Mom and daughter on Expedition Everest; Animal Kingdom
  • On Jun 9, 2009
    Christine from IL Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Great Panel. My ? is, how far n advance should you book your vacation? Is it better to wait and see if there are any specials that come out or can you get those to vacatons already booked? Not sure when to book for next year?

    Christine:

    Great question, especially with the current economy.

    In my experience, standard room-only discounts (like AAA) book up quickly and as far out as six months to a year due to the limited number of rooms for that discount.  However, that doesn't mean the hotel is booked—or that Disney won't offer a package deal that will save you money.

    Generally speaking, Disney's best deals are vacation packages that are well-publicized and book you about 3 to 6 months out (like the current Free Dining Offer here and the popular 7-Nights-for-the-Price-of-4 that began in late 2008 and ended in March for stays as far out as this August).

    I find very few discount offers within a 45- to 60-day window of a visit, so I'm always amazed at folks who think waiting actually gets them a better deal at Disney.  (Certainly, there are room-only offers that come available, but mostly in a window of 60 to 90 days, and usually the best ones are offered to either Annual Pass Holders or Florida residents.)

    My best advice: when you find a deal, book it.  The earlier your reservation date, the better chance you will have of Disney meeting any request you might have like building location or view.  If a better deal comes along, Disney is good about allowing you to change your reservation (and for most packages, without penalty, if it's at least 45 days out from your reservation). 

    The Disney Veterans I know tend to book their MAJOR Disney vacations 6 months up to a year out and then keep a watchful eye on websites like www.mousesavers.com or www.allears.net for specials.  I'd recommend that same strategy for you.

    Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
    Whitney
thumbnail image for Whitney

Meet the Panelist: Whitney, Mississippi

My family of 6 appreciates Disney's value! Although Ft. Wilderness is our second home, we've enjoyed the resorts for business, reunions and romantic getaways. For me, Disney also means dining: last count, I'd eaten at 55 restaurants around the World! Learn More About Whitney

Didn't find what you were looking for? Click the Ask a Question button to open the Ask a Question dialogue box. If you are not logged in a dialogue box will appear to signin in order to ask a question.

To submit your question, please log in now if you have not already done so.

Ask a QuestionOpens the Ask a Question dialog box.
x

Update Browser

For a better experience browsing this website, please download an updated version of Internet Explorer.


Or you can continue browsing without updating.