86'd From the Poly? No worries-bring us Margarita's & Wiener Salad! A TFW Meet Aug 08

[OhMari]

How's the planning going.
Leesa, if your brothers go, will you guys still drive down?

I'm having that funny stomache thing again. My dh wants to do the Nascar thing after our vacation, and the hotel wants $325 a nite in Coconut Grove FL near Homestead. I think they are wracking up the rates because of the stupid race that weekend. I talked to a actual Travel Agaent today and he wants $500 a person, which is tickets to the Nascar Race, our room at a Marriott-3 nites, and shuttle back and forth to the race. With room and tickets I come up to $1500 instead of $2,000. Is the shuffling to/from the race worth $500? ( our sons are coming down for the weekend, so there is 4 of us).

Edit-I deleted my dh,(McDiser) he was on last nite. I didn't see he was still logged on and I accidently posted with his username. He found a bunch of people on from Wisconsin on the CB. I told him to stay off the CB-it is a scary place-except for the Focker thread.

 

[Disneyolic]

He found a bunch of people on from Wisconsin on the CB. I told him to stay off the CB-it is a scary place-except for the Frocker thread.

That Frocker thread is very scary but the Focker thread is fun ....

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

How's the planning going.
Lessa, if your brothers go, will you guys still drive down?

Probably not, we can get decent fares from Syracuse. We will see, the plans are still all up in the air.

 

[LurrrvtheDuck]

I'm having that funny stomache thing again. My dh wants to do the Nascar thing after our vacation, and the hotel wants $325 a nite in Coconut Grove FL near Homestead. I think they are wracking up the rates because of the stupid race that weekend. I talked to a actual Travel Agaent today and he wants $500 a person, which is tickets to the Nascar Race, our room at a Marriott-3 nites, and shuttle back and forth to the race. With room and tickets I come up to $1500 instead of $2,000. Is the shuffling to/from the race worth $500? ( our sons are coming down for the weekend, so there is 4 of us).

$325/night?! That's insane! Coconut Grove isn't that near to Homestead though, about a 25-30 min drive. Try Cutler Bay area there are some hotels there and it's much closer to Homestead and probably a little cheaper, but they're smaller not big name hotels so may book faster.

Z - my Internet's been wonky all day, too, though we still have power.

I had power too, it literally went out for a minute (Thank goodness!). Internet's doing a little better now.

 

[TEminnie]

Is this thread on the community board?

Good to know people from Wisconsin should be avoided too--I always suspected that.

 

[OhMari]

Is this thread on the community board?

Good to know people from Wisconsin should be avoided too--I always suspected that.

I've met a few of them, on here, but no one in person yet. I've talked to a Sassy, who can get in trouble sometimes.

LurrrvtheDuckThanks for the tip about Cutler Bay

I know absolutely nothing about the area. This is why I contacted a Travel Agent today. I think I'll just get tickets from him. If you could recommend a place, just give me a link in a PM. I don't want to hijack this WDW pre-trip to much.

 

[ncsjodi]

I'll definitely be over there at some point for F&W (probably a couple times, if I'm being honest) - that's a tough one for me to nail down so far out, but I'll keep you posted!

I'm pretty sure that we're doing a meet at the Biergarten as well, on Sunday the 19th. I actually booked our flight today. We were planning to drive, but got a great deal on AirTran so we jumped on it! Then, we went ahead and booked a night at ASMovies since we have to come in on Saturday and a rental car. Nothing like a little advanced planning, right? It's only 8 months....

 

[TEminnie]

Last edited by OhMari : Today at 07:51 PM. Reason: Edited Frocker to Focker-I had no clue. And I do proofreading in my real job.


Don't worry---DM will always catch your mistakes!

 

[Disneyolic]

Last edited by OhMari : Today at 07:51 PM. Reason: Edited Frocker to Focker-I had no clue. And I do proofreading in my real job.


Don't worry---DM will always catch your mistakes!

Only because I care ...

 

[puggymom]

Thanks, guys. I know I totally felt like Kathy Lee Gifford for a moment, but I thought it was too cute not to share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So without getting into details, I've had some MAJOR drama here. Not sure Waldo and TE are going to go after all, in fact I prefer them to not go - but that's a whole 'nutha can-o-worms, KWIM?
I had to quit my job - so there goes that extra money, but not a big deal. Sometimes living with your mother is NOT good.

First loved the Evan video, tell him I am going to pinch those cheeks when I see him!

OK first this , second, Murph and I are so much closer with us living in different abodes. It really did improve our relationship. Murph even jokes that she would be better off in a nursing home then coming to live with me. We are too much alike to live under the same roof.

Well I just booked Pop for 8/20-8/25! Room only so I cancel it easily if I have to since the trip is not a 100% sure thing yet. Also booked room only so I could get the 20% off with AAA.

I think you can add the code later on. I was sad to not have a pin.

I have added a code onto an existing ressie

Well, I'll be on the phone at 7 am tomorrow making my ADRs and GG ressies. Wish me luck!

Did you ever get to make these?

So now Erich thinks that he wants to go on this trip as well. Next thing you know Alek will want to come along too so you all may get the immense pleasure of meeting my brothers.Do you think you can handle it?

, can the Biergarten handle all this?

Only because I care ...

 

[sorul82?]

I was told at 7 this morning that they were having "system enhancements" and they'd be down for an hour. I called back in an hour, and the system was still enhancing itself and still an hour after that...and so on. I was just able to book regular dining, but the GG stuff is not up and running yet.

I wonder if they could "enhance" the dining plan to include tips again?

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Well, I tried to change the plan to stalk you all at AK on the 21st, but it's not happening. No ressie's available for Tusker House breakfast, so I'll have to stalk my English friend.

 

[Disneyolic]

I wonder if they could "enhance" the dining plan to include tips again?

I am sure there will be a "tweak" next year of sorts. Not sure what it will be but that may be it. I'm fine w/o the appie.

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

Got a few minutes? I am in need of intervention. I'm just not feeling the Disney Magic.

I started calling at 7 on Tuesday to make my ADRs and GG reservations. As you know, the system for the GG was being "enhanced" and all I could do was make the ADRs. No problem. I got the 3 dinners we wanted, plus, despite my doubt and questioning, we're going to the luau at the Poly. So all is good and by 7:30, I'm happy. I was told to call back for the GG stuff. I called roughly ( ) every hour. It was 3:30 before the system was up and running. So I try making the GG reservations and am told I can only make them for my party of 5, not the entire GG party. This is contrary to everything I've been told in the past. I had the GG #, I had reservation #s, and could confirm the names and addresses of the people in the party. Nope. The guy wouldn't let me do it. He did, however, take MY reservation and put the $547 on MY SISTER'S credit card. I realized after I got off the phone in a fury that he had never asked me for my CC#. So, I call my sister, tell her she's got to get on the reservations for her party, and then I call the GG# back to tell them to get it off her card and put it on mine.

When I called at 5:00, Oliver told me the reservation didn't exist.

My sister, in the meantime, called and was able to make the reservations for all 12 of us.

Then, because my dollar amount didn't jive with the amount I had come up with on my own, I called back to confirm. This was now just after dinner, 6:30ish, nearly 12 hours from the first time I called.

The person I spoke to was really nice. She looked up my total and confirmed the amount. It was still less than I had figured. So I asked why it was less. (Crazy, I know. I should have just pocketed the $50 and gone on my way, right?) Her response? "Well, you have 2 adults and 2 children in your party, so it's $137.52"



Nope. We are a party of 3 adults and 2 children.

DH wasn't on the reservation. AT ALL.

So, I spent the next 20 minutes on hold while Lonnie "ironed it out" with guest services.

They managed to get him onto the reservation and add him onto all the GG events. But I was done. It took nearly 12 hours to work out something that should have been simple. What is the point of assigning GG#s if everyone can't use them? I understand the computer issues were no one's fault, but by the time I got someone who could make the arrangements, I was ready for it to be simple. Then to have all that money charged to my sister's account without her permission? Yikes.

And when all was said and done, I received an email confirmation yesterday for the 3 GG events that I had booked for the 5 of us. You know, the one Oliver told me didn't exist in the computer. So I spent the morning yesterday trying to cancel that, and they didn't want to. Why? Because it wasn't on my card!

Somebody talk me down. I am just so irritated.

 

[PrincessV]

Oh Kate! What you went through is just plain ridiculous! This is not rocket science - it's RESERVATIONS... if there's anything on earth a major vacation destination ought to be good at, it's RESERVATIONS!!!!

Okay, I'm not helping...

How 'bout this?

~ I think you'll have a great time at the Luau! I suspect it's one of those activities that's ton better with a big group. Especially if you all go in prepared for kitch-overload and ready to poke fun. A Lapu Lapu or three won't hurt, either.

~ Remeber: contrary to popular belief, Disney reservation people are not always the "best & brightest". In fact, I find many of them to be total idiots. Don't let them get to you!

 

[DisneyJo]

Well, I tried to change the plan to stalk you all at AK on the 21st, but it's not happening. No ressie's available for Tusker House breakfast, so I'll have to stalk my English friend.

Somebody talk me down. I am just so irritated.

Kate that sounded ridiculous, no wonder you're cross, it really seems to depend on which CM you get to what you can do, I think they need some serious training!!!!!

 

[KatGarcia]

OK I now really wanna become a disney travel agent so I we can all find someone with a clue on the other line! JEEZ! At least it all got ironed out!

We did the Luau this past trip and it was fun. The food is decent and the show was fun. its def worth a try at least once!

 

[cmp1111]

Oh, Kate, what a pain. I'm glad it all got worked out, but that should NOT have been so hard.

 

[puggymom]

Wow Kate, that is just so unacceptable on so many levels!!!!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

And when all was said and done, I received an email confirmation yesterday for the 3 GG events that I had booked for the 5 of us. You know, the one Oliver told me didn't exist in the computer. So I spent the morning yesterday trying to cancel that, and they didn't want to. Why? Because it wasn't on my card!

Madness, I tell you - sheer madness!