SuAnne
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 9, 1999
- Messages
- 415
Like many of you on the DIS boards I am a compulsive Disney World planner, planning my trips to WDW months
sometimes a year or two in advance and I had actually come to believe that there would be no way on earth I could plan a trip in less than that. 
In this, my pre-trip planning report I am here to say that I shocked myself by managing to plan an 8 day Disney trip in just two short weeks.
This will be our 10th trip to the World. It will be myself and my DD Hayley. Our previous trips have included the trip from the bottom reaches of Hades with my parents and now ex-husband , two Disney cruises, as well as two wonderful trips to WDW with our Disney partners in crime and fellow DISers Cass and Noel (who happen to be off riding the range at a wonderful sounding horse camp as I write this!)
The original plan was to go to Disney in early December for 5 days, and then on a 7 day Royal Caribbean cruise with my parents. Unfortunately, those plans were abruptly halted several weeks ago when my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and with his surgery scheduled in November we didnt feel he would be up for traveling in early December. Looking to the future we decided we would postpone our family cruise until 2007 and go on a Hawaiian cruise to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary.
I had just about decided that we might have to pass on our yearly pilgrimage to the World for this year, but with summer drawing to an end, I was slowing going insane chasing DD off MSN, being the taxi service to the mall ,and listening to the endless refrain of Im bored . We needed to get away. Then while reading the DIS boards I saw that the MYW with free dining had been extended. Hmmmm could I possibly pull this off and plan a trip in two weeks?!
First step was to see if I could I could change our flights that we had booked for December. Tricky since they were on my points and Im sure they only allot 1 or 2 seats per flight for reward travel which are snapped up months in advance. Called Air Canada. Nope nothing was available on AC but they would be able to get us seats on US Air going from Toronto through Philadelphia for the dates we wanted. I didnt care if we were going by way of Wawa and Timbuktu as long as we could get to Orlando!
Next step was to book our package. The best value for this MYW/dining deal seemed to be at the Value Resorts. Our very favourite is WL but it is my Christmas time hotel and it just wouldnt seem right to stay there in the summer. Looked into AKL but it was going to be $1000 more for our stay .dont think so this time. Pop Century was available for the 8 nights and I thought hey I can turn our value stay into a deluxe experience bring some spa like air freshener scents, along with some nice smelling toiletries and bath bombs, our own comfy pillow cases, some wine for the room .et voila!
Now could I possibly hope to get ADRs for any restaurants? Armed with my list of choices I called Disney Dining and half expected the CM on the other end to roll on the floor in laughter at my requests, but with the magic of Disney I was all set with every restaurant I wanted within 15 minutes. Our TS meals for dinner are going to be OHana, Mama Melrose, Le Cellier, Kona Café, Jiko , CRT, Concourse Steakhouse and California Grill . Im planning to pay for Hayleys meals at Jiko and CF as I know she wont eat enough for 2 credits at those places, and then by splitting most CS meals we can most likely cover our breakfasts and lunches. Whew the plan is coming together!
With a week to go, time to start thinking about packing. Usually this starts a good month before our trip! Hauled out the suitcases and this time Im determined that the two of us will travel with only one large and one small suitcase. This could prove to be the greatest challenge yet! I let you know how I make out on that one.
Thanks to Mom & Dad the cat and dog were sent off to vacation with Nana & Papa . Bless their hearts I dont know who else I could count on to watch Annie-banoo our 120lb spoiled Golden Retriever, and her sidekick Jasmine, our slightly senile (ok very senile!) 19 year old cat.
Then came the quest for the elusive end of summer white skirt when most stores already have all their winter goods on the racks with nothing white to be found. I was on a mission at the Mall though, and I was just about to give up on my quest of finding that perfect white skirt when DD and her friend found me and asked Can we look around for just 5 more minutes which probably meant they just saw a cute boy somewhere! Not ready to give up the mission I went in one last store and lo and behold I found just what I was looking for. Success!
Sunday. Only 5 days before we leave and all is right with the world. Plans made, laundry done, suitcases just about packed. Time for a nice soak in the hot tub to gather my thoughts. Ahhhhhhh there I was having a nice relaxing time daydreaming about dinner menus when I was interrupted with a little voice chirping Hi, Hi, Hi. I realized that the two year old next to us had finally discovered if she peered over their deck in just the right direction that she could see right into our hot tub. Oh well, I just feigned deafness because of the jets and continued in oblivious bliss thinking about 8 days of Disney dining.
My soak in the hot tub over, its time to finish up my pre-trip report. Only a few days left to go and now its just the usual last minute run to the bank and packing of our carry-ons.
Yes indeed it is possible to plan a trip in less than two weeks. Will that stop me from planning my future trips months in advance no way! For part of the magic of a Disney trip is the anticipation. Whether it be a year, or month, or just several weeks there is nothing like planning a trip to WDW.
Bye for now, thanks for reading and stay tuned for our trip report on our return!
In this, my pre-trip planning report I am here to say that I shocked myself by managing to plan an 8 day Disney trip in just two short weeks.
This will be our 10th trip to the World. It will be myself and my DD Hayley. Our previous trips have included the trip from the bottom reaches of Hades with my parents and now ex-husband , two Disney cruises, as well as two wonderful trips to WDW with our Disney partners in crime and fellow DISers Cass and Noel (who happen to be off riding the range at a wonderful sounding horse camp as I write this!)
The original plan was to go to Disney in early December for 5 days, and then on a 7 day Royal Caribbean cruise with my parents. Unfortunately, those plans were abruptly halted several weeks ago when my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and with his surgery scheduled in November we didnt feel he would be up for traveling in early December. Looking to the future we decided we would postpone our family cruise until 2007 and go on a Hawaiian cruise to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary.
I had just about decided that we might have to pass on our yearly pilgrimage to the World for this year, but with summer drawing to an end, I was slowing going insane chasing DD off MSN, being the taxi service to the mall ,and listening to the endless refrain of Im bored . We needed to get away. Then while reading the DIS boards I saw that the MYW with free dining had been extended. Hmmmm could I possibly pull this off and plan a trip in two weeks?!
First step was to see if I could I could change our flights that we had booked for December. Tricky since they were on my points and Im sure they only allot 1 or 2 seats per flight for reward travel which are snapped up months in advance. Called Air Canada. Nope nothing was available on AC but they would be able to get us seats on US Air going from Toronto through Philadelphia for the dates we wanted. I didnt care if we were going by way of Wawa and Timbuktu as long as we could get to Orlando!
Next step was to book our package. The best value for this MYW/dining deal seemed to be at the Value Resorts. Our very favourite is WL but it is my Christmas time hotel and it just wouldnt seem right to stay there in the summer. Looked into AKL but it was going to be $1000 more for our stay .dont think so this time. Pop Century was available for the 8 nights and I thought hey I can turn our value stay into a deluxe experience bring some spa like air freshener scents, along with some nice smelling toiletries and bath bombs, our own comfy pillow cases, some wine for the room .et voila!
Now could I possibly hope to get ADRs for any restaurants? Armed with my list of choices I called Disney Dining and half expected the CM on the other end to roll on the floor in laughter at my requests, but with the magic of Disney I was all set with every restaurant I wanted within 15 minutes. Our TS meals for dinner are going to be OHana, Mama Melrose, Le Cellier, Kona Café, Jiko , CRT, Concourse Steakhouse and California Grill . Im planning to pay for Hayleys meals at Jiko and CF as I know she wont eat enough for 2 credits at those places, and then by splitting most CS meals we can most likely cover our breakfasts and lunches. Whew the plan is coming together!
With a week to go, time to start thinking about packing. Usually this starts a good month before our trip! Hauled out the suitcases and this time Im determined that the two of us will travel with only one large and one small suitcase. This could prove to be the greatest challenge yet! I let you know how I make out on that one.
Thanks to Mom & Dad the cat and dog were sent off to vacation with Nana & Papa . Bless their hearts I dont know who else I could count on to watch Annie-banoo our 120lb spoiled Golden Retriever, and her sidekick Jasmine, our slightly senile (ok very senile!) 19 year old cat.
Then came the quest for the elusive end of summer white skirt when most stores already have all their winter goods on the racks with nothing white to be found. I was on a mission at the Mall though, and I was just about to give up on my quest of finding that perfect white skirt when DD and her friend found me and asked Can we look around for just 5 more minutes which probably meant they just saw a cute boy somewhere! Not ready to give up the mission I went in one last store and lo and behold I found just what I was looking for. Success!
Sunday. Only 5 days before we leave and all is right with the world. Plans made, laundry done, suitcases just about packed. Time for a nice soak in the hot tub to gather my thoughts. Ahhhhhhh there I was having a nice relaxing time daydreaming about dinner menus when I was interrupted with a little voice chirping Hi, Hi, Hi. I realized that the two year old next to us had finally discovered if she peered over their deck in just the right direction that she could see right into our hot tub. Oh well, I just feigned deafness because of the jets and continued in oblivious bliss thinking about 8 days of Disney dining.
My soak in the hot tub over, its time to finish up my pre-trip report. Only a few days left to go and now its just the usual last minute run to the bank and packing of our carry-ons.
Yes indeed it is possible to plan a trip in less than two weeks. Will that stop me from planning my future trips months in advance no way! For part of the magic of a Disney trip is the anticipation. Whether it be a year, or month, or just several weeks there is nothing like planning a trip to WDW.
Bye for now, thanks for reading and stay tuned for our trip report on our return!
