Last minute trips - They are possible!

[texaslady22]

About a week ago, we decided it might be fun to go on a last-minute trip over Spring Break (Undercover Tourist puts the week at an 8 or 9 due to many Spring Breaks that week). I told my husband we wouldn't be able to get any good restaurants or fastpasses this late in the game, but he wanted to go anyway. It's a short trip, 5 nights, 4 days in the park.

WELL....actually it IS possible to plan a trip last minute.

We got FPs for both Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After just 28 days before the start of our trip. We got dinner at Be Our Guest, Tusker House River of Light Package, Sci-Fi, Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package, Akershus, pre-park opening Garden Grill breakfast...heck, we got so many great restaurants that we decided to stay on-site and get the Deluxe Dining Package.

I normally plan our trips well in advance and call for our ADRs at least 180 days in advance, but it IS possible to plan a trip last-minute.

 

[2Monkeys]

That is awesome! My daughter and I took an extremely last minute weekend trip for her birthday 2 weeks ago. We were able to get a Mine Train FP with 2 days' notice - felt like we hit the jackpot!

 

[Pembo]

DD and I flew down on Easter with only 2 weeks of planning. It was a great trip in spite of the crowds. Have fun.

 

[Klayfish]

Awesome!! I've always maintained that if someone called me today and gave me a great offer but the catch was we had to leave tomorrow, I'd go in a heartbeat.

Have a great trip!!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I totally agree with you @texaslady22. A lot of my trips are planned in the 30-90 day range. Totally doable with minimal ill effect on the quality of the trip.

NICE WORK!

 

[tlmadden73]

Oh sure ..

The "premium" stuff may not be available, but I think it can still be done. There is probably a lot of availability as the dates get closer due to cancellations. Due to the "shortage" feel of reservations (dining and fast passes) I think a lot of people grab them up and just hold onto them and change/cancel later.

I know I have a few dining reservations (I've had since the 180 day mark) for a trip in March that I will probably end up cancelling soon now that our plans are starting to solidfy more).

Living only a day away .. I would easily plan a 30-day or less trip. The key is keeping those expectations low and knowing you'll be back, so if you don't get Mine Train .. you'll live.

What I find is that sometimes you find/experience new things you wouldn't have if you did some uber-plan months in advance.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We drove down from NC for a Labor Day trip last year on three days' notice. Ate one meal at BOG. Rode FEA and SDT with minimal waits. Dodged a hurricane on the way too.

 

[Mainemama]

Nice! We planned our Xmas week trip this year 20 days before departure thanks to a great airfare. We also got all our preferred FP. We even saw same day FP for things like TSMM for our family of 5. This was during "10" crowd times. The only reservation we never found was Beaches and Cream. And that just bumps it to my short list for our next trip!

 

[mrzrich]

I have said this for a long time. Last minute trips are totally possible.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I have said this for a long time. Last minute trips are totally possible.

We bought APs this year for the first time, so I'm guessing that whenever they are activated we will experience several brief trips on short notice in the year ahead. DW and I both are busy but we have flexible schedules. I find you can do just about everything on short notice, with the exception of maybe a specific ADR.

 

[gap2368]

yes last minute trips are great. for me a normal trip is any thing over 60 days out ( well that is really a long time) 30 days is average and waking up and going I think I am going to go to Disney today is a short trip. very do able and fun.

 

[janicept]

Yup, just keep checking FPs and ARDs daily and they usually come available.

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

As an AP I always book trips within the 60 - 90 day range, I've never had a problem booking ADR's & FP's I like.
Since I usually go solo I don't book family style meals like Ohana, Garden Grill.
The only trip I always know in advance is my birthday trip. I always spend my birthday week in March at WDW every year for the past 6 yrs.
3 weeks ago while searching for birthday ADR's in MK a CRT popped up for lunch and I grabbed it.
I normally wouldn't eat there but it is on my birthday so I figured what the heck, and I ordered a Cinderella slipper dessert too.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Absolutely they are! DW and I try to plan out for 6+ months when we can. being DVC we often try for 10-11 months. However, we also sometimes have that desperate need for a little Disney magic in our lives when things are a little bleak. We have taken trips with as little as 1 week planning and still have a great time and still see plenty. We usually get FP+ for most of the things we really want (maybe not Frozen, but that's okay) and can usually find ADR's that are somewhere we enjoy. Especially if it's just two of you, ADR's are much easier.

Glad you had a good time!

 

[dkrauss]

About a week ago, we decided it might be fun to go on a last-minute trip over Spring Break (Undercover Tourist puts the week at an 8 or 9 due to many Spring Breaks that week). I told my husband we wouldn't be able to get any good restaurants or fastpasses this late in the game, but he wanted to go anyway. It's a short trip, 5 nights, 4 days in the park.

WELL....actually it IS possible to plan a trip last minute.

We got FPs for both Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After just 28 days before the start of our trip. We got dinner at Be Our Guest, Tusker House River of Light Package, Sci-Fi, Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package, Akershus, pre-park opening Garden Grill breakfast...heck, we got so many great restaurants that we decided to stay on-site and get the Deluxe Dining Package.

I normally plan our trips well in advance and call for our ADRs at least 180 days in advance, but it IS possible to plan a trip last-minute.

While our trip in June isn't last minute.......I'm finding it quite easy to change up my ADR's (with the exception of CRT and BOG........but that should be expected). I made 2 updates while waiting for a doctor appt............no muss no fuss.

Not sure I understand why........but I'll take it.

Doug

 

[dreiwhit]

In mid January 2016, my father-in-law called up my wife and said that he had booked a suite at a condo in Orlando for the end of February and wanted us all to go to Disney with him and my wife's step-mom. He said he would even pay half of our ticket cost!

After about a week of thinking about it and looking at our bank account and what we would required, especially since I would soon be changing jobs, we decided to go for it. At that point, we had a little over 30 days before we would be leaving. We had both been to WDW before, but it had been a very long time - me in 1979 and my wife in the late 1980s, so we were really newbs at planning and preparing.

My wife did most of the work but we got FPs, a rental car, the clothes and other items we needed, an a plan for the parks in about 30 days. She is a whiz at organizing! It ended up being a great trip.

So yes, it is doable to put together a good trip in 30 days or less.

 

[davkata]

I agree! Not only is it doable, but being a planner, I actually find it less stressful to book inside of the 60 day window. Especially with Disney being so fickle in updating the park hours, etc. And after that, when they do change hours, and hence I need to change plans, I've still always been able to get what we wanted.

 

[Jason2015]

I hope it's doable. My wife and I decided, today, to take the kids (13,11,8) for Spring Break (4/3-4/8). We are doing the four park/one day ticket. We booked two hotels (AoA for two days, and POR for the other three) got diner reservations in each park with almost every option we wanted. Even got the Royal Table in MK. Landed all the fast passes we wanted except for Test Track at mid afternoon times. (We are coming from the Pacific Northwest so no rope drop for us-way too early). So far it is shaping up to be an awesome trip with less than 40 days to plan.

 

[OB1]

WELL DONE

We have done a few last minute trips. Surprisingly, as DVC owners, that was the hard part. Only major deluxe rooms were available. Go figure.

 

[Ambehnke]

We planned a trip five days before leaving last July. We had a blast, had all the fast passes we wanted/needed even with staying offsite and not having EMH. We even got a PPO at Akershus and first ride on FEA and FEA fastpass for later in the day. It was a great trip and much more relaxed since we were just making ADRs as we went along or the night before! It is SO doable at the last minute. ALMOST makes me want to do the next trip that way! Ha!