Every Ride is Sacred, Every Ride is Good - June 3-10, Coronado Springs

[LeahJ]

Every ride is sacred.
Every ride is good.
Every ride is needed in your neighborhood.

Ah, Walt Disney World... What a wonderful place.

We've returned last night at 2 am. I'm tired, despite sleeping in til 11:15 am and napping from 2:30-6:15 pm. It was a long week - full of fun and thrills.

Feel free to post any questions, and I'll do my best to answer them.

I cannot promise the beautiful prose of OyBolshoi or ZZub. I cannot promise the witty observations of UtahMama. I can only promise you that I enjoyed this trip enough for all of you. I'll do my best to share our experiences, what we learned and any useful recommendations.

Synopsis:

The shortest intro of our cast -

Me - DW39
DH38
DD10
DD8

More later on each of us - but DD's tend to be cautious people, avoidant of loud noises like fireworks, not usually thrill seekers.

We stayed at Coronado Springs - we were SO close to the bus stop. It was wonderful. Being beside the bus stop rocked my world!

Previous trips to Disney - I went when I was 5 years old. Then we went as a family in 2004 (DD's were 7 and 5).

In 2004, we stayed at POR - which was beautiful, but breakfast was 10 min walk, pool was 7 min walk and bus was 5 min walk. Too far from everything for me.

This trip we could almost spit on the bus stop - if we wanted to. Ok, there's a nicer way to put it... Hmm... We could read the destination of the bus as it pulled away when we were standing at our door. Not as colorful, but not as gross a description either

Highlights:

- June 3 - Epcot Flower and Garden Festival last day

- June 10 - Star Wars Weekend at MGM

- ADR's - Garden Grill, Crystal Palace, Cali Grill, Whispering Canyon, 50's Prime Time, Le Cellier

- Got to see the Shuttle Launch on Friday 6/8 from Buena Vista Palace 24th floor

- DD's have become much more open to thrills since last trip! Shoot, they were more open to thrills since last summer when they rode rides at the county fair.

- Went to: All 4 parks, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and DisneyQuest

- Met Davina from Tour Guide Mike forum; met Cast Member Tim from Orlando at Big Thunder Mountain - who gave me the Focker Watch signal (noticing my Team Focker Watch lanyard and LGMH)- Tim is VERY close friends with Buzz Lightbeer; met a lurker from Tennessee in line for Pecos Bill's at lunch on 6/10


I highly recommend Tour Guide Mike - it's a great investment. Follow his park days recommendations.

More later.

Glad to see you all!

Leah

 

[winkers]

I love your monty python'ish title! Got my attention!

 

[LeahJ]

Don't you just hate it when you write a long post, forget to save it, then the computer loses it?

Oh well...

In January 2007, I began the planning. We loved WDW in 2004 and wanted to go back. But the Mouse is not a cheap date, as you well know.

I figured if we went "on the cheap" I would feel better about planning another trip sooner than last time. So, I started plotting.

My cousin lives in Orlando, and her DH works in a DTD hotel. Last visit, they told us that we should give them notice next time and they could help out with our planning. I called DCousin - she and her DH arranged for a room for us at his hotel at a great discount, room would be $99/nt. Now, at this hotel, that's a great rate. But, their bus to theme parks only runs every 45 min. Big Bummer.

So, our choices were Pop with Disney transportation or DTD hotel with non-Disney transportation but much nicer room. Hmm...

Then I saw the 40% off code on DisBoards. Hmm... More thinking.

DCousin's DH can also get us into the parks for free - on two days. Well, I'm not sure that they really "get" how much of park fanatics we are. We definitely want 8 day hoppers. There's not much diff in price from a 6 day to 8 day hopper.

Back to thinking about the 40% off code.

Try to get opinions from DH about on vs. off property. DH wants Disney busses. (Does busses have one S or two in the middle?) DH wasn't as concerned about the hotel cost as I was.

Hmmmmm...

40% off of Pop could be really good. That could solve the whole situation.

So - then the guilt.

The 40% off code was based on a postcard one received with a particular numeric code that was attached to just your name. Well I didn't get said postcard. But I wanted the 40% off

I read enough posts to see that if I called in to CRO enough times, I could probably get a CM who would give me the rate. My rule following side got all anxious, while my frugal side said - Call again, young woman. Go west, and call again.

I only had to call 2 or 3 times before I got a CM who would give me the 40% off rate.

Only problem was - there were no Pop rooms left with the 40% discount. CSR was only resort available with the 40% off. So, CSR it was.

Rate has escaped me. I think it's like childbirth - you forget the pain in order to go down the road again. I can't remember what we paid. I think it was $5 more than Pop rack rate. All in all it seemed like a good deal.

If cousin's DH had me a room for 50 or 70 bucks, I would have gone with that option and sucked up the bus waiting time.

But for approx 115 - I was getting a moderate resort with disney transportation.

By then, I had learned all about the DDP. I love the DDP. New convert. Watch out - guard your children. You know how it is with a convert.

OMG - get the DDP!!!!!

So much food and NO (count it - NO) No NO NO worrying about who is eating all their meal. No worrying about how much to order. No worrying about whether your children are going to like their food or not.

No counting pennies (besides the ones you're saving for pressed pennies! ) No stress. No budgeting.

Just home free eating. And as OyBolshoi says - I'll never go hungry again.

Oh my - there was so much food. We got to try SO many things we wouldn't have otherwise ordered.

I'm sure we could have eaten more cheaply, but the lack of stress and lack of needing to plan and budget (since it was already paid for) made life so good.

Off convert horse now.

Unguard the children. Children are safe from raving DDP fan. Raving DDP fan will no longer rave loudly.

 

[goofy_kid]

love the monty python theme lol good one!

 

[LeahJ]

Ah the flights...

My priorities:

- Cheap
- Get there early
- Leave late
- Pay cheap

There you have it. So - what were my options?

First option would have been to reserve flights earlier so that rates would have been cheaper - but that apparently didn't happen

I would have to live with slightly higher rates than desired. But still, they weren't too bad. (214/person roundtrip from Indy)

The only problem was - layover in Atlanta.

AND - getting there early meant leaving here REALLY early.

Reserved flights for 5:59 am on Sunday. 45 min til connecting flight in Atlanta departed. Arrive Orlando at 9:42 am!!

Departed Orlando at 5:54 pm on following Sunday - with 3 1/2 hour layover in Atlanta. Arriving in Indy at 12:20 am.

Ran the scenarios past DH - confirmed that he was on board with saving $75/person by doing flights with one stop over rather than non stop.

Scheduled flights. (Please remember - at 3 months prior to trip, DH DID sign off on layovers.) (insert foreshadowing music here)

 

[OhMari]

OMG, did you get to WDW yet?

 

[ampc3]

"The only problem was - layover in Atlanta. "

I live in Atlanta and I know what a Nightmare that airport is with layovers!! especially in the summer!! I am anticiapting something not so good to come