I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[wendow]

I bought some silicone straws at Aldi last week. Haven't tried them yet because we rarely use straws but they should work better than paper ones!

I don't like when dining at a restaurant and they bring water with straws already in the glass, as we prefer not to use straws. Happened to me yesterday and I am thinking of contacting the restaurant to let them know some of us prefer no straw. I guess I need to tell them when I order water. Sadly my suburb is not very environmentally conscious.

We have silicone straws too but ours are floppy lol and I don't like them. My boys use them some though cause they are colorful.

 

[wendow]

Can I book a PH rate for Pop now if we are upgrading tix when we get there (after entering park)?

 

[Alexle2007]

Thanks for the recs! We had no points last year to use on the hotel so we had to go with $$.

And ouch, I feel for you with that drive + early flight

I usually get them for under $100 and those nights helped me get to platinum status so I can’t complain.

 

[needsomesun]

Need opinions on the Swan hotel. Anyone stayed there recently?

Me! Stayed there for 5 nights in April. I really liked the location. Loved being able to walk to EPCOT and the boardwalk. Only thing I didn't like was I felt like we had to keep walking over to the dolphin for food. Everything seems to be over there. But there was a sign in the swan lobby that they were building a gift shop and quick service there, unsure if that's open now?

 

[amalone1013]

Were you even alive when this movie came out?

Ummmm... I watched it for the first time before its 15th anniversary?

Can I book a PH rate for Pop now if we are upgrading tix when we get there (after entering park)?

When I was looking into this on our first trip, I think you had to call because if you dont have an AP voucher in your account you cant see them online. From what I remember.

Me! Stayed there for 5 nights in April. I really liked the location. Loved being able to walk to EPCOT and the boardwalk. Only thing I didn't like was I felt like we had to keep walking over to the dolphin for food. Everything seems to be over there. But there was a sign in the swan lobby that they were building a gift shop and quick service there, unsure if that's open now?

Not yet, as of a few weeks ago. Someone posted a pic of the sign in the Swolphin thread this week, maybe it has a date @Ngwira

 

[wendow]

When I was looking into this on our first trip, I think you had to call because if you dont have an AP voucher in your account you cant see them online. From what I remember.

I can pull up the PH rate through the TA site, which is where I'm looking, but I realized since this is just for our arrival night and then we check out and move to POR, we won't have activated our AP's yet so It's probably not a good idea to book the PH rate.

 

[mamathompson]

The flights I want for my getaway in August dropped in price and I can't book it. My childcare I had arranged has backed out. I'm scrambling to find someone else but it's not looking great. ☹

Still no Amex clawback on DHs account.

 

[afan]

The boards while on thr treadmill ate not cooperating today

As for the metal straws, I think you should be able to find one with a case/bag etc. Have a friend that has one and it lives in a drawstring baggy that is straw size.

Also they have brushes for cleaning straws. I have 2 sizes, one for my gym water bottle that's bigger and a smaller one for my tumbler straws.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem but do think about what you're drinking through a metal straw. While it wouldn't be terrible not sure I'd want to drink a frozen drink through one.

Good for you!! I maintain that the best thing my parents did as far as my driving goes was to make me drive everywhere we went when I had my learners. After I passed my test, my mom had me drive out of the DMV on Route 10 and made me go 95 to 895 to go over the bridge

My mom took me on a very curvy road to make sure I would learn how to slow down. Not sure if she took me on the freeway before drivers ed or not. I didn't drive with my dad til college which seems odd. So my driving is all mom's fault but my potty mouth when I drive is all dad. Though I generally only do it when I'm alone.

 

[MKTokyo]

Just got a confirmation email for the $1000 worth of Disney GC purchased with my Sam's Club account.

... It wasn't me

 

[WVMomof3]

Do not walk with metal straws! I think I would be hesitant to give to a kid.

https://www.livescience.com/65925-metal-straw-death.html

 

[amalone1013]

I can pull up the PH rate through the TA site, which is where I'm looking, but I realized since this is just for our arrival night and then we check out and move to POR, we won't have activated our AP's yet so It's probably not a good idea to book the PH rate.

I mean, we checked in at Pop before we actually activated our vouchers with an AP rate and they did not ask or check... I think others have done similar. With online check in now, you wouldnt even have to go to the desk for that one night...

 

[wendow]

The boards while on thr treadmill ate not cooperating today

As for the metal straws, I think you should be able to find one with a case/bag etc. Have a friend that has one and it lives in a drawstring baggy that is straw size.

Also they have brushes for cleaning straws. I have 2 sizes, one for my gym water bottle that's bigger and a smaller one for my tumbler straws.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem but do think about what you're drinking through a metal straw. While it wouldn't be terrible not sure I'd want to drink a frozen drink through one.

My metal straws came in a bag as well. So I use that for traveling with them. And we also have the cleaning brushes. I think those have come with our glass and metal straws as well. We have fat straws for smoothies and shakes and those have their fatter cleaning brush.

I don't mind cold stuff through the metal but I don't like drinking my coffee through the metal. Yowee!

 

[amalone1013]

My metal straws came in a bag as well. So I use that for traveling with them. And we also have the cleaning brushes. I think those have come with our glass and metal straws as well. We have fat straws for smoothies and shakes and those have their fatter cleaning brush.

I don't mind cold stuff through the metal but I don't like drinking my coffee through the metal. Yowee!

I can only do iced coffee with a straw. I have cups that have lids where you can either sip from them or open a hole for a straw. I mainly used them for water. A guy at my work drinks his hot black coffee thru the plastic straw...

 

[wendow]

I mean, we checked in at Pop before we actually activated our vouchers with an AP rate and they did not ask or check... I think others have done similar. With online check in now, you wouldnt even have to go to the desk for that one night...

We won't land until 1:25am so we definitely won't be stopping by the desk...Hmm, did you have the voucher sitting in your account? We will be upgrading existing tickets but not until our first park day, which won't be until after checking out of Pop.

 

[wendow]

A guy at my work drinks his hot black coffee thru the plastic straw...

Honestly, that was me for years before I was given my first set of resuable straws. I don't want the tooth staining that comes from coffee so I've been drinking my coffee through a straw for about 20 years...and only had reusable straws for about 12 years so I'm sure I consumed a lot of plastic for awhile

 

[kayteekt]

I’m generally of the mindset that you should grab sAAver fares when you see them. No guarantee they will add more or go down in points.

IME, getting AA Saver awards at optimal times is nigh on impossible. They will route you on 3 flights all over the country, but will usually charge more miles for a single direct flight. Depends on the route of course, but if you can get awards that you can make work for 7.5k miles then I say grab them.

Also.......and you will need to verify this..... I believe you can change an AA award free of charge if something better comes up - i think the origin and destination must be the same. I did this last year when traveling to LAS.....a more direct flight came available about 3 weeks before travel and I changed my booking at no cost.

Thank you both. We had some AA points for about a year before I finally used them on Disney reservation, could never make a flight work. So I was thinking I better grab these before they dissapear. That's great to know about being able to modify a flight booked on points. I wouldn't have thought that was possible.

 

[Albort]

FYI with all those with Amex Plat + other flavors, Ive been seeing quite a ton of nice retention offers... the best one being 50k MR with 0 spendings. has also seen this 50k MR with $xxxx spendings too. Confirmed to be offered on the Schwab card and personal card.
have not heard of anything for the biz plat yet.

 

[afan]

I can only do iced coffee with a straw. I have cups that have lids where you can either sip from them or open a hole for a straw. I mainly used them for water. A guy at my work drinks his hot black coffee thru the plastic straw...

My mom does this if she gets it from sb but if it's at home from a coffe cup she doesn't. I think it's partly because she's normally walking around the store or in the car and doesn't want to spill/dribble.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Do not walk with metal straws! I think I would be hesitant to give to a kid.

https://www.livescience.com/65925-metal-straw-death.html

That went viral but in metal straws defense the lady was disabled and I think that played more into her stabbing herself in her fall than anything else. If the straw is pointed upward and a person/child falls, the drink is not likely to stay straight up, it's going to fall with the person rendering everyone safe. That particular version of the story left out what I think was the most important part "...Mandy said in a statement read aloud to the inquest, adding that her wife was prone to collapsing "like a sack of potatoes" at random intervals due to underlying health conditions..." If you or your child is prone to collapsing like that heck no should you be using a metal straw because the straw could definitely stay up in a fall like that, but most people and children do not collapse like a sack of potatoes https://news.yahoo.com/woman-dies-10-inch-metal-163157311.html

 

[kmc8826]

Can I book a PH rate for Pop now if we are upgrading tix when we get there (after entering park)?

I have booked passholder rates for my parents before (when they traveled with us) and never had it checked or questioned. If you can book it through the TA site I definitely would.