scared to commit to booking !!

[bex7583]

i change my mind constantly !! TRIPS LOCATION HOTEL CAR HIRE MONTH ETC !! im soo unorganised this is just a planning nightmare i dont have a unlimited budget so need to try and organise it so we get the best prices for all factors

i know its cheaper to do it all diy but im worried about adaquate insurance cover when i do it like that at least if i book as a package through a operator the whole trip is covered , what insurances can anybody reccomend

also if we are doing the sport fishing at keys and the nascar speedway driving do we need extra insurance for that?

satnav or maps or just drive and hope for the best ??

oh and i dont understand the different car insurane options?? do you just get the standard or gold?? only difference i can see is the price

EVERYTIME I THINK I HAVE A PLAN OUTLINE I READ A POST ON HERE WITH SOME INFO I HAD NEVER CONSIDERED HURRICANES TOLL ROADS ( WOOPS CAPS) AND THEN IM ALL CONFUSED AGAIN !!

do you all just book and then worry later or have solid plans and then book , how easy is it to make changes once booked??

aplogies for the batrrage of questions but my boyfriend is sick of hearing me !!

thankyou

 

[Lisa x]

Honestly, with all of the plans that you have of places to visit and things to do, I definitely think you should have a firm plan in place before you book anything.

My husband and I did a trip last October where we booked as we went along, but we were only doing that for a week, had a plan more or less in place and it was just the two of us. I'm not sure I would do it with 3 children in tow too!

I think unless you get a date firmly in place, you are going to be going backwards and forwards with your plans.

This is just my opinion

 

[hunnybunny57]

We are going in November. I booked the Villa last June for 2 weeks. In February I booked the car as usrentacar had a good deal. Once I started planning I realised I needed to add a couple of days on. I just phoned the owners of the Villa to change dates. then phoned car hire because I'd paid the £10 extra for the insurance in case I needed to cancel or change my plans it was easy.

You will always find something you never thought of, so take the plunge and book. Most things can be changed.

Dee

 

[joolz1910]

I feel your pain. I needed my hand holding every step of the way becasue it is an expensive holiday and I didn't want to get it wrong. I have had some excellent advice from people on the Dis and that has helped me to make some of my choices.

I booked my holiday with Val (Cinders Mum) who is a Travel Counsellor. I can't recommend her highly enough! I only ever speak to her - I have her direct line/email, so no call centres. She is a huge Disney fan, so can give really helpful advice too. I didn't want to risk DIY the first time because there is too much to consider. I needed somebody on the other end of a phone who could guide me through things and advise if I was unsure.

Have a look at my pre-trip report, all of my plans are on the first page.

 

[Lisa x]

Just to add on from hunnybunny57's post.......while some aspects of your holiday may be changed fairly easily, be careful if doing DIY if you book flight only, if you go with Virgin and go for their cheapest fare code, you cannot amend these at all.

If your plan is to get a 'rough' holiday booked which you may want to amend, make sure with each company you book with, this is ok and also if there are any costs to be incurred for doing so!

Joolz idea sounds a really good one if you are really unsure of everything!

 

[tinkertaylor05]

Just to say I feel your pain, I'm doing our first trip DIY

That said I've booked an onside stay with Disney and a cruise which I'm transferring to an American ta, all I have to freak out about is flights. If I wasn't doing it with Disney I probably wouldn't have the nerve as a first timer.

You've had some really good advice, I think you need to just try to fix your dates as a start and make a list of questions to ask whoever you'll be booking with .... Oh and breathe

 

[bex7583]

I feel your pain. I needed my hand holding every step of the way becasue it is an expensive holiday and I didn't want to get it wrong. I have had some excellent advice from people on the Dis and that has helped me to make some of my choices.

I booked my holiday with Val (Cinders Mum) who is a Travel Counsellor. I can't recommend her highly enough! I only ever speak to her - I have her direct line/email, so no call centres. She is a huge Disney fan, so can give really helpful advice too. I didn't want to risk DIY the first time because there is too much to consider. I needed somebody on the other end of a phone who could guide me through things and advise if I was unsure.

Have a look at my pre-trip report, all of my plans are on the first page.

how do i find your pre trip report??

i have spoken to school today they were not happy about the length of time taken off and local authority will want a meeting i have a 2013 term calendar so hope to look at setting firm dates possible overlapping a half term now, and she did say sept would be the worst time to go in terms of new classes and social settling in , she did say it will be important to keep there reading and writing up to date daily if possible but i am sure they will have plenty to write about

and somebody on one of my other threads picked up on the insurance concern and that lots of policys are 30 days so will look in to that more

i know it sounds like im trying to cram loads in to this trip but i dont want to have to miss loads of things out as i doubt we will return to florida again

 

[wayneg]

i know it sounds like im trying to cram loads in to this trip but i dont want to have to miss loads of things out as i doubt we will return to florida again

You can't possibly fit everything into your trip, this year will be our 28 visit, spent well over a year out there and we still do different things every trip.

In 1993 I remember saying it will be our only visit to Florida, I wasn't that bothered about going.

 

[Lisa x]

You can't possibly fit everything into your trip, this year will be our 28 visit, spent well over a year out there and we still do different things every trip.

In 1993 I remember saying it will be our only visit to Florida, I wasn't that bothered about going.

Absolutely!

We have been going every year for the past 9 years, sometimes twice a year and in 2010 we went 3 times that year, we still haven't seen and done nearly close to everything Florida has to offer!

Its absolutely impossible to do and see everything in 30 days if you actually want to take things in and enjoy what your doing!

 

[bex7583]

haha well maybe just one return visit when the kids are teenagers im a huge rollercoaster junkie so gota go back to do the big rides with them !!

but it will definatley not become an annual trip, i have too many other places to visit

 

[wayneg]

but it will definatley not become an annual trip, i have too many other places to visit

I also said exactly those words, we had plans to visit so many places, Australia, safari in Africa etc. Until 1993 then all that changed, even the last few years when we have had the money to go upto 4 times a year anywhere we wanted most trips have been back to Orlando with the odd visit to NY, Vegas, Anahiem, Los Angeles & San Diego.
Orlando/Florida is not for everyone but for many its a place to return many times.

 

[bex7583]

just out of curiosity , u regular visitors do u also take holidays to other places or is florida you main and holy holiday destination

 

[Lisa x]

I also said we wouldn't go every year and each year we say we will give next year a miss but it never happens haha!

We go other places too, we usually get abroad 3 times a year but Florida is always one of the three!

 

[london75]

just out of curiosity , u regular visitors do u also take holidays to other places or is florida you main and holy holiday destination

We're lucky to have seen a fair bit of the world before kids and now Florida is the first place on my mind when planning. Every year we've been dying to get back to Singapore and Sydney both of which we love but have ended up in Florida.

Last year we had a cheeky week in Majorca (mostly because of the price) and do the odd city break but it's now Florida every year. Maybe that will change when the kids are grown up ( although that might be because we plan to move there before that happens!)

 

[joolz1910]

This is our first trip to WDW but we have been to Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. I decided to just 'do' Disney while the children are relatively young. I know we will return but it won't be for a few years as we can't afford it. I am saving Universal, Seaworld, Discovery Cove etc for when they are older.

My pre-trip report:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2869636

The first page lists all of our plans for the two weeks.

 

[wayneg]

just out of curiosity , u regular visitors do u also take holidays to other places or is florida you main and holy holiday destination

This is a list on our Son's Blog of all the trips we have done since he was born http://mathewgillings.wordpress.com/holidays/
I think this year will be about his 60th trip abroad in his 18 years, before he arrived we mainly had holidays in Europe a couple of times a year.
You will see from his list we started off more in Europe, then we mixed it up for a few years until recently we don't really want to go anywehre else.
Everyone enjoys different things out of an holiday, years ago we would sit by a pool for 2 weeks, now that would bore us silly.
We have also got to know quite a lot of people over there now so holidays give us a chance to meet many of them, this summer we have friends from California coming to Orando for a week, more friends coming down from North Carolina for a long weekend, meeting up with friends from the UK, I also have a DISmeet arranged to meet others off here, plus meeting cast member friends for some meals.
Its also very easy to mix the holiday with other things over there, cruising is just 1 hour away from the parks, less than half the price of UK cruises (looking at one in Oct, Royal Caribbean, 4 nts, outside cabin £200pp)

 

[Elise79]

Orlando is our primary holiday destination - both DH & I have travelled to other places however we love Orlando and have no desire to go anywhere else. There are things we want to do once DD is older however we will still go to Orlando.

TBH we would happily move out there if we could get green cards and a job

 

[flortlebap]

We actually considered buying a villa out there but then found our dream house here in the UK and that's where our budget went...

We are doing WDW at the end of May and a Spanish villa in August for a few days. We usually do Center Parcs and a city break at least once a year as WDW is expensive for a family of six.

 

[bex7583]

This is a list on our Son's Blog of all the trips we have done since he was born http://mathewgillings.wordpress.com/holidays/
I think this year will be about his 60th trip abroad in his 18 years, before he arrived we mainly had holidays in Europe a couple of times a year.
You will see from his list we started off more in Europe, then we mixed it up for a few years until recently we don't really want to go anywehre else.
Everyone enjoys different things out of an holiday, years ago we would sit by a pool for 2 weeks, now that would bore us silly.
We have also got to know quite a lot of people over there now so holidays give us a chance to meet many of them, this summer we have friends from California coming to Orando for a week, more friends coming down from North Carolina for a long weekend, meeting up with friends from the UK, I also have a DISmeet arranged to meet others off here, plus meeting cast member friends for some meals.
Its also very easy to mix the holiday with other things over there, cruising is just 1 hour away from the parks, less than half the price of UK cruises (looking at one in Oct, Royal Caribbean, 4 nts, outside cabin £200pp)

ooh maybe i will look at cruises aswell now !! wow thats some trip list ! i love amsterdam we also did euro disney and i hated it so dissapointed , apart from amsterdam and a break in london we havent been on holiday for 3 year !!! ( due to putting all our money in to clearing a huge credit card bill) i am sooo desperate for a holiday !!