CP and Family Vacation Planning

[ADisneyKat]

We had been planning on taking a Disney vacation in October, before I even applied for the College Program. Now that I've been accepted, it's thrown a wrench into things. Can we go ahead and make reservations before I go down there, then get the discounts applied after I arrive? Or should I wait and do everything from the ground up. I don't arrive until September, and my family wants to go in October. Any advice?

 

[BadDad]

We had been planning on taking a Disney vacation in October, before I even applied for the College Program. Now that I've been accepted, it's thrown a wrench into things. Can we go ahead and make reservations before I go down there, then get the discounts applied after I arrive? Or should I wait and do everything from the ground up. I don't arrive until September, and my family wants to go in October. Any advice?

IMO: Wait.

CM/CP reservations are made through the hub, and Disney blocks off a certain number of rooms for CM reservations.

 

[mlaw]

We had a similar situation this winter. My daughter started her CP end of January and we visited the end of February. Because waiting until one month before the trip to make reservations made me nervous, I booked a reservation that I was ok with if she was not able to get us something better. So in our case, we booked a Value with a discount. This not where I wanted to stay but it would be fine if nothing else was available. Once my daughter went through training and could get onto the hub, she was able to change our reservation (because her name was already on the reservation). I wanted to stay at a Deluxe so by end of January there were very few choices left. On the positive side, we ended up in a savanna view at AKL with a 60% discount and a discounted dining plan. The chances are there will be something available one month out but you just have to be flexible about where. Have a great time with your CP. My daughter is having the time of her life!

 

[daisyx3]

I actually booked our trip today but it is DVC and today is 7 months out. It is just a 3 night trip Sat.-Tues. because I teach and don't have fall break or anything like that; 2 days is the max I can miss. We are leaving my 16 year old son home with my parents. It's almost exactly her midway point of her term.
Since we don't know where she will be working (quick service food) we booked Bay Lake tower. That way if she is at MK we can walk, and if she is in a resort we can walk to MK and get a resort bus. We can bus or monorail to the other parks. Hopefully we can see her off the job, but I'd like to see her in action too.
We didn't get a discount but we have the points and we have APs. Our big expense will be airfare.
She wants to fly home for the weekend before Thanksgiving too see her sorority sister on her bday so if she does we will see her then. If not, she has a great aunt down there who can feed her on an off day or two.