hotels.

Anyone know what dates all the halloween events normally start?

Any pros/cons in going last two weeks of September instead of first two weeks of October?

Thanks.

[meryll83]

We managed to get to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Halloween Horror Nights last year.
I think Universal runs right through October, MK possibly has a couple of days in late September (can't quite remember) but definitely runs right through October to Halloween.

[wayneg]

Unconfirmed dates for MNSSHP. http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/halloween.htm

All Sept, looks a lot of dates this year if they are correct.

[~Fisharefriends~]

your not mad because that would mean i would be too!! we are not going till Nov this year but im already looking into going May/June next yr (last trip before ds1 starts school) keep being tempted by the cruise as well just trying to work out what finances will allow!!

Going to be getting the annual passes as well then get the two trip out of them seems to save us quite a bit of money doing this

[Dimplenose]

No definitely not mad - I've been planning for 2009 since our last trip in 2005. On the other hand we could both be mad!

Libby

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Nope definately not mad at all.:goodvibes

[suzycute]

Definately not mad at all! DH and I are going in October 2008 but DD and I are going in September 2009 and plans are already in full swing!