How far in advance do you plan?

[EsmeraldaX]

How far in adavance do you typically start planning. I'm going in Feb '04 and I feel like I'm getting way ahead of myself. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy!
So how far ahead do most people plan?

 

[wdwendyd]

You will be glad you started planning early! I have heard parts of February (President's Day week) are very busy. Can you plan so you avoid that week?

 

[sters]

It depends. When the Fairy Tale Package came along, I decided to go this year instead of next, otherwise I usually plan a year in advance with booking the hotel at least. About 90 days prior I usaully have a good idea where I'll need PS but have learned the hard way that over-planning can dim the magic. The day I had earmarked for water parks, it might be rainy and cold and the day I had all my nonrefundable PS it might be beautiful for the water

 

[DrTomorrow]

over-planning can dim the magic

This needs to be enshrined somewhere on these boards!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Going the very last week of Feb. Should miss much of the crowds (I hope!)

 

[The Duchess]

We're not going until 10/04 and I'm pre-planning already!

I have a friend going 10/03, so I'm helping her plan, too.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

I have planned both trips less than 3 months out. Both times, we weren't even considering going to WDW. Then, we decide to go within a day or two, and book everything. I just saw a countdown on here that said 684 days. That would drive me insane!!!!

 

[peg2001]

I'm planning for Dec 2004. We're waiting for younger DD to be almost 5 because I want to try a stroller-less visit. We were there in 2001 and DH would flip if I planned trips any closer together. Plus, I am able to spread out the costs so that the vacation is paid for by the time we go.

Of course, I'm also pre-planning other vacations at the same time, like a mid-west road trip when DD's are 10 and 7, four years from now.

DH thinks I'm nuts but he does appreciate how everything has been planned and taken care of when we go. He just has to show up and haul the luggage.

Peggy

 

[crazywig]

we just decided yesterday to go in november for our anniversary

 

[phanomouse]

Now this is kind of hard for me b/c I usually go 3-4 times a yr and I some are planned some are spur of the moment trips. Usually I plan hotel and air 6 months in advance, then about 90 days out I will start making PS but lately I have had a lot more fun just heading on down there without much notice. Of course I have always booked the cruise as soon as is allowed (I want my room pick, you know what I mean??? hehehe)

 

[momm2four]

Okay, I know my countdown clock probably has the highest number, but it's not really that bad.

We will be doing other things in the next two years, but I LOVE coming to this board, so I just stuck in the date of our next WDW trip in there. It's not like I sit around doing nothing but planning our trip.

On my last trip in October (which was also my first one), I planned for about 10 months, but that didn't mean I planned every last detail. It meant I researched restaurants, hotels, and parks so that I would be familiar with WDW when I got there.

I guess it depends on what you define planning as being. To some it means writing down your detailed agenda for each and every minute, but to me it means immersing myself in Disney info (especially, here on the DIS) and looking for deals so I'll have the best possible trip whenever I get there by being in the know about things.

Lori P.

 

[Scarlett & Rhett]

You mean I have to plan?

 

[lisadam]

Besides booking my room for November in June - and reading these boards - I really don't do any "planning" - we'll be visiting my MIL in Florida for a few days before we get to WDW so sometime during the visit I will figure out which day we'll do which park based on EMH - and thats it - we really play it by ear - if the day we planned on going to AK is going to be brutally hot - then we'll switch days ...

so far its worked for us

and this might freak some people out - but I've never made PSs other than on the day I plan to use them... but we also have never gone during peak season

 

[catwho]

I usually know the dates that we want to go a year in advance. However we keep it flexible because we know "stuff" happens. I usually wait on doing my hotel for specials to come in. Unless I am really set on a certain resort I keep my options open as to where I am going to stay and wait for a good deal. We only SSS (sleep, shower, swim) at our resort mostly anyway.

I can do this because we mostly go off-season. We are going down in mid-October this year and will be back in late January next year. Because these aren't high tourist times I know I can get some good last minute specials on resorts. I have never been on President's day as that has been a black out date on my seasonal pass and I try to avoid Valentine's as well.

 

[ZerasPride]

Planning Disney trips is a hobby of mine actually. I used to deny it but since I've admitted it to myself, I am much happier. For some people it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip and for others it's a yearly (or more often) ritual. I fall into the second category. What has really helped in my planning is owning a "piece of the magic" through the Disney Vacation Club. I know I've always got a trip in the works and I love it! My sister, two nieces and I leave in 4 days for OKW and DH and I will be sailing on the Disney Wonder for our 10th anniversary in November. Next August I plan on booking a 2 bedroom villa for several members of my family and I know we'll all have a great time. DH and I will also be going on an Alaskan cruise (RCCL) next September - so I do go on non-Disney vacations sometimes too .

Like a previous poster mentioned, I don't plan each minute detail but get a general idea of new rides we want to try or different restaurants. If it wasn't for researching on a Disney board, I would never know that the timeframe for reserving priority seating has changed so there are many advantages for being a planner.

Also when we first decided to do the Alaska cruise thing, I was not to thrilled but I'm willing to go along with my husband's wishes because he accommodates mine but once I started researching all the wonderful things there are to do in Alaska and all the wonderful shore excursions, I think I'm more excited now than he is and we've still got a year to go!

Happy planning to you all!

 

[mommystieg]

We are also DVC members so we book our trip 11 months in advance. I will make any PS' we want at the appropriate time and then plan which parks on which days about a month in advance. It helps get me through the "between WDW visits blues"

 

[F5CHASER]

My wife thinks I'm nuts but I'm already planning our next trip for Dec '04. My wife and I honeymooned in WDW 3 years ago. We took our 6 yo to DL in 2001 but she has been dying to go to WDW. We now have a 6 mo who will be almost 2 years old for our WDW trip. I'm way too excited way too early. Somebody stop me!!

 

[Disneylovers]

O.K., I'm nuts, I admit it. I start to "count down" to our next Disney vacation the minute we walk in the door from our last/current Disney vacation. Of course, the numbers are an approximate, we know we go down every other year, the last week of March (so that means for us, next March). We have to wait for the school calendars to come out, to be sure both DD's spring break falls at the same time (one high school, one grade school, for awhile different school districts, but so far, they have!). I haven't made our hotel ressies yet, that probably won't be until November. We're pretty flexible as to where we want to stay, and only once it came back to haunt me (there wasn't any "room at the inn", so we stayed off sight) But with all the hotels Disney has put up, I don't think that would be too much of an issue! We don't make any PS until we get down to WDW, so we have never been to any of the biggies, but we have made it to character meals. We make a rough itinerary, which day to go to what park (but that's flexible depending on the weather, how tired we are, and in the past, EE) and which rides are a "must" at each park, but other than that, we just get down there and play it by ear, which is for our family much more fun!

 

[The Duchess]

Wow...momm2four.
I don't feel so bad looking at your countdown clock!

 

[helenk]

My last three trips I booked my room and airline tickets about the same time, but the trips were only 5 months from the time I decided to book. When I have gone with my children I start planning our PSs around the 90 day mark. I am going by myself this year so the only thing I planned for is the tea at the GF and an Illuminations dessert party. Next year I made my room reservations nearly a year in advance because there will be 9 of us going and I wanted to give everyone enough notice so they could save their money. I won't starting thinking about the airfare until after the first of the year. This also gives me room to play around with our date of arrival to get better airfare. Once the airfare is booked then I sit back an relax until it is time to make the PS calls.