What does your planning timeline look like?

[Keishag]

We've just decided we'll be returning to the World in June of '11. I'm so freakin excited. I only had 9 months to plan and obsess on our last trip and I nearly drove everybody crazy with it. I'm not sure how I'm gonna keep my sanity this time. I'm hoping I'm not the only crazy one already constantly on the board taking in all the info I can. People just don't understand how much planning a trip to Disney requires (granted for me that's half the fun!).

So I'm just wondering if you have kind of a planning timeline for those that go every other year or so. What do you start doing at a year out, what about 9 months, 6 months, 3 months (ADR's...YIPPEE! Will it ever get here?!), etc.

 

[CathieArms]

Hey there! We're also planning for June of 2011.

Like you, I'm here soaking up all the great information and planning as much in advance as I can.

While it's impossible for us to make concrete plans until the 2011 schedules come out or until we can make ADRs, I've spent the last couple of weeks planning and scrapping plans and planning more...only to scrap those plans. I think I finally came up with a good game plan last night (finally) and now just have to wait to see of park hours are roughly the same.

Enjoy this process! I know I am...until I drive everyone insane!

 

[MidgeD79]

We will probably go June '11 also! August is the earliest you can make a reservation. We'll stay at Pop Century again (love it!), I just don't know how many of us are going. We won't be doing the water park option and I am considering not getting park hoppers. We never do the dining plan and I've only made maybe 5 ADR's in 10 trips. I have to decide whether to get a package or purchase tickets separately (don't need the extra's). I do have a question though - if I book a room only in August and get a pin early 2011, can I apply the pin to the current reservation?

 

[Keishag]

My understanding is that you can add a pin if it comes out even if you've already booked your reservation. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong though.

 

[mrodgers]

My understanding is that you can add a pin if it comes out even if you've already booked your reservation. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong though.

I changed mine twice after I booked.

First time it was 15% off room. I called at my 45 day mark, had them apply the 15% off and paid the balance. A week later I saw "kids stay and play for free." Looked like that would be a better discount so I called. I was now within 45 days, so I had to pay $50 to have it changed, but it saved me $239. The person on the phone calculated it to make sure it was better than the 15% and I was refunded the $239.

So, the answer is, yes.

 

[Nicki501]

I changed mine twice after I booked.

First time it was 15% off room. I called at my 45 day mark, had them apply the 15% off and paid the balance. A week later I saw "kids stay and play for free." Looked like that would be a better discount so I called. I was now within 45 days, so I had to pay $50 to have it changed, but it saved me $239. The person on the phone calculated it to make sure it was better than the 15% and I was refunded the $239.

So, the answer is, yes.

Absolutely!!! I think I attempted to change my reservations 4 times. In January I received a pin for 20/30/35. That's when I knew I was going to Disney. So I booked. Then I got another pin in the mail, so I attempted to use it, but it only applied to Villa and Deluxe reservations. Always looking for a deal, there was a deal open to the general public. I think it was called winter-summer so I applied that discount to my reservation. I then saw kids stay and play free so I was going to apply that promotion, but the CM told me that if I changed resorts, it would be actually cheaper to keep my Winter-Summer promo. So in fact, the CM applied the expired pin to a new hotel reservation. Disney is really good at telling you which one will save you the most money.

 

[Ress76]

My timeline for a trip 12 months out would be, keep a little list NOW of things people comment on on their trip this year-I did this the year before I planned to go in early December. This is cool, that's cool, something else was a waste of time...it will help you when you get closer.

Keep track the hours this June, they will probably be similar next year.

Depending on the airline, book your airfare as soon as the dates are available, if that will be cheapest. Book your reservation at the same time-you can add any available code later.

If you will be doing the dining plan, November/December (7-8 months out), start thinking about where you may want to dine.

Once Disney releases the June hours, if you are planning to book TS meals, review the schedule for optimum days based upon how your group tours and what is running when, then book meals. That said, if you are trying to get a hard to get ressie (like, Le Cellier), be willing to change your schedule. Then, when you have any idea of what you'll be doing when, and other things like Fantasmic, Wishes, Illuminations etc, you can start planning your trip and, referring to your notes about THIS June, you can make sure to figure in things that sound interesting.

 

[Keishag]

Thank you Ress! That was very helpful!

I have one question. When I call to book at rack room rate, will I just pay the $200 deposit at that time or will it be something different?

 

[lledman]

I plan and re-plan for usually 18 months before our trips. I will look at the park hours for previous years and guess on what they will be for our trip (usually right on with EMH days but the hours change depending on crowd predictions). I start to work up our park touring plan and then plug in ADRs I’d like to have based on this information. I also read everything I can to see what’s new and different from our last trip, anything that strikes my fancy I print out and add to my previous trip planning binder.

 

[Duckiedee]

Keishag - maybe I read your first post incorrectly, but wanted to make sure you knew you can now make ADRs 180 days out or 180+10 if staying onsite.

 

[Keishag]

Really!? I didn't realize that had changed since last year! That's awesome. So This is probably a dumb follow up question, but when you said "180+10" does that just mean I can actually book 190 days before we leave? We will be staying onsite and doing a package.

 

[Ress76]

The 180+10 means you can book out for 10 days, from 180 days before you arrive. If you arrive on a Saturday, you have to wait until 180 days before that SAturday, but then you can book ADRs for the next 10 days.

For my last two trips, using this math, I have been able to snag Le Cellier reservations, but towards the end of my trip.

And for your previoust question, I'm not sure, but I believe yes, you can do the deposit and book your package, and then adjust later on. I have booked my last few trips through AAA and just continually pepper my poor TA with "I got this code...is this cheaper? OK, if we moved up to a Moderate, is this code a cheaper?"