Planning in Advance for Disney: Why It Matters!

Many questions I hear about Disney center around planning time.

For example:

• How far in advance to I need to plan for a Disney vacation?
• Why plan in advance?
• If I wait, can I get a better deal?

Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom

Read more to find out the answers to these questions, as well as other planning advice.

How far in advance do I need to plan for a Disney vacation?

The answer to this question depends on 2 things:

1. How particular are you about getting what you want when you want it?
2. Which Disney destination are you visiting?

If you are very particular about your plans for your trip, you should plan as far ahead as possible. By planning ahead, you will have your choice of accommodations, as well as dining reservations and activities. If you have your heart set on popular dining locations and activities, it is imperative that you plan well in advance so that you will have the opportunity to participate in those experiences.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

If, on the other hand, you are willing to take what you can get, you can plan the day before if you like. By planning last minute, you will only have the options available based on what is left after other have booked. This can be a fun and adventurous way to travel, if you are open to trying new things. However, you do need to understand that there are certain reservations that are unlikely to be available the later you plan (more on this later in the post).

Coronado Springs Resort

Different Disney destinations require different levels of planning time:

• Disney World: If you are going to Disney World, my advice is always to book your trip at least 7 months in advance. This gives you a month to decide which reservations you would like to make before those dates become available to reserve experiences.
• Disneyland: Disneyland is a bit more flexible than Disney World, as reservations for dining and other experiences at Disneyland are available up to 60 days in advance.
• Disney Cruise Line: Reservations for shore excursions and signature dining experiences can be made up to 75 days in advance for first-time guests on the Disney Cruise Line. Because these reservations open up to 120 days in advance for repeat guests, it is very important to book your Disney cruise at least 3 months in advance, so that you will have time to decide which experiences you would like to reserve.
• Aulani: Aulani does not have the same restrictions on reservations as other Disney destinations. You can book a year in advance or wait until the last minute. Because Aulani is relatively new, it remains to be seen what the most popular experiences will be, and how far in advance they will need to be booked.
• Adventures by Disney: Adventures by Disney only offers certain trips on certain dates, with limited availability, so it is very important to book as far in advance as possible.

Stones of the Brave in Scotland (Adventures by Disney)

 Why plan in advance?

A main advantage to planning in advance is getting your preferences rather than taking the leftovers. However, there are other advantages as well:

• Payment plan: All Disney destinations have a deadline for final payment. The further in advance you plan, the more you can spread out the cost so the pain in the pocketbook isn't as obvious. If you book after the final payment deadline, full payment is due at the time of booking. You might be surprised at how little it costs to reserve a Disney vacation!
• Availability: Especially if you are travelling during times when almost the entire USA is on school break, options can decrease very quickly. These times include: the week between Christmas and New Year's, the month of July, Easter week, and Thanksgiving week. Presidents' week in February and the months of June and August are also busy, but since some schools are in session, the crowds are a bit lighter.
• Special experiences: Certain experiences book very quickly. If you want to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle) at Disney World, or get a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, these reservations fill up extremely quickly, especially during peak travel times. Also popular are the dinner shows like Hoop-de-Doo Revue and Spirit of Aloha. The Disney Cruise Line has signature dining restaurants and shore excursions that have limited availability as well.
• Magical Express: Disney World's free transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport must be reserved at least 2 weeks in advance.

Disney Wonder in Alaska

 If I wait, can I get a better deal?

Actually, you can get the same deals whether you wait or not!

One special perk of doing a Disney vacation is that Disney will adjust the price of your vacation to reflect new discounts! They will not do this automatically; someone needs to call and ask for the adjustment to a specific reservation.

An excellent reason to use a Disney Vacation Planner is that we keep track of the discounts for you, make the calculations, and ask for the adjustments that will get you a better deal.

Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park

Why wait?

I hope that this post has helped to answer some questions about planning for Disney vacations.

I think the best question from me is: What are you waiting for?

Grand Floridian Resort

A Disney Dream Vacation

The Disney Dream was the third cruise ship to join the Disney Cruise Line. The Dream currently sails itineraries to the Bahamas of 3, 4, or 5 days...and Disney Cruise Line has recently released a great deal for cruises between August 25 and September 26 of 2013!

Disney Dream

This post will give you some great information about the Disney Dream, plus how to take advantage of these great deals!

The construction of the Dream began in March of 2009. Designed to reflect the golden age of cruising in the 1930s, the ship arrived in her home port of Cape Canaveral, Florida in January of 2011, and sailed her maiden voyage on January 26, 2011.

The ship's fourteen decks include 1,250 staterooms to accommodate up to 4,000 passengers, with 1,458 Crew Members to help make each guest's voyage a magical one. Onboard, passengers can take advantage of youth activities, dining, entertainment, nightclubs, pools, and spa/fitness services.

Accommodations on the Dream include staterooms and suites to accommodate up to 7 people. Stateroom options include standard inside staterooms (184 square feet), deluxe inside or oceanview staterooms (214 suare feet), and deluxe oceanview staterooms with navigator's verandah or verandah (268 square feet including verandah); all of these accommodate 3 or 4 guests. The largest stateroom available is the deluxe family oceanview stateroom with verandah (304 square feet including verandah), which accommodates 4 or 5 guests. Concierge suite options with verandah include: 1-bedroom suites (614 square feet including verandah) that accommodate 4 or 5 guests, and 2-bedroom suites (945 square feet including verandah) and royal suites (1,029 square feet including verandah) that each accommodate up to 7 guests.



Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah 

A variety of Youth Clubs for ages 3 months to 14 years can be found on Deck 5 of the Dream. It's a Small World Nursery provides childcare for children from 3 months to 3 years old, for a reasonable babysitting fee, and recommendations are highly recommended, as space can fill up quickly.

Disney's Oceaneer Club (activity center) and Oceaneer Lab (play space) are designed for children from 3 to 12 years old. The Oceaneer Club and Lab are included amenities, and children may also eat lunch or dinner in these clubs. Children with special needs are welcome in the nursery or Oceaneer clubs; however, advanced notice is suggested in order to better serve the children.

Oceaneer Club

There are even special areas for "tweens" and teens. Vibe is an indoor/outdoor lounge specially designed for teens ages 14-17 years old, also found on Deck 5. A loft-style lounge is located on Deck 13, specially designed for "tweens" ages 11-14.

Other specified family and/or youth areas on Decks 4, 11, and 13 of the Dream. A family nightclub called D Lounge is located on Deck 4, while the video Arr-cade is located on Deck 11.

Dining on the Disney Dream includes 4 Main Dining restaurants, which guests visit on a rotational dinner schedule to offer a variety of opportunities. These 4 restaurants are: Animator's Palette (where animated drawings come to life), and Cabanas, Enchanted Garden, and Royal Palace (all of which also serve breakfast and lunch). In addition, there are two Adults Exclusive restaurants: Palo (serving Northern Italian cuisine for brunch and dinner) and Remy (serving French cuisine for dinner). The Adults Exclusive restaurants must be reserved in advance for an extra fee.

Royal Palace Restaurant

There are a variety of entertainment opportunities onboard the Dream. Live shows, including musical productions, are performed in the Walt Disney Theatre on Decks 3 and 4. First-run movies and digital 3-D films are shown in the Buena Vista Theatre, located on Decks 4 and 5. In addition, Disney characters can be found onboard for a scheduled and surprise visits.

There are a variety of nightclubs and lounges on the ship. Most of these are located on Deck 4: 687 (a contemporary family sports bar), District Lounge (a lively bar open during the day for all guests and at night for adults only), Evolution (a dance club for all ages), Pink (an elegant adults-only bar), Skyline (an adults-only cocktail lounge), and Vista Cafe. Located on Deck 12 are Meridian (an adults-only bar) and Waves (a beverage location for all ages). Other options are: Bon Voyage (a family lounge) on Deck 3, Cove Cafe (an adults-only lounge) on Deck 11, and Currents on Deck 13.

Evolution Dance Club

Pools and water play areas abound on the Disney Dream. Three pools are located on Deck 11: Mickey's Pool (for children), Donald's Pool (for families), and Quiet Cove Pool (for adults only). Also located on Deck 11 is Nemo's Reef, a fun splash deck for children. Plus, the Dream is home to the first water coaster, the AquaDuck, located on Deck 12.

Aquaduck Water Coaster

A variety of spa and fitness services can also be found on the Dream. Senses Spa & Salon is located on Decks 11 and 12, where guests can experience relaxing spa or salon treatments for an additional fee. The Fitness Center is located on Deck 11, including state-of-the-art fitness equipment and group exercise classes. Goofy's Sports Deck on Deck 13 includes a miniature golf course, virtual sports simulators, and a basketball/volleyball court.

Goofy's Sports Deck

Now to talk about the ports of call! All Disney Dream itineraries currently stop at Nassau in the Bahamas, and Castaway Cay, Disney's private Caribbean island. Some longer itineraries include a day or days at sea as well.

Disney's Castaway Cay

Are you ready for a Dream vacation?

Disney is currently offering a great deal on 3- and 4-day Bahamian cruises on the Disney Dream, departing from Port Canaveral between August 25-September 26, 2013. Cruises must be booked by February 28, 2013 to receive this deal. In addition, Disney is offering $50-$100 onboard credit for these cruises, depending on the type of stateroom booked.

Plus, Disney Vacations by Katherine is offering an additional $25-$50 onboard credit, depending on the type of stateroom booked. That's $75-$150 onboard credit to use on your Dream cruise! See www.disneyvacationsbykatherine.com or email me at katherine@enchantedearstravel.com.

Feel free to post questions and/or comments in the comments section!

Why Cruise? Why Disney?

Every time I get into a discussion about cruises, I inevitably become the Disney Cruise Line proponent. Cruise discussions tend to fall into 2 categories: people who have never cruised and people who have cruised but don't understand what is different or special about a Disney cruise.

In this post, I will try to answer two important questions that come up frequently in these discussions.

Why cruise?

If you have never been on a cruise, this question is on the top of the list. It is sometimes difficult to understand the appeal of "being on a boat" and "not able to go anywhere." Let me try to explain some of the top reasons cruise vacations are so appealing, and why frequent cruise travelers keep going back to a cruise.

1. A cruise can be as relaxing or as exciting as you choose. You can spend all day lounging on the pool deck or beach, or you can choose to participate in the ship nightlife or active excursions at the ports of call.
2. Your group can be together, yet still participate in different activities. Cruise ships have a variety of opportunities for all ages and personalities, so it is easy to separate for a few hours for an activity, and get back together for some group fun or relaxation.
3. You can easily switch between casual and fancy within a couple of hours. Be a beach bum at a Caribbean island, then dress up for a formal dinner...the best of both worlds!
4. Cruises are virtually all-inclusive. For one price, you have lodging, meals, exotic destinations, fun activities, and luxury service. Usually the extra costs are limited to alcoholic beverages, land excursions, special events, and gratuities. It's hard to pass up a vacation where you pay ahead of time, then it feels "free" because you're paying very little in the midst of your fun!

And now...

Why Disney?

Many people I meet have done at least one cruise, maybe several cruises, but they don't understand the appeal of a Disney cruise. Their main comments seem to center around the idea that "it's all about Disney characters" on a Disney cruise. However, most people who have done a Disney cruise say they will never go on any other cruise line, even if they don't have kids! Why?

1. No one does service like Disney! When you travel on the Disney Cruise Line, you get all of the amenities of the other cruise lines, with Disney service! The same attention to detail, cleanliness, and friendliness that have made Disney Parks a top destination can be found on every Disney Cruise Line ship.
2. Every individual is a VIP on a Disney ship. Having traveled on another cruise line, and talked with a variety of people who have traveled on other cruise lines, it becomes clear that most cruise lines have a target clientele; they primarily focus on older adults, young adults, or families. Disney, however, manages to have almost equal opportunities for every age or personality! A prime example of this is the pool deck on Disney ships, where there is a separate family pool and another adults-only area.
3. It's about the theming! Disney is well-known worldwide for its attention to detail and creative designs, including the queue areas for attractions and the overall atmosphere of each Disney area. These same attributes are found on Disney Cruise Line ships, from the elegant lobby to the theater areas, nightclubs, pools, and kids deck. Several ships even have "magical portholes" for the inside staterooms, so they can have a virtual view out the window!
4. The children's activities are second to none. Disney ships each have an entire deck devoted to children, from childcare for children 3 months-3 years, to the Oceaneer's Club and Lab for active playtime, to a teens-only club-like area! Wave phones in the staterooms can be used like shortwave radios, and are used to contact parents if needed while children are supervised by Disney Cruise Line castmembers.
5. There are so many choices! Disney really does offer something for everyone. From the variety of cruise itineraries, to stateroom options, to ship activities, to land excursions...everyone can have a magical time on a Disney cruise! You can even extend the Disney magic further by pairing your cruise with an Adventures by Disney vacation; Adventures by Disney would take care of every moment of your land excursions, then you would get on the ship for the Disney Cruise Line treatment!

I hope that I have helped to answer these two main questions about cruises and Disney Cruise Line cruises. Feel free to comment below with questions or your own personal experiences with cruising.