Planning 11 Months Out?!!!

[rentayenta]

Not me...I actually plan about 2 years out now that I have DVC.

Me too!

 

[londonderrydisneyfan]

Because we buy an AP, I always try to plan two vacations at a time. Next summer we'll be going in June/July and then in 2012 we'll most likely go in Apri/May. My kids are young enough so that it's easy to pick a time in advance as long as we go when there's no school. As they get older it will get more complicated as we will have to work around their activities too.

 

[sherriepaul]

Will anyone here adopt me!

Since With only DH salary a trip wasn't going to happen, I picked up a part time job, in order to pay for WDW! I have been planning and researching since June for our September 2011 trip. Ab out to book the resort this week. already working on Restaurants as well!

 

[dzorn]

Neck the only thing stopping me plan further out is not haveing 2012 charts.


Denise in MI

 

[DenLo]

We have cruised a lot in the last 20 years and are used to booking a cabin as soon as they are available as we love longer cruises and they book quickly. I too noticed that some National Parks book up over a year in advance.

We are already sketching in DVC trips for 2012, 2013 and 2014 but it's hard to do without the point charts, rough estimates really.

 

[Coach81]

I've got our vacations planned out for the next three years!!!

2011- Mardi Gras - VWL
2011- Summer- USF (Harry Potter) & Seaworld
2012- Summer- Disneyland
2013- Summer- Hawaii DVC (20th anniversary)

 

[spiceycat]

Neck the only thing stopping me plan further out is not haveing 2012 charts.


Denise in MI

me too!

since they changed them in 2010, 2011 - just wondering how bad (or nice) 2012 will be

 

[dianeschlicht]

The think that bugs me some is the 180 day dining reservations.

I make dining reservations at 180 day point and then learn of some event planned by Disney that would be really neat to attend, if only I had not scheduled dining for that date at another location.

That's my complaint as well. In fact, this time we have decided NOT TO MAKE ANY RESERVATIONS FOR DINING AHEAD!!! I'll let you know how that works, but I hate palnning my daily portion of a trip so far out.

 

[dadio]

Nope.
We plan way farther in advance than 11 months.
I just book at 11 months.
Then book free tickets at 10 months.
Then plan DDRs.
Then Book DDRs.
Then enjoy the countdowns!

free ticket?
please expand on this..tia!

 

[TwinsFan]

I have all my points planned out through 2013, using 2011 points will adjust point amounts when new charts are released.

I have camping trips planned for the next three summers.

I have cruises booked for 2011 and plans to book 2012 in early 2011.

I realize plans can change, but I love planning all kinds of trips

 

[AnnaS]

I have owned DVC for 10 years and have had no problems booking/planning so far in advance. We have actually booked our cruises way before the 11 month window frame we have for the resorts.

This year and probably for the next year or two I might have a problem. Too many serious medical issues in the family (bil, parents, and sister).

 

[stopher1]

Planning at 11 months out really isn't all that difficult bad for us, as we're currently "planning" trips for 2012, 13, 14, 15 & 16 (both Disney and not), in addition to all of the ones we actually have reservations for yet this year and early next, and those that we don't yet have for later in 2011 but will have in the not too distant future. (We're pretty much long term planners - always have been. Started as a kid when my folks would get up from the Christmas Eve dinner table and proceed to decide who's house we'd be at the next Christmas Eve, and so on. Then repeated when we got married and started doing the exact same thing).

As far as the actual "details" that go into any individual trip or reservation (activities, dining reservations, yada yada) - those don't need to be dealt with until 6 months or less prior unless we're travleing with family members who need more lead time to actually commit to a trip.

 

[tiggerrr]

My wife and I made conscious decision to change the way we vacation that forced us to do more long term planning. We were not the type to want to plan that far in advance. The problem was that meant we didn't often go on vacations longer than a long weekend.

I took her on her first trip to WDW in 2007. She fell in love and we bought DVC on the last day of that trip. A big part of our discussion was whether or not we could change our habits and start planning so we actually did it.

We made the agreement right there that we would never come back from any vacation without having the next one planned, so there was always a vacation to look forward to. Of course that meant we've been to WDW 5 times since that DVC purchase.

I think sometimes we've gone too far the other way. We booked a cruise in Feb 2012 some 20 months in advance. We have our WDW trips planned all the way until Food and Wine Festival in 2012 (still more than 2 years away). Right now we have firm plans for 9 vacations of a week or more between now and Oct 2012. What happened to us?

 

[KingRat]

Back in the beginning when there was only OKW, it was necessary to book 11 months out. Sometimes we had to do it day by day (which is a pain). Now with so many resorts we can usually get most resorts at 7 months.

 

[nolanboys]

Our kids are getting to the age when the only time we are going to be able to travel is over spring break and Christmas break. They really can't miss a full week of school anymore and with 4 boys and sports schedules, it can be tricky. This summer, we only had 2 weeks available to book a vacation. I booked our trip for March 2011 right at the 11 mo window. DVC forces me to make time for vacations and allows me to stay in nice accommodations when Disney generally doesn't offer discounts. We plan on going for New Year's 2012. We're happy with the every other year thing. Someday, when the kids are older, DH and I will be able to have more trips planned. I love to read about people with 3 and 4 trips booked.

 

[twooley2]

Vacations get tougher as kids get to high school age. I am still trying to figure how everyone absolutley knows their vacation time from work so far in advance. Unless you have set time off at the same time each year.

 

[TinkHappy]

Vacations get tougher as kids get to high school age. I am still trying to figure how everyone absolutley knows their vacation time from work so far in advance. Unless you have set time off at the same time each year.

Too funny!!! I agree, our DD's are a junior and freshman in hs. They are both going to two different high schools, with two different vacations and they both play sports all year (Spring and Summer leagues, and sport camps)
so it is getting more and more difficult to plan vacations 11 months out. Oh well, now we are just going to have to wing it and hope for a little pixie dust for availability

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

I have no problem planning 11 months (or more) out. I have three WDW trips booked, a cruise for 2011, and am currently waiting for the 7 month window to book our annual extended summer trip. I love vacation!

 

[mom3sonstt]

I'm getting antsy now because we haven't planned next summer's vacation. I kinda know that it will probably have to be the first half of August. School doesn't end until end of May or early June (depending on how many snow days we have). But in June and most of July my husband coaches summer-league softball. The big problem is not knowing how many are going. We have been bringing a friend along the last few trips so we have an even number of kids (our 3 plus 1), but I kind of think that next year our oldest won't be going. He graduates college in the spring and hopefully will be working - or at least have a job lined up - by August. He's studying to be an Elementary school teacher - so even though classes wouldn't be in session by then, if he has a job he would be working on getting his room ready. So it could be just us and the younger two. Or we could grab some grandkids (DH has 2 older boys who have kids, in addition to the 3 we have together). I'm not real keen on the grandkid idea. I did tell him we need to be putting some thought into it because if we want to go in August then we need to pick a date and a resort so I can work out the points and make my calls.