To Fly or Not to Fly?

Sometimes it isn't even a question.  If the concern is money or time or convenience, then your decision is made for you.

But!  If it is a question- what do you do?  Start out with your dates.  Find the ideal date by crossing out the days/months that are absolute no way, can't go.  School?  Work commitment? Personal commitments? 

Do you care about crowds or can you roll with whatever theme park crowds can deal (which is a LOT) out?  To me, crowd levels are important in considering when to go.

Ok, so picking a date(s) probably needs more consideration and I will address later in more detail.  But generally, pick a date of travel.  It is really helpful if you can be a bit flexible in those dates, even if by a day or so on either end.  That will help immeasurably in pricing flights.  If you really think this is the only trip you will ever take to WDW, trust me when I tell you that it probably won't be.  It might for some but most folks go, and then at some point in the near or distant future, go again.  So flexibility (if you cut the trip short a day due to much better airfare, for instance) isn't so bad!

Two sites to visit on the web:
www.kayak.com for all airlines, except Southwest Airlines,
and
www.southwest.com for Southwest.

So go ahead, and price the flights from your ideal dates at the ideal time, from your ideal airport.  I can wait.

Now, that you have priced the ideal, switch it up.  Day before, day after on the going and coming end.  See what happens?  Hmmm, usually good stuff. 

What happens if you leave from an airport that isn't ideal?  An airport that perhaps might be in the less then 100-150 mile range (drive a bit to get to it).  This doesn't always change the results to make it worth it, but for some of you, wowza.

Timing of said flights is another consideration.  I had our first trip all planned out and we were going in for a room only and were to have a lovely dinner at a Disney hotel the night before, then we would move to package hotel the next morning, and hit the ground running.  Except the week before, things changed and we couldn't leave until last flight of the night before package.  Enter flexibility again!  So we canceled the room only about a week prior to coming, canceled the Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs), and flew in late.  What happened next was wonderful!  We stayed at the Hyatt in the airport. Got off the plane, took the tram to central part of airport, and went up an elevator and were in our room.  We also saved a ton of money by not staying on site for the room only

We packed a bag separate from our main trip bag with clothes for the next day, along with pjs to sleep in, and toiletries.  Set the alarm, and went down to Magical Express (ME), and took the ME to the hotel of our package, checked in at 7am, left bags, and was on a bus towards Epcot right after.  Remember the Magical Express just wants to take you from the airport to your onsite, Disney hotel and back again at the end.  That is the only two places it will go.  Not the parks, not offsite hotels.

The long and short, is life is rarely clean and if you want to fly, BE FLEXIBLE.  If you can't be flexible, hope for the best because weather, airline operations, and life happens.  You will get to your vacation.  You WILL.  Flexible will save you money!

Driving?  I have another fifty posts for that!  Until later....