WDW vacation planning!

[real mad hatter]

DW thinks iam crazy as I started planning this years vacation when we booked it in August of last year,we go in July.So iam curious on what other people start their planning,DW says the moon missions didn't plan as much as I do.Is she right that iam over planning eleven months in advance?How long ahead do you plan for your WDW vacation?:shrug:

 

[Hakunamatata]

As long as it takes.....however, I don't do quite as much research.

 

[mickeysshoes]

This is our 13th and 14th trips we are taking this year so we dont have to research as much as you are...but I do start to plan as soon as I have booked. Always thinking about the trip and working in my head on how to save. You are not alone.

 

[Crush Dude!]

DW thinks iam crazy as I started planning this years vacation when we booked it in August of last year,we go in July.So iam curious on what other people start their planning,DW says the moon missions didn't plan as much as I do.Is she right that iam over planning eleven months in advance?How long ahead do you plan for your WDW vacation?:shrug:

Love the planning phase :sohappy:

But now most of our planning goes into where to stay and where to eat,
We have done the parks a lot so we know what we want to do and what
Pace to do things at :wave:

 

[disneypets]

I love the planning process! :sohappy: 180 days out I already have my list of restaurant reservations ready to go. Disney "mouse" pad daily on fb is a great help in planning or questions. They also have great pics and fun facts about disney. If you just need a daily dose of disney you should check it out.

 

[powlessfamily4]

I am always planning a Disney vacation. I leave in 7 days (Jumping up and down!) and I have already started planning the one for October and have my eye on dates for 2013. Woot Woot!

 

[Susan Savia]

We just got back on February 18th from two weeks in the world and have begun planning the next trip. We know we want to go in January 2013, but haven't pinpointed the exact dates yet. (We had discussed going in September to attend the Halloween party, but we're not sure about this.) It's never to early to plan another trip to WDW!

 

[real mad hatter]

Excuse my ignorance!

I love the planning process! :sohappy: 180 days out I already have my list of restaurant reservations ready to go. Disney "mouse" pad daily on fb is a great help in planning or questions. They also have great pics and fun facts about disney. If you just need a daily dose of disney you should check it out.

What site is that?:shrug:

 

[snookie5605]

i started booking before i even booked! haha! but really we booked the end of january and i started feb 1st for our trip that is at the end of september! planning that far ahead just helps you pass the time until your trip gets here!

 

[SMS55]

Love the planning phase :sohappy:

We have done the parks a lot so we know what we want to do and what
Pace to do things at :wave:

Same here. We are park veterans. We know we are going to MK the first day and we are getting there early. We do Splash and Big Thunder before the crowds get in. We usually walk right on. We'll also knock out Pirates, Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpets while we are at it. Then we slow it down a little, we wing it a bit and react to the crowds.
We're not too big on the restaurants. We are more about the rides and some shows and the fireworks. We'll do a character dinner or something like that. I have a 9 year old and now a 10 month old but most times we'll eat offsite to save money for our next trip. We don't eat out much at home so this is when we do it.

 

[Patrick_Ears]

Depends if this is your first time or not. If not i would go with the flow, the only thing i would plan for if you have the DP. Plus that depends on what plan you get also.

 

[Joshua&CalebDad]

We Booked our November 2012 trip back in August 2011. It makes it easier to pay off the trip before we start the trip in cash, no credit cards. In addition, after the trip is paid off, we start saving up for additional spending money. Nothing wrong with that. We are being fiscally responsible. :ROFLOL:

 

[dreamingofwdw]

I think it is never too early to start planning! We "plan" our next trip while we are in WDW! We haven't booked that early, but it is on our minds. We talk about where we would like to eat or stay next time while it is fresh in our minds! They even let you book your trip 499 days out, right?! Have fun planning!

 

[MouseDreaming]

Another early planner

First let me start by saying, we usually go at the end of March for Spring Break. We aren't going this year. So, as "therapy", I have started planning our next trip for March 2013 (if we can go). At this point we are involved in intense debate over where to make ressie's. No, you can never start planning too early!

 

[TheAmazingBobbo]

I have a weird situation because a friend and I are flying down (I hate driving from Cleveland) and arriving a day earlier and leaving a day later than the rest of my family, so we're staying on resort the first and last night, not only because of DME but because I wanted to give him the experience of actually staying on-resort while we stay in a rental house the rest of the week...

That said, I began the planning stages for this trip over a year and a half ago because we decided to take my niece once she turned 4 (next month)... we're going the first week of August 2012, and I'd say the early planning started March 2011 and I paid for almost everything between September-November 2011... so I don't think you're crazy for starting early at all. I think its even more feasible to start earlier for people who have to make monthly payments to whittle down the cost over time versus those that can afford it as a lump sum.

 

[LowesChevy]

My name is Erika and I am a obsessive over-planner

I start planning before I get home from my current trip to WDW ...we tend to go around the same time every year, so we generally have 350 days or so.

We always booked as soon as possible and now that we are DVC members we follow the same strategy. Working out the points and use year time is more difficult than before, but we have had good luck generally when booking.

For us it is easy to pick our resort and make adrs 180 days ahead of time. When it comes to day to day planning-I look at the adrs and park calenders ahead of time and make sure we are not overdoing a park. I like to keep the day to day planning flexible because a rainy or crowded day can boggle things up a bit.

My word of advice would be to stick with whats best for your individual family. If you like a well structured day with planned activities- or if you follow a schedule at home with kids activities on certain nights each week-then sticking with a planned schedule is probably a good idea. If your family is more like a go with the flow and benefits from a more relaxed itinerary at home, then use the same guide for your trip planning. Maybe schedule a few late breakfasts instead of making rope drop every morning.

 

[fredtom]

We always begin planning at least a year in advance... around the time of our current year's vacation. Then, we book our stay at the DVC 11 month window, and make any resort changes at 7 months out. Of course, ADR's are made at the 180 day availability.


"An Adventurer's life is best!" :lol:

 

[Frankhhn15]

The Mickey Wiki

A site that I found very helpful was www.themickeywiki.com and also I am currently following it on twitter and the facts they present everyday are also very helpful if you still have some time till you do to WDW. Also the facts will make you sound like a Disney World Expert when you visit. The twitter link is:
https://twitter.com/#!/TheMickeyWiki