***1st Week of December Thread ADR Plans, Park Hours, and dealing with Pop Warner***

[JamieOak]

That can't be right - TH and Rainforest both have PPO Breakfasts so busses have to be running for those!

Yes very true, and it's an 8:00am park opening day on this particular day as well. But I would think the buses are trying to get those with PPO breakfasts to the gates at like 7:45, whereas I'm shooting for getting to the gate at 7:30 and then I'll be at the Wild Africa Trek check in by the 7:45 required time. It's located by TH I believe.

 

[JamieOak]

@JamieOak I had this same question. I think this might be helpful.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/getting-to-wild-africa-trek.3528081/#post-56133685

Great thanks! It seems buses are possible, but taxi/uber will be less stressful on us.

I love the quote from you in that thread about your daughter loving animals more than people. That's so me!

 

[serenitynow]

What made this thread explode today??? I've been off-line packing and getting reading for a weekend trip to Chicgo area; I also had to attend my local crochet guild chapter meeting this evening. I'll be the featured teacher at a crochet retreat this weekend. I've packed yarn, garment samples, and all my clothes. I'm packed except for toiletries, which I'll pack in the morning. I need to go to bed, but I don't want to miss anything here!

My plane lands at Midway at 12:30 pm tomorrow, but I won't have anything to do until I'm picked up by a local chapter member late morning on Friday. Anybody know Chicago well who can suggest anything for me to do tomorrow afternoon and evening. I'm up for taking the train or bus to downtown, if that's safe for me to do on my own.

Depends on what you like to do. If you like shopping take the bus or train to Michigan Avenue. There is a GREAT walking architectural tour of historic Chicago as well as the boat architectural tours. There is even a haunted Chicago bus tour. Navy Pier is fun. The observation platforms at the Sears tower. Shed Aquarium, Museum of Natural History, the list is endless.

The nice thing about Chicago is that it has a great safe public transportation system. Tourist sites tend to be easily reachable by train or bus. Have a Great time!

 

[Candycane83]

I think there is someone else from Chicago here... Maybe @Wood Nymph ?

 

[Candycane83]

yeah I am not a morning person so I am doing a 10am breakfast there. Planning to RD Soarin' and trying to decide if I want to RD it and then do an early FP+ for it or if I can ride it twice at RD before breakfast. then living with the land (either before or after breakfast) The land pavilion is my favorite pavilion. Or MAYBE I should RD soarin, do it again if I can, do the living' with the land if I can't and show up early for breakfast if I have to... and FP+ it for after breakfast. this way there is a break between riding. Yes i love it that much. If Epcot had EMM with Soarin', TT and spaceship earth, I'd so be there like you would not believe.

Also Soarin' was closed still when kiddo was there with his dad and he was SO SAD. it is his favorite too. I am hoping to do it once our first day and then twice our second day before we leave the epcot area for MK area.

If you will all indulge me for a minute, I documented my trip 2 years ago on FB. 2 years ago today I was in epcot all day and then we went to CA Grill for dinner and then back to Epcot for Illuminations (since I had no parkhoppers).

Sounds like your son has a lot of must dos that you'll be able to fulfill this trip!

 

[Candycane83]

I need to read from page 293 til yesterday sometime yes the thread exploded. maybe friday night I can sit down and indulge.

I need this trip so badly I can't wait, only then it will be over and there will be nothing left to plan

2 years is not so long especially when you start planning a year or so ahead of time anyway I have been planning this trip since I was pregnant!

 

[Candycane83]

I'm kinda ready to stop with the juggling act already!! I mean...I'll do it if I NEED to, but it sure would be nice not to have to. I've f-i-n-a-l-l-y got our plans how I want them. Hopefully everything can stay put and RoL will just easily fit right into the windows that I (and everyone else!) have been saving for it!

That's great you got everything the way you want it now! If I only had so much decisiveness in me!

 

[Lisa F]

I'm kinda ready to stop with the juggling act already!! I mean...I'll do it if I NEED to, but it sure would be nice not to have to. I've f-i-n-a-l-l-y got our plans how I want them. Hopefully everything can stay put and RoL will just easily fit right into the windows that I (and everyone else!) have been saving for it!

so settle! I'm settled except for waiting for star wars fireworks and HOPING I can fit in RoL (it would have to be after 5pm CA Grill dinner and I would burn my FP+ for it for sure). Keeping fingers crossed if it opens there are two shows and one is late enough that I can make it. damn early sunset

 

[Talby]

My plane lands at Midway at 12:30 pm tomorrow, but I won't have anything to do until I'm picked up by a local chapter member late morning on Friday. Anybody know Chicago well who can suggest anything for me to do tomorrow afternoon and evening. I'm up for taking the train or bus to downtown, if that's safe for me to do on my own.

Some great input so far. Something I have always wanted to do in Chicago is one of their segway tours! I think that'd be a fun way to see the city. I've really enjoyed exploring the Navy Pier. Have fun no matter what you decide!

 

[Lisa F]

2 years is not so long especially when you start planning a year or so ahead of time anyway I have been planning this trip since I was pregnant!

the next trip is going to be a cruise. I want to take kiddo on a disney cruise before he gets too old to really enjoy the kid clubs.

 

[serenitynow]

the next trip is going to be a cruise. I want to take kiddo on a disney cruise before he gets too old to really enjoy the kid clubs.

You guys will Love a Disney cruise. We sailed on the Dream in 2011 and my DS still talks about it. He has asked for a Disney cruise for his high school graduation present. Luckily we have 4 years to save up for it!

 

[SilSprBea]

Thank you everyone for The Garden Grill feedback/thoughts. It sounds like an awesome one and that I have my next ADR challenge- garden grill PPO on our Epcot. It kind of burns me I saw the perfect one last week and I didn't grab it because garden grill wasn't on my radar. Before it was only processes! Hoping one will come up again.

 

[Tinker06]

Okay disers! I need advise- 1 christmas party or two? And why??

 

[rasadkowski]

Thank you everyone for The Garden Grill feedback/thoughts. It sounds like an awesome one and that I have my next ADR challenge- garden grill PPO on our Epcot. It kind of burns me I saw the perfect one last week and I didn't grab it because garden grill wasn't on my radar. Before it was only processes! Hoping one will come up again.

This ALWAYS seems to happen based on my experience another one definitely comes up!

 

[SilSprBea]

the next trip is going to be a cruise. I want to take kiddo on a disney cruise before he gets too old to really enjoy the kid clubs.

@Lisa F Can you use your DVC points toward a cruise? Just curious. Don't really know how they work. We've never though of becoming DVC members. Do you like it?

 

[Iowamomof4]

Okay disers! I need advise- 1 christmas party or two? And why??

One, because I couldn't afford to take my family of 6 to 2 Christmas parties! lol

However, if I could do 2, I would gladly book them. I would spend the first party taking in as many of the shows/parades/fireworks/etc... as I could and then focus on characters and/or rides and/or hitting the highlights I either missed or wanted to see again from the first show. ***I've never done a party, so my thoughts come from research, not experience***

 

[JamieOak]

Oh goodness. Now I'm going to extend my trip another day, buy another set of party tickets, and rearrange my entire schedule again!

Seriously though, I'm way too easily influenced to read this thread sometimes!

 

[Lisa F]

@Lisa F Can you use your DVC points toward a cruise? Just curious. Don't really know how they work. We've never though of becoming DVC members. Do you like it?

I can. Nowadays unless you buy in direct from disney you can't (resales do not have this benefit) but what you can do is rent your points to pay for a cruise. There are point rental brokers who will do this directly for you as well, at a better rate than disney gives you. I do not have enough points to do that and I share them with the ex so I basically have enough for a 1 week stay in a studio every year (we share 130 points). a cruise would be much more but i could mitigate that by renting my share of points for between 1500-2k (roughly) to pay for part of the cruise (or most of it depending on what i book and what i rent). Right now i am holding a reservation on october 2017 for an 8 day bahamian cruise out of NY with a stop at WDW but thinking of switching to his 2018 winter break in february. those rates are not released yet. it will make it a bit less than 2 years between cruises. I really wanted to do the october one though but it's not my year for the points and not sure I can swing it. I also invited my parents but that is their year to go to aruba.

I love DVC but it costs a lot more now so I don't honestly know how the financial worked out. When I bought in it was $55 a point and you could get an AP rate at BWI/YC/BC for $165/night+tax so those are the numbers I worked with. Now I am paying $35/month for my half of the dues which is $840 over 2 years and I get a stay at deluxe levels for that, which would probably only buy 2 nights at a cash rate (not quite 3 even discounted). so for me it works.

 

[Lisa F]

Okay disers! I need advise- 1 christmas party or two? And why??

what are your goals at the xmas party?

if you love the fireworks/parade and want to see it twice and money is no object, why not?
if you want to spend one of them doing parades/shows and the other doing just rides, it is probably worth it - not everything will be walk on but I bet most things will be esp during parades and fireworks
there is enough to do there that you could do two and not do it all and it is less than a 1 day admission to the park so I think if you have the money it could be justified.

I am only there for a week and we are doing it once

 

[Candycane83]

Ok, I'm having a very busy morning at work and am able just to press like buttons!

@Lisa F I'd love to take my little one on a cruise but maybe when he's 6? I feel he is a little too young right now to enjoy. I plan to go to Asia next year if I can. I'm hoping to have a vacation with my mom and sisters!

@Tinker06 I have one party planned... but was considering a second one on our last night. Unfortunately, DH is not on board with that... I still don't have last day plans