going to disney&uni again! Sep 2011

[bumbershoot]

I bought the spiral bound passporter for the last trip. The main thing I loved about it was the passpockets, and some other stuff, and I hated that I wanted to take pages out, but with the spiral-bound you would have to rip it out and make it nearly useless for the future.

So...I indulged myself and bought the Deluxe ring binder 2011 version. It's not leather but it looks like it, and it's really nice.

You obviously have a close-by bookstore, but just in case you're interested in knowing this, until the 27th the Passporter website has free shipping on anything, including extra Passpockets!

 

[kaoden39]

Ooh the free shipping sounds good, but interestingly enough the book is cheaper in my local bookstore. I am not sure why.

 

[bumbershoot]

It sometimes happens. Be sure to sign up for their enewsletter, and register your book when you get it! (I think you can do that with "outside" purchased books) That gets you access to discounts for the future, and you can also see what has been updated in the book you bought.

 

[kaoden39]

I am amazed sometimes at the difference at the prices. I think I may just order it from the website anyway. I already get the newsletter because I have the one and only Disneyland book they made. I love that book, and so many people don't and I will never understand that.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Reading Molly and Michele's conversations makes me realize that maybe I'm not as hot to go to WDW as I thought. The thought of books and research and planning which parks on which days and which meals when just seems to make me want to close my laptop.

I did check out the WDW website this morning and if I stay in DTD I can spend a whole lot less for a 4 star hotel than any WDW property hotel. I know - for most WDW people that's blasphemy, but still, the hotel rooms seem soooo expensive. To go to Coronado Springs for 6 nights would cost us over $2000. To stay at a 4 star property in DTD would cost us under a $1000 both with non-parkhoppers. AND they have free shuttles to all the Disney parks and Universal and Seaworld. We usually rent a car since we like to have access to stores and restaurants in the area, so Disneyland Express isn't even very likely.

So, my main question is - why stay on Disney property at all when you can stay somewhere close by (and nicer) for so much less money??? The only amenity I think I don't get by staying off property is the dining plan - and I don't think I would use the dining plan, anyway.

 

[kaoden39]

Shannon, I figure I am only going to get to go to WDW once so I am doing it up. I am an over planner so don't let that discourage you. I love the planning process as much as the actual trip itself.

I think I may have decided on our resort. I think we are going to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort. And with tickets, hotel and meal plan it comes in at around $2,000. Now if I was to plan a trip for the same amount of days at say the DLH without the meal plan, and two less days in the parks and it was $800 more which covers our flight. I think that is a bargain for us.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Shannon, I figure I am only going to get to go to WDW once so I am doing it up. I am an over planner so don't let that discourage you. I love the planning process as much as the actual trip itself.

I think I may have decided on our resort. I think we are going to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort. And with tickets, hotel and meal plan it comes in at around $2,000. Now if I was to plan a trip for the same amount of days at say the DLH without the meal plan, and two less days in the parks and it was $800 more which covers our flight. I think that is a bargain for us.

Michele, that sounds really great! How many days are you planning on staying? I was thinking 6 nights. Fly in on a Sunday and start at the resorts on Monday and leave on Saturday. So, do I need a 5 day ticket or a 6 day ticket?

I am an over planner, too. I think I'm just a little overwhelmed at all of the other things going on in my life right now.

What are my chances of booking the end of August and still getting some good dining spots for January?? It doesn't seem like it should be a busy time, but I just don't know....

I know DH and I would have a really great time together at WDW, it just seems like I would miss my optimal booking window since I won't be ready to book stuff until after my DS gets married the middle of August.

 

[kaoden39]

Michele, that sounds really great! How many days are you planning on staying? I was thinking 6 nights. Fly in on a Sunday and start at the resorts on Monday and leave on Saturday. So, do I need a 5 day ticket or a 6 day ticket?

I am an over planner, too. I think I'm just a little overwhelmed at all of the other things going on in my life right now.

What are my chances of booking the end of August and still getting some good dining spots for January?? It doesn't seem like it should be a busy time, but I just don't know....

I know DH and I would have a really great time together at WDW, it just seems like I would miss my optimal booking window since I won't be ready to book stuff until after my DS gets married the middle of August.

I planned for 8 days. We are are going to red eye in and fly out late and I am spending as much time in the parks as I can. Fly in Monday and fly out on Monday.

You have a lot going on in your world right now. I use planning and reading the books as a bit of escapism. I love the Birnbaum book for that reason, there are great pictures in it.

I think that you can make your reservations for your January trip in August. I know someone who just went on a trip that his wife surprised him with that they made their reservations in the two weeks before their trip so I think you should be totally cool doing it.

Our actual anniversary is in the middle of August, but I refuse to go to WDW in the heat of the summer so we are going in the middle of November.

 

[bumbershoot]

Shannon, don't let our crazy planning selves spook you! On the Theme Parks board you will find MANY people who hate planning to the level that I do (and there are some who go way way beyond what I do) and they just go "commando", which just like on the DLR forum is just hilarious to think about (rushing around in no underpants, what?).

And for me (and Michele as she said) planning is an escape. Well, for me it's also a bit of a crutch and a timewaster and maybe there are sometimes other things I need to be doing but instead I'm decorating pages with different colors and writing out all the things we COULD do on that day... So I go a little overboard sometimes.

If that doesn't work for you, if planning *yet another thing* doesn't make you happy, don't think you have to do it!

January is a slower time, yes. Now if there's some restaurant that is just calling to you, begging you to go there, then maybe make an effort as early as you can to get it. Remember, once it's 180 days out from a given day, you can make the reservation even without a hotel reservation!


I was tempted by the DTD hotels, definitely! But then we went and bought into DVC and there went that plan. Ah, impulses...


Anyway, I have a major "someone is doing things WAY better than I am, life is passing me by, must make sure this trip encompasses everything" complex, so don't let my neuroses mess with your trip, Shannon.

 

[bumbershoot]

Michele, good call on not going exactly on your anniv. We're August 17 (what were we thinking?) so you're never going to find us at WDW and maybe not even at DLR during that time. Of course, that's usually the timing for amazon's summer picnic so I'm usually busy with heat exhaustion during that time!

 

[kaoden39]

Molly, I know that you like the books like I do so I was wondering if you think that it I will find uses for the Unofficial Guide, and the Passporter? I know that they both have good information.

And which has the better information on the resorts? I find that although I love the pictures in the Birnbaum it tends to be too much on the Disney is great side.

 

[kaoden39]

I know. We got married outside too and it was over 100 degrees in Carson City, Nevada and where we stood the sun was shining on us. It was something else.

I took my nylons off as soon as the wedding was over.

 

[bumbershoot]

Over 100, super-fun! We got just under that, in Oregon. I was still deciding between two pairs of shoes...one open-toed (that I wouldn't wear nylons for) and one closed (to be worn with nylons). I chose the open-toed ones, that's for sure!

I'd had Lasik done so I didn't "have to wear glasses on my wedding day", and found that I really could have used sunglasses! Especially b/c of the extreme sun sensitivity that was a co-effect of the surgery... So my walking down the aisle pix have me squinting as I walked directly into the sun which was immediately over the huge magnolia tree that DH was waiting in front of. (grammar, icky, sorry)




It might be overkill to get them all, LOL. Then again, you might have fun. I can't totally remember which has the best info about the resorts. I do recommend you take some time to peruse the various resort threads (each resort has a "fan" thread) on the Resorts Forum.

Shannon, there are also threads about the DTD resorts, too! And don't forget the Swan and Dolphin; they are Starwood hotels and you can use/get those benefits there.

 

[bumbershoot]

Tweaking food plans. I had a "just in case we lose our minds" 7:30am plan for Kona on the 13th. Um, yeah right! Changed it to a 10:30 adr for all 8 of us, since last time they did show up right around later-breakfast time. If for whatever reason we wanted to just leave Nick Hotel (and my interest in being there at all is waning drastically as I realize how little time we'll have there to enjoy the waterslides etc, which would be the whole reason for being there!) we could check in, go to the Poly, eat, hang out or go to a park or whatever.

It's a thought, at least, and now I have the ADR to allow it to happen. Also, I canceled the 7:30 lunacy. (now wait, 10:30 will BE 7:30 for us, so maybe that's not going to happen either...gah!)


Threw in a San Angel Inn dinnertime reservation on our first Sunday there. Figure we'll either be at AK or chillin' for the morning, then could rest (or get in some swimming if we were at AK), get ready, go to Epcot and have some food in the ancient temple inside the Mexico showcase.

That sounds like a LOT of work for our relaxing day!


I'm just not satisfied with our food stuff. I...want more reservations. But one table service per day worked SO well for our "just us" days, and I don't really have other days! Frustrating.

 

[kaoden39]

Molly, the whole sun part sounds so familiar. And Oregon nearly 100 is much hotter than 100 in Carson City. Heck most of Nevada is just desert. To give you an idea my MIL wore jean shorts and a tank top, her and her male friend both. I wore a knee length dress so I felt I had to wear nylons. If we were getting married now I wouldn't wear them at all.

I so over plan. I make the meal reservations and then we change our minds but they are there if we want to use them. I love all your meal plans and I think that we will do one sit down a day. And we sooooo have got to go to the 50's place and I want to eat at Boma. So I at least know two things.

 

[bumbershoot]

I got into town 3 or 4 days before the wedding, and I remember walking across the parking lot to go into Target and just about melting. I had to bring up my memories of how to live and not be a puddle that I learned in SC. So dang hot.

********

Since we've got a couple anniversary trips going on here, and big deal anniversaries are pretty special, might I suggest drooling over this thread?

 

[kaoden39]

I need to check that out. I have been pouring over the resorts section of the boards.

I am tempted to go with a value resort and use the other money for the extras like lots of souvenirs.

 

[bumbershoot]

Value+souvenirs isn't a bad idea!

(doesn't go along with the platinum package thread, as you have to book a deluxe to get it, FYI)

 

[kaoden39]

My lovely husband has told me that he is going to work overtime every week so that we do this right and that we can stay at any resort I want to. Now I need to reevaluate my plans. But oh boy does that open it up.

 

[bumbershoot]

Awwww.

And with that much work, by the time the trip rolls around he'll definitely need a vacation!