What's your trip planning timeline?

[rutgers1]

The questions:

1) How far out do you start THINKING about the trip -- plotting and planning, checking out the calendar, determining when the "right" time to visit is?

2) How far out do you book the room? How far out do you book the plane (if flying)?

3) How far out do you book your dining?

4) How far out do you start planning everything else -- rides, shows, other things to see and do?


Here's my answers:

1) We are usually thinking about our trip as soon as we return from the previous. All of the "should have done this, should have done that" conversations kick things off. There is usually a time period where one of us might say "OK, we have done Disney enough, let's take off a year." But that doesn't last long.

2) We tend to book the plane first. I am a bit cheap when it comes to paying for airfare, so although I usually have a time period in which I want to visit, the exact arrival and departure dates are subject to the cheapest airfare. We will book this as soon as flights are available. Once the airfare is booked, we grab the dates at our home resort.....and wait for the 7 month window to open.

3) I try to call exactly on the opening of the dining window, especially if I am trying for a hard-to-get reservation.

4) Right around the time that we start booking dining, I create a document and start putting the rest of the trip together -- piece by piece. This year's document is several pages with every possible detour that we can take, as well as park hours and more.

I can usually "forget" about my next vacation for a few months, but once we book the next one, I tend to find myself wandering over here looking for "suggestions" a few times a week.

 

[Minniesgal]

My 2015 trip is already planned on paper. I will book accommodation and flights at 11 months. However I have a small problem in that I want to do VGC and Aulani but if I can't get Aulani at 7 months we will be doing AKV instead so I need to decide whether to bet on getting Aulani and buy a return flight from LAX or bet on not getting it and book my flight home from MCO. Normally when we do WDW all that is booked at 11 months as we fly from the UK and the flight prices are the cheapest the day they are released.

Oh and I know what I want to do in 2017 as well.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We used to plan years ahead when we were first members. Now our plans seem to be repetitious, so we always know we are going in December and then alternate the rest between January, Feb. March, May and October. Our favs have always been early Dec. and February, but we end up in March a lot so we can take advantage of spring training games in the grapefruit league.

NEVER do we book air before DVC. I tend to book DVC 11 months out or 7 if that's my only choice (like it was for Aulani).

HATE booking dining far ahead, but this year we want to do Chef's Table at V & A, so I'm booking that and BOG at the 180 day mark. Otherwise, we tend to take our chances and book last minute after we arrive. We usually get anything we want doing that by eating at rather strange times. Really early or really late.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

A bit different for us, we're 2 1/2 hours from Disney but all of my planning is predicated on my son's school calendar days off! I reserve at the 11 month mark unless I'm out of point s and have to wait to borrow! But I 've always been lucky to plan even at the 2 month mark!

We always go with his best friends in June! (4, 16 year old boys, boy do we have fun!)

We go pre-Thanksgiving.

and next year we planned a special Feb trip, many of us have Feb birthdays and the kids are off 2/17-2/18! Got a GV, 10 of us!

I guess when he's in college, and vacationing with friends etc. my DVC usage will change!

 

[wilma-bride]

Being in the UK, we tend to plan our trips early. Our next trip is this coming October - it started with a cruise dummy date booked in Oct 2011 (then switched out for Oct 2013 as soon as dates were released). We booked airfare in June 2012. We are actually staying at the Swan this year to preserve our points but, ordinarily, we would have booke dat the 11-month mark, then switched out (if we wanted to) at the 7-month point.

I have also just booked airfar for a trip with my DD next March. I haven't yet booked DVC accommodation as I am going back and forth between a DVC stay or a regular WDW resort stay with free dining (available to UK residents). If I do book DVC, I will be trying for VGF for a couple of nights at the 7-month point and probably BWV for the remaining stay. I ought to book SSR (just in case) but haven't quite got round to it...

My October 2014 trip is in the early planning stages. We know where we want to stay (THV) but airfare prices are unusually high, plus my Mum (who is due to come with us) is sick at the moment so we are waiting the outcome of tests and scans etc. before we book. Ordinarily, I would have probably booked the airfare by now though and would be booking the THV at 11 months.

 

[bobbiwoz]

For the most part we make lodging 11 months out, but our dining requirements tend toward the restaurants that do not require much planning. We really enjoy Kouzinna's, Chefs, Via Napoli, Trails End, and some others, how could I forget the Clam Bake at BC?!. So I look at Dining ADR's 2-3 months for us, more if it's something I or DH really wants. With friends, like for our April trip, I did get BOG as soon as I could, but I do not think I will need to do that again, we've eaten dinner there 3 times, and lunch once. Lunch was good enough, to get the atmosphere without the hassle of booking so far in advance.

I will try to book the Candlelight Processional package as soon as the reservations open. That one is a requirement for us, but as far as restaurants, we are flexible. We both enjoy a wide variety of WDW restaurants.

In April I booked ADRs for our end of July trip.

We get air if we need it, as soon as we can.

Bobbi

 

[com_op_2000]

The questions:
1) How far out do you start THINKING about the trip -- plotting and planning, checking out the calendar, determining when the "right" time to visit is?
2) How far out do you book the room? How far out do you book the plane (if flying)?
3) How far out do you book your dining?
4) How far out do you start planning everything else -- rides, shows, other things to see and do?

1. DVC's stays - 18 months so that I can book home resort at 11 months.
DCLs - 30 months +
For 25th anniversary back in 2011 on DCL, we started planning/saving points starting in 2008.
For next year's DCL for DGS(2) first cruise, started planning points savings in early 2011.
2, ASAP - 11 months out at home resort, have booked the second week of Dec every year since '93 for DW's birthday/our get away from holiday shopping weekend.
Change at 7 months, if we want too.
3, Never prebooked a dining reservation.
4, I will start cheching out anything special to do for upcoming trips about 2 - 3 months out. Two to four weeks in advanced, DW and I will start detailing any plans we want to make.

 

[lovin'fl]

We start planning a year or so out. For DVC, I book resort at 11 months (may switch to different resort at 7 months). For WDW, we'll have dining figured out and make ADRs as soon as the 180 mark hits. And I'll book flights as far out as I can...when I see a decent fare (from BWI/DCA to MCO/other FL airports....like to stay as close to $200pp/rt as I can). That's for our main vacations and then some little quickie trips, we do more last minute (but still about 3-6 months out). I am a planner and love to plan our vacations. We usually have a tentative idea of what we're doing for a 2 year span.

 

[mikron]

We are lucky, self employed and live 80 miles North of Disney. When we get the mood we call and take what is open. We own both DVC and a motor coach so can stay at either.

 

[DeeCee735]

1) How far out do you start THINKING about the trip -- plotting and planning, checking out the calendar, determining when the "right" time to visit is?

2 years Every time is the right time

2) How far out do you book the room? How far out do you book the plane (if flying)?

Book the room at the 11 month mark, book the plane as soon as flights show up

3) How far out do you book your dining?

180 days out for the popular or new restaurants. The rest we wing.

4) How far out do you start planning everything else -- rides, shows, other things to see and do?

Tours, 6 months. Shows as soon as the thought occurs to me. Parks, usually about a month before.

I love planning, and I love going with different people. Sometimes with just DH, sometimes us and another couple, sometimes with my DD or cousins or a friend and even sometimes alone So planning is something I do as soon as I can depending on who I'm going with.

Have fun!

 

[mom of princessx2]

When we first bought we had a 5 year plan because after 5 years my oldest would be starting middle school. That plan ends this coming December but because of the PAP special we are planned right through 2014 including where we will eat and (hopefully) where we will stay. I am not sure if I ever stop planning but for me that is part of the excitement.