January 2009. . . Calling all Snowbirds ~ Part I !!!

[SplashMtnCrew]

Good Morning Snowbirds!

Now we are trying to decide between basic and deluxe dp. DH says dxdp and I say basic b/c of the continental breakfasts, snacks and etc that is served club level, I just think that's enough food. So to appease the DH I put this together for the dxdp, what do you all think?

Artist Point -dinner
Park Fare - dinner
Chef Mickey's -breakfast
Le Cellier -dinner
Hoop-dee-doo
Whispering Canyon -breakfast
Sci-Fi -dinner
California Grill

Then there would be a couple of room serv. and a counter serv. or two thrown in as well. I can only come w/ 17 TS and we each would get 18

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

Okay to be fair, here's one for basic dp:

Park Fare -dinner
Tony's -dinner
Chef Mickey's -breakfast
Le Cellier -dinner
HDDR (oop )
Sci-Fi -dinner
Biergarten -dinner

Of course there would be cs as well, but I can only come up w/5 cs uses and that leaves one left over

 

[Laumau]

I don't have any advice for you because I've never been but just wanted to say that we're staying at WL too- club level- and I was planning on just doing the basic dp. Any extra meals we'll just pay for out of pocket because my MIL is paying for our trip. Lucky us! I'm happy that we'll get breakfast and snacks at club level. I didn't even know that when we booked it, just got it by default since our largish family requires a deluxe room.

We're planning on going to Artist Point our last night while the kids spend a couple of hours at Cub's Den. I've heard it's good!

 

[AussieAngel]

We're planning on doing the Deluxe Dining Plan. I know it's heaps of food and I'm sure we won't eat everything on the plates in front of us, but... we want to try as many restaurants as we can! I like the idea of getting an appetizer, entree and dessert. Even if I only eat half of the meal! At least I get a taste of lots of different things!!

DH and I figure... we travel a long, long way to get to Disney World (from Australia!), so why not make the most of it and splurge a bit extra!?

(That being said, remember dining options haven't been released yet. There may be major or minor changed to the dining plans - who knows!?)

I can book my ADR's tomorrow!!!!! So excited!!!

 

[Laumau]

We're planning on doing the Deluxe Dining Plan. I know it's heaps of food and I'm sure we won't eat everything on the plates in front of us, but... we want to try as many restaurants as we can! I like the idea of getting an appetizer, entree and dessert. Even if I only eat half of the meal! At least I get a taste of lots of different things!!

DH and I figure... we travel a long, long way to get to Disney World (from Australia!), so why not make the most of it and splurge a bit extra!?

(That being said, remember dining options haven't been released yet. There may be major or minor changed to the dining plans - who knows!?)

I can book my ADR's tomorrow!!!!! So excited!!!

I read your trip report a few weeks ago. You had quite the adventure!

 

[AussieAngel]

Oooh! Hehee! Thanks for reading my old trip report!

We did have an adventure! Looking forward to our next adventure now! We're heading to New York for New Years Eve, then down to Miami for a few nights, followed by Key West, and then to Disney World. Yahoooo!

 

[Laumau]

Oooh! Hehee! Thanks for reading my old trip report!

We did have an adventure! Looking forward to our next adventure now! We're heading to New York for New Years Eve, then down to Miami for a few nights, followed by Key West, and then to Disney World. Yahoooo!

I remember you loved NYC. I'd love to go there someday- never been!

My DH spent the first few years of his life in Australia and has never been back since- we'd love to go there too.

Too many places, too little time, and far too little $$ of course!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Good afternoon Snowbirds!

Trixie - Great news on the ADR's! Hope it's true! Did they happen to say when they were going to release park hours then?

SplahMtn - Both lists look great! I personally think the basic DDP is too much food! I couldn't imagine how much food you must get with the deluxe! Most places give you very generous servings. And I just pack cereal bars and granola bars and things like that for breakfast so we don't have to waste our credits on breakfast, unless we are doing a character breakfast.

In May on our last day we had 3 CS and 21 snack credits left! We did make sure to use them all (mostly candy and stuff we could bring home) so we got our moneys worth!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Anyone been to 1900 Park Fare???

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

We did have an adventure! Looking forward to our next adventure now! We're heading to New York for New Years Eve, then down to Miami for a few nights, followed by Key West, and then to Disney World. Yahoooo!

WOW that sounds like an awesome trip! We'd like to go to NYC when they boys get a little older. It's a about a 6 hour drive from here. Never been there.

 

[trixiequilts]

Anyone been to 1900 Park Fare???

No, but we're thinking of going there the day we arrive for dinner. Thought it would be a fun way to start. I heard the step-sisters are hilarious!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

No, but we're thinking of going there the day we arrive for dinner. Thought it would be a fun way to start. I heard the step-sisters are hilarious!

I heard that too! I thought I might make an ADR there and not tell the boys until we get there, since they are so anti-princess!! I think they would get a kick out of the step-sisters!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

January Snowbirds!

Towers5 ~ Dec 28-Jan 9 ???
Ccfmioa ~ Dec 30-Jan 8 ASMo
Maplemouse ~ Jan 1-5 ???
Tink1978 ~ Jan 1-7 POFQ
Laumau ~ Jan 1-7 WL
4girls2sets ~ Jan 2-9 SOG
Miabellarose ~ Jan 3-11 ASMu
Snykymom ~ Jan 4-11 CSR
Ehm1129 ~ Jan 5-16 ASMo
Kaos928 ~ Jan 6-12 POP/POR
Aussieangel ~ Jan 8-20 WL
Rockonthemoon ~ Jan 8-18 ???
Ginaluvsdisney ~ Jan 10-18 POFQ
Lovemy2boys ~ Jan 11-21 AKL
Eve700 ~ Jan 12-???
Adais ~ Jan 13-21 AKL
Kiteri ~ Jan 16-24 FW
Mommy2emmamaddie ~ Jan 16-25 ???
Drakes ~ Jan 16-26 ASMo
Sixisenough ~ Jan 17-24 AKL
Hrsmom ~ Jan 17-24 BWV
Jenkh ~ Jan 17-31 BWV/AKV
Splashmtncrew ~ Jan 18-24 WL
GPA1015 ~ Jan 18-30 POP
Momof2disneyboys ~ Jan 21-27 ASMo
Trixiequilts ~ Jan 21-28 AKL
MickeyNicki ~ Jan 22-26 Poly
Petuniamilz ~ Jan 23-30 Offsite
Jnykly ~ Jan 24-30 ???
Billysmommy ~ Jan 24-31 BWV
Remmy ~ Jan 25-Feb 7 POP
Cinderellamom123 ~ Jan ???
Tinkerbelluk ~ Jan ???
Ppan77 ~ Jan ???
Lukenick1 ~ Jan ???
Echo29 ~ Jan ??? CSR
Amreli ~ Jan ??? ASMu

 

[lovemy2boys]

Thanks for putting together the list! we are Jan 11th - 21st at AKL!

 

[amreli]

Anyone been to 1900 Park Fare???

I haven't been myself, but my FIL and his fiance went last year for breakfast and loved it. He's not a big disney guy, but even now he talks about how he loved the breakfast (specifically the bacon ). We have ADR's there for both breakfast (at the FIL and fiance's request) and dinner in January (different days though ).

 

[Remmy]

Has anyone played miniature golf at Fantasia or Winter Summerland? We have a couple of down days built into our vacation and were thinking of going to one of these. Any suggestions on which one?

Thanks Remmy

 

[KatMark]

Has anyone played miniature golf at Fantasia or Winter Summerland? We have a couple of down days built into our vacation and were thinking of going to one of these. Any suggestions on which one?

Thanks Remmy

We have done both. We prefer Fantasia just because of the landscaping, etc. Winter Summerland on the winter side ends up with Santa Claus at the end and a lot of Christmas themed things along the way. On the Fantasia side there is one hole where something spits at you.

 

[AussieAngel]

Morning snowbirds!!

Guess what! I just made my ADRs!!!

Today is 180 days from our trip - and the friendly CM on the phone let me make all my ADRs with the 180 + 10 policy. So obviously the 90 days change hasn't taken effect yet! It's rumoured to not happen until August, so it seems all of us going in January are safe. Phew!!

I got all my first choice restaurants!! Even the tricky ones, like Cinderella's Royal Table, Le Cellier, California Grill... everything!

The only interesting timing issues happened at the Magic Kingdom restaurants. On January 8th, I wanted to make a reservation at The Plaza for 6pm, but she said the latest time available was 4.50pm. I wonder if that means the park is closing early on that day!? Or I wonder if they just don't know the hours yet?

Similarly, we wanted CRT at around 7pm on 16th January, but the latest she could get us in was 5.40pm. That's the Friday night of the MLK weekend, so maybe CRT was just booked out, or maybe they're closing early!? Who knows... I'm going to wait until park hours are released, and if MK is open late, I'll try to change the reservation to a later time.

Also, I couldn't make a reservation for either Raglan Road or Yak & Yeti, because they don't take part in the 180 + 10 rule. I have to call on exactly 180 days for each of those restaurants.

Anyway, hope that info was helpful!? I'm so excited!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I haven't been myself, but my FIL and his fiance went last year for breakfast and loved it. He's not a big disney guy, but even now he talks about how he loved the breakfast (specifically the bacon ). We have ADR's there for both breakfast (at the FIL and fiance's request) and dinner in January (different days though ).

Thanks! Good to hear!

Has anyone played miniature golf at Fantasia or Winter Summerland? We have a couple of down days built into our vacation and were thinking of going to one of these. Any suggestions on which one?

Thanks Remmy

Sorry, never been to either. We have passed them on the buses though and they look like a lot of fun!

Morning snowbirds!!

Guess what! I just made my ADRs!!!

Today is 180 days from our trip - and the friendly CM on the phone let me make all my ADRs with the 180 + 10 policy. So obviously the 90 days change hasn't taken effect yet! It's rumoured to not happen until August, so it seems all of us going in January are safe. Phew!!

I got all my first choice restaurants!! Even the tricky ones, like Cinderella's Royal Table, Le Cellier, California Grill... everything!

The only interesting timing issues happened at the Magic Kingdom restaurants. On January 8th, I wanted to make a reservation at The Plaza for 6pm, but she said the latest time available was 4.50pm. I wonder if that means the park is closing early on that day!? Or I wonder if they just don't know the hours yet?

Similarly, we wanted CRT at around 7pm on 16th January, but the latest she could get us in was 5.40pm. That's the Friday night of the MLK weekend, so maybe CRT was just booked out, or maybe they're closing early!? Who knows... I'm going to wait until park hours are released, and if MK is open late, I'll try to change the reservation to a later time.

Also, I couldn't make a reservation for either Raglan Road or Yak & Yeti, because they don't take part in the 180 + 10 rule. I have to call on exactly 180 days for each of those restaurants.

Anyway, hope that info was helpful!? I'm so excited!!

That is great!! I'm so happy for you! Hopefully the rest of us will be able to make our ADR's too!

Yeah, just keep checking back for the ones you want to change, something might become avaiable, you never know!

I don't think I can do the 180 days + 10 thing since I don't actually have reservation yet. . . I'll just have to call at 180 days and see. . .

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Thanks for putting together the list! we are Jan 11th - 21st at AKL!

No problem, I will add your dates to the list!