Has anyone ever done a spur of the moment trip??? **UPDATE**

[aussiegirls]

Hi all

It's been a little while since I have been in here.....makes me a bit sad

Anyway, I am wondering if anyone has ever done a spur of the moment Disney trip? I am talking about only a week or 2 to plan. Due to some unforeseen circumstances (way too long to go into) I am seriously considering a trip to Disneyland in the next 2 weeks.

Virgin has some amazing prices for the end of Sept - mid Oct, so for all of us the flights would only total $3550. The problem is that I had planned for us to go at Christmas 2012 because Christmas at Disneyland has my heart and if we go now we are unlikely to be able to go again then.

Oh my goodness, I don't even know what I am asking. Has anyone done a spur of the moment trip and did it turn out ok? With me being Ms Uber Planner (and planning is half the fun) I am not sure that it would be as fun without all the planning that goes along with it. But to be honest I just wanna be at Disneyland right now!!!

HELP!!!!!

ETA : The ticker is, unfortunately, not true, just don't know how to get rid of it LOL

 

[Anne_Aus]

I haven't done a spur of the moment trip cause I am a planner. But I wanted to ask a few questions which might help you sort out your thoughts a little

Would you get longer at the parks if you waited for Christmas 2012?
Are you likely to go to WDW is you go in 2012?
Are you the type of person to stress about things not being planned?
How important is christmas at Disney to you?

 

[aussiegirls]

Wow, thanks for the smart questions Anne.

Ok, if we were to go now it would be 2 weeks just at Disneyland and then come home (I still have an annual pass that is valid until December but would have to still get the kids tickets). If we go with the original plan we would still spend 2 weeks at Disneyland but we would spend another few weeks elsewhere in the US.....maybe New York or somewhere.

If we wait I will not go to WDW. I don't know what it is but WDW just doesn't do it for me like Disneyland does.

I do love to plan but I don't think not having a super detailed plan would stress me. We know Disneyland pretty well and we know where we would go and what we would like to eat (the most important part LOL). The planning is more fun to be honest, than a necessity.

Christmas at Disneyland for me is just magical. Truthfully, I don't even have the words to tell you how amazing it is. As I said before, it has totally captured my heart and I would much rather be at Disneyland at Christmas than at any other time of the year. Oh dear, I have just realized how much of a tragic that makes me sound

 

[Waybuloo]

We've done a trip to Hawaii to get married with 2 weeks planning; best trip ever

If your heart desires Disney at Christmas... then wait

I hope your last few weeks haven't been too tough

 

[Anne_Aus]

well since it will be disney anyway, it comes down to do you want extra time maybe do NYC as well as a Disney christmas and the planning you love.

Or do you get a Disney fix asap ... lets face it noone could blame you!!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

If i had the opportunity to go in 2 weeks rather than wait till Christmas 2012 I would be booking those tickets as fast as i could.
Then i would be praying like crazy we could still go in 2012

After seeing pictures of Disney at Christmas that is so what i want i always wanted a white Christmas until i saw that gorgeous castle dressed for Christmas I would do anything to have Christmas with the mouse so i am understanding your dilemma

I totally understand that WDW does not do it for you we would only go back there if we were already going to Florida for something else and it would be Magic Kingdom only and it would have to be the only way I was going to get a Disney fix to do it

 

[Mum from oz]

I'd be going in now and maybe not shopping as much and doing it budget style, then saving like crazy for 2012 and missing out on NY.

Tough decision.

 

[OziJo]

Christmas at Disneyland for me is just magical. Truthfully, I don't even have the words to tell you how amazing it is. As I said before, it has totally captured my heart and I would much rather be at Disneyland at Christmas than at any other time of the year. Oh dear, I have just realized how much of a tragic that makes me sound

You don't sound like a tragic to us here!!!

If going now means you will miss out on your DL Christmas then I would wait. Time goes so quickly and you can spend that time planning and saving for a great trip.

 

[meandmygirl]

I'd be going in now and maybe not shopping as much and doing it budget style, then saving like crazy for 2012 and missing out on NY.

Do it, do it, do it!!!

Come on M, you know you want to.

Not helping am I? Remember, life is short.

 

[aussiegirls]

K, you are not helping me at all

Thanks everyone for all your input, it is definately food for thought.

I am going to keep thinking......I dunno. I am so indecisive about this

Will keep you all updated with what I decide to do

xxx

 

[arje]

For what it's worth, here is my opinion. We have been to both DL and WDW at Xmas and no words can do it justice, it is just an incredible experience. However the other couple of hundred thousand people each year think the same way. I wouldn't deny anyone christmas in the magic, but I have also done a 7 week trip on 3 weeks planning, booking etc (inc East and West parks inc cruise) and it was quite easy. I'd say wait until xmas, save some more and plan a better trip.

 

[Aust]

I'm having a similar dilemma, but not for this year - we are planning a big trip to Canada and the US for Christmas 2014 (including DL), but I'm wondering if we can sneak in a quick DL trip maybe next October - which I would love to do, especially if I could get good airfares - but if I wait then maybe we could go premium economy for the big trip! Decisions decisions.

 

[lovintheland]

Hi Michell,

Haven't ever done the spur of the moment thing but hey if I was in a situation to I would in a flash. I say go for it, and the dollar is still so good. It was a year yesterday since our last trip and I've had severe disney depression for the last two weeks thinking about it. the kids only found out the day we left and I think personally I would love a quickly planned trip which didn't seem to take forever to come. As much as the planning process prolongs the excited I think I would rather two weeks of extreme excitement and less waiting. Who knows they may then be another unforeseen circumstance which takes you there next christmas too. Can't wait to hear what you decide.
xo

 

[jacs1234]

I'm thinking that maybe you should do your spur of the moment trip

You may still get to next year as well. Pirates and the Blue bayou are closed at the moment though and don't open till the 24th of November. If you go now though, you will get to see the halloween decorations. People seem to love it. I would love to see the ghost galaxy version of space mountain. You could go and then tell us all about it.

 

[craftymama71]

I say just do it. I am not much of a planner. My husband is however. But yeah, I'm all for just going for it....

 

[aussietravellers]

I've done a last minute trip to Disneyland and I actually quite liked it.

Some other parents from school were going to the US and were talking about Disneyland. I just out of boredom was online checking flights to LA one night and there was a crazy VAustralia ticket for about $425 for adult, $300 and something for kids! So I just opened another safari window and popped onto the Disney website and checked if there was accommodation and there was. So I popped back onto Virgin website and booked our tickets, sent an email to my US travel agent and booked the accommodation that night. Next day quickly called the dog kennel to book the dog in, organised the travel insurance.

Next night hopped on and booked Disney Express pickup from the airport, bought our tickets online, 14 day passes and one annual pass (for the discounts and that we were there for two weeks). Booked a couple of tours with Grayline, Legoland and San Diego Zoo. Called Disneyland vacation plannng, told them where we wanted to eat and they made all of our ADR's for the trip, they booked fantasmic for me and presented me with the itinerary of ADR's and fantasmic tickets on arrival. I ordered groceries from Vons to be delivered to the hotel the day of our arrival. Started packing and we were on the plane 4 days after my impulse investigation online that fateful night!!!!!!

It was fantastic, great trip. I am an obsessive planner but I still got my obsessive planning done Just in a very quick way

Go for it I say .

 

[lovintheland]

hey Michelle<

what have you decided? I've been getting excited for you thinking you might be going soon.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

I've done a last minute trip to Disneyland and I actually quite liked it.

Some other parents from school were going to the US and were talking about Disneyland. I just out of boredom was online checking flights to LA one night and there was a crazy VAustralia ticket for about $425 for adult, $300 and something for kids! So I just opened another safari window and popped onto the Disney website and checked if there was accommodation and there was. So I popped back onto Virgin website and booked our tickets, sent an email to my US travel agent and booked the accommodation that night. Next day quickly called the dog kennel to book the dog in, organised the travel insurance.

Next night hopped on and booked Disney Express pickup from the airport, bought our tickets online, 14 day passes and one annual pass (for the discounts and that we were there for two weeks). Booked a couple of tours with Grayline, Legoland and San Diego Zoo. Called Disneyland vacation plannng, told them where we wanted to eat and they made all of our ADR's for the trip, they booked fantasmic for me and presented me with the itinerary of ADR's and fantasmic tickets on arrival. I ordered groceries from Vons to be delivered to the hotel the day of our arrival. Started packing and we were on the plane 4 days after my impulse investigation online that fateful night!!!!!!

It was fantastic, great trip. I am an obsessive planner but I still got my obsessive planning done Just in a very quick way

Go for it I say .

Wow I would love to be able to pull of a Disney trip in that many days and with those awesome flight prices. I bet your kids had a very big surprise when you told them.

 

[aussiegirls]

UPDATE : Well maybe not so much of an update I am still thinking!!! If I am going to go it will be in mid November. V Aust have some great prices for flights around that time, and I realised that they will have all the Chrissy stuff up by then too.

I will definately need to make a decision, either way, by the end of next week.

Will keep you posted

xxx

 

[becpee]

UPDATE : Well maybe not so much of an update I am still thinking!!! If I am going to go it will be in mid November. V Aust have some great prices for flights around that time, and I realised that they will have all the Chrissy stuff up by then too.

I will definately need to make a decision, either way, by the end of next week.

Will keep you posted

xxx

I totally get where you're coming from

November is a great time to go, we went in 09 and we found queues not too long, booked character breakfasts while we were there, great trip