Beginning to plan a trip

[jennydep]

We have decided to head to WDW in early June 2006. We are putting back $130/month into a savings acct. for the trip. How early do I need to start making resort reservations, buying tickets & food vouches, making airline and rental car reservations? I am a bit obsessive about stuff like this and want to make the most of the time we have there.

Also, we are talking about being in WDW for 3 days. Is that enough or should we extend another day? We plan to spend a couple of days in St. Pete after WDW. Our kids will be 7 & 9 by then.

This is the beginning, I'm sure!! I'll be back with many many more questions over the next two years!!

Thanks!!!

Jenny

 

[4boys4me]

Congratulations on your decision!!!

I too am planning my first trip and this website has been a GODSEND (although a bit addictive-I REALLY need to get off this computer and get dinner started)!!! I too am obsessive, but truth is I'm having a ball planning this thing, even doing speadsheets to track & compare costs, itineraries, the whole bit.

Just keep reading these boards, and check out websites like mousears.com and allearsnet.com. Be sure to send away for the Disney planning kit, has a great DVD that will get your kids really excited. Check out your local library, I found several books dedicated to Disney in the travel section. My favorite is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2004" by Bob Sehlinger, ended up buying my own copy.

Three days sounds like it might be too short to do it all, you'll just have to decide what your priorities are, i.e. quality vs. quantity. Also since June is peak season you'll have a harder time getting deals on rooms, etc. We decided to delay until October and pull our kids out of school. Much less crowded, cooler and better deals to be found. Unfortunatly Disney doesn't release it's codes (specials) until 3-6 month's prior, which is frustrating to people like you and me.

Enjoy the planning!!

 

[pjlla]

I totally agree with the previous poster when she recommended that you read a couple of guide books. I read 4 before our last trip. And it wasn't our first trip to WDW. Will this be your first trip?? If so, I would definitely plan a minimum of 4 days at WDW if at all possible. Even then you will not even see half.

At this point I cannot say that saving $130/mo for 24 months will be enough. That is really only a bit over $3000. I am making the assumption you are flying. That alone for four people could be well over $1000 (depending on where from and what kind of deals you can get). If you plan to stay at a moderate or better hotel onsite at WDW, that could easily be $300 and up for 4-5 nights. And then you had other plans, which I assume included a rental car and additional hotel nights.

Just for a reference point, our last trip to WDW this past January with a party of four (kids were 6/8), cost us about $4000. That was 8 nights offsite for $59/night, $160/pp/rnd trip airfare, 5 days in the parks and one day at SeaWorld. THis included all food (including Dinner with Shamu, Cinderella's Royal Table bkfst, and Chef Mickey's for sit-down meals, the rest were counter service, or off-site restaurant), souvenirs, several ride photos, rental car, Park hoppers, SeaWorld admission, and a few misc. expenses.

If you live closer and get cheaper airfare or drive, give up some of the sit-down meals/souvenirs/ride photos, you may be able to do it for the $3100 you will have saved. But of course, I know nothing about the other non-WDW days you have planned.

Look around here at the Budget Board and check out some other people's budgets. It will give you a much better idea how much $ you will need. Also check out www.mousesavers.com and www.allearsnet.com They are both excellent newletters about saving at WDW with lots of tips and codes. Happy Planning......P

 

[4boys4me]

Forgot something... get a Disney Visa from Bank One. Since you're not going until June 2005 you'll be able to get 1% of your purchases back to spend on Disney. We've been putting things like morgage/car payment, etc. on it but paying it off every month. They also occasionallyoffer special rates/packages to WDW.

Good luck!

 

[ceecee]

3 days would never be enough time for us...........decide which parks you want to go to first. We usually do all of them, but only spend 1/2 day at AK.

 

[lentesta]

Hi jennydep,

Great idea to start saving now. $3,000 should be plenty for four people for a five-day vacation, even if you're flying. Did you say where you were coming from? If it's in the continental United States, I'd suspect you could get airfare from just about anywhere to Orlando for around $400 per person, tops.

Len

 

[jennydep]

Thanks, everyone, for your input so far. I welcome all advice and tips you have.

I think we will do MK and AK for sure and possibly Epcot. Is one day per park sufficient? I went to MK when I was a child and then to Epcot when my DH had a convention at the Dolphin, but haven't gone with our kids yet. So this really is like a first trip for us. We are planning to stay at a value resort or at the Grosvenor depending on what rates look like when it's time to make reservations.

We are coming from Indianapolis. My DH is set on flying due to memories of driving to Florida with his parents every year and spending the first day there with his folks trying to recover from the drive. Plus if we still have the van we have now, I wouldn't trust it to make it there and back!!

We chose June because we do not want to take the kids out of school. Our daughter has Down syndrome and will be fully included in first grade (the first child with Ds to go through her school!) so we don't want to mess with that. So I know the rates won't be as good as other times of the year, but this is the best we can do this time.

 

[weregoingtodw]

I would highly recommend flying out Southwest Airlines. Play around with their flights - you can get an awesome deal! We're flying from St. Louis to Orlando for $410/roundtrip total - for 3 people! Play around with the dates, they have a Flexible Dates option, do that and see what is most economical for your family. Of course, you can't do it yet, as that's booking too far out, but even putting in some fake dates will give you an idea of how much you'll hopefully need to budget. I booked my Mom's ticket today - leaving in 8 days, no less! - from Virginia to Orlando round-trip on SW for only $115. They really can't be beat!

 

[gritzel4]

Jennydep-

Check out the DIS board on DISabilities. They offer some great advice to seeing the world with a special needs child. I have an autistic son and we bring a Dr. note stating my son's limitations (ie. claustaphopia, hyperactivity, sensory impairment) to guest relations and receive a GAC (guest assistance card). The card in NOT a front of the line card but it allows you to wait in less crowded areas, use a stroller in line or use the Fast Pass entrance. It will depend on what the CM marks the GAC.

You may want to give your children some Disney $ (from Disney store) and tell them that is all the $ they will have for presents. This has worked for us in cutting down on the "I want's...".

Congratulations to your son in getting mainstreamed and graduating from the 1st grade. Only another parent of a special needs child can appreciate what a tremendous accomplishment inclusion is.

Best wishes and pixie dust to you and your family.

 

[DJT]

We live across the river from Louisville and would prefer to fly out of there but Southwest doesn't seem to reduce those ticket prices so we have flown out of Indy for less. Last September our tickets were about $120 each out of Indy. I've checked for September 2004 and the tickets are around $136 out of Indy. They are $199 out of Louisville. Another option out of Indy is ATA. I know someone who always flies ATA and gets good deals. You might keep that airline in mind also. By the way, both Southwest and ATA are non-stop flights to Orlando.

 

[Doodlebug939]

I think that a good thing that you can do it to buy your passes as you are able too. Without a doubt the prices of tickets will go up again before your trip so it would be cheaper to buy them now every couple of months. Although I dont know about 3 day passes. Someone else can probably answer that one for you.

Also the meal vouchers that Hotwire is currently selling will be expired before you can get to use them so you will have to wait while before you can get those.

We always try to give the give Disney Dollars that are at the Disney store to the kids before we go. In stockings and Easter baskets and such.

Hope it helps

 

[mad4themouse]

Originally posted by jennydep
We have decided to head to WDW in early June 2006. We are putting back $130/month into a savings acct. for the trip. How early do I need to start making resort reservations, buying tickets & food vouches, making airline and rental car reservations? I am a bit obsessive about stuff like this and want to make the most of the time we have there.

Also, we are talking about being in WDW for 3 days. Is that enough or should we extend another day? We plan to spend a couple of days in St. Pete after WDW. Our kids will be 7 & 9 by then.

This is the beginning, I'm sure!! I'll be back with many many more questions over the next two years!!

Thanks!!!

Jenny

Hi Jenny and welcome to the DISboards.

June 2006 can really feel like a lifetime away but that's only 24 months of saving and planning. There are not a lot of things that you can "do" right now except start saving. You won't be able to reserve a room, car or airline seat. If you're looking for a package deal, there won't be any for June 2006 until the winter of 2006.

I know that you may only be able to stay for 3 days but my own preference would be to spend more time (5 days!) in WDW, especially since it is your first time there. However, any amount of time in WDW is better than no time at all!

I highly recommend purchasing a good guidebook. I like the Passporter by Watson & Marx. It takes you step-by-step thru the planning process and shows you how to organize your budget. It makes a great take-along for recording your trip notes, too. If you purchase the deluxe version, you can update it by visiting the authors' website and by getting the update refill in 2006.

Since you have 2 years to save:

• Start a change jar and put all your pocket change in it every night
• Buy a few Disney Dollars every month if you can. Just $10 per month over a period of 24 months is $240 in spending money for WDW. Ask relatives to give the kids Disney Dollars instead of money for birthdays and holidays.
• Put your savings in an ING account where it will get 2% interest (PM anyone of us who has an account already and we can send you a referral email that will get you a $25 bonus). Check the ING FAQs Thread for details.
• Get a rewards credit card (like Capitol One's Miles Plus card for free air travel, or the Disney Rewards card from BankOne). Put all your everyday expenses from groceries to doctor bills on it. Pay it off monthly and collect the rewards for free.
• Start doing rewards programs, especially if you shop online frequently. Check out the Disney Rewards Programs Board for information on good rewards programs and how they work.
• Look for ways to trim the fat from your current budget and add the savings to the $130 that you already plan to sock away. Could you stand to keep the house a little warmer in the summer or cooler in the winter? Could you drive a little less often by combining errands? Could you eat in more often or prepare more things from scratch instead of using convenience foods? It all adds up.

You've gotten some great advise from the others on this board. I hope that we see you often! Have fun planning and dreaming!

 

[Scutapipig]

Hi there Jennydep!

Hug the kids for me....and throw in a few for you, too!

 

[jennydep]

Hey, Scutapipig!! I was going to ask if you knew about this site.

Pass some hugs back to your family! And remember you can stop by our house on the way to or from the Mouse's house in December!