OFFICIAL April 2012 DISers! 2 months and counting!

[DisMomAmy]

I probably won't be -quite- ready to make a resort reservation today. My tentative plan is to book the rooms through AAA. It's my understanding that if some package is offered later, they can upgrade you if there is package availability left.

Right now I'm trying to get an idea of the costs for our new trip date. So you haven't found the crowds to be a problem that week?

The crowds have been very manageable that week. And the weather is usually great. And you can't beat the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot.

 

[Princesca]

The crowds have been very manageable that week. And the weather is usually great. And you can't beat the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot.

Yay! I'm so excited! I signed up at TouringPlans to start sketching out our actual park days.

Once I get the go-ahead, then I can book room only through AAA and get the Akershus and Jiko reservations locked down.

 

[auprincess]

Yay! I'm so excited! I signed up at TouringPlans to start sketching out our actual park days.

Once I get the go-ahead, then I can book room only through AAA and get the Akershus and Jiko reservations locked down.

You can still make your dining reservations at Akershus and Jiko even without your hotel reservations.

ETA ~ oops, just saw your dates ~ I guess you still have a day (or more if you don't reserve room/package) before you can make your dining ressies.

 

[Tropigal]

When is everyone booking their flights? I'm not sure when the best time is to grab the best deal/point value.

We don't mind one layover but on the way back we need my sister's flight to be nonstop because she has to get home and head right out of town again with school the same day.

 

[scott2997]

When is everyone booking their flights? I'm not sure when the best time is to grab the best deal/point value.

We don't mind one layover but on the way back we need my sister's flight to be nonstop because she has to get home and head right out of town again with school the same day.

Steph - we actually booked our flights about 2 months ago already. I had been looking and looking and just watching the fares.

All of the sudden, one day the $475 round trip non-stop flight showed up as a $215 flight! I booked it immediately. It stayed at that price for a day or two and went back to the normal $475.

So I would say, just keep looking and check almost every day to make sure you don't miss out on a price drop!

I liked to use Kayak.com or the Kayak app on my iPad. Just keep in mind that it will not show Southwest Airlines fares.

 

[DisMomAmy]

When is everyone booking their flights? I'm not sure when the best time is to grab the best deal/point value.

We don't mind one layover but on the way back we need my sister's flight to be nonstop because she has to get home and head right out of town again with school the same day.

We booked a few weeks ago when Southwest released tickets for our dates. The prices went up that same day. Our return flight is sold out now.

 

[Princesca]

Aiee - I want my November dates back!

The guy I just spoke to at AAA said that it'll be super crowded in April. I told him that TouringPlans and ************** both said that the week of 4/21/11 was a good week for lower crowds, but he said he used to work there and it's swamped with spring break people.

But I don't think that's so... why would schools offer a spring break so close to May?

I'm going to choose to believe TP and YFV.

 

[auprincess]

Princessa ~ I would stick with your April dates. Sure it might be crowded, but hopefully by your later date it won't be "swamped." I switched from June to April (14-22, I know the 14 will probably be really busy, but we survived Jan 1 so we can handle it ~ and we're not even going to a park that day). But I really didn't want to deal with the heat in June. According to easywdw, it will be crowded in April, but the crowds will be less beginning April 15 (my week) and even less the week you are there. Beginning April 22 the crowd predictor is 4.

 

[Princesca]

That's what I saw too! Hopefully that guy's memories of working in Disney in April are colored by the earlier parts of April.

 

[AKL LOVER]

That's what I saw too! Hopefully that guy's memories of working in Disney in April are colored by the earlier parts of April.

And keep in mind that if Easter is late in April, then of course the end of April would be swamped! But that's not the case this year. He probably can't remember which years had an early or late Easter and how the crowdes varied. I'd go with TP too...their numbers are usually right on!

 

[AKL LOVER]

We booked a few weeks ago when Southwest released tickets for our dates. The prices went up that same day. Our return flight is sold out now.

I know this may seem like a silly question but Southwest doesn't fly out of the airport we usually use so I'm not familiar with them really...how do you know when they are releasing tickets for which dates?

The closest airline they fly out of from us is in a more congested area of the state, but I'd consider flying out of that airport if I can get tickets for cheaper.

I can't believe the cost of flights right now We've always gotten great airfare to Orlando, but it's not looking too good for April so far...

 

[scott2997]

I know this may seem like a silly question but Southwest doesn't fly out of the airport we usually use so I'm not familiar with them really...how do you know when they are releasing tickets for which dates?

The closest airline they fly out of from us is in a more congested area of the state, but I'd consider flying out of that airport if I can get tickets for cheaper.

I can't believe the cost of flights right now We've always gotten great airfare to Orlando, but it's not looking too good for April so far...

The best way to find out when they are releasing tickets is to go to southwest.com and click on the "Travel Tools" link at the very bottom of their page.

On the "travel tools" page it will show when they will be releasing flights for what dates.

Currently they are accepting reservations through June 1st. It also states that they would be releasing fares through August 10th around November 13th.

Hope this helps!

 

[Tropigal]

YAY! I got our Fantasmic Dinner package booked today! They just released the April dates! So excited!


DH is watching for our flights. We use our miles so he says it is a little too early. That's his dept....not mine! I do all the ADR's and park planning! He loves that I am a Disney nut!

 

[dukiephi]

We will be there 12/14!

 

[loganpaulsmom]

I just had to change my dates.. airfare kept going up and up and I was going to have to pay over 2200 for 3 tickets.. arghh.. sure I could have left at night and left my vacation in the morning for less money, but that is 2 less days away.. So, I got the flights i wanted and am flying jetblue.. the only thing is that my garden room was NO longer available, so i had to go with a waterview room.. but.. it was $600 price increase as opposed to 1200.. praying to the discount GODS..

 

[Princesca]

Yay! Just booked a dinner at Jiko and a first breakfast seating at Akershus the day we're in Epcot! So happy we could get that timeslot.

Question - what do you guys think about Fantasmic? In our group, we'll have one senior citizen with knee problems and one not-quite-four-year-old and four adults, and we won't have park hopper tix. Is it really worth the heightened crowds at DHS and the long wait to see Fantasmic? We're very crowd-averse.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I just had to change my dates.. airfare kept going up and up and I was going to have to pay over 2200 for 3 tickets.. arghh.. sure I could have left at night and left my vacation in the morning for less money, but that is 2 less days away.. So, I got the flights i wanted and am flying jetblue.. the only thing is that my garden room was NO longer available, so i had to go with a waterview room.. but.. it was $600 price increase as opposed to 1200.. praying to the discount GODS..

That's so sad but at least you are still going. Are you still going in April?

 

[AKL LOVER]

The best way to find out when they are releasing tickets is to go to southwest.com and click on the "Travel Tools" link at the very bottom of their page.

On the "travel tools" page it will show when they will be releasing flights for what dates.

Currently they are accepting reservations through June 1st. It also states that they would be releasing fares through August 10th around November 13th.

Hope this helps!

I knew there was something I was missing! Thanks!

 

[lpstorm316]

going april 21-28 can't wait

 

[TwinsisterA]

TwinsisterB and I are also going in April (14-21) with our families, 14 people in total. My family of 6- Me, DH, DS12, DD10, DS4, DD2. My twin sisters family,(herself, husband, DS11, DD6, DD2 and mother-in-law) and our parents. We are pretty excited, haven't been since 2005. All of our plans are coming in to place, pretty much just have to worry about booking our flights.