***Official April 2013 thread*** SEE POST # 4028

[Mousemommy1]

Originally Posted by ddluvsdisney

I wanted to repost this b/c I wasn't really clear. I think I need some advice... WWYD???
So it's either go in April for the 8 days or go in July and not be so restricted with the dates. We'd be able to fly out on a Tuesday ( so much cheaper!!) and stay for more like 10 days. We've never been in July but have gone first week of June which happened to be busier than April. We've also been the last week of August a few times and really like it even with the heat. The low crowds and discounts are totally worth it!
We might b able to get a good deal on the flights but I'm not sure. They definitely won't be better than July I don't think.

How far in advance does JB open flights?? I heard its a lot earlier than SW. If I knew back in July that we'd be able to take our annual trip I would have tried booking JB even though I am partial to SW. it's the only airline I've ever flown.... Crazy I know!

TIA for any advice.

Jet Blue is currently booking through 6/19/13 so they are definitely way ahead of SW with their schedule.

We went in July this year and it was not bad at all. We found wait times to be low, crowds not that bad. Honestly, it wasn't as hot as we thought it would be either!! Going in July allowed us to stay for 10 nights, and now we are hooked on that length of stay so the kiddos are getting yanked from school to accommodate.

[Jays2013]

Originally Posted by mom24mouseketeers

I saw where we are going to be in Disney at the same time basically - although you will arrive 2 days before me.. (lucky!) I can't wait to see when you book!

Awesome! We just made an appointment with the AAA expert my friend recommended. (DH likes doing AAA for a few reasons.) Oct. 19 we'll be booked!

And we got a PIN code in the mail the same day! Whoo! Does anyone know ... do we just take that with us to the appointment if we're not booking ourselves?

Anyone else scrapbook? DS2, who is 4, is wondering why mommy is dragging him into Micheael's craft store once a week to pick up something Disney for her scrap stash. I figure if I buy one thing (paper, embellishments, etc.) a week until we go, I'll have a lovely Disney scrapbooking stash waiting for me when we return, which will make it a little easier!

[ddluvsdisney]

Originally Posted by Jays2013

Awesome! We just made an appointment with the AAA expert my friend recommended. (DH likes doing AAA for a few reasons.) Oct. 19 we'll be booked!

And we got a PIN code in the mail the same day! Whoo! Does anyone know ... do we just take that with us to the appointment if we're not booking ourselves?

Anyone else scrapbook? DS2, who is 4, is wondering why mommy is dragging him into Micheael's craft store once a week to pick up something Disney for her scrap stash. I figure if I buy one thing (paper, embellishments, etc.) a week until we go, I'll have a lovely Disney scrapbooking stash waiting for me when we return, which will make it a little easier!

I kind of still scrapbook. The last album I made was our 2010 trip and I didn't finish it until 2011 . So I am really far behind!! To say the least.
I think the reason I haven't tried harder to finish last year's trip is I feel I have all the stickers there are out there. Do you feel like you use the same ones over and over?? My scrapbooks are starting to look the same... A little boring.

I do have more Disney stuff than anything else lol
I started a book for my oldest DS15 but its a little overwhelming. I think I got the first year done.
I go to a scrap booking weekend every January. I do get a lot done then. It seems like the only time I do it anymore.

[ddluvsdisney]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

Jet Blue is currently booking through 6/19/13 so they are definitely way ahead of SW with their schedule.

We went in July this year and it was not bad at all. We found wait times to be low, crowds not that bad. Honestly, it wasn't as hot as we thought it would be either!! Going in July allowed us to stay for 10 nights, and now we are hooked on that length of stay so the kiddos are getting yanked from school to accommodate.

Thanks!! I guess it's something I need to think about.
Do you know when JB will open the next round of dates? Starting 6/20??

[Mousemommy1]

Originally Posted by ddluvsdisney

Thanks!! I guess it's something I need to think about.
Do you know when JB will open the next round of dates? Starting 6/20??

No. I'm sure it will be in the next month or two though.

[ddluvsdisney]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

No. I'm sure it will be in the next month or two though.

ok thanks! I'll look to see if I can get a date.

[Funfire240]

I can be taken off the list on the first page - doesn't look like we'll be making the trip. We have so much other things going on and improvements around the house that we want to do that we're putting a hold on vacations.

[pwdebbie]

Originally Posted by Funfire240

I can be taken off the list on the first page - doesn't look like we'll be making the trip. We have so much other things going on and improvements around the house that we want to do that we're putting a hold on vacations.

I'm sorry to see you go. But thanks for letting us know. You can always start thinking about 2014 now.

[Funfire240]

Originally Posted by pwdebbie

I'm sorry to see you go. But thanks for letting us know. You can always start thinking about 2014 now.

that's probably when we'll end up going - it's not too bad since we just returned last Sunday from our trip so it makes it seem not too bad. And we're thinking if we wait until then, my brother and sister and their families may be able to join us. So even though it's disappointing now, I know there's much more to come (and the reasons for not going aren't bad either - remodeling the house and all) so in the end it doesn't seem so bad And I still have the boards to keep my going too

[ddluvsdisney]

Originally Posted by TJDisneymama

Ok, in an effort to fulfill my need to talk nonstop about this trip for the next 6 months (), maybe I'll post some questions/topics for discussion each day. Today's question is:

To Surprise or Not to Surprise? (the kids) What do you think?

I'm torn b/c I LOOOOOOOOVE surprising them, and I myself love to be surprised (don't even want to know what Santa's bringing me, I always want to be surprised).........so I'm a huge fan of surprising, but I'm also a huge fan of planning/talking about every little detail of the trip for months and months beforehand. I love the anticipation.

Also, if they don't know about the trip, how can I hold it over their heads and threaten to cancel if they don't behave??

We surprised my boys for their b-day in 2007. They thought they were going to school that day. When I told them to get dressed b/c the plane for Disney was leaving in 4 hrs. They flipped out!! I loved surprising them! And that was only their 2nd trip. We've been so many times now that surprising them doesn't seem to have the same effect. I know that's probably just my kids. Now I try to do something new each trip. Sometimes I won't tell them until we get there.
It was really hard not to slip by talking about it. I think we kept the secret for about 6 months. I still can't believe we pulled it off.

[wdw4rfam]

Originally Posted by luvsvacations

Looking for some advice. I have a subscription to Touring Plans but looked at Easywdw for April 2013 for my dates and at least 1/2 of the dates are totally different. Anybody found that one is better than the other ?? Thanks

Exactly why we choose not to use them. Undercovertourist has one too, and there are a couple others too, and if you look....they are all different. We just avoid whatever park has EMH that day, and go. Since we are forced to make ADR's 180 in advance....we have to make a decision now, and the crowd calander will keep changing before April- a million times. It caused me more stress because I would keep changing everything with them- so we have been ignoring them for years now. Plus, If everyone goes by the crowd calanders and goes to the "suggested" park that day......IT WILL THEN BE CROWDED right????

[Mousemommy1]

Originally Posted by wdw4rfam

Exactly why we choose not to use them. Undercovertourist has one too, and there are a couple others too, and if you look....they are all different. We just avoid whatever park has EMH that day, and go. Since we are forced to make ADR's 180 in advance....we have to make a decision now, and the crowd calander will keep changing before April- a million times. It caused me more stress because I would keep changing everything with them- so we have been ignoring them for years now. Plus, If everyone goes by the crowd calanders and goes to the "suggested" park that day......IT WILL THEN BE CROWDED right????

We don't use touring plans at all either. We go to what park we want, when we want. We also always have park hoppers, so if we don't like the situation at a certain park, we up and move to another one.

And, I for one, have never noticed a huge crowd difference between being at a park that has EMH's and one that doesn't.

[ddluvsdisney]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

We don't use touring plans at all either. We go to what park we want, when we want. We also always have park hoppers, so if we don't like the situation at a certain park, we up and move to another one.

And, I for one, have never noticed a huge crowd difference between being at a park that has EMH's and one that doesn't.

We do that too. Although when we were there in August 2008 MK was way more packed on EMH day. So we do avoid EMH if possible, but I don't rearrange my whole schedule like ADRs for it.
Our first couple of years we did all those things but a lot of know after going so many times you don't need to do that anymore.
I also know that there are certain days( no matter what time of year) that are better than others to go to MK.

So I say don't stress you will be able to do all the things you want! It's not like you're going to change your vacation week. Or maybe you can but most of us can't so we do what we can when we can.

[TJDisneymama]

Originally Posted by luvsvacations

Looking for some advice. I have a subscription to Touring Plans but looked at Easywdw for April 2013 for my dates and at least 1/2 of the dates are totally different. Anybody found that one is better than the other ?? Thanks

Which week are you talking about? I just looked at the month and only saw a handful that were different and only varied by 1-2.

[TJDisneymama]

I just did a comparison chart of the 3 for my week, lol. Are there any other crowd calendars out there?
I like TP b/c I like to see the separate park predictions. Overall # of 6 doesn't mean much to me. I want to know if MK is an 9 and EP is a 1, kwim?