2008, 24th/28th Aug - *Double Dipping with the Bahama Mamas*

[V4dice]

Your dh only needs help I am impressed. My dh can't pack a thing without me.He is so helpless.. lol

When I say help I mean I get together everything he needs and lay it on the bed and he actually puts it in the suitcase. I guess you and I will both be very busy in August doing all the packing for the trip.

Has anyone booked flghts? Southwest has them now out for our trip down on the 22nd but not for September 1st. I saw Air Tran has a great price of $79 and $89 but they don't offer any kind of refund or credit if you cancel and it's a $75 charge to change flights. We usually luck out with booking Southwest and getting ding rates. We use the credit we get from the original flgihts for future trips. I just booked tickets for a quick get away in April last week and got $89 each way. My friend is going down at the same time and spent $108 for the same flight booking today. I'm hoping a decent ding rate comes out in March. We've lucked out with not paying more than $50 or $60 each way the last several years, usually even $35 or $45 each way.

I am also waiting for Southwest. We are going down on the 23rd and they are only booking through the 22nd I keep checking each day because I really like flying from the airport on Long Island where Southwest flies from. Its much less crowded and crazy than the NYC airports and with a group of 8 of us traveling I'm looking for less stress. I'm hoping to get $99 each way (thats what I got last November since it was near Thanksgiving). I used to be able to get much better rates but lately that seems to be a reasonable price (although I will keep looking for those DING fares too).

 

[DVCLaurie05]

Lol..me too laurie This morning i was typing to jen and called her sarah luckily i edited soon after i relized. her name is sarahsmom so i typed sarah...lol
we are staying at universal royal pacific resort the 22nd and 23rd before the cruise. Where are you staying? Sorry if u already posted it i have forgotten.

We are getting in on 8/20 and staying at Disney's Vero Beach Resort till Saturday morning, then riding up to a hotel near the port, this way we can get in the terminal on Sunday, EARLY!!

Off to work today, so you ought to see A LOT of me today!

 

[mandymouse]

Hi suzanne, Yes she was really enjoying the whole pirate theme of the evening. I heard later she was having a sword fight in the elevator with some friends..oops..our concierge team let us know..lol

It's sounds like she enjoyed getting into character

I was just browsing though my universal package and i remember i booked the meal deal package with citywalk has anyone done this before?

Sorry I can't help you with the Universal meal plans Michele

I do less work when I am at work then when I am home! I was off today - the boys had 'early dismissal' because of the election - so - we went to lunch w/friends, and had some kids here afterwards - then I cooked and here I am! So, it was busy - this morning when they were at school, I went foodshopping and did some work from home... but, let me tell you, when I am at the office - all I do is sit in front of the computer.. .GOTTA love it!

It sounds like you had a great day Laurie

DH is leaving on a business trip tomorrow evening and I am taking my mil and aunt to the city tomorrow to see a taping of the Martha Stewart show (mil is a big fan) so DH has the kids most of the day We should get back just in time for him to head for the airport. I am looking forward to some grown up time and maybe have a nice lunch before heading home but tonight I'm going crazy packing (DH needs help of course) and getting everything set for the kids for tomorrow.

It sounds like you're going to have a fun day today Veronica I hope your husband has a good trip

This morning i was typing to jen and called her sarah luckily i edited soon after i relized. her name is sarahsmom so i typed sarah...lol
we are staying at universal royal pacific resort the 22nd and 23rd before the cruise. Where are you staying? Sorry if u already posted it i have forgotten.

If everyone posts their itinerary here, then I'll add it to the first page, so we all know where we're going to be along with our Cruise details

My itinerary is

16th-24th Caribbean Beach Resort/Cruise/28th-30th Hard Rock Hotel

Have a great day everyone

 

[mandymouse]

Hey Girls, look at our tickers

We're finally under 200 days - woohoo !!

 

[DVCLaurie05]

My itinerary is

16th-24th Caribbean Beach Resort/Cruise/28th-30th Hard Rock Hotel

Have a great day everyone

We are:

Disney's Vero Beach Resort 8/20-8/23
Some hotel near the port (haven't booked it yet) 8/23 - overnight.
Cruise 8/24-8/28 -
then HOME

 

[DVCLaurie05]

When I say help I mean I get together everything he needs and lay it on the bed and he actually puts it in the suitcase. I guess you and I will both be very busy in August doing all the packing for the trip.



I am also waiting for Southwest. We are going down on the 23rd and they are only booking through the 22nd I keep checking each day because I really like flying from the airport on Long Island where Southwest flies from. Its much less crowded and crazy than the NYC airports and with a group of 8 of us traveling I'm looking for less stress. I'm hoping to get $99 each way (thats what I got last November since it was near Thanksgiving). I used to be able to get much better rates but lately that seems to be a reasonable price (although I will keep looking for those DING fares too).

We are waiting on Southwest too - We have done Airtran, and have been doing well w/pricing there, but so far, NOTHING cheap! We went down last August, it was the middle of the month, and I booked it last minute (Airtran) - anyway, I booked in like June - and paid for the 4 of us, TOTAL - 480 w/tax/fees, etc. I don't want to wait that long to book for the cruise, but there is NOTHING out there right now.. So, I am watching and waiting.. We fly out of Philly -

Danielle - what airport do you fly out from?

When we lived up in north jersey - we used to fly out of Laguardia - it was so much cheaper than Newark -

I keep hearing - check out Atlantic City - but, every time I look, they are HIGHER than Philly - so, NO WAY -

Anyway, if anyone gets any good 'dings' let me know - I have that ding thing, but, it never just pops up - and I always forget to check it.

Is that enough rambling for 6am or what? LOL

 

[sarahsmom73]

Morning Girls!

I think we are doing:
AKL 8/22 - 8/24
Cruise: 8/24 - 8/28 ( I know this one)
8/28 - 8/29 ? Maybe CSR since we have never stayed there!

 

[mandymouse]

I think we are doing:
AKL 8/22 - 8/24
Cruise: 8/24 - 8/28 ( I know this one)
8/28 - 8/29 ? Maybe CSR since we have never stayed there!

Ooh lucky you Jen, I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

[nikkyluvsmickey]

When I say help I mean I get together everything he needs and lay it on the bed and he actually puts it in the suitcase. I guess you and I will both be very busy in August doing all the packing for the trip.



I am also waiting for Southwest. We are going down on the 23rd and they are only booking through the 22nd I keep checking each day because I really like flying from the airport on Long Island where Southwest flies from. Its much less crowded and crazy than the NYC airports and with a group of 8 of us traveling I'm looking for less stress. I'm hoping to get $99 each way (thats what I got last November since it was near Thanksgiving). I used to be able to get much better rates but lately that seems to be a reasonable price (although I will keep looking for those DING fares too).

Wow he actually puts it in the suitcase That is way to much for mine..lol

We do jfk it was n't too bad last time. I like jetblue.

 

[nikkyluvsmickey]

Hey Girls, look at our tickers

We're finally under 200 days - woohoo !!

Yah

We are doing universal royal pacific 22nd and 23rd, cruise 24th-28th, staying either sheraton safari or disney grand floridian if free dining comes out for that time period. flying home 29th or 30th depending on disney

 

[Hanover]

We are waiting on Southwest too - We have done Airtran, and have been doing well w/pricing there, but so far, NOTHING cheap! We went down last August, it was the middle of the month, and I booked it last minute (Airtran) - anyway, I booked in like June - and paid for the 4 of us, TOTAL - 480 w/tax/fees, etc. I don't want to wait that long to book for the cruise, but there is NOTHING out there right now.. So, I am watching and waiting.. We fly out of Philly -

Danielle - what airport do you fly out from?

LOL

We fly out of BWI (Baltimore). We could fly out of Harrisburg, but we prefer to fly from BWI and use SouthWest. We used to live near BWI so we are familiar with the area. We are about an hour north of the airport, just over the PA line (near Gettysburg).

We'll probably book as soon as we can get a Sept 1 flight. If they get a better ding rate, we'll just keep the difference as credit for our trip in December. I booked one way tickets each way for our April trip because last time I booked round trip and a ding rate came out one way, I had to cancel the full roundtrip and rebook both. Last year I booked at $139 each way to take my boys for a few days to Star Wars Weekends (ds6 is infatuated with it) and ended up with $34 each way ding rates. The credit paid for our flights in October and we still had left over credit for December. There's no way that we'd fly and go to WDW as often with the higher rates. I watch the SouthWest pricing all of the time and they aren't going down nearly as much as they have in the last several years. My neighbor's a Southwest pilot and he said they used to get 2 free tickets for every 3 months they didn't call out sick and now have to pay $40 each for them. He said the fuel costs and the whole new business class, wanna get away ticket selections etc. have kept prices higher.

We are staying at AKV August 22-23 and then on August 28-Sept 1


Sarahsmom73--we have stayed at CSR twice and really liked it. Last year (we had not yet joined DVC) I couldn't get in any one resort for 5 nights in June and had to transfer the last night from POR to CSR. I had tried to book CSR the whole trip but couldn't get in for weeks. We get our KTTW cards and I am having a heck of a time trying to open the door. There was a mousekeeper outside and I ask her for help and she told me I'd have to try the suites "other door." Because the resort was full, we got upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite. It was great. I felt bad though because my best friend had come down with her son to stay with us at POR and because I thought CSR would not sleep 5 of us, she left that morning. When we transferred, bell services was supposed to take care of our baggage from one resort to the other. The boys were in swim suits and I was told the bags would be there by 3PM. We spent the afternoon renting bikes and swimming. We went back to the room and didn't get our luggage until 8PM and that was with a supervisor driving over to POR to get them. I had them in the 2 tubs forever trying to keep them warm while trying to dry their clothes with the hair dryers. We ended up going to the gift shop and buying new dry t -shirts. If I ever have to do that again, I'll make sure to take a day bag with dry clothes!

DH is telling me to come check out a WDW behind the scenes show on HD theater.

 

[mandymouse]

Danielle - we went to a couple of Star Wars Weekends in May 2005, and we loved it. We lined up for ages to see Darth Vadar (much to the girls despair), and I was really chuffed to get photos with Jedi Mickey and Chewbacca

If you're a Star Wars fan (like me & hubby), then it's a great event to attend isn't it ?

 

[Hanover]

Danielle - we went to a couple of Star Wars Weekends in May 2005, and we loved it. We lined up for ages to see Darth Vadar (much to the girls despair), and I was really chuffed to get photos with Jedi Mickey and Chewbacca

If you're a Star Wars fan (like me & hubby), then it's a great event to attend isn't it ?

We happened to stumble across Star Wars weekends in 2006 after we disembarked the Magic and headed to MGM for the day. Before that, our son's had only known about Star Wars from the lego video game. I got freaked out by Return of the Jedi as a kid and had not seen any of the other movies until the last one. Well, the Star Wars Weekends ignited a passion in ds6. DS10 could take it or leave it, but ds6 lives for Star Wars. He was desperate to do Jedi training back in 2006 and was never picked. He spent the year making up signs and holding training sessions for friends. Last year it was my mission to have him do Jedi training at MGM so we flew down specifically for Star Wars Weekends. We were first at the turnstiles and went straight to Jedi training's first session. I stood in the unbearable heat, dripping in sweat with him on my shoulders jumping around while he yelled to be picked (which is what everyone else did). We went to 6 of the training sessions and he wasn't chosen. The 7th training of the day (the last one), I stationed us front and center and when the Jedi master guy that picks the kids looked at me I mouthed "PLEASE" and he smiled and chose him. I was so happy for him because that is all he had talked about for a year. Of course this year they began doing it daily and he has since done it 2 more times. We really enjoyed the parade and interacting with the Star Wars characters. My best friend is going again in June at AKV and invited us along, but I have to watch my time off of work because of our August/December trips.

 

[mandymouse]

Aww bless him Danielle. Now that is what I call commitment (going to all the Jedi sessions), but I can understand what you mean. I was gutted that only children were picked to do the Pirate Tutorial with Captain Jack Sparrow at the Magic Kingdom last year. I would've done anything to have taken part - how sad is that ?

 

[DVCLaurie05]

We too stumbled upon Star Wars weekends one year - I think maybe 2004 or so, the kids loved it! Got LOTS of pics, and went back the following year - but, we haven't been back since then - it is so hard to go because it is at the end of the school year, so I don't want to take them out to go - I'd rather do that when the parks aren't as crowded, ya know?

Usually we are at WDW at least 2 times per year - this year, we aren't going at all!!!!!!!!!!!! How am I going to survive? We are doing Vero and the Cruise in August, my father just moved to SC so, we are going to visit him Easter week, and in June - so, looks like no WDW this year.. We are actually thinking it might be time to bite the bullet and go to Disneyland, especially now that one of the resort will be DVC - I can use points!!

It's actually busy here today, but I've been skimming along...

 

[Hanover]

I would have practically sold my blood for DS6 to do Jedi training last year, that's how much he wanted to do it. Every time he made a wish or prayed, he'd ask to do Jedi training. He talked about it weekly and constantly made paper signs to hang on our mailbox for kids to come to our house to do Jedi trianing. Our neighbors must have thought we were nuts to have those signs up all the time. DS10 was nice enough to dress as Darth Vader and basically be attacked by light sabers. DS6 spent his entire souvenir money/left over birthday money at DTD doing the 5 make your own light sabers.

We were thrilled to see MGM begin offering daily Jedi training sessions. DS6 was in his Jedi robe when we went in October because we were going to MNSSHP and he was a Jedi (surprise!). He was chosen at the first Jedi training session of the day right after a birthday boy. It was so nice to not have to go to each session to have him try and get chosen. I thought it was well done and much more calm than the ones done over SWW. I wish that Jedi master hired out for birthday parties. It's ds6's 7th birthday in 2 weeks and he wants his friends to come over for what else? Jedi training and cake. It's cute now that he's this age, I just hope he doesn't scare any girls off when he's older with this passion! DS10 is very, very shy and doesn't care to do Jedi training or anything else on a stage. He happens to be a magnet though for getting chosen for audience participation.

When we were on the Med cruise, we went to Tea with Alice and the Mad Hatter. Alice came right up to him, held her hand out and brought him to her table to have tea with her. His knees were shaking he was so nervous in front of everyone. The kicker was he had to use a tea cup with his pinky out and drink iced tea, which he hates. DH and I were nearly peeing ourselves laughing waiting for him to spit it out. He didn't though and was a great sport. He has also been chosen 2 other times as a prince at storytellings when he's tried to hide or avoid eye contact. DS6 is the exact opposite---a total lime light hogging ham who loves karaoke, dancing, singing, anything in front of an audience.

 

[mandymouse]

It took some finding, but I finally found some photos from SWW 2005

 

[Hanover]

We too stumbled upon Star Wars weekends one year - I think maybe 2004 or so, the kids loved it! Got LOTS of pics, and went back the following year - but, we haven't been back since then - it is so hard to go because it is at the end of the school year, so I don't want to take them out to go - I'd rather do that when the parks aren't as crowded, ya know?

Usually we are at WDW at least 2 times per year - this year, we aren't going at all!!!!!!!!!!!! How am I going to survive? We are doing Vero and the Cruise in August, my father just moved to SC so, we are going to visit him Easter week, and in June - so, looks like no WDW this year.. We are actually thinking it might be time to bite the bullet and go to Disneyland, especially now that one of the resort will be DVC - I can use points!!

It's actually busy here today, but I've been skimming along...

The show DH and I watched earlier (he's on evening shift this week) was on Disneyland. I saw it yesterday for the first time on the travel channel, but he wanted to see it himself and wanted me to watch it in "HD." DH has a passion for tv's and electronic gadgets like ds6 does for Star Wars.

We have been thinking of going to Disneyland next summer or 2010 for a week. The boys and I have never been, and dh hasn't been since he was 5 or 6. I think we'd do 4 or 5 days in Disneyland/CA Adventure and a day each in Legoland and Universal.

It bites that we can't use our WDW annual passes there. We were looking in the DVC planner at the resorts and DH really wants to do the Grand Californian. It would take about 240 points at this years rate for the full week in a standard view. I hope they slightly go down once they open DVC there. Our guide just moved from Florida last week to do sales out there.

 

[nikkyluvsmickey]

Cool pics mandy, I like the wookie..lol

 

[Hanover]

I don't have any of our SWW pictures loaded into photobucket yet, but here are some from October's jedi training. Brennan is in the red shorts/top in the front of the group picture