How to avoid winter in Canada & how many times can I change my trip?

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Table of Contents:
I Have my ADR's!
Ordered Room Decorating Supplies!
Waiting, Looking, & Another Trip!
Switched to a Room Only Rate!
AP RATE!!! And a Day 1 plan!
Plans, They are a Changing!
The Waiting Game
To Split or not to Split, that is the question
What's For Dinner?
WDW Christmas Fun Coming to My House!
Oops! I Did it Again!

Well, the title and ticker give away the dates... December 18-22, 2010 with Mickey and the gang for a great way to kick off DS's 3 week Christmas break! OR NOT...

Now it is Dec 30-Jan 6 DCL NYE Eastern Cruise! And March 9-19th Birthday at Pop! Might need to be called the I am avoiding winter in Montreal PTR!

Thanks for reading along! I have loved reading other PTRs and TRs and did a PTR for our March trip so here I am again!

Who are we?


(Formal night on our first 3-night DCL in March 2010)

Me (mom) who has always love Disney but kept it in hiding until 2007 when we took DS on his 4th birthday trip.

DH who likes Disney, but not as much as the rest of the family. But he loves us and lets us keep going because secretly he loves it too!

DS (6) has been 4 times since his 4th birthday and lives the roller coasters, characters, pools, arcades, and any Disney movie we will let him watch.

DD (3) adores Minnie (her birthday party theme for the past 2 years) as wel as the princesses and Jessie. Her favorites are the Astro Orbiter and the characters. She has also been 4 times, starting at age 6 months.

I love mixing things up each time we go to WDW so we change hotels, dinner locations, rides, add DCL trips, and mix in events things like first haircuts and taking the kids solo while DH was on a business trip.

Mixing it up also convinces DH there is a reason to go again. Last summer I even signed up for the Princess 1/2 Marathon to save on park tickets, stay at POLY, and get in shape.

During my solo trip with the kids (kids stay and play free) I upgraded our tickets to APs! The kids were nearly half off with the "free ticket" and we knew we would be back for DD's 4th birthday in May so why not! And yes, I know I live in Canada...

And I cannot pass up a deal so while at POP we booked a BB rate at POP for December! With the AP's who can pass up the best decorated place on Earth, even if you know you will have a white Christmas at home?!?

More to come, but wanted to say hello! And wonder, is it too early to be excited for Christmas?

 

[irishsharon]

You have a beautiful family I've already started my christmas shopping can't wait to hear more of your plans since I am planning my familys first trip for Feb.

 

[mom2l&t]

Along for the ride...

We are heading to Disney in December, too! I have never done a PTR so I will just enjoy yours

We are so excited for our trip. My DS (7) is already starting his countdown calendar.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

You have a beautiful family I've already started my christmas shopping can't wait to hear more of your plans since I am planning my familys first trip for Feb.

Feb is such a great time to go! We went in Feb for 7 nights in 2009 with the buy 4 get 3 and had so much fun! Low crowds, not hot, fantastic!

Along for the ride...

We are heading to Disney in December, too! I have never done a PTR so I will just enjoy yours

We are so excited for our trip. My DS (7) is already starting his countdown calendar.

I am SOOO excited about Disney all decorated for Christmas and the holidays around the world at Epcot. My kids would be totally excited too, but we are keeping it a surprise until a day or two before. I was going to order t-shirts and wrap them up, but now I am leaning toward pin lanyards and a pin since DS was asking to get more pins last trip and DD thinks they are fun. I need a better option than the lanyard for DD though, she is only 3 and I know she will not wear one for long. Wich they had a pin "handbag" for little girls.

My DS will be 7 for the trip as well and cannot wait for the roller coasters!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

So I have my ADR's and thought I would share...

We will be there for the last night of MVMCP, but figure we will save the cash and go after the party ends but the parade and fireworks are there for everyone!

Saturday, December 18th (day we fly in)
Chef Mickey's for dinner

Sunday, December 19th (Epcot day!)
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall for dinner with the princesses

Monday, December 20th (MK day!)
The Plaza Restaurant for dinner

Tuesday, December 21st (DHS day!)
Sci-fi Dine-in Theater for dinner

Wednesday, December 22nd (flying to Ohio for family Christmas)
Whispering Canyon Café for breakfast and the WL Christmas decorations

We are going to likely cancel either dinner at CM or breakfast at WCC, as we will be on the DDP and only have 4 TS credits. It will all come down to our flight times and who wins the accommodation battle (me: POP; DH: BLT)

Thinking about WDW in December is helping me get through another hot day in Montreal with no a/c!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Now that we are back from visiting family in Ohio I can really start to get ready for the trip, still months away.

I love to see the door decorations and fish extenders on the cruise thread and saw this door and fell in love with the Mickey Wreath!

Originally done and posted by fluvannaj on the Fish Extender thread, I just convo'ed an etsy seller and am buying the mickey heads and bow to make the wreath! (do not have the Cricut or Mickey cartridge)

[/IMG]

I am too afraid to hang it on the outside of the door (we have had magnets stolen from our Carnival cruise, but not the Disney one, and it broke the kids' hearts) so we might do the window or inside the room more for us.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Well, I am now waiting for the Mickey heads to make my wreath!

I am also waiting for the AP rates to be released... some rumor that they will only go to 12/17 so we would be out of luck. We have a BB rate booked right now, but was hoping to save more with AP and maybe upgrade!

If the AP does not work out we might opt for point rental at WL (studio) since renting through the DIS it would only be $90 more than POP and we could be right near all the fun Christmas decorations!

I have been spending the morning looking at airfares! We have to multi-city from Montreal (or Burlington, VT to save $$$) to MCO then to Columbus, OH, & back to home. Looks like BTV is about half the cost of YUL so 2 hour drive it is, but $541 each is not bad. Still not booking as DH has to request home leave and home leave airfare reimbursement from work.

And finally, I have been looking at dates and resorts for DD's 4th birthday trip in May! She and I are going down before the boys (work and school) and I am toying with doing POP for a week solo with DD and then moving to GF or CR for the time when DH and DS join us for the real party!

Happy Friday Everyone!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

So now I am saving $30 more than the BB!

And I am that much less likely to rent points for a stay in a studio at WL... the difference is not $120.

I am still hoping for an AP rate so we do not have to buy one-day tickets to get the DDP, but for now I am happy to be spending some time before Christmas at POP!

I cannot wait to see all the great decorations at the parks!

 

[taramoz]

Beautiful family! We will be at the parks at the same time! I have never done Christmas at DW before, so excited!

 

[stephielela]

subbing! Your family is beautiful! Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Beautiful family! We will be at the parks at the same time! I have never done Christmas at DW before, so excited!

We have never been before either, we spend lots of time looking at the pics on the DIS of Christmas and cannot wait!

subbing! Your family is beautiful! Looking forward to hearing more!

Thanks! I want to have the kids go back to school so I can plan more!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

I am SOOO excited! Yesterday I was able to book Pop for 4 nights at the AP rate with the AP DDP!

And we have a plan for our first day, a non-park day...

We are going to take the bus to MK and then ride the monorail over to GF to see the decorations before dinner at CM and then off to WL by boat to see the decorations after dinner!

I am hoping to book one of the non-stop flights from Montreal to MCO (there are only 2 each morning) and then we will have all afternoon to see the decorations and enjoy Christmas with the Mouse.

I also go the cut-out Mickey heads in the mail the other day and after the kids are back in school will have enough time to put the wreath together!

 

[MeMom]

I love mixing things up each time we go to WDW so we change hotels, dinner locations, rides, add DCL trips, and mix in events things like first haircuts and taking the kids solo while DH was on a business trip.



More to come, but wanted to say hello! And wonder, is it too early to be excited for Christmas?

Never too early to be excited for a Disney Christmas. We won't get a Christmas trip this year, so when we go in October, we're going to try to bring some good stuff back with us to save for the holidays. We'll have a Disney Christmas at home.

Mixing it up is a good thing. No two trips are alike, and there is always something to look forward to.

I also go the cut-out Mickey heads in the mail the other day and after the kids are back in school will have enough time to put the wreath together!

Fun! Can't wait to see it.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Well, some time has passed since the last update... school started, my daughter started pre-competitive gymnastics, and we changed around TWO Disney vacations!

Disney Vacation Change 1:
MR Disney Cruise in March became the 7-night Western Disney Cruise and THEN became drum roll, please....

A 7-NIGHT MEDITERRANEAN DISNEY CRUISE!!!

Disney Vacation Change 2:
Our Christmas trip became visiting family in Washington, DC and a
BIRTHDAY TRIP FOR ME

While I will miss seeing the World decorated for Christmas, I am super excited about spending my actual birthday in the world!!!

So, anyone know how to change the title of the thread?

I have started making my ADR's and looking into WDW resorts... will keep you posted!

 

[taramoz]

Glad to hear you have some great vacations coming up!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

So I figured out how to change the title!

As you can see I have upped the ante and am shooting for a 10-night trip! I have always wanted to spend an extended time at WDW to really enjoy the resort, see the fairies with DD, and make sure we get to ride all (or at least more than half) of the rides we want to ride.

I know POP will play a big role in the trip (the kids and I LOVED it when we were there in June and I might rent points to spend a few nights at WL (although the kids and I want to try a BB room)!

I have started making ADR's including Tony's on my Birthday and Coral Reef the day after.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

So I am waiting for lots of things at the moment...

-- Waiting for DH to find out if/when his business trip will mean the kids and I are going solo for a bit of the trip

-- Waiting to be able to move my ressie to March (the system is down)

-- Waiting for AP rates for March now

-- Waiting for next Sept. to roll around so I can try for the MMP again.

-- Waiting for some airfare deals, but then again it hinges on DH's meeting

On the up side, I got to run errands with DD this am and she hit the jackpot in clearance Disney Princess nightgowns! And I have made ADR's for the dates we are targeting for the trip (March 9-19th!!!)

We are also looking into taking a long weekend to NYC in early January to see the new Disney Store!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

So I have all ten nights booked at POP, but I am considering splitting with a DVC rental at VWL or BLT.

I considered spending the whole time at POR, but the bus system, older rooms, and the air conditioner in the mods are too loud for us.

I am not worried about actually staying at POP, we were there in June and loved it! I am just wondering if 10 nights at one resort is too much. I am planning 2 resort days, so it could easily be one at each. I know we would need to be very aware of using our DDP points, but I am not worried about that either.

We have AP's (DH is getting his on the March trip and the kids and I got them in June), but if the buy 4 get three comes out we might go for that if it is better than the AP rate and then split stay it after the 7-night mark. Then DH could upgrade his and we could save our park tickets for a Christmas trip when DH would have his AP for the room rate!

Sorry for the rambling, just thinking things through and looking for advice.

 

[stephielela]

So I have all ten nights booked at POP, but I am considering splitting with a DVC rental at VWL or BLT.

I considered spending the whole time at POR, but the bus system, older rooms, and the air conditioner in the mods are too loud for us.

I am not worried about actually staying at POP, we were there in June and loved it! I am just wondering if 10 nights at one resort is too much. I am planning 2 resort days, so it could easily be one at each. I know we would need to be very aware of using our DDP points, but I am not worried about that either.

We have AP's (DH is getting his on the March trip and the kids and I got them in June), but if the buy 4 get three comes out we might go for that if it is better than the AP rate and then split stay it after the 7-night mark. Then DH could upgrade his and we could save our park tickets for a Christmas trip when DH would have his AP for the room rate!

Sorry for the rambling, just thinking things through and looking for advice.

I liked Pop a lot, and there are a lot of things to do there. They have 3 seperate pools, plus playgrounds and the Goofy fountain, and all kinds of cool photo ops. I wouldn't have a problem staying there 10 nights. Plus the food court has a good variety, and they do different events daily, like dances in the lobby etc. It would be worth the savings in my opinion, but if you got a good deal on DVC points... maybe it wouldn't cost any extra, you never know! I think it would be nice to stay at one resort, just because it would really feel like home after a couple days.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

I liked Pop a lot, and there are a lot of things to do there. They have 3 seperate pools, plus playgrounds and the Goofy fountain, and all kinds of cool photo ops. I wouldn't have a problem staying there 10 nights. Plus the food court has a good variety, and they do different events daily, like dances in the lobby etc. It would be worth the savings in my opinion, but if you got a good deal on DVC points... maybe it wouldn't cost any extra, you never know! I think it would be nice to stay at one resort, just because it would really feel like home after a couple days.

We liked it too which is why I was torn and the affordability and new rooms are had to pass up! I had not thought about the 3 pools offering variety! Thanks!

I do like the idea of "moving in" and just relaxing and not having to worry about packing and switching and not having a car, etc.

Than here is hoping for a great AP rate to make the cost of my 10 nights go down!