This trip is giving me a headache

[erincon23]

Just thought I'd vent to people who will understand -- DS17 is going to WDW with his school band and choir over spring break (yeah, during the week leading up to Easter, uck). We've always talked about going the same week even though we won't see him, then picking him up when the school leaves mid-week and staying a few extra days. With airfares skyrocketing, we can't afford that, and if we go, it has to be on the cheap. We're coming from Chicago, so our plan to drive doesn't make me very happy.

And I can't do almost any planning -- he won't know his performance schedule until some time in March! So, I have reservations at an off-site hotel Sunday- Thursday, ADRs for LeCellier and Coral Reef for Sunday and Monday -- which may have to be cancelled depending on performance schedules -- and my AP. Don't know how many days' ticket to get for DH, not sure if we're going to go to Universal, don't want to entertain the possibility of any additional ADRs...

This trip is making me, a moderate planner, more than a little nuts. DH definitely wants to go -- we need a vacation -- and I absolutely want to go, but the thought of four days (two each back and forth) in a car, with almost no plans 10 weeks out, is not the way I usually go.

Thanks! I knew you all would understand!

 

[minnie mum]

I'm sorry for your frustration, and I do understand. The worst thing imaginable for a planner is to not know the little details like that.

Not a big fan of driving either- but my DH is. Just about the only way I can get him to agree to a WDW trip is to agree to drive. And for us, it's 3 days each way!! But look at it this way- driving gives you 2 days to decompress and hopefully (if the traffic and weather cooperate) relax before you start your real vacation. At least that's what DH keeps telling me.

By the time you arrive, will you know how many days to buy for DHs ticket? If not, at least you know that you can always add a couple more days later on. The ADR thing would probably bug me most.

Good luck and I hope your trip turns out to be a magic one.

 

[CopperWife]

We are from NW Chicago as well and we drove it for our last trip. We left our house at 6:30 on a Friday night and rolled into Disney at around lunch time on Saturday. I know that it's tough to drive straight thru, but we had two drivers so it wasn't that bad. I really didn't want to break it up and miss another day at Disney. When we got to the hotel, we checked it, grabbed some lunch, hit the pool, took a quick nap, dinner, then an early bedtime.

 

[erincon23]

We are from NW Chicago as well and we drove it for our last trip. We left our house at 6:30 on a Friday night and rolled into Disney at around lunch time on Saturday. I know that it's tough to drive straight thru, but we had two drivers so it wasn't that bad. I really didn't want to break it up and miss another day at Disney. When we got to the hotel, we checked it, grabbed some lunch, hit the pool, took a quick nap, dinner, then an early bedtime.

I can't imagine doing this! We're planning to leave downtown Chicago at about 4 on Friday (DH works downtown, so we'll pack the car, he'll drive, I'll take a train in and we'll go), drive a few hours Friday, most of the day Saturday, adn get in on Sunday. I'm thinking if we push it, we could get in late Saturday and have the whole day Sunday -- that's an option, but all night, I don't think I could handle. But good to know other people do it!

My DB and his family will be there the same week, and my snow-bird parents will be staying an hour away, so we'll want to see them... unless DS performs at DTD, I don't know if my parents will come in. We'll have to see how this all goes!

 

[CopperWife]

It is do-able!

I do feel your pain though, about everything being up in the air. I am a planner, so it would drive me bonkers!

Best of luck!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Been there. When my son was in 8th grade, his middle school band played at DTD.

I could hardly make any plans because the Band Boosters (group in charge of the trip) didn't tell us much about the schedule until a month out. It was a PITA for someone who likes to preplan.

He went on the buses with the school, we drove seperately. We did stay onsite. He and the rest of the band stayed offsite.

I made a few ADR's for 3 during the time he was going to be with the band. I did get lucky and none of them were during the actual band concert at DTD so I didn't have to move or cancel them.
He wasn't going to have any time for eating TS with us so I didn't have him on any of the reservations.

At the end, I picked him and his stuff up at the offsite hotel and the 4 of us enjoyed a day at Disney together before moving over to Universal for a couple of days.

It all worked well. I found the key for me was actually being very flexible which was difficult for me then.
I'm better about that stuff now so it probably wouldn't bug me as much now.

Good luck!

 

[disnut8]

Just thought I'd vent to people who will understand -- DS17 is going to WDW with his school band and choir over spring break (yeah, during the week leading up to Easter, uck). We've always talked about going the same week even though we won't see him, then picking him up when the school leaves mid-week and staying a few extra days. With airfares skyrocketing, we can't afford that, and if we go, it has to be on the cheap. We're coming from Chicago, so our plan to drive doesn't make me very happy.

And I can't do almost any planning -- he won't know his performance schedule until some time in March! So, I have reservations at an off-site hotel Sunday- Thursday, ADRs for LeCellier and Coral Reef for Sunday and Monday -- which may have to be cancelled depending on performance schedules -- and my AP. Don't know how many days' ticket to get for DH, not sure if we're going to go to Universal, don't want to entertain the possibility of any additional ADRs...

This trip is making me, a moderate planner, more than a little nuts. DH definitely wants to go -- we need a vacation -- and I absolutely want to go, but the thought of four days (two each back and forth) in a car, with almost no plans 10 weeks out, is not the way I usually go.

Thanks! I knew you all would understand!

Yes, but....

What an adventure. Sure, the four days of driving isn't going to be exciting but you can make it be. Get some books on CD for the car so you the husband can listen to them. I don't think you are driving straight through so stop for the night at a nice place and treat yourself. Both going and coming back.

My gosh - your son is 17 years old - just break out and do it! It's not the journey, it's the destination.

 

[eliza61]

One of the reasons I think many of us get frustrated when going to wdw is because we want every thing to be "perfect". If we don't ride space mountain 4 times we think the day was wasted. If we don't get into le Cellier we get disappointed.

Let go. The "perfection" is that you are having an inpromptu trip.

Ok so this is not the way you usually go. You can still have plenty of fun.

Go on line and put in your dates. What restaurants are open. Yes they may not be the ones you normally eat at but try a new one. some times those surprises are great.

I've have gone to wdw almost every time imaginable and I have never ever not been able to get an adr. I've never been during christmas or 4th of july so can't comment on those days.

My trip is 3/18 wanna know how many adr's I have so far for a 7 night trip. 1 and I guarantee you we will eat a sit down meal every day. don't believe the hype.

Tickets can be purchased for your dh the day off. Not sure if you can use a discount broker that late but what do you save on 1 ticket, 30 dollars? You have an ap.

So the best advice from some one who always goes without plans is that have to relax and focus on the simple fact that you are there. You still know how to use fast pass so it's not like you have to worry about 2 hour waits.

In fact don't even think about what park you'll be attending. We wake up in the morning and whichever bus comes first, that's the park we head to. We have not found any great advantage of TGM's best day or day to avoid. We have always had fun in whatever park we are in on whatever day.

The only things I check are the weather and park hours.

 

[erincon23]

I think it's not so much that I can't plan -- I'm really only a moderate planner, not a commando -- it's that so much is out of my control. I don't like being in the car that much (I have arthritis and have trouble sitting for long periods of time -- yes we can stop, but that adds to our total driving time). I don't know when DS will be performing, so I don't know what to tell my parents and my brother (and you know DB and SIL are commando planners). We do have the two ADRs -- since it's only DH and me for several days, these will be fun -- but I don't know if we'll be able to keep either of them depending on DS's performance schedule. I don't mind winging it to a certain extent -- I've never been a "this ride first, then this, then this" person, and I don't really care about crowd levels, but I like to know at least where I'm going!

Oh well, we'll have fun. I wish DS20 were going (then we'd have another driver lol), but it should be a good time!