January 2015

[marymal99]

We're going January 17 through January 24 Were from Minnesota so anything will seem better than this Believe it or not already booked airfare waiting for a deal to come out with Disney Have gone in August the last seven or eight years so I'm really looking forward to going into different time year However I've always gotten free dining in the past so I'm really looking for some type of discount code before I book otherwise may have to stay off property

 

[Promomx2]

Dh just said we should go this jan. and he say he would do the planning. Lol. I'm still laughing. In 32 years he has never made one single vacation plan. I told him he at least had to check the disboards.

 

[hops&dreams]

Can anyone tell me about crowds / room availability during the marathon weekend. For 2015 it's Jan 7-11?

We are planning to check in on Jan 11, but likley only go to MK that night since it's open late - just want an idea if it will be difficult getting a room.

We went in Jan 2010 over marathon weekend and the week after, and our hotel (WL) wasn't very full at all. Actually, we paid for standard view and got bumped up to courtyard view. But that was also a record cold year. It was snowing when we got to "sunny" Florida!

I was worried about the marathon messing things up, but the only thing it changed was bus service the mornings of Sat and Sun. By noon, everything was back to normal. We even chatted with a finisher on the monorail on Saturday morning. It's what inspired me to start running! (I've now donw 4 or 5 half marathons, but no RunDisney races - I have yet to convince DH that the extra $$ for the entrance fees are worth it just because it's Disney. And risking being injured/sore for the Disney vacation...)

 

[laughinplace199]

We went in Jan 2010 over marathon weekend and the week after, and our hotel (WL) wasn't very full at all. Actually, we paid for standard view and got bumped up to courtyard view. But that was also a record cold year. It was snowing when we got to "sunny" Florida!

I was worried about the marathon messing things up, but the only thing it changed was bus service the mornings of Sat and Sun. By noon, everything was back to normal. We even chatted with a finisher on the monorail on Saturday morning. It's what inspired me to start running! (I've now donw 4 or 5 half marathons, but no RunDisney races - I have yet to convince DH that the extra $$ for the entrance fees are worth it just because it's Disney. And risking being injured/sore for the Disney vacation...)

2010 was sooo cold, but I had my best marathon finish time ever, probably because the weather was like the weather I trained in (I live in Boston). It was so cold that the water was freezing on the ground at the water stops.

Anyway, I used to think the crowds were great marathon weekend (just the issue with Sat & Sun mornings, as PP mentioned). However, it seemed to me that 2013 marathon weekend was different. Maybe I'm wrong, but the parks seemed more crowded to me. Still, "crowded" during marathon weekend isn't the same as "crowded" during the summer, so everything's relative.

 

[onebighappyfamily]

Hi! We are on the Dream 2/2 so we'll be adding a few days before the cruise. Just my DH and our two littlest sons. (2,1) Actually, the older Ds will be turning 3 on the ship so this is his B-day trip and we will be celebrating he being 2 years cancer-free! We don't know where we will be staying yet. We've been to Pop, ASm, and POR. I'd love to try AoA but we'll see what comes out for codes. Most likely, we will be there Jan 29-Feb2nd!

 

[mamatobbg]

Hi! We are on the Dream 2/2 so we'll be adding a few days before the cruise. Just my DH and our two littlest sons. (2,1) Actually, the older Ds will be turning 3 on the ship so this is his B-day trip and we will be celebrating he being 2 years cancer-free! We don't know where we will be staying yet. We've been to Pop, ASm, and POR. I'd love to try AoA but we'll see what comes out for codes. Most likely, we will be there Jan 29-Feb2nd!

Have a great time!!!! We want to do a cruise next!

And WHAT A FABULOUS REASON TO CELEBRATE!!

 

[tiffjoy]

We are going January 22-25. We'll be arriving from Cape Canaveral on the 22, so that's a bit of a shorter day. I'm thinking of doing the Ohana breakfast for my DD4, who loves Lilo and Stitch but only meets Stitch at DLR.

It's a short stay because our main reason to go to FL is to visit my in laws, but we always make a WDW stop.

Thanks, hops&dreams for the hours! It helped me plan our days.

I'm thinking:

January 22 - arrive at ?? resort, check in, do Ohana at Poly around 10, then go to MK for the rest of the day (I'll have to work on the logistics for this one)
January 23 - Epcot, with lunch or dinner for DD2 (turning 3 on this trip!) at Akershus
January 24 - Animal Kingdom, with dinner somewhere to be decided since they close at 5. Thinking character meal somewhere....
January 25 - Magic Kingdom for our birthday girl! Dinner at Be Our Guest.

 

[hcompton]

Following. Looking at going back for our 4th trip to Disney in late January. Hoping to get either a room discount or free dining.

 

[dawnhaze]

I just had to cancel a non-Disney trip, leaving me with Southwest credit that I'll never use since Southwest doesn't fly the places I usually do. Solution? Well, they fly to MCO... Plan a Disney trip!

I'm thinking I'll head down the Thursday after MLK day for a week-late birthday trip. Right now the plan is 6 days/5 nights, hopefully at All-Star Movies since it's the last value resort I've never stayed at! A room discount would be great but ASMo usually doesn't get much of one.

 

[Eastern]

I just called to book room only CR for Jan 3-11th. CM told me that many rooms were already filled. No garden wings left, no suites?? Really?

I booked Tower Bay Lake View and she said there weren't many left.

Are a lot of people going to cancel? or is it going to be packed this year?

Now that I think about it, it's probably because I included that first Saturday, Jan 3. A lot of people will still be there from NYE week. If I took that day off I bet it would have shown more availability. Ok we can relax again. btw that Saturday price was nearly $200 more than the Sunday price.

 

[Eastern]

And I guess they gave me prices for 2014 and it is going to be higher when the rates actually come out?

I have never booked before prices came out.

 

[ALD85]

And I guess they gave me prices for 2014 and it is going to be higher when the rates actually come out? I have never booked before prices came out.

The quote you at the highest possible rate of 2014, and it will automatically change when the new rates come out. And they do increase every year.

 

[chocolateavocado]

So excited to be joining this group!!
We had to cancel our Thanksgiving trip but have decided to plan to go for 1/27 - 2/1 for a suprise birthday trip for our ds who will turn 8 on 1/31!! The trip will only be prob 4 nights, because I really don't want him out of school too long.
This will be all of our 2nd trip - 1st trip was last Nov, and we fell in love with WDW & can NOT wait to go back!!
Not sure where we're going to stay yet. Last year we stayed at the poly & really liked it but don't want to stay there this year with the construction. We're thinking possibly GF or CR/Bay Lake , depending on the rates & if any discounts are offered! So happy to start the planning & share in everyone's excitements and planning!!

 

[mamatobbg]

So excited to be joining this group!!
We had to cancel our Thanksgiving trip but have decided to plan to go for 1/27 - 2/1 for a suprise birthday trip for our ds who will turn 8 on 1/31!! The trip will only be prob 4 nights, because I really don't want him out of school too long.
This will be all of our 2nd trip - 1st trip was last Nov, and we fell in love with WDW & can NOT wait to go back!!
Not sure where we're going to stay yet. Last year we stayed at the poly & really liked it but don't want to stay there this year with the construction. We're thinking possibly GF or CR/Bay Lake , depending on the rates & if any discounts are offered! So happy to start the planning & share in everyone's excitements and planning!!

We're going right around the same time! We're going for our daughter's 5th birthday and will also be taking the kids out of school. ;-) we've booked the contemporary and stayed Poly last trip! A lot of similarities! So excited! Planning any ADRs?

 

[chocolateavocado]

We're going right around the same time! We're going for our daughter's 5th birthday and will also be taking the kids out of school. ;-) we've booked the contemporary and stayed Poly last trip! A lot of similarities! So excited! Planning any ADRs?

So cool!!
Lat yr was all of our 1st wdw trip - we stayed 5 nights in Nov at the Poly & I had my 40th b-day at BOG The trip was amazing and we are really excited about going back.

We had planned on going over thanksgiving so our son would only miss 2 days of school but had to cancel. We were then thinking of President's wkend - but the prices are sooooo expensive - yesterday I was on here & got the idea to check rates around ds's b-day (1/31) - it happens to be a really low season and when I checked airfare prices on expedia - for Feb trip would have been about $525/pp vs $270/pp - 2 weeks earlier for ds's b-day! He'll have to miss 3 days of school, but it won't be a problem.

I'm not sure of what adrs yet- except BOG again definateley. I'd also like to try Chef Mickey's or CP for breakfast & Narcoossee for dinner 1 night- esp if we stay at GF Do you have any adrs planned out yet?

Soooooooooooo excited & really hope I can keep my big mouth shut & keep the secret suprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mamatobbg]

So cool!!
Lat yr was all of our 1st wdw trip - we stayed 5 nights in Nov at the Poly & I had my 40th b-day at BOG The trip was amazing and we are really excited about going back.

We had planned on going over thanksgiving so our son would only miss 2 days of school but had to cancel. We were then thinking of President's wkend - but the prices are sooooo expensive - yesterday I was on here & got the idea to check rates around ds's b-day (1/31) - it happens to be a really low season and when I checked airfare prices on expedia - for Feb trip would have been about $525/pp vs $270/pp - 2 weeks earlier for ds's b-day! He'll have to miss 3 days of school, but it won't be a problem.

I'm not sure of what adrs yet- except BOG again definateley. I'd also like to try Chef Mickey's or CP for breakfast & Narcoossee for dinner 1 night- esp if we stay at GF Do you have any adrs planned out yet?

Soooooooooooo excited & really hope I can keep my big mouth shut & keep the secret suprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, I didn't catch that this was a surprise trip!!! Awesome!!!!

The low crowds, lower cost, lower airfare was a factor in our timing, too. We have a "tradition" of taking the kids to Disney on their 5th birthday and my boys were summer birthdays, so it didn't matter. It just so happens dd has an early Feb. birthday, sooo...taking the kids out of school . I have a little guilt, but big picture-- it will be fine!

We're planning chef Mickey's for breakfast and Akershus for dinner. We'd like to do a BOG for lunch maybe--so just QS on that one. Also, have you looked at the pirates fireworks cruise out of the contemporary? We'd like to do that, too!! Those will probably be it and we'll likely do QS other than that!

 

[chocolateavocado]

I would love to do the fireworks cruise- I actually wanted to do it last time, but for some unknown reason my ds has a fear of boats Nothing's ever happened & he's never even been on a big boat.... If he gets brave enough- I would definateley do that- he LOVES fireworks and pirates!!

Ds goes to a private catholic school & is going into 2nd grade- which is a big year for them w/ preparing for 1st holy communion- so I really don't want him out more than 3 school days for the trip. Esp since I know he'll have sick days- he tends to get alot of sinus and ear infections. It'll all work out good though.

Have you stayed at CR before? I liked the poly, but i fell in love with the GF when we went over to eat (1900 pf dinner & GFC bfast) and would really LOVE to stay there! I was considering CR // bay lake because it's just soooo close to MK- that walk is awful appealing!

Here's to lots of happy planning & super fun trips!!

Oh, I didn't catch that this was a surprise trip!!! Awesome!!!!

The low crowds, lower cost, lower airfare was a factor in our timing, too. We have a "tradition" of taking the kids to Disney on their 5th birthday and my boys were summer birthdays, so it didn't matter. It just so happens dd has an early Feb. birthday, sooo...taking the kids out of school . I have a little guilt, but big picture-- it will be fine!

We're planning chef Mickey's for breakfast and Akershus for dinner. We'd like to do a BOG for lunch maybe--so just QS on that one. Also, have you looked at the pirates fireworks cruise out of the contemporary? We'd like to do that, too!! Those will probably be it and we'll likely do QS other than that!

 

[mamatobbg]

This will be our first time staying at the CR. My oldest son really wants to stay there. We were originally thinking BC, but loved staying on the monorail. I love the decor of the GF, but we're going with the CR for our son's sake (the other two are happy either way!)

My kids go to parochial school, too (Protestant)!

GL deciding between GF or CR!! Tough choice!!! Are you leaning one way or the other?

I would love to do the fireworks cruise- I actually wanted to do it last time, but for some unknown reason my ds has a fear of boats Nothing's ever happened & he's never even been on a big boat.... If he gets brave enough- I would definateley do that- he LOVES fireworks and pirates!!

Ds goes to a private catholic school & is going into 2nd grade- which is a big year for them w/ preparing for 1st holy communion- so I really don't want him out more than 3 school days for the trip. Esp since I know he'll have sick days- he tends to get alot of sinus and ear infections. It'll all work out good though.

Have you stayed at CR before? I liked the poly, but i fell in love with the GF when we went over to eat (1900 pf dinner & GFC bfast) and would really LOVE to stay there! I was considering CR // bay lake because it's just soooo close to MK- that walk is awful appealing!

Here's to lots of happy planning & super fun trips!!

 

[Nztara]

Joining the Jan 2015 crowd. We plan to go the last week of January and are hoping it's not as rainy as the non-Disney time we had in Orlando in Jan 2014!

Split stay - half offsite/ half gifted to us at AKL. I know we won't qualify for FD, but I'll be looking out for out her discount options and tips!

 

[bookgirl]

Joining just to keep watch.

I bought an AP this year because I would be making more than one trip in 2014. My AP expires at the beginning of March so I'm thinking that if some great airfare pops up in Jan/Feb I might make a trip while I still don't need to buy a ticket.