New here and need advice

[M2M]

Hi! I am new to this board and could use some help from you all! My husband and I want to take our son to Disney this coming December (we are thinking early December). We were wondering if it is best for us to wait until there are some promos through Disney (if they even usually offer December promos) or if we should book now. Also, do you all find it cheaper to book through say AAA or through the Disney website? We just want to plan it so we get the best rates possible. We aren't set on a certain hotel or anything, and are just looking forward to our first family trip there Thanks for any advice or help you can offer

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Hi! I am new to this board and could use some help from you all! My husband and I want to take our son to Disney this coming December (we are thinking early December). We were wondering if it is best for us to wait until there are some promos through Disney (if they even usually offer December promos) or if we should book now. Also, do you all find it cheaper to book through say AAA or through the Disney website? We just want to plan it so we get the best rates possible. We aren't set on a certain hotel or anything, and are just looking forward to our first family trip there Thanks for any advice or help you can offer

First of all, welcome to the Disboards. You will get lots of helpful advice from a whole bunch of posters.

Second, I suggest you stay onsite to get the maximum fun from your visit.

Third, I suggest you read all the "stickies" from the resorts, transportation, and theme park forums. Then ask specific questions as you learn more. Are you flying? What is your budget? What time frame for your trip, you did say early December of this year, right? Keep reading.

 

[M2M]

Thank you! I have been gong through some post and making some progress. I appreciate the help!

 

[Hootch]

of questions in a short email, but you have given yourself plenty of time to get answers and still have to have time to thoroughly plan your trip.

First tip - use the various boards on this site and others for information

* The resort board has summary for most resorts. There is a subboard where people track available discounts. allears.net also has a good summary for each resort.

Think about what is important to you; price, location, pool facilities, etc. For example we stayed at the Contemporary when our sone was three. Most of our touring time was at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Since he did a nap everyday, the access to the monorail really cut down our transit times to and from the parks.

* The restaurant boards has reviews of restaurants and people willing to give advice.

There are plenty of opinions available and often at odds but still worth reading. If you read why people do or do not like a particular place you can often judge if that issues is a problem for you.

Buy a guide and peruse. In my opinion The Unofficial Guide is the most comprehensive and thus the best for first timers. Many local libraries stock some guides so you can get a look for free there.

People vary on how they book their trips. Personally I plan my own but I enjoy that process. I compare package versus separate items, dining plan or not, resort deals and so on. I know some people use only travel agents and there are a number that are specialize in Disney. As I understand it Disney usually communicates deals and changes to travel agents before being released to the public. So it depends on how much work you want to put into it.

You can always book a room only with a AAA rate and change the reservation later. They sometimes run out of rooms for that lower rate. The amount of the discount varies by resort level and season.

Whether a non standard discount (rooms have rates by season) is available in December depends on when you go. The first three weeks or so will likely have discounts. Around Christmas (depending on the day of week) and through New Year's Day the parks are packed and a discount is unlikely. Last year December discounts were announced in August. The year before they came out in July. The far right tab on this site is for discounts. Disney also has a special offers link in the drop down menu for "Tickets & Packages" that outlines all current offerings.

In summary, I wouldn't worry about booking right away. Take a couple of months to familiarize yourself with some of the details about resorts, parks and tickets. Whether you plan the trip yourself or use a TA, understanding the basics on these will help you have a vacation that better fits what you really want to do and could save you money by not adding extraneous options.

Her is a link with room rates for this year.

http://www.mousesavers.com/roomrates2011.html

 

[kurtliznerin]

Hello i am new to the forum and we are planning a trip To disney with my husband and two kids March of 2012. We will be staying off site in Kissimee, Fl we have a timeshare so thats just easier. Honestly i know nothing about disneyworld let alone florida for that matter. My daughter will be 8 and My son will be 3.5. I need to know what the cheapest possible way of doing all of this is. We will be driving down there from minnesota. And im thinking we will onl;y be in the park for 2-3 days but i want it to be amazing for my kids and an unforgettable moment. I just overwhelmed with the parks and whats what so im looking for some help!!! Anything will help

 

[BDL]

I was like you last year. Wanted to surprise my girlfriend (now fiancee', proposes in front of the castle) with a combo V-Day, birthday gift of a trip to WDW. But right from the get go, I knew I needed help. Friends and co-workers directed me to disboards, allears.net and mousesavers.com. But more importantly, I booked my trip through AAA and was able to apply both AAA and Disney discounts as they came up. I was even able to push my departure/return days back by 1 day without a penalty.

My advice to you, take all the advice you can and also, see if you know anyone that has a copy of "The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World" by Bob Sehlinger. The 2011 version is available for $12 on amazon. That book was priceless to me.

 

[f.chadw]

We have always booked through Disney. Until 2010. I thought I'd try the Dream Unlimited travel agency that the wdwinfo.com website promotes.

Had a GREAT experience! Rates were the same as through Disney direct, and they took care of all of our reservations INCLUDING dining reservations in the parks.

They also check continually for discounts as they come from Disney. We had our reservations booked in Feb of 2010, and in the summer sometime, Disney came up with another discount that saved us another $80/week on the room. They applied it to our existing reservation.

I highly recommend them!

Good luck, and have a great trip!