When to start the planning... (first trip)

[MikeJake]

My family and I are in the early stages of trying to make our first Disney trip. We are anticipating going int he fall of 2013, our kids will be 5 and 7. When is the appropriate time to begin the planning and what should be we doing first.

Thanks for all the great information on the site and the boards. Very helpful.

Mike

[faline]

Hi MIke! Welcome to Intercot! :mickey:

Well, you've already started the planning given that you've selected a date range.

If you want to book a vacation package, the rates for 2013 won't be announced until next year some time. In the past, that has usually happened around the first of August but, this year, the 2012 rates were released far sooner than that. As soon as the 2013 rates are released, you'll be able to book. I'd highly recommend the services of Magical Journeys (http://yourmagicaljourneys.com/). They're wonderful folks, it's free to you and they'll help you get the best possible deal for your trip.

Once you finalize when you're going and where you're staying, you can begin to fill in the other details.

Where do you want to eat? Will you use a dining package or pay out of pocket? Most dining reservations can be made 180 days in advance and for some really popular locations, you have to make your reservation at that point or risk losing out on the opportunity.

Do you want to park hop and stay in one park all day? That will affect which tickets you buy and their cost.

Will you fly or drive? If flying, you'll want to start researching air fare as soon as the airlines release their flight schedules (Lower rates are often avaialable whent he schedule first opens up).

If flying, do you want to rent a car or rely on Disney transportion? Renal cars in Orlando can be quite pricey so you'll want to do your research in this area as well.

If this is your first trip, decide right now that you will not be able to do everything so don't even make an attempt! Work with your family to decide what is most important for each of your family members and work that into your plan.

You'll probably create your daily plan in time to book your dining because where you eat, to some extent, depends on what you plan to do that day and where you'll be. Don't make a plan that's too elaborate. I typically will include the park I plan to be in, my dining reservations and anything else that's really important. Avoid plans that have you on the Dumbo ride at 2:09 p.m. and at the Carousel by 2:35 p.m. Leave flexibility.

And, best of all, enjoy the planning process - it can be a really fun part of your trip!

Also, if you haven't already done so, go to the official Disney website and order a vacation planning dvd.

[MikeJake]

What an amazing amount of information. Thank you so much for the help and the start on the path to planning.

What about the appropriate place to book the trip. I am a AAA member, as well as COSTCO, i know a local travel agent, etc. Obviously looking for the best deal.

My initial thoughts on some of your questions goes like this....(tell me if/where i am wrong)

staying on property
Dining package
stay in park for the day
flying to FL
no car rentals, disney transportation

Again, thanks for the tips and advice. It is greatly appreciated.

Mike

[Pooh Fan]

Welcome to Intercot!

:welcome:

[cer]

What an amazing amount of information. Thank you so much for the help and the start on the path to planning.

What about the appropriate place to book the trip. I am a AAA member, as well as COSTCO, i know a local travel agent, etc. Obviously looking for the best deal.

My initial thoughts on some of your questions goes like this....(tell me if/where i am wrong)

staying on property
Dining package
stay in park for the day
flying to FL
no car rentals, disney transportation

Again, thanks for the tips and advice. It is greatly appreciated.

Mike


I'd recommend Magical Journeys. They are a great service and have a great price (none) I have used them to book my last 2 trips. They will take into account all your AAA, etc. all areas where you can receive potential discounts and figure them into your quote. They also watch for any other deals that WDW comes out with and "automagically" apply any that will make your vacation less expensive.

As far as timing - The magic number for making dining reservations is 180 days. This is a critical number. It is good to do your homework and figure out if you are going to do the dining plan and research the restaurants to see where you are interested in dining. Get a pretty good plan and then book early your restaurants. Whether or not you are going to park hop will determine where you are going to eat on each day. If you are park hopping, then you are wide open on dining choices. If not, then you will want to have a pretty good idea where you are going to be on each day of your vacation, because that will limit your table service dining options the park you are in for the day or resort dining only.

Just being here is a great start. You are well ahead of the game just by knowing that you need to start early.

I helped a family recently with their vacation. It was August and she is planning for Nov. She was very appreciative, but I feel badly, because I helped her some, but I could have REALLY helped her much earlier. (Like at the 180 day mark)

I guess the first thing to do is figure out when you are going to go. Get some dates nailed down. Do you want to go and participate in the MNSSHP(Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party)? Are you looking for cooler weather? What kind of crowds are you hoping for? How many days are you planning?
Just some thoughts on some things you need to consider.

I am so excited for you. We went on our first family trip in May 2006 when my kids were 5 and 7. Best ever!

I am sure I have piggy backed on Faline's recommendations, but really, being here is a great start - one that I missed out on when I planned my first trip.

Welcome to Intercot!

[faline]

Magical Journeys can help you with discounts and any specials that are announced. They can help with a room only AAA discount but not a AAA package which you'd need to book directly through AAA. To be honest, I've worked with a few AAA agents and have not been overly impressed - maybe I just got connected with the wrong people but, in my experience, once they've booked the trip, they're done and they never track your package to see if you can save any more. Magical Journeys will continue to track your package and will apply any new discounts to your package for you. I've never worked with booking a trip through a warehouse like Costco.

For the true Disney Magic, I believe staying on site is the way to go. Personally, I prefer to pay out of pocket for my meals and get a better discount on my room reservation though many folks prefer knowing that everything is paid for up front and they don't have to worry about it any more.

If you're not renting a car, you'll also need to consider whether you will use Disney's Magical Express Service (free but you need to register ahead of time) or hire a car service such as Quicksilver (http://www.quicksilver-tours.com/) to transport you.

Another cosideration, of course, will be your budget. Do you intend to stay in a value resort, moderate, deluxe, or home away from home setting?

[minnie04]

:welcome:

I would say Magical Journeys all the way. They will help with all your needs. You can email them now and start asking questions. Depending on your budget I would look into the new Animation Resort. With small children and it being their first time. They will love the new resort... :mickey:

Keep us posted on your plans we all help each other out on this board as you can already see by the above post...lol feel free to ask away :D

[disneymom15]

Just want to say:welcome:and you've come to the right people for all your questions. I agree, the people at Magical Journeys are awesome, give them a try (you won't be sorry). Have fun planning you trip.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Its never too soon to start planning, I start thinking about my next trip as soon as I get home.

I agree 100% with previous posters, you should use Magical Journeys. They specialize in Disney vacations and there is no cost to you. You will need to decide on a date and length of stay, staying on site or off site (to me the only choice is onsite)-then value, moderate or deluxe, dining plan and ADRs, options like waterparks, disney quest etc., park hopper or not, special events depending on the time of year etc., travel options (fly or drive), will you need a rental car or not and then you can get an estimate of how much you need to save based on what package you put together.

Have fun and remember, Intercot is the best place for advice:) Welcome:mickey:

[Hog]

Let me just agree with everyone about Magical Journeys they are wonderful. I just planned our first official family vacation through Magical Journeys and it couldn't have been easier. We started out with a room discount and ended up with a free dining package, all without me lifting a finger I just checked my email one day and saw the great news that I had saved $500. Also we changed our dates and all I needed to do was email Magical Journeys and a few hours later my dates were changed... no waiting on the phone, no nothing it was great. I am usually the type of person that does everything by myself to ensure it is done right, but in the future Magical Journeys is the only way to go for us!!

Also I agree with the 180 day mark for booking your trip, on our last trip in 2010 we booked about 90 days out and we had a hard time getting alot of the sit down restaurants we wanted and had to settle for others or eat really early/late dinners.

Start collecting information now such as which restaurants you want to try and what parks you want to do on certain days so when its time to make reservations you know how to plan each of your days...

Happy Planning!

[AllDisney]

Never to early to start planning:mickey:

I also suggest that you contact Magical Journeys. If anyone can get you the best deal it's them:number1:

[Kairi_7378]

Welcome to Intercot!!!!

You've gotten some great advice here. (Especially about Magical Journeys vs. AAA... I have booked with AAA twice and used Magical Journeys once and will never use anyone else! I got so much personal attention from Karen.)

I'd recommend reading one of the Unofficial Guides to Disney World and ordering one of the planning DVDs from WDW. You can also get free maps from WDW which are great to show your kids to get them excited about the trip.

[Janmac]

Send away for the Disney Planning Video! Even tho we've been to WDW several times, we still have to get the most recent video. Sometimes we don't like it as much as one of the older videos, so we watch that one before going.

Also, your kids will be the perfect age for swimming in your resort pool in the afternoons. Fall should still provide some nice weather for swimming. There is so much stimulation at the parks, it's a good idea to leave for awhile and indulge in some calming activities. Whether you opt for base tickets (one park - one day) or park hopper tickets, you can still take advantage of your resort's pool during the hot part of the day, returning to the park (or another one) for more.

If one of your kids has a tendency to be bothered by lots of noise and "scary" things, I recommend going to Adventureland first, if you decide to go to Magic Kingdom on your first day. Ride Aladdin's Magic Carpets. It's very tame and not dark or noisy. By the time you work your way around to noisier, darker, scarier rides, your timid one will be ready to go.

It really helps to know your kids. Sometimes kids get on the "wrong" ride first and are put off from enjoying rides for the balance of the trip. Most kids are not like this, but it happens. I think there's a thread here at Intercot about kids and their first attractions. Many guidebooks rate rides and attractions according to how they appeal to different age groups. You can probably check out several guidebooks at your local library to browse through them before spending money on a book that might not be the best fit.

Most of all, remember to relax and enjoy the moment. As Linda said, you will not be able to do everything, so pick a few things to do. A problem I have is that no matter how many photos I take, I still wish I had gotten more of [whatever]. Sometimes it's more of the attractions, another trip it might be more of the restaurants, more of our resort, more of people's reactions.

Finally, there is no wrong way to visit WDW unless perhaps it is by being so unprepared that you have such a miserable time none of you want to go back. The main thing is the memories you make. Whatever good memories, no matter how many or few, you make means you did it right. :thumbsup:

Jan

P.S. Another vote for Magical Journeys. Highly recommend them!

[wdwaggie]

Welcome to Intercot. As you can see from most of us on here, the time to start planning is probably right after the Captain clears you for takeoff on your return flight home from your current trip. LOL!!

I think you would enjoy staying on Disney Property and with the age of your children you really can't go wrong with any resort. Choose one that suits your budget and taste of accomodations.

WDW trips can be expensive, so after booking your flights, buying your package, etc, the last thing you want to worry about is fretting over the prices on the menu. The dining plans aren't that much more expensive than out of pocket and I personnally feel like a King when I dont have to tell the family no on their dining choices.

We typlcally plan to stay in one park each day, but we always buy the park hopper just in case we wrap up a park early and want to preview another park in the evenings, again, the King feeling of seeming like you own the parks!

For us flying Southwest or Continental from Houston to MCO is a breeze!

For the past two trips we have used Tiffany Towncar for private transportatio to/from the airport, but Monday we will trying out Magical Express for the first time.

You've got plenty of time, relax, this info is the colleciotn of many years of many trips and we all started off in the same spot as you.

Welcome Again and Enjoy your planning!!

Willie From Texas

[Tink#64]

:welcome: You've certainly come to the right place for all of your WDW info! I didn't find this site until I was planning our 4th trip & I don't know how I managed before Intercot!

Your first trip! How very exciting! I remember ours well, my DS's were 4 & 6 & I planned for months! A great place to start for kids is to either purchase or check out from the library some guide books. Birnbaums For Kids by Kids is great for the little ones to get an idea of the attractions & give you a heads up on what they're interested in! You can also find videos of most attractions on the web, maybe a bit of a spoiler, but helps with planning the unknown!

You can start taking notes of what everyone's must do's are now! You can also begin to look at the dining options, starting with the restaurant menu's, & then you can start thinking about whether or not you would benefit from one of the dining plans.

The advice I always give to all first timers, First is to arrive at park opening - Paramount! The smallest crowds of the entire day! Second is definitely plan that midday break! Whether you are nap people or just to spend an hour or two at the pool or relaxing in the A/C watching tv, then you're refreshed & ready to return to the parks in the evening. No one told me this before our first trip! We went commando style - 4 parks in 4 days - no breaks & by day 4 we "Hit The Wall"! We were worn out! That little break makes all the difference in the world, it's time to slow down, relax & remember you're "on vacation"!

Happy planning- I LOVE the planning stage! All the magic is still waiting to happen for you! :mickey:

[MikeJake]

The amount of information and first hand knowledge that was given in just the first replies is absolutely fantastic. Thank you all so much and i look forward to continuing a dialogue on the boards. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Mike

[micky95]

another vote for Magical Journeys.we use them everytime and Debbie is wonderful.tell them what you want and they'll take care of the rest .if deals come out they'll change your package to get the greatest savings.first time trip i would do 1 park per day.as for meals i would pay out of pocket.my wife & i have found that most meals can be shared between the 2 of us.we're annual passholders and go several times a year (4th trip this year in 35 days)and we still get very helpful info from our fellow intercotees.ask as many questions you need to and everyone will help.welcome to intercot !!:number1:

[Gregandmel]

Just wanted to say "Welcome" and to HAVE FUN with all the planning!! For me....that's almost as much fun as the trip itself! We are AAA members and used Magical Journeys as well and although I was skeptical at first with leaving my (2nd WDW) trip in someone else's hands....it was far & above my expectation! This is such an exciting time to plan your first trip!! I made a big poster and did a "Disney Countdown Calendar" for my younger son and it was fun to cross off a day each night before bedtime (it was the last 30 days before our trip). It really builds the anticipation. Here's another vote for POFQ as well. We loved it there. Have a wonderful time and a fun time planning - anytime you have a question - just post it - as you can see.....there are MANY Disney nuts out here who LOVE talkin' Disney!!:mickey:

[LVT]

1.Use specialist travel agency, (like MJ)
2.Book as early as possible ( I start when I can get a AAA discount)
3. The specialist should get you any appropriate specials as they are released by WDW. (Mine has done this many times).
4. Watch for suitable PIN codes in mail and e-mail. Make sure WDW has your name, address, email and phone number. PIN codes are handed out in a unfathomed manner and can be very valuable. If your phone number is available they may link it to a PIN and you can call WDW to ask if you got one. (we saved 30% on the room with 1 phone call shortly before we left home. we just gave the travel agent the 12 digit PIN code and got money refunded.)
5. Disney rewards visa or some such card can be nice. We pay for food and everything possible with the Disney card for 2 years before the trip. We get some lovely spending money.
6. Haunt the tips sites and keep the pertinent ones in your planning folder.
7. Closer to trip time get the planning DVD.
Your children may be frightened of some attractions. They will need time to get familiar.
8. My favorite book is the Unoffical guide.

Sorry for the long winded love letter.

[kemps@wdw]

I personally don't think you CAN start planning too early! Deciding when to go and where to stay should be the 1st step. Package or no package, dining plan or no dining plan, flying or driving. Most certainly, check out all WDW resources. INTERCOT :D, WDW websites, vaca planning dvd (free on website), even youtube to see WDW ride/attraction videos. If you plan on any character dining, dinner shows, or specific restaurants, it's probably best to book these when you book your trip, to guarantee seating. I start my "list" (of things to take) as soon as I know we're going. The list is MUCH longer if we're driving! I have noticed, however, that as we and DD get older, we certainly take alot less than we used to. To me, planning is almost as fun as the trip itself...ALMOST! :D

[Mogie]

Yeah start now and make Disney an obsession like the rest of us. You'll probably end up going in 2012 as a result :)