PDA

View Full Version : Anyone planning a long time in advance? Like for next Fall?



hippiemama
02-02-2006, 04:20 PM
We just got back from our first trip in 10 years. We went first week in November and had an awesome time.

We're counting down now for our next trip. We're going back the first week in November again!
Starting to save, make plans etc.

People think I'm nuts that I"m planning 10 months in advance lol.
But hey, we're excited :)

Anyone else?

Andrew
02-02-2006, 04:25 PM
Well... we'll be there in July, September, October and December. Of those, I only know the actual dates of July (15-17). We're also exploring the idea of WDW the first week of December, but that's far from a sure thing. Nothing wrong with advance planning!

Malcon10t
02-02-2006, 04:27 PM
We just got back from our first trip in 10 years. We went first week in November and had an awesome time.

We're counting down now for our next trip. We're going back the first week in November again!
Starting to save, make plans etc.

People think I'm nuts that I"m planning 10 months in advance lol.
But hey, we're excited :)

Anyone else?OK, my kids will tell you I am sad. I am currently planning for an April trip, followed by a late June trip, then our Christmas trip. My son is very pacifying with me, and will listen to me try and decide "This hotel or this hotel?" but my daughter has already informed me she doesn't want to hear about another hotel....

Yes, I am excited too!!!

hlbtimes2
02-02-2006, 04:49 PM
When we went last Oct we started planning early in the year. We looked at times that would work for us, etc. In April when we had the money we booked- so a full 6 months in advance. We spent 6 months planning. But, we over planned. When the trip didnt go smoothly after all those months of thinking about it, we were stressed.

So, this time we are planning 5 weeks in advance and not telling the kids. LOL Then I'm going back again in May with my two good friends. We booked our airfare and hotel in Nov- so again, 6 months in advance.

findin mickeys
02-02-2006, 04:58 PM
We usually plan about 2-3 months in advance if possible. Though we have been subject to a commercial or special offer that got us to plan a trip within a couple weeks. We have done some spur of the moment type trips and they all are just as good as the ones we spent time planning. Really, we just try and find the best deal for hotel, tickets, etc. and that is pretty much the end of our trip planning. Then we start planning what we will do when we are there, what shows to see, rides to be sure we go on, etc. The real fun of the trip.

cfrith
02-02-2006, 05:17 PM
I'm always amazed when I hear people planning trips a couple years in advance! Ours are usually about 2-3 months in advance.

SeansMom
02-02-2006, 05:30 PM
Due to some recent family event, we're planning an extended family trip in November or December. BUT...we won't book hotels, etc., for quite awhile. Waiting to see what kind of "specials" come out (like the stay for three get the fourth night free deal, or something else equally great.)

BTW....(derail)....anybody notice a change in booking options at DL website? I went to look online and it referred me (well, not really, that function failed), or tried to refer me, to a travel agent. Hmmmm...

darph nader
02-02-2006, 05:34 PM
Hey, does 2008 count? (sorry):cool:

hlbtimes2
02-02-2006, 05:41 PM
BTW....(derail)....anybody notice a change in booking options at DL website? I went to look online and it referred me (well, not really, that function failed), or tried to refer me, to a travel agent. Hmmmm...

Was it asking you to call their travel dept? Were you trying to book more then 5 people? I think that is the limit you can do online because more then 5 you probably need two rooms so they do it over the phone for you. I just booked our March trip with the online system this week. Didnt have any trouble, but there are only 4 of us.

vicbella2
02-02-2006, 05:44 PM
We went in Oct 2005 for a family reunion. Trying to organize 4 different familes who live a couple thousand miles away, we had to start planning early. We started tossing out dates and hotels around April 2004. We purchased our plane tickets and had booked up our car rentals by Feb 2005. We had all hotel booked by March 2005. As the trip got closer we just began to finalize the littel details such as priority seatings and such. It was the best vacation we've ever had. My sister pretty much didi everything last minute (ie airfare, car rentals, etc) and she ended up paying almost twice what we paid. The great things about reserving car rentals and hotel rooms is that you can cancel the reservation if something better comes along. 2 months before our trip my dad asked me to look for car rentals and again the quotes i received booking 2 months out was almost twice the rate we got booking 8 months out. Have fun planning your trip.

infinite
02-02-2006, 05:59 PM
Let’s see, we have a March trip planned and booked.
A September trip planned
A trip to Disney world (family reunion) planned in 2007.
On top of his we will probably go for a day or two in April, May, and August.

You have to plan early to get the good hotels.
;)

SeansMom
02-02-2006, 06:02 PM
Was it asking you to call their travel dept? Were you trying to book more then 5 people? I think that is the limit you can do online because more then 5 you probably need two rooms so they do it over the phone for you. I just booked our March trip with the online system this week. Didnt have any trouble, but there are only 4 of us.

Nope, it was just referring us to a "travel agent in your area", but wouldn't accept our zip code :| . And no, we need at least two and maybe three packages to have rooms at either GCH or DLH so I was only looking for a room for four (2 adults, 2 children). Weird, right? I haven't gone back to check again. Maybe it was a temporary glitch.

WITron
02-02-2006, 08:28 PM
Hey, does 2008 count? (sorry):cool:
I have you beat. I am planning for Dec. 2009:p .

SandraVB79
02-03-2006, 04:14 AM
My last visit, I started planning 11 days before we left (because I needed 10 days to get my passport)

On the first day we arrived at "Disney" (i.e. we arrived at 2 pm, checked in and went to DTD because I am too cheap to pay a parkhopper for half a day :rolleyes:) I went to that Walt Disney travel thing, and asked for a brochure about WDW, and so before I set one foot in DL, I started planning my 2006 vacation at WDW.
In the meanwhile, I decided I want to return to DL (they only celebrate their 50th once!) so I "planned" on going back in September. I will only make reservations again a couple of days in advance...

Next to that, I heard through the Disney-grapevine that DCL might come to Europe in 2007, and I will defintely plan my cruise in advance :)

pisces
02-03-2006, 08:22 AM
Next Fall could be very crowded for them. They were sold out this past Oct and Nov. This year, with the ending of the 50th you might see a last minute crush of people wanting to get in.

So, I think it's very smart to start planning, or at the very least saving, right now.

Disneyland is so expensive, and gets sold out so quickly, that you can never plan/book early enough.

With conventions and trade shows, the whole city of Anaheim is frequently sold out, very early.

Compare that with Knotts Berry Farm: My birthday is less than a month away, yet Knotts hotel still has rooms currently available. I'd never be able to book Disney with less than a month to go!

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
02-03-2006, 08:15 PM
Check out my signature. I already have my dates figured out for our family trip in December. AND as soon as we get back from our March trip, I plan on making our hotel reservations for December. I actually figured out both trip dates back in November, after our last trip, but I moved this March trip up. I could have made hotel reservations for both trips as once, but I didn't want Willie at HoJo's to think I was to weird! LOL

SandraVB79
02-04-2006, 05:50 AM
Next Fall could be very crowded for them. They were sold out this past Oct and Nov. This year, with the ending of the 50th you might see a last minute crush of people wanting to get in.

So, I think it's very smart to start planning, or at the very least saving, right now.

Disneyland is so expensive, and gets sold out so quickly, that you can never plan/book early enough.

With conventions and trade shows, the whole city of Anaheim is frequently sold out, very early.

Compare that with Knotts Berry Farm: My birthday is less than a month away, yet Knotts hotel still has rooms currently available. I'd never be able to book Disney with less than a month to go!


I was the last week of October at Disneyland, staying in the Park Vue Inn. I booked during the first week of October. For as far as I remember, the parks weren't too crowded, many rides were always almost walkons, even Splash Mountain!

Thanks to the good conversion rate EUR/USD, everything in the US is rather "cheap" for us right now, but I admit, not everyone converts to EUR and says: OMG, this is so cheap, I need three! (that was me at ralph Lauren and Tommy... :rolleyes: )