When to book our third trip to wdw?

dizzygirl · 17 Oct 21, 03:24 PM

I'm so excited! We have just decided that we will definitely be going back to wdw for a third time.
We went in 1999 for our honeymoon, took our 2 children in 2016 and it will be just the 2 of us going next time.
Having looked at the crowd calendar, weather etc. We have decided on the first 2 weeks of November 2023 or 2024. With maybe a few days added on for Universal.
So I have a couple of questions to start with...

For a November trip, when should we book flights, we will be using our avios points, will that make a difference as to when we should book?

And when should we book the hotel? We are thinking of the port Orleans, Riverside?

Do they tend to do special offers in November? Such as free dining.

Jo xxx

loldis · 17 Oct 21, 03:29 PM

For flights, BA release at 355 days out. So I would look then, especially using Avios as they only release a limited number of rewards seats.

In previous years, the dining offer is valid in November but for 2022, it only had a handful of check-in days that were eligible. So not sure what will happen in future years. But either way, the offer usually releases in April of the previous year. So check then. You'll no doubt see a flurry of posts here so it'll be hard to miss when it starts.

For only 2 of you, I would recommend French Quarter over Riverside. You can still use all of the Riverside amenities, but FQ is a much smaller resort which is nicer to navigate around.

itz_baseline · 17 Oct 21, 03:30 PM

I've never booked anything other than 11 months out when flights are released. This is the first thing we book as find by playing with the dates a little can have a big impact on cost (or going 16 days instead of 14).

Once the flights are booked we then go full out and book everything else like hotel or villa, car, tickets etc.

So in your case this would be Jan 2023 or Jan 2024. Of course everyone is different and some prefer to book a couple of years out, but personally we've never done that.

**Claudette** · 17 Oct 21, 03:32 PM

When I am booking a flight on avios points, I will be fairly on the ball and start looking as soon as I know the flights are released. Some people book one leg and then the other when it is released two weeks later, but I have never needed to do that, so I would look around December 2022 for November 2023 holiday.

WDW will probably go on sale late January / early February, but there is no rush. In the past people have waited until April to see if there are any offers. I would probably do that anyway, it is still more than 18 months in advance.

dizzygirl · 17 Oct 21, 03:51 PM

Wow, thank you for the quick replies.
So, as we are using avios, do you think we would be better to book the flights first, 11 months out? As we may be limited to certain days with the reward flights. We haven't used them before, so not sure if they are available on all flights. Would we then still get plenty of availability at wdw?
Or would we be better to book the resort first and hope we can get a flight for those days?

Fluffypenguin · 17 Oct 21, 03:52 PM

As above, I’d book avios as soon as they come available, especially if you’re wanting business or PE.

I’m hoping to go next year with my avios points and I’m going to book the first leg tonight (hopefully) and then add on the second leg via the call centre in two weeks (I used to work in the avios department and so many people do this!)

Once those are booked I’ll probably start looking at hotels. So it’s almost a year before the trip that I’ll be booking, just a bit less. That’s what I feel comfortable with, but others will leave it much later.

loldis · 17 Oct 21, 03:59 PM

Since you're travelling late in the year, the best offer for the resort will come out before the flights. So I'd book that first to secure and then modify your dates later if necessary to match your flights. No issue modifying later as long as there is availability at the resort you choose.

What I've done in the past when waiting on rewards flights is book over the full range of dates that I knew I could do. For example, I knew I only wanted around 9 or 10 nights but wasn't sure exactly which day I'd be flying. So I booked 14 nights which gave me flexibility with the flights. Once those were booked, I modified the reservation down to the 9 nights to match. There is a small charge to do this (£50) assuming they don't keep the current free amendment policy next year. But it was worth it to me to know I had the resort confirmed.

dizzygirl · 17 Oct 21, 04:07 PM

As some of you have used Avios to book, could you give me a rough idea about how many are needed for a return flight?

loldis · 17 Oct 21, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by dizzygirl

As some of you have used Avios to book, could you give me a rough idea about how many are needed for a return flight?

Depends on your dates and cabin class, but I believe all of November is considered off-peak. So currently 65k minimum for an off-peak economy return for 2. Then pretty much double it each time you move up a cabin. Don't forget you'll still need to pay fees and taxes on top.

**Claudette** · 17 Oct 21, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by dizzygirl

Wow, thank you for the quick replies.
So, as we are using avios, do you think we would be better to book the flights first, 11 months out? As we may be limited to certain days with the reward flights. We haven't used them before, so not sure if they are available on all flights. Would we then still get plenty of availability at wdw?
Or would we be better to book the resort first and hope we can get a flight for those days?

You are unlikely to find everyday is available assuming you want to travel in club world. Every day might be available in economy but most people don’t use avios for economy flights.

I would probably have booked the hotels earlier in the year when there was an offer out and then tweak hotels dates if need be.

You will need either 125k or 137.5k avios for return club world flights for one person.

17 Oct 21, 03:29 PM	#2
	17 Oct 21, 03:29 PM loldis Imagineer
loldis Imagineer Join Date: May 17 Location: Sussex	For flights, BA release at 355 days out. So I would look then, especially using Avios as they only release a limited number of rewards seats. In previous years, the dining offer is valid in November but for 2022, it only had a handful of check-in days that were eligible. So not sure what will happen in future years. But either way, the offer usually releases in April of the previous year. So check then. You'll no doubt see a flurry of posts here so it'll be hard to miss when it starts. For only 2 of you, I would recommend French Quarter over Riverside. You can still use all of the Riverside amenities, but FQ is a much smaller resort which is nicer to navigate around.

17 Oct 21, 03:30 PM	#3
	17 Oct 21, 03:30 PM itz_baseline Excited about Disney
itz_baseline Excited about Disney Join Date: Mar 17	I've never booked anything other than 11 months out when flights are released. This is the first thing we book as find by playing with the dates a little can have a big impact on cost (or going 16 days instead of 14). Once the flights are booked we then go full out and book everything else like hotel or villa, car, tickets etc. So in your case this would be Jan 2023 or Jan 2024. Of course everyone is different and some prefer to book a couple of years out, but personally we've never done that.

17 Oct 21, 03:59 PM	#7
	17 Oct 21, 03:59 PM loldis Imagineer
loldis Imagineer Join Date: May 17 Location: Sussex	Since you're travelling late in the year, the best offer for the resort will come out before the flights. So I'd book that first to secure and then modify your dates later if necessary to match your flights. No issue modifying later as long as there is availability at the resort you choose. What I've done in the past when waiting on rewards flights is book over the full range of dates that I knew I could do. For example, I knew I only wanted around 9 or 10 nights but wasn't sure exactly which day I'd be flying. So I booked 14 nights which gave me flexibility with the flights. Once those were booked, I modified the reservation down to the 9 nights to match. There is a small charge to do this (£50) assuming they don't keep the current free amendment policy next year. But it was worth it to me to know I had the resort confirmed.