February 24-28, 2010--Help me Plan-Now I have something. 2-1-2010

[OhMari]

In my signature it says, "convention time".

My dh will be at his convention,

but I don't have to attend the convention
or any of the seminar's, they have for the wives,
or the signifant others that are brought along.

I don't need to know, where to go shopping,
or what the spa offers,
even though I need a hair-cut
but $100 haircuts are not for me.
My kids think I need de-stressing.
"selling cemetery plots can be very stressful at times"-
Did I mention I am a church administrator,
that does everything, except concescrate the
oh never mind, I think you get it.

So I have Thursday and Friday--to do what I want.
Spa-I do "what is free"
The laps pool is open to everyone,
even though it is freezing.
The ladies with cucumbers on their eyelids,
sitting under umbrella's, drinking nasty things,
peak at me, from under their cucumber eyelids,
and wonder who the nut is swimming.
I think I am breaking their Zen.
I'm laughing knowing-they will be soon, bee-lining to the nearest
bathroom.

I was going to go to Discovery Cove this year,
but I swam with the dolphins
last August, with my dd's for a fraction
of the cost-in Cozumel.
Go on a cruise during hurrican season,
ya save a ton of money-
if that makes any sense.

So Sea World and Discovery Cove is basically a no.
Universal and Island of Adventure is a no too.


So, how busy do you think Disney Studios
will be on Thursday.
I've never seen Beauty and the Beast,
not The Little Mermaid.
I would like to eat at the place where you can
dine with an imagineer,
or Science-Fi Diner.



I have a very hard time planning,
because the minute I do,
one of my 4 adult -(late teens, early 20's children)
throw a life's curve ball at me.

So if we stay in the Orlando area during the weekend,
I need to make a Ressie pronto.
We will be staying at the convention hotel,
Wed. and Thursday nite, possible Friday-if they have another
free alcohol induced banquet--
otherwise, I need to book now
with a 45% pin code for a deluxe--
35% off for a moderate
so, would you do,
The Polynesian--
The Contemporary
The Wilderness Lodge
or the Caribbean Resort-

Here is the curve ball-
Our dd will be helping process those babies and small children from
Haiti into the U.S.
Plus, the Haitians that will need medical procedures.
She will be doing this in Florida or Haiti-
I am praying for Florida-
so is her dad-
I think his blood pressure is on the roof.
She will be leaving this weekend-I can't say what her job is,
but when people ask her,
"she truthfully can say, she is a transporter".
Good and bad.


I had it planned, that we were going to drive down to the Key's
for the weekend, but my dh said, he really didn't want to drive
down there, so he squished that plan last weekend.
But now--if our dd is in southern Florida--we will drive down
and visit her.

Oh, I know I will be totally winging those 5 days,
but sometimes the best times, are the unplanned times.




.

 

[OhMari]

I was a tad worried about our Itenerary # with AirTran.
It wasn't showing up, when I tried to check it online.

So I called AirTran
and tried to do voice commands,
finally after 10 minutes - I get through.

I was given a new check-in #


I get a kick out of playing around with seats.
Sort of like a movie theatre,
it has to feel just right.
And, I found out I have a $15 credit from our flight last August.

But, there is always a Ying/Yang to everything.

AirTran charges more for the better seats in front of the plane.
It used to be $6.00 for any seat,
except the exit rows.
Now they want $15 for those seats
behind business class.

On the flight down, I picked aisle seats in row 20.
On the flight back, I picked row 14 & 16 aisle rows.
My dh really doesn't talk much on flights,
he really has anxiety issues, and the less talking
he does, the better he does.

At the 24 hour mark check in, you can pick your seats for free.
AirTran tends to leave the first 2 rows open.
So, it is a gamble.
I usually don't pay, and wait to see what is open,
but I did that last time, and my dh got seated in the
middle, and he was a nervous wreck, by the time we landed.
So I had mercy on him, and booked him isle seats.

Here is a picture of us, when we went out for our 28th Wedding Anniv.
last August.

Last year, when I went along to the convention,
I had a free ticket to Universal Studios.
I saw one t-shirt and thought it was really cute.
Took awhile to find the other 3.
My kids weren't to happy with getting t-shirts,
but they all wore them on Christmas.

My family,

 

[jordanyosh]

If the weekend is a 2 night stay at a WDW resort, I'd go for Wilderness Lodge. It close enough to the Magic Kingdom, but secluded enough for a nice getaway.

I'm a church administrator as well, I usually go for 4 months and get really sick. I'm sick right now.....

 

[OhMari]

If the weekend is a 2 night stay at a WDW resort, I'd go for Wilderness Lodge. It close enough to the Magic Kingdom, but secluded enough for a nice getaway.

I'm a church administrator as well, I usually go for 4 months and get really sick. I'm sick right now.....

Get better Josh, no one likes to be sick on vacation.

 

[jordanyosh]

Get better Josh, no one likes to be sick on vacation.

I hope to get this out of the way.....

 

[wdwgirl03]

So, how busy do you think Disney Studios
will be on Thursday.
I've never seen Beauty and the Beast,
not The Little Mermaid.
I would like to eat at the place where you can
dine with an imagineer,
or Science-Fi Diner..

I wonder how big crowds get for ESPN the Weekend and how it affects attendance. I know some of the stuff is at DHS.

As for resorts, I still say the Polynesian. If I had a pin code for there I'd book right away! One of the things we always liked about the Poly was that even though it was so close to the MK you really felt you were in your own little world and away from all the hustle and bustle of the parks.

 

[Native NYer]

I love the Poly. You can sit on the beach and watch Wishes

 

[OhMari]

I love the Poly. You can sit on the beach and watch Wishes

I wonder how big crowds get for ESPN the Weekend and how it affects attendance. I know some of the stuff is at DHS.

As for resorts, I still say the Polynesian. If I had a pin code for there I'd book right away! One of the things we always liked about the Poly was that even though it was so close to the MK you really felt you were in your own little world and away from all the hustle and bustle of the parks.

I'm leaning towards the Poly.
If I can't get in, than the Wilderness Lodge.


I read the itinerary for ESPN weekend, and there are about 3 different area's where different stages are set up for "speakers" and autograph sessions. I remember reading that the park is full of people going to those events, but the attractions ar empty.
And I don't think the sports nuts are going to be watching The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. Plus I want to spend a lot of time is Walt's Exhibit and do the drawing thing. Plus I will probably do the Movie Ride and scare myself and go on Tower of Terror--I feel they really tamed that ride, but I'll probably get a whole different sequence again of drops and change my mind again.

I'm even thinking of sticking around for Fantasmic and not go back early for the Free drinking--and food at the convention. For some reason alcohol is hitting me really hard. I had a drink over Christmas and I almost blacked out. I went out with my dh this weekend, and the same thing happened again. Sad, because who can pass up the Lapu Lapu's at the Poly.

 

[OhMari]

47 sweatin minutes on the phone with WDW.

I think I need to go home and change,
I'm a pool of sweat,
gross, I know.
It must have something to do with my nervous system.
Everytime I make a huge ressie or ADR,
I end up being a nervous wreck.

So I called WDW to get some prices using my 40% off code.
The Poly would be $312 a nite with tax,
Wilderness Lodge $283
And she tried talking me into the Beach Club $334 a nite.

Wow, I couldn't believe the prices with my 40% off code.
I was doing some gulping.
I think I need to go online and see what normal rack rate is
during this time period.
I know it is spring break-and they charge more for rooms
on the weekend.

When I went to retrieve my e-mail Pin #,
I noticed I received a new e -mail from----
Disney VISA.
They gave me a code to use at Hilton Head or Vero Beach.
Hmmm,
I figured I had her on the phone, so I had the CM check out
the prices.
$466 for 2 nites, $233 a nite.
Not bad.

Remember I wanted to go to the Key's!
I love WDW, but I wanted to do something different in Florida.
So, I booked it.
If I change my mind, I have 6 days before check-in to cancel.

 

[OhMari]

Continued from last post.

After much talking about resorts,
pro's, cons, etc.,

I asked to talk to the Advance Dining Ressie Line.

After a few minutes I was connected.

The CM told me as the day goes on, their computers
go slower and slower and slower.

I wanted to dine with "an Imagineer" at Disney Studios.

Hmmm,

The CM couldn't find it anywhere in her computer at the Brown Derby.
After much a checkin,
she found out during January & February,
there are select dates that you can dine with
and Imagineer at the "Flying Fish"----yuck.
They only had a few select days, and the week I was there,
they had only Feb. 21st open, and the price was $82.
Yikers, at the Brown Derby it was $60.

So, that plan was scratched.

Next, I asked about Kouzzina-
Iron Chef Cat-from the Food Channel.
She has a new resturant on the Board Walk.
Used to be Spoodles.
We are flying in on Feb. 24th, and we should
be in at 5:30 p.m.
By the time we get our luggage and rental
and get to where we need to be,
did I mention the convention is at
The Ritz!
Yep, we are schlepping it "little time".

"We are in no way, shape or form,
their clientle," I was so scared last year,
but I found out it is a great place to "people watch".
Because,, no one is watching 'you'.

So, after we check-in, unload our luggage,
freshen up, hopefully we can get over to the Boardwalk,
and make our ADR by 9:00 p.m.

I figured I had been on the phone over 45 minutes,
and I asked the CM, "hey, I can do ADR's online
can't I?"
She said, "sure, put me out of a job."
and then laughed.

So, now I need to go look at some "rack rates"
and do me some ADR's online.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Aren't the prices for some of the deluxe resorts insane?! Funny how we stayed at the Poly all those years... That's why DVC is awesome, you get to stay at great resorts for a fraction of what you'd pay normally.

I'd love to try Vero Beach or Hilton Head sometime.

 

[OhMari]

Aren't the prices for some of the deluxe resorts insane?! Funny how we stayed at the Poly all those years... That's why DVC is awesome, you get to stay at great resorts for a fraction of what you'd pay normally.

I'd love to try Vero Beach or Hilton Head sometime.

I went on Disney's web page, and you can actually book with those special prices. Except you can get a Deluxe Resorts for 35% off, you can get 40% off if you stay at a Deluxe Villa. The price was coming up higher at the Poly and this is when I figured the web page was giving me 35% off.

I have to remember this is Peak Season too and the weekend.


Maybe I'll make my dh go to a DVC sales pitch,
but my DVC is sitting out in our driveway-our race trailer.

 

[jordanyosh]

I would love to try Hilton Head or Vero myself.

I'm going to Kouzzina myself in a few weeks.

 

[OhMari]

I would love to try Hilton Head or Vero myself.

I'm going to Kouzzina myself in a few weeks.

Me and my dh were looking at his agenda, and his convention goes till 3:00 p.m. on Friday, with sales tables at 4:00, reception at 5 and a big banquet at 7:00.
Drinks are free with this really embarassing meal, where the waiters, scrape the linen table cloth with this little knife, if you drop a bread crumb. And they were white gloves. We feel so foolish, but than again, our waiter did this on our cruise ship, so I'm pretty much over it, but still.

The deal with Vero or Hilton Head, is if you are staying the weekend, you have to do 2 nites. She said, I could try for just one Saturday nite, but she said, it wasn't going through her system with the discount. Plus if Florida is still in a cold streak, we didn't want to be by the ocean, either. So my husband told me to book the Poly or Wilderness for one nite.

That way, I wouldn't have to abstain from drinking-
which I should because, one drink, can put me under a table.
So we won't be driving anywhere that evening,
and we can get up early in the morning,
drive to the Poly, check-in
and mono-rail over to Ecpot.

My dh can't skip out of anything,
because he is a guest of Ameriquest,-the convention.
which is a good thing,
but it still stinks.

Did I mention, we are going with another couple
that will not do anything, except, sit by the pool,
or the wife won't budge away from the pool.
I hope it is 70 and chilly out,
just the right kind of temperature for touring at WDW.

 

[jordanyosh]

So you're back to staying onsite at WDW?

 

[OhMari]

So you're back to staying onsite at WDW?

Yep, unless the computer system will give me the 40% off for just one nite during the weekend. The CM told me, because the code was so new, it wasn't allowing just one night for the weekend. But she thinks they will fix the computer error. Plus, the last thing we want to do, is be cold by the ocean. We live next to Lake Michigan, and it is always 20 degrees colder by the lake, and since it is technically winter yet, we are thinking it could be cold by the ocean. We are such half glass full people.

 

[OhMari]

Last nite, I was playing around with ADR's on Walt Disney's websites.
I was getting ADR's for almost anytime I wanted.
I even got Chef Mickey's on a Sunday morning for anytime I wanted.
I think my dh would kill me, if I did a character breakfast.
But it was pretty interesting finding out that coveted resturants had openings at one month out.

So, I had a bit of dilemma,
picking resturants with no characters.

I got Wed. Cat's resturant at 9:00
Thursday-Sci-FI 11:30 a.m.
Saturday-Teppan Edo-12 noon
7:30-
Les Chefs de France at Epcot

I'm still playing around with Sunday morning breakfast,
and I may change to a resort dining area for Saturday nite.

My dh loved Trail's End Breakfast Buffet-
I would like Kona's Cafe at the Poly
or Breakfast over at Boma's.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for a Sunday morning brunch.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Woo, only 4 weeks to go!

Sorry, no suggestions for brunch. The only ones we've ever done have been character breakfasts and those were years ago!

Which resort did you end up booking?

 

[OhMari]

Woo, only 4 weeks to go!

Sorry, no suggestions for brunch. The only ones we've ever done have been character breakfasts and those were years ago!

Which resort did you end up booking?

Haven't called to cancel my ressie at Vero Beach. I keep trying to get up at 6:00 a.m., so I can use free minutes on my phone, but I keep falling back to sleep and waking up at 7:05 a.m. I really want the Polynesian, but I think we are going to go with the Beach Club. We are going to do Epcot on Saturday and maybe surprise my dh and do the Segway Tour, Sunday morning. We might as well, stick around the area. I'm going to call today, or by Saturday for sure.

 

[OhMari]

I woke in the morning,
with a big smile on my face.

Not really, but the song is on my IPod, that my son downloaded for me.
Which reminds me, that I have to do some eliminating on my IPod, Working out to head banging music is not my idea of "listening enjoyment".


So Vero Beach is cancelled,
and I booked The Beach Club.

It kills me knowing I could get the Beach Club Villa's cheaper if I rented points, by my trustee "renter" does not have any points and is saving a considerable chunk of points for me for April 2011.
Plus, I didn't want to take the time to establish "trust"
trying to find another DVC member.
(Sara-I would have trusted your family,
but you guys seem to use your coveted points and
actually use them.)


I'm sure The Beach Club will be busy that weekend with ESPN and sport nuts walking around.
But since we will be just doing Epcot-it makes sense to just stay there. Plus my stomache will thank me.
It doesn't like me sometimes, and I'd rather
be "walking"
vs.
"sitting in a bus."

Plus we will have our rental car.


My $500 gift card from Sunshine Rewards arrived yesterday too.
I was worried, because only my $100 came last week, and I cashed out for $600.
Tricia said, Disney cancelled her order and she needed to reorder.

I need to add "Non-expiring" to my 10 day ticket, so it can last forever.
I'll probably pay for our 2 TS meals
and then give the rest to Callie.
She is going down to Florida over Spring Break with her roommates.

I told her the parking fee is $15 and it is $84 dollars a day for each park. But I think they are only going to Disney for a day, they are going to Universal and the Beach. So, I'll probably just give her my $100 card.