Girls Only Trip to WDW! {Nov 14 PTR}

[Azza1987]

Hi All!

Thanks for stopping by on my 2nd PTR this year,

As some of you know, DF and I moved our Sept 14 trip to Sept 15 next year due to finances/redundancies and the house. We had some big expensive plans booked!

Once my job was confirmed safe, I was speaking to my friend who lives in America about visitng her as I need only pay for my flights, one thing led to another, and suddenly we have a week booked together as it was such a good bargain!

So what's the plan!

November 13th - 20th 2014.
7 nights as All Star Movies in a perferred room, with the free quick service dining plan.
8 day base ticket ( we plan to upgrade to hopper at the resort)
Flying direct with Virgin from Man -MCO on the later flight out, and later flight back in!

This has cost me £900 so far. Which is a much considerable less sum then the £4000 our September holiday would have set us back, so its a perfect situation. DF doesn't mind waiting until next year, and I get my Disney Fix. Fabulous!

The only reason we've got it so cheap was pure luck on timings, as it was suggested my friend logged on the Disney US site, and there was the package deal for free quick service dining at ASMu, which is of course not offered with the value resorts in the UK!

As she was doing that I logged on to Kayak, and my flights were either £390 indirect with Air France/Delta or £444 with Virgin Direct so that exactly what I did. I think that is literally the lowest I have ever seen the flights to Orlando with Virgin! Pefect!

So we are now exactly 15 weeks out today, or 104 days and counting.

I'll miss the F&W but instead get 7 nights of pure Disney Heaven!

Planning on keeping this trip as cheap as possible, I've still got $$$'s left on my FairFX card from my NYC trip in February, and we aren't planning on doing lots of table service meals so hopefully my food should be all covered with the QS plan!

 

[Azza1987]

Well, we hit 11 weeks today, or 77 days to be exact!

Thankfully time is going fast!

Today a friend from Boston confirmed she had booked to join us for a long weekend with her sister from the 14th - 17th at All Stars Music too, so that will be fabulous to have 4 of us

We've made great progress in our plans so far, with our 60 day FP+ day fast approaching. We've not made many dinner reservations (mainly because we booked well past the 180 day window and all the good places are booked!) So we plan to keep it quite relaxed, and hopefully get a cancellation or a walk up if possible!

Basic itinarary so far;

Thursday 13th November - Land 5pm Orlando, hopefully scoot through immigration quickly as Im a solo traveller and should be able to use the electronic booths. Hoping for a quick transfer to ASMu as we have our MVMCP's tickets booked for that night! It'll be a quick bag drop, and a rush to MK to get involved in the festivities!

Friday 14th November - Epcot (EMH until 11pm) Hoping for a cancellation to Akerhaus, and we plan to get our FP+'s for Soarin', Mission Space & not sure what else! Then we'll probably spend the afternoon eating and drinking around the world!

Saturday 15th November - Magic Kingdom (EMH until midnight!) We have afternoon tea booked at the grand floridian for 3.45pm, so we'll hit MK after that and probably spend the morning relaxing. Hoping for FP+ for A&E Meet, 7DMT & Space Mountain!

Sunday 16th November - Hollywood Studios day (EMH until 10pm). FP+ hoping for TSM, ToT and something else!

Monday 17th November - Animal Kingdom day (EMH 8am!) Tusker House reservation at 2.30pm for a late lunch. FP+ For EE, Finding Nemo & Dinosaur hopefully!)

Tuesday 18th November - Park Hopper day, we think we might aim for rope drop at Epcot at EMH at 8am to cover off any rides missed on Friday. thne see where the afternoon takes us after that.

Wednesday 19 November - We are leaving this day plan free, as we might go to Universal Studios for Diagon Alley depending on money and how we feel! Not sure if it'll still be rammed with people, and I dont fancy Queueing for 3 hours!

Thursday 20th November - Our last day, we think we might get to MK for 8am MEH rope drop for our last day and spend the time there before ME picks us up! My flight home is the late Virgin flight back to Manchester at 8.45pm so I assume I'll be picked up around 5pm-5.30pm? So we get the full day at least!

Outside of the above basic plans, we'll also spend time at DTD, Boardwalk and Jellyrolls!

 

[Azza1987]

So we hit 60 days today! Wahoo!! Getting close!

My friend has managed to get all the FP+ selections that we wanted including two 7 dwarves & the A&E meet and greet! Yay!

I've also got a seat up in the bubble on my virgin flight, 79A! Anyone else on the 13th November flight at 13.10 from Manchester?

I've looked at the seat map though and there are a lot of whole free rows on the lower part of the plane so of it stays quite empty in the lead up I'll try and move to a clear row rather then be up in the bubble with everyone! So I'll keep an eye on that!

 

[Sam1]

You're brave booking your MVMCP tickets on the day you fly!

Pushing your trip back means you'll get to see the castle made into an ice palace, I'd love to see that. There's always a silver lining!

 

[Azza1987]

I know! I'm hoping I have time & immigration on my side, even if we get there late hopefully it'll be still be great! It was the only night that fitted around our plans with Epcot extra Mickey hours on the Friday, and wanting to see fantastic on Sunday at Hollywood studios as I think it might not be on the rest of the week that we are there!

Oh I didn't know it was being turned into a nice castle! Can't wait to see that!

 

[Azza1987]

Less then 8 weeks to go!

All our FP+ selections are set & we've joined our friend who's coming from Boston onto our selections!

I've still got to buy;
New backpack for the parks! (No OH this time to carry all my stuff!)
Get a cheap poncho {just in case}
Small bottles of shampoo/conditioner, I'll just use Disneys shower gel but need my silver shampoo for my bleached hair!

To do;
Get insurance!

That's it I think, still lots of time!

I've bought quite a few new Disney t-shirts ready for the parks, and I'm off to Harry Potter Studio Tours in London on Thursday with the girls so I'm sure I'll pick up some HP themed jumpers in case we decide on a day to Diagon Alley!

 

[Azza1987]

6 Weeks today!! 6 Weeks today!!

It seems to be going so slowly, but so fast at the same time!

We booked this trip on 4th July roughly 13 weeks ago, and that time seems to have flown by!

Now I have just 6 weeks to get through at work, and then I have a glorious week and a half off to go to my favourite place, WDW!

I am still trying to secure a Garden View Tea Room for 4 people on the Saturday 15th November (we have one booked for 2, but 2 other friends now want to come!) as well as trying to secure Akerhaus for the Friday 14th. Im checking everyday, and the november dining thread, no luck yet but Im keeping my fingers crossed. If we dont manage to get an ADR, hopefully they can squeeze us in for a walk up if luck is on our side!

I wrote out my list of presents I need to buy ready for Christmas (so perfect I am going end of November!), and its quite hefty with a nephew, 3 god children and various other small people in my life now (The joys of getting older eh, and friends having babies!) BUT I am so excited to purchase little people Pajama's, costumes and various stuffed friends! Now if only that dollar v pound rate would go back up to 1.7 I'd be forever happy!

Have a magical week everyone1

 

[Azza1987]

Wow, I've been so busy I haven't had chance to get on the boards for the past month!

But hopefully I am back, with a proper update!

So 16 days to go.... Can't believe quite how fast it is now coming round

Got my Travel Insurance sorted this morning with Coverwise via AXA, which covers what I needed with a low excess.

I've checked my seats with Virgin and unfortunatly the flight out that was half full it now pretty much full, so no luck on getting a whole row to myself But I'm mid way back on the plane, and hopeful to still get off and get to the resort by 7pm for MVMCP!

If not we'll just turn up late

I still need to update my passport details onto Virgin, so I've set a reminder to do that & I need to order my cash $'s for collection with Tesco this week too. I've got $600 on a travel card, and will take $400 in cash. That should be more then enough for the week with our free dining included.

Other then that I am counting my days in work to go..... 12 working days to get through if I dont count today...

 

[Azza1987]

1 week tomorrow!!!

 

[Sam1]

Have a great time!

 

[Azza1987]

Have a great time!

Thank you

Its come round so fast!

 

[Azza1987]

Managed to upgrade to an Exit Seat just now on my outward journey from Manchester! No availability on my inward flight but I'll probably curl up in a ball and try and sleep on my way back anyway!

I've asked for a window seat in either row 25 or 75 so hopefully I should be able to stretch out on my 9 hour flight and get prepared! Just awaiting my confirmation email

 

[Azza1987]

Ok, just utilising my PTR to test posting images from my iPhone DisBoards App!

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Hopefully above is the picture I posted to Instagram today with the caption 7 days! Here I am last year at Gaston's Tavern!

Hopefully if I can figure this out I will do a live trip report whilst I'm out there, that way I can keep up to date with everything {hopefully!}

 

[Azza1987]

Well this is it! My last day in Work, because Tomorrow I fly to Orlando!

I packed all my clothes last night, and set aside what Im wearing. The weather is currently forecasting anywhere from 19-25c during the day, down to 12-15c in the evening.

So I've packed a mixture of shorts/jeans/leggings, long sleeved tops as well as T-shirts/Vests, a couple of jumpers, a hoodie & my rain mac! Hopefully I am prepared for any colder evenings

I've printed off my virgin flight tickets, my insurance docs and my confirmation from Disney that my friend sent me. I've picked up my currency, and topped up my Fair FX card ready to go. I also know where my passport it is so no last minute panicking!

I've painted my nails ready so theres no rush tomorrow, lets just hope they don't chip!

All that's left to do is;

* Pick up my friends hand luggage suitcase tonight & then pack that.
* Swap GHD's with my other friend as mine are donkey's old and don't work out there.
* Transfer money/cards from my main bulky purse to the small holiday purse.

Otherwise I hope I am all set to fly at 1pm tomorrow from Manchester! So if you're on my flight, I'll be the one flying solo with a palm tree back pack

 

[Tony Bush]

Woohoo ! Have a safe flight and a fab holiday.
Keep us posted if you can

Tony

 

[Azza1987]

Today's the day!

I've a love trip on the planning boards so feel free to pop over there from now on