"Do You Mind?" - Disney Adventures with Teens August Trip Report

[Donald is #1]

Wow! Those are some large changes for your family!

 

[Native NYer]

WOW! Big changes, but so great that your family will be closer!

 

[swwake]

Wow! Those are some large changes for your family!

WOW! Big changes, but so great that your family will be closer!

I know - they are huge changes for everyone. Fortunately, they don't affect me much, so I've had time to continue planning this vacation!

Mom says she will need a vacation by the time August 8th gets here.

 

[swwake]

Ok, now that we all know what's happening in the good ole family, let's talk about the impact on our trip.

The trip as it was (and still is):
Friday the 8th - Chris, Susan, Katie, Caitlin and 2 dogs leave Austin and drive 11 hours to Jackson, TN. Drop off the dogs at Dad's kennel, have birthday dinner with Sierra, and return to Memphis (45 minutes) to stay the night.

Purposes:
1 - Save over $400 on boarding charges.
2 - All travel on the same flights to Orlando.
3 - Save on airfare (we got $175-$225 tickets, vs. RT from Austin at $300+)

Bonuses:
1 - Road-trip feel to the travel.
2 - Builds excitement to interact with the girls for 11 hours about our Disney trip.
3 - Gives me the opportunity to work in the car (using less PTO)
4 - Harry has separation anxiety, so we won't have to worry about him getting sick at our house.

New circumstances:
Mom will be closing on her new condo here in Austin on August 4th, so she will be here sometime between the 25th and the 4th. She plans to stay here until we leave on the 8th to go to Memphis. She'll ride with us, and the dogs.

Joann will be here in Austin. She could potentially care for the dogs. Either she could stay at our house (which I doubt she'd want to do), or stop by each day three times to check on them, feed them, play with them, etc.

Round trip airfare from Austin to Orlando is now right at $191 on the website; however, the time for the outbound sucks and we wouldn't arrive in Orlando until almost 11pm, thereby losing 1/2 day at the World.

So, basically, we could save 2 days of road travel time, plus the gas, in exchange for whatever it costs to change our flights. But we would lose 1/2 day at Disneyworld.

I checked out our fares, and the following appear to be the restrictions:
1 - $75 change fee per person, per round trip (not bad, considering the trade-off is gas and time)
2 - BUT, it says that a change in origin city is NOT considered a change, but a cancellation.

I am not sure what this means. I don't know if there is a cancellation fee. Can't find anything on that. I don't know if we could get credit for our current flights and just book the new ones.

The other glitch in the Matrix is that, if we decide to fly from Austin, Mom will need to follow Joann here on the 25th (if those plans remain the same), rather than riding in her car, because she will need a car for the return to Memphis if she is flying R/T back to Austin.

So, it all seems very complicated, but if we could make these changes, it would make life much simpler on the vacation.

Oh yeah, and a little aside: during all this option-exploring, I checked on whether flights may be less expensive for us to fly to MCO on Friday. I think they were about the same, but we would then need a hotel room for Friday night. Not sure if I could add onto our BC ressie, or if we would need to get another hotel, maybe off-site. But then we would get an extra half-day (or more) at WDW.

So, here's what I'm thinking of doing. Since this danged change over to AAA cost me a membership fee and I got nothing in return (other than delayed travel documents), I thought maybe I can call my AAA TA on Monday and ask her to find out how much the change to R/T Austin would cost us. Let her do the research.

One last thing - I think that if I make any changes to the Disney vacation, the one stable thing, it seems, in Mom's life right now, she may go NUTS! But then again, she usually doesn't care as long as she doesn't have to get involved in the decision-making and she just know when and where to be.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Here is your picture for this post.

 

[dddisrunner]

I am sticking with Grandma Bonnie on this one and I let you all make the decisions!











Tell the TA at AAA to figure it out! Go ahead and get your membership money working for you!

 

[swwake]

I am sticking with Grandma Bonnie on this one and I let you all make the decisions!

You're no help!

Tell the TA at AAA to figure it out! Go ahead and get your membership money working for you!

That's what I'm thinkin'!

 

[stagemomx3]

You are making my head hurt! All I know is that any time I needed to make a change I was glad I had a TA to email and she would just fix it.

 

[Native NYer]

I feel like I need to see those options presented in powerpoint

Have you decided yet? Only 21 more days until Disney!!

 

[Native NYer]

Susan I almost passed out!!! You changed your ticker!!! I knew you'd do it. You're a numbers person and that other ticker just didn't make sense.

Welcome to my world!!! 3 weeks

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

WOW! That is amazing that you could figure it all out.

I know it is your decision, but I would give anything to get the whole day in WDW. I like the idea of letting AAA figure it out too. Also, if you fly from Austin, then no 11 hour road trip. This would be worth it for me.

I do know one thing, you must be an incredible accountant to have the patience to figure all of this out.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[swwake]

You are making my head hurt! All I know is that any time I needed to make a change I was glad I had a TA to email and she would just fix it.

Makes my head hurt too. I am going to see what AAA can do, but I don't have great expectations.

I feel like I need to see those options presented in powerpoint

Have you decided yet? Only 21 more days until Disney!!

I could do a powerpoint, if I weren't so busy putting together our itinerary today! I am going to let the TA check it out for us. 21 days!!!

Susan I almost passed out!!! You changed your ticker!!! I knew you'd do it. You're a numbers person and that other ticker just didn't make sense.

Welcome to my world!!! 3 weeks

I did. I couldn't stand the nonsense from that other ticker site. Who puts random numbers on a ticker?

WOW! That is amazing that you could figure it all out.

I know it is your decision, but I would give anything to get the whole day in WDW. I like the idea of letting AAA figure it out too. Also, if you fly from Austin, then no 11 hour road trip. This would be worth it for me.

I do know one thing, you must be an incredible accountant to have the patience to figure all of this out.

Good luck and keep us updated.

Yeah - I'll talk to the TA about it. The bad thing (or good thing?) is that our trip is now paid for and the CC is paid off, including the airfare. So any changes we make don't really feel like they're adding money to the trip - does that make sense at all? I mean "it's only $100 per person for the extra day at WDW" sounds really cheap, until you add it up and it's $500 on top of the thousands the trip is already costing us.

 

[Native NYer]

So what's the verdict? What's the new itinerary?

I'm glad you ditched that ticker. I'd like to know what way of counting that site used. And who taught them math!?!

 

[swwake]

Jen is a bad influence on me!

Katie and I went shopping today. Everything we bought (except one shirt I bought for work) could conceivably be considered a Disney Vacation purchase. Check it out:

I have been looking for one of those cute swim cover up dresses all the girls are wearing, but haven't found one in a reasonable price range. We found these cute skirts on sale for $14.99 or so. They match my suits. I will wear little cami/tanks on top.

A dress for an evening at Pleasure Island

Nail polish to match my pedicure

Cute shorts (they have glitter on the sides - which Katie hates but said "it's ok for you, Mom")

Book for the car/plane/pool

Katie got a really cute dress at Nordstrom. She can wear it for one of our "business casual" dinners at Jiko, Cali Grill or bluezoo.

Katie's cardigan

A really cute shirt Katie got

I didn't see the face when she tried it on, not til I took the pic. But it is really cute on.

Another cute shirt for Katie.

Can you tell she has a favorite color?

 

[swwake]

So what's the verdict? What's the new itinerary?

I'm glad you ditched that ticker. I'd like to know what way of counting that site used. And who taught them math!?!

Haven't decided yet. I have put together a global itinerary for the week that is pretty general and detailed itineraries for each day. If we decide to fly from Austin, it can be easily changed.

Math and calendars are 1st grade concepts. Many on this board have 3 year olds that can follow a countdown calendar. Why can't that site? Maybe it was the monorail that couldn't count.

 

[Native NYer]

I know I'm a bad influence

I love all of your purchases. Your dress is so cute! And love the shorts! It's so funny that Katie said it's ok for you

The nail polish color is great! I love OPI polish. Did you schedule your pedicure yet? I have yet to do that.

Katie's clothes are cute too. Is she all set with her clothes?

I need to buy that book tomorrow I could write a book just like it. "Are you there vodka? It's me, popsicles."

Haven't decided yet. I have put together a global itinerary for the week that is pretty general and detailed itineraries for each day. If we decide to fly from Austin, it can be easily changed.

Math and calendars are 1st grade concepts. Many on this board have 3 year olds that can follow a countdown calendar. Why can't that site? Maybe it was the monorail that couldn't count.

You need to post your new itinerary. Has it made it's way into your binder yet?

This fall I'm going to have my kindergartners design a countdown calendar. I'm sure they'll come up with something more logical than that site!

I've been debating making mousekeeping envelopes. I usually just leave the cash with a thank you note. But DISers are so crafty and keep giving me new ideas!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Cute clothes! So, I have to know: what is the name of your OPI polish? They always have the best names!

 

[swwake]

I know I'm a bad influence

And you ARE!!

I love all of your purchases. Your dress is so cute! And love the shorts! It's so funny that Katie said it's ok for you

Thanks. We will have to see about fixing the see-thru-ness of that dress. In the dressing room I could see my striped VS undies through it. I have decided after my Vegas trip that nobody wears my staple black pants and a cute shirt anymore.

The nail polish color is great! I love OPI polish. Did you schedule your pedicure yet? I have yet to do that.

Nope. I don't know what I'm going to do. I will be at a local conference the 28-29th, then in Napa for our partner meeting until the 4th. Then only here the 5th-7th, which will be those busy work days before you go on vacation. Then we leave the 8th. I am thinking of trying to book a pedi in Memphis on the morning of the 9th, since our flight doesn't leave until 1:30pm. But I am afraid of adding stress.

Katie's clothes are cute too. Is she all set with her clothes?

I hope so. She says she is. I think we're planning to do laundry 1 day in the middle of the week. I have a feeling our park clothes will be nasty sweaty and wet. Ugh.

I need to buy that book tomorrow I could write a book just like it. "Are you there vodka? It's me, popsicles."

I think your book would be funnier! I will let you know how Chelsea's is. I have to finish my current book (Second Chance) first.

You need to post your new itinerary. Has it made it's way into your binder yet?

I think I may post it. I really like the way I have organized it. It's in the binder.

This fall I'm going to have my kindergartners design a countdown calendar. I'm sure they'll come up with something more logical than that site!

Maybe you can send it to the site and tell them "here's a clue".

I've been debating making mousekeeping envelopes. I usually just leave the cash with a thank you note. But DISers are so crafty and keep giving me new ideas!

I don't think I'm going to do them. I feel like a tip isn't something that should appear to the recipient to be pre-planned. If I just leave money and a note like you are doing, they may think it's more genuine. Plus - it's less stress!

Cute clothes! So, I have to know: what is the name of your OPI polish? They always have the best names!

Thanks! It's La Paz-itively Hot! I picked it first b/c I love the color, but ironically, it reminds me of a trip Chris and I took to La Paz in 1997.

 

[Native NYer]

You're going to be so busy. But you have to make a little time for a pedi. It'll help you relax. That and a massage by a George Michael clone.

Take pic a of the binder!!!

 

[swwake]

Let's see how this turns out.

This is our general itinerary for the week:

Disneyworld Vacation 2008
Itinerary​

Friday, August 8
Chris, Susan, Katie, Bonnie, Magic, & Harry leave home in the Yukon
Pick up Caitlin at her house
Arrive Kennels, Jackson, TN
Birthday dinner with Sierra
To Memphis
Katie and Caitlin stay at Grandma Bonnie’s house
Susan and Chris stay at Troy and Jen’s house

Saturday, August 9
Leave Bonnie’s house for the airport
Fly to Orlando
Arrive in Orlando
Disney’s Magical Express to the Beach Club!!
Arrive at Beach Club
Leave for dinner
bluezoo for dinner

Sunday, August 10
Leave wherever we are for dinner
Jiko – The Cooking Place for dinner

Monday, August 11
Leave Beach Club for Magic Kingdom (Bonnie, Susan & Chris)
Magic Kingdom, Tour Garden, Keys to the Kingdom Tour
Finishing KTTK Tour
Head to Beach Club from wherever we are
Leave Beach Club for Contemporary Resort
California Grill for dinner
Watch Wishes at Magic Kingdom from California Grill

Tuesday, August 12
50’s Prime Time Café at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for lunch
Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Dinner – Bonnie’s birthday celebration
Fantasmic! At Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Wednesday, August 13
Leave for Downtown Disney
La Nouba
Raglan Road Irish Pub

Thursday, August 14
‘Ohana at the Polynesian for dinner

Friday, August 15
Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge for dinner

Saturday, August 16
Beach Club to catch Disney’s Magical Express to Airport
Fly to Memphis
Arrive in Memphis
Katie and Caitlin stay at Grandma Bonnie’s house
Susan and Chris stay at Troy and Jen’s house

Sunday, August 17, 2008
Morning Chris, Susan, Katie, and Caitlin pick up the Dogs in Jackson and drive back to Austin
Evening Arrive in Austin

Welcome Home!!​

I took out the times because I am paranoid like that. These are done in WD font with some Mickey and Minnie cartoons mixed in. Really cute. I printed to PDF today and emailed to Mom, Katie and Chris. I hope to take one to Caitlin tomorrow.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Thanks! It's La Paz-itively Hot! I picked it first b/c I love the color, but ironically, it reminds me of a trip Chris and I took to La Paz in 1997.

See -- I just adore their names!!! I buy more OPI because of their names than any other polish (I like their colors, too)!