Had to share this with those who 'get it'!!

[vanillarum]

I would give him a copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW, tell him to read it cover to cover AND then call you. Hope it all works out for him - his intentions are good.

 

[vinotinto]

The first time we went to Disney as a family in 2009, we got the idea about 4 weeks before, and I booked it 3 weeks before. Kids were little - 2 and 4 - so we weren't ruled by school schedules. Now, I know when we're going to do anything like 9 months in advance and I miss the good old days.

So, how was it, you may ask? We had an awesome vacation! We stayed BC, which is still one of our faves. Everything was new to us. I made dinner reservations for every single night, and there were some losers (Crystal Palace comes to mind), but some of the last minute ADRs were pretty good (The Wave).

WDW was a piece of cake to plan for a first-timer compared to planning trips outside the US prior to the internet being so developed (does anyone remember getting the EuroRail timetable booklets?). The only thing is that if they are going to go, they need to make a decision now and start working on it.

 

[disfan07]

Now granted, we are not first timers...we are more like 15th timers..lol. But we plan no more than about 3 months in advance. I booked our trip for next week back at the end of march. I actually just changed our resort reservation 3 weeks ago. I did make dinng reservations when I booked but I did change some around including as recent as today. For reservations I got everything I wanted (1900 park fare breakfast and dinner, crystal palace lunch, garden grill dinner, 50s prime time dinner, liberty tree tavern lunch) and all at prime meal times.

I honestly have not checked the park hours schedule yet and I probably will check it the night before.

This would probably shock most people here but we went over Christmas this past December (25th-31st) and we only planned our trip about 7 weeks in advance. We got the hotel we wanted (POP) and all of the dining reservations we wanted. We had an amazing time! I would have no problem going back during Christmas time.

But we also don't really plan that much. We choose our hotel and make ADRs (so we know tentatively what park on which day) but that's all we do. It probably helps immensely that we have been many times before but I think a first timer can have a great time with a last minute trip as long as they know the basics.

But to each their own of course.

 

[mefordis]

Would he have gone for this?

Vacation Offer June 30 – July 6, 2013 | 3 Adults, 2 Children (5, 10)

The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort
Wilderness Cabin

6-Day Tickets + Park Hopper Option

$4313.00

 

[chasgoose]

Now granted, we are not first timers...we are more like 15th timers..lol. But we plan no more than about 3 months in advance. I booked our trip for next week back at the end of march. I actually just changed our resort reservation 3 weeks ago. I did make dinng reservations when I booked but I did change some around including as recent as today. For reservations I got everything I wanted (1900 park fare breakfast and dinner, crystal palace lunch, garden grill dinner, 50s prime time dinner, liberty tree tavern lunch) and all at prime meal times.

I honestly have not checked the park hours schedule yet and I probably will check it the night before.

This would probably shock most people here but we went over Christmas this past December (25th-31st) and we only planned our trip about 7 weeks in advance. We got the hotel we wanted (POP) and all of the dining reservations we wanted. We had an amazing time! I would have no problem going back during Christmas time.

But we also don't really plan that much. We choose our hotel and make ADRs (so we know tentatively what park on which day) but that's all we do. It probably helps immensely that we have been many times before but I think a first timer can have a great time with a last minute trip as long as they know the basics.

But to each their own of course.

I kind of agree with this assessment. In terms of planning the rooms/pre-booked things at WDW, you don't need to do it THAT far in advance. The only thing that you really miss out on by not booking way in advance are a few tough to get ADR's (and even then, with persistence, you can get some of them) and DVC points reservations. I can't think of a time where I saw every Disney resort completely booked at 100% capacity except maybe a few peak times of the year. If you are flexible (which most people travelling to WDW are) you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a resort at any level booking even a month in advance. For example I just checked availability for a stay from 6/28-7/7 this year and every resort had rooms available, even LM rooms were available at AOA.

 

[DanInMN]

I posted a little about this before, in a different context... my first trip to WDW was around 1985. My son and I flew from MN to FL in our small airplane. Because flyable weather is always a variable, we couldn't really plan ahead. I wouldn't have known what to do anyway, and there was no Internet back then. We rented a car, drove around looking for a "Vacancy" sign. We found a dumpy hotel, although it had a pool which my little boy liked. Kids are not nearly as picky as adults. We had a nice time, although it was hot and crowded.

 

[buckeev]

LOL. I love this post. I also love the "ambassador". My friends call me a pseudo-disney travel agent because I know quite a bit about taking a WDW vacation.

That sure sounds a lot better than what my friends/family call me...(and not just in reference to my Disney/USO addiction!).

 

[bluejasmine]

Yea, im known for my disney obsession.. Between our WDW trips, movies, clothes, house decorations and then a yr ago I be some a Disney authorized travel agent unjust labeled crazy with family & friends.. They shake their head and say oh they are going to Disney again..

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & CR Sept 8-15, 2013

 

[ttcl516]

I went to Disney twice back in 94 & 95. No clue what we were doing. Stayed offsite and mostly ate quick service or offsite, as we rented a timeshare. We had an amazing time, but alot has changed since then. Now I believe you have to plan for all these things (which park which day, ADR's) I just went back with my family this past February. I had planned probably six months in advance when free dining came out. We had an amazing time. Saw pretty much everything we wanted to see and then some. My mom came with us and said she never would of done everything we had done if it hadn't been for my late nights on the Dis. We are now planning to go back in 2015. I mean where else can you go where you don't have to drive, cook, clean & also have an amazing time where there is something for everyone!!!

 

[emilyindisney]

Oh boy!

I don't think some people understand that there are travel agents who solely work to book Disney vacations. Granted not everyone needs to go as plan-crazy as we do, but a Disney trip is certainly an undertaking. As PP have said- to have a good time, people need to know what they're getting in to. People wouldn't go to Europe on the drop of a hat without reading a guidebook, would they?

 

[Greysword]

I would give him a copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW, tell him to read it cover to cover AND then call you. Hope it all works out for him - his intentions are good.

I agree.

Tink, at the very least please print off the free touring plans from TouringPlans.com (one for each park), so they will at least have something in hand to guide them.

Shoot, airfare is going to stink, too. Hopefully they learn about Magical Express or plan on renting a car.

 

[maxiesmom]

I recently had a friend ask me for some info to help plan a trip to WDW. He wanted to stay on site, so I told him about the summer discount that was being offered, and that his family of 5 would fit in one room at POR. They are flying in so he didn't want to bother with a rental car.

A few days ago I find out he booked off site and has a rental car. The only thing that worries me a bit is that he also booked his trip as a package through Costco. Hopefully he did indeed get the great deal they told him they gave him.

 

[revdisney33]

I am often called Reverend Disney....I love planning.....took my parents last year. They only wanted to go for a few days and don't travel.....guess what, they are going with us for 8 nights this year and very excited. This year we have a family with a 3 children. One has medical equipment that he has to have all the time. They never thought they could afford it for a long time. After a little research and pricing for them....they are going for 6 nights that will correspond with part of our trip. We are all best friends, but their daughters won't know until the day they leave and my DD has no idea that her besties will be there until we get the knock on our door when we arrive at POP. They are there 2 days before us, so will put a plan together for the, so they aren't overwhelmed. As mom thought last year, they thought they would walk from the resort into a park. We are trying to make it as easy as we can, then we can help when we get there. I did all the planning, even going to my travel agent to set it up as well as all the ADRs. No way I would rather spend my day....love it. I often get messages from friends of friends looking for advice. Wish I could do it as a job. September is going to be a blast with our friends and the surprise of it all!!

 

[EagleScout]

One word - swolphin. Depending on the particular days during time around july 4, I found availability at swan or dolphin on their website. I saw the swan with their online promotional rate for 249/night for july 1 through 6 (I think that also gives sixth night free). From swan, easily walk to epcot and walk/boat to dhs. And with those age kids, epcot/dhs may be even more important than mk. And at swan/dolphin, you have great restaurants, can also walk to boardwalk, and obviously a short walk to epcot world showcase for more great food choices. Good luck! (And just to put out there, while we agree planning can be helpful, we have a super disney time with just a little planning, not going crazy-we have done several disney trips on just a few weeks notice due to my unpredictable work schedule, which often means staying at swan/dolphin, because they frequently have last minute deals, and also can walk to epcot for food, so lack of adrs not so critical).

 

[Nancyg56]

I have a coworker who is the exact same way......she asked me at the beginning of the year if I would help her plan, and I told her absolutely since we aren't going this year I can live vicariously through her. However every time I go to talk to her about it she is standoffish. Her DH works construction, and says that as soon as the job he is on is over they are going to go. No planning, no payment making, no dining reservations. Blows my mind. I don't know if she thinks she's going to ride around looking for a vacancy sign or what, but she doesn't get that people plan for Disney sometimes years in advance, and you need to have some kind of idea of what parks and rides will interest you. I'm afraid Disney is going to chew them up and spit them out!!!

I know someone like this. For years she had been telling us she and her DH were going to take the kids to WDW, but they were seat of your pants vacationers. Ummm...not at WDW. Cannot book early because Dad has his own business, never knows when he will have time off. Cannot plan, never know what they will be doing. Those kids will be 110 and still not have been to WDW.

We went over Thanksgiving last year and ran into a nice family who was staying with us at BC. They did this last minute trip, had never been before and were really surprised that they were shut out of a lot. I showed them some Aps on my phone and hooked them up with the DIS. They told me that they were going to look at it as their research trip, so that the next time they would nto miss anything.