How is a Disney Trip Like a Writing Desk: A PTR through Wonderland UPDATED: 9/18/10

[MRYPPNS]

On the early bird check in-

Don't bother with it on the way down but do it for the way back home if you can't be at the front desk of your resort 24 hours before or if you don't have a smart phone. BTW....when I used it last October you could NOT use your credits to pay for it.

ME- never had a problem myself. And since you are landing 1030am ish I don't see any problems for you either. Any wait that you might have for the bus is off set by the wait you'd have for getting your luggage.

Water- seems that you have solved that. Just don't pay too much for delivery and tipping....could cost you more for that small order than just buying the water in the gift shop. Plus if you pack cereal then you would have room in your bags on the way home for souvnies!

On-line check in.....I did it in October...easy peasy BUT I wasn't making any requests for a room that I had to have. If you use it and then don't like your room assignment then you'll be holding up that line as they find you a new room and re-print you KTTW cards. But you wouldn't be the first or the last to do it......

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

OH. MY. SWEET. SWEET. LORD.



Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just saying the other day how much I missed your filing smace around these parts! I think I was having some sort of convo about the gastrointestinal repurcussions of Japanese food. Or a random bathroom near Canada.



It is SO GOOD to see your screenname. And I'll have you know that even though we aren't a college-ball-watching household, everytime I heard someone talking 'Bama I "Roll Tide"-ed in my head, just for you. I hope all is well with you and the lovely ladies of the ZZUB household.

I don't know how I ended up over here. Except someone gave me a tip that there were a few of my friends lurking around these parts.

I couldn't find any of them.

Thank you for reminding me why I missed you.

It has two things going for it: 1. It's free. 2. It is VERY nice to drop off your bags and not have to wait for them at MCO. 3. It's also free.

The price really does appeal to me. Also beats a with all the luggage strapped to the back.

while it does take somewhere around an hour to get from your plane to your resort, it takes equally as long to take a car or rent a car when you consider the time spent waiting on your bags and walking to your preferrred mode of transportation.

I was thinking this too. And, I'm really trying not to get too crazy focused on any ONE part of this trip. BF will sense that and likely try to auction off his ticket. Plus, again, free is such a good price.

If it sucks, at least I'll have a great story for the TR.

Thanks for stopping in, Z. It really is good to "see" you again. Shoot, I NEVER expected it.

Pfft. What's next, LaLa?

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

On the early bird check in-

Don't bother with it on the way down but do it for the way back home if you can't be at the front desk of your resort 24 hours before or if you don't have a smart phone. BTW....when I used it last October you could NOT use your credits to pay for it.

GOOD to know on the credit. I'll double check that but I think I am leaning towards using it for the way back. The 24 hour mark falls in the middle of a dinner ADR.

Water- seems that you have solved that. Just don't pay too much for delivery and tipping....could cost you more for that small order than just buying the water in the gift shop. Plus if you pack cereal then you would have room in your bags on the way home for souvnies!

The delivery fee is only $12, which to me would be worth it. The water is a 12 pack of 24oz bottles, which I can see each of us taking one a day. The cereal is worth adding in since it's about the same price as I'd pay here (and I already have a secret weapon for souvie room!).

On-line check in.....I did it in October...easy peasy BUT I wasn't making any requests for a room that I had to have. If you use it and then don't like your room assignment then you'll be holding up that line as they find you a new room and re-print you KTTW cards. But you wouldn't be the first or the last to do it......

I may call Disney Reservations and/or the resort to see if I can get the scoop on whether or not/how they address room requests with online check-in. I would hate to be the person costing others precious Disney moments. That, or I'll just go through regular check in.

And hey, I was wondering when you'd pop up here! I see a ticker in your siggie. No PTR?

 

[Lady Lallie]

If you do get the 36 hour window, you don't even have to get up and check yourself in...it's AUTOMATIC!!

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

If you do get the 36 hour window, you don't even have to get up and check yourself in...it's AUTOMATIC!!

Ok, I totally missed THAT part! That absolutely makes it worth it!

 

[MRYPPNS]

The plan is for the 4 of us to drive down the very end of Feb 2011 and stay a little over a week at CSR. I have no plans right now to do a PTR, but I might do a quick one close to our departure date.

 

[Pollito916]

They don't have it quite right. I believe they are confusing two things:

1. SW's Business Class ticket - it guarantees you an A boarding section, usually as one of the first 15 people on the plane (if there are no Business Class people travelling than the person with A16 is the first person to board - that was me in May). It also gets you a cocktail and...something else, maybe? It was MUCH more expensive ($345 each way v. $124-$157 each way for our tix).

2. Early Bird Check-in - it would be $20 RT and while it doesn't guarantee the A group (it's in the fine print) you're pretty likely to get it.

Doesn't surprise me that they weren't quite right. But thanks for the corrected info!

If you do get the 36 hour window, you don't even have to get up and check yourself in...it's AUTOMATIC!!

That is pretty great. Do you know how they assign #s to the people that do the early bird check-in? Like, first to buy the ticket gets the first available A after the business class people?

 

[Lady Lallie]

That is pretty great. Do you know how they assign #s to the people that do the early bird check-in? Like, first to buy the ticket gets the first available A after the business class people?

I don't know how they assign the numbers but I know that I didn't buy the early bird check in when I first bought my tickets. On the way down I was 3rd on the plane and on the way home I was about 5th. I was happy just to be in the A group.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

The plan is for the 4 of us to drive down the very end of Feb 2011 and stay a little over a week at CSR. I have no plans right now to do a PTR, but I might do a quick one close to our departure date.

I SO want to stay at CSR some day soon.

That is pretty great. Do you know how they assign #s to the people that do the early bird check-in? Like, first to buy the ticket gets the first available A after the business class people?

I don't know how they assign the numbers but I know that I didn't buy the early bird check in when I first bought my tickets. On the way down I was 3rd on the plane and on the way home I was about 5th. I was happy just to be in the A group.

My guess would be the order in which it is purchased. It would really be the only "fair" way to do it. And I'm willing to bet people purchase it within a couple of days of their flight.


Just an FYI folks, I realized that the 100 day mark is Thursday of this week and then we'll be doing the double digit dance! So keep your eyes open for an update on Thursday.

 

[TarzansKat]

I don't know how I ended up over here. Except someone gave me a tip that there were a few of my friends lurking around these parts.

ZZUB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have been heartily missed, my friend. I'm happy to see you here.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I've shipped water to my resort using Staples before. I don't remember the exact fee that they charged, but I'm pretty sure it was about $10 or so if your order was under $50. We only ordered water so we just paid the fee. If the order was over $50 shipping was free. Next time I'll probably just do that, and order something like a printer cartridge that I can bring home easily and need. I know they carry stuff like cereal too.

I'm completely hooked on ME. I always come in about the same time your arriving, and haven't had a problem yet. Now that they don't make you wait at the desk anylonger if you have your paperwork it's even faster. I love not having to deal with my suitcase. For my March trip I had to wait around to claim my bag and drag it with me. I had almost forgotten how much I hate having to do that.

I've never used online check in. I tried for my December trip, but for some reason the system kept telling me that I wasn't able to check in whenever I'd try. I finally just gave up on it and checked in when we arrived. There was no line at the desk, even with all the Pop Warner groups checking in at the same time. I think the online check in line might of been longer. I don't think that it really makes a huge difference. If your asking for a specific kind of room, you might be better off with regular check in.

 

[LegoMom3]

Ok, I totally missed THAT part! That absolutely makes it worth it!

'K, everyone else has pretty much answered your questions but I'll just chime in with my own experience. If you don't want it, then it won't help.....

Yep, anywho...I did on-line check in with my trip last month and LOVED it. I didn't have any room requests so can't say how that works. But there's a dedicated window for it, you just walk up, hand them your photo I.D. and they pull up your info on the 'puter, confirm everything, hand you your folder and KTTW card, and off you go. In. Out. Done.


I used Early Bird on the return part of my flight and would DEFINITELY do it again. I don't like giving out money that I don't need to part with so I was skeptical at first, but I just didn't want to be bothered with worrying about where I was gonna be at the otherwise-24-hr mark. It just frees up the last day of your trip with one less thing to worry about.

Cuz you might be eating somewhere, y'know, and messin' with processed meats......

.

 

[LegoMom3]

OH. MY. SWEET. SWEET. LORD.



Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just saying the other day how much I missed your filing smace around these parts! I think I was having some sort of convo about the gastrointestinal repurcussions of Japanese food. Or a random bathroom near Canada.



It is SO GOOD to see your screenname. And I'll have you know that even though we aren't a college-ball-watching household, everytime I heard someone talking 'Bama I "Roll Tide"-ed in my head, just for you. I hope all is well with you and the lovely ladies of the ZZUB household.



Thank you for reminding me why I missed you.



The price really does appeal to me. Also beats a with all the luggage strapped to the back.



I was thinking this too. And, I'm really trying not to get too crazy focused on any ONE part of this trip. BF will sense that and likely try to auction off his ticket. Plus, again, free is such a good price.

If it sucks, at least I'll have a great story for the TR.

Thanks for stopping in, Z. It really is good to "see" you again. Shoot, I NEVER expected it.

Pfft. What's next, LaLa?

ZZUB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have been heartily missed, my friend. I'm happy to see you here.

They said it best. I just want to reinforce it.

SO COOL TO SEE YOU HERE!!!

.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

I've shipped water to my resort using Staples before. I don't remember the exact fee that they charged, but I'm pretty sure it was about $10 or so if your order was under $50.

Yeah, after doing some research I'm either going to go with Staples or Garden Grocer. It really all depends on whether or not we want fruit as well. We'll probably revisit this a couple of weeks out.

I'm completely hooked on ME. I always come in about the same time your arriving, and haven't had a problem yet.

If your asking for a specific kind of room, you might be better off with regular check in.

This is what I'm thinking.

I used Early Bird on the return part of my flight and would DEFINITELY do it again. I don't like giving out money that I don't need to part with so I was skeptical at first, but I just didn't want to be bothered with worrying about where I was gonna be at the otherwise-24-hr mark. It just frees up the last day of your trip with one less thing to worry about.

Now that I know it will automatically check me in, I'm pretty sure we'll definitely be doing this.

Cuz you might be eating somewhere, y'know, and messin' with processed meats......

Or getting french fries stuck GOD knows where.

 

[TarzansKat]

Or getting french fries stuck GOD knows where.

He-ey! That was for reenactment purposes only!

Sheesh.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

He-ey! That was for reenactment purposes only!

Sheesh.

And it was truly entertaining. I only rue the fact that we weren't there for the accompanying visual of LegoMom's hot dog "slip-up".

Reenactment or not, that image is burned into my brain cells for ever!

 

[LegoMom3]

And it was truly entertaining. I only rue the fact that we weren't there for the accompanying visual of LegoMom's hot dog "slip-up".

Reenactment or not, that image is burned into my brain cells for ever!

There really was no visual per se, save for the instant of shock that I'm sure flashed across my face.... You really had to be my hand to get the full effect.

.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

You really had to be my hand to get the full effect.

I am going to quietly let that be.





::snort::

 

[GreatBiscuit]

What up Tink!

I think you're going to be okay when it comes to Magical Express. We did ME during the 4/3 deal last summer, and I learned from others who tried to book during the same week that the Pop was at full capacity. Our flight arrived at 9:30 ish and we waited about 20 min for a bus. (It left 1/2 full...or 1/2 empty if you are so inclined.) I actually did not receive the luggage tags before we left, but ME was still able to pull our suitcases and deliver them using our Southwest Baggage Claim stubs. I spent some time on the transportation board so ME was easy to find. If Southwest still uses the same gates as last summer, you will arrive in the main terminal on the Hotel end. If so, go down the left hand corridor all the way to the far left corner, you can take the elevators to level 1 and ME is just to your left when you step off.

Although the resort was at capacity while we were there, we did not have too many issues with busses. There were a couple of one offs where we had to wait, but it really wasn't all that bad. Everything Pop tended to be insane in the mornings, but was manageble other times. The pools stayed crowded most of the week, but weren't horrific.

We did not do the online check in, but the line at that counter was fairly lenghthy and only had one CM, so it didn't seem to be helping those folks out that much. Since we arrived at 11:00 AM, there was a long line ahead of us, but there were so many CM's helping out that it only took about 10 min.

 

[TarzansKat]

And it was truly entertaining. I only rue the fact that we weren't there for the accompanying visual of LegoMom's hot dog "slip-up".

Reenactment or not, that image is burned into my brain cells for ever!

Both instances, although I was not present for one, will be forever etched in my memory.

And the cosmos.

Scary, huh?