1st time planning a Disney vacation

[Tisha62486]

I went to disney when I was 12 but of course did not plan anything!! My husband and I decided we would wait until my youngest is 2 to go. So the ages would be 2,4 & 6! We want to go in September 2015 I just wanted to know when to start planning? And when I do plan should I have a travel agent? Thank you

 

[wdwjeffc37]

Hooray for you and your family!!! The good news is you have a long time to plan. My first piece of advice would be read these forums. There is a wealth of information on here that covers every, and I mean every, aspect of WDW. If you are willing to put in the effort you will be able to plan a wonderful, magical, and low stress vacation. There are forums specifically for first time visitors/planners that will give you a step-by-step guide with a time line to keep your planning on track. I personally don't use a travel agent. I like to have control of my own reservations, but there are some that get great reviews and specialize in Disney vacations. Also, if you haven't already, order the planning DVD from Disney and open a "My Disney Experience" account. Good luck with your plan. There are a lot of people who think that you can't start planning soon enough. Have fun!!!

 

[dovbniak]

Hey,

Congratulations on your trip! The only suggestion I would make at this point is to try and determine whether you might want to stay on site at a Disney resort or rent a house or book an off site hotel. You should have a general idea about a year from your planned arrival date.

There are lots of pros and cons to both and the reason I suggest this is that if you have your heart set on a deluxe or moderate resort on Disney property, they tend to book well in advance.

For example, we love to stay at the Beach Club resort and we usually book a year in advance just to make sure we get the resort we want. The reservation fee is usually one nights stay and is fully refundable up a certain number of days in advance of your arrival (check this board or with Disney to find out what their cancellation policy is).

Also, if you do some investigation and determine what full service restaurants you want to eat at, you should book them as soon as you can (six months out). Sounds crazy but some places book up at this time. For example, one very popular place is to have lunch or dinner at Cinderella's Castle. If you want to get a reservation, I suggest booking it as soon as you can (six months prior to your arrival date).

Lastly, and most importantly, have lots of fun learning all about WDW. It helps make the time go faster!

This board is awesome for information but I also suggest mousesavers.com and allears.net.

Have fun!

 

[Tisha62486]

Thank you ladies!! I did not wanna get ahead of myself and start so early but I can't help it lol I ordered the DVD and we also decided we are going to stay at a value resort because we think the kids would like them! And also save $$. I am going to be stalking this thread and writing down everything lol thank you ladies again!!!

 

[V2000]

You can start dreaming now if you want!!

I usually plan 6 months in advance. I like to book all my reservation times for dining so I get all the times and restaurants I want.

 

[MAO]

I'd also suggest going to the library and checking out the latest copies of any WDW guide books they have. It is always possible that some attraction mentioned in one of those books will not be available - either be gone or under refurbishment - by the time you go, but the general overview of what each resort has to offer and what is in each park is right there, on real paper.

It's just another source of information for you to consider. And it's free.