When is the earliest you start really planning for your trip?

[MerrySunshine]

I just started planning our October 2018 trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I love planning (dreaming) about Disney trips.

 

[Dreamport]

Preliminary aka "Dream" planning (where to stay, how long, what we want to do, etc) -- anytime!
Realistic planning -- about a year and a half out for the sake of saving up the funds, then a year out from the dates so I can see what prices, hours, and crowds are like and adjust as things pop up during the next year to change them.
So far we're in the 'realistic' stages for February/March 2017, and dream planning a couple more past that.

 

[Dreamport]

I'm planning our December 2018 already along with a tentative 10-1-21 (50years at the Magic Kingdom).

Oh, thank goodness I'm not the only one having to look ahead to the 50 year celebrations!! I figured people here would think I was crazy

 

[JerseyJanice]

Planning is half the fun!

 

[DWillowBay]

I start planning on the plane ride home from the last trip! 'Wish it was a lie...but it's not!

 

[Lumiere Lover]

That's not crazy that is awesome.

Oh, thank goodness I'm not the only one having to look ahead to the 50 year celebrations!! I figured people here would think I was crazy

 

[brooke789]

We started planning our upcoming trip 13 months out. We had a lot to catch up on with changes since our 2013 trip!

 

[aretha30]

We start planning our next trip as soon as we are home from our current one! Usually we go every August so it is one year out. We start thinking about what we liked/didn't like about this year's trip and we start to figure out where we want to stay and what type of tickets we want to have for the next year. A lot of planning goes into our trips. We have to switch our trip for 2017 or skip it because of our sons schedule for camp. I may even start planning that as soon as school is over (before we go on our 2016 trip).

 

[mdsouth]

my quick answer is I never stop planning trips. Even though I don't go on 70% of the trips I "plan" I like to be up on prices and offers and what is going on in the WDW community.

This is me!

I just started planning our October 2018 trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I love planning (dreaming) about Disney trips.

Same here! Love to dream and plan trips! Celebrating your 25th at WDW will be wonderful!

Preliminary aka "Dream" planning (where to stay, how long, what we want to do, etc) -- anytime!
Realistic planning -- about a year and a half out for the sake of saving up the funds, then a year out from the dates so I can see what prices, hours, and crowds are like and adjust as things pop up during the next year to change them.
So far we're in the 'realistic' stages for February/March 2017, and dream planning a couple more past that.

This quote is true! Always dreaming of Disney but when I actually do get to go on a trip - the realistic day to day plans start 18 months out. My last trip was in 2014 and I am hopefully going in 2017. I haven't nailed down the dates but need to soon. Package rates come out sometime this summer.

 

[McKelly]

I start planning the next Disney vacation on the ME back to the airport, typically, with tears in my eyes!!! But I actually start booking things once I buy the airfare, which is typically 6-9 months out. I'm always booked by six months so I can make ADR's.

 

[niffer5150]

i started planning our april 2017 trip several months ago. i start off with vague planning, possible dates, general idea of what we want to do, where do we want to stay.... as the dates gets closer and i get more solid info, i can refine and choose which itinerary works best. i've refined restaurant choices, done the actual math on the dining plan, and i've slowly purchased the travel sized/disposable items we use.

 

[wyurm]

499 days out. I'm a bit crazy though

 

[Shelbizzles]

482 days for us. We are all a bit crazy

 

[Aletha]

We are going late October 2017 and have already started planning.

We've booked out hotel and as it comes with the free dining plan, have already started to check out menus and definate places that We want to eat at this time round.

We're also currently looking at car rental prices and hopefully by December this year, book out flights when the prices come out.

It's never too early to plan and definitely makes me more excited to be going.

Oh wow, we're planning a trip for November 2017 and I was wondering when we could book our resort. I didn't know you could book this far in advance! And you got free dining?!? I thought they wouldn't give the discouts more than a couple monthd ahead! Did you call to make reservations or how did you do it online?

 

[SaintsManiac]

I'm already planning our December 2017 trip. Since we cannot book anything yet we worked on our budget and tweaked our savings plan. We made of list of things we missed last time that we don't want to miss again. We chose our resort and set our dates. We bought our tickets before the next 2 price increases. Now we wait for booking to open!

 

[SaintsManiac]

We are going late October 2017 and have already started planning.

We've booked out hotel and as it comes with the free dining plan, have already started to check out menus and definate places that We want to eat at this time round.

We're also currently looking at car rental prices and hopefully by December this year, book out flights when the prices come out.

It's never too early to plan and definitely makes me more excited to be going.

How did you book already with free dining? I thought that wasn't announced for 2017 yet.

Oh nevermind, just saw you're in the UK

 

[Spoiledraf]

Unfortunately I didn't get the ok from my wife for a September trip til a few days after free dining was announced. Guess what. No dining where she wants to go available. And now it's MY FAULT!!! We've talked about it for a year and a half. She thought dining reservations were 60 days out, not 180. She wanted to take the little one to Cinderellas Royal table. LOL. With a group of 11, we're pretty much out of luck to the point I don't even want to go.

 

[RustManFan]

I started planning my 2016 trip about 1.5 years out so I could figure out time I wanted to go. Then at 499 days out I made my resort only reservations and starting reading about FP+ and restaurants

 

[tinkerbell1991]

Oh wow, we're planning a trip for November 2017 and I was wondering when we could book our resort. I didn't know you could book this far in advance! And you got free dining?!? I thought they wouldn't give the discouts more than a couple monthd ahead! Did you call to make reservations or how did you do it online?

Hi, yes here in the UK we're able to book up to December 2017. Sorry that I didn't specify in my opthat I was from the UK, I never even thought

I did it all online as the offer is valid until june/july I believe to book.

I hope the US site gives out similar offers soon

Do you know which resort you're going to stay at and the dates you have in mind?

 

[tinkerbell1991]

How did you book already with free dining? I thought that wasn't announced for 2017 yet.

Oh nevermind, just saw you're in the UK

Oh no, I'm so sorry - I promise I'll make it more cleaerer next time you wouldn't have thought I've been on this board long enough to know that I need to specify *doh!*