It is Never Too Early to Plan for Disney World

As many people do, we knew we wanted to go back to Disney World as soon as we left from our last trip. But is a year or even more too long in advance to plan? I thought I was the only crazy one until I saw a Facebook post asking how long people planned their trip ahead. The answers ranged from a minimum of five months up to 18 months ahead.

But is this necessary? Not necessary, but in most cases, wise. Here are some of our reasons for booking just undera year in advance. My wife and I are both teachers, so our choices are either during school breaks or the hot summer. The best summer deals, including free dining, are usually  in late August, but my wife and I have to prepare for the new school year at that time. So if we go at Christmas or spring break, we have to pay a premium and also book ahead to get a reasonable flight. This becomes magnified if some or all tickets are on points. It is, however, important to consider that some Airlines only book about six months ahead.

The other consideration is the maximum 180 day ahead rule for booking character meals and any other Disney restaurants. For the breakfast in Cinderella's castle or Chef Mickey's, or a dinner at the California Grill, you usually have to reserve 180 days in advance to guarantee that you will get in. If there is a specific hotel you want to stay in, especially during peak times, or you want to get the best value for your dollar, one should also book far in advance.  Lastly, Disney World lets you puck faspasses as much as 60 days ahead if you are booked in one of their resorts. 

Of course,  the longer that you plan ahead,  the more time that you have to save up the money to pay for it.  Going to Disney can be expensive to the average family! So there are lots of reasons to plan early...even a year or more ahead sometimes! It just makes the anticipation level that much greater.

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