September/October 2013 check in

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Hey everyone!!!

Its been a long time since I have been on the Dis, so excited to see how everyones plans are going!!!

My sister and me have just payed the deposit for our Disney Dream cruise for October 2013, 4 nights to the Bahamas Concierge level!!! We are planing on arriving two days before and staying at either the Art of Animation or Animal Kingdom Lodge for the two nights, we are not going to do into any of the parks before the cruise so are planning to either see La Nouba and explore DTD and possibly mini Golf.

We are still planning on the rest of the trip after the cruise but still hoping to be able to do both Halloween and Christmas parties. This will be a big trip for both of us to WDW. We are thinking about buying another AP as it was such great value for our last trip in Janaury 2012, where we stayed for three weeks.

Thats it for our plans at the moment, think we will be taking a break from trip planning as we plan for Christmas and New Years 2012

Hope everyones plans are going well!!

Shan

Hi. Your trip sounds fab! The Dream is a beautiful ship sailed on it twice and just booked another. la nouba is fab also you will both love that. Both those resorts sound nice how will you choose!

 

[5ofus]

I brought out Air NZ tickets for Sep 2011, in April, so we may have to wait a little longer than Jan/Feb for the AirNZ sale (though I do hope not!!).

Oh God no...

 

[australiankaren]

they are releasing sales later and later...i bought my ANZ PE tickets for Sept in January....and the price didnt shift lower after that. I think economy tickets have more movement re price....

so I'll be waiting til after feb trip to buy now......tossing up Qantas exit row or anz PE.....DH wants anz as do I , but with there being such a big price diff, we may have to slum it this year....and now that he wants to do F&W after cruise that's another $1000....

plotting and scheming ..........

 

[australiankaren]

cant keep up

now looking at 4 days at F&W staying at AoA maybe or pop...at the end of our trip...which means i have to renew my AP's...an expense I wasnt counting on..so thats another $800 plus $500 accom plus $300 food plus $200 car hire......so for 5 days at WDW its going to cost us $1800.....

 

[alicia1506]

we are looking at 10 days wdw + 7 night western on dcl and that trip i'm trying to do for less than $13k. the accom is killing me. we have to go in may cause of stupid star wars weekend, so accom is ridiculously expensive. pop for 10 nights is going to run me at least $1500 + $750 for tickets + at least $1000 for food ... it's an expensive place to say

 

[australiankaren]

we are looking at 10 days wdw + 7 night western on dcl and that trip i'm trying to do for less than $13k. the accom is killing me. we have to go in may cause of stupid star wars weekend, so accom is ridiculously expensive. pop for 10 nights is going to run me at least $1500 + $750 for tickets + at least $1000 for food ... it's an expensive place to say

have you had a look on the wdw site, they seem to be having accom package deals..maybe your dates will slot in then???

also, i saw AoA mermaid rooms were nearly as cheap as POP....and had you thought of one of you getting a AP, then you'd get all the discounts associated with that..may work out cheaper....

here to confuse!

 

[alicia1506]

have you had a look on the wdw site, they seem to be having accom package deals..maybe your dates will slot in then???

also, i saw AoA mermaid rooms were nearly as cheap as POP....and had you thought of one of you getting a AP, then you'd get all the discounts associated with that..may work out cheaper....

here to confuse!

yeah, i've been scouring the site... our dates are 17 months away, but i need to get my head on straight about what i want so that i can start putting away enough money now -- with 2 trips on the go at the moment, i need to figure out budget.

looking at david's dvc rental figures based on may 2013, it might be cheaper to rent dvc at beach club or okw or even blt rather than paying for a mod OOP.

since we're there for 10days, i really think an AP might work out for us, but then again... i may have to do this trip on the cheap in which case it may be pop (or worse one of the all stars) plus an inside stateroom on the cruise, plus no adrs and just do counter service or even worse (gasp) have all groceries delivered. just trying to figure out budgeting. oh, if only i'd won millions.

 

[australiankaren]

yeah, i've been scouring the site... our dates are 17 months away, but i need to get my head on straight about what i want so that i can start putting away enough money now -- with 2 trips on the go at the moment, i need to figure out budget.

looking at david's dvc rental figures based on may 2013, it might be cheaper to rent dvc at beach club or okw or even blt rather than paying for a mod OOP.

since we're there for 10days, i really think an AP might work out for us, but then again... i may have to do this trip on the cheap in which case it may be pop (or worse one of the all stars) plus an inside stateroom on the cruise, plus no adrs and just do counter service or even worse (gasp) have all groceries delivered. just trying to figure out budgeting. oh, if only i'd won millions.

speaking of cheaper...with my dvc points that I transfered it is cheaper for me to stay 4 nights at WLV than it is to stay at POP...go figure...what would you rather??? POP or WLV studio..........WLV of course!

 

[KiwiMouseGirl]

Alrighty you WDW resort veterans! I have until the end of this week to part plan, budget and present a holiday to WDW in 2014 for a friend. Don't get me wrong, we are still going on our DLR Halloween/Christmas mission. But I was walking to a friend last night who offered to come on the Halloween/Christmas mission with me if Alicia couldn't (might be studying, but promises she can still come) Which is when I thought... I have great faith in Alicia that she will actually pull through and go on this trip, which will probably leave my other friend, Glenn, a little dis heartened. So then I thought...If i'm going to see Disneyland during both it's overlays (lifetime wish of mine) then why doesn't my next trip be to WDW! Just thinking about it is giving me the feeling I had when I started researching Disneyland for the first time, because I know NOTHING about WDW. So, after the lengthy spiel..my question is this. How many days would you allocate for a holiday to WDW. We would be doing all the theme parks, including Universal and probably Sea World. I would want to spend more than one day at Magic Kingdom to make sure we got everything done Not going to lie...a little bit excited about the possibility of two trips to plan!!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Alrighty you WDW resort veterans! I have until the end of this week to part plan, budget and present a holiday to WDW in 2014 for a friend. Don't get me wrong, we are still going on our DLR Halloween/Christmas mission. But I was walking to a friend last night who offered to come on the Halloween/Christmas mission with me if Alicia couldn't (might be studying, but promises she can still come) Which is when I thought... I have great faith in Alicia that she will actually pull through and go on this trip, which will probably leave my other friend, Glenn, a little dis heartened. So then I thought...If i'm going to see Disneyland during both it's overlays (lifetime wish of mine) then why doesn't my next trip be to WDW! Just thinking about it is giving me the feeling I had when I started researching Disneyland for the first time, because I know NOTHING about WDW. So, after the lengthy spiel..my question is this. How many days would you allocate for a holiday to WDW. We would be doing all the theme parks, including Universal and probably Sea World. I would want to spend more than one day at Magic Kingdom to make sure we got everything done Not going to lie...a little bit excited about the possibility of two trips to plan!!!

If time allows, try for 10 - 14 days just for WDW. 14 days will allow you two days at each park, a couple of days for each of the water parks and then extra time to go explore the resorts, enjoy the food and shop. You might then want 3 - 4 days at Universal/SeaWorld.

Have you considered if you want to go to Kennedy Space Centre or if you want to see more than just the theme parks? You might want to check where the manatees are at the time of year that you're going; and also to see if you want to do an airboat ride.

 

[battymum]

Yep, what she said!!!

Don't underestimate what there is to do at wdw, you can easily fill two weeks there!

I started planning a wdw trip and then added a cruise and then 4 days in New York City, because, heck it's so close, when else am I ever going to go there, and I didn't want to spend all that money on airfare just for a theme park. Walt Disney world is so much more, than just a them park.

While we loved every bit of our trip, it was all a bit rushed and I definitely don't think 8days was enough at wdw.

 

[Minniemum]

So then I thought...If i'm going to see Disneyland during both it's overlays (lifetime wish of mine) then why doesn't my next trip be to WDW!

I really like your thinking!

PIO is spot on with what I'd recommend time wise for a visit to WDW and the Orlando area in general. What time of year were thinking for your WDW trip? If it was October/November again, please note they do close one of the water parks for annual maintenance around this time for about 2-3 months. We did a 2 week stay during the overlay period in 2010 and found it was warm enough to swim in the first week but too cold in the second week. We love the Water Parks, this year we spent 4 of our 14 days there. Again, it will depend on what you're after.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Anyone who's been reading Kyl's TR will know that I've become a tad obsessed the last few days with the prospect of renting DVC points.

I never even knew DVC Brokers existed before reading her report and I'm now excited about the fact there are ways of renting points that makes the whole process a bit less risky. From what I understand it's still not 100% risk free, but I scoured the web for horror stories and couldn't find any.

I initially contacted David's Vacation Club and was really disappointed to discover there was a studio I wanted at AKV, but no points to book it. So then I contacted DVC Rental Store who could get me a preferred view studio at BWV, but it was beyond my budget to book it for the whole stay. I also had a lovely Disboards member offer to sell me points, but they weren't quite ready to use yet and I'm really keen to book asap while I know rooms are still available.

So, anyway, to cut a long story short I've decided to not put all of my eggs in one basket and are attempting to book a split stay through 2 different companies. I got back to DVC Rental store and asked them to book the BW for me for the first 5 nights of our stay. That transaction is almost complete and I can already see my booking on the Disney website Also, the customer service has been great.
I can't wait to be so close to Epcot during the F&W.

Davids also got back to me today to say that they now have AK points. I've asked them if they can book me in to a standard studio for my last 6 nights of my stay. I haven't heard back from them yet, but it's feeling promising. Fingers crossed.

All up, the price of these points is comparable to Disney having a room special of about 60% off their villas. Obviously there are risks, horrible cancellation policies, and upfront payments that come along with this 60% discount, but I'm just so happy about the potential to stay in 2 resorts I never dreamt I'd be able to afford, that I guess I'm prepared to take those risks.

So, my holiday plans presently look like this
18 - 21 Sep: HRH and Universal
21 - 28 Sep: Disney Fantasy
28 - 3 Oct: Preferred view studio BWV (Epcot Food and Wine, here we come).
3 - 9 Oct: Hopefully a standard studio at the AKV.

Doing the happy dance right now.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Congrats Wanderlust! Sounds like a plan coming together.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Congrats Wanderlust! Sounds like a plan coming together.

Thanks PrincessInOz

 

[australiankaren]

Anyone who's been reading Kyl's TR will know that I've become a tad obsessed the last few days with the prospect of renting DVC points.

I never even knew DVC Brokers existed before reading her report and I'm now excited about the fact there are ways of renting points that makes the whole process a bit less risky. From what I understand it's still not 100% risk free, but I scoured the web for horror stories and couldn't find any.

I initially contacted David's Vacation Club and was really disappointed to discover there was a studio I wanted at AKV, but no points to book it. So then I contacted DVC Rental Store who could get me a preferred view studio at BWV, but it was beyond my budget to book it for the whole stay. I also had a lovely Disboards member offer to sell me points, but they weren't quite ready to use yet and I'm really keen to book asap while I know rooms are still available.

So, anyway, to cut a long story short I've decided to not put all of my eggs in one basket and are attempting to book a split stay through 2 different companies. I got back to DVC Rental store and asked them to book the BW for me for the first 5 nights of our stay. That transaction is almost complete and I can already see my booking on the Disney website Also, the customer service has been great.
I can't wait to be so close to Epcot during the F&W.

Davids also got back to me today to say that they now have AK points. I've asked them if they can book me in to a standard studio for my last 6 nights of my stay. I haven't heard back from them yet, but it's feeling promising. Fingers crossed.

All up, the price of these points is comparable to Disney having a room special of about 60% off their villas. Obviously there are risks, horrible cancellation policies, and upfront payments that come along with this 60% discount, but I'm just so happy about the potential to stay in 2 resorts I never dreamt I'd be able to afford, that I guess I'm prepared to take those risks.

So, my holiday plans presently look like this
18 - 21 Sep: HRH and Universal
21 - 28 Sep: Disney Fantasy
28 - 3 Oct: Preferred view studio BWV (Epcot Food and Wine, here we come).
3 - 9 Oct: Hopefully a standard studio at the AKV.

Doing the happy dance right now.

awesome job!..i love split stays...you get the best of 2 or 3 resorts.....as your not there long enough to get bored with the resort......our trip this time is BWV & OKW...so 2 very different resorts we havent tried....

Once you do DVC you cant go back to normal rooms.....we too will be there 29-3 oct for F&W...but staying at OKW as I think BWV will be impossible for us to get at 7 months out...so hopefully you are using BWV points for that part...

 

[WanderlustNZ]

awesome job!..i love split stays...you get the best of 2 or 3 resorts.....as your not there long enough to get bored with the resort......our trip this time is BWV & OKW...so 2 very different resorts we havent tried....

Once you do DVC you cant go back to normal rooms.....we too will be there 29-3 oct for F&W...but staying at OKW as I think BWV will be impossible for us to get at 7 months out...so hopefully you are using BWV points for that part...

Cheers Karen

Yes, we've booked the BW for 28-3 Oct using rented points. I also just got an email to say they've booked us a hard-to-get Boardwalk view and put in a request for us to also see the Fireworks. So excited!

I have this cunning plan to start our WDW park visits at Epcot. I think my son will enjoy Epcot more if he isn't comparing it to the more 'kid-friendly' parks.

 

[australiankaren]

Cheers Karen

Yes, we've booked the BW for 28-3 Oct using rented points. I also just got an email to say they've booked us a hard-to-get Boardwalk view and put in a request for us to also see the Fireworks. So excited!

I have this cunning plan to start our WDW park visits at Epcot. I think my son will enjoy Epcot more if he isn't comparing it to the more 'kid-friendly' parks.

good plan.....always start witih epcot, then AK, then hollywood studios and then MK.....although epcot is my fav...

great result re BWV....but remember the boardwalk view is very noisy, so if you/family cant sleep take ear plugs...i enjoy noise, so wouldn't be an issue for me , but DH is a light sleeper and has ear plugs....

your going o love F&W...but expect to spend $$$$$ on the food as you go around..it just smells so good!

 

[cola]

How many days would you allocate for a holiday to WDW. We would be doing all the theme parks, including Universal and probably Sea World. I would want to spend more than one day at Magic Kingdom to make sure we got everything done

Absolute minimum of 7 days for WDW, that is 4 days each park one day, a rest day, and 2 catch up days, because you will need to go back to every park, not just Magic Kingdom, though they will probably be half day visits. If you are going to MNSSHP that gives you another half day at MK too. I think an extra go light non park day visiting the resorts is also a great idea (going out to Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can get very close to the animals and have the CM guide pretty much all to yourself answering any questions and telling you lots more), so 8 days.

Then you also need a shopping day, Universal takes 2 days, and if you get captivated by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you might even need 3. The 2 days should be a Park to Park ticket because you probably won't spend a full day at Universal Studios, unless the Harry Potter expansion is open by then, and you'll need to go back to WWOHP. Once the Harry Potter expansion is open, I think they will have to make the only ticket options Park to Park, no single park tickets, because there is no way they will be able to say you can only go on this ride in Universal Studios if you have a Park to Park ticket.

Sea Wold is one day.

Then there is the shopping, that is easily one day.

Then there is the other options around Orlando - Kennedy Space Center, Lego World, alligators, shopping (again), etc - easily one day.

So that is 12 days going HARD, only one rest day, you really need another rest day in the middle, so 13, and add one day for arriving and departing, you're up to 14 days without even trying.

FOr that extra days for Universal/Sea World/shopping/etc if you have any budget concerns, don't stay at Disney for those days, off site is much much much cheaper. First visit, staying on site for at least a good part of a week makes it much easier.

 

[Travel Mum]

FOr that extra days for Universal/Sea World/shopping/etc if you have any budget concerns, don't stay at Disney for those days, off site is much much much cheaper. First visit, staying on site for at least a good part of a week makes it much easier.

Yes, we did 9 nights onsite at WDW with total Disney immersion then checked out and had 7 nights offsite (much cheaper accommodation cost) while we did the Universal parks, Sea World, KSC and shopping. One of those 7 nights we had two hotels because we nipped over to stay one night onsite at Universal to get the onsite perks on our Universal parks days