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

[disneymagicgirl]

Dh said if we’re driving we might as well move everything ourselves so I need to convince him that’s not a good idea. We would take the essentials like you mentioned. Our cars are shipped for free

How about a POD or UBF u-pack? I have used them locally, not long distance, but it may be a good compromise. They drop it off, tomorrow if you want, you load it, they come back and get it, then deliver it to your next place on whatever day you decide, and you take your time unloading it. It is cheaper than full service movers for sure, but then you aren't driving a moving truck or being rushed to pack/unpack. It is much more leisurely.

 

[wendow]

But do they think crowds will just disappear on Nov 2? I hope they continue to offer something beyond those dates.

Agree. They’re probably just testing this and don’t want to commit too far out. Maybe thinking the crowds will die down for early Nov before Thanksgiving but I can’t see that happening.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Anybody ever use Plastiq to pay a life insurance premium? That's one bill I obviously haven't been able to route through a CC.

oh really? Both of ours auto draft to our credit cards. I assume you went to the issuer's website to verify it can't be done? If so, maybe call them and ask how to mail a payment.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Did you guys see this thing about SWGE EMH schedule?

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Daily from Sept. 1-Nov. 2, the park will have Extra, Extra Magic Hours from 6-9 a.m., including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, plus Toy Story Land attractions and select other attractions. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its experiences subject to capacity.

(Please note that on Aug. 29-31,Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open at 6 a.m. for all guests. There will not be Extra, Extra Magic Hours on those days.)​

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Extra, Extra Magic Hours will happen daily Aug. 29-Nov. 2, from 7-8 a.m., featuring Pandora – The World of Avatar and other attractions throughout the park (same as today’s morning Extra Magic Hours offerings).

• Magic Kingdom Park —Extra, Extra Magic Hours will happen daily from Aug. 29-Nov. 2, from 7-8 a.m., featuring favorite attractions in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland (same as today’s morning EMH offerings).

Now I'm back to thinking these are good dates to travel to wdw...

 

[pinkxray]

I’m really curious to see what happens after Nov. 2. I hope they extend the early hours to January since that’s when we travel. I think they will but maybe it won’t be everyday since they will probably want to keep offering the paid Early Morning Magic or whatever it’s called some days.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Agree. They’re probably just testing this and don’t want to commit too far out. Maybe thinking the crowds will die down for early Nov before Thanksgiving but I can’t see that happening.

Honestly, and maybe I am biased b/c I don't care at all about SWGE, but I haven't heard anyone talk about or much less say they are going b/c it is opening. I mean, obviously on disboards, but not in real life. I am really wondering if it will be that busy, esp since it isn't opening all at once. Obviously I expect initial insanity, but I'm not sure it will be long-lived. I will probably be proven totally wrong, lol.

 

[pillow]

Thank you all for the kind words and concerns - DH got the results of his MRI and the nodule that was found was benign.

Like @1st*toright I will apparently have a lot of spend to reimburse myself with... gotta love an HSA I guess. I am blessed to have the funds to do this and I feel for those who do not.

@Lain - I loved your post about your dreams for a Japan trip. I do not have kids but I would wait until your DD is a little older too - it's a long flight and a lot of money/points. You want to make sure she remembers it/enjoys it as you say.

I am always so impressed with all the trips everyone takes here - and that they take their kids. I never got to go on any vacations as a kid. My parents did not have the money. So now I am trying to make up for lost time I guess.

@calypso726 Thank you for sharing the prices for ABD Egypt. Maybe someday! Although when I told DH this trip was announced, he said "Oh are they taking armed guards wearing Mickey ears?" I just shook my head.

I took a vacation day today for mental health. Hopefully I can catch up more here!

Thank goodness! What a relief for you.

 

[pillow]

Anybody ever use Plastiq to pay a life insurance premium? That's one bill I obviously haven't been able to route through a CC.

Yes I've done it. As long as you have an address and a policy number, it should work fine.

 

[pillow]

Comment from yesterday: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/bjtmvp/discussion_thread_may_02_2019/emc1ijm/

Since it’s a MasterCard you can pay any supported expense with Plastiq - I often just pay my HELOC via Plastiq with a MasterCard to hit MSR. Then pay off the card with money from my HELOC via my checking account.​

Same user - a whole exchange of comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/b7m6o3/question_thread_march_31_2019/ejt0z4c/

Other than this guy, there hasn't been a whole lot of discussion on this in the last 6-9 months.

Basically...fund money from HELOC into checking. Payoff HELOC balance using Plastiq. The quicker you do it, the less interest you'll pay.

EDIT: And you're probably talking roughly $1 in interest per $1,000 for approx. a week so VERY minimal

Wow - people think of everything. It would never have occurred to me to do this.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Honestly, and maybe I am biased b/c I don't care at all about SWGE, but I haven't heard anyone talk about or much less say they are going b/c it is opening. I mean, obviously on disboards, but not in real life. I am really wondering if it will be that busy, esp since it isn't opening all at once. Obviously I expect initial insanity, but I'm not sure it will be long-lived. I will probably be proven totally wrong, lol.

I actually think there will be initial madness and it will also long lived. I’m a big SW fan and while I would never go opening day, I was planning in my mind a quick trip back in early spring next year for us to see it until I found out it would be open for our September trip. I have a lot of friends who are fans that don’t normally go to disney who are planning to go, just not particularly soon.

 

[calypso726]

Yeah, I'm just not interested in having yet another restricted annual free night where I have to plan around how to use the cert. We have 3 Marriott cards between us, and it seems like the value is better at the 35k Marriott level - for now, anyway, until they devalue again. On the subject of NYC, given that's where we vacation most often I've already been digging. The one IHG hotel I've found that's 40k/night is the Holiday Inn Long Island City - Manhattan View in Long Island City/Astoria, Queens. I can remember walking by that hotel, both during construction and more recently, and it looks really nice. I wouldn't have any qualms about staying there - but again with limited travel time I would pick, say, the Marriott Midtown East first.

We've stayed in LIC before and it's a pretty great place to stay for the budget-oriented traveler, or if you're just looking for something different. LIC is quiet and industrial, but there are several subway stops and good restaurants, plus the awesome Museum of the Moving Image. It's also closer to Flushing if you want to really branch out.


Haha, nah. It's just the IHG card on its own was rarely worth churning because IHG points aren't worth much, but for the longest time it was the best ongoing value around. Cardholders got an unrestricted free night certificate usable at any IHG property anywhere in the world for only a $49 annual fee. In a weird way, the IHG card was the one and only card where the value of keeping it open annually and paying the fee provided a better rate of return than churning the card. Unfortunately, the free night certificate is now only up to 40k points per night.

Well, now I'm looking at IHG NYC hotels again, and I'm seeing more that are 40k, which I don't think I knew - HI Express Manhattan Midtown West, HI NYC Wall Street, HI Express NYC Wall Street, and HI NYC - Lower East Side. We've stayed at the HI LES and while the rooms are very small, it's very nice and clean, around the corner from a subway station and just blocks from Doughnut Plant (very important). That HIE Midtown West is particularly interesting, located in Hell's Kitchen... it was only a block away from the Ink48. How'd we miss that walking by? I'm surprised to see a 40k hotel that close to Midtown/Times Square given how IHG bumped up the value of all of the NYC hotels not that long ago.

sighs

Guess I'm calling Chase to re-open the card.

Ooooh, you found something near Times Square! Well that seems like a bonus to me. Plane Princess and I have 4 Bonvoy 35k nights ( Chase personal and Bonvoy biz) and two 50k nights (Brilliant) between us. We have two 40k IHG nights after this year’s last unrestricted night. Plus we have 2 unrestricted weekend Hilton nights with the Aspire. Between my penchant for frequent WDW, annual DLR and long weekend getaways wherever, we have no issues using all of these and quite frankly would be happy to have more. One reason why I am working towards a third and fourth Aspire between us. In addition, we are actively pursuing going under 5/24 for the first time. Not for a CIP but for a Hyatt card.

 

[Oscar Madison]

I applied for P2's CIP#2 yesterday and it showed in her account this morning. SMd the expedition. Another 100k, here we come.

 

[pillow]

Opinions please . . . I want another CIP. Before today, I had 5 Chase business cards. One was a duplicate, so I closed it yesterday. Stats (Chase bolded):

Currently 4/24
Planning to apply for CitiBiz #2 at end of this month
Citi personal 4/23
Aviator personal 4/21
Ink Cash 4/5
Barclays Aviator Biz 2/25
Citi Biz 2/20
CIU 2/1
CIP 11/1
Hyatt 8/11

Thoughts on timing? When I applied for the Ink Cash, I WAS NOT auto approved. I've proactively lowered CL's for Chase cards, but I have not done that for others. Wondering if I should?

Picking DD up from college today. I should be doing other things right now, but alas, here I am . . .

 

[Lain]

Oooh yes - please do. My favorite MS is couch MS LOL!

And it looks like you and Mrs. SouthFayetteFan can renew your vows when you’re through!

 

[Haley R]

How about a POD or UBF u-pack? I have used them locally, not long distance, but it may be a good compromise. They drop it off, tomorrow if you want, you load it, they come back and get it, then deliver it to your next place on whatever day you decide, and you take your time unloading it. It is cheaper than full service movers for sure, but then you aren't driving a moving truck or being rushed to pack/unpack. It is much more leisurely.

Unfortunately we don’t have a choice in the moving company. It’s either we use the one they offer or we move everything ourselves.

 

[marsh0013]

But do they think crowds will just disappear on Nov 2? I hope they continue to offer something beyond those dates.

Yeah that's the day we arrive. I was telling my husband it would be just like Star Wars weekends of past years. I.E., getting up super early to get our celebrity FP. We ran on adrenaline. Crashed in the afternoons. Really hope they extend it. We'd have at least 2 and possibly up to 4 mornings over our 1.5 week trip. And staying at BWV makes it easy.

 

[amalone1013]

Just for fun...



Also thanks for letting me chatter about hair

I’m in the long hair for life camp! It feels too short to me right now and it’s about mid-back length.

See that's a good length to me anymore... right now it's like bottom of back pockets on me. Plus I've lost the shape around my face so I feel like I'm always throwing my hair over my shoulder to eat...

I have super thick, wavy hair that grows very fast. So if I don’t like it, no worries, it will grow back. To bring this around to traveling. My last cut was based off a haircut I saw on someone while waiting at the airport. I described it and my hair dresser did a great job matching.

Mine grows fast too so I shouldn't be so worried lol. I'm terrible at describing so I'm armed with pictures.

Ask your husband about this one. It may be more important to him than you think.

This is a running joke for us actually. Between his grandpa asking his dad why he let his mom cut her hair like that a few years ago (and it was the same length just a different cut, both before and after are very common cuts) and then our college friend who cut her very long hair to ear length because her boyfriend said she had too (and then lamented her hair after) DH just tells me I'll look great no matter what I decide lol

 

[PolyRob]

Did you guys see this thing about SWGE EMH schedule?

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Daily from Sept. 1-Nov. 2, the park will have Extra, Extra Magic Hours from 6-9 a.m., including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, plus Toy Story Land attractions and select other attractions. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its experiences subject to capacity.

(Please note that on Aug. 29-31,Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open at 6 a.m. for all guests. There will not be Extra, Extra Magic Hours on those days.)​

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Extra, Extra Magic Hours will happen daily Aug. 29-Nov. 2, from 7-8 a.m., featuring Pandora – The World of Avatar and other attractions throughout the park (same as today’s morning Extra Magic Hours offerings).

• Magic Kingdom Park —Extra, Extra Magic Hours will happen daily from Aug. 29-Nov. 2, from 7-8 a.m., featuring favorite attractions in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland (same as today’s morning EMH offerings).

This is so intriguing. I will have to head over to DHS at least one time super early in October just to see what its like. If SWGE is too crazy, I will just work on my TSM score.

 

[GlamMistress]

Honestly, and maybe I am biased b/c I don't care at all about SWGE, but I haven't heard anyone talk about or much less say they are going b/c it is opening. I mean, obviously on disboards, but not in real life. I am really wondering if it will be that busy, esp since it isn't opening all at once. Obviously I expect initial insanity, but I'm not sure it will be long-lived. I will probably be proven totally wrong, lol.

Oh it will be miserable busy. The thing is, Disboards isn't real life as you say. So while we're all uber planners at all things travel, especially Disney, the average person is not. They will see the ad campaign that SWGE is now open and think "Hey that sounds fun" and plan the trip for the next month. They will be clueless on Fastpasses, dining reservations, renting DVC points and the like.

The thing is, WDW is so crowded all the time now, eventually it probably won't be noticeable to the rest of us. It will just be wall to wall people like all the time these days.

 

[snugglebug]

Anyone travel long distances with cats before? It would be about a 20 hour drive to our new house. I’m really considering driving rather than flying but that’s a long freaking drive with 2 cats.

Maryland to Texas with one in a Uhaul, and a dog as well. We did not crate him, he mostly rode on the dashboard. He did not eat/drink/litterbox the entire drive. He only really cried when we stopped, but he settled once we got going again. We mostly drove straight through, stopping at a truck stop for a few hours to sleep in the truck. He was still fairly young though which may have made a difference in how he handled it.