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

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Cool! Maybe I just like planning too much too. My build up then lasts a whole year HA!

Thanks for the idea on flexibility too, Bungle. That's a good point. I don't want to officially nail down dates yet. It'll be summer so HOPEFULLY nothing crazy is gonna pop up, but you NEVER know.

 

[Daisybelle]

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.

That's a really good idea!

 

[Misskitty3]

I am loosely planning a trip for 2012 or spring of 2013. We definitely want to visit after Carsland opens! Dh would like to go in the fall but I would like to visit in the spring ( when the weather is crummy here in Seattle). Although, I don't want to go during spring break.

DS turns 10 in May of 2013 so I would like to go before his birthday to take advantage of the "kid" pricing. I think 10 year olds pay adult prices???

We are also planning this trip to be a surprise for the kids!

 

[JennMouse32]

i started planning for 2012, when i got back from 2010's trip in september.. lol

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

I'd REALLY like to know when Carsland is opening..we wanted to shoot for Summer..which is sorta when i'd assume they'd want it open?

MissKitty, forgive me if I don't recognize you..have you posted in the 'keeping THE secret" thread? Cuz I'm doing the same LOL.

 

[Misskitty3]

I'd REALLY like to know when Carsland is opening..we wanted to shoot for Summer..which is sorta when i'd assume they'd want it open?

MissKitty, forgive me if I don't recognize you..have you posted in the 'keeping THE secret" thread? Cuz I'm doing the same LOL.

I haven't posted at THE secret thread yet.....I will go add my name right now!!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

YAY! I have a planning friend and surprise friend in one now! haha

 

[Misskitty3]

YAY! I have a planning friend and surprise friend in one now! haha

Just got signed up on the other thread!

I am planning to stay offsite. Last time we stayed at HoJo's and loved it plus the price was awesome! Dh loves the GC and it is nice to get the early entry but it is sooooooo expensive!!!

Are you planning to do WOC? With all the comments about how hard it is to see ( I am 5'2") I am thinking we might skip it. Of course, I have tons of time to think about it some more!

Besides Cars Land what is on your "must do" list?

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We're for sure 'offsite' people. We stayed at HOJO when I was little and would love to go again, but if we get my mom and brother to go, we'll probably get a suite at Desert Inn and Suites since it'll be a lot cheaper.

We've stayed at a few places actually..Desert Palms was pretty nice, not TOO far of a walk..pretty good breakfast. And we stayed WAY far down when we got married when the shuttle was still free LOL. (Hampton Inn I think)

I'd LIKE to see WoC but I haven't even bothered with Fantasmic. We're 'riders' when those are going on LOL. I'm 5'1 so I hear you on 'seeing'.

My older two will be big enough to go on almost everything. DD wasn't big enough for much last time and doesn't remember it (she won us the dream suite too! She DOES remember that LOL) so she's excited to go on everything DS did.

Our MUST DO eating is Cafe Orleans. MMM Clam Chowder.

 

[Misskitty3]

We're for sure 'offsite' people. We stayed at HOJO when I was little and would love to go again, but if we get my mom and brother to go, we'll probably get a suite at Desert Inn and Suites since it'll be a lot cheaper.

We've stayed at a few places actually..Desert Palms was pretty nice, not TOO far of a walk..pretty good breakfast. And we stayed WAY far down when we got married when the shuttle was still free LOL. (Hampton Inn I think)

I'd LIKE to see WoC but I haven't even bothered with Fantasmic. We're 'riders' when those are going on LOL. I'm 5'1 so I hear you on 'seeing'.

My older two will be big enough to go on almost everything. DD wasn't big enough for much last time and doesn't remember it (she won us the dream suite too! She DOES remember that LOL) so she's excited to go on everything DS did.

Our MUST DO eating is Cafe Orleans. MMM Clam Chowder.

I haven't seen Fantasmic since we have had kids.....maybe we will try this time!

How cool to win the dream suite - I can't even imagine how amazing that must have been!!

Our MUST DO is for DD to ride Splash Mountain. She was too short last time. And DS wants to go on the new Star Tours.

 

[dougsmom98]

We have been planning for April 14-21st 2012 since February of 2010. Our real planning didn't start to happen until we booked our airline tickets. We purchased those as soon as they were released on May 30. We just booked a rental car. For me the frustrating thing is not being able to purchase DL tickets in advance like I can for WDW. I would love to start purchasing those a few at a time. When you have 6 people to purchase tickets for, it would be nice not to have to do it all at once. Lately, we have been trying to decide on an off site hotel. It's a little frustrating because some of them won't let us get a quote this far in advance. For an obsessed planner like me, the waiting is hard.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Oh yeah DD is DYING for ToT. DS raved and raved about it and she is SO jealous.

We have been planning for April 14-21st 2012 since February of 2010. Our real planning didn't start to happen until we booked our airline tickets. We purchased those as soon as they were released on May 30. We just booked a rental car. For me the frustrating thing is not being able to purchase DL tickets in advance like I can for WDW. I would love to start purchasing those a few at a time. When you have 6 people to purchase tickets for, it would be nice not to have to do it all at once. Lately, we have been trying to decide on an off site hotel. It's a little frustrating because some of them won't let us get a quote this far in advance. For an obsessed planner like me, the waiting is hard.

Yeah I'm annoyed I can't buy tickets one at a time too

 

[Misskitty3]

Thanks to this thread .... It prompted a talk this morning with DH about our next DLR trip!

So far, we have concluded the following:

Want to Dine at Goofy's kitchen
WOC (Dh really wants to see this)
BBB for DD
One day at Legoland for DS
Hopefully, stay at HoJo's

Now we need to pick a date or at least a month!

Looks like the first week of October/2012 the kids would have Half days at school so that might be a good time to be gone. The other option is around May 2013 but I don't think we can wait that long.......


Hope everyone else is having some success with their planning too!

 

[BigDisneyOE]

I guess we are advanced planners too. We booked and paid for our DCL Sept 2012 last week. Now I'm trying to plan out the Disneyland, Legoland part of the trip - I was last at Disneyland in 1988, so I guess it's changed a bit. It's a huge trip for us coming from New Zealand, so it needs to be well planned out in advanced. The airfares don't open until around Jan 2012, which makes it a bit of challenge.

After our big 2012 Disney adventure we've got South Africa and then back to the UK planned at two year intervals.

 

[sophies*mom]

(newbie here, just jumping right in!)

I am a total planner, too! We are planning to go April/May 2012. I do know that the rates for Good Neighbor hotels won't come out til the fall. Not that we're going to book right away, but I like knowing just how much it's going to cost because we're saving up, too. Though we're going with another family, so my plan is to wait and try and book at the same time as them.

In the meantime, I'm looking up fun crafts and making lists for our trip!

 

[nunzia]

We're DVCers so really HAVE to plan ahead.
Upcoming trips: EXPO with some before and after park time in August (bought tickets and booked room nearly a year ago), October DLR Halloween with son and crew (booked at 11 months on the dot), Mexcio AI in November (ack..booked just a few months ago), January, DLR with daughter and crew and to see the Michael Jackson Cirque show...bought tickets nearly a year out, September 2012 first Cruise..Disney natch...paying monthly on that, Ocotber 2012 Halloween and DLR with other son and crew, and October 2013 return to WDW after 17 years to do F&W TaDa

 

[evedein]

I've been planning a girls-only trip to WDW for my 60th birthday in 2013, since I turned 55 in 2005. I have DVC, so I still can't book it until the 11 month window. Only 1 1/2 yrs left to go.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Do you guys wanna start a list? I'd like to talk with other people who are planning trips so far out and see what you're doing?? If you're interested post your approx dates. If you don't have a month but you have a year, give me that

 

[alivingxerox]

My next trip is almost a year away and I want to start planning it. Never too early I suppose :

 

[Estella]

After our last trip to WDW last December, I started planning a December 2011 trip to Disneyland. I'm also planning a December 2012 back to WDW. I just can't stay away from Disney at xmas time! For my WDW I need to know where I want to stay by February so I can try to rent from a Vacation Club owner. Never too early to start planning!!