4 weeks with Harry, Shamu, Mickey and the gang - too much of a good thing?

[MPHARJ]

You can pool hop at the US resorts as well! RPR does not have a water slide but the others do. I don't know that I would waste a day at US during the first part of your stay, those days that you are staying at RPR will be plenty for you to do what you want to do since your boys are not daredevils, with using FOTL. Glad things are coming together for you. Enjoy!

 

[Goseethemouse]

MPHARJ, I had heard about the pool hopping and actually that was one of the reasons I decided to splurge on a Universal hotel. As the trip is so long and it will be hot, I am really planning on spending a lot of time at the pool and doing other regular, relaxing stuff (shopping, hanging out, etc.).

Still unsure whether to go for the Orlando flex ticket. If we do we might still spend half a day or so at Universal earlier on in the trip. If not we will definitely wait until we get to RPR. Adjusting to the time change (and the heat!) won't be easy so we probably won't be able to do more than half days during the first five or six days (as kids will just be too whiny after 2 pm). That is one of the reasons the flex ticket is tempting - I won't mind if we just spend three hours at a park and then go back to the hotel pool. I really want this to be a magical and relaxing stay and not stressful (our first trip to Orlando as a family was fun but I was completely wiped out when we returned back home).

 

[dizney chick]

Your trip looks sooo exciting I could totally go for a four week vacation. Make sure you visit Aquatica. My family and I went twice last July during our Seaworld/US trip. It totally rocked. Can't wait to hear more

 

[Goseethemouse]

Your trip looks sooo exciting I could totally go for a four week vacation. Make sure you visit Aquatica. My family and I went twice last July during our Seaworld/US trip. It totally rocked. Can't wait to hear more

Yes, I am getting pretty excited. Just wish there wasn't still so much to do before we can leave. Interesting to hear that you liked Aquatica so much. I looked at the numbers and a 2 or 3 day Universal ticket plus a Seaworld ticket would save a bit as compared to the Orlando Flex Ticket. However, if we were to go to Aquatica as well the Flex Ticket would definitely be better (and of course then we could visit Universal/Seaworld as much as we wanted to as well). Yikes, all these decisions are wearing me out.

 

[Goseethemouse]

Yikes, I have finally booked the hotels (mostly) and now everything is back in the air. Now the air traffic controllers are threatening to strike - maybe early next week, right when we are supposed to fly!

Honestly, I feel pretty certain that we can somehow get to Orlando (if maybe a day later than planned) as they will have to figure something out. BUT on the other hand, if there is a strike we could also cancel the flight and get a refund. Not sure if I have mentioned this before but I had serious doubts about the wisdom of taking such an expensive trip - right after booking a non-refundable airline ticket. Eventually, I decided to go ahead because I REALLY didn't want to waste the ticket money (well, and because I did want to go).

But if we could get our flight refunded because of the flight it would be quite different. I think we would only loose deposits/one night's fee for the hotels which is a lot less than the total cost of the trip. The kids of course want to go and so do I - still, I am unsure what would be best.

I guess for now we will have to wait and see what happens with the strike anyway. If it doesn't happen on Tuesday I won't even have to worry about this.

 

[Goseethemouse]

Well, still not sure what will happen about the strike. However, there hasn't been much on the news today so hopefully it won't happen - at least not early next week. Which means we are still set to go.

So here are our plans as of now. You will notice that they aren't very detailed. I do love to make detailed plans but don't really stick with them. In the past I had exact plans with days set out in 15 min. increments (think 9 Dumbo, 8:15 Peter Pan, etc.). BUT I usually got off the track within the first couple of minutes. I have been known to hop onto the Epcot bus just because it arrived first even though plans called for MK!

I realize touring plans can be a live saver but truth is we haven't really needed them in the past. We have always gone when it wasn't very crowded, due to the time change it has been easy to make rope drop, we have plenty of days, and we really don't ride many of the headliners. We hardly ever even use Fastpass!

Can you believe that on our last trip (20 nights at WDW, 21-day-ticket) we did not ride: Expedition Everest, Dino, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids, Test Track, Mission Space, Energy, ride in Norway, Rocking Roller Coaster, ToT, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Stitch, Snow White, Haunted Mansion or BTMRR? I know, I know - it hardly seems worth going to WDW at all.

Anyway, this time I am determined to at least do Kali River Rapids, Energy, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion and BTMRR. We also didn't do Fantasmic last time!

So here are our plans (as far as they go):

8/8 Travel to airport and stay overnight (about 3 hours by train and I am worried we might miss the plane if we don't go the night before)

8/9 A loooonnnnggg flight (should be about 20 hours from going to airport to arriving at the hotel), check-in at Vistana Villages

8/10 - /14 adjust to time change, relax at pool, explore I-drive and smaller attractions, go to Sea World, Aquatica/Wet n Wild, do some shopping, maybe a day at Universal

8/15 check out at SVV and move to Royal Pacific, Universal
8/16 Universal and hotel pools
8/17 Universal/afternoon move to Pop (start of Dining Plan)
8/18-31 Disney parks and a couple of relaxing days at waterparks/DTD/resorts, choice of park mostly determined by ADRs

8/31 move to FW Cabins (though I am still thinking about saving some money and downgrading this part of the trip), HDDR
9/1-3 maybe still a park/waterpark, enjoy Fort Wilderness (campfire sing a long, etc.), pick up a car
9/3 check out, visit Gatorland, check into last hotel (still not booked)
9/4-/7 relax, shop, maybe head to the beach for a day
9/8 fly back
9/9 arrive back home

As you can see the trip gets more and more vague the longer the vacation goes on. Still, it is a basic plan and hopefully that will be enough!

 

[Goseethemouse]

We still don't know whether this trip will be on or not! It does seem that the air traffic controllers will go on strike next week - just not sure if it will happen on Tuesday. I was originally worried about possible flight delays because of hurricanes but it had never occured to me that it might come to this!

Of course now I don't know whether I should go ahead and book the remaining trip components (last hotel, car rental, Orlando ticket). I so do not want to spend several days at the airport, waiting for a possible flight. With two little kids that will be a nightmare. I am really considering canceling the whole trip if it comes to this. The kids are of course upset about the possibility and I too would be sad. However, we would save SO much money... Just not sure what to do!

 

[Goseethemouse]

finally went ahead and made a reservation for the airport hotel for Monday night. I guess I have waited too long - the hotel I had been planning on was booked! Luckily, I found another one that wasn't too expensive and should work.

The kids are pretty excited but also rather apprehensive of a possible strike. Still, to make sure we get a refund we will have to go to the airport even if the flight gets cancelled so we will definitely need the airport hotel. But I am not so sure about booking the shuttle in Orlando and the Orlando Flex ticket. Especially the later is quite pricey and mostly non-refundable. I guess I will wait at least until tomorrow to make a decision on these.

Hopefully, everything will go smoothly and all the worry is for nothing.

I still have loads of stuff to do - packing, cleaning the house, finishing up some work, etc. Tomorrow is certainly going to be busy.[/SIZE]

 

[Goseethemouse]

I finally went ahead and made a reservation for the airport hotel for Monday night. I guess I have waited too long - the hotel I had been planning on was booked! Luckily, I found another one that wasn't too expensive and should work.

The kids are pretty excited but also rather apprehensive of a possible strike. Still, to make sure we get a refund we will have to go to the airport even if the flight gets cancelled so we will definitely need the airport hotel. But I am not so sure about booking the shuttle in Orlando and the Orlando Flex ticket. Especially the later is quite pricey and mostly non-refundable. I guess I will wait at least until tomorrow to make a decision on these.

Hopefully, everything will go smoothly and all the worry is for nothing.

I still have loads of stuff to do - packing, cleaning the house, finishing up some work, etc. Tomorrow is certainly going to be busy.

 

[Goseethemouse]

Well, today didn't go so well. Not sure whether it is the uncertainty of whether the trip is on (latest news is that the strike should happen Tuesday or Wednesday) or just a general feeling of being overwhelmed - I am definitely feeling stressed and of course the kids were acting accordingly.

At least the bags are packed for the most part (some clothing still needs to dry a bit), most of the paperwork is packed up (can't find some insurance papers but hopefully they will still turn up), reservations are made (well, still haven't got the last hotel booked or the Orlando Flex ticket but I can't really go ahead with these until I am certain the trip will happen).

But there is still a lot to do: I need to clean out the fridge, wrap up some work projects, pack up the travel treats for the kids and clean the house. I also was going to bake cupcakes for tomorrow as it will be ds8's last day at the after-school-programm. But it looks like I will have to make a quick stop at the bakery tomorrow instead to pick up some treats.