Having a GRAND time - The Official GF Chat Thread PART 2

[Cinderumbrella]

Chan- those are the cutest!!!!!!!!! What about Z??

Dawn- that SUX about your price!!!

I just took a shower to think on it but I still don't know. The whole reason to fly SW was to save some money since we have to drive farther and can't use the RAC to check the bags at the GF. I just got a DING! and about had a heart attack when I heard the sound but it was for crappy places this fall! I keep checking the SW website and the price hasn't gone up on any of the flights so I guess I am probably good to wait and talk it over with DH later tonight (His advice this AM- "Whatever you think, hon" ). It is just pschological for me to spend $1000 on airfare when I just went for $500 I turned my nose up at $267 on United earlier this year (would have been grandfathered in for all the dang baggage charges too!) United is dumping TED, which does the majority of the Orlando flight up here, so I keep telling myself it is a GOOD thing.

Sorry to keep rambling- I am normally not this wishy washy!!

 

[vbarry]

You are not being wishy washy...I completely understand. We flew out for around $650.00 in Feb and this is double but with the higher gas prices etc I do not think we are going to see a lot better unless you want to wait for a sale. Since you are earlier in Dec you may get lucky. With mine being Xmas week- I thought I better get something.

Keep trying. Don't buy it if you do not feel comfortable.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Kristin, the Dings for that time period won't be happening anytime soon, either. Right now they are just going into August.

I paid only abuot $600 rt for our family of five EVERY OTHER summer before this one with DINGs...but they just did not come thru for me this year. The lowest DING was higher than my $99!! It was $109 with crappy flight times....

Ya..Zack would love an appliqued Mickey shirt...dummy me...why didn't I think of that? I could have had Carla embroider ZACK MAN on it. Shoot. Now there's not time.

YOu can curb check your bags at MCO. I have NEVER had any problems with SWA and that is who we fly everywhere most often. I have GF store the luggage, limo arrives, it comes out and gets taken by the limo driver who drops us off curbside and we are done. Rarely are there lines at the MCO SWA curbside. It's easy peasy.

For us...MDW is 1 hr tops...We go by Woodfield. hop on 290 and there ar e a few more numbers that I don't know offhand, haha...but it's a breeze...sometimes 50 min depending on time of day. We park in the garage and just walk into the SWA check in. It is a breeze...or we limo. We are driving/parking this time due to supid GNT limo driver last trip that took a wrong way and it took almost 3 hrs!

Chan

 

[mr.mike]

For the six of us it would be $2826 on SW and $3500 on JetBlue.


If i cut off our first day and add 3 more days to the end of our trip and stay until Jan 5th I could go for $2400.

Guess I'm sticking with driving.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Kristin, the Dings for that time period won't be happening anytime soon, either. Right now they are just going into August.

I paid only abuot $600 rt for our family of five EVERY OTHER summer before this one with DINGs...but they just did not come thru for me this year. The lowest DING was higher than my $99!! It was $109 with crappy flight times....

Ya..Zack would love an appliqued Mickey shirt...dummy me...why didn't I think of that? I could have had Carla embroider ZACK MAN on it. Shoot. Now there's not time.

YOu can curb check your bags at MCO. I have NEVER had any problems with SWA and that is who we fly everywhere most often. I have GF store the luggage, limo arrives, it comes out and gets taken by the limo driver who drops us off curbside and we are done. Rarely are there lines at the MCO SWA curbside. It's easy peasy.

For us...MDW is 1 hr tops...We go by Woodfield. hop on 290 and there ar e a few more numbers that I don't know offhand, haha...but it's a breeze...sometimes 50 min depending on time of day. We park in the garage and just walk into the SWA check in. It is a breeze...or we limo. We are driving/parking this time due to supid GNT limo driver last trip that took a wrong way and it took almost 3 hrs!

Chan

Do you know how much parking is at Midway??? We normally limo it to ORD but I can only imagine the upcharge to Midway. We are looking at a 6:40am flight on Saturday (so no traffic) and we return Sunday at 7:30 or so (so some traffic). Is there are covered garage at Midway? I don't want to worry about snow when we get back...

We use DME at WDW. I am pretty sure they drop you off on the lower level so we would still have to haul our bags up to that level to curbside check- which isn't worth the effort- might as well get in line at that point... But if we park at Midway, maybe we could limo it at WDW for the return trip... offhand, how much do you pay with your company from the GF to the airport??

 

[vbarry]

I think we are going to limo it at least on the way back to the airport. If I tell dh he has to haul his luggage...he might pass out on me! We are so spoiled with the resort airline check in!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I think we are going to limo it at least on the way back to the airport. If I tell dh he has to haul his luggage...he might pass out on me! We are so spoiled with the resort airline check in!

Tell me about it!!!!!!!!!!! I priced a couple different cars with the company that sponsors the transp. board. I would like to just stick with a town car, but with our 5-6 suitcases, plus stroller I don't think it would work!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

OK, I booked it. I even looked at the dreaded AirTran and they were about the same price (for comparable times of the day). I couldn't bear the thought, though, of booking with them and then getting moved to a connecting flight later (as seems to be happening a lot with them). But I was REAL tempted to book them for the return flight just to use the RAC!!!!

Once the charge for the 2 sets of tickets (I booked 1 ways) shows on my account, I am going to redeem all of our Discover Rewards to offset the charge (We had $340 in cashback bonuses banked up). In my mind, then, the airfare was only $226 pp

So we are flying in Saturday first thing rather than late Friday since the price was the same. I couldn't convince DH my logic of flying in late Friday night . He rather get up at the crack of dawn then be stuck in rushhour traffic to Midway on a Friday I am hanging onto that Friday night room only at Pop until the last possible second though in case a DING! comes through and I get my way!!!!!!!!!

Since I caved on this, maybe DH will cave and let me get the limo back to MCO instead of DME so I don't have to lug my own bags through the airport!!!!

 

[PrincessPaczki]

Channing, the girls tanks are adorable! Did you send the shirts or did she have them? I hate to be a bother, but could you pm. me with the e-mail address also? Thank you so much. Do you think that they would be done in time for an August trip?

 

[princessesrule4]

Channing- The tanks are adorable!! I would love a pm with her name for something for the holidays!

Dawn, Kristin, Vanessa- hope your airfares come down and you get a good deal!

Wishes Queen - Happy Birthday!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Kristin...our limo company GNT (probably super competitive with H&M) charges about $240 - 280 for a stretch rt to MDW PLUS the tip.

The parking garage that's covered is about $25/day....

There is remote parking which is about $15/day but not covered...

The parking garage is sooo convenient so that's what we are doing.

SE on my last trip...total bill rt including tip wsa about $286 ish...that was bothways plus a 20% tip, but it seems that the rate has one up...I think Sheli is paying more?? Somebody is.....

THIS time though we are getting a car at MCO, stopping for a case of H20 and then checking into the yC & dropping the car off at the Dolphin. THEN, Saturday afternoon we will head to Epcot (have to get Siobhan her Northwestern tee ) and then pick up a car at Dolphin...valet park at GF and then use it to go back to MCO on Sunday morning. Saving about $200+ vs. limo.

I sent PMs out about the tees.

OMG ....my DD12 is a pisser today. It makes me so sad...we used to be buddies. She is changing.

talk to ya all later,
Chan

 

[mr.mike]

OMG ....my DD12 is a pisser today. It makes me so sad...we used to be buddies. She is changing.

talk to ya all later,
Chan

When I was growing up a pisser was someone or something fun
I guess that has changed or that was a northeast thing?

 

[tinklvr64]

I am off to school...but i am soo bummed about our rates...already in 2 hrs one of the flights we were going to take has gone up $30 o/w....everyone else is really hgh $500 AA and $783 for UA (which i wouldnt use anyways) even AirTran is high $683..

Well maybe we will fly down on Sat night stay somewhere cheap and go over to GF in the morn...If we fly down on Sun 1st avail flight doesnt get us there until 1pm...I like to be real early

What a mess!

talk to you all later!
DAwn

 

[praline3001]

I just paid $298 for SE but that was with the 20% tip included on the charge.

 

[Lives4Disney]

When I was growing up a pisser was someone or something fun
I guess that has changed or that was a northeast thing?

That is funny, Mike! Must be NE thing...I always thought of a "pisser" as like a "pistol" or "pissy"..(nasty) No...she is NOT someone "fun" right now. I never thought it would happen...my little Lucy is turning into a nasty teenager.....I am so crushed. She was always my buddy.

Mike, that is horrd about your air fare rates, too. Well...the original plan was to drive, right? I really DID like our drive last July....it wasn't as fun as it was when the kids were little...and when I bring it up the all LAUGH & moan and remember that July 07 drive a lot differently than I do. But your kids ARE little.

I am off to school...but i am soo bummed about our rates...already in 2 hrs one of the flights we were going to take has gone up $30 o/w....everyone else is really hgh $500 AA and $783 for UA (which i wouldnt use anyways) even AirTran is high $683..

Well maybe we will fly down on Sat night stay somewhere cheap and go over to GF in the morn...If we fly down on Sun 1st avail flight doesnt get us there until 1pm...I like to be real early

What a mess!

talk to you all later!
DAwn

Dawn...that is crappy. Can you fly down Thurs or Friday night and stay somehwere cheaper til the GF? You might have better luck than flying on the weekends. It might be worth it to change a few things around. I hope it works out! It has to...it will.

I thought the SE had gone up....I know mine was $286 w/20% tip.

Channing

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Thanks everyone for the info on the limos!!! At least that is one decision that I can wait on! I am sure we would use ME for the trip to the GF just not sure about the return trip...

Chan- we use A Touch of Class out here and pay about $100 to ORD (including the tip) but it is only the 3 of us. I will have to DH call and get a Midway quote, but I think it is only about $20 more if memory serves. I doubt we will drive and park. DH is PARANOID about leaving our car unattended for a week. And since it is December I would want to be in the covered garage so we don't have to worry about scraping snow. To park would be $200 for the week and to limo is only $50 more at the most- so worth it for the piece of mind!!!

That is too bad about Lucy. Here come the hormones! Hopefully she will cool off in the coming months...

Dawn- that is AWFUL about your rates. I thought mine were bad...

Not sure if I will be around tonight even though DH is working late. I have spent WAY too much time on the computer toady with the airfare saga that I need to spend some quality time with my little man. We made "junk food" dinner tonight that is cooling on the stove (pizza rolls, mini corn dogs, stuffed pretzels etc) and we will probably crash on the couch for his choice of movies (Maybe we can FINALLY watch Star Wars or something)

See ya later alligators!!
Kristin

 

[praline3001]

i do want to say a word about happy limo...

i almost used them but they sent me a creepy email and I didnt like how they did business.... you should have seen the creepy email

I cancelled and didn't use them due to this scare tactic. I just wanted to forewarn anyone if they are planning on using them.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i do want to say a word about happy limo...

i almost used them but they sent me a creepy email and I didnt like how they did business.... you should have seen the creepy email

I cancelled and didn't use them due to this scare tactic. I just wanted to forewarn anyone if they are planning on using them.

I agree with B if you need a LIMO use Southern Elegance

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

Brook paid $298 for SE, which is exactly what I was quoted for our August trip. That includes the mandatory 20% tip...

Mandatory tip?!? Nevermind, not going there

The kids have no clue about the limo, so that will make it all worth it, well, that and not standing in line to get a rental. I hate rental car lines!!!

 

[praline3001]

Brook paid $298 for SE, which is exactly what I was quoted for our August trip. That includes the mandatory 20% tip...

Mandatory tip?!? Nevermind, not going there

The kids have no clue about the limo, so that will make it all worth it, well, that and not standing in line to get a rental. I hate rental car lines!!!

I wasnt told the tip was mandatory. He did give me the option of charging the tip with the fee and thats what i did.

OHHHHHHHH Chan I forgot to tell you ...
Miquel said to tell you HI and that he is missing you LOL
He made a comment about how it seems to be about the time you should be showing up as you can never stay long away from Disney
I laughed and told him you would be there in a few weeks and he got a chuckle out of that