How far in advance do you book?

[loladelorean]

Update - after working out prices until my eyes have gone a bit funny, I can safely say we will need until 2013 to save up
But I will have my dream Florida holiday - I know it will be worth the wait and the saving! If those ridiculously amazing free dining plans disappear before 2013 though maybe we won't be going after all that must save sooo much money.
Thanks again for your encouragement DISers, I love this forum

 

[amystevekai&bump]

We started planning our upcoming Christmas trip while we were last there in May 2008 - the first part (our Christmas cruise!) was booked on reservation opening day back in Oct 2008.

I can tell you that the wait hasn't actually been too bad - although I do still have 4 months left to go - so perhaps the hard wait is still ahead of me!!

 

[wideeyes]

I have booked trips from more than a year before however I booked my last trip 4 months before. My next trip 6 months before. For School holidays I would book as soon as possible though.

 

[2Tiggies]

Now it isn't just a case of having a nice countdown. If you don't book early enough it's the flight prices that get you! I have never seen anything like the prices this year!

 

[Disneymad]

I think probably the earliest I've ever booked a trip is around 11 months or so when I went for Christmas, closest I've ever booked has been around 2 months when I was slacking. 'Normal' is usually somewhere around the 6 month mark.

 

[2Tiggies]

It also helps to book before your 180 day mark if you are staying onsite and want to make use of the 180 + 10 for your ADRs

 

[irenep]

I have booked as much as 18months in advance but that was when i did packages.
Now I tend to DIY and have DVC so generally book 11 months out.

 

[loladelorean]

It also helps to book before your 180 day mark if you are staying onsite and want to make use of the 180 + 10 for your ADRs

Sorry I'm a newbie to the WDW part of the boards....what does this mean? Thanks!

 

[kieras nana]

you can book your advanced dining reservations,180 days before.alot of people wait,for this time to come round,so they are guaranteed the restaurant & the time they want.
tracy

 

[loladelorean]

you can book your advanced dining reservations,180 days before.alot of people wait,for this time to come round,so they are guaranteed the restaurant & the time they want.
tracy

Ah thank you! I would certainly do that like to be organised with meals. Thank goodness I've got years to plan there are so many Disney restaurants and I haven't the foggiest about any of them.
Excited to start at the beginning though and learn all about wdw.
Thanks to everyone for the kind and helpful replies.

 

[Rohais]

Our first ever trip to WDW was booked four WEEKS before we left My Nan decided to take myself, my brother and our mom - when she first said it...I thought she meant DLP!

This year, we booked 2nd June for September/October 2011

 

[Jo-D]

It is such a relief to know that I'm not on my own and there are people as mad as me who plan their trips far in advance.

We are looking to go in September 2012, my husband thinks I'm potty as i've started to plan already... for me though two years is such a long time to wait so the planning is the bit that keeps me going.

 

[LoodlesNoodles]

I tend to book 9 months in advance but start to think about it/plan it about a year and a bit beforehand. Working out what I can afford to pay towards it each month and how long it will take to save versus what deals seem to be around at the time, checking various websites for the best prices.
I'm super efficient when it comes to saving for Disney, it seems the only thing I can save for!

 

[loladelorean]

It is such a relief to know that I'm not on my own and there are people as mad as me who plan their trips far in advance.

We are looking to go in September 2012, my husband thinks I'm potty as i've started to plan already... for me though two years is such a long time to wait so the planning is the bit that keeps me going.

My boyfriend thinks I'm a bit potty too, but he was pleasantly surprised by the figure I gave him. He agrees on going around March 2013 (hopefully, who knows what could happen in 2.5 years, but anyway...)
But he cut me off when I started talking about hotels etc. He is very tolerant of my Disney obsession, but says he can hear about the details in about two years time, until then I can keep myself amused on the DIS boards

Planning keeps me going too

 

[loladelorean]

I tend to book 9 months in advance but start to think about it/plan it about a year and a bit beforehand. Working out what I can afford to pay towards it each month and how long it will take to save versus what deals seem to be around at the time, checking various websites for the best prices.
I'm super efficient when it comes to saving for Disney, it seems the only thing I can save for!

Hi LoodlesNoodles, fancy meeting you here
That made me laugh, my bf wants to know why I've still not paid off the silly small sum on my topshop card but I'm planning 3 years worth of saving for Disney holidays

 

[Julia Ann]

OK now i have in the past always booked package...i find DIY a bit scarey. and i have booked most of the trips 12 months in advance.....now i am planning the next trip for 2015!!!!! (just in my head at the moment as can't physically book anything...but i'm still planning!). Does that make me the winner?

 

[loladelorean]

OK now i have in the past always booked package...i find DIY a bit scarey. and i have booked most of the trips 12 months in advance.....now i am planning the next trip for 2015!!!!! (just in my head at the moment as can't physically book anything...but i'm still planning!). Does that make me the winner?

Wow you are definitely the winner!
The thought of diy us scaring me too ATM but I want to save money where I can and if I do loads (and loads and loads) of research I'll feel more confident by the time I book hopefully.
I'm already trying to figure out which hotel I'd like I'll probably change my mind a hundred times! Would love AKL but think it will be out of price range for our first WDW trip! So POR is a front runner or maybe SSR which is coming in at good prices.

 

[2Tiggies]

Wow you are definitely the winner!
The thought of diy us scaring me too ATM but I want to save money where I can and if I do loads (and loads and loads) of research I'll feel more confident by the time I book hopefully.
I'm already trying to figure out which hotel I'd like I'll probably change my mind a hundred times! Would love AKL but think it will be out of price range for our first WDW trip! So POR is a front runner or maybe SSR which is coming in at good prices.

If you stay active on this forum you will be amazed in a few months how much you have learned and how much more confident you are about doing thing differently. I have also always been a chicken with DIY - despite being a loooooong time lurker on here, it was only when I started posting and asking questions, that the information sort of ..... er, came alive for me. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I will probably do DIY next year. Don't be fooled into believing that I won't be asking hundreds of questions though - however at least I know where I can get information and support.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

It is such a relief to know that I'm not on my own and there are people as mad as me who plan their trips far in advance.

We are looking to go in September 2012, my husband thinks I'm potty as i've started to plan already... for me though two years is such a long time to wait so the planning is the bit that keeps me going.

Don't worry - my DH really thought I had lost the plot when I was asking him to choose between menus for our adrs when I was still over 2 years out - he couldn't understand how I could spend hours deciding where I was going to eat that far out, but still not be able to tell him what we were having for tea that night!!!

 

[LoodlesNoodles]

Aloha right back atcha!

I'll have to find the name of the company a friend of mine used when they went over in June, they found a really good deal that put mine (which I felt proud of!) to shame.

Also, DIY isn't always cheaper, I did work it out and for us it would've cost us way more per person than booking in a package.