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

[awfullybigadventure]

Originally Posted by Duzzygirl

My first bump in the road with this trip. Not really a travesty, but disappointing to me none the less.

My Dad-in-law asked me to look into planning this trip. Said if I could keep it under X amount, I could take the reigns. I was all gung ho. Got all the information he requested, $2000 less than he expected to pay (I even have a coveted PIN). I gave him all the information, minus my PIN as I thought I was going to plan it/reserve it.

Friday he ended up going to a TA and spending $2000 more than he told me he wanted to pay ... For all the same stuff. He got nothing extra. The only real difference is the flights. I found them out of Pittsburgh for $220 a person. He's paying $300+ per person out of Harrisburg. Harrisburg is about 14 minutes closer to him and the majority of the crew than Pittsburgh is. However, Harrisburg is a 3 hour drive for us versus a 1 hour drive to Pittsburgh, which my folks were going to pick us up and drop us off, no rentals or parking needed.

The hubs is not surprised. His sister lives near Harrisburg and was in his Dad's ear apparently. I understand her not wanting to drive to Pittsburgh, as we don't want to drive to Harrisburg. Come on though. He could have SAVED $2500 by flying out of Pittsburgh. He could have rented her and her crew a car and paid for a hotel room for the night near the airport.

It's a small thing. I know. I'm more hurt than anything. Hubs told me that's just the way his Dad is. Figures it's not my job. I don't know what I'm doing. He'll pay someone to do it as he always does with everything.

I'm going crazy though not knowing details. I plan. It's what I do. I do all the planning for weddings, showers (baby/wedding), and vacations for everyone around me. It's what I live for. My "second job" is a wedding photographer. I like being in control. lol

I'm waiting on his Step-Mom to call me with flight details and such. I want information! It's for the same dates as stated previously, April 23-30, 2013. All Star Music. 18 people instead of the previously stated 19. That's all I know.

I've already made several ADR's (which I'll list later). I want to SEE my vacation on my account though. I don't know if I'll be able to do that with this TA. I don't know if I'll get the information to talk to the TA. I'm driving my husband crazy.

I wouldn't be happy about having to drive 3 hours to get to the airport when you could have just gone to Pittsburgh! Was it not an option to all fly separately from your closest airports?

Sorry your feelings have been hurt. I'm sure it has to be tough to give up control like that when you were really enjoying the planning.

[pwdebbie]

Originally Posted by Duzzygirl

My first bump in the road with this trip. Not really a travesty, but disappointing to me none the less.

My Dad-in-law asked me to look into planning this trip. Said if I could keep it under X amount, I could take the reigns. I was all gung ho. Got all the information he requested, $2000 less than he expected to pay (I even have a coveted PIN). I gave him all the information, minus my PIN as I thought I was going to plan it/reserve it.

Friday he ended up going to a TA and spending $2000 more than he told me he wanted to pay ... For all the same stuff. He got nothing extra. The only real difference is the flights. I found them out of Pittsburgh for $220 a person. He's paying $300+ per person out of Harrisburg. Harrisburg is about 14 minutes closer to him and the majority of the crew than Pittsburgh is. However, Harrisburg is a 3 hour drive for us versus a 1 hour drive to Pittsburgh, which my folks were going to pick us up and drop us off, no rentals or parking needed.

The hubs is not surprised. His sister lives near Harrisburg and was in his Dad's ear apparently. I understand her not wanting to drive to Pittsburgh, as we don't want to drive to Harrisburg. Come on though. He could have SAVED $2500 by flying out of Pittsburgh. He could have rented her and her crew a car and paid for a hotel room for the night near the airport.

It's a small thing. I know. I'm more hurt than anything. Hubs told me that's just the way his Dad is. Figures it's not my job. I don't know what I'm doing. He'll pay someone to do it as he always does with everything.

I'm going crazy though not knowing details. I plan. It's what I do. I do all the planning for weddings, showers (baby/wedding), and vacations for everyone around me. It's what I live for. My "second job" is a wedding photographer. I like being in control. lol

I'm waiting on his Step-Mom to call me with flight details and such. I want information! It's for the same dates as stated previously, April 23-30, 2013. All Star Music. 18 people instead of the previously stated 19. That's all I know.

I've already made several ADR's (which I'll list later). I want to SEE my vacation on my account though. I don't know if I'll be able to do that with this TA. I don't know if I'll get the information to talk to the TA. I'm driving my husband crazy.

Oh, I totally understand your frustration. Once a TA has everything, it is out of your control. I'm sorry your dad was not more understanding. He probably has the best of intentions but just doesn't "get" it. I hope he got a non-stop flight from MDT. I think there is only one airline that flies out from there that has that.

I graduated from IUP. Are you near there?

[HappyGal]

Duzzygirl, I feel for you! Planning is half the fun, especially for control freaks like me! :lol

Isn't there a way you can see your reservations on the Disney website even when you book with a TA?

[pwdebbie]

Originally Posted by TJDisneymama

it has been pretty quiet here lately. I've been so busy booking other peoples' trips I haven't had time to think about my own. But it looks like I'm in a lull so......back to ME, ME, ME!

My kids still don't know. Although I do talk about Disney a lot, and am on Disney related websites 24/7, all under the premise that I'm "working" of course But at least it gives me a good excuse talk about it. Last year when I planned the secret trip for DS and I, every time I was on a disney website and he came by I had to scramble and minimize the page so he didn't see. Now I can let it all out in the open. I may tell them eventually but I know for sure I'm not going to tell them any time soon b/c I just think knowing this far out will be torture for them. Heck, it's torture for me, lol. I think being 5+ months will just bum ODS out and YDD has no concept of time anyways so she'd probably just ask every day if today is the day we're going. And she's a super-whiner so she'd probably whine too when I said it wasn't today.

I think I mentioned before how before our first trip we watched every Disney movie. I think we started in Nov. and watched one every Fri. &/or Sat. down in our family room by the fireplace, until we went at the end of Feb. I want to do it again this time but didn't know how I'd do it without telling them about the trip but this morning it was chilly so they asked for a fire and I said "hey, we haven't watched any Disney movies in a long time. I think after Christmas we should make a list of Disney movies and then every weekend during the winter we can have movie night by the fire." they were like "yeah..... sure....whatever......" I'm sure when the time comes they'll be asking to watch iCarly or Austin and Ally instead, lol

Are you a TA? Or just doing favors for friends?

I know you (and everyone else here probably) will "get" this. A friend mentioned a month ago that she was thinking about going down Christmas week. I offered help and warned her she was getting an awfully late start. On Nov. 2, she drops me a note and says that she made her reservations, booked a package. So of course I ask her, "Did you get a discount?" Her answer, "No, those special offers were only for the first two days of our trip, so I waited until Nov. 1 to see if anything new came out that would cover our whole trip." (Where is that "bang head against wall" emoticon when I need it?)

She is a teacher, so she has to go at Christmas if she goes at all. Plus her husband had a traumatic brain injury about ten years ago and needs constant care. I am thinking Christmas crowds and ECV are not going to mix well. But they want to do this for their ds11 before he goes away on a missions trip to Canada in the spring. This will be his first flight and they wanted to do it as a family and not have him fly for the first time in the spring.

She still thinks she will be able to eat table service meals without an ADR. I am really having a hard time convincing her that this will most likely not work out. I told her to use a TA, but she felt she could do it herself because they'd been to WDW before (but that was in the '90s).

[Mousemommy1]

Originally Posted by pwdebbie

Are you a TA? Or just doing favors for friends?

I know you (and everyone else here probably) will "get" this. A friend mentioned a month ago that she was thinking about going down Christmas week. I offered help and warned her she was getting an awfully late start. On Nov. 2, she drops me a note and says that she made her reservations, booked a package. So of course I ask her, "Did you get a discount?" Her answer, "No, those special offers were only for the first two days of our trip, so I waited until Nov. 1 to see if anything new came out that would cover our whole trip." (Where is that "bang head against wall" emoticon when I need it?)

She is a teacher, so she has to go at Christmas if she goes at all. Plus her husband had a traumatic brain injury about ten years ago and needs constant care. I am thinking Christmas crowds and ECV are not going to mix well. But they want to do this for their ds11 before he goes away on a missions trip to Canada in the spring. This will be his first flight and they wanted to do it as a family and not have him fly for the first time in the spring.

She still thinks she will be able to eat table service meals without an ADR. I am really having a hard time convincing her that this will most likely not work out. I told her to use a TA, but she felt she could do it herself because they'd been to WDW before (but that was in the '90s).

Some people just really don't understand....and, now she is going to come back from her trip saying how awful Disney is!!! And really all because she didn't plan properly...

[TJDisneymama]

I'm a TA. Yeah, a lot of people just don't "get" how to do a Disney vacation, lol. They're the ones that come back and talk about how horrible it was and how they'll never go there again.
Which I guess is better for the rest of us - the less people the better. But it's hard to hold your tongue when people are going on and on about how awful it is there.

[samgminov]

My flights are booked, hotel reservations made, ADRs reserved....I'm starting to look at some other planning details. The last time I went to Disney was in 2000 and there was no Photopass. Can someone explain to me how this works? If your child is part of Enchanted Tales with Belle, and the photographer takes pictures, do they just come up to you afterward and ask for your card? How do they know "who belongs to who?" I know this is a stupid new person question, but I'm trying to figure out whether we are going to do Photopass, Photopass + or nothing. Any help would be much appreciated!

[TJDisneymama]

yes, you have a card(s) that you give to any PP photogs and they will scan it so that the photos they take will be connected to that card....which you then enter into the PP website when you get home and voila! Your pics are there.
If you ever don't have your card with you, you just get a new one from the photog. They have stacks of them. Then you also enter that card # into your account.....

[Duzzygirl]

Originally Posted by awfullybigadventure

I wouldn't be happy about having to drive 3 hours to get to the airport when you could have just gone to Pittsburgh! Was it not an option to all fly separately from your closest airports?
...

Nope. Not an option. He's all about everyone being together ... Which is fine ... Sometimes ...

Originally Posted by pwdebbie

... I hope he got a non-stop flight from MDT. I think there is only one airline that flies out from there that has that.

I graduated from IUP. Are you near there?

Nonstop flight through Frontier Airlines. I'm just jacked as AirTran out of Pittsburgh had nonstops cheaper. We're not paying for it though. So, not my problem. Well, other than driving to Harrisburg now. Blah.

Hubs and I are near the New Stanton exit of the TP, exit 75 I think. The majority of Hub's family is in the Altoona/Tyrone area. His sister is near Harrisburg.

Originally Posted by HappyGal

Duzzygirl, I feel for you! Planning is half the fun, especially for control freaks like me! :lol

Isn't there a way you can see your reservations on the Disney website even when you book with a TA?

I'd love to know this. I hope to have an answer soon. I think my Step-Mom-in-law is afraid to call me. Hubs told her I was jacked. lol

Originally Posted by TJDisneymama

I'm a TA.
...

Can you answer the above question?? (Essentially: Even though trip is booked through a TA, can I *see* the trip on my account on Disney?)

[TJDisneymama]

yes, if you have the Disney booking conf. #, you can enter it online and link it to your Disney online account

[Duzzygirl]

Originally Posted by TJDisneymama

yes, if you have the Disney booking conf. #, you can enter it online and link it to your Disney online account

Awesome! Thank you. Now if I could only get my hands on that number! lol

[Jays2013]

I see others are doing the Disney movie nights thing! We're using it as a way to introduce the boys to all the classics and it's been a HUGE hit. DS2, who's 4, watched "Fantasia" with me the other night and loved it, although I had some explaining to do about the dinosaurs and we cut it off before "Night on Bald Mountain." (I watched that in elementary school and it still gives me the creeps!)

I'm still tracking down all the classics. Any suggestions for off-the-beaten path things that might still have that WDW connection?

[melindae10]

We finally got our airlines tickets purchased! I finally convinced my parents that $275 RT is a great price! Now to get the hotel booked. Do people just book room only and wait for the specials to come out to decide how to proceed? Or do you book the full package? Took my DD last Friday to Disney on Ice, we both had a great time and it made me so excitied for our trip! I homeschool her, she is in preschool, and we do "Disney Days" a couple of Fridays each month. We watch a Disney movie and do a craft or worksheets afterwards. Her and my DS need to be as educated and excitied as possible for our trip

[rebeccaariel]

Originally Posted by Jays2013

I see others are doing the Disney movie nights thing! We're using it as a way to introduce the boys to all the classics and it's been a HUGE hit. DS2, who's 4, watched "Fantasia" with me the other night and loved it, although I had some explaining to do about the dinosaurs and we cut it off before "Night on Bald Mountain." (I watched that in elementary school and it still gives me the creeps!)

I'm still tracking down all the classics. Any suggestions for off-the-beaten path things that might still have that WDW connection?

It's not necessary off the beaten track, but many people seem to forget about Robin Hood, which was one of my absolute favourites as a little kid.

[Jays2013]

Originally Posted by rebeccaariel

It's not necessary off the beaten track, but many people seem to forget about Robin Hood, which was one of my absolute favourites as a little kid.

Mine too! I can't seem to get my hands on it, though.