Advice needed for 10th Birthday Surprise Visit

[amy4bruce]

Fellow Disers please help me decide what to do:
Currently we have a trip booked at Beach Club at a 40% off rate arriving on Dec 4th. Our plan was to wake up our daughter when she would get up for school and surprise her. However due to airfare deals we have a small wrench- if we leave in the am we have to get up at 3am and get to airport by 4am. UGH.
There is a flight that can have us arrive the night before around 8p.
So I wanted to add a night well that was an additional $275 at the BC on our package.
The CM suggested I stay one night at POP but my husband is hesitant about switching rooms. So what should I do??

1. Keep the room reservation as is and get our tired but excited souls up at 4am.

2. Pay the extra $275 for one night and get to start our vacation early. We would pick our daughter up from school and take her right to the airport.

3. Pay $82 for one night at POP by leaving on Thursday and picking up DD after school.

I trust the boards so much that at noon today - I am booking airfare based on your opinions. Thanks!

[CoachBagFanatic]

What a fabulous surprise for your DD. I vote for #2. Oh I have the chills. Just the look on her face when you pick her up from school is going to be priceless. Let's here it for #2.

[tinkbyday]

I took my daughter for her 10th birthday this year too! Unfortunately, I didn't surprise her but made the trip real special (stretch limo pickup at the airport, YC stay, booked dining at her favorite places, etc...)

Anyway, I would wake her up at 3 am and surprise her! Unless the money is no big deal, but think of how many things you could buy in WDW for $275, or give her a gift card for spending - or maybe add a limo ride from the airport....

Plus, arriving at 8 pm - you wouldn't get to the resort until 9 or 10 pm and would just be paying to sleep.

I wouldn't want to do the switch from another resort...we did do a split stay once and it was quite a hassle.

[tink_lover]

What fun!!! I did this one year and totally surprised the kids when I picked them up after school and told them we were heading to WDW. It was hard to keep it a secret and a lot of work to pack everyone up in secret, but the look on their faces was priceless. We stayed a night at POP before heading to GF so staying the first night at POP would be my pick for you. I hope your trip is wonderful!

[amy4bruce]

Three answers and they all have merit! Come on others chime in! I am even more confused.

[CoachBagFanatic]

Originally Posted by amy4bruce

Three answers and they all have merit! Come on others chime in! I am even more confused.

I just said to my DH, Oh no she has three different answers. We did a split stay once and I hated it. Having to unpack, pack and unpack again is not my cup of tea. Oh I don't envy you in this spot at all. Best of luck with your decision. I am sure no matter what it will be your DD will be the happiest girl on earth. I am so excited for you. PS we did the 2am wake up a couple of times and we will never do that again. But that's just us.

[KatMark]

I vote for #2! And be sure you arrange to have someone there with a camera to take a picture of the look on her face.

[CoachBagFanatic]

Originally Posted by KatMark

I vote for #2! And be sure you arrange to have someone there with a camera to take a picture of the look on her face.

Oh good thinking about the picture taking.

[amy4bruce]

Thanks so much for being excited for her. With it being a surprise we are not telling anyone. It is killing me not to share it with anyone. Thank goodness for the DisBoards. We go every year for free dining and we told her we just could not swing it this year but maybe next. She was disappointed but understood. We only do birthday parties on odd years so she knows she will not be having a party. However she did ask me to do a Decade Scrapbook for her.

I think I have ruled out staying at Pop for one night so thanks for that help. Now I am down to 2 choices????? What to do? What to do?

[tinkbyday]

Originally Posted by amy4bruce

Thanks so much for being excited for her. With it being a surprise we are not telling anyone. It is killing me not to share it with anyone. Thank goodness for the DisBoards. We go every year for free dining and we told her we just could not swing it this year but maybe next. She was disappointed but understood. We only do birthday parties on odd years so she knows she will not be having a party. However she did ask me to do a Decade Scrapbook for her.

I think I have ruled out staying at Pop for one night so thanks for that help. Now I am down to 2 choices????? What to do? What to do?

Well, this is good - in just a short time you have it narrowed down to two choice:

1. Keep the room reservation as is and get our tired but excited souls up at 4am.

2. Pay the extra $275 for one night and get to start our vacation early. We would pick our daughter up from school and take her right to the airport.

So, let me be the analyst that I am LOL......

if you go with #1, you will probably arrive pretty early in the day - maybe have a better chance for any room requests (if your room is ready when you arrive)....BUT, will probably be exhausted and may not be able to take advantage of a full day in the parks, so in essence, you might actually lose a good part of a day.

With option #2, everyone will be rested and rarin to go, however, you will arrive a bit later which will most likely guarantee your room will be ready, but may limit any requests you may have since it will be later in the day. The good news is that you can take advantage of any EMH evening hours if they are available that day or at least get a good night's rest and guarantee a full rested day on the day you would have arrived in option #1.

Okay - I'm going to change my original answer I would probably go with option #2 now that I look at it closer!

[amy4bruce]

Thanks so much! I have done it. Booked the airfare for leaving Thursday night and staying at BC. This way we will be rested and ready for a great vacation!

BTW- the airfare was such a good deal ($350 total for all three round trip from Pittsburgh to MCO) that I do not even feel guilty about changing the room reservation. That great rate is due to a coupon thread for Airtran on the Budget Boards.

Now I am really excited- only 132 days left to go.

[tinkbyday]

Originally Posted by amy4bruce

Thanks so much! I have done it. Booked the airfare for leaving Thursday night and staying at BC. This way we will be rested and ready for a great vacation!

BTW- the airfare was such a good deal ($350 total for all three round trip from Pittsburgh to MCO) that I do not even feel guilty about changing the room reservation. That great rate is due to a coupon thread for Airtran on the Budget Boards.

Now I am really excited- only 132 days left to go.

That is awesome!!! I am so excited for you - our trip for my DDs 10th birthday was the best of the 5 trips we've taken. She is going to be so thrilled!! Can't wait to hear how it all worked out. Sending a little pixie dust your way....

[emilyann415]

Originally Posted by CoachBagFanatic

I just said to my DH, Oh no she has three different answers. We did a split stay once and I hated it. Having to unpack, pack and unpack again is not my cup of tea. Oh I don't envy you in this spot at all. Best of luck with your decision. I am sure no matter what it will be your DD will be the happiest girl on earth. I am so excited for you. PS we did the 2am wake up a couple of times and we will never do that again. But that's just us.

It's not like a REAL split stay. You will only be sleeping there...little to have to repack. My vote is for the Pop...that's money you can spend spoiling her rotten on the trip Getting up that morning and spending your first day at Disney exhausted would not be as much fun I don't think. We are flying in the night before and don't get in until 10pm. We are actually staying the first night at a Priceline room near the airport for like 30 bucks. All we are doing is putting pjs on leaving everything else packed. I don't think it will be nearly as bad as getting a sleeping child up at 3AM and keeping them up all day long!

[CoachBagFanatic]

Originally Posted by amy4bruce

Thanks so much! I have done it. Booked the airfare for leaving Thursday night and staying at BC. This way we will be rested and ready for a great vacation!

BTW- the airfare was such a good deal ($350 total for all three round trip from Pittsburgh to MCO) that I do not even feel guilty about changing the room reservation. That great rate is due to a coupon thread for Airtran on the Budget Boards.

Now I am really excited- only 132 days left to go.

Very excited for you all. Great choice. WOW, $350 is fabulous. Have a wonderful time and looking forward to hearing all about the B-Day surprise Trip.

Originally Posted by emilyann415

It's not like a REAL split stay. You will only be sleeping there...little to have to repack.

I get what you are saying about it's not really like a split stay but with the toiletries and things of this nature that I have shipped to the resort, for me it is like a split stay.