Big Diliema! Wanna help me choose?

[stitchy626]

wow- everyone has so many great ideas. I read one post and think Ok I will tell her, read another post and say Ok I will keep it a surprise... LOL... same with the hotel... one minute I say DLH ... I like the idea of maybe carrying our suits in a small backpack, grabbing white water shacks lunch- cause it was sooo good... then head out to GCH's pool. Then back to ours for a nap. So many ideas. I didnt know that the Hyatt had rooms with 2 bathrooms! That is so huge!!! ever try getting ready to be somewhere with 5 people trying to get ready at the same time? LOL..... esp with females. I know for a fact that my wife will want to get her nails, hair done and a pedi, plus have a new outfit and some refreshed make up... before she goes on a trip. I know this for a fact- so maybe a few days before I will hand her a certificate and encourage her to go to the salon. She will have no idea... why!
Dinner came and gone... I almost told them.... a few times, but didnt. They all asked why I had a huge smile on my face and a slight twinkle in my eye, this is all so exciting. I just said how happy I was we are all together. Which is true... hehe. I looked at trip advisor- good reviews for both hotels. I was wondering to get to the GCH pool- how inconvient that would be? do I need to go to the lobby, explain our pool situation with DLH, get a new kkey to open the pool gate etc? Do I need to walk clear out of DTD to get to the Grand or is there some sort of short cut? I can only imaging the chaos! I think that is what is making me give up on DLH. I just want a really low key relaxed vacation... RIGHT!!! Or try to anyways. As far as the packing goes- I was going to have everything packed in the suitcases in the garage. Then load up the car from the garage. Nobody in our family hardly goes in the garage. I was thinking of ordering the Disney luggages, they are on sale. As far as snacks go- I was thinking of placing an order for Vons. Mostly gatorade, water a few sodas, muffins. And have it delivered to the room . As far as clothes go- school starts about 2 weeks before our trip- I was going to be extra sneaky- and as the wife does laundry- sneak out the good new clothes and stick it in the garage. She tends to show me the great deals she gets shopping for school clothes! I will just have to pay extra attention this time around and take some notes! keep the ideas coming! I sure do appreciate it!

You can get to the Grand from the DCA enterance which is right by the pool. You can also get there thru Downtown Disney. It is really simple. Since you are being allowed to pool hop your hotel key will get you into the pool. It's all pretty stress free.

 

[Grumpy~N~Dopey]

As far as clothes go- school starts about 2 weeks before our trip- I was going to be extra sneaky- and as the wife does laundry- sneak out the good new clothes and stick it in the garage. She tends to show me the great deals she gets shopping for school clothes! I will just have to pay extra attention this time around and take some notes! keep the ideas coming! I sure do appreciate it!

uhhhh I don't know how your wife is about good school clothes....but as the non-clothes picker outer (LOL) in my family, it would be my death if I packed those.... being a person that has had to pack for a trip like this i just paid particular attention to what outfits everyone was wearing the month prior... I have a bad memory so i even took picks of them on my cell phone. then as you mentioned as I saw them coming through the wash, i snagged them. I would try to keep the secret as long as you can. but make sure you wife doesn't have any plans on the days of your trip.
I personally would love to get in the car for ice cream and end up at Disney!

 

[cooniez]

What a great surprise & what a great hubby! I like to plan, but only you would know how much your wife would personally like to be involved I would be surprised if my DH even thought of a trip to DL for us, but maybe your wife is the type who doesn't mind you planning it all for her?

You're received some great ideas from pp's! Maybe you can combine one poster's suggestion to do the scavenger hunt when you finally reveal "Surprise, we're going to DL!", but in the meantime you can enlist a friend/relative's help to trick your wife into helping plan "someone else's" DL vacation so you can get her input. We're staying at the GCH for the 1st time in June, but it seems like a lot of people here like the DLH. I also thought you couldn't pool-hop, but maybe it's something they're allowing if the DLH pools are under construction?

 

[LavenderPeach]

What a fun surprise! I think I have to agree with those who say to tell your wife the surprise at least a day or two before you leave. I know that my DH wouldn't know all the essentials i would want packed. He might be able to figure out what clothes to bring but there would be other things he probably wouldn't think about (medicines, specific cleansers, moisturizers and make-up, among other possible necessities). Women often have a lot of specific things they like (or need) to bring with them on a trip. You wouldn't want to add stress to her vacation when she finds out she doesn't have something she needs. Good luck making your decision!

 

[emacat]

I'm not one for lying but how about this scenario....if can you get a friend or co-worker to go along, tell your wife that the two of you have been asked to help plan a trip to DL for this friend. Give her the options that the "friend" is considering and ask what she thinks would be best.

This is actually what I would do. As the obsessive planner in our family, I would love to be presented with a trip that I didn't have to worry about, so I can understand wanting to surprise her.

Try getawaytoday.com for Residence Inn Maingate. They have some really good prices on there. Maybe that will solve your problem. Otherwise, have a friend help you out.

And DO NOT pack school clothes! LOL! If you don't tell the surprise until you're there, you need to at least tell your wife you're going somewhere warm and fun, and let her pack accordingly a few days before the trip.

Have fun, and what a nice husband you are for doing something like this for your wife.

 

[QueenDoOver]

First off, You rock as a hubby! Costco does have the get 5 nights for the price of 3 still going through September. Are both pools at DLH going to be out? The PPH pool and slide was nice. I think If I had to walk to another pool, I would stay at the DLH and walk to the Grand's pool! Better yet, I would go inside the parks, then swing by the Grand's pool, then grab food from Whitewater then head back to the room in DLH for a nap! LOL Is the Grand Californian out of the question price wise? Remember, the price from Costco includes tax and all the fees! Costco for August 13-August 18 for 5 for 3 day park hopper, room, 2 adults and 3 kids 8 and under:
PPH -$1921.52
DLH -$2023.50
GCH -$2437.50
If you do include the wife, why not surprise her with some cool Disney stuff? Disneystore online is having a sale...You can get her a purse, charms, towel, key chain, kitchen stuff, the list goes on and on.
I would love it if my hubby would surprise me with a trip to DL!

I like this idea. Quite frankly I would see this as an opportunity. Pool hopping is normally not allowed, so how great that you would now have a chance to try out the other two pools, of course at the cost of not using the DLH pool!

I agree it would be a tough decision. We also were going to stay the first week in August at DLH, so I guess I better figure out the schedule and decide if I am going to stay or switch.

 

[sasywtch]

I don't know where in Northern CA you are but maybe you could say you want to take a 4 day trip somewhere close (Monterey?) before you can't do any vacations the next few years. That way, she gets to pack her essentials but you keep driving and surprising her that way?

I hate surprises but secretly, I'd just be so thrilled that my bf would think of doing something like this.

 

[ambear72]

Have you checked to see if Costco offers free parking with their package? I know AAA does, if so then just take your car and stay at the Hyatt. If you are planning on going again next year and planning on staying at DLH then do the Hyatt this time. It sounds like the Hyatt will be more comfortable for you and if you have a teenager like mine then comfort is a must! LOL Thats awful nice to plan a suprise trip for your family. Can you teach my hubby to do that LOL. Good luck and let us know what you chose.

 

[nana50]

To the poster who wanted to know about the size of the new DLH rooms. They are small. They would be very cramped for 5 people. They are lovely though. Maybe rooms with 2 beds would be a little roomier. The PPH has bigger rooms.

Also I thought I heard that they are keeping the neverland pool open during construction.

 

[Nala83]

I've been watching closely for news about the DLH pool situation (staying there in September). The Disney parks blog states that a pool will be open at all times.

Given the timing on the opening dates, the new slide area will be constructed first, which means the neverland pool will be open for the first wave of construction. Know one knows for sure, but I'd trust the written info from the parks blog before a random CM on the phone. I wouldn't worry too much about pool availability as you make your choice!

 

[sirgoofie]

Hello again... Well I talked to Eric the Manager for the DLH... what a nice guy! He said 'sorry for any confusion" etc etc... "the pool area will start under construction towards the end of Aug, and that all the pools will remain open... the construction is on the outside of the pool- and if you are uncomfortable with that then you can use the other two resort pools." etc etc. So whew!!! That makes it easier to decide... but then now Nana comes along and tells me how cramped the new rooms are LOL.... just when I made up my mind... I mean it all seems to be working out to stay at DLH. I stayed up real late last night to look at other options... and man there are so many! I have no idea how you woman plan for our vacations... but I give my DW much more respect now for doing it almost solo all these years.
so with the pool area being open, seems silly to save approx $50- 100 to stay at the hyatt. Kind of a headache to do all the shuttle stuff and timing etc.. when I could be right there! But then again its a much bigger room. But we really only plan on sleeping in the room... and all our restraunts will be right in DTD and goofy's Kitchen... I did see a pic of the Holiday Inn on Manchester- they had a kids suite room for almost $500 less... now that was kinda tempting..still have to deal with the art shuttle, and the room didnt seem as big or as new and nice as the Hyatt. They had some sorta closet looking set-up where they stuffed in a bunk bed and a day bed- looked cramped and hot with no air circulation... anyone ever try that hotel room? Then there was the Best Western Inn across the street and it was well across the street. LOL. Basically the only perk. Still a small room. Almost the same amount as the DLH. Maybe a $100 less. but as soon as I talked to Eric and he sorted out my worries I was feeling like heck no to Best Western... hehe never been a huge fan of them. So I guess it will be DLH... and ......... I did tell my wife at lunch today about my co-worker who needed my help... etc, she was like most of you "oh how exciting... but gosh shes going to want to pack her own stuff" after talking for about 30 min she caught on to me. She wanted to talk to the guy and call him and stuff... then i just blurted it out it was me! then we both laughed, she claimed she was starting a new diet tomorrow and would have been upset if I just had sprung a trip on her like that! But we did agree to keep it a surprise for the kids. So that is that! Thank you ladies and gents for helping me! I will prolly ask more questions in the future as time gets closer!

 

[nana50]

stay stay stay at the DLH it is not that cramped. It is worth it to be on site. There is nothing like being right there. Ignore any and all further remarks I make and book the DLH!

 

[sirgoofie]

LOL thank you Nana!!!! That really does make my mind at ease!

 

[emacat]

If the pools are open, definately go for the DLH. It will be wonderful to be right on site, without worrying about shuttles,etc.

Have fun!

 

[heatherleigh]

My vote is for the DLH. Personally, I hope there is pool construction going on during our trip so we can use the one at the PPH. The DLH pool isn't that exciting, from what I've gathered. Of course your kids are big, so it wouldn't affect them (they will be able to use the slide). I still think the slide at the PPH is more fun. My husband and I even enjoyed it.