How Do I Start Planning a Trip?

Today we're taking it back to the beginning - I mean, waaaaay back. Let's talk about the basics of HOW to start planning your trip. We've already gone over the questions that you need to ask yourself so let's assume that you've figured out where you want to go, the length of your trip, how you're going to get there, and an idea of where you might want to stay. Next, let's break it down based on the major travel components:

• In most cases, if you are more than 4 months away from your preferred travel date then you've got quite a few options available to you. I recommend signing up on airfarewatchdog or any other travel site that will monitor airfare and alert you when the price drops. This is important because many airlines won't lower prices until 1-2 months before your trip. In fact, Huffington Post reported that 47 days is the magical number to get the lowest rate on your airfare. However, you can still feel confident in checking for package deals more than 1-2 months out because you may find a steal. 

• If you know that you want to stay at a Disney resort hotel, then I recommend booking it 2-3 months ahead of your intended travel date because that is historically the timeframe that Disney releases discounts. If it makes it any easier to remember, book your room the season before the season you plan to travel (so if you're going in fall, book in summer). Remember, you can always book your hotel, park tickets, dining plan, and extras on Disney's site with only a $200 deposit. You can also purchase airfare from the Disney site but it has to be paid in-full at time of booking and they typically don't offer any discounted fares compared to the other big name travel sites. 

• If you don't want to stay at a Disney resort, then check out hotels.com to see other properties in your desired location. This is a great way to a) see all of the options at once, b) find the hotel you want and then go to that hotel's website to check for discounts, or c) find the hotel you want and then see if hotels.com has the "pay at hotel" option. For option b, sometimes you'll see that an individual hotel website will offer a better rate for booking straight from them or they may have options to give you free extras - whether it's a free room night, free passes to an area attraction, or some other incentive. Regarding option c, I've actually used this perk myself and it's very handy. You typically won't have to pay a deposit but I've seen a couple of hotels that will require one. If you find one that doesn't then you will enter your card number to guarantee the hotel room but nothing will leave your account until you actually check in. Super helpful for people planning a trip without immediate funds available! 

• Park tickets are the most flexible option for the entire trip. Prices don't usually vary too much, but sometimes Disney will offer a deal to get an extra day for free (typically on the passes for 3 or more days). You can get tickets from any major travel site, the Disney site, a few 'discount' retailer sites (I only recommend using Undercover Tourist for Disney World and aRes Travel for Disneyland), or wait til you get to the park and purchase at the entrance. Other attractions in the area will typically work in the same fashion, unless you want to catch a popular concert that may sell out.

• If you need a rental car, then I recommend working it into a package deal with your airfare or going to an individual site and searching for a deal from your destination airport. You can do a Google search for "rental car discount" and find a discount code for pretty much any major rental car company. Budget Car Rental is especially good at giving out discounts and they even offer a little extra discount for paying in advance. If you aren't planning to pay for the rental at time of booking, then you can opt to pay for it at the time you pick it up - again, a great option for anyone that doesn't have immediate funds available. Remember, most car rental agencies will charge a deposit on the card you're using for the rental and if you plan to use a debit card then they will do a credit check before allowing you to take a vehicle. If you want to use a debit card but don't have great credit then I recommend using Dollar Rental Car because they often won't run the credit check OR if you pay a deposit online then they have to give you a car anyway (I got this information directly from a Dollar rep on my last trip). One last tip about rental cars - try to fuel up your vehicle as far from the tourist areas and airports as possible. Those places are usually super expensive, especially the gas station located near Disney Boardwalk on Disney World property.

Hopefully we've covered everything you need to know about finding the best deals for every detail of your trip. Remember, if you're expecting to dine on Disney property then you'll need to make those reservations 180 days out for Disney World and 60 days out for Disneyland!