Monday, September 17, 2012

Planning your trip

I thought I should write about planning your trip to Disney......be it Disneyland, Aluani, Walt Disney World, etc.  There is a good deal of planning involved for any Disney trip.

Obviously, I would be a terrible Disney Travel Planner if I didn't suggest using someone like myself. As a DTP, we are authorized by Disney to book trips for others through their site. We not only can book your trip for you,but we can also book your dining and help you plan all aspects of your trip. The best part.....we did it for free! Yep, no cost to you. Now isn't that a deal?!  Here is my final, shameless plug. Feel free to email me at anytime at wyndie@MagicalAdventuresTravel.com or give me a call at 866.611.5413 ext. 303, I'd love to help you plan a magical adventure.


Okay, enough about why you should use me....or any Disney Travel Planner/TA.  What you must must must do is have a plan.  You must decide where you want to go, especially if you are deciding between the two parks or a particular cruise or Adventure by Disney.  That alone can make a difference in your cost and when you go.  For example, a trip to Disneyland during Christmas (peak holiday season) is much more expensive than during September which is typically value season. A 5 might cruise to the Bahamas is not nearly as expensive as a two week cruise through Europe. Like I said, planning where and when is crucial.

Next, you need to have a budget in mind. Even a simple seven night trip to Walt Disney World, WDW, can be as little as $1600 to as much as $15000.  It depends on where you stay, which type of room you chose, which park tickets you buy and if you throw in a dining plan or not. That is all before you add airfare and transportation. I should mention that Disney's Magical Express is free for those staying on property and that is always my suggestion.

Let's say you've decided on a seven night trip in October to WDW and you are staying at the Port Orleans French Quarter in a standard room.  Done planning, right?  Oh no, my dear reader, not even close.  Next you need to decide which park you plan to visit each day and where you'd like to eat.  If you plan to eat at any table service restaurants, think sit down with a waiter meals, then you must must must make an Advanced Dining Reservation or ADR.

Why do you need an ADR? Well if you want a prayer of eating at certain restaurants or character meals, you have to make an ADR as close to 180 days out as possible. Why? If you don't, you are not likely to get a seat.  Some popular spots like Cinderella's Royal Table has limited seating and can be impossible to get at 180 days, which is the earliest you can book a table prior to your trip, so after 180 is equivalent to my dog walking on water.....a miracle.

For destinations such as Aluani or Disney Cruise line,  you won't have to worry as much about where you will eat. You get the added pressure of planning your excursions. There are so many to chose from and in various price ranges, not to mention by stop for cruises, that I consider this the ADR equivalent.

Another tip I have that can be a life saver is having a plan for each park. My favorite book is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.  Not only does it give you a wealth of information about Walt Disney World, and yes there are other editions for Disneyland, but it has what they call touring plans.  As part of my service, I make touring plans for my clients, but you can also get them via UG.  There are other great books too such as the Passporter series, but UG is my go to book. I buy the new edition each year just to make sure I'm up to date for my clients.

A touring plan is designed to help you get the most out of your time at a park. It will suggest where to start, and where to go until your day ends. It is especially handy during peak times or extremely crowded parks. Using a touring plan could mean a 30 minute wait for a ride rather than a 3 hour wait for the same ride. They are a life saver in my opinion. 

So let's say that you , or your fabulous TA....me, has got your trip all book, scheduled etc. What is the best way to keep track of it all?  I use my Disney Planning Binder. Okay, it's not anything official, just something that I threw together using a 3" binder, tabs, and some scrapbook paper.  I keep everything for my trip in my binder and when it's time to head to my destination I just grab my binder and go. My binder has maps to the parks and my resort, it has menus, our ADRs with times and numbers, even my touring plans. I love it!

                                                      (My family planning binder)
I cannot stress enough the importance of planning well before your Disney trip.  The best way to ensure a magical adventure is to plan, plan and plan some more. It may seem lot a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the long run.  As always, feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always available to help!

See y'all real soon,

Wyndie

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