July 2011:Calling all planners-Post your dates & Resort

[WDWlover717]

How do you get the countdown name tags on your posts?

 

[WDWlover717]

We almost never make rope drop and still do all the big ones like Soarin, TSM, TOT, RnR, etc We do some fastpasses and we also use the single rider line when available if only a few people want to ride. We go in the summer and I have found the best time to ride with short lines is right after a rain because so many people have left the park, during parades, fantasmic and illuminations. Now we go to each park more than once so one night we catch the events and the next time the rides. I always go with the events first just in case it gets rained out the second night.

For us getting the kids off their sleep schedule isn't worth the hassle and cranky kids we wind up with. They do stay up later than usual but then we let them sleep in while we enjoy sitting on the balcony or reading a book. If we didn't take the grandkids we might make RD more often but I doubt it.

Our motto is "It's vacation, relax and have fun." Just 47 more days.

I looked into stay at Bonnet Creek for one night before our Pop Century reservations began. What is your opinion of this hotel? Is it clean and in a nice area? Also, have you seen any bed bugs?

Thanks

 

[wintershawl]

How do you get the countdown name tags on your posts?

Look for the "Tickers" tab on the blue bar across the top of the page. It is next to FAQ. The directions are in there.

 

[grandmadebby2]

I looked into stay at Bonnet Creek for one night before our Pop Century reservations began. What is your opinion of this hotel? Is it clean and in a nice area? Also, have you seen any bed bugs?

Thanks

We stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek which are condos that most people stay in for a week or so. I think you might be thinking of Hilton Bonnet Creek which is more like a regular hotel but I have never stayed there. Wyndham Bonnet Creek has a kitchen, washer, dryer, a bathroom for every bedroom, a wonderful balcony, free shuttle to Disney parks, etc. Sorry I can't tell you more about Hiltons Bonnet Creek but there is a thread under Orlando Hotels for both places.

 

[tinkerbell60]

With all the talk about not getting to the parks are RD, I was wondering do you get in the big attractions like Soarin and TSM. My kids love the evening EMH, but don't like getting up in the morning. I was wondering if I should change my strategy.

The only place we have really tried to make rope drop is DHS for TSM - we have managed all the other major attractions with Fast Pass.

We almost never make rope drop and still do all the big ones like Soarin, TSM, TOT, RnR, etc We do some fastpasses and we also use the single rider line when available if only a few people want to ride. We go in the summer and I have found the best time to ride with short lines is right after a rain because so many people have left the park, during parades, fantasmic and illuminations. Now we go to each park more than once so one night we catch the events and the next time the rides. I always go with the events first just in case it gets rained out the second night.

For us getting the kids off their sleep schedule isn't worth the hassle and cranky kids we wind up with. They do stay up later than usual but then we let them sleep in while we enjoy sitting on the balcony or reading a book. If we didn't take the grandkids we might make RD more often but I doubt it.

Our motto is "It's vacation, relax and have fun." Just 47 more days.

That is a perfect motto!

I am hoping to drag my crew to RD each day. We are going to stay in the parks until around 12:30, go back to the hotel, eat lunch, swim, take a nap, get dinner, and then head back to the parks.

I bought OFF last night to bring with us. I think I have all my shopping done now.

Good thinking, I need to add that on my list!

For the people attending the dismeet on July 20, can I get an idea how many of your group will be there? If we are a few, I might contact Disney and see if we can get a photopass photographer.

What a great idea!!! There are four of us!

I LOVE compartments! lol. I've been using it enough years now that I mostly know where everything is.



I haven't been since 2008, so it is a bit difficult to comment about getting on the bigger rides. I can't do a lot of them anyway because my meds make me dizzy. Plus, my DH doesn't like them, so I don't always want to do them by myself. So, for instance.... I want to do Soarin' and Splash Mountain. However, I would have to ride alone. If I don't get on them, it's probably okay because I would probably be so dizzy and off balanced when I got off of them it may not be fun. TSM has opened not too long before we went last time, so we didn't ride it. It was way too crowded. They had a single rider line at that time, and we were going to try that. But, for some reason they closed the ride earlier than the park that night. So, I never rode it. If I have to get up to go to RD by myself to ride it this time, that may happen.

I like the bags you picked. I probably carry a bigger one than I need, but for some reason I always feel I need it. hehe.

Good thought - I need to start carrying the bag a few weeks before we go. Then I will know where everything is!

We have 5 total, me, DH, and 3 DD's

So I went to re-fold clothes in our bags and see what else I needed to get and my list was surprisingly short.

Meghan~2 pair's of shorts and 3 shirts (she had a pair of shorts without a shirt)

Gillian~1 pair of khaki shorts (found a skirt with built in shorts and figured what the hay it would work)

Travel size sunblock (for the carryon), a Tide Pen, and pack my undergarnments!

As for park bag's, other then our back pack (with a child under 3 and working on potty training it's a must for us) I have a Mickey and Minnie purse I got at Walmart. It's got a zipper pocket on the front and a small pocket on the inside. I figured it would be good to have for our tickets, any FP's and smaller items like mole skin and blister bandaids.

I also found out tonight that I need to get some lamanate for the LGMH that Grey was nice enough to make for us as well as a new color printer cartridge because I also have to print out some more envelopes for Mousekeeping. So far I have 2 of them ready to leave out for our room caretaker's. I will be going on the 15th to the bank to get some 20's broken into 5's for the envelopes.

Where do you print your Mousekeeping envelopes from? Just wondering if they are the same places I use.

 

[gray2402]

Thank you Grey2402 the Mickey Head prints out perfectly. I just need to get them laminated now and we are good to go. Guess tomorrow I will go look for a new park purse, broke the strap on my other one tonight. That should be a good excuse to get a new purse for vacation.

Glad you liked it and they printed good for you! I printed mine yesterday and had them laminated at Staples! Hopefully they last for many Disney trips

My hubby and I are headed to the World July 15-20!!! I absolutly can not wait!!!

Yeah!!! Have a GREAT trip!!!

 

[carrie6466]

We are definitely Rope Drop people! My kids are up at the crack of dawn anyways! We will have one day of MK EMH until 2am and I am hoping the kids will hang for some of it, with an afternoon rest back at the hotel ... I want to ride the big rides in the dark !!! Plus we can all ride BTMRR now so we can experience together in the dark

I am getting SO EXCITED!!!! My hubby will be home in 27 days and I CANNOT wait to give him a big old hug!!!!! My kids are ALL disney all the time! Disney music, disney movies... talking about rides ... remembering their favorites! I love it!

Sounds like it's going to be awesome. Congrats on dh getting home soon

I love compartments, but sometimes I they confuse me and I can't find anything -

BTMRR goes faster in the dark - at least my DD is convinced of that! Anticipation is so much fun!!!

I've never ridden BTMRR or Splash in the dark. I'm looking forward to that

Mickey Mail arrived today!!! Received my DME documents!!

The only Mickey Mail I'm going to be getting will be the ME stuff, so I can't wait for that!

I was looking at the post PX yesterday, next up I will try clothing and sales and a few other places...were not really known for anything around here...if I have to though, I will go to my favorite place about an hour north of me and get keychain's from there. Alexandria Bay is awesome when it come's to sunsets.


I want to ride BTMRR and Splash after dark and if I can get myself to get over my fear of doing it at night, HM.

39 Day's until I get to hug and hold my DH again after 9 long month's of being apart and then 2 day's after that DISNEY! Still no Mickey Mail as yet, but it will come in the next few weeks' I'm sure.

It should come very soon. Usually right around 30 - 40 days ahead it comes.

For the people attending the dismeet on July 20, can I get an idea how many of your group will be there? If we are a few, I might contact Disney and see if we can get a photopass photographer.

There are 3 of us. That is an awesome idea. I would have never thought of it myself .

The other thing is, as far as rope drop and the big rides go, we've been there....ummmm....a few times in the last few years. If we don't get on TSM, we'll just get on Buzz in MK. My dd is ok with stuff like that as long as we a) keep her in popcorn and b) she gets to see Mickey c)she gets to see a parade ::groans::. We do more parades than anything, ever. She likes rides. She LOVES parades.

 

[carolfrompa]

Hi all. Sorry, I'm a little late to the party. I've been on these boards for about a month but just today discovered this thread. We're going July 13-18. We're first timers, sort of. We went back in 2004 for a 3 night trip, and stayed off property and ate every meal off property too. Oh, and I was 6 months pregnant. What was I thinking??!!! This time we're staying at the GF and doing the DP, so I feel like this is our first "official disney trip"!! Our family includes me, DH, DS (13), DD (11), and DD (6). I read through a good bit of the messages but didn't see anyone mention the Illuminations Cruise. Has anyone ever done this? I called about it last week and there were still boats available. We're interested in going 7/17. We have a ressie at La Hacienda that evening, specifically so we can view Illuminations from the restaurant, but I know my kids won't really enjoy the meal. They're very picky. I really would love to do the cruise, but at $300+, it's a little too pricey for one family. The boat holds 10 people (I think), and would be ideal to split with another family. Let me know if you think you might want to give it a try. I'll coordinate it all. Thanks!!!

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

Illuminations Cruise. Has anyone ever done this? I called about it last week and there were still boats available. We're interested in going 7/17. We have a ressie at La Hacienda that evening, specifically so we can view Illuminations from the restaurant, but I know my kids won't really enjoy the meal. They're very picky. I really would love to do the cruise, but at $300+, it's a little too pricey for one family. The boat holds 10 people (I think), and would be ideal to split with another family. Let me know if you think you might want to give it a try. I'll coordinate it all. Thanks!!!

July 17th is our 12th anniversary --- and we were planning on Epcot/Coral Reef that day....
We are doing the Pirates Pals Cruise later in the week -- with over 50 people on the boat -- and I paid $210 for that!!

Is the Illuminations cruise more private?? We are family of four - DD10 and DS5 (on July 20).... I might be interested in splitting the price with you.

 

[PopArtGal]

July 17th is our 12th anniversary --- and we were planning on Epcot/Coral Reef that day....
We are doing the Pirates Pals Cruise later in the week -- with over 50 people on the boat -- and I paid $210 for that!!

Is the Illuminations cruise more private?? We are family of four - DD10 and DS5 (on July 20).... I might be interested in splitting the price with you.

Would you be interested in attending our July 20 dismeet?

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

Would you be interested in attending our July 20 dismeet?

thanks for asking me... i saw that...at epcot - right??... we are at AK that day

 

[PopArtGal]

thanks for asking me... i saw that...at epcot - right??... we are at AK that day

Yes, at Epcot at 4pm.

It's alright. No biggie.

 

[grandmadebby2]

Hi all. Sorry, I'm a little late to the party. I've been on these boards for about a month but just today discovered this thread. We're going July 13-18. We're first timers, sort of. We went back in 2004 for a 3 night trip, and stayed off property and ate every meal off property too. Oh, and I was 6 months pregnant. What was I thinking??!!! This time we're staying at the GF and doing the DP, so I feel like this is our first "official disney trip"!! Our family includes me, DH, DS (13), DD (11), and DD (6). I read through a good bit of the messages but didn't see anyone mention the Illuminations Cruise. Has anyone ever done this? I called about it last week and there were still boats available. We're interested in going 7/17. We have a ressie at La Hacienda that evening, specifically so we can view Illuminations from the restaurant, but I know my kids won't really enjoy the meal. They're very picky. I really would love to do the cruise, but at $300+, it's a little too pricey for one family. The boat holds 10 people (I think), and would be ideal to split with another family. Let me know if you think you might want to give it a try. I'll coordinate it all. Thanks!!!

Welcome to the July 2011 group.

 

[PopArtGal]

A request for a photopass photographer for July 20 has been made with Disney. We'll see what they say.

 

[t_daniels]

How do you get the countdown name tags on your posts?

What wintershawl said, only... don't do like I did and copy the HTML code for your sig. You want the one that's like

 

[ZOOMAMA]

Just tried out my park bag at a local art festival-didn't like it, so the search continues. I have a closet full of messenger bags but I want something different (read: new!) for WDW. Today's flop/bag was too small and I didn't like the strap. I'm glad I decided to use it today instead of waiting until we hit the parks!

 

[tinkerbell60]

Just tried out my park bag at a local art festival-didn't like it, so the search continues. I have a closet full of messenger bags but I want something different (read: new!) for WDW. Today's flop/bag was too small and I didn't like the strap. I'm glad I decided to use it today instead of waiting until we hit the parks!

Well, it is a good thing to find out now. What kind are you going to look for? I am pretty certain I will like my new one, it is almost the same as the one I took last year but a tad larger which is a good thing. I may take it to a baseball game tonight just to try it out.

 

[juliebug1997]

I know some have said they wouldn't want it to get wet, but I love the two Vera Bradley messengers I got. I know they're not named that but they get a little wider in both directions at the bottom, so I know I can fit my eye glass case in there along with the few other things that I'll need.

 

[tinkerbell60]

This is the bag I got - it is a Baggallini Zip and Go.......I did some "surgery" on it to remove the magnets on the outside pouch.
Sorry the pictures are so big. I do not post enough to remember how to do it. The bag is waterproof and it holds a lot. It is also a cross body - which I love at the parks.
The only problem is opening all the pouches at security - some are more picky than others. I would zip it open while I was waiting in line and that expedited the process.

 

[wintershawl]

This is the bag I got - it is a Baggallini Zip and Go.......I did some "surgery" on it to remove the magnets on the outside pouch.
Sorry the pictures are so big. I do not post enough to remember how to do it. The bag is waterproof and it holds a lot. It is also a cross body - which I love at the parks.
The only problem is opening all the pouches at security - some are more picky than others. I would zip it open while I was waiting in line and that expedited the process.

Baggallinis are so great. I wish I had money to buy one for each day of the year! haha.... okay, that's a bit crazy sounding. I always unzip all the pockets in the security line too because it makes the guards happier. They definitely appreciate it!