LisaCat
Counting too many days till my next trip to Disney
- Joined
- May 9, 2010
I’ve never done one of these, so bear with me as I learn along the way!
My name is Lisa and I’m a Disney addict! My Disney adventures are mostly “confined” to Disneyland since I’m only a 90 minute flight away, but this year I am taking a trip to WDW! SO EXCITED! I actually got to go in the fall of 2010 as well. Prior to that, my last visit was for a few days in 2004 (which were mostly spent touring the resorts a few days before Christmas). In 2010 I went with a friend of mine and we started our trip with the November 1 Mickey Halloween Party. This year I am going solo (so far – but I do have an open invite to a couple of friends if they wish to join me) the week after Thanksgiving to take in the Christmas Party and actually do Holiday stuff in the parks, since we didn’t do much of that in 2004.
I am staying offsite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. That’s how I’ve pulled these trips off; using points we didn’t have the opportunity to use. My first trip wrinkle was that it was also hinging on being able to book on a Southwest Reward ticket. When Southwest opened their flight schedule up at the CRACK OF DAWN on June 4th, I learned that I could not, in fact, use a reward ticket for the day I had chosen to fly out, Nov.24th. So, I nabbed the flight back on December 1 and then proceeded to look at my options. Both the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving were blacked out. Hm. Friday (day after Thanksgiving) was available for Reward booking. Hm. I have a friend who lives within an hour from WDW…. I’m sure I could crash on her sofa if I can’t find a room…. What the heck – BOOK IT! So, on to where I’m going to stay Friday night. For kicks and giggles, I looked at Disney reservations. Hm…. $129 to stay that night at the new Art of Animation. That will get me a “free” ride from the airport too. Hm. Wonder if I can get an early morning ADR for Saturday morning at Crystal Palace since I’ll be “onsite” and will be able to get there more easily than taking a cab from Bonnet Creek as I had planned to do on Dec 1? DONE. Alrighty then, BOOK IT! The other thing I did was to buy my park ticket from Underground Tourist the day before the price increase, so I got a 7 day ticket at the old 6 day price. So here are the plans so far, starting with OUTBOUND TRAVEL DAY:
Friday, November 23: Cranky husband will drive me to the airport that morning and I will fly to Orlando, transferring planes at the FABULOUS Chicago Midway Airport. Arrival in Orlando 9:45PM local time. I will grab my luggage and head for the Magical Express to Art of Animation for the night.
I’m still working on the daily itineraries. I have a bazillion ADRs for every conceivable meal I might want to do. Once the final details I’m still waiting on can be arranged, then I can cancel the ADRs I don’t need. I learned my lesson in 2010 by not booking meals for times that I thought I was going to do a hard ticket meal/event and then when those fell thru I couldn’t get an ADR for what I wanted to replace them with. This time I’ve got the ADRs and can cancel if I’m able to book Candlelight or Wishes. Based on the ADRs I have, what follows are my (still subject to tweaking) plans, which I will update as I tweak along!
My name is Lisa and I’m a Disney addict! My Disney adventures are mostly “confined” to Disneyland since I’m only a 90 minute flight away, but this year I am taking a trip to WDW! SO EXCITED! I actually got to go in the fall of 2010 as well. Prior to that, my last visit was for a few days in 2004 (which were mostly spent touring the resorts a few days before Christmas). In 2010 I went with a friend of mine and we started our trip with the November 1 Mickey Halloween Party. This year I am going solo (so far – but I do have an open invite to a couple of friends if they wish to join me) the week after Thanksgiving to take in the Christmas Party and actually do Holiday stuff in the parks, since we didn’t do much of that in 2004.
I am staying offsite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. That’s how I’ve pulled these trips off; using points we didn’t have the opportunity to use. My first trip wrinkle was that it was also hinging on being able to book on a Southwest Reward ticket. When Southwest opened their flight schedule up at the CRACK OF DAWN on June 4th, I learned that I could not, in fact, use a reward ticket for the day I had chosen to fly out, Nov.24th. So, I nabbed the flight back on December 1 and then proceeded to look at my options. Both the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving were blacked out. Hm. Friday (day after Thanksgiving) was available for Reward booking. Hm. I have a friend who lives within an hour from WDW…. I’m sure I could crash on her sofa if I can’t find a room…. What the heck – BOOK IT! So, on to where I’m going to stay Friday night. For kicks and giggles, I looked at Disney reservations. Hm…. $129 to stay that night at the new Art of Animation. That will get me a “free” ride from the airport too. Hm. Wonder if I can get an early morning ADR for Saturday morning at Crystal Palace since I’ll be “onsite” and will be able to get there more easily than taking a cab from Bonnet Creek as I had planned to do on Dec 1? DONE. Alrighty then, BOOK IT! The other thing I did was to buy my park ticket from Underground Tourist the day before the price increase, so I got a 7 day ticket at the old 6 day price. So here are the plans so far, starting with OUTBOUND TRAVEL DAY:
Friday, November 23: Cranky husband will drive me to the airport that morning and I will fly to Orlando, transferring planes at the FABULOUS Chicago Midway Airport. Arrival in Orlando 9:45PM local time. I will grab my luggage and head for the Magical Express to Art of Animation for the night.
I’m still working on the daily itineraries. I have a bazillion ADRs for every conceivable meal I might want to do. Once the final details I’m still waiting on can be arranged, then I can cancel the ADRs I don’t need. I learned my lesson in 2010 by not booking meals for times that I thought I was going to do a hard ticket meal/event and then when those fell thru I couldn’t get an ADR for what I wanted to replace them with. This time I’ve got the ADRs and can cancel if I’m able to book Candlelight or Wishes. Based on the ADRs I have, what follows are my (still subject to tweaking) plans, which I will update as I tweak along!
We get Olivia Newton-John & I'm thrilled!!!! 
Gonna have a friend watch & she'll have all my info & choices if need be......but it just seems like a lot of work for someone who isn't even going!! 
My hubby will bear the witness to me being an oversize 6 year old in October! I am dragging him along to WDW for 2 WEEKS of F&W!!!
