By the raise of hands, who wants to go to a Disney Park in the next 2 years?

Keep your hand up if you have your dates already on the calendar!

If you put your hand down, then this post is especially for you! But even if you have dates or you have things booked, you’ll find this post helpful as well.

So if you are still reading, it is because a love for Disney Parks flows through your veins, or at the very least puts a smile on your face every time you think of going. 

We know, cause we’ve been bit by the Disney bug (probably multiple times) and we want to help you reach the goal of going…and we want it to be soon!

The thing about travel goals though (if we have even considered them goals before) is we don’t always treat them the same as physical or family goals, where we act on them every single day. Instead, we think about it one day and maybe add some ‘wants’ to our plan (that is of course if you have a written plan — click here if not) and then we get back to it weeks or months later.

But just like our fitness or family connection goals, we’re gonna achieve them quicker, the more effort and time we put into thought and action.

“But Garrett, what should/can I do right now while I am not traveling”

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Here are a few things you can do when you don’t have a date on the calendar for your next vacation or you don’t have anything booked yet.

Just Get Started

1. Treat this like a goal, not a wish. You don’t need to work on it every day like a fitness goal, but by treating a trip to Disney like a goal rather than a wish, you will take more action to make it happen.
2. Put a date on the calendar. The best tip I can give you is to pick a date. And don’t worry, you can move it if you really need to. But having a date on the calendar will help you subconsciously move towards that goal

3. Book something. Hotels can be booked months in advance with no upfront cost and can be easily modified if necessary. Even park tickets can be purchased and used later on. Having something booked, especially if it’s paid for, is very motivating to make sure the other details come together.

4. Start a Disney Fund. This could be as simple as a Disney jar or as involved as starting a side hustle…and don’t be shy…you can tell everyone why you are doing this… ‘I started this business to pay for my epic Disneyland trip’. That way the extra ‘work’ will just feel like it is part of the trip planning

You can also learn how to use points which can pay for a huge chunk of your trip. We’ve even had clients pay for their whole trip with points once they learned the best way to do it!  And the best part is, that you will be able to do it over and over again! And we would love to show you how.

Reasearch & Plan

Even if your trip is a year or more away, the more time we spend planning and dreaming, the longer the trip will bring excitement into your life!

Keep Dreaming

1. Picture yourself there. You’ve dreamed of going to Disney, but now start dreaming of what it’s like to be at Disney. And if you’ve been, that doesn’t mean skip this step, it means you’re better able to recall the sights, the smells, the tastes, and even the touch. And each time you go, is a new experience. Your kids are at a different phase of their life..or you are. 

2. Take to the Tube. If you haven’t been before, here are some ways to help you keep dreaming.

Love YouTube? Find a few Disney YouTubers and start watching some of their stuff or follow some people on IG (nevermind, you are probably already doing that). 

We like The Tim Tracker and Disney Food Blog on YouTube and we like disneyparksblog and disneylanddailycasey on IG.

But a quick search will bring you hours of binge-watching Disney enjoyment. Trust me on that, hahaha!

The Point is to Enjoy the Process

I hope you enjoyed this list of things you can do to enjoy the process of dreaming, planning, and going on your trip to Disneyland. It’s easy to feel down about the fact that you aren’t going right this second. But if you follow a few of these tips, the joy and anticipation of going means the vacation can spark happiness for more time than just the days that you’re there.

Happy New Year! 

I’m sure your social media feed and inbox are full of all the ‘New Year, New You’ kinds of things right now. It’s that time, for sure.  And while everyone is busy making massive lists of things they want to do, that negative thought pattern of ‘new year, same old me’ can creep it’s disgraceful fist right on in and squash those dreams fast.   

We’re doing our own yearly reflecting and making some family goals for 2020 that of course include MORE TRAVEL! And we wanted to pop in and share some ideas with you to help you make goals that will stick. Goals you’ll achieve fast because you’re empowered with some simple strategies for success.

First things first: It’s time to Imagine.

Imagine who you want to be at this time next year. 

Imagine yourself having achieved the things you said you would. 

Imagine your family flipping through your family yearbook for 2020 (let’s be honest, it’s your camera phone gallery ‘cuz you haven’t had time to make a photobook yet for all the fun you’ve been having), reminiscing about all the fun memories you made together. 

Breathe those feelings in. Really notice what your kids are saying as they point out those silly selfies you took in front of the Eiffel Tower, those underwater shots of your son’s first attempt at snorkeling at that quaint little beach you found, or that scary-looking dish you ambitiously ordered and then dared each other to sample. Surprisingly delicious or horribly wretched? Ha!

Now that you’ve imagined something totally amazing, it’s time to Write It Down. 

Grab a pen and a blank sheet of paper and just write. Write down all the things you want to do this year, next year, in five years, JUST WRITE!  Don’t let fear get in the way. And don’t worry about the How. The how comes later. Just write the What you’ve been dreaming about.

Ok, now Choose A Goal

This step is mostly dependent on your family situation. You may be able to choose a couple destinations or just one right now. But choose one thing, circle it, post it on your fridge and make it the focus of your thoughts and actions this year. You’ll be surprised at the affect of having your goals listed front and center: SUCCESS!

This next step can sometimes sound like the hardest, but it’s actually the simplest. 

Take some kind of action.

Ask yourself, What is one thing I can do today that will get me closer to taking that trip to Hawaii. Your answer might be to open a savings account and call it Hawaiian Snorkel fund. Your answer might be to research what it will cost your family to travel there (hint, what you find might pleasantly surprise you). Your answer might be to book a workshop with us so we can help you get the biggest costs like flights, hotels, car rental, for free. But whatever your next action is, do like Nike says and JUST DO IT!

Now that you’ve taken one step, take another and another, until you wake up and you’re packing your bags for that family adventure you dreamed about that one day in January. 

AHHH! Can you feel the excitement? I’m over here with goosebumps, waiting to hear what travel goals you’re planning for this year! 

Have you ever heard of someone who found a travel deal and booked it, effortlessly? How do they do it?

I mean, don’t most people usually plan their trips details out months in advance. Just me?

But dang… those lucky people seem to be able to find deals at the drop of a hat.

I’m not one to deny that luck may play a part, but the great thing is that you can join the exclusive group of lucky folks who know how to save money on their travel plans every time.

I won’t hide the secret in decoded messaging and make you wish you had one of those coveted cereal box toys like we used to hoard as kids.

I’m not that kind of girl. I’ll just give it to you straight.

Here’s the secret:

Plan a few dream trips in advance. 

Then, when a deal pops up, you’ve got a few destinations at the ready. You’ll know how much you can afford and if the deals you’re seeing are within your budget and fit your desired travel dates.

Yep, that’s it.

Okay, so… post over. Go plan your trips and book your flights.

Ha! Just kidding.

I’m going to give you a few more tips to make your spontaneous trip planning a success.

1. Dream Big

Trust me on this one. Start thinking about where you’ve always wanted to visit. Are you an adrenaline junkie, a budding art connoisseur, a family historian, or just looking for some solid relaxation on a tropical beach?

Brainstorm your list on whatever platform makes sense to you. Grab a fancy travel notebook from your favorite supply store, open up a google doc, or if you’re thrifty like me, maybe you’ll grab one of those sprial-bound back-to-school 10 cent specials and dedicate it to all things travel-dreamin’.

This exercise is for your eyes only, so don’t let your friends, parents, or co-workers opinions have any effect on the type of trip you want to take.

2. Pick Your Destinations

That’s right, plural.

Narrow your brainstorming list a to a handful of destinations you want to see right now. Not someday, but right now.

Having a list of several different options will mean that it is more likely that you can find a deal that will match your dream list.

3. Start your Research

Put on your comfy pants, grab a kombucha/latte/lemon water (not all at the same time cuz that’s just GROSS), and hit up your favorite search engine. I’m a Pinterest fanatic for this kind of research.

4. Prepare a Sample Budget

 While you’re researching, make notes of what folks are saying about food costs, transportation fees, museum passes, etc. Then compile your research in to a quick spreadsheet to calculate a budget.

Don’t worry about getting absolutely every detail correct.  The point is to just have a rough estimate of your what an ideal vacation in this destination might cost you.

Here are some typical expense categories:

Transportation, Accommodations, Admissions/Entertainment, Meals, Souvenirs 

5. Be Flexible

Now that you’ve got an idea what you’d like to do, how long you would want to stay, and how much that would cost you, take a look and see where some flexibility can save you some money.

One of the quickest ways to cut costs when planning your trip is to travel during the off-season. As you’re researching your destinations, make some mental or physical notes about when you would and wouldn’t like to visit those places.

Wouldn’t consider a beach vacation if the temps outside are lower than 80? Note it. Want to visit the Alps in winter, note it. In other words, if Japan in cherry blossom season is a non-negotiable, then just leave room in your budget because costs will likely be higher during that season.

Next, think about duration.

Will a long weekend in Paris be enough for now, or would you rather wait until you can check off all the items on your Parisian bucket list?

Will leaving for Hawaii in the middle of the week cause your boss high blood pressure?

Knowing some key tips will help. For example flights leaving mid-week, booking flights on a Tuesday or Thursday, and staying 7+ days will all mean cheaper fares. Also it is useful to check prices ever few days starting now as knowing how much rates are and have been in the past will help you know at a glance if that deal is great or just OK.  

Now, consider accommodations.

Would you be okay in a 3 star hotel near a transportation hub, or a 5 star luxury pad in the heart of the city?

In our house, we operate under the mindset that we would rather spend two days in a hostle on the outskirts of Paris, than never get there at all because we didn’t have the money saved up for a two week luxury trip.

We typically traveling in shoulder season. Here are two trips where crowds were low, prices were affordable, and the views were incredible.

6. Finding Deals

Now it’s time to start searching for deals. There are tons of businesses dedicated to notifying their followers of flash sales, mistake fares, and bogo cruising deals. We subscribe to plenty and also offer this as a service to our clients.

But first, some honest truth about deals: People are rarely ready for them.

If you haven’t done the work to know how much your trip will cost without the deal, how will you know if you can take advantage of the it without breaking the bank, adding to your credit card debt, or putting your job in jeopardy?

One final word of advice:

No matter how long you are fortunate enough to visit your dream destination, you’ll never see it all. So plan that short trip, take advantage of a long weekend or a screaming deal. It will inspire you to return.

Always assume you will return.

-Mandi