Herding Schrodinger's Cats: A November 6-12, 2011 PTR

[lilwhiterabbit]

I really thought we were going to sit this year out.

I mean, we're planning a trip for my son and his half-sister (father's daughter) for May of 2012 and the winter hit us in the pocketbook really hard. However, my partner has finally managed to secure a good job and it looks like we'll be able to afford a vacation toward the end of this year--as long as we keep things inexpensive!

So, suddenly I'm planning a trip for the two of us, plus or minus one to four of our friends for November 6 - 12 of this year. For the first several months it was like herding cats--existential cats who may or may not actually exist! Trying to figure out who was, or was not, going, when we would go, how much it would cost, how many beds we would need... it was making my head spin. Fortunately, most of that's settled now. Or, at least the "who is going," "when," and "where they're going to sleep" part is settled.

First of all, who all is going?

Well, there's me of course:

I'm a senior in college who is about to start applying to grad school, a divorced mother of one, and very much a Disney-phile. This will be my seventh trip to the World and I tend to be the planner for our group, since I'm so familiar with everything. I've got a few medical issues which mean I have to use mobility aids while at the parks (more on that later), but I try not to let that slow me down. Up until recently, I had bright pink hair, but I've died it black for now. I think I like it, so I'm keeping it!

And my partner, Nigel:

A grad student on hiatus, he now works for a tech company doing customer support stuff. This will be his third trip to WDW. The first was when he was still in middle school and the second was last year when we went down for our anniversary. Nigel is perpetually cheerful, loves discovering new things and has never met a stranger. Being with him makes life more fun!

And my friend Christine, also a college student, has confirmed that she's in, so that's three of us:

Christine is a talented singer and seamstress, seems to have boundless energy and loves all things Disney. This will only be her second trip to the world, the first occurring when she was a teenager. Last time she apparently stayed at the All Star Music Resort because the number one thing she remembers is the "music pool."

But those of you who followed my previous PTR might also recognize Mike:

A software developer and lover of tiny viking hats. Mike has, unfortunately, dropped out of the trip this year, due to financial reasons. He's just bought a house, you see, and those tend to suck up a lot of money!

And his girlfriend, Aldea:

I still don't know what she does for a living. Also, I realize you can't see her very well in the picture, but she's tiny and hard to photograph. She has also dropped out. The house is hers as well!

And this time we will be joined by the mysterious Corey:

Corey works for the same company as Nigel (and is kinda-sorta his boss if you squint and look at it diagonally). Corey was supposed to join us last year, but dropped out of the trip a few months into the planning process. He is confirmed for this year, however, as he's paid his deposit for the resort. This will also be Corey's first trip to WDW ever. He's always wanted to go, but always found a reason to talk himself out of it. Well, we didn't let him talk himself out of it this time!

Corey is a thrill ride junkie, loves video games, and makes all the ladies swoon--yet doesn't seem to realize when he's doing it, much to everyone's amusement. I think he's going to have a blast.

And finally, our last couple, Linda & Matt:

Matt and Linda will be joining us halfway through our trip and leaving a day after we do. They'll also be staying offsite in Matt's father's timeshare. I'm not entirely sure which timeshare this is, other than it's not Windsor Hills.

Matt just got a new job in a lab, though I'm not entirely sure what it entails. Something biology-related which may or may not have something to do with the CDC? Like Corey and Nigel, he's also a gamer. Like Nigel and Christine, he has a lot of energy and talks a mile a minute.

Linda works in an optometrist's office and is shy, sweet and softspoken. She is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. She also recently had a bad accident where one of her legs was damaged, so between the two of us, we'll be taking it slow at times.

So that's our colorful cast of characters. Now that we've got six confirmed, two of whom will only be there for half of the trip, we can move forward to making solid plans. I think.

Stay tuned! This should be hilarious!

Hey Look, A Table of Contents:
Yes, yes. But where will we sleep?
And then there were four
Trials of a commitment-phobe.
Did I say "four?" Maybe I meant "six."
Too many beds!
Oh, look. A complication.
I need a commitment!
We interrupt this broadcast...
Four confirmed!
Get it in writing.
How to make an entrance.
Yes, Christine, you have to wear shoes.
Maaaagical Kingdom, where the mutants play!
Locomortor Mortis!
Bad Matt, no more beds!
Noms.
The post of stuff.
Ch-ch-changes.
A short post of everything.
Let's play musical ADRs.
Bonus post!
A Dragon*Con break.
Experimental Prototype...
Lights...Camera....

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

It really is difficult to price hotel rooms when you don't know how many beds you'll need.

Right now we know we'll need a minimum of two, since Nigel and I can share a bed and Christine will need her own. If Mike and Aldea join us, that'll be three, since they only need one bed. If Corey joins us, that'll be four.

That doesn't sound too complicated, right?

Well...

Mike and Aldea will likely need their own room if they do come with us, because (and he openly admits this) Mike snores. Loudly. So, unless Christine is a really heavy sleeper—I already know Corey is an extremely light sleeper—or wants to bring earplugs, if everyone comes we may have an odd person out if we try to do two standard rooms.

So, I've been pricing everything: onsite, offsite, studios, suites, two bedrooms, three bedrooms, condos, etc. in a dizzying array of combinations. I had a 35% off PIN code that I originally thought we were going to use, but it expired when I wasn't looking so, unless I get another one, staying offsite is looking to be one of our best options right now.

Of course, another option we have is renting points from one of our friends who are DVC members (of which there are three). It's only a question of what's more economical for everyone and, unfortunately, until we've worked out exactly who is going, we've got a glut of options.

What I have been able to determine, however, is that no matter what configuration we go in, it's likely to run us between $150 - $180 per person for the hotel. And that's really not too shabby at all, but I'm definitely looking to save where I can. So, if it ends up being just myself, Nigel and Christine, we may be hitting Hotwire or Last Minute Travel for some really great deals, since we'll all fit in one room anyway.

At the moment, however, it looks as if Bonnet Creek Resort is going to be the best deal for everyone if we have four, five, or six people. The only thing that may change my mind is whether one of our friends gives us a good deal on renting DVC points. If that's the case, after figuring in parking if we stay offsite, staying DVC might work out better financially.

Not that I'm in a huge rush or anything, but once we've got people committed, I can lock in the dates and that's when the really real planning begins. Plus, the longer we wait, the tougher it will be to get ADRs and some of the ones I want are really competitive. Keep in mind we still haven't decided whether we're going October 2nd - 7th, or November 6th - 11th.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Well, one riddle solved. Mike and Aldea have bowed out of the trip this year. Their reasoning? They just bought a house; one that apparently needs repairs and they're going to be sinking the bulk of their money into that instead of a vacation.

This is pretty rational, so I can't say I fault them for being adults, but the trip will be less fun without them.

Corey, on the other hand, seems to be fairly excited about going this time and, after talking to him at length yesterday, it sounds like he's still in the running. Having never been to WDW before (or well, any theme park in Florida) I had to answer several questions he had about the parks and what all was in them.

He, like my mother when we went on a family trip a couple of years ago, wasn't aware there was anything other than Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. I explained that there were, in fact, two other theme parks and what was actually in them, so he'd have a better understanding of what he was getting himself into. He seems to like the idea of Hollywood Studios... not so much Animal Kingdom, but then I'm not a big fan of AK myself, and Nigel doesn't even want to go to it this time around unless Corey and Christine insist.

Much as I love Expedition Everest, if Betti the Yeti is still covered in a sheet when we go, I think I may ask that we skip it too. There's really no reason to go to a theme park for one specific ride, particularly when part of it is broken.

One thing Corey did suggest, however, was hitting Islands of Adventure for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (well and the rest of it). Nigel really wants to do this as well and normally I'd be all for it, except a one-day pass to IoA is crazy expensive. We wouldn't even be saving any money by skipping AK to go to IoA because a three-day and four-day pass for WDW through Undercover Tourist is the same price. I haven't completely discounted it, obviously, but I want to give everyone a cost breakdown before we decide one way or the other.

I'm pretty sure I can keep the trip under budget for Nigel and I, but that means less table service meals, which is one of my favorite things to do at Disney... and we're already doing less than we normally do anyway.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

HAHHAHAHAHAHA I am SOOOO in! This is hilarious!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

HAHHAHAHAHAHA I am SOOOO in! This is hilarious!

and thanks for joining us! If the planning process is anything like last year's trip, it's definitely going to be interesting.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

With Mike and & Aldea dropping out of the trip, I sent out an email to the remaining members of our Nigel, Christine and Corey about potential hotels/resorts. I explained the benefits and drawbacks of each style; trying to cram into a studio suite, with one bathroom, where someone would have to sleep on a pullout couch, vs. a two bedroom suite at Bonnet Creek where there was a lot more space, no one would have to sleep on a couch and there was an extra bathroom. Considering Bonnet Creek was literally only $25 more per person, this seemed like a no-brainer to me, but we've still got one holdout.

I want to stay at Bonnet Creek. Nigel wants to stay at Bonnet Creek. Even Christine wants to stay at Bonnet Creek. Wouldn't you want to stay at Bonnet Creek? I mean, look at these pictures (which I have shamelessly stolen from Trip Adviser).

Front entrance to the resort.

A view from across the lake.

The lazy river--one of 5 pool areas.

The mini-golf course.

The floorplan for the two bedroom suite we'd be staying in.

The living room in the suite.

The kitchen.

The dining area.

The master bedroom, with king sized bed.

The master bathroom with Whirlpool tub.

Master shower.

The second bedroom with two full size beds.

I couldn't find any great shots of the second bathroom and furnished balcony, but I think the evidence speaks for itself.

But, yes, our last holdout is Corey. And it's not even that he doesn't want to spend the extra $25 dollars and stay in a suite... or at least I don't think it is. No, Corey is what we call a "commitment-phobe." It's very difficult to get him to make up his mind about anything because he always second-guesses himself. He second-guessed himself right out of coming on the trip last year, so we're hoping he doesn't do the same this year. We'd really like him to come along.

I'm giving everyone (Corey really) until the end of May to make up their minds about the hotel so we can put down a deposit. If he talks himself out of the trip this time around, that means no Bonnet Creek for us because they don't really have anything economical for just three people.
My backup plan involves renting DVC, however, so I think we'll be okay either way.

It would just be nice if he'd stop worrying and make up his mind!

 

[amandaluvsgoofy]

Hi there! Subbing in on your PTR (still gotta read your other TR).

I never thought about Bonnet Creek, but that hotel looks beautiful! Plus it's perfect for such a large group! I do have to admit that we're partial to staying on site and renting DVC points (paying moderate prices for deluxe hotels ). We did it last time and loved it!!

Hope everyone figures out if they can go or not soon! Can't wait to read more!

 

[Moonies]

Subbing in as well. I'm curious about Bonnet Creek and wanna read more!!!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Hi there! Subbing in on your PTR (still gotta read your other TR).

I never thought about Bonnet Creek, but that hotel looks beautiful! Plus it's perfect for such a large group! I do have to admit that we're partial to staying on site and renting DVC points (paying moderate prices for deluxe hotels ). We did it last time and loved it!!

Hope everyone figures out if they can go or not soon! Can't wait to read more!

Thanks for joining us! I managed to complete my previous PTR, but the two times I've started trip reports from that trip I've gotten caught up in school and they've closed the threads and moved them to the completed board! I've asked if one can be moved back, but so far that hasn't happened. I'm wondering if I should just start another one?

I also love staying onsite but I was having a hard time justifying the cost this time around. Plus it really is hard to find room for four to six adults, two of which aren't a couple, in Disney hotels! I priced renting DVC points from our friends and even at $10 per point, Bonnet Creek still came out way cheaper. Since cheap is what we're going for, it had to be our first choice.

Still, if Corey drops out or I get a PIN, it is totally possible we may switch to staying onsite again. Everything's sort of in flux right now.

Subbing in as well. I'm curious about Bonnet Creek and wanna read more!!!

Me too! It seems to get fantastic reviews on the boards and the prices can't be beat. If we do end up there I'll miss being able to take the Disney buses from our hotel, but it's a small trade-off compared to how much money we'll save and how much room we'll have!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

I don't want this PTR to languish while we're waiting for Corey to make a decision, plus I'm considering making yet another change to the size of our party, so it seemed like a good idea to update.

See, we know another couple, Matt and Linda, who also love Disney World. So, I thought I might ask them to join us to replace Mike and Aldea, bringing our number back up to six. I've so far cleared it with everyone in our party, except for Corey, because I haven't managed to catch him online yet. I'll see him tomorrow, so I'll probably ask him then. I doubt he'll say "no" though.

But, until I have everyone's seal of approval, I can't ask Matt and Linda, and there's still the possibility they still won't be able to come. Never hurts to ask, though, and it's always more fun (to me at least) to vacation in large groups.

Well, and our hotel costs will go down again to about $140 per person, so there's also that added benefit.

If Matt and Linda decide to come, we'd have to upgrade to a three bedroom, whose floorplan looks something like this:

They'd get the second king bedroom, obviously.

Also, in trying to plan the trip, I've found more and more I'm leaning toward going the second week of November instead of the first week of October. Why? Well, the Food & Wine Festival will still be going on then and there's also the possibility that might be the first week of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, something I've always wanted to do. Now, obviously they haven't released the dates for the Christmas Party yet, so I'm just guessing based on last year's calendar, but that would be so amazingly cool.

And yes, I know I'm supposed to be trying to keep costs down, but it would be really hard for me to go during the week of MVMCP and not go to it. The Halloween Party? No problem, I've done that already. But I've never done the Christmas Party and I really want to go.

So, that's yet another thing I'm now waiting on.

Aside from all the waiting, I'm surging forward in starting to save money for the trip by holding a virtual yard sale. We needed to clean out our closets anyway and a lot of our stuff is too, uh, nerdy to really appeal to the general public (gaming books, costumes and video games). So, an online yard sale that can be accessed by all our nerdy friends is the way to go.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

After clearing it with Christine and Corey, I invited Matt & Linda to come along with us. Matt gave us a tentative "yes" in that he really wants them to go, but has to check a few things to make sure they can really do it.

And one of the things he wants to check is the possibility of staying at one of his and Linda's parents' timeshare properties. He can't remember the names of either of the properties, however, so I asked him to look into it and get back to me. He's pretty sure neither of them are Bonnet Creek, however, so if we do go this route we'll be somewhere completely new. Still, it has the potential to save us a lot of money if things work out.

So, we're still playing the waiting game, but we've still got the hard deadline of the end of May to make a decision. That should be plenty of time for them to figure out if their parents' timeshares are viable and allow us to book Bonnet Creek if they're not.

So we may, in fact, be back up to six.

Speaking of which, it sounds like Corey is less tentative and more "in." After speaking with him this afternoon about the trip, he was talking as if he'd be there when we went, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

Meanwhile, phase one of our saving for the trip is going into effect this week, as we begin to set aside money and put the virtual yard sale online. However much we save and sell will determine how many extras we'll be able to do while down there, so I hope we managed to accumulate a decent amount.

Next on the list is a meeting to get everyone on the same page regarding the trip after Matt gets back to me about the timeshares.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

So, yes, I realize it's been a while since my last update, but there have been a couple of things keeping me from spending as much time on the boards. Namely, it's now finals time at my college, and the end of the semester is always crazy busy. Then, there was also this other little complication which may have put the whole trip in jeopardy.

See, there was this problem with my financial aid.

I'm a full-time student, so I mainly pay for college and living expenses with student loans. It's not "free money" as I have to eventually pay it back (and I'm currently trying to pay off some of the interest while still in school), but it's very necessary for me to finish my education and not starve or become homeless in the process. Nigel works full-time, but there's no way he can support both of us on his salary, so I handle my half of the bills as well as going to school.

Unfortunately, I got the news a couple of weeks ago that there was a cap on my Stafford loans and I would only be getting a third of what I normally get in the fall.

This would just barely leave me with enough money for tuition, but I wouldn't have anything left over for books or living expenses. Cue huge freakout.

After a couple of weeks of running around like a madwoman trying to figure out how I was supposed to survive until I graduate, it finally dawned on me I could take out a private loan. Now, this isn't a fantastic deal, as interest rates are higher on private loans, but it was pretty much my only option if I wanted to finish school. Thanks to some pretty severe health complications (which I'll detail in another post), working and going to school at the same time isn't an option for me, particularly if I want to keep my grades up--which I need to do to get the rest of my financial aid.

So, private loan it is. And, now that I'm not so worried about how to survive in the fall, I can use the money I've been saving for the trip to, you know, actually go on the trip instead of keeping myself in ramen so I don't starve.

Crisis averted, though hopefully nothing else will come up between now and then to throw a monkey-wrench into our plans.

Annnnd... speaking of those plans, I'm still waiting to hear back from Matt & Linda about their parents' timeshares. If you remember, I gave everyone until the end of May to put-up or shut-up, so we still have a couple of weeks to figure everything out.

In the meantime, our custom park maps arrived in the mail, so that means it's just about time to have the sit-down meeting to discuss the trip. Both Corey and Matt expressed interest in seeing Inception and having a movie night over at Corey's place, so I think I'm going to suggest having the trip meeting the same night. So, we'll all gather to watch the movie and then make plans. Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Well, it's now almost the end of May. The time has come for those whom I have invited on the trip to put up or shut up about whether they're actually coming. I haven't been able to do the meeting yet, and I'm not sure how practical that will be with everyone's schedules, so I just sent out a mass email asking people to commit to the trip and decide how we want to proceed.

So, now, my fence-sitters need to pick a side to land on--going with us in the fall, or staying home (that means you, Corey).

I haven't heard back about Matt & Linda's timeshares, but Matt says he's talking to his father about it, so I should know for certain by the end of the month. Right now it's not looking likely, IMO, though Matt did say that its possible he and Linda will stay in their timeshare by themselves. That means the rest of us would stay at Bonnet Creek (or elsewhere if we lose Corey), so that's how I'm tentatively proceeding.

Like I said; existential cat herding.

Also, it looks like Nigel and I will be able to afford Universal if Corey still wants to go to it. No clue about the other members of our party, though. This is why I really need answers, at this point. The time has come to start making reservations and buying tickets.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Well, I've given the "deposit ultimatum" to everyone who is coming on the trip with us. Basically, they have two weeks to get their deposit (which is only $63, btw) to us, otherwise we're going to have to assume they're not going on the trip.

Now is the time that we really, really need to make hotel reservations and everyone's had almost four months to start saving money or make up their minds. I told Nigel that, even if everyone else backs out of the trip, he and I are still going. We'll have a nice, romantic getaway instead.

But, the hard deadline is June 13th. So we'll soon see who is making the trip and who isn't.

In the meanwhile, we've actually settled on dates: November 6th - 12, 2011. These seem to be the best dates for everyone involved and we get the added bonus of catching the end of the Food & Wine Festival, the option of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and will miss Jersey Week by a hair! So it's no longer an "Octvember" trip report. It is now officially a November one.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

As the date of the "deposit ultimatum" swiftly approaches, a few things have solidified.

Matt and Linda will be going on part of the trip with us, but won't be staying where we're staying. They'll be staying at Matt's father's timeshare instead, and will only be down there half as long as the rest of us, since Matt could only get a few days off of work. Still, we'll have three days of overlap, so we can coordinate going to the parks on the same days or meeting up for dinner. At least that part of the trip is confirmed.

Christine still says she's going, but no deposit just yet. Corey is still being wishy-washy, so I suspect we might lose him. It's not that he doesn't want to go, I think he just feels like it's a lot of money to spend for a vacation. And, yeah, Disney ain't cheap, so I can't argue with that logic, but out of all of us he actually makes the most money and has some of the lowest living expenses.

Regardless, I told Nigel that, even if both Christine and Corey drop out, he and I are still going. I really need a vacation and this gives me something to look forward to. The waiting game just kills me, though, since I can't actively plan, but I'm glad it will be over soon. Just four more days!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Well, our "drop-dead" day for the resort deposit has passed and I am pleased to say we have six confirmed for our trip!

Yup, both Christine and Corey got their deposits to me, so it looks like all of us will be going (except Mike and Aldea, of course). As previously mentioned, Matt and Linda will be staying at Matt's father's timeshare, and will be arriving halfway through our trip, but the rest of us will be staying together in a two-bedroom suite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek!

I contacted Ken Price of Vacation Upgrades and he's booked the room, so as of now we are a go. I am SO excited!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Before we can figure out everything, I need to have a sit-down with everyone and discuss what all we want to do. We're going for six nights, so that leaves a lot of wiggle room. I know Nigel and Corey are jonesing to go to Wizarding World of Harry Potter at IoA, but Christine has expressed concern that she may not be able to afford yet another park ticket. Me, I think if we're going to do IoA, we might as well do Universal in its entirety, since we'd be missing some awesome stuff at the other park.

Then, there's the question of whether we're going to do Animal Kingdom at all (three out of four of us are okay with skipping it), whether we should do Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (I want to jump up and down and flail my arms and scream “yes!” but I may be the only one), whether we should do a whole day dedicated to Downtown Disney, and if we should do Disney Quest if we do decide to do that (the boys really want to do that too... perhaps they think money rains from the sky?)

So, yeah... we're not out of the woods just yet.

The only thing we do know is how our departure day is going to go. This is because I'm specifically in charge of it, since I'm the one handling resort reservations and Nigel and I have a tradition for our first night in the World. The plan for our arrival day will go something like this:

On Sunday, November 6th, Nigel and I will pick up Christine from her apartment around 9:00AM. She lives about 10 minutes south of us, so if she's ready to go at 9:00, this shouldn't take very long. I'm giving us until 10:00 to pick up Corey, who lives about 30 minutes east of us, which leaves us a little wiggle room. As long as Corey can be ready when we get there (and he tends to be a stickler for being on time, so this seems likely) we should be on the road by 10:30. Then we settle in for the long drive to Orlando from Atlanta.

Fortunately, Nigel and I own a van. A roomy van, that gets great gas mileage on the highway. We carried Mike and Aldea down in it last year with no problems, so we're expecting the same smooth transition this year. Nigel and I switched off driving last time, and we'll probably do so again this time. Once again, I'll also encourage people to pack light, since we've got decent trunk space, but it's not infinite.

Anyway, figuring in stops for gas, food and bathroom breaks, we should make it to Bonnet Creek between 6:30 and 7:00. That should give us plenty of time to check into our room and freshen up a bit. After that, we all pile back in the van and head over to Downtown Disney for our 8:45 ADR at Raglan Road.

Nigel and I ate at Raglan Road the first night on our last trip and he asked if we could always eat there the first night of every trip. The food (and beer) were awesome and I dream about their bread pudding, so it became a tradition. Once we finish up our dinner, it will then be back to Bonnet Creek for a (hopefully) early bedtime, since I want to be up early for the Magic Kingdom the next morning.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Tonight I had a meeting with Corey and Christine to discuss what all we wanted to do while we were down in Florida for seven days. During this meeting, Christine asked me if she would be required to wear shoes while at the theme parks.

Okay, so she normally doesn't wear shoes if she can get away with it, but it totally didn't occur to me that she probably wouldn't want to wear them while on vacation. And I seriously had no idea what to say in response. I mean, I'm pretty sure Disney does require you wear shoes on attractions, so I told her to bring a pair of flip flops just in case and be prepared to put them on if they told her to.

We got together for dinner at one of our favorite Thai restaurants and I broke out my park maps and a list of various ticket prices and activity costs for things that would be available while we were down there. Instead of boring you with everything I went over, I'll just give you the short of it and tell you what we decided.

First off, no MVMCP.

Neither Corey nor Christine were particularly interested in it, because of the extra cost, and because we already had a pretty full vacation planned. As much as I love the idea of the Christmas Party, there will be other trips and I know that, even if Nigel and I decided to go by ourselves, we'd be completely exhausted if we tried to do one this time around. We're doing a bunch of full-park days, so doing that, plus trying to squeeze in a party after one of them doesn't seem like the brightest idea. I know Nigel's going to be disappointed, but he'll have to content himself with WWoHP instead.

Oh yes, we're going to IoA. We're also going to Universal Studios. We've scheduled one full day for each, including one day for each of the Disney parks. And we're actually not skipping Animal Kingdom; we're hitting it for a few hours the morning we leave, since we're getting a free day on our 3-day tickets, magically making them 4-day tickets anyway.

So, you read that right, six parks. No park hopping though, and no EMH, since we'll be staying offsite. Of course, there's always the possibility we'll simply decide we don't want to go to AK on the last day and hit Downtown Disney instead. That's what happened the last time Nigel and I went on a group trip.

At this point, I've sent everyone the MouseSavers Undercover Tourist link (I get the newsletter) so they can buy their tickets and, as previously mentioned, our deposit has been sent to Ken at Vacation Upgrades. Looks like this trip is a go!

Up next: Magic Kingdom Day plans!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

We're doing the Magic Kingdom our first day after we arrive, Monday, November 7th. Our Magic Kingdom Day plans are pretty simple, all told. We're staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek so, while we do have the option of using their shuttle to get to and from the parks, I have a wee complication which makes that... well... complicated.

This:

Okay, well, not exactly that. Mine's actually gray, but it was surprisingly hard to find a picture of the exact make and model of my rollator online. And what exactly is a rollator, you ask?

Well, it's a walker on wheels.

"Huh," you say, "You can't be much older than twenty-five. Why would you need a walker on wheels?"

How kind of you to say so. I'm actually much older (seriously, guess), but that has very little to do with why I need it. See, those same genes that keep me looking so young also have this lovely mutation which has resulted in a disorder of the joints called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or EDS for short. I could go into a really long explanation about how EDS works, but I doubt you want to know my entire medical history. The short version is that my joints are extremely flexible and easily damaged, so even simple things, like prolonged standing and walking, climbing stairs, etc. can result in tears, sprains and fractures.

Fun, huh? But, I try not to let it slow me down. I have an exercise regimen that keeps my muscles in fairly good shape so they can try to counteract the weakness in my joints. That doesn't mean I need to push myself, however, so it's important for me to use physical aids when necessary. Like the rollator, or my knee, ankle and wrist braces when doing something physically taxing.

So, yup, I'm a mutant, but unfortunately it hasn't yet resulted in wicked cool powers. I'm thinking I may end up buying this rollator, however, so when I sit down I'll at least look like Professor X:

Sooo, the problem with the Wyndham Bonnet Creek shuttles... if you have some sort of physical disability or need a mobility aid, you have to call two hours in advance to let them know to be prepared for you. This is a huge hassle. So much so that I highly doubt we'll be using their shuttle service. Instead, we'll probably all hop in the van and drive to the parks, since they're so close to where we'll be staying.

We're going to be eating breakfast in the room all week to save money, so I'm going to try to get people out of bed early enough to do that. I want to try to get there in time for the opening show, but it's not a "do or die" thing for me. I am going to suggest we try to get there near to park opening, however, just so we can get most of the big ticket stuff out of the way early.

My touring strategy tends to be "pick a big ride, hit it first, then go around the park in a big circle, collecting fastpasses along the way." Since I normally go in the off-season, it seems to have worked for me so far. I usually either start with Space Mountain or Splash Mountain, and I suspect we'll be starting in Frontierland this time around, then heading clockwise through Tomorrowland until we loop. I don't do a lot of criss-crossing since I have endurance issues (hence the seat on the rollator), so picking a direction and heading in it is what works best for me.

Right now I don't have any plans for lunch. Normally, for the Magic Kingdom, we just stop wherever we're closest, since I'm really not impressed by most of the food offerings in that park. Nigel, Corey and Christine didn't seem to care one way or the other about counter-service options--as long as there is something non-beef available for Christine--so lunch is going to be very go-with-the-flow.

Dinner, however, is another matter entirely.

The Main Street Electric Light Parade is scheduled crazy early for that day. We're talking 7:00 PM. Since none of the other members of my party were very excited about any of the table service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom, I suggested taking the monorail to one of the resorts and eating there. Nigel and I had a fantastic meal at Kona last trip and that seemed to be the clear winner among my suggestions, so I set out to try to book a very early dinner at Kona.

I was aiming for 4:30, assuming we probably wouldn't be seated until 4:45 and the food wouldn't show up until 5:00 at the very earliest. Nope. No luck. The best I could get was 5:00.

That's cutting it real close. Too close for my taste.

I'm going to keep checking back in the hopes that someone will relinquish their earlier dinner and we'll get Kona for 4:30, otherwise, we may have to book somewhere else. I love the food at Kona, but not enough to risk not making it back in time for the parade. I know how impossible it is to get anywhere once everyone's claimed their spots along Main Street. You might as well not even bother entering the park.

**ETA**
Since making this post, I've cancelled the dinner at Kona, scheduled another for the Plaza, then cancelled that too. We cancelled Kona because I decided it was just cutting it too close. Since none of us were crazy about the Plaza, we didn't want to spend money on a restaurant we weren't thrilled about, so we cancelled that one as well. Right now we're going to grab something from counter-service and find a good spot to watch the parade... I'm thinking Pecos Bill's, most likely.

So, that concludes our Magic Kingdom plans, with a somewhat lengthy deviation. Hope you've stuck with me this far. There's more interesting stuff to come!

 

[PennyLane1084]

Hi Geee, your plans sound really familiar I know the trials and tribulations of people not committing to a trip. I've been trying for almost a year to plan my upcoming trip and fate has not been kind.

Can I just say this is the COOLEST rollator I've ever seen!! You totally would look like Professor X in it!

I'm RA has gotten better but I'm still concerned about how I will do in the humidity. It's nice to have a kindred spirit who knows the struggles of a chronic illness.