Charleston - Huntington, West Virginia -- WOWK -- 13NewsJanuary is wave season

January is wave season

We may be hunkering down for the winter, but many of us this month are also busy nailing down vacation plans for the year.

Travel agents call January "wave season."

That's when people begin latching on to special deals for cruises and other popular destinations.

Mandy Bailey and Zack Wines stopped by AAA in Charleston to check out details for a vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee later in the year.

"Well, we just want to get a good hotel and a good price, too," said Bailey, of Charleston.

A lot of popular vacation spots, like Disney, are competing for your vacation dollars with special January promotions.

"They have the Disney cruise line, which right now is $100 on-board ship-board credits. We also have Disney World, which they're offering savings on particular resorts. And also, they're offering a photo Lion King film cell," said Christina Rollyson, AAA District Supervisor in West Virginia.

You can lock in the deal now and travel later in the spring or summer.

Rollyson says one trend in the local market is an interest in destination weddings.

"Because everything's taken care of. In most cases, the resort takes care of everything, from the flowers to doing the hair and they also help with the legal requirements and getting the wedding documents all together," Rollyson said.

Cost for a resort vacation can range anywhere from $500 to $1,000 and all the way up to $10,000.

It's all in the planning.

"She can't wait. When she gets something in her mind, she has to do it now," said Zack Wines of his friend, Mandy Bailey.

"Yeah, I'm a planner," said Bailey.

And that can mean more bang for your vacation bucks.

As for cruises, it generally pays to lock in a cabin early if you want a particular room.

And if the rates go down, your payment will be adjusted.