The 5 Basics of Disney Vacation Planning: Part 1-When are you going to travel?

So, you want to take a Disney vacation...and as soon as you say those words out loud you're automatically overwhelmed with all the pieces of that puzzle. Now what? Before you let the panic take over and call off the whole trip before you've even tried to plan it, stop and read these 5 steps to Disney vacation planning.

Regardless of whether you've lost count of how many times you've been to Disney or it's your first visit the basics stay the same.

• When are you going to travel?
• How long are you going to stay?
• Where are you going to stay?
• Should you get the dining plan? 
• What kind of tickets do you need?

These are the 5 basic questions you need to ask and answer to start planning your Disney vacation. Each of these elements can greatly affect the cost of your vacation, so using a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner (like myself) can really help you cut out the aggravation and get the answers you need. If the first price isn't what you expected (it rarely is...we all have such high expectations!)...don't worry...there are plenty of options that can be altered until you find the package (and price) that's perfect for your family.

So where do we begin? Let's take it from the top:

Q: When are you going to travel?
A: Anytime is a good time to go to Disney World!!! Ok, that's my personal opinion but in all reality, there is an ideal time for you to travel.

There are three major things you should consider when choosing your vacation time:
Special Events-There are special events year round at Walt Disney World, if there is an event you don't want to miss, or likewise an event you want to avoid, it's important to check the calendar before you book your vacation. Special events can affect the crowd levels so it's something you need to be aware of. Here are some of the events for the 2012 line up:

January 5th-8th: Marathon Weekend
February 24th to February 26th: The Princess Half Marathon Weekend
March 7th through May 20th: Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
May 18th to June 10th: Star Wars Weekends (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
June 10th to July 28th: Sounds Like Summer Concert Series (Epcot)
September 7th to September 8th: Night of Joy (Magic Kingdom)
September to October: Select nights (TBD) Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
September 28th to November 11th: Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
November 9th to November 10th: Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
November 9th to November 11th: Festival of the Masters (Downtown Disney)
November 8th to November 11th: Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic
November to December: Select nights (TBD) Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
November 22nd to November 25th: Old Spice Classic (ESPN Wide World of Sports)

Some events, such as the holiday festivities, have not yet released their official dates but you can get an idea of when events are going to take place based on the historical dates.


Weather: This isn't to say you should pick a week where there is no rain in the forecast and plan your trip then. If you are the type of person who cannot take the heat...then coming to central Florida in the dead of summer will not make for your ideal vacation. The summer months are HOT and HUMID and I cannot stress that enough. If heat makes you miserable, don't come in the summer...because you will be miserable! Likewise do not base your vacation on the weather alone...because it can change in an instant. If you are vacationing in Florida, be prepared for it to rain everyday, for an hour. The humidity needs an afternoon break...and that comes in the form of an hour long rain virtually every day. Grab a few ponchos from the dollar store or have your "rain time" attractions mapped out ahead of time.

Price Season: "Tis the Season" doesn't just come into play for the holiday's...price seasons have a big effect on when people plan their WDW vacations. Peak seasons will have the highest prices (that's why they're called "peak") and the "value" seasons will be your best value. Keep in mind that promotions are released "randomly" throughout the year so you should always be monitoring your reservation to be sure you are getting the best deal, or have a travel agent that will do it for you!

Some of the BEST times to go to Disney are:
Mid-November through Mid-December (except the week of Thanksgiving)
Second week of January through Mid-February (the first week of January can be busy)
First three weeks of May (Memorial Day will be crowded)
Late August and all of September (this is usually when "free dining" is offered and prices are at their lowest

Some of the WORST times to go to Disney are:
December 26th-31st
Mid-February through Mid-April: especially Easter week, Presidents Day and Spring Break Weeks
Midsummer (June through early August)
Holidays: Any national holiday, especially the weekends will be very crowded

Things to watch out for are the unpublished busy times at WDW, which include:

Cheerleading/Twirl/Dance Competitions: January 13th-15th, February 4th-5th, February 11th-12th, February 17th-20th, February 25th-26th, March 3rd and 4th, March 10-12th and April 25th-30th

Mardi Gras Week (February 21, 2012): New Orleans schools have part of the week off so many head to WDW.

Gay Days: May 29th-June 4th: usually this only effects one park at a time...the crowds may be a little heavier than normal but you won't notice a drastic crowd increase

Brazilian tour groups: July brings MANY tour groups from Brazil. These are a bunch of loud teenagers on winter break. They wreak havoc on the parks.

"Jersey Week": first or second week of November during the teachers convention. This is usually close to Veterans day, everyone pulls their kids out of school and heads to WDW.

Pop Warner Week: December (no official dates for 2012 yet)-Competing cheer, dance and football teams flock to the parks and resorts (values and moderates) and it's very crowded and loud.

Now you have an idea of what to look forward to, or avoid...so now we're ready to move onto #2-How long are you going to stay? Stay tuned tomorrow to get the answer to that question!