How do I do this?

[choirfarm]

Ok, the last time we went to Disneyworld was 8 years ago and the boys hadn't started school. I know have 3 children: boys in 7th and 5th grade and a girl in kindergarten. I also homeschool now. My husband's job is very flexible, so we can go whenever we want. I was thinking September or October. I have read about 5 books on the subject, perused this site and others. I looked at AAA, but when I type in my zip code 75662, they do not show any Disneyworld discounts. So... do I just pick random dates and reserve them?? I've looked at the crowd numbers on the Unofficial Guide site. Should I just pick the dates with the lowest numbers and then call Walt Disney directly to reserve the site. So many of the books seem to be geared toward those staying at the resorts and/or packages. So... exactly what do I do to decide.

Christine

 

[Disney Campers]

September is a good month crowd wise, most kids are back to school and the rates are not to bad. The only thing with September is it is hurricane season in Florida.

Weekends fill up quickly at the Fort all year round

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Yeah....Im having a tough time deciding between Sept & Oct too...I might just flip a coin and hope it doest land standing upright.

 

[lawnspecialties]

Do you have to go in the summer? My wife home-schools our boys and we go in January.

Since I have a landscape business, January is a great time for me and the crowds are low. Definitely very few school kids there and probably most them are home-schooled as well. We're scheduled to arrive at the Fort in three weeks for our second "January" trip. We're also planning for early December '08 and January '09 as well.

 

[Duane]

You might as well go ahead and reserve the last part of October. You can take in Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, go to the Food and Wine Festival, and enjoy all of the great Halloween decorations around the campground. The crowds are not bad, and the weather is still warm. We have been to the Fort for the last 6 years at this time, and still really enjoy it.

 

[CottontailCurl]

Howdy, If you have no dates that you have to work around I would consider the middle of February (the second week) because it's still in the value season and the crowds are low and weather is nice (for the most part - you have a chance of cold front coming through). I think the Food and Wine Festival will be going on in EPCOT in late October and that would give your kids even more countries to learn about but there's the threat of hurricanes. The F&W festival is in November also, rates are low and the weather is very nice. (You should be able to find something on the disboards front page to take you to the schedule of events in the parks to find out exactly when that festival is going on.)

When you've decided when you'd like to go you can just call Disney at 407-wdisney and they'll look up availabilities for you. You can let them know you're looking for AAA rates and they'll see if they have them. They'll ask for your AAA number when they book it.

Have fun planning!

 

[choirfarm]

We were thinking this fall because it would be less crowded. However, the lsat time we went it was in February and that was nice as well, so January/February might be a time as well. We told the kids that we would take them one time when they were 5, 10, and 12 and we are already going to miss it as they would be 6, 11 and 13 for a fall trip and 7, and almost 12 and 14 if we go in February 09... Time is just getting away!!!
Christine

Do you have to go in the summer? My wife home-schools our boys and we go in January.

Since I have a landscape business, January is a great time for me and the crowds are low. Definitely very few school kids there and probably most them are home-schooled as well. We're scheduled to arrive at the Fort in three weeks for our second "January" trip. We're also planning for early December '08 and January '09 as well.

 

[choirfarm]

When you've decided when you'd like to go you can just call Disney at 407-wdisney and they'll look up availabilities for you. You can let them know you're looking for AAA rates and they'll see if they have them. They'll ask for your AAA number when they book it.

Have fun planning!

We are not AAA members, but might join if it would save money, but didn't know if it was worth it for full hook-up camping (not preferred) for 7 or 8 nights for our RV. I don't know how to look up the rates. As I said, when I went to the AAA site, they didn't show any rates at all after I stuck in my zip code, just Disneyland rates.

Christine

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

I always deal directly with Disney when checking/making reservations. As stated above, call 407-wdisney or check online at www.waltdisney.com . The campground books up early. Be prepared to make a deposit as soon as you get the dates you want. One nights deposit is all that is required to hold a campsite. It is totally refundable up until 5 days before your arrival date. If you go with a package (site, tickets & or dinning) this must be paid in full before your trip. Good luck planning

 

[PolynesianPixie]

The value season for FtW is from 1/1-2/13 and 8/3-11/20. If you are thinking fall, then IMO October is better.

The crowds are traditionally lower the 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and although not value season, it is "pre-holiday" and not much different than value. It is also gorgeous with Christmas decor!

For a AAA rate, I would deal specifically with Disney reservations, as they will be able to tell you if discount is available or not and can apply it to an existing reservation if necessary.

Have fun and check back if you have more questions!

 

[AuburnJen92]

If you are worried about hurricanes, then go with October. Sept is peak for hurricanes. I went through three in two years and it was not fun. We actually went to FW to get AWAY from the madness. Even if you do go in Sept and have a hurricane problem, they are very thorough and will definitely take care of you. We were out of power with the two back to back ones for 29 days, so FW was a welcome relief!

 

[Disneymom1220]

I just received the AAA rate for the end of April and the discount was 15%. For 7 nights on a preferred site, this saved us $90 - well worth the annual $46 dues paid to AAA. I didn't have my AAA card with me the first time I reserved and asked what the discount was and the reservation person said she couldn't see it on her screen until she loaded my membership number in. I called back the next day and they were able to add it to my existing reservation.

 

[PrincessMom98]

If I didn't have to plan around school schedules I would pick the week after Thanksgiving. We did this a couple of years ago and it was my favorite trip. The weather was great, the crowds were low and the decorations were beautiful! We also attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party one night which was a lot of fun.