How early do YOU start planning your trip???

[N&B'smom]

We were just at Disney World back in the end of September and I'm already excited about planning the next one. We're looking at Sept 2006, am I insane to start planning now?!?!?!!?

Shelby

 

[Dubs1964]

Not at all. We usually start planning our next Disney trip on the drive back home.

 

[blanq]

No you are not insane to plan a trip that is almost two years out. Planning is half the fun, so just think how much fun you can have until your next trip! For the record, I am always planning a trip, even if I don't have a future trip date nailed down. We last went to WDW in January 2004, and although I don't know when (or even if) we will visit WDW in 2005, I am already figuring out which resort and restaurants we will try next trip, and I am setting aside money for that next trip too.

 

[Desnik]

I plan our next trip on the ride home from WDW!!! Now that we are DVC members, I'm planning 2006, 2007, etc.....
It's never too early to plan.

 

[Lives4Disney]

What exactly do you guys do to plan that far in advance???? I LOVE WDW myself (just got back from our 3rd trip of 2004) - but besides getting all the guide books I can, what do you all do??? Two of our three trips were booked less than a month before we left. One was booked 2 weeks before! I enjoy the panic planning, I guess. I would love some ideas on how you stretch out that planning, though. We probably won't be going back until August 2005, so what could I do now to plan and get myself looking forward to it - It seems SO FAR AWAY!!

Thanks! Lives4Disney

 

[Desnik]

I plan by making a list of places we would like to eat. New things we want to try. Attrations that are "must do's". I plan out activities for DD like the tea party or pirate cruise. I jot down tips from these boards. Make packing lists. During the wait between trips I read guide books, visit these boards, go to TDS to get a "fix"!! Also, as I'm in stores I pick up things here and there for the drive down for DD and anything else we might need for our trips. I make itineraries for our trip, but I don't get too crazy with that! Just a general idea of where we would like to go on certain days.

 

[disneyjunkie]

We're doing an extended family trip in July 2006. I started planning the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I called CRO today and was told that I'll be able to book the MYW package on Sunday. I was surprised to find out I could book a package so far in advance.

I'm planning so far ahead so that everyone will have a year and a half to pay for the trip.

 

[simzac]

We leave for Disney World the coming Saturday, Jan 1st. I have already made reservations for Jan 1st of 2006, 7 night land & sea. It is never too early to start planning a Disney vacation.

 

[dmslush]

I think I started planning this trip as we were coming home from out first trip in 2001. We just decided the other day to actually pin down and date and go back this summer. So, I am planning HARD right now!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I daydream about future trips, but I'm definitely a DIS aberration. I usually book a month or two ahead of time, or maybe 3 if I can get a good discount. I'm not a commando planner at all. We've been there enough that we can just roll with whatever situation presents itself.

 

[WishesMom]

I personally can't survive if I'm not planning a trip. It doesn't matter if the trip is 12 months away, as long as I have the planning, I can deal with not being there!!! Otherwise, I'm not very nice

 

[lomillerin]

I just planned my trip yesterday for Jan. 16th. I usually say no more disney for awhile and then someone I know goes and I can't stand to be away.

I booked airfare and room. Still not sure which tickets to get.

 

[Harambe]

What exactly do you guys do to plan that far in advance???? I LOVE WDW myself (just got back from our 3rd trip of 2004) - but besides getting all the guide books I can, what do you all do??? Two of our three trips were booked less than a month before we left. One was booked 2 weeks before! I enjoy the panic planning, I guess. I would love some ideas on how you stretch out that planning, though. We probably won't be going back until August 2005, so what could I do now to plan and get myself looking forward to it - It seems SO FAR AWAY!!

Thanks! Lives4Disney

Once I decide which resort to stay at, I like to spend a lot of time planning, so that we can get back to our resort easily every day. I read the guide books and make sure I can get from one thing I'm planning to the next without a hassle (for instance, once I planned a day at MK, then a quick hop to MGM to see Fantasmic - I didn't realize you couldn't take a direct bus from MK to MGM = hassle!).

I choose a few PS's based on places we love or ones someone wants to try. Also as our kids get older, I see that I have to change the way we do the parks, so I make mental notes about what worked and what didn't from our last trip.

Now this new EMH evening thing has caused me to rethink some days, but I want to keep reading the boards here to see how those are going before I pencil them in.

 

[CamColt]

Christmas got me thinking about WDW for Christmas(we were there last year). Now my wheels are turning thiking of going over the holidays in 2006. I have a few other trips to get through first, but that one is really getting me excited now, LOL!

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Lives4Disney said: "What exactly do you guys do to plan that far in advance????"

I started planning our August 2002 trip in early 2001, and am now starting planning for our April 2006 WDW vacation. Why? Basically, I prefer to have the entire trip paid for in advance rather than use credit and have to pay it off afterward. We choose our resort and plan a basic itinerary, and then start saving for those expenses. We actually make our dining choices and budget for them before deciding on the park tickets, as well.

Also, the planning is almost as much fun as being there! It gets us talking about past trips and thinking about those magical moments, a mini-vacation in itself!

 

[bytheblood]

The one we are going on in June, it was 540 days out when we started planning. So, basically a year and a half.

When we went last, in 2002, I planned a year out. We booked in December of 2001 and went in December of 2002.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I start some of the planning before we're even finished our DW vacation. What I do to get ready is make the reservation (this way I have a year to pay it off) and start thinking of something new that we haven't done before. I also make our Hoop de Doo reservation so we can get good seats. Our next trip is six months away and I'm already going through what PS's I want to make in my mind. Planning is half the fun - at least to compulsive planners like myself.

 

[dmonroe]

We usually start planning our next trip while we're in WDW. Mostly just talking about where we'd like to stay next time, etc. We continue the planning on our 10 drive home. Once we're home I start looking at places we'd like to stay, pricing out different trips and stuff like that. I don't usually nail down dates and make reservations until about 10-12 months out. Right now it looks like we won't get to go back until May 2006 , but I'm hoping after we get over the "Christmas Crunch" I can talk dh into October 2005!