This is Post #4 in my latest series: Daydreaming of Disney. It’s never too early to start thinking about future vacations. Even if you’re not quite ready to book your next trip, there are plenty of ways to get excited and start collecting ideas! If you’d like to read the entire collection of posts, you can find them here.
Are you excited about taking your family on an incredible Disney vacation?
We’ve talked about choosing your vacation, researching ideas, and determining your needs. Now, it’s time to begin actively planning your trip. When the time is right, here’s how you can bring your Disney plans to life!
Request Information
If you’ve been following along with this series, you’ve already started researching some of the exciting things you can do on a Disney vacation. It’s time to get down to the details. Now is the perfect time to reach out to a travel concierge who specializes in Disney Destinations.
Not familiar with the idea of using a travel concierge? Here’s what you need to know:
A travel concierge is a travel agent who assists you throughout the process of booking and planning your trip, as well as while you’re traveling. We do anything from providing you with price quotes to helping you find the perfect birthday surprise for your loved one. Most importantly, we’re your go to experts to answer any questions that come up along the way.
The best part? When you book your Disney vacation with someone like me, you can get planning and concierge services included at no additional cost.
So the first thing to do is to request information on the trip that you have in mind. We typically call this “requesting a quote“. You’ll fill in a quick form with the details that you do know, such as the number of people you’re traveling with and which dates you have in mind.
Don’t know everything you need right now? That’s okay! Start with what you know and work with your travel concierge to explore some options.
Learn About the Latest Offerings
Things are always changing at the Disney Destinations, so you want to make sure all the information you have is up to date. Your travel concierge will tell you about the resorts, itineraries, and experiences that are currently available to you.
When clients contact me, I always send out an eBrochure as a primer to what Disney has to offer. This includes descriptions of the Disney Parks, resorts, ships, and ports of call. Look through it as a family, and be sure to write down anything new that stands out to you.
Get a Personal Consultation
I love to talk to clients 1-on-1 to learn more about what they have in mind for their vacations. Consultations only take about 15 minutes. We talk about what you’re most excited about, what you’re least excited about, what your unique needs are, and what would make your trip special.
What I love best about these calls (or sometimes email discussions) is learning more about each family. This might be a trip you’ve had in mind for 10 years. It could be a last-minute adults-only getaway. Or it could be a blowout of a celebration for a child’s 5th birthday. The more I know about my clients, the more I can personalize their experiences.
Explore Options
Now it’s time to design your package! In most cases, you’ll be getting a quote that includes a few different options. For the Disney Parks, this might include a choice between a few recommended resorts plus options for park tickets and dining plans. For Disney Cruise Line, this will include a few different itineraries and a choice of staterooms.
When you read through your quotes, be sure to take a look at a few things:
- What amenities do the resorts/rooms offer?
- Do you have enough days at the parks to do what you’d like to do?
- Do you understand what is included and what is not included?
- Are you clear on modification/change/payment policies?
- Do the packages match up with your family’s priorities?
Choosing between packages can be tough sometimes, so speak with your travel concierge to clarify any unknowns and get recommendations.
If the packages don’t fit within your budget, ask your travel concierge what adjustments can be made. We view quoting as a process, so we’re happy to make changes according to your needs.
Decide When to Decide
So here’s the final decision to make about booking your trip:
When do you book it?
In general, booking early is best. You get the best availability, more time to plan, and typically the best price. Disney offers flexible modification/refund policies just in case plans change along the way.
But we all know that sometimes you can’t book a trip 18 months in advance. And sometimes you really want to book a trip, but there are a few things holding you back. The best thing you can do is identify these factors.
They may be:
- Getting the next year’s academic calendar.
- Saving up a certain amount of funds.
- Waiting until the next year’s packages become available.
The list goes on. When you know what you’re waiting for, you can schedule a time to review your plans and make sure they happen.
Quick Tip: Talk to your travel concierge to see if it is best to wait or to book something early and adjust plans later. Some popular resorts/itineraries may be harder to find at a later date, and pricing is always subject to change.
What Do You Have in Mind?
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series: Daydreaming of Disney. It’s never too early to start thinking about future trips!
Do you already have a Disney visit in mind?
I’d love to help! As I mentioned earlier, my services are included free of charge when you book your Disney vacation package through me. You get all the benefits of a personal concierge without having to pay anything extra.
If you’re ready to explore some options for a future trip, the next step is to request a quote. Click the button below to enter your information and set up a free vacation planning consultation:
Whether your next trip is five months or five years away, I hope you’ve had fun dreaming of the magic that awaits you!
