Close to going crazy!!

[littleangel38]

As you may of read from my other threads im planning a surprise trip for my boyfriend

Im finding it extremley difficuit planning it all on my own

I was so excited last week and I trotted home with my brochures and now im about to throw them out the window!!

Ive narrowed it down to 4 hotels. Im so close to telling him about it so he can help decide but then that will ruin it all!

I literally sit on the computer everyday searching for about 3 hours at a time. Yesterday I was so excited because I thought I had chosen the hotel but then today thomas cook emailed me back with two more hotels which looked great too aahhahahaha.

Im also stressing about the prices. When I went in 2008 the prices were half the price they are now but we booked last minute. I cant decide if I need to book now or last minute but everyone keeps telling me its the flights that are expensive not the hotels and that wont change?

I also dont know who to book through. I have found a company called complete orlando who have good prices but I feel safer booking with someone I know like thomas cook but obviously I want the best deals

What to do......

Have you sorted it out yet?

 

[Pegasus928]

Hang in there.

I'm sure once you get all this planning phase out of the way you will be able to relax a little and enjoy setting it all up.
I wouldnt give in and let your bf in on the secret just yet. Is there no-one else who can help you decide?

 

[wayneg]

I just posted in other thread, its difficult to help if you are going thru a TA, you really have to be guided with the hotels they provide.
The idea of using a TA is to help you and take out the stress of booking, if you are having so much hassle then maybe change TA's or do it all yourself. You are paying a higher price for them to help you.
Are you sure your boyfriend is going to appreciate the suprise? no point in going thru all this hassle if he would prefer to participate in the planning and choices you are making. Personally I would not appreciate it but DW knows that and would never do it.
As Kenny says if keeping the suprise is there anyone else that can help you?

 

[littleangel38]

My boyfriend will love the surprise he is rollercoaster mad and hes constantly showing me youtube videos of the new rollercoaster opening in busch gardens and last time we went to Orlando we have a great time! I wouldnt be doing this if I knew he wouldnt apperciate it

My friends and family could help but they have never been to Orlando and id prefer to speak with people who have stayed or have knowledge of the hotels im looking at. I might go into the travel agents again on Monday and speak with them about the hotels I have narrowed it down to and then prehaps book through someone else?

 

[2Tiggies]

Im finding it extremley difficuit planning it all on my own

You can't really be hard on yourself for feeling that way. It's enough of a task to plan a trip without trying to keep it a secret. If you were finding it easy we would all feel quite intimidated and wouldn't want to speak to you

I was so excited last week and I trotted home with my brochures and now im about to throw them out the window!!

Well you may feel that way now because you are wallowing in a good dose of information overload, but you will be surprised in a little while just how much you have gained by going through them all. For example, you know what your options are, you have an idea of prices and often overlooked, but very important, you probably have a good idea of what you DON'T want, which is something that helps eliminate a stack of options from the mix

Put them aside for a day or two. Honestly, a couple of days won't make a difference to your choices or ability to plan, but you may find that things are clearer for having given yourself a break. It's so easy to get caught up in a little circle of decisions and thoughts and be overwhelmed by them. It's even harder when all those thoughts have to remain in your head and you can't bounce them off of anyone. Take some time out.

Ive narrowed it down to 4 hotels. Im so close to telling him about it so he can help decide but then that will ruin it all!

Well 4 hotels out of the many to choose from sounds like progress to me. Remember, you can't do everything in one trip, no matter how long you go for. You also can't (or at least, it isn't practical to) stay at every hotel that appeals to you on one trip. Are you likely to go back again in the future, or at least hoping to do so? Those hotels are not likely to disappear. I assume you have an idea of what your (very lucky) boyfriend does and doesn't like. But don't try and over analyse the whole perfect choice issue. He isn't looking at those options. He is going to see what you chose, not sit looking through all the brochures and websites you are going through to try and see if he could have picked something better. This is a case where you are going to be your own worst critic. You are giving him and experience and time together on holiday. There ARE a lot of choices and it can feel like way too many decisions to have to make, but once you have decided, don't look back. Stick with your choice and move onto the next step of planning.

I literally sit on the computer everyday searching for about 3 hours at a time. Yesterday I was so excited because I thought I had chosen the hotel but then today thomas cook emailed me back with two more hotels which looked great too aahhahahaha.

Do you know what is most important to you in choosing a hotel? Is it proximity to a park/parks, specific amenities, size of the room ...? Have you made a list of those things that matter to you as a couple? It may be worth putting it down on paper or into a document on your pc and checking off each hotel against your list of criteria. If two come in on a par, does it really matter?

Im also stressing about the prices. When I went in 2008 the prices were half the price they are now but we booked last minute. I cant decide if I need to book now or last minute but everyone keeps telling me its the flights that are expensive not the hotels and that wont change?

What to do......

Have a little faith in yourself. You have already won half your battle by doing what surprisingly many people don't: you have researched.

And remember, if you don't tell your DBF, you always have the option of telling him at a later stage if you feel you really can't or don't want to do this on your own. If you tell him now, your option to do this as a suprise is no longer there and you can't change that. When you are stressed about something is really the wrong time to make a decision - but you know that

And in the meantime, whenever you want to chat, rant, share your plans or get advice, you can always post right here

 

[fd1972uk]

Yep, great advice there.

As mentioned above, look at the pro/cons of each place i.e. if off-site is travel to park provided, how close are they to the parks, how close they are to amenities etc etc.


FD

 

[orangetiggs]

complete orlando are good, alot on here book with them

i think your boyfriend is a lucky guy, i would love my husband to surprise me with a trip to orlando

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

I surprised my BF with a Disney holiday in 1997. I sat him down in front of the TV on his birthday and showed him the Disney Planning video, and then gave him the tickets,we are now marriedRoll the time forward 13 years and we did the same with the kids
The stress and confusion is so so so worth it.
2Tiggers advice is spot on

 

[toots82]

Hi,

the be all and end all hon is that he's going to LOVE it no matter what hotel you choose! It's an amazing surprise and think how happy you'll feel when you do the big reveal and have managed to keep it quite

If I were you I'd write pro's and cons of hotels you're thinking about and compare them to a list of the factors which are important to you like 2tiggies said. That way once you've made your decision you can be fully happy it was an informed choice made to suit you and not one made in a rush.

Good luck, it'll all work out fine, and as for prices going up n down, I'm more of a worrier so I like to have things all booked and know my dates etc all tie in but thats just a personal thing,

HTH

 

[WiganTony]

If I were you I'd write pro's and cons of hotels you're thinking about and compare them to a list of the factors which are important to you like 2tiggies said. That way once you've made your decision you can be fully happy it was an informed choice made to suit you and not one made in a rush.

Would agree with this approach. One further thing to possibly consider if you are not planning on renting a car is the availability of shuttles to the parks, which may well be limited to one or two per day anyhow. If this is the case, also look for hotels that give easy access to the Lynx buses which means that you are not tied to the shuttle times or having the expense of taxis.

Edited to read: Oops - just read your other post and seen that you aren't planning on doing much, if any, Disney which is what I was basing the above on. However, most hotels on I-Drive will give you acess to Lynx buses or the I-Ride trolley which will get you to Seaworld, Wet'n'Wild and near to Universal.