A Surprise January 2012 Vacation!!! TRIP REPORT has begun!!

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hi there!! I am going to start this with the thought process that it's going to be a quick, short and sweet PTR. If it turns into more than that...well...we'll see!


My DH, Ferb, loves Disney. We are going on an adult only Disney vacation next week, one day at Epcot for F&W and a three night Dream cruise followed by one day at MK for MNSSHP! And I know that he would be upset when we came home knowing that we had to wait until Oct 2012 for our next family trip.

Here he is with our DD's!

Soooo...I was sitting on the computer one day when Direct Air had their Family Ties sale on and it coincided with WDW raising ticket prices and everyone buying from UT with the Mousesavers code so they could get the best price. I thought what a good idea...hmmm, now I have vouchers for flights at rock bottom prices...I have tickets at the best price as well....we only need accommodations and a trip is born. Well, we just bought a timeshare DIRT CHEAP on ebay and will have 2012 points to burn before we get 2013 points BEFORE we leave in Oct 2012. Hmmmm... can you see where this is going?

Here's the deal...Ferb has NO IDEA that I have a trip planned!!!
He knows that I bought park tickets...he understands that it's a good deal. But he doesn't know about the airline tickets.

I found a goodish flight schedule out of Melbourne. Not the best times, but at $84.50 each way I couldn't beat the price. We were going to have to rent a car anyways because we are staying off site. So I checked with our preferred supplier, USCARHIRE. They are out of the UK but US and Canadians can use them as well. We are Canadian and love the savings that we get with them...for a week with a midsize with insurance it's going to cost around $220 depending on the exchange rate on the day the payment goes through. While I know that our car insurance will cover a rental, Ferb needs peace of mind with extra. So that worked out!

Our timeshare is with Wyndham and I booked a one bedroom at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for the week..I have points to spare, but will probably be using them to rebook for a 2 bedroom when it gets closer to the dates and hopefully they have a discount available. Here's a link to the WBC thread here on dis if anyone is interested in seeing more about it:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2739937

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I have been going crazy trying to keep this a secret. I keep getting emails from the vendors...for the timeshare, car rental, and airline!!! Not to mention from WDW for our ADRS..you get an email for each ADR!!! That's a lot of emails to hide!!

And then last week Direct Air sends me an email AND calls the house to tell me that our flight has been cancelled!!! Thankfully DH was at work. But it turns out they are cancelling flights to and from Melbourne, FL. GREAT!! The lady said I could have a refund. That doesn't help me much! So she found flights into Lakeland, FL and booked them. Even worse times...and then I find out that USCARHIRE doesn't have a vendor there. So I start scrambling trying to find a car rental from that rinky dinky airport. I booked with Hertz. It's $270 for a week without insurance!! Now I am rethinking this whole vacation. I can cancel the timeshare reservation, and the car...and even the flight and get my money back so said the lady on the phone. But what about our family vacation and my surprise for Ferb?

I sleep on it and decide to just let it go and no matter what time we arrive it's still a vacation. And so what about the rental, it's okay....only a $50 difference and our insurance will cover us. But it all just left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Okay, so now the vacation times are set...January 5-12th. Our itinerary is set based on Touring Plans and our ADR's are all booked. I am getting exited and trying to decide how best to surprise Ferb! I printed out Touring Plans from the website and wrote each daily ADR on the sheet and plan to hand them to him in an Anniversary Card. Our 14th Anniversary is Oct 25th!! I'll be giving him the card while we are away on our cruise. This will give him something to look forward to when we get home and have our post vacation blues!

Then I was lurking here on the boards , as usual! And I came across a posting about SW having a sale that included our dates. Well, I just had to check. And low and behold, I can get better times, better location, and use some of the credits I have left over from this trip next week. I can get our car rental back with the company I prefer and Ferb can have his extra insurance.

So I call Direct Air first to cancel that flight because I don't know about you, but I can't afford to pay for two flights if they can't cancel the first! I plan on NEVER using this airline if I can avoid it. While it sounded good at first having an airport literally minutes from home and a great price, their phones are always jammed up and I waited on hold for at least a half hour. What if this was an emergency of some sort? Anyways, good news and they refunded my flight, bad news it will take 14 days to see the refund. Good news, my card was clear and I had enough room to book the new flights with SW!!! Got the times I wanted, used all the credits I had left totaling approx $60 and used the difference towards their early bird check in for our flight home. In the end the flight was a little higher in price but I am saving when it comes to luggage....$25 per bag for a family of four is EXPENSIVE!! There goes any saving I would have had!!

The flight home on SW is later and closer so I adjusted our TP's to include AK that day. We can tour that park pretty quickly and then head to the airport after lunch, I adjusted our ADR's now I have to redo a couple of our TP's and reprint them for Ferb's card!!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Hello Ashnbrensmom!!! I followed your March 2011 reports and just found you here planning so many other trips too. Don't know if you remember me or not.

We are going back in March 2012 and surprising the kids this time. I am using your idea of wrapping a box full of Mickey balloons for the reveal.

That is so cool that you are surprising Ferb this time...GREAT!!! I look forward to following again!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hello Ashnbrensmom!!! I followed your March 2011 reports and just found you here planning so many other trips too. Don't know if you remember me or not.

We are going back in March 2012 and surprising the kids this time. I am using your idea of wrapping a box full of Mickey balloons for the reveal.

That is so cool that you are surprising Ferb this time...GREAT!!! I look forward to following again!

Of course I remember you!!! And I am so glad you are here!!!! That's awesome about surprising the kids with the balloons....hope you have more success than we did!! LOL!!!! Make sure you take a video and post!!! I can't believe it myself that we have so many trips. I am definitely a lucky girl! But, and I think I have mentioned this before...I need a new kitchen floor and counter top..our bathrooms are like throw backs from back in the day ( and not the cool, funky, retro back in the day either)...so we sacrifice where we must to feed our Disney addictions!!

 

[danimaroo]

I'm in! As a January vacationer, I love reading people's PTRs about planning for a trip around the same time I'm planning mine! We are going to be in WDW from the 19th-29th, and I can't WAIT! Excited to see how your husband reacts to the surprise. That's one of my favorite things to read are surprises and the reaction.

 

[okw19]

Hi! I came over from the January thread. I can't believe you're getting to surprise your hubby! He will be so excited

 

[oopsiDAISY]

But, and I think I have mentioned this before...I need a new kitchen floor and counter top..our bathrooms are like throw backs from back in the day ( and not the cool, funky, retro back in the day either)...so we sacrifice where we must to feed our Disney addictions!!

AMEN to that!!! My DH is finally getting addicted too! We were planning to go in Oct 12, but bumped it up to get the free dining. He is so into the planning this time, I love it! He asked me "is this going to become an annual pilgrimage?" Well YEAH!!!!

We are staying at POR this time. Did you guys really like it when you were there in March?

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I'm in! As a January vacationer, I love reading people's PTRs about planning for a trip around the same time I'm planning mine! We are going to be in WDW from the 19th-29th, and I can't WAIT! Excited to see how your husband reacts to the surprise. That's one of my favorite things to read are surprises and the reaction.

Hi! I came over from the January thread. I can't believe you're getting to surprise your hubby! He will be so excited

AMEN to that!!! My DH is finally getting addicted too! We were planning to go in Oct 12, but bumped it up to get the free dining. He is so into the planning this time, I love it! He asked me "is this going to become an annual pilgrimage?" Well YEAH!!!!

We are staying at POR this time. Did you guys really like it when you were there in March?

Welcome everyone! I can't believe I have followers already!

I can't believe I am surprising him either!! I can't wait to see his face when he realizes what I have been up to!

oopsiDAISY, we really like POR. The only problem we had at the time was the heater wasn't working at Ol'manisland while we were there. They were in the process of fixing it when we headed out to DME on the way home . But other than that we loved it!! The rooms are all being refurbished so hopefully you will get one of those...although we were really happy with ours. Loved the boat to DTD!!!

I don't think I will be back on here until we return from our trip, so I will hopefully have a wonderful story to tell of my reveal!!!

 

[Colleen27]

Joining in! I can't wait to read all about Bonnet Creek, since we'll likely be staying there sometime in the near future. Only free dining lured us on-site this trip, but DH really wants to try WBC because he's thinking it might be an alternative to our ongoing DVC discussions.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Joining in! I can't wait to read all about Bonnet Creek, since we'll likely be staying there sometime in the near future. Only free dining lured us on-site this trip, but DH really wants to try WBC because he's thinking it might be an alternative to our ongoing DVC discussions.

Welcome!! I am excited to be staying at WBC and will likely be taking lots of pics of the place. What I am interested in is, does it look like the pictures? You know how you see pics of something and it seems so different in real life? We are staying in a One bedroom Wed night before our cruise next week so I will be able to fill you in sooner than Jan!! I know that Free dining isn't the huge deal it's hyped up to be, but I know that even with this timeshare there will be another free dining stay in our future...it's hard to pass up, kwim?

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

We are 4 days away from our WDW/DCL adults only trip!!! So excited! Nothing new to report about the January trip, but I will have an update when we return all about the reveal to DH. I hope can get his reaction in a pic to post, too!! Should be fun...

I'll be back on Oct 31st, but probably won't be able to post until the next day! So,

Happy Halloween!!

 

[Colleen27]

Have fun! I'll be looking forward to your trip report and your first impressions of Bonnet Creek.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Well, we have returned from our Adult only Disney extravaganza!
We had a phenomenal vacation..maybe I'll do a little TR within this PTR..but I'll have to save that for later. The big news is about the reveal of my surprise for DH.

We had just spent the day at Epcot's F&W Fest. We arrived at the timeshare (Wyndham Bonnet Creek) and took a nap and were getting ready to head out to dinner at O'hana and to watch Wishes from the beach at the Poly. DH was sitting surfing on the internet while I finished getting ready. I got out the Anniversary card for DH and the touring plans that I had printed for the week we are going in January. I walked out and handed him the card and hid the TP's behind my back. I said we need to talk...never a good sign he said. He opened the card..cried a little because it was a really good one! Then I handed him the TP's and announced that we would be returning to our timeshare, not after the cruise like he thought, but he didn't have to wait until Oct 2012 either. He was stunned...once I explained that I needed the points from the night after the cruise for a week's stay in January he looked even more confused!

Then we went over the TP's he was holding and it finally hit him that we were coming back in Jan and everything was planned and paid for! He was so happy, but in total shock for like 2 days...It was awesome!

We were driving to Cape Canaveral the next day when I think the cloud started to clear and he announced that we need to surprise the girls with this trip!! I love it when great minds think alike!! So that's the plan. I think we decided to surprise them at the airport somehow. We have time to think about it...but not too much time...after all we are returning to our Happy Place in 2 months!!

 

[okw19]

Yay! You pulled it off! Great idea to surprise the girls too. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[jensen]

I'm in! I'm also planning a surprise January vacation and I can't wait to hear how your surprise turns out.

 

[GrammyJudy]

great surprise. I am terrible at surprises! We will be there in Jan too.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I'm in! I'm also planning a surprise January vacation and I can't wait to hear how your surprise turns out.

great surprise. I am terrible at surprises! We will be there in Jan too.

Thanks for joining in our planning! I hopped on to your's jensen! I'll be updating tomorrow with the plans for our park days and such...the girls will be home soon so I have to wait until they are back in school tomorrow...

 

[Colleen27]

Aww, what a great surprise! And how fun to surprise the kids too! We did that with DD10's 6th birthday trip and it was priceless. We were at the airport and she still didn't believe we were really going to WDW.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Sorry I haven't been updating lately. Between working midnights and trying to hide this trip from the girls, it's been difficult to find time to get on the computer without little eyes around. It doesn't help that my computer is in the kitchen!

When I last left I said I would start outlining our plans. Here's the basic info to date:

The players in this game of mystery are as follows:

Me:
In my last PTR/TR attempt we never really came up with a good name for me. I am 39 ..love my family, love Disney.... 'nuff said!
Here I am with DD#1 on the Peoplemover in March:

DH:
He is known as Ferb..he's from the UK (Wales specifically) and we love P&F at our house! Here he is showing off some St Patrick's Day love:

DD aged 11:
We lovingly call her Stitch..and yes the name fits!

DD aged 7:
She is our Rapunzel...she is shy and wary of loud noises from time to time..although that is getting better as she gets older. She is afraid of POC, HM, TOT, SM, SM, RRC, well..it might be easier to list what she will ride...hoping to get her on HM and POC this time!
Here she is with Mr Smee from the Pirate's and Pals Fireworks cruise!:

We are staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek (As of now we are in a one-bedroom deluxe unit..as it gets closer I should be able to get a slight discount on the points needed for the week and upgrade to a two-bedroom)

We are leaving from the Buffalo airport on January 5th at 10:55 and after a layover in Ft Lauderdale, we will arrive at MCO at 4:55. Bummer about those times...but it was better than the much later flight we had with Direct Air. I don't like the connection, but I couldn't beat the price!

We have a rental through a company out of the UK called uscarhire. They have a great contract with US car rental companies in Florida for brits. But we can use it too..it gave us a week with a midsize with extra insurance for just over $200! I believe the car is being supplied by Alamo.

We will grab some groceries on the way to WBC and check in which by then should be smooth because of the later hour. If we want to grab some dinner we might head over to DTD and Raglan Rd. It has become a tradition for us to eat there on arrival night and do a little window shopping and getting slowly immersed in the Disney culture. I guess I should make that ressie soon...not that they are hard to come by, but peace of mind..kwim?

Our flight home is on January 12th. We will depart from MCO at 4:10 pm, connect in Baltimore and arrive in Buffalo at 8:50. Again, don't like that connection. It's frustrating when you know how quickly you can get somewhere and have to waste all that time with a connection. This one isn't as bad as the way down..but the girls haven't ever had a connection before and we can grab some lunch at Ft Lauderdale while we are waiting. This flight home will be tiring to say the least..it's always a long day that last day isn't it?