A Disney-addicted mom plans a trip in August, 2010! *New pics #574*

Another option is to rent a stroller from Orlandostrollersrentals.com Disney charges $30 bucks a day for a double:scared1: Just giving you more options to complicate your decision;)
 
I've been listening to the Dis unplugged podcasts a lot recently. I started back to 2006 and am working forward. I also listen to the current ones so I know what's going on now. It's getting me so excited for my trips! Yesterday I listened to a recent one (maybe 2 weeks ago?) that was talking about some threads on dis. It was interesting because someone had posted about whether or not to take young children to Epcot. The podcast was saying that Epcot is awesome and if they were going to skip a park, they'd skip AK. I totally agree! In fact we did skip AK in December. We only had 3.5 days at parks. I like AK but don't *love* it. I LOVE the other parks. Just my thought for the day!

My sister shares the same sentiment with EP--she thinks we should bypass it. :scared1: I told her that was not an option for us and there is plenty of things to do there for DD.

I am trying to avoid the Disney store's website. :rolleyes: There are some great things on there that I am trying to resist at the moment. I really like the short sets and some of the little dresses.

:yay: for keeping up with the C25K!!

There are a lot of positive reviews for Orlando Stroller Company. They are more reasonable that renting from Disney. The rent City Mini Jogging Strollers with reclining seats (if that matters) and have a basket. I would do one if we were flying but since we are driving, we are packing our stroller.
 
Well, with ME checking your stroller would be a cinch but you'd probably have to pay the airline- so, I'd probably save myself the headache and just rent one when you get there.

I've never checked a stroller. :confused3

I love the strollers at WDW and the convenience if you purchase all of your days when you first arrive. If you can afford it, I'd go for it. Unless you think you'll need a stroller at the airport or when you leave the parks.

I don't think we need a stroller at the airport (except Zachary) but I'm not sure about going from parks to bus stops.

Oh disneystore.com has my number. It's the shipping that makes me too cheap to shop there most of the time. Other than that they have great deals! We have toy story mania for the wii and it's really fun, you're going to love it! The only thing it's missing is that they should have created a new controller for it that looks like the little cannon from the ride!

I couldn't imagine not having a stroller for your "big kids". I drag MYSELF back to the hotel room bone tired at the end of each day, so I wouldn't think a 4 or 6 year old would be able to do it, unless you're planning on a very leisurely touring style. Our touring style makes strollers a necessity!

I would either check the double, or just make the big kids ride in the double in the airport and carry your carryons in their laps. I don't think the park strollers are really made for "napping", and even if you have to pay to check the double it's still way less expensive than renting.

I got $5 shipping on my Disney order. Glad to hear that you like TSM for the Wii!!! That's an interesting point about the napping.

I'm wondering if you can gate check the stroller? I'd check the airline's policy on this because then you could avoid checked bags fees, have the stroller in the airport for your LO, and use the extra seat to hold some of your carry-on.

You can definitely gate-check the stroller. We've done it many, many times!

Another option is to rent a stroller from Orlandostrollersrentals.com Disney charges $30 bucks a day for a double:scared1: Just giving you more options to complicate your decision;)

I thought of that but I figure if we have to fold the stroller up for the bus, we might as well use our own.

My sister shares the same sentiment with EP--she thinks we should bypass it. :scared1: I told her that was not an option for us and there is plenty of things to do there for DD.

I am trying to avoid the Disney store's website. :rolleyes: There are some great things on there that I am trying to resist at the moment. I really like the short sets and some of the little dresses.

:yay: for keeping up with the C25K!!

There are a lot of positive reviews for Orlando Stroller Company. They are more reasonable that renting from Disney. The rent City Mini Jogging Strollers with reclining seats (if that matters) and have a basket. I would do one if we were flying but since we are driving, we are packing our stroller.

Interesting that your sister was anti-EP! I love, love, love Epcot!!! I thought $12.50 per outfit was reasonable, as was $10 for a dress. I got them a little big so they'll last the whole summer.

Amanda
 
I barely survived my 20 min run today. But I did it! I listened to one of the DIS Unplugged podcasts (from 2006 actually :lmao: ). Whenever I wanted to stop and walk, I just used the podcast to remind me of my reward - a trip to Disney. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment, blah, blah, blah. Let's face it. This is about going to Disney! :rotfl2:

In more pressing news - my work trip is coming up quick! I need to start making my touring plans. One for MK and one for Epcot. I'm a little sad to learn that pm EMH are frequently so crowded that lines can be ridiculous. That stinks since our MK day will be our arrival day. We can't be there for rope drop since we'll still be in mid-air. (I know, I'm full of excuses today! ;) ). I was counting on the EMHs to allow us some ride-time. At least I know we went on most of the headliners in December during the Christmas Party (MVMCP - I couldn't think of the name for a minute). I'll have to tell the story of the Christmas Party later! :rolleyes1

Amanda
 

Interesting that your sister was anti-EP! I love, love, love Epcot!!! I thought $12.50 per outfit was reasonable, as was $10 for a dress. I got them a little big so they'll last the whole summer.

Amanda[/QUOTE]

Yup--she said the next time they go they will not be going to EP either.:eek: Crazy!!

I think the prices are pretty reasonable--the experience we have with what we have gotten from Disney store is it lasts a long time. :goodvibes I am keeping an eye out on them and may order stuff come summer.
 
Hi, Amanda! I'm just joining in now and caught myself up!
DBF and I don't have children yet, but from what I remember from our 2008 trip with 10 other people, including six children, my cousins did not regret for a second bringing their own stroller. You'll have it for the airport, walking around your resort, etc. It seems like such a hassle to rent the Disney strollers everyday-- and to only use them in the parks!!
I'm also from Westchester-- in the northernmost town that borders Putnam County!
 
Amanda, don't you love it when you push through and keep running! Sigh...I love that feeling. What week/day are you on now? I'm just starting back up so I just finished W1D2. I have to get something better to time myself, the watch I have with a 2nd hand is small and I have a hard time seeing it while running.

No Epcot?!?!? That's crazy talk. :laughing:
 
Yup--she said the next time they go they will not be going to EP either.:eek: Crazy!!

I think the prices are pretty reasonable--the experience we have with what we have gotten from Disney store is it lasts a long time. :goodvibes I am keeping an eye out on them and may order stuff come summer.

That is crazy talk! What's not to love about Epcot? That's ok though. More rides on Soarin' for me!

:woohoo: Awesome job on the 20 minute run! Knew you could do it:goodvibes

Thank you!!!

Hi, Amanda! I'm just joining in now and caught myself up!
DBF and I don't have children yet, but from what I remember from our 2008 trip with 10 other people, including six children, my cousins did not regret for a second bringing their own stroller. You'll have it for the airport, walking around your resort, etc. It seems like such a hassle to rent the Disney strollers everyday-- and to only use them in the parks!!
I'm also from Westchester-- in the northernmost town that borders Putnam County!

WELCOME!
We moved to Scarsdale in June so my son could start kindergarten here. It was totally worth it because he has the greatest teacher in the world. I told her she can't retire until she teaches my youngest! :worship:

Amanda, don't you love it when you push through and keep running! Sigh...I love that feeling. What week/day are you on now? I'm just starting back up so I just finished W1D2. I have to get something better to time myself, the watch I have with a 2nd hand is small and I have a hard time seeing it while running.

No Epcot?!?!? That's crazy talk. :laughing:

I'm so proud of you!!! It's hard to get started but it feels great! Honestly the podcasts have really, really helped. I just did w6d1 yesterday and hopefully w6d2 either tomorrow or Saturday.

Amanda
 
So much going on!
1st: We leave for WDW in 2 weeks (well 2 weeks from tomorrow but it's a really, really early flight!). Can you believe? I need to start checking weather reports soon and deciding what to pack. And I need to decide which suit to bring for the conference. :confused: Who brings a suit to Disney??? :rotfl2: I really do need to start making a packing list!

2nd: I'm seriously considering buying an AP. We already have 9 Disney days planned in 2010 and then there's the half-marathon trip in 2011. I posted a thread asking about how to convert my park tickets to an AP so I can see if it's feasible.

3rd: I'm re-considering (for the 100th time) whether or not we should do DVC. I'm intrigued by the idea of buying a small re-sale to start. There are several pros: We're a family of 5. We prefer to stay in deluxe resorts and even more prefer a mulit-room villa. We've already done 3 Disney trips in 2 years and we have 2 (non-work) trips in the planning stages. The major con is laying out the cash. The other issues for me are: needing to plan way in advance, no mousekeeping, not able to take advantage of discounts and deals. Please feel free to weigh in! I honestly can't decide which resort I'd pick as my home resort. I know that I don't want SSR, OKW, AKV, VWL because of the convenience factor (we loved our experience at SSR but hated being dependent on the buses for everything). We're staying at BCV in August so we'll see that. They don't have Grand Villas at BCV which makes it harder to invite the whole extended family. Although my family's so big it probably doesn't matter! :lmao: And my DH's family is so annoying that we wouldn't invite them anyway.... :rolleyes1

4th: I really, really need to finish booking my big work conference in May. (Sadly, not at Disney :sad1: ). I'm going to San Francisco for a few days. My hotel is booked but I need to figure out flights. And I need to create my poster and my powerpoint presentation. UGH! And look over the data and get my act together. You get the point....

Amanda
 
Oh, oh, oh! I totally forgot. Disneystore stuff arrived. I'm giving it as Easter gifts so I haven't gone through all of it yet (I didn't open the half marathon shirts yet) but it looks nice. And it arrived very quickly. I was pretty impressed with their shipping!

Amanda

PS Long post on previous page....
 
2 WEEKS!! Awesome! :)

I haven't looked into APs but I think with three trips in a 12 month period it makes sense. I'm not so sure about the DVC. I guess I would suggest looking into the cost and then weighing it against how much you'd spend to stay in equivelant accomodations. You might think about renting DVC points for one of your upcoming trips to see what its like to stay w/o Mousekeeping etc. I read about it in a TR titled 'First trip (of many!) as Mr. and Mrs.' and I think there are links in that thread for info about renting the points.

San Francisco sounds fun! I think I'd have to see some sights if I were you!
 
First, make a packing list. Packing lists are fun!

Next, APs are probably going to be worth it. Because when you have an AP, you find more time to make trips LOL. I know APs are worth it for us just for the like, 20 days we have planned for two of our trips, and then we're going to take two more. You also have to remember that if you go during non-peak times you will get a discount on your rooms (40% normally on a deluxe, I believe).

However, with how you normally like to stay, it really sounds like DVC might be a good idea for you. I don't think your "cons" should be big enough cons to keep you away from it! I'll be your DVC enabler. Do it! Buy it! Now!
 
2 WEEKS!! Awesome! :)

I haven't looked into APs but I think with three trips in a 12 month period it makes sense. I'm not so sure about the DVC. I guess I would suggest looking into the cost and then weighing it against how much you'd spend to stay in equivelant accomodations. You might think about renting DVC points for one of your upcoming trips to see what its like to stay w/o Mousekeeping etc. I read about it in a TR titled 'First trip (of many!) as Mr. and Mrs.' and I think there are links in that thread for info about renting the points.

San Francisco sounds fun! I think I'd have to see some sights if I were you!


San Fran is awesome! My step-sister lives in the suburbs and I've been to San Fran many, many times (she's going to be in Italy while I'm in Cali so I'll miss her :rolleyes: ). I'm considering going to the Disney Family Museum this time. It's an illness!
Our August trip will be our 2nd to a DVC property. But we're paying cash so we'll have Mousekeeping. If we did DVC, I'd honestly consider paying extra for daily mousekeeping. My DH is a slob!

Amanda
 
Oh, oh, oh! I totally forgot. Disneystore stuff arrived. I'm giving it as Easter gifts so I haven't gone through all of it yet (I didn't open the half marathon shirts yet) but it looks nice. And it arrived very quickly. I was pretty impressed with their shipping!

Amanda

PS Long post on previous page....

What half-marathon shirt??? I wanted to order the one they sell for 2011, but all the had were smalls. :(
 
First, make a packing list. Packing lists are fun!

Next, APs are probably going to be worth it. Because when you have an AP, you find more time to make trips LOL. I know APs are worth it for us just for the like, 20 days we have planned for two of our trips, and then we're going to take two more. You also have to remember that if you go during non-peak times you will get a discount on your rooms (40% normally on a deluxe, I believe).

However, with how you normally like to stay, it really sounds like DVC might be a good idea for you. I don't think your "cons" should be big enough cons to keep you away from it! I'll be your DVC enabler. Do it! Buy it! Now!

I'm trying to figure out the logistics of buying an AP because I've already purchased packages! I need to work out the DVC thing with my DH. I might be able to convince him to buy 50 points at resale and then add-on later. Money is tight right now because our childcare expenses are enormous. Once we get the kids into full-day school, things will be much better.

Amanda
 
OMG! I'm so sad right now. TSM is going to be closed during our August trip. That's one of our favorite, favorite rides. My kids will be SO sad.

Amanda
 
I was going to tell you how you could upgrade to an AP, but then I checked out your thread about it and it sounds like you have plenty of people helping you out and most of them know more than me.:goodvibes

The buying a small DVC resale I know all about though. We bought a small resale (50 points) last fall at the Boardwalk with the plan of transferring points from other members so we would have enough points for large reservations. We've only done 1 point transfer so far and it worked out just fine. However you should make sure you really look into this before you take the plunge because there are lots of restrictions. You can only do 1 transfer a year so you have to make sure you get enough points in that transfer. You have to find a member that will do the transfer (I found mine on the DVC rental board). And there is always some risk involved. Most transfers involve giving half the money first then receiving the transfer, then paying the other half. There is nothing but trust stopping someone from taking the money you've sent via paypal and running. So if you aren't willing to do do transfers I'd say a small DVC isn't for you. 50 points even with banking and borrowing will not be enough for the kind of vacations you're considering. And if you're going to pay extra for the housekeeping that is also something to consider. I think it's at least $50 a day for a 2 bedroom villa. (But don't quote me on that.) The primary reason we bought into DVC wasn't financial. It was an emotional investment for me so that I knew there would never be "a last trip". Maybe we'll save a few bucks over time, but frankly at this point it would be just as cheap to rent points from on owner (though that involoves trust as well). The upcoming trip will be my 3rd time renting points and we've always had a good experience with it. So that is my take on the small DVC resale thing. Obviously I'd do it (we did), but I'd make sure you understood what you were getting into.

Ok so that may be more than you wanted to know, but that's what you get for mentioning it;)
 
What half-marathon shirt??? I wanted to order the one they sell for 2011, but all the had were smalls. :(

I bought a small. I suspect it'll be a little tight across the chest but it should fit. I'm pretty small (I'm somewhere between a 4 and 6 petite - although closer to 6 these days) so it should be ok.

Amanda
 
I was going to tell you how you could upgrade to an AP, but then I checked out your thread about it and it sounds like you have plenty of people helping you out and most of them know more than me.:goodvibes

The buying a small DVC resale I know all about though. We bought a small resale (50 points) last fall at the Boardwalk with the plan of transferring points from other members so we would have enough points for large reservations. We've only done 1 point transfer so far and it worked out just fine. However you should make sure you really look into this before you take the plunge because there are lots of restrictions. You can only do 1 transfer a year so you have to make sure you get enough points in that transfer. You have to find a member that will do the transfer (I found mine on the DVC rental board). And there is always some risk involved. Most transfers involve giving half the money first then receiving the transfer, then paying the other half. There is nothing but trust stopping someone from taking the money you've sent via paypal and running. So if you aren't willing to do do transfers I'd say a small DVC isn't for you. 50 points even with banking and borrowing will not be enough for the kind of vacations you're considering. And if you're going to pay extra for the housekeeping that is also something to consider. I think it's at least $50 a day for a 2 bedroom villa. (But don't quote me on that.) The primary reason we bought into DVC wasn't financial. It was an emotional investment for me so that I knew there would never be "a last trip". Maybe we'll save a few bucks over time, but frankly at this point it would be just as cheap to rent points from on owner (though that involoves trust as well). The upcoming trip will be my 3rd time renting points and we've always had a good experience with it. So that is my take on the small DVC resale thing. Obviously I'd do it (we did), but I'd make sure you understood what you were getting into.

Ok so that may be more than you wanted to know, but that's what you get for mentioning it;)

Thank you! I didn't realize mousekeeping would be so expensive. I need to look into that. My DH has never been as excited about DVC as I am. I probably would have done it already! Can you ever buy BCV or Boardwalk from Disney? Or only on resale?

Amanda
 












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