My Grand Floridian Birthday trip! Pre-Trip report

[PrettyInTink]

Cast: DH Kevin- Referred to as Prince Charming or PC for short
Me Cyndi- Tink

When: June 9-June 14

Where: Grand Floridian!!!!!

Why: My birthday and my husband is CRAZY!

Details: PLATINUM PACKAGE
Including (I hope I get this all right) A room with a Magic Kingdom Castle view!
-unlimited recreation
-Cirque de soliel tickets
-Spa treatment
-preferred seating at Fantasmic, Wishes, and Illuminations
-Magic Kingdom fireworks cruise
-dining at sit-down restuarants B,L, and D ANY RESTUARANT (except Victoria and Alberts)
-special gift
-I can't remember anything else right now, My head is still spinning!


All of this started when I said I would like to stay at the GF one day. I never in a million years thought that my tight-wad hubby would go! All of a sudden he says LETS START PLANNING YOUR B'DAY TRIP! Huh? So I think of course we are staying in a moderate, like always. We joined DVC last September and already have our first stay at SSR booked for this September, so I thought we would be squeeking out a short trip for my birthday in June. He tells me we can stay at the GF. I am EXCITED beyond belief. So he calls WDW to book 4 nights, which quickly turns into 5 and the Platinum package, and THEN, what the heck, a magic kingdom view room. More to come, just laying the groundwork for you all, and trying to get the details myself. I have an itinerary planner to help sort out the details, can you even believe that? Not in my WILDEST dreams:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :wizard: :wizard:

*EDIT* After all of the stress and being stuck with a crappy itinerary planner we cancelled the Platinum Package. We will be staying at the GF in a MK view room still. I have never been this dissapointed in disney before.

[newholidayx2]

Enjoy and Happy Birthday
looking forward to reading the rest of your pretrip and trip report
Sooo you never did tell us - what # bday is this?

I'm turning 50 in Nov and will be in WDW - hopefully in front of Off Kilter!

[PrettyInTink]

Enjoy and Happy Birthday
looking forward to reading the rest of your pretrip and trip report
Sooo you never did tell us - what # bday is this?

I'm turning 50 in Nov and will be in WDW - hopefully in front of Off Kilter!

26. :sad2: WDW takes the age out of birthdays though. We go and act like 5 year olds. I have spent 1 birthday in WDW (my 22). Last years b'day I WISH I was in WDW. 25 was a bit tramatic. Thanks for your comment, I'll let information flow as I get it on this plan. I am SO SO SO excited! I could hardly sleep last night.

[__disneygirl]

um... WOW! I didn't even know there was a package like this! You are gonna have an extra magical birthday! Can't wait to read about this trip. :)

[PrettyInTink]

Our friends are joining us!!!:dance3: :dance3: :dance3: Look out WDW!

Tina- Minnie
Keith-Mickey (of course!)

I can't hardly wait! Victoria and Alberts here we come!!!!!

[PrettyInTink]

um... WOW! I didn't even know there was a package like this! You are gonna have an extra magical birthday! Can't wait to read about this trip. :)

I had no idea either! My dh called and asked the lady how SHE would want to spend her birthday at WDW and she suggested the platinum plan. God Bless her!:rotfl2: And my birthday trip was born!!!!

I can hardly contain my giddyness! :goodvibes

[mlill]

Our friends are joining us!!!:dance3: :dance3: :dance3: Look out WDW!

Tina- Minnie
Keith-Mickey (of course!)

I can't hardly wait! Victoria and Alberts here we come!!!!!

You are going to have an awesome time! BTW, isn't Victoria & Albert's included in the Platinum Plan? In your 1st post you said it wasn't. :confused3

Happy Birthday!

-Michelle

[OhMari]

I just started reading about the Silver and Platinum Plan and I don't think Victoria and Alberts is included.

Anyway, how exciting, you really don't get to read about anyone using these Plans. I think I maybe read one person did with her husband, and we just got a very brief TR. She told us she enjoyed her time there, but she said, it was way to much food, having a breakfast, lunch and dinner. And, they really didn't do all the extra's it included. I think the plan is good if you have visited the parks and want to try all the extra's, like the tours and the boats, etc.

Thanks for letting us know and keep us updated and start making those ressie's on everything.

[Cinderella16]

:goodvibes Ooo! Sounds like that is gonna be so much fun!!! Lucky you! I noticed you will be leaving the World on June 14th...we are leaving for the world on the June 15th. Hope you have a wonderful and :wizard: time!!!! And you have posssibly motivated me to post my pre trip report which I am keeping in a word doc. at the moment...decisions decisions.....:surfweb:

[DisneyJo]

Oh can't wait for this, I read Cass's TR with Platinum plan and she had a great time. Enjoy your planning.

[Blaynexox]

Boy am I JEALOUS! That sounds amazing! Lucky duck! Cant wait to read about it! :)

[PrettyInTink]

Hi everyone! Having a little computer trouble, but wanted to post an update.
Yes, V & A's IS included in the package. It seems that the CM's are still new to this plan so they are confusing Platinum with Premium and we were told wrong. I am SO excited because V and A is a place I have ALWAYS wanted to eat. The itinerary planner is supposed to call me soon to plan everything out. I'll keep you all posted! I am SO SO SO excited. I also read the TR on the Platinum plan and I think we will WADDLE around the world after this one:rotfl2:

Thanks for readin, I'll post again as soon as I find out more!

[PrettyInTink]

We have FINALLY been contacted by someone from the Itinerary Planning Department about planning this trip for us. I was beginning to get worried, and dh called and left a bit of a nasty-gram on their voicemail. Sort of along the lines of "Why are we paying so much for this Vacay and we aren't even getting the services we were promised?" That message must have prompted the call we recieved today. The CM was SUPER sweet and apologized and explained that they have very limited CM's in this department. She understood our concern. So the wheels of planning are turning. I am expecting a call back within the next few days with our itinerary and I will post it as soon as I can. We are trying to squeeze as much in as possible.
One thing I did note is that the CM said that when planning a Platinum Package trip you will get more Bang for your buck if you just tell them what you want to do and let them arrange everything for you. She said some people call and DEMAND they do everything WHEN and WHERE they want to do it at specific times and it makes it hard to plan and fit everything in. She said that some people DEMAND a certain dinner time every night and BLAHBLAHBLAH. Not us! We are just along for the ride! I just gave her a list of our Must-Do's and they will fit it all in! :woohoo:
In other news, I just filed our taxes. Uncle Sam was very kind this year and it appears I will have a little spending money for ths trip! :banana: :banana: :banana: More to come later......

[tubachick]

YOU WILL JUST :love: LOVE :love: the Platinum Package!!!! We did it for our Honeymoon, and I wish I would have had more days to get it ALL IN!!!! If ever I could force myself to wait a little longer for a trip to WDW and save a little bit more, we would be on the PLATINUM PLAN AGAIN!!!! it rocks, and yes there is way too much food to eat and things to do, but its nice to have options!!!


I look forward to reading about your trip. The CM's that do the ressies for you are supper, (a little slow at times, but there are only a few that work in that dept but really great). one thing we did have to mention often was at the resturants --- keep reminding the CM's that its the Platinum package so they charge you the correct points and not "double" if its a 2 pt resturant!!!

you will have a blast, can't wait to hear about your plans

[PrettyInTink]

YOU WILL JUST :love: LOVE :love: the Platinum Package!!!! We did it for our Honeymoon, and I wish I would have had more days to get it ALL IN!!!! If ever I could force myself to wait a little longer for a trip to WDW and save a little bit more, we would be on the PLATINUM PLAN AGAIN!!!! it rocks, and yes there is way too much food to eat and things to do, but its nice to have options!!!


I look forward to reading about your trip. The CM's that do the ressies for you are supper, (a little slow at times, but there are only a few that work in that dept but really great). one thing we did have to mention often was at the resturants --- keep reminding the CM's that its the Platinum package so they charge you the correct points and not "double" if its a 2 pt resturant!!!

you will have a blast, can't wait to hear about your plans

thanks for the tips. I am a little discouraged because the planner hasn't called us back and we are closing in on june pretty fast. I just hope we are able to do everything we want to do. I am gonna lose the disney spirit if we pay all this money and we can't get what we want. they really need to get their act together. I am just not very excited right now because I am such a preplanner and I am afraid that the planner is goingto wait too long. we called the GF and spoke to a manager that assured us that she would call us back today and we have heard nothing. I am VERY dissapointed. I hope this gets better soon.

[Tasmen]

thanks for the tips. I am a little discouraged because the planner hasn't called us back and we are closing in on june pretty fast. I just hope we are able to do everything we want to do. I am gonna lose the disney spirit if we pay all this money and we can't get what we want. they really need to get their act together. I am just not very excited right now because I am such a preplanner and I am afraid that the planner is goingto wait too long. we called the GF and spoke to a manager that assured us that she would call us back today and we have heard nothing. I am VERY dissapointed. I hope this gets better soon.

I'm sorry to hear you are having troubles with the IPO:( I'd recommend getting the email addie for the GF IPO (if you haven't already) and email them directly, as well. That is what I did for our upcoming Poly trip in May. I was answered back the next day and got all the help I needed to get everything planned out. It doesn't hurt to bombard them with contact even if they should be calling you.

[DisneyJo]

I hope you get to talk to them soon!

[PrettyInTink]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I FINALLY gpt a phone call from the planner and we arw hashibg everything out now. She is emailing me the itinerary and as soon as I get it I will post it here.
FYI What she has done so far is compile a schedule of all of the things we wanted to do in a schedule and we will choose between restuarants and different tours and such. Be patient with me on posting the itinerary. I am posting from my Pocket PC (kind of like a blackberry) until CompUSA (AKA the black hole) fixes my laptop.
My nutso dh just added a day on each end of our trip at BCV and BWV. He says he wants to take full advantage of the Platinum plan and argues its not like its REAL money because we are using our DVC points. More to come later! Happy Cupid day everyone!

[ohdisco]

I suggest you email them as well. My family and I are staying at the GF in concierge, I get an email 4-5 hours after I send mine from Calvin (the IPO working with me).

[PrettyInTink]

Hi all! I heard back from the planner. We have everything planned out, and now I am waiting on her to e mail me the full itinerary. As soon as she does I will post it here. I'm getting excited again. They just need to come up with a better system to return phone calls in a timely manner. I have a feeling they are understaffed. We have a full schedule booked! We are going to be RUNNING around the world! More to come later.....

[Lauralee131]

Wow! The Platinum Plan!! :thumbsup2 Good for you! If you haven't yet read it, read Cass's TR - The Fatten 'Em Plan...it's awesome. Someday I hope to be able to do the Platinum Plan!

Can't wait to follow you along for this journey! What a sweet DH you have to do all this for you! My DH would never even think about something like that...he just doesn't have it in him to do it! :sad2:

:cheer2: Good for you!!

[PrettyInTink]

I am beginning to lose the last bit of patience I have left. I have talked to this (enter bad word here) itinerary planner a bazillion times to change things that she just has WRONG and she still hasn't gotten it right. She emailed us the supposedly completed itinerary and she has us double booked for restuarants, not booked for things we specifically said were a deal breaker if we didn't get, and has me as my friends husbands wife scheduled for dive quest with him! I'm not even flippin a diver! Shes an idiot and we have complained to her boss already. So now I printed out the itinerary and wrote exactly what needed to be changed in black ink and I intend to fax a copy to her manager as well. Does she not listen? She actually sent me this as our final plans and it is all wrong! I could do a much better job at her job. This has officially become a pain in the butt. I am very discouraged and dissapointed in the level of service I am receiving for $6000.

[DisneyJo]

Oh no hopefully the boss will get involved and sort this all out for you :hug:

[PrettyInTink]

I have a call in to a manager now. Today I will fax the itinerary in with all of the corrections written all over it. No word yet from the IP. CAlled her yesterday and I guess she can't be bothered with calling me back.

[Tasmen]

I have a call in to a manager now. Today I will fax the itinerary in with all of the corrections written all over it. No word yet from the IP. CAlled her yesterday and I guess she can't be bothered with calling me back.

I am so sorry you are having a hard time of things. My dealings with the IPO at the Poly have been seamless and wonderful. It sounds like you've gotten a really bad apple at the GF and it makes me sad.

[PrettyInTink]

After much angst and frustration we have decided to cancel our platinum package. its simply not worth the hassle when you have an IP that refuses to return phone calls or emails. This saddens me, as I was really excited about it. We are keeping the GF magic kingdom view room and going concierge level. I am in the process of confirming a few of the things we wanted to do now. I would strongly suggest that anyone else considering the platinum plan to run the other way if they assign your IP as Judy. DEMAND another one. This woman is clearly incapable of doing her job. I don't like to call people out on their shortcomings but this lady has ticked me off. Sorry. I guess I need to change the title of this report. :(

[DisneyJo]

Oh no still do a TR though yeah :thumbsup2

[PrettyInTink]

We will absolutely still do a TR. Its the Gf, and this may be the only time I ever go so expect lots of pics and commentary. Also as I plan I will post what we plan to do. Lots of money left to spend now that we aren't on the platinum plan.....