Planning my first trip!

[GrimGrinningGhost15]

Hi all,
I went to Disney World for the first time ever in May of 2012, but I went with disney pros who had been over 20 times so I sort of just followed their lead. My boyfriend and I are starting to plan our first trip to Disney World for January of 2014 to celebrate finishing college that May. I am just looking for any pointers to this overwhelming process of planning a big vacation! We are college students still so saving money is a key to planning. We haven't started the whole process yet so any tips are welcome!
Thanks
- Molly

 

[HollyAD]

Hi all,
I went to Disney World for the first time ever in May of 2012, but I went with disney pros who had been over 20 times so I sort of just followed their lead. My boyfriend and I are starting to plan our first trip to Disney World for January of 2014 to celebrate finishing college that May. I am just looking for any pointers to this overwhelming process of planning a big vacation! We are college students still so saving money is a key to planning. We haven't started the whole process yet so any tips are welcome!
Thanks
- Molly

Take advantage of any special offers, which are located at the bottom of the main wdw reservation page. Sometimes they offer a free dinning plan or 30% off rooms. The offers will not automatically appear when you are browsing through dates for booking. I have also booked a value Disney resort on hotels.com to save money and earn points toward a free night with their welcome rewards. I would certainly suggest staying on the wdw resort somewhere. You really can't beat the transportation and the perks of being able to access the parks early and stay late. My biggest piece of advice is to do your research. Check out tripadvisor.com an other tools to help you choose places to eat and play. Overall just have fun and enjoy your experience... It is disney world after all!

 

[littleroo]

Read!! Read!! If you spend a month here with all these fantastic people, You will learn a lot Welcome and enjoy the whole experience!

FYI- don't worry about crowd levels. You will have a blast no matter what!

 

[Figgy1]

Welcome!! Welcome!! Welcome!! I always recomend the Unofficial Guide to Disney as a good starting place! It's a bit of reading but will give you an excellent overview of most of what you need to know!! Good luck planning and most of all have fun!

 

[s&k'smom]

Congratulations on finishing college that's terrific. One of my favorite sites, well besides this one, is Mousesavers.com, if there is a discount to be found they'll have it there.

 

[Figgy1]

allears.net has all the menus and prices!

 

[keylimesqueeze]

Hi all,
I went to Disney World for the first time ever in May of 2012, but I went with disney pros who had been over 20 times so I sort of just followed their lead. My boyfriend and I are starting to plan our first trip to Disney World for January of 2014 to celebrate finishing college that May. I am just looking for any pointers to this overwhelming process of planning a big vacation! We are college students still so saving money is a key to planning. We haven't started the whole process yet so any tips are welcome!
Thanks
- Molly

Figure out how much you can spend and then start to plan. Once you know that, you'll know how much you can get for your buck. Factors include: when you go, ticket options, where you stay, dining plan(if any), etc. Stick to coming to this site with questions and for ideas.Lots of knowledgable people frequent here!

 

[LuLaSue]

FIRST STOP Budget...
How much do you have to spend.
When and how long do you want to stay in the World and
What hotel and food plan can I get with that money? (If you choose to get the dining plan of course.)

Once you are here now its time to think about ADR's. Where do I want to eat? Remember, It's always all about the food.
Personally I base what park I will be in around my ADR's.

Now, if a promotion comes up after you book (if you didn't already book with one) remember, it can be applied to your reservation if it falls in the parameters of the promotion.

Anything you save is found money! You may be able to upgrade hotel or meal plan OR just save the bucks for shopping!!

Happy Planning!

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

FIRST STOP Budget...
How much do you have to spend.
When and how long do you want to stay in the World and
What hotel and food plan can I get with that money? (If you choose to get the dining plan of course.)

Once you are here now its time to think about ADR's. Where do I want to eat? Remember, It's always all about the food.
Personally I base what park I will be in around my ADR's.

Now, if a promotion comes up after you book (if you didn't already book with one) remember, it can be applied to your reservation if it falls in the parameters of the promotion.

Anything you save is found money! You may be able to upgrade hotel or meal plan OR just save the bucks for shopping!!

Happy Planning!

Very good advice Sue!! The planning stage is actually the most exciting part!! The world (well Disney World) is you oyster and anything is in your grasp! (well, relatively speaking LOL) As Sue suggested... first set a budget, decide which level of accomodations you would like to experience (Deluxe, Moderate or Value) then, decide on where to eat!!! And make reservations (ADRs) 180 days from your arrival date. And ask LOTS of questions. This board is the PERFECT place to ask about ANYTHING Disney!!! We discuss everything here on wdwmagic, from where to stay to what to pack and all things in between!!! Have fun!!!