going to disney&uni again! Sep 2011

[bumbershoot]

Whew. Finished reading the 10/2009 trip report. Seriously, where did my hilarity go? I'm just not as amusing anymore.


I do have to THANK my trip report buddies...so many of you are still around, reading and commenting and cheering me up. Smooches!

 

[kaoden39]

I feel like country miss looking at the city mouse territory. There are so many things to choose from. I figure I have a little time to decide I cannot reserve until after the first of the year anyway. All input is greatly appreciated, I think I need another planning book that is more honest and less pro Disney like the Unofficial Guide. You know what I mean?


And of course we are still around, we like you and your writing style.

 

[bumbershoot]

I liked The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2011 (Unofficial Guides) by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa. Got it from the library, but really wanted to highlight and dog-ear and do all the things you can do to YOUR book.

Teehee, country vs city mouse. I do know the feeling, let me tell you!

Since it's an anniversary trip, is it only the two of you?

 

[kaoden39]

That is why I buy them, that way I can read it over and over again. And I do believe me.

Oh yes, it is just the two of us. I decided that by the time we go two of the kids will be adults. I feel safe going without them.

 

[bumbershoot]

I finished it up! Woo! Now I'm putting all my Disney scrapbooking stuff AWAY for now. Won't need it for the upcoming things I have to create... So excited.


The Unofficial Guide is very good. And the 2011 has Universal info in it. Though if you want Universal only in a book, Universal Orlando 2011: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure by Kelly Monaghan is the one you want.

If you can swing it, especially if you could do at least 2 days at Universal, I highly recommend getting a room onsite over there, because the perks are great...one night gets you two days of Express Pass Plus, which is as close to front of the line as you can get!

 

[kaoden39]

I do want to go to Universal. To me the thing I want to see the most is the Harry Potter area. I am a major HP geek. I cannot help it I was hooked from the first book.

I am torn with buying the physical copy of the Unofficial Guide or buy the Nookbook. I can take notes I have no problem with that. Decisions, decisions.

 

[Brady's Mom]

I'm with Michelle on the whole overwhelmed with WDW planning. But it doesn't help that it's getting to the end of school and I have to meet our 40 hour volunteer assignment, our son is planning his wedding at the end of August, I have a girl in my house on a semi-regular basis and that throws in a girl vibe I am unfamiliar with, and a few other volunteer-ish things and well, the list just gets bigger the more I type.

I considered WDW for our 25th anniversary in Jan. 2012, but have sort of left it alone for awhile. DH and I looked through a whole bunch of our pictures from our honeymoon in Hawaii and it reminded us of how much fun we had there - and going from snow and below freezing to warm and beachy in January sounds lovely. Plus, we love to go to DLR together, so I've considered that, also.

So I am in a Quandary - (I love that word - my last name is Quan) so I had to capitalize - of what to do. Any and all advice is appreciated. It is our 25th anniversary, after all. We should do something fun! But what to plan, what to plan....

Congrats on finishing the scrapbooks. I looked at all the photos we have that aren't digital and just thought - huh....guess those will sit in the box forever! I am so not a scrapbooker... And DH just finished putting all of our digital photos on an external hard drive and they take up over 5 gig...guess those will sit there forever, too......

 

[bumbershoot]

I do want to go to Universal. To me the thing I want to see the most is the Harry Potter area. I am a major HP geek. I cannot help it I was hooked from the first book.

As I'm sure I've mentioned, it's such a cool area! Small, but amazing to just stand in. Just don't forget there's more park there, and it's all fabulous!



Shannon, a Quandary, bwa ha ha....

FWIW, the DLR scrapbook wasn't a picture one, it was more of a "what we did, here is a room key, what interesting or new things happened on this trip" sort of scrapbook.

When I was pregnant I came across a huge sale on photo albums at Borders. Bought many many of them. And I've been filling them with prints of pictures. Alas I'm up to E being late 2 or early 3, and I'm almost out of albums. Whoopsie! And, of course, I rarely look at them.

During that trip I also bought a baby-book...well, I was anticipating more babies and I bought 3 or 4 of them. Dagnabit. Anyone want a baby-book? It's super-cute.


Michele's having her 20th and you're having your 25th anniversary in the same year, eh? I guess we'll be on our 9th anniversary that year. Not quite as impressive.

But I think it's fun beyond words that you're both considering WDW for it!



Have either of you ordered the planning DVD yet? Or have you checked out disneyworld.com and noticed the souvenir-type maps you can order (every 6 months) for free?

 

[Brady's Mom]

I think 9 years is actually pretty impressive, too.

I'm watching my son navigate romantic waters and watching the arguments, compromises, adjustments and I wonder how anyone stays married through the first year! I see some of what he's going through and am glad I have made it past that part of the path, kwim?

Where can I order the planning DVD? And I haven't checked out their website for the maps, that would be cool....I am hesitant to make an executive decision on our anniversary place since I want everything to be perfect...and what if I make a poor decision and we end up hating something as big as our 25th anniversary??? Indecision never used to be a part of my life, but as I am getting older I am finding it harder and harder to make big decisions. Either that, or I just prefer being a home body. Nah, it's indecision, I think....

 

[bumbershoot]

woowoo!

amazon and libraries...

 

[kaoden39]

Shannon, I am like you and I want it to be special. We went to Disneyland for our first honeymoon and I think this one I want to go to WDW. I may do a mirror plan for Disneyland too but I really want to go to Orlando.

I totally get the other female in the house thing. It sets my teeth on edge when we have female relatives staying with us. This is my kingdom.


Molly, In this day and age 9 years is good. I think that Amazon is brilliant to do that.

 

[bumbershoot]

Michele, would you be flying out of SFO? If so, be sure to think about checking Virgin America for flights. It's a plush airline, despite their luggage fees, and they can get some really good fares (generally those happen 2 weeks AFTER I book something that can't be refunded). Sure, SW doesn't have luggage fees, Alaska might be nice, and older airlines might be more like home if you're used to them, but on Virgin you have lots of things to do (their TV/music/videogame/etc screen).

 

[kaoden39]

Molly,

The last time I flew it was on United a million years ago, well at 25 or so years. Thank you for mentioning Virgin, I so didn't want to fly on Southwest. I figure I have plenty of time. It is over a year away but I am already pricing things to get a budget going.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm watching my son navigate romantic waters and watching the arguments, compromises, adjustments and I wonder how anyone stays married through the first year! I see some of what he's going through and am glad I have made it past that part of the path, kwim?

Where can I order the planning DVD? And I haven't checked out their website for the maps, that would be cool....I am hesitant to make an executive decision on our anniversary place since I want everything to be perfect...and what if I make a poor decision and we end up hating something as big as our 25th anniversary??? Indecision never used to be a part of my life, but as I am getting older I am finding it harder and harder to make big decisions. Either that, or I just prefer being a home body. Nah, it's indecision, I think....

Making it through the first year is so hard. Even harder with an insta-baby and all the issues that surrounded his arrival...

You should see a link to "FREE Vacation Planning DVD" towards the top-ish and right-of-center on the home page of disneyworld.com. This year's is better than the ones from the last few years.

Or just scroll towards the bottom and you should see a picture of a DVD in a mailer with a link...and on that same area you should see a link with picture to "FREE Customized Maps". They are big, on thick paper, and you can put the things you would like to have marked specially on the map. The problem with them is if you want to, say, put them on your hallway wall for a year before your trip so you can passively learn the layout of the parks, they are double-sided, so you have to order two sets to get both sides facing out at the same time. And that requires more than 6 months (order one now, another in 6 months) or two accounts.

Either way, they are fun to get.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am a wild and crazy organizer! And all of that organizing and clearing away clutter and putting things away in logical places, to be brought out when I am actually about to USE those things (vs leaving them out b/c I might get to it soon), gives me mental and physical space to really get my head in gear for the trip!

I mean, it's "only" 143 days away....

 

[kaoden39]

I need to order a new DVD. I think I have a second identity too. One is my AP id and the other is my Disney ID. They should both work for maps.

 

[bumbershoot]

Sneaky lady.

 

[kaoden39]

Sneaky lady.

I figure I will give it a few weeks and order another one under my other identity.

 

[bumbershoot]

mwa ha ha ha.....


You know what's sad? WDW people don't snag and send out maps like DLR peeps do. The customized maps we're talking about are way cool, but they aren't *real* maps, and they are really too big to bring to the parks. There's always something so awesome about having a real map...

Remind me to bring back some real WDW maps in September to send them out to you guys. By then your plans will be getting finalized one way or the other, and the maps will either be great fun or just a kick in the pants to go in the future (if minds change).


I'm now using some of this strange and semi-boundless energy (I even worked out today) to make pretty pages of each WDW day's thoughts and plans and ideas. Using Eamon's skinny markers. (I'm pre-scrapbooking, it seems! keep the adhesive and expensive paper away from me!!!!)

 

[kaoden39]

I would love a couple of maps. I will never understand not taking them. You know I can tell you right now I have them from last June and this February. In two different purses. I always bring them home.

I like the Passporter for Disneyland because it has maps and things like that in it. I need to go look at the WDW one at the bookstore and see if I want it. And there are all those place to make notes in it too.