Vacation planning advice

[jimlab2777]

Hey All

So we headed to Disney in Orlando in Feb. I wanted to get some advice on planning and when to purchase stuff...

We are getting the flight now for the best rates..

We are booking our time share now as well.

Rental car I am guessing we can get the month before or do you save a lot more getting it now?

For Tickets. Is there any reason I cant wait until January to buy? Any advantage to getting them now? Don't want to misplace them or the email or whatever it is.

Any other advice on things I need to lock up.

 

[littlejessmarie]

There is no real advantage of getting your tickets now. You just want them 30 days out so you can make your fastpass selections. If you do get your tickets now you can always link them to your my disney experience account so you don't lose them.

 

[MHSweb79]

There are threads in the Transportation section with coupon codes for car rentals. I usually book something early, then check out deals as my trip gets closer. Often rates drop dramatically a few weeks before your dates. Just don’t pick the prepay option so you can cancel the old reservation.

You’ll need your park tickets early because without them you can’t book FP’s. You link them to your MDE account and then you don’t have to worry about losing them. You could also take pictures of the bar codes/ numbers just to be safe. You don’t need the actual media once they’re linked to your account.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Rental car I am guessing we can get the month before or do you save a lot more getting it now?

Check the Transportation Board for discount codes. If you book through Costco, the rates include 2 drivers.

For Tickets. Is there any reason I cant wait until January to buy? Any advantage to getting them now? Don't want to misplace them or the email or whatever it is.

Because you are offsite, buy them at least 30 days or more prior to your check-in date and link your tickets to your My Disney Experience account.

Any other advice on things I need to lock up.

Book dining reservations beginning 180 days out from each day that you need a table service meal.

Also read the FP FAQ Sticky at the top of this forum.

 

[theone74733]

Hey All

So we headed to Disney in Orlando in Feb. I wanted to get some advice on planning and when to purchase stuff...

We are getting the flight now for the best rates..

We are booking our time share now as well.

Rental car I am guessing we can get the month before or do you save a lot more getting it now?

For Tickets. Is there any reason I cant wait until January to buy? Any advantage to getting them now? Don't want to misplace them or the email or whatever it is.

Any other advice on things I need to lock up.

For flights and rental cars, the sweet spot is usually 4-5 months out from your vacation when the prices are usually the cheapest. Airlines usually start sales for winter travel around September or October. I have also gotten some cheap fares in November for January/February travel on Southwest Airlines based on demand.

For tickets, there is no real reason to buy now. Price increases usually happen in January/February. I would recommend waiting until Black Friday as sometimes Undercover Tourist has some additional discounts for tickets at this time. For example, last Black Friday 2017, the 5 day park hopper was the sale package which saved 10% from WDW prices.