January 2009. . . Calling all Snowbirds ~ Part V

[Mndisneygirl]

I just booked my enchanted phone calls I booked one for my kids and one for my Mom & Dad I am getting them to call the morning we leave and we are going to video tape my son when he answers the phone so it should be fun! I am soooooo excited!!!

Only 8 more days!!!

Is your trip a surprise? It's going to be so cool when that phone call comes! Do you think they could call me at 4:45 a.m. to wake me up for my flight? Did you have to pay for that?

 

[Dancegrl624]

What about at a gas station or corner store? That's where I found mine

Meg, If I found one I will let you know. We use to use them also at WDW.

Meghan - I have four tubes and I only plan to use two. If you want, PM me and I can mail them to you.

Thanks ladies! Sheree- I will check come gas stations and corner stores tonight and tomorrow. If I can't find any, I will definately be PMing you! Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[drakes]

Hello birdies!
For those that have already returned... feed our addiction Pretty please!
We got our laminated touring cards back - these are our general park cards, it also provides me with the hidden gems and where they are located... I am a big time small detail kinda tourist- so I want to see these legendary things! IS this obsessive
As I age there is too much to remember- I know what i want to ride and where it is. I have done a ton of research, last trip we missed so much because 1. I forgot and 2. we never stumbled across it- so this trip will make up for it... For example- I never even saw Club Cool in Epcot... If I didn't read about Le Chapeau in MK I wouldn't have got the mouse ears - we didn't get these until the ssecond last day of our trip! BTW this is first on our list this trip !
So based on my memory in each are of the park I have my DO Not Forget... Oh Gosh I do sound crazy.
I hate to miss details... I have read the immagineers guide to the parks- so I want to be sure to see some of these treasures I have read about.

My crocs have arrived today... I bought my 4th bag for the parks today- I need to decide tonight and return the ones I won't use (need that cash for disney).

BTW- our neighbour who was booked for March Break at the WL, was able to move her trip for WL arriving Jan 24th, they had availability- this late out I think that is a good sign?!

 

[MelXThree]

Is your trip a surprise? It's going to be so cool when that phone call comes! Do you think they could call me at 4:45 a.m. to wake me up for my flight? Did you have to pay for that?

No my trip is not a surprise - I wish I had done it though Oh well next time! but the phone call will be and my son is going to freak!!!

They will call at any time...it's pre-recorded! It's only $2.49 so I thought it would be fun...here is the link if you want it:

https://secure.uvoxnetworks.com/disney/affhome.html?affno=66

 

[trixiequilts]

I just got my Rewards Card, one more thing done that can be crossed off the list!

 

[MelXThree]

I just got my Rewards Card, one more thing done that can be crossed off the list!

I love crossing things off the list but then I add another

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I just got my Rewards Card, one more thing done that can be crossed off the list!

Mine came today too ~ YAY!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

We got Magical Express mail - but they had DH and DD5 on it instead of me and DD7! Oops.
DH is on the phone right now to correct that and to add the DDP too.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Okay DS9 just got done doing 2 weeks worth of spelling homework. I told the teacher I would have him ready for this weeks and next weeks spelling tests by this Friday! That's 50 words!! But I'd rather work ahead now as much as we can rather than coming back to a bunch of extra work.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

We got Magical Express mail - but they had DH and DD5 on it instead of me and DD7! Oops.
DH is on the phone right now to correct that and to add the DDP too.

Hope everything got straightened out!

 

[sharadoc]

Hey Sharadoc - I see that you have the ASMu Family Suite - did you have to call to book that? I've not seen them as an option online. And do you know how many there are? We're considering that for a future trip if we have one or two extras with us (like a grandparent) and really don't know much about how to get one.
TIA

Yes, absolutely have to request that. They will come up online, but there's only around 200 of them, so I think it's tougher to get them to fit your dates unless you call really far out. We reserved ours back in June and had no problem, but had to send the outrageous deposit. Then when rates came out, I called and got the AAA discount applied, too. They were available with the 4/3 deal, apparently, but not my dates (too long - silly isn't it)?

In value season the regular rooms are $89 and the suites are $184, so it's more than 2 rooms, but they look awesome. A suite at Disney for under $200 - that's almost impossible. Although I'm not a huge fan of the values, I'm willing to put up with the lack of landscaping for the room. Plus we can "kind-of" cook in the room, which works great for my family for breakfast. Plus DS has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, so he likes the space and comfort to feel more like a "home". He doesn't like hotel rooms and can't relax enough, so we had to get a room with a living room and bedroom for him to feel comfortable.

Hopefully we'll love it - I think we will and the activities at the hotel will be great for DD.

Let me know whatever else I can help with!

 

[sharadoc]

I also need to do some research for this...apparently once everyone found out I was going to Disney I became the go to person for future trips and a family at much church needs to either have the suites or are looking to stay at the Fort Wilderness cabins!!!

I'm also helping a friend of my mom's and her boss with tips on how to plan a good trip LOL!!

Not to mention I'll be planning my next trip (before Christmas) HEHEHEHEHE... I'm so excited!!!

Ask away - we were originally going to do the cabins, then decided on the suite for a couple of reasons:

1. Cost - you need a golf cart to get around Fort Wilderness unless you're really young and vibrant, not old like me That runs close to $50 A DAY!
2. Space - everything is very spread out at the Fort, and see 1. above.
3. Activities - see 2 and 1 above. At ASMu, they are right there at the guitar pool, and go on continually from around dinner time until the 9:00 movie. That's great if you have one kid who wants to chill in the room, and another one who wants to keep going. Better option than feeding the arcade quarters.
4. No counter service, so no options for quick meals. If you drive and bring groceries, then no problem. If you have to shop at Fort Wilderness to cook, you'll be spending a fortune. On the camping board, they showed a can of spray cheese stuff from the trading post and I think it was round $5.00.
5. Two bathrooms in the suite. That's two showers at once, and no knocking and dancing at the door

I think we may try a cabin in the future, but for the kids first trip, I think the atmosphere, activities and food court at ASMu is the right way to go.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Hope everything got straightened out!

Yup, the CM said he changed the names for us in the system. It shouldn't matter - it's the right number of people.
We added the DDP - paid for in part with our Visa Rewards!

 

[sharadoc]

Please tell me not to panic ! I just called CRO to see about upgrading to either CBR or WL just for grins and was informed that there was no availability! The only Mod or Deluxe that availability was POFQ. This really worries me about the crowd levels when we're there! Did I mention DH & I hate crowds? I know it is all good since we'll be in Disney, but I really wanted lower crowds in Jan. At least we won't be roasting, right?

Are you on a special promotion deal? If so, then there aren't a ton of rooms on those. Don't panic - I think if anything there will still be lower crowds just because of the time of year. Maybe everyone is staying on-site rather than off, so that's why there's no availability. Or it could be one of your days is unavailable, so that makes the whole thing unavailable. You'll be fine.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Okay - Ethansmommy, Trixie, Melxthree, and everyone else who watches the Bachelor - less than an hour until 2 hours of the Bachelor!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Yup, the CM said he changed the names for us in the system. It shouldn't matter - it's the right number of people.
We added the DDP - paid for in part with our Visa Rewards!

Great news!

 

[Tropigal]

I forgot it was monday and the Bachelor is coming on. 2 hours again! Sweet!

BBtomorrow....with 3 days to go to DISNEY!!!

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Are any other snowbirds driving down like us? We're leaving on the 22nd and will arrive in WDW on the 23rd. I'm thinking I may even stick a LGMH on our van just to keep in the spirit of things.

Also, for those of you who printed off your t-shirt designs from the DISigners, I need help. I don't want to sound like a moron, but how do you get the actual design? I see the DISigners posting the requested DISigns on their threads, but how do you then get them print to your transfer paper? Is it as simple as a cut/paste type thing?
TIA.

We're driving, too!! We leave the 23rd and will be in Disney on the 24th! Hubby talked about making something for the car ("we're heading to Disneyworld") but I thought that would make us a target for theft or something (yes, I'm paranoid)! But I like the idea of the LGMH! That's a GREAT idea!!!

We're just starting to make tshirts. My hubby is more schooled in the transfer thing, so I'm not real sure how it works. I'm hoping he'll get home at a decent hour to help me!

 

[MelXThree]

Okay - Ethansmommy, Trixie, Melxthree, and everyone else who watches the Bachelor - less than an hour until 2 hours of the Bachelor!!!

I know (we get it at 6pm here) but I can't watch it until 8pm when my boys go to bed. My house sounds like I have a heard of wild animals running through it at all times I don't watch any tv until my boys are in bed - but the good thing about that is I tape it and I don't have to watch commercials or that "coming up next in the most dramatic rose ceremony EVER"....

 

[pamouselover]

Hello birdies!
For those that have already returned... feed our addiction Pretty please!
We got our laminated touring cards back - these are our general park cards, it also provides me with the hidden gems and where they are located... I am a big time small detail kinda tourist- so I want to see these legendary things! IS this obsessive
As I age there is too much to remember- I know what i want to ride and where it is. I have done a ton of research, last trip we missed so much because 1. I forgot and 2. we never stumbled across it- so this trip will make up for it... For example- I never even saw Club Cool in Epcot... If I didn't read about Le Chapeau in MK I wouldn't have got the mouse ears - we didn't get these until the ssecond last day of our trip! BTW this is first on our list this trip !
So based on my memory in each are of the park I have my DO Not Forget... Oh Gosh I do sound crazy.
I hate to miss details... I have read the immagineers guide to the parks- so I want to be sure to see some of these treasures I have read about.

My crocs have arrived today... I bought my 4th bag for the parks today- I need to decide tonight and return the ones I won't use (need that cash for disney).

BTW- our neighbour who was booked for March Break at the WL, was able to move her trip for WL arriving Jan 24th, they had availability- this late out I think that is a good sign?!

These are some things I thought you might like founding:

Goofy bench in MK ( he talks to you) I think he said good day to me
Unbrella in DHS
The shells in the ground near ariel's grotto (this was DD favorite in 2000)
The wishing well near the castle