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

[Shelbizzles]

we are planning on a trip September 2017, when is the earliest I can really start planning it out? When do you guys start planning your trips?

 

[PSUGuy]

We stay at the Board Walk on rented DVC points during Food&Wine, a very popular time for the Epcot Resorts. In order to get a room we must book 11 months in advance, the earliest a DVC owner can reserve. So, a week or 2 after we unpack from one trip we're committed to a date for the next, 11 months in the future. This works well for us. We have our dates, airfare on the legacy carriers come out 330 out, we do SouthWest so we have even more time to book flights. We've got a compact car from Dollar for 11 days for $ 188.25, it's $100 more at the moment for Oct 12 - 22 and our APs expire Nov 1 so that expense is already covered. We're constantly fine tuning as our trip nears.

Bill From PA

 

[HuskieJohn]

If its your first time going ever or in many years then start now! There is a ton of info to digest and going thru it at the pace you feel comfortable is best.

Seriously though I started planning for our March 2015 trip (first ever to Disney) 2 years before we went.

I started out slow reading the boards and other sites to figure out how you want the flow of your trip to go then as the dates for booking rooms, dining reservations come up I really had a solid plan. Then everything was basically finalized when it was time to book the FP+.

Start with a dollar figure and stick to it!
...so don't go looking at rooms you cant afford for this trip!

 

[loves to dive]

It probably wouldn't hurt to start looking now but keep in mind, prices for resorts are going to change about 3 or 4 times between now and then. I knew I was going to F&W this year, I go to F&G and F&W every year, but not always during the same month just depends on if I'm going solo or if my son, who is in college is going. If he is going we have to go during his breaks, if I'm going solo I tend to try to hit before my AP expires which I've not been very lucky with. This year, they are starting F&W earlier than they normally do, my AP expires 9/22 so I can hit the first week with that AP, 3 trips on one AP. Anyway, as soon as they announced F&W was starting early I started looking for resorts, this was around the second week in March right after I returned. I booked a few days ago for my resorts (I do split stays) but those are always subject to change if a better discount comes out or I change my mind. I don't book ADRs or FPs in advance. Normally about a month in advance I'll book my tea at the GF because those do tend to get booked up but that is the only ADR I book. If I (we) want others, we tend to book them the morning of. My FPs I usually book the night before or if I'm feeling frisky, I'll book them about a week in advance and change them 10 times. I will check park hours a few times about 2 weeks before I go but even then I know they are subject to change so I just pretend I'm limited to 9 to 7 for most parks. I would be careful with air fares if you fly and check to see if they can be cancelled or changed if your plans change.

 

[skateshome]

I don't think I ever stop planning anymore. LOL!!!

 

[gerilyne]

I usually start planning the moment I decide to go to Disney. DH and I have gone to DLR for the past 4 years and this will be our first trip to WDW (well, his first trip ever, I haven't been since 1991). I started planning from the moment we decided to go which was well over a year in advance. First setting our budget, then researching which resort we should stay at (fortunately for us, my sister is also going and made the decision for us) and went on to look at the different dining options in the parks, familiarizing myself with the parks, how the layout of MK differs from DL. This way once our 180 day mark hit, I knew exactly what TS to book for our ADR, and at the 60 day mark what fast passes we wanted to get.

But then again, I love planning Disney trips and trying to find ways to make it special and fun for the people going along.

 

[Nancyg56]

I start the second I book my resort. Once I set a date and decide on a resort planning begins, first by checking out historical data in regards to hard Party events, fireworks schedules and touring groups that may traditionally visit during that time. I check out restaurants, and park days, and make a loose plan. I routinely visit the boards to catch up with any changes that may have occurred since my last visit, and by 180 days out I am pretty good to go.

 

[DisMom829]

I'm planning now for next March & June 2017.

 

[Candycane83]

I think in your case, it would be nice to start reading and if you would like to start booking, it's 499 days for resort and i think they will release prices for 2017 sometime in June or July? For me, it was a good point last year to start planning for my Dec 2016 trip.

 

[mshanson3121]

we are planning on a trip September 2017, when is the earliest I can really start planning it out? When do you guys start planning your trips?

Our trip is June 2017. I have a daily itinerary all done, lol.

But, really, my "planning timeline" is this:

1 year out - pay the deposit for the rental house
6-8 months out (or y'know 13-18 months out, lol) - figure out your daily itinerary (what parks you want to go to on what days, what dinners/entertainment/tours/activities you want to do etc...)
6 months - book your ADRs and any tours/activities like BBB or Pirates League etc...
3-6 months out - start planning what FP+ you want to get, when etc...
1-2 months - book your FP+
1-2 months out - start my packing list, purchase anything we're going to need
1 week out - start packing!!!

Not included on here is when to book flights. It's best to book either when they first come out, or about 6-8 weeks before your travel date. For driving, we don't prebook hotels, we just use hotelcoupons.com the day of, but we do map out our trip etc...

 

[Jennasis]

We have a September 2016 in the pipeline that is always being tweaked...and a fall 2017 one being planned. We are DVC so we can't book the 2017 trip until 7 months. But that trip is honestly not going to be a Disney trip. We are just going to stay in a DVC resort while we do USO discovery cove and vero beach.

 

[xlxo]

You get better deals planning several months in advance....

I save on cancellation insurance by planning a few weeks in advance when I know my work schedule does not have me needing to change my dates...

 

[megster1123]

I start on a really broad, basic level and fine tune the closer we get. I've found if you try to plan the smaller details too far in advance, things change along the way and you get into a really cumbersome spiral of planning and replacing and replanning.

Pick your dates and resorts, secure those and then maybe just do a little light reading and such to pass the time. Then really get into it a couple of weeks before your 180 ADR window. Make a basic plan, pick your ADRs and then walk away and let your brain breathe for a little while. Pick up again a couple weeks before your FP+ window - make your FP+ selections, create your touring plans...that's the best time I think to really nail down the details!

 

[Flamingeaux]

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.

 

[Moushe]

As soon as I get back from my last trip
Usually about 12-8 months out for long trips. I am currently planning a trip for next month spur of the moment and hopefully will have more of these shorter trips throughout the year to add to our week long annual trip.

 

[kaybird]

Just like the FBI. I have a Go Bag. Always packed. Always ready. Just in case.

 

[cbreg1]

If the Bounce Back Offer is good for us- we start with the new date for next year. But like lots of previous posters have mentioned- it's hard for me to stop planning. Lol

 

[Delirium]

I'm already planning not to ride Stitch in 2034.

 

[tinkerbell1991]

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.

 

[lilly6]

On the way home from the current/recent trip! The only real cure for Post Disney Blues!