A precious gem of a weekend!7/23 Finished! link to new TR

[Diamondintheruff]

I need some help from you all about my next trip June 30-July 6 (flights are booked)

The good news
Disney released room only discount codes for my next trip dates.



The confusing news
Now I don't know what to do.

The basics
-6 nights
-kids dancing at CSR so easier to stay there (for at least the last 3 maybe 4)
-DS11 really picky bird-like eater. Paying for adult DDP seems like a waste
-already offered a corporate rate at CSR comparable to room only discount but can't get dinning plan with it.
-Won't know when exactly kids do their 6 dances over the course of those 4 days until we get down there so may not be able to actually go to the ADR's I have made.
-Only myself, DS 11, DD9 and my mother are coming. So we are travelling as a party of four instead of the usual 5.

My three options
1)Stay at CSR the whole time with the coporate discount. ($145 a night plus tax)
2)Stay at CSR the whole time with the disney room only discount and get the DDP(I have priced out what we would all eat and would save money on the DDP but again that is assuming we can make our ADR's)
3)Split stay. Stay at a deluxe (maybe WL since they never take 5 people in a room and could never stay there with my whole family) with the DDP for these two nights and then switch to room only at CSR when kids are dancing and then I won't worry about missing any ADR's.


Help!

 

[eandesmom]

I like the idea of a split stay in your case. Not so much because of the dining plan but because since CSR will be rather dance crazed, being somewhere else for 2 days will feel like a separate vacation from dance (I'd think). Do the DDP on your split stay nights but not for the CSR competition piece.

Is the corporate rate better than the room only discount rate with Disney?

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

How many ADRs are "must-dos" for you guys?

I'm leaning toward option #3, making your top ADRs for those days and then making the "It would be nice if we could eat there" ADRs for the other days. I think it would be neat to get to try a new resort that you know won't be an option until your kids are 18 and can rent their own room!

And by the way, I'm going to bet the majority of your readers are Americans. May want to write out the Month if you are going to put update dates on your title. To us your last update was on October 2nd LOL!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Somehow I've missed your last 3 updates. Not sure how that happened! The fridge & dirty towels were frightening. Glad they got that resolved for you. The unscheduled nap cracked me up. That's why I didn't bring a book! (I tend to fall asleep often when reading.) Sounds like you were off to a good start for F & W. Looking forward to the next chapter.

 

[Happydog]

Okay I like the split stay option, too.... provided you think you will have enough time to enjoy the resort w/o feeling like you are unpacking to pack.... what time do you arrive? WL is beautiful... great access to parks early in your stay...

And then you can eat leisurely and then on the run between the dancing competition stuff....

So exciting to have options!

That is a great rate for Coronado at that time of year isn't it? Is the other discount as good?

 

[mollyseven]

I like a split stay option if you have enough time and do not require park passes.
We were planning on doing a split stay for our march break trip...we wanted 5 nights at PORFQ and 5 nights at the Poly. The problem is with the tickets/meal add-ons. You have to have tickets on each reservation in order to get the meals and you end up paying more for the tickets because it's shorted durations.
The more nights you have the less expensive your ticket cost is.
We were going to be out of pocket over 175.00 just for the extra ticket costs....it's kinda a rip that way.
I just felt that what I was saving in the cost of the moderate I ended up paying out for the difference in costs doing the split stay. Not worth it me, my sensible side just said this doesn't make sense. I felt like I was getting ripped off just because I wanted to split the stay.
If Disney ever figures out a way to make the split stay one reservation and thus getting rid of the extra expense to split up your stay then I will do it, until then I will stay moderate.

I would never stay at CSR again, unless we had a convention there. We stayed in Casita 1 and I wouldn't recommend that area. I would stay in between the main building and the rancho's area.....so that you are closer to both. The Casita was close to the main building but a LONG way from the quiet pool,spa and laundry and even LONGER to the main pool.

Will the dance competition not offer transfer from other resorts to the CSR? I know we have had conventions before and then offered transfer from CBR, POP or one other I forget ....for whomever decided to stay elsewhere. You might not HAVE to stay at CSR to get the discount.

 

[Queenofallthings]

I love the idea of the split stay, especially knowing you can never do deluxe with 5!

We didn`t do the DDP this last time and when I got home and added everything up I spent $1243 on food, drinks, snacks for the 3 of us for eight days....on the dining plan it would have been only a little less....next time we will for sure be splitting meals, so much waste!!!

Hope that helps a little

 

[ellajeansmom]

Finally had a chance to get caught up!

Glad you enjoyed your Tonga Toast it looks so yummy, too bad about the closeness of your neighbours. Great pics with the Beast, you both are evidently having a great time

Congrats to Cindy on the National Ballet School, that's amazing Do your kids do the Royal Academy of Dance exams? Ella passed her Primary ballet last spring and is trying Grade 1 this April.

That's a tough decision on your upcoming trip, made more so by not knowing what the dance schedule will be. It does seem like a good opportunity to try WL so I would probably lean towards the split option.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Technical Claim​

I am NOT technical. I'm having issues with Photobucket. It won't show me my pictures. I am responding by eating chocolate. It's all I know how to do. Luckily I have some half-priced valentine chocolate to subdue me. My Dh is looking into our computer problems. Hopefully he will have it fixed before my thighs double in size.

Until then, I am continuing without pictures.

**Photobucket account working again so I added the pictures***

_____________________________________________________

After our lovely encounter with the Beast at the World Showcase and the drinking of a grey goose slushie (me) and a particularly yucky beer (Dh) we found ourselves in Morocco. We had never taken the time to explore this pavilion before so in we went. It’s such a lovely place with all the coloured tiles and arched walkways. I stopped to look at some hats but decided they really weren’t me.

By this time I had refilled my drink. Since I was too far from France to get another slushie I decided to go with a tangerine champagne instead. Dh was still working on his falafel. He quite enjoyed it. I thought the champagne was okay but sadly lacking in comparison to my previous drink.

Grey Goose Slushie you are still my #1 favourite drink at WDW.


Next we found ourselves at the American pavilion. I’ve always wanted to hear the voices of liberty. I cursed myself for not researching it more fully. I only knew it was here somewhere. But where? I never found out because Dh spotted another beer opportunity.

It was some type of “Hops Hut”. I took a picture of one of the Hops plant.

Whatever he bought, he hated again. He said it tasted too much of … get this… “hops”. I mean what did he expect? It was from a place called the “Hops Hut”. Being upset about his lack of luck choosing a tasty beer he started getting grumpy.

After reading through other's reports I realize I missed some great lobster (or was it crab?) rolls here. I wish I had sampled some.

Anyway what better way to rid someone of the grumps than a visit to Italy? The Land of Romance. I thought I might be able to cajole him out of it.



Italy was the one place we both remember visiting on our honeymoon. We have a picture of ourselves by the fountain.

Actually this picture is in my PTR somewhere. I might be able to find the link so when I do it will go here. Picture me younger in front of the fountain hugging Dh.

I wanted to take a new one this trip. Naturally there was a lineup for pictures. But I was enjoying my drink (not to the same extent as the slushie but it was still nice) and Dh had to finish eating so we waited.

I always try to make a point to take pictures of other groups of people so their whole party can get in the picture. So I offered. Before I knew it, I was the official photographer for the fountain. I didn’t mind at first. In fact I even enjoyed it. The first couple were on their honeymoon and were really sweet.

But somewhere between the fourth and fifth group I started to feel resentful. The groups were getting a bit too demanding. Maybe it was my buzz was wearing off or maybe it was the fact that a couple people in some of the groups had too much buzz going on. They were bordering on obnoxious. I know it was a Saturday afternoon at the F&W festival and all but I still like to think of WDW as a nice family place. Not a pub at happy hour. I just wasn’t prepared for that kind of loud rude behaviour. Not here in my happy place.




I assumed that if I offered to take a group’s photo that they would return the favour and take a picture of Dh and I. Sadly, that was not the case. No one offered. After I declined to take any more photos the fountain area cleared out. It was kind of spooky. I swear I didn’t yell or make a fuss. I just said “I’m done taking pictures now. I think my Husband is missing me.” And walked off. Not that I minded. I was happy to see them go.

Dh was still in a grump. I noticed I had less drink in my glass than I did before I started taking pictures. However, I figured I shouldn’t mention it to him. If a little champagne was going to cheer him up than so be it.

I didn’t give up on the fountain picture. I eventually got one. It took some time and effort though. You see an older couple came into view. The husband was taking a picture of his wife. I decided to be frank with them.

“I’ll take your picture if you take my husband’s and mine” I offered.

They agreed. So I took their picture. Then they took ours. Or rather he tried to take it. He had an old camera. The non-digital kind. I’m sure it was older than my marriage. It was the kind that actually has film in it. And not a fancy I’m a professional photographer with many different kinds of lenses kind. But an old fashioned point and shoot 35 mm film taking klunker.

So he was bowled over by the technical demands of my camera. Not that I have a fancy one. It’s a Canon Powershot SX110 IS. But it felt fancy to him. It took him forever. Finally I felt sorry for him and told him he got a good picture. When in fact he never took any actual pictures. He kept turning the camera off or switching it to “view”. But at least he tried. Which was more than any of the other groups. So I thanked him and wished him and his wife a wonderful rest of their trip.

I was still determined to get my fountain picture. I had noticed another young couple in nearby. They had watched most of the interaction or should I say non-interaction between the older gentleman and my camera. They tried to keep their giggling to a minimum so as not to embarrass him. I thought that was nice. They came over to Dh and I.

“Would you mind taking our picture? We could take one of you if you still need one.” They asked.

It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. (Sorry since we are in Italy I couldn’t resist this line )

Turns out they were on their honeymoon too. Must be something about that fountain that attracts honeymooners.

Finally we had our picture.

Here is our disneymoon picture.

And we were off. But when I looked back I noticed that the nice honeymooners had a line forming around them of groups who wanted their pictures taken. I didn’t feel too guilty. After all I had put my time in already.

Coming up next Can Dh find any beer to his liking anywhere in the world? What ride do we take for the first time in the showcase? click here to find out. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35601669&postcount=166

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Wow! So during the school year are they involved with the training at all or is it just over the summer if you opt out of the full time school?

6th grade is very young to go away...do they feel pressure to keep up their training during the school year if they aren't at the school?

WOW! You have some talented kids!

They still dance during the school year but not with the national ballet of Canada. They could if I wanted to drive them but it's an hour and a half each way. So instead they take ballet at one studio and participate in the competitive team at another.

Okay that is very very cool that you have dancers in your family! How neat! A big step for a young man to live away from home, but what a neat opportunity, and future! Very cool... a student at my school just signed out to move to CHINA for a year, so he could study table tennis... can you believe it? He is only 15....

Anyhow, I have heard really good things about the GWL there is one not toooo far from us! Yours is the second report I have read that really enjoyed their stay! Good to know!!!

It is a great opportunity for both of them. It's hard to weigh what is best for the family with what is best for his future.

You really have to check out GWL. Your boys would LOOVE it. Especially if it's one of the ones that have a "MagicQuest" attached to it.

Woo Hoo! Congratulations to Cindy!

Denise

I am soo proud of her!

Congratulations to the dancers in your family!!! I took ballet all until my senior year of high school, but I was never very good at it! I loved it though!

Great Wolf Lodge looks like a lot of fun! What a shame that you were sick and weren't able to enjoy it as much as you could have. I think we have one somewhat near us. It looks like a great way to spend the weekend.

I took Ballet until I turned 16. Then I decided I liked having a boyfriend more than I liked dancing.

Great Wolf Lodge was wonderful. I enjoyed my time alone in the room sitting at the fire reading my trashy novella.

I have often thought that sending kids away from about 14-18 would be a good thing. Lots of parent/teenager 'fun' times (NOT) would be avoided. But then again, we couldn't really get our fully-deserved parent badges if we skipped that part, right?

It would sure be a hard thing to send a ten-year-old away. Seems like the summer programs are enough for that age right now. I wish your family the best in all of these exciting pursuits.

The lodge looked like a fun place!

The GWL was great. We'll be making it an annual trip.

Since I had kids I appreciate my own parents so much more. Here's hoping I get the chance to move though the teenage years safely so that I can one day have the same type of relationship with my children as adults.

That is so wonderful....good for Cindy Eeyore GWL looks beautiful, I always said if I won the 649 I wanted a log cabin home....I'm still waiting

If I win the 649 I'm getting DVC!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Ugh, I hate when Photobucket acts up! Hope you didn't make yourself sick eating too much chocolate! Who knew you were going to have to be an impromptu photographer. Can't wait to see the pics for this update.

I had about the same reasoning when I quit ballet.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

What an effort to get a picture in front of the fountain?!?! Where was the PP photographer who is usually there???

Don't worry about PB. It wasn't your computer. It was PB. I couldn't see my pics either.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I decided to go with the split stay. Only Cindy DD9 liked the idea of the sand bottom pool so we decided to stay at the Beach Club Resort for the first two nights with the DDP and then switch to the Coronado using the corporate rate for the rest.

However, disney has another promotion out with a gift card that I have to look into too. So it still might change.

I like the idea of a split stay in your case. Not so much because of the dining plan but because since CSR will be rather dance crazed, being somewhere else for 2 days will feel like a separate vacation from dance (I'd think). Do the DDP on your split stay nights but not for the CSR competition piece.

Is the corporate rate better than the room only discount rate with Disney?

The corporate rate is about $9 less a night than the discount rate so I booked through my favorite TA for the deluxe discount and I'm going through the corporate for the CSR.

I think you're right about getting away from the craziness of the dance competition. Plus we are leaving at 6ish the morning after school finishes.

How many ADRs are "must-dos" for you guys?

I'm leaning toward option #3, making your top ADRs for those days and then making the "It would be nice if we could eat there" ADRs for the other days. I think it would be neat to get to try a new resort that you know won't be an option until your kids are 18 and can rent their own room!

And by the way, I'm going to bet the majority of your readers are Americans. May want to write out the Month if you are going to put update dates on your title. To us your last update was on October 2nd LOL!

I keep forgetting about the date thing. Thanks for the reminder. I've got the kids must dos those first two days. Not real exciting for me but I've already had trips that were all about me.

Somehow I've missed your last 3 updates. Not sure how that happened! The fridge & dirty towels were frightening. Glad they got that resolved for you. The unscheduled nap cracked me up. That's why I didn't bring a book! (I tend to fall asleep often when reading.) Sounds like you were off to a good start for F & W. Looking forward to the next chapter.

Glad you're back and sorry your TR is finally coming to a close. I've really enjoyed it.

Okay I like the split stay option, too.... provided you think you will have enough time to enjoy the resort w/o feeling like you are unpacking to pack.... what time do you arrive? WL is beautiful... great access to parks early in your stay...

And then you can eat leisurely and then on the run between the dancing competition stuff....

So exciting to have options!

That is a great rate for Coronado at that time of year isn't it? Is the other discount as good?

I don't think I'll have enough time to really enjoy the Beach club with just two nights but then, who has enough time for anything these days. I will make the time to sit back and enjoy it even if it's just for a few minutes.

I like a split stay option if you have enough time and do not require park passes.
We were planning on doing a split stay for our march break trip...we wanted 5 nights at PORFQ and 5 nights at the Poly. The problem is with the tickets/meal add-ons. You have to have tickets on each reservation in order to get the meals and you end up paying more for the tickets because it's shorted durations.
The more nights you have the less expensive your ticket cost is.
We were going to be out of pocket over 175.00 just for the extra ticket costs....it's kinda a rip that way.
I just felt that what I was saving in the cost of the moderate I ended up paying out for the difference in costs doing the split stay. Not worth it me, my sensible side just said this doesn't make sense. I felt like I was getting ripped off just because I wanted to split the stay.
If Disney ever figures out a way to make the split stay one reservation and thus getting rid of the extra expense to split up your stay then I will do it, until then I will stay moderate.

I would never stay at CSR again, unless we had a convention there. We stayed in Casita 1 and I wouldn't recommend that area. I would stay in between the main building and the rancho's area.....so that you are closer to both. The Casita was close to the main building but a LONG way from the quiet pool,spa and laundry and even LONGER to the main pool.

Will the dance competition not offer transfer from other resorts to the CSR? I know we have had conventions before and then offered transfer from CBR, POP or one other I forget ....for whomever decided to stay elsewhere. You might not HAVE to stay at CSR to get the discount.

I thought CSR was huge when we stayed there too. I thought about staying elsewhere but the kids really want to swim and hang with their friends and if I happen to forget a shoe or a lipstick it's not such a big deal if I'm staying at the resort. So CSR for the competition it is. Plus it's a really good rate. We'll be in the casitas near the convention centre but far from the big pool. Oh well, it's still disney.

I'm getting park tickets with my stay at the Beach Club. Disney says they can transfer over the days left onto my corporate room rate. But no DDP for the second half. Chances are we wouldn't make the reservations anyhow.

I love the idea of the split stay, especially knowing you can never do deluxe with 5!

We didn`t do the DDP this last time and when I got home and added everything up I spent $1243 on food, drinks, snacks for the 3 of us for eight days....on the dining plan it would have been only a little less....next time we will for sure be splitting meals, so much waste!!!

Hope that helps a little

It's been a tough decision but I think we'll be better off without the DDP. Eeoyre DS11 really eats like a bird so paying the adult price for him seems like a rip-off. In another year or two I'm sure he will be eating me out of house and home but for now, not so much.

Finally had a chance to get caught up!

Glad you enjoyed your Tonga Toast it looks so yummy, too bad about the closeness of your neighbours. Great pics with the Beast, you both are evidently having a great time

Congrats to Cindy on the National Ballet School, that's amazing Do your kids do the Royal Academy of Dance exams? Ella passed her Primary ballet last spring and is trying Grade 1 this April.

That's a tough decision on your upcoming trip, made more so by not knowing what the dance schedule will be. It does seem like a good opportunity to try WL so I would probably lean towards the split option.

The kids take RAD too. But at a different studio than the one we're going to Disney with. DS11 is in grade 4 and DD9 will be doing her grade 1 exam like Ella in April.

 

[eandesmom]

Congratulations on the split stay! BC will be just lovely and so many wonderful dining choices within walking distance!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Great update. Sorry you got tagged as the fountain photog. I know how that goes. Looking forward to your split stay details.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I went back and added my pictures to the last chapter but I also put them here.

Me in a silly hate in Morocco. That's my tangerine champagne in my hands.

Here is the "hops" plant that you make beer out of.

The fountain picture I wanted so desperately and certainly put the time in to earn it.

Here's the first picture of us at the fountain on our disneymoon way back in 1996.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Ugh, I hate when Photobucket acts up! Hope you didn't make yourself sick eating too much chocolate! Who knew you were going to have to be an impromptu photographer. Can't wait to see the pics for this update.

I had about the same reasoning when I quit ballet.

Speaking of sickness we've all had the stomach flu this week in my house. Lots of laundry-not too much chocolate.

What an effort to get a picture in front of the fountain?!?! Where was the PP photographer who is usually there???

Don't worry about PB. It wasn't your computer. It was PB. I couldn't see my pics either.

I didn't know there was usually a PP photographer there. There wasn't one outside of the fountain in france either. Maybe it was their lunchbreak.

Great update. Sorry you got tagged as the fountain photog. I know how that goes. Looking forward to your split stay details.

I would imagine if any family saw you with your WDW photostrap and your fancy camera that you would get roped into taking lots of pictures.

I decided on Beach Club for two nights with the DDP and then four nights at the Coronado (where the kid's dance convention is) using the corporate rate but eating OOPS. Of course I'm still second guessing myself just because there are so many resorts I WANT to stay at.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, no about the stomach flu! I hope everyone is feeling better!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Oh, no about the stomach flu! I hope everyone is feeling better!

Everyone except the washing machine. It hasn't had a break in days.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

LOVE the pictures & love the split stay!!