So we’ve researched, planned, booked and now what? ….We…..wait…….
My planning posts have been about us Disney fans who plan and book our trips to Walt Disney World months and often years in advance. It’s great, I love it that way, the build up is totally part of the vacation process for me.
At first it’s all about the researching and making decisions on when to go and where to stay. Once the vacation is booked we research dining and the parks, awaiting the release of the park hours and our ADR window. At the same time as booking our ADR’s we set up our draft daily itinerary and book behind the scene tours. There’s a flurry of activity and it finally sinks in that we are returning to the World.
And then….comes ‘the great wait’….
I’ve spoken to others who have experienced the same. There is a period in our WDW countdown when all we can do is wait it out. Once all the plans have been made around the 180 day mark, and maybe you’ve tweaked a few of your ADR’s, there’s nothing else to do until you get to a month or so before your departure date.
Sure you keep reading the daily Disney news, re-checking park hours, special events and restaurant menus but there is a time where you cannot actually do anything other than wait.
News might come out about special events but they will be over before your trip, news might come out about merchandise being released in the parks but you can’t get too excited as it might be gone before you get there. News about future changes to attractions might be released but often the dates are so vague you don’t know if you need to take the changes into account until a few weeks or even days before your trip.
Now I’m not saying that this wait is necessarily a bad thing…it just seems to be a natural stage of the WDW planning process, something that many of us have experienced….a time when we have to be patient 
But don’t worry, the great wait will end. And then the real countdown begins. Then we’ll be able to start thinking about printing off that final itinerary, preparing our vacation clothing, buying our toiletries and magazines for the plane….and soon enough it will be our time to travel to the magic 
So what about you? Have you experienced ‘the great wait’ whilst waiting for your Disney vacation to arrive???
This makes me thankful that I live in FL! I can’t wait till your great wait is over and we are hanging out! x0x0
The things we have to go through to visit our friends at WDW!!
The big wait for me begins once we’ve paid the balance of money due to our travel agent. Up to that point it’s still possible to change your mind, move the booking etc. And it’s another way for my brain to make the big wait shorter by 2 months!!
Great article Emma… I know exactly what you mean by ‘the great wait’.. I have trips booked for August and October this year – then a June 2013 cruise too!
… I like to buy one holiday item a week when I do the supermarket shop (shower gel, toothbrushes, suncream etc) to help make the weeks pass by! I’m also writing a monthly email newsletter for my family as we countdown to our August trip 
Oh, a newsletter sounds like a great idea! And as for the toiletries…I have a blog post coming up on that very soon
Waiting now
Eagerly reading books and listening to lots of podcasts too!
I usually have the “next, next” trip dream while waiting for the next trip! LOL
I live in a permanent state of waiting for my WDW holidays! The things we put ourselves through for a little magic eh? Lol!!
I think it’s called either dedication or madness
I started planning our honeymoon 15 months ago, but couldn’t actually book until December last year. Just under 3 months ago, we organised our ADRs, which has been the most exciting part for me yet! With 3 months left, we are now finalising payments, and I’m wondering if it is too early to start packing….;)
Oh, how I love/hate that wait!
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