How far in advance do you...

[todzwife]

Book your hotel?
Book your flights?
Make dining reservations?
Start packing?

 

[l’amore bella]

I book my hotel about five months in advance (although I once booked about a month and a half in advance and there were still rooms available). I start packing the day before I leave.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Book Hotel - as much as 6 months in advance since we like to stay at HoJo and LOVE their ent. rates. I made ressies there for our trip in Sept. in March.

Book Flights - I booked our current flights from SLC to LGB on March 19 for our trip on May 25. I tweaked our dates just a little and got the flights for $39 each way. We are flying for under $500 for our family of 5.

Dining Reservations - Haven't ever made dining reservations, yet. I may for this trip - but I don't plan on going to Blue Bayou, so I think I can just bring the Disney Dining number with me and call when we know where we want to eat. Maybe I'll put it in my cell phone.

Start Packing - I love to start packing early, but I can't this time since our trip is a TOTAL SURPRISE for our kids and getting out the suitcases would give it away! Usually a few days before our trip I print up my packing list and start gathering things together.

 

[LuLusApple]

I book hotels as soon as I know I am going. Example....I booked our October trip in April and got 79$ a night at hojo, just out of curiosity last week I checked the dates again and the price went way way up!
Whew glad I booked early.
I guess you should wait if you do priceline but I have never pricelined a hotel (yet!)
I try to book dining and entertainment the same early early early. I am also a list maker so my packing gets on a list and I start making check marks early LOL

 

[pixiewings71]

Depends, on when I know I'm going. I've had the hotel booked for next weekend since Jan but last months trip we booked the hotel about a week before we went down. I pack the night before and make any PS when I have time. I just made my PS for WCT and BBB for Monday the 25th 2 days ago.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Since we alsways go mid August, we book at least 6 month's before, check rates often afterwards. Make PS as soon as we can and DGF packs the day before. She uses this computerized list since there are six of us. Works well.

Jack

 

[teatime]

I also book as far in advance as possible. 5 to 6 months

 

[PrincessYessenia]

I also book as far in advance as possible. 5 to 6 months

As do I. I booked our flight out of Fort Lauderdale to SNA for $500 for my mom and I, back in February, and now it's over $1000!

 

[DianneMcLean]

Book your hotel?
Book your flights?
Make dining reservations?
Start packing?

As soon as I can get an unbelievable deal. The longer out you book, the more chances of making changes if a better deal comes along.

I use travelzoo.com to keep track of airfare - they send me a weekly email with all the latest deals. They don't last long, usually the best are sold out within 24 hours. I started getting better deals when I signed up for the VIP newsletter, it also comes a day earlier (usually Tues. evening). Spending the xtra $15 for insurance allows you greater flexibility if you need to cancel your flight.

Hotel: a year in advance if possible - we booked with the homeschool conference back in November for a September trip. The group has rates of 195 per night for the GCH, and 169 per night for DL. Those dates are only for September, so check on the site to see if they work for you:
https://resweb.passkey.com/go/swhe09

Dining: About 2 weeks before if needed, but we don't do anything where priority seating really matters. Key to dining more comfortably: eat earlier. We eat around 4pm. While everyone else is standing around waiting for a table at "dinner time", you can ride the rides! Usually, we only eat breakfast and dinner, and buy a piece of fruit or a bengal BBQ stick during the day. This leaves more money and time for a nice dinner.

Packing? lol. usually the day we leave, we're not that well organized. It's more important to make a list than to actually pack. We will start lists weeks before the trip, and adjust them as we get closer. Then, the day of, just make sure all the laundry is done and it takes us about 15-20 minutes each to pack by running around with the list.

 

[disheadz]

The best prices seem to be 6 months and 6 weeks in advance.

 

[Ken2Blitzkrieg]

Booked Hotel , Flights and Car Hire Sept 2008
for this coming vacation

packing as been an on goin thing for a week or so now

Passports check
Currency check
C Cards check
Video Cam check
Camera check
Assorted compilation cds for car check
Road Maps check

 

[carj]

Book Hotel- For this trip, I booked about 3-4 months out. Staying at Hojo for $800 for 8 nights. The first 6 nights are less expensive and the last 2 are more. I am pretty happy with that rate for late June, early July. I will keep checking for the ent rate, but the cost of the hotel is reasonable to me.

Flights and Rental car-Whenever I get a flight that crosses my personal threshold of a "good price" Never happened for the trip we are taking this summer for the rental car. I couldn't get a car rental and flight that together were acceptable. So...we are driving. We just bought a new car so nobody try to talk me out of it!I have quit looking at flights! I HAVE to drive now!

Tickets- I will buy these once we arrive at Hojo or print online the day we leave. There is no reason to give Disney any money until I have to!

Dining- made 2 reservations at about 55 days out for Goofy's and Minnie Mouse Breakfast. Got times and dates we needed.

Packing- As soon as I know we are going, I start putting things in a big plastic box in my gift closet. I put things that I find for the trip. Currently, I have travel games, pool toys, light-up spinners, etc...

I will actually pack our clothes the week that we leave.

 

[cybrkitn]

Depends. When we were planning on going to WDW in 2006, we didn't book until August for our October trip.

This time, we are planning on going to DL 10/28-11/7. DH has a conference he is speaking at in Monterey from 10/25-28, so his airfare is paid for by the State of NY. Because the fiscal year starts in July for State workers, we have to wait to book anything until then. All of our flight schedules need to be booked together so that we are on the same flight on the way back.

We have done the pre-planning already (looking at flights, hotels, car rental, other attractions in the area, etc.) and have an idea of where we want to stay. Once July hits, we can start booking things !

Packing is usually done in stages. Once the Summer ends, I'll pack our shorts rather than putting them away until next Summer. The majority of the packing is done the week of, so I don't need to worry too much about any last minute things and if we forgot something.