How early do you plan your WDW trips?

[shellybaxter]

We are DVC so we try to plan at least 11 months out because that is when we can reserve our home resort. However, we are often thinking about our trip for a couple of months before that

 

[dixiegirl]

I'm an obsessive planner as well!!! We go every Oct - so with the holidays, etc I can usually last until the beginning of the year and then the itching to plan starts! LOL - and then usually by mid-Jan we are booked and the planning begins.

Hopefully I will only have to suffer a few more years like this as DH and I have plans to move to FL in the hopefully near future. I know, it's a sickness.

 

[nobellybutton]

I have been planning for about a year just because its my Dad & his wife & our family of four. We were going to stay on property when it was just the 4 of us..but the Art of Animation wouldn't have been uncomfortable for us because only one private bedroom...awkward lol. So we booked a 3 bedroom (2 of which are master bedrooms) full kitchen/washer dryer, pirate pool, and close enough to drive..my dad lives in Florida. This option was the best for us..my Dad will be @ a work convention the week before in Orlando so I wanted a more comfy place to stay. As for planning the dinners still in the process of that I got Asherkus for breakfast and the Fantasmic dinner, and BBB for my DD, and my DS is doing the Y.E.S. program...but I read about the Aloha dinner & it seems fun can anyone tell me about it? Is it worth it? Paying out of pocket.

But I like to plan ahead...

 

[Makcarly]

I started planning my April 2012 trip this past November. It was plenty of time to book ADR's, plane tix, etc. However, I knew the second we went we would be going next year so now all I can think about is my April 2013 trip!

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Once we have the money saved up for the category resort we want; we book as soon as we find a WDW resort special we like. Either a resort discount, free dining, or when we get that rare PIN code. Doing it this way we can book it several weeks to several months out.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Ours vary. We've booked bounceback offers a year out, and we've done some last minute trips.

I guess I usually start a little over 180 days out. but I also have done plenty in under six months. Beyond 190 days out, I don't really do any planning- we just sit on the booking.

I someitmes tend to 'spring' when I see a great deal. It may be an airfare deal, it maybe a WDW deal. I don't book at full price.

It also matters who is coming with me. For big family trips, it is helpful to have extended time while everyone decides what they want to do, and we can pick dining for a large party.

Still, several times I've added a family member at the last minute! That's a true booking adventure!

 

[Dizzytime]

Coming from CA it's hard for us to go more than every few years, so when we commit we try and make the planning as far an advance as will help...like room only reservations almost a year away and DDR at the 180 day mark.

It's tough to plan soooo far ahead, and I really don't enjoy that part of it with all the time it takes to think it out, but it usually pays off big time in making it make it so much fun when we get there!