Is anyone planning (have planned) a trip REALLY far in advance?

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We just really don't have a choice but to give ourselves a year to save. Rather than put it all on a credit card (which I'd rather do HAHA) we're going to try to save cold hard cash.

I'm seeing that there's no way to reserve a room yet anywhere..and I assume I'll have to wait to buy tickets too?

THE LIST!!

2012

January

February
poohbear2

March
wvnative
kkmcan

April
sophies*mom
RuthieT

May
Sjwillia

June
Emmersisthemommy 1-10th
meljensmom
alivingxerox
kkmcan
Hawleys

July
PinkBudgie
mabdallah
andee2000??
clancy3

August
dizneekrazee
kayleigh83
jennbunn

September
Misskitty3 27th-Oct 3rd
RuthieT
aleighc1
LizfromOz

October
kkmcan
TigerlilyAJ
tinkermomma
AmberHeartsDisney

November

December
*Seanaci*
DLovinFam
PandaDis

Unknown 2012
rentayenta (WDW)

2013

rentayenta
LizfromOz
dizneekrazee (WDW)

BEYOOONNNDDDD

spiderdust
PinkBudgie
BELLEDOZER (WDW)

 

[Mama Who]

We plan far in advance but we don't pay that far out. Heck, I'm pre-planning our next DL trip (2013) and our WDW trip (2015) right now.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

haha ok good, I'm not totally nuts. (I said TOTALLY..I'm pretty nuts in general)

 

[Tracie&Tigger]

We plan in advance too. Our next Disney trip will be April of next year and we are going to do a week in Disney and a week on the Fantasy.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

My longest-ahead planning was for a visit to Disney World from 12/23/99 - 1/3/00. We staying in the Contemporary Tower with Park view. We made our reservations in November 1993, over six years out.

At that time Disney had a policy that your rate at check-in did not change during the stay. We had arrival during Value Season and a discount program, so we ended up paying $192 per night for the eleven nights. People arriving December 26 or later for the same rooms started at $485 per night.

 

[jmac323]

I'm a plan in advance person too. I'm planning my next sabbatical in 5 1/2 years to Europe! LOL.

 

[Daisybelle]

Our trip that is now just 26 days away (!!!) was planned starting last summer. I try to avoid credit cards if at all possible so much planning, saving, and strategizing must occur!

We have even started sketching out what our summer 2013 trip will be. My daughter is graduating that year and we want to do it BIG. We're deciding between Disney World or a road trip that involves Disneyland and San Diego.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

oh wow! 6 years!!!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Yeah I would love to just decide go to this year sometime but I don't see it happening. I'd rather make the reservation and then immediately pay it off on the credit card.

 

[Jynxed]

I do that for all my trips basically. We take a trip each year and once one is over, I start putting away for another. I hate putting things on credit unless I have too.
I usually figure how much a trip will cost and how much I will need to put away each week and then go from there.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

I guess I just don't know where to begin. This is the first trip I have to plan completely on my own that involves kiddos. Obviously saving is the first step. Second step....dreaming? LOL

 

[Jynxed]

I guess I just don't know where to begin. This is the first trip I have to plan completely on my own that involves kiddos. Obviously saving is the first step. Second step....dreaming? LOL

Yes, when you start that far in advance you can dream. But I also sign up for airline notifications (if you need to take a plane). I also keep an eye out for deals that I can make in advance for hotel rooms, car rentals etc. It can be beneficial to buy airline tickets ahead of time because a lot of airlines will raise prices as the flights fill up. I booked my flight to LA in January for our July trip and so far have saved $60pp

 

[BayAreaMom]

I have started planning my trips more in advance just to get the hotel room (suite) I want at the offsite hotels. I've noticed they book up really quickly. We don't have flexibility to stay in standard hotel rooms- we have to stay in suites (our youngest sleeps 11-12 hours/night, and can't sleep with any noise or light).
Anyways, I've found it "pays off" to book hotels as far in advance as possible- both $$-wise and just peace of mind knowing it's "booked".

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Oh good idea on the airline. We haven't decided if we're flying or not..we're in Utah so the drive is doable but it takes up a couple days that way. I'll go sign up right now!

I also want to go for the offsites..and we've got 3 kids so we're gonna need a bigger room..I guess I'll just keep stalking their websites until dates open up!

 

[chai]

We stay at my parents' timeshare (Worldmark Anaheim and Dolphin's Cove), so we have to make our reservations 13 months in advance. We will be there the first week of December, but haven't bought our tickets yet.

 

[rentayenta]

I am planning 4 trips:

Disneyland Nov-Dec 2011
WDW October 2012
Aulani 2013 our 20th anniversary
Zihua 2014

 

[Bungle]

I tend to plan really far in advance too, but try to remember to leave some breathing room because something always seems to come up (sports or school event).

 

[3monkeys4me]

We planned for almost 2 1/2 for our last DL trip. It was supposed to be 18 months of planning but we had to push our trip back by a year.

I was planning for a WDW trip Feb. 2013 but now it looks like we will be going to DL again in Oct. 2012 and WDW in Feb. 2015 or 2016. I'm not really planning the WDW trip yet though. Once we get back from our next DL trip I'll let everything settle down for a month or two and then start nailing down a date so we can figure out what will work best then.

 

[knitster]

We went to WDW in May, but started planning in September. Then, on the flight back from Orlando, we started nailing down dates for Disneyland 2014 and have already started saving for it!

 

[kathylovesmatt]

Its only my husband & I, but we book our WDW trips in January; and go in October. We make the deposit and then pay it off little by little; it has to be paid up by the middle of August. We go thru our local auto club, we have a travel agent there and she gets me prices. Its kinda like putting the trip on lay-a-way. We alternate between going on a cruise or doing disney and have done it this way for years. Its the only way we can afford to do it.