Land and Sea Problem, please help!

[ScrappinGran]

Good morning everyone! This will be a long post, but PLEASE...read through! I really don't know what to do!!!
I have a quandary. Me and my daughter, and a few girlfriends are planning a Girls Trip to WDW in the fall of 2015. One has only been to Disneyland, others have been, one went to WDW as a kid, but not as an adult. We that go often love going in late September/early October. LOVE the MNSSHP, and the fall decorations..but hate crowds. Here is my problem. My DH and I just got off The Fantasy, where I booked a SURPRISE cruise for my daughter and me. She desperately wants to do a Disney Cruise, so I just want to surprise her and thank her for all she does for me. The Cruise dates are Saturday November 7- Saturday November 14th. Her birthday is Nov. 9th, even sweeter that it falls during the cruise. I picked that date for the cruise as it was the farthest out that I could book and keep the discount and On Board Credit, and I need as much time as possible to pay for it, lol! It's also just outside Hurricane Season, and while no guarantee of weather, as weather doesn't read calendars, lol...it makes me feel a little better. (Our very first cruise was The Fantasy cruise that sailed (!) through Hurricane Sandy.)

My quandary is that I am trying to avoid 2 trip airfares for my daughter and me, so I thought we'd do the Girls Trip and the Cruise back to back. For the Girls Trip, we will be staying at BLT. When going to WDW, we like to check in on a Friday, leaving the following week's Saturday. So far, this is great..I was thinking we'd do the Girls Trip, then relax on the Cruise. UNTIL, when back home and really looking at the dates, (having come up with the brilliant idea of doing the 2 trips back to back on the plane ride home) and realizing that if we do the Girls Trip first, we fly in Friday the 30th, as we like to do..we only have that Friday or Saturday for MNSSHP, both dates which will be MOBBED. NOT what I had in mind. We can certainly skip MNSSHP, as my daughter and one of the other 3 girls has done it before. I am also worried about the check in date for BLT, was hoping to spend extra points for a theme park view, did that last Nov. and loved it...but concerned that there will be no availability due to the Halloween Holiday, feeling like that will be a popular week. That said, I think the Food and Wine begins around this time? We have never done this, but are concerned that this would cost a lot more than MNSSHP. I don't think Osborne lights or anything Xmas will be up that first week in Nov. Another concern is that my daughter will miss Halloween with her 3 kids, but not sure if that's a big deal to her.
Another choice is to do the cruise FIRST, not MY first choice...but may work better for the Girls Trip. They could fly in, my daughter and I disembark, and we all meet at BLT. Xmas decorations will be up, there is MVMCP...which is just ok with us, not a must do for us. And Osborne lights will be up, which we love. Not sure of crowd levels the week of Nov. 14-21st..but we check out before Thanksgiving week, and most of us would have a short work week after returning home. While not as relaxing as doing the cruise second, I like the part of walking off all the pounds we gain from the food on the cruise, lol! And think my availability of my choice for BLT would be easier met.
The third option is to move the cruise to an earlier date. Pros are that my daughter and I can relax after all the walking, etc. of the parks. We could go in late Sept, early to mid Oct. as we prefer. Cons are: Less time to pay for the cruise, and we'd be cruising during Hurricane Season...but the odds are in my favor NOT to experience a Hurricane on our cruise. Just luck of the draw that Sandy happened to us our first cruise. This is not my favorite choice.
Fourth option is to keep the 2 trips separate, and just budget for the extra airfare. Go in late Sept/ early Oct. for the Girls Trip, and keep the cruise where it is. Pros: This may be best for all, as less strain on the budget right before Xmas. I have the other girls to consider. We get to do MNSSHP, preferred over MVMCP. Much less crowds! I have the extra time to pay off the cruise. It will be easier for me to get time off. I don't think my boss will let me take 2 weeks + the Friday before. I don't think she allows vacation weeks back to back. ( My DH's opinion on that is if she won't let me, QUIT! ) BLT choice should be no problem. We aren't sailing in Hurricane Season. Cons: 2 trip airfares. Estimating 300-400.00 each allowing for inflation.( hopefully not too much more! )

I am not telling my daughter about the cruise until Christmas. We will be having a planning meeting for the Girls Trip soon, as need to pick our dates so I can book BLT at our 11 month mark. I will HAVE to tell the other girls ahead of the planning meeting, if we decide to steer the trip towards Nov. My daughter would be outvoted by the others (in on the secret) if we decide to do the back to back. I have the other girls and their schedules to think of too.It's a hard secret to keep!

What would YOU do??

 

[Luvchefmic]

I'm breaking the Dis rule & not copying the post What would I do you asked ?
FIRST thing I would do is talk to the boss and see if the back to back weeks are even an option ( I'm sure your DH was kidding about the " If not then quit " helpful input ) Depending on what she says may change your options

You also mentioned you don't know if it will bother your DD to not be with her kids on Halloween I know you are planning a surprise but I suggest you better find out somehow if that would be a deal breaker for her

Sounds like lovely plans all in all

 

[Autumnslight]

Tht's a tough one. FWIW, I'm trying to plan a similar trip, incorporating the parks and a cruise, plus trying to work in Food & Wine and MNSSHP or MVMCP and Osborne lights, without having to fly twice, so I totally understand your dilemma!

The part about your daughter missing Halloween with her kids stuck out to me. I don't know how old her kids are, but mine will be 8 and 4 next Halloween, and at this age, I wouldn't even consider missing Halloween with them for a vacation. I personally would eliminate option 1.

Taking all of your considerations into account, I'd go with option 3, and try to work two separate trips into the budget. That's the best of both worlds. You can hit Food & Wine, MNSSHP, MVMCP, and the Osborne lights if you want, and it should be better for work.

If the time off of work is okay, and you'd rather avoid two airfares over going to MSSHP, then I'd go with option 2. Crowds the week of 11/14 are predicted to be VERY low, so it should be a nice time to go.

Good luck!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Just to add another "snag" to your plan, sorry!! The Wine and Dine marathon is the weekend you'll be leaving for your cruise, so (potentially) your last couple park days (if you stick to your current plan) might get very crowded as people start coming into town. The race sold out in like a day, so expect it to be pretty crazy.

 

[Random Ninja]

Just to give you another heads up: hurricane season doesn't end until November 30. While it is rare to have hurricanes that late, it's not unheard of to have stragglers into December.

 

[SRUAlmn]

What if you did the cruise the week of November 7. That way you'd avoid the busy marathon weekend, but still get to do something special for her birthday. Then maybe do the girls WDW trip the following week. It will likely be less crowded since so many would've been there for the race, and all the holiday lights and decorations will be up!!

 

[poison ivy]

Is this a two week trip for just you and your daughter where she is away from her 3 children for that length of time - including her birthday and Halloween?
That's a tall order.

My suggestion is to shorten one or both parts of it. Consider treating her to a 4 nt on the Dream concierge (deck 12) as a thank you followed by a 5nt at Disney during F & W or a 3-4 nt pre cruise girls only to the Food and Wine followed by the 7 nt cruise you booked.

Not too bad with work schedules when you incorporate two weekends in the planning.

good luck with everything.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

Jersey week is the first week of November in Disney, so you will have crowds that week. Not horrible, but heavier than you would have after the cruise. Secondly, how old are your daughter's kids? What if they have things going on those weeks? Will she be disappointed to miss them? Not sure about a surprise extra week away, if she has three kids who are young. If they are older, different story all together.

 

[ScrappinGran]

Thanks for all the input and ideas, SRUAlmn, the cruise IS the week of November 7th, her birthday falls during the cruise. Her kids will be 17, 14 and 9 by that September. Her MIL always comes for a several week visit once or twice a year...MIL could easily schedule her visit during this time. That would help my son-in-law with the kids, and give MIL "Gramma" and son time with my daughter away, pleasing both my daughter and her MIL! I AM considering that my daughter may not want to leave the kids for 2 weeks straight, even if her MIL is there to help. I think it may be hard for the youngest, and for her to be away from the youngest, the older 2 kids would be fine with it. Missing Halloween with the kids I don't think would be a big deal for her, the older 2 go out with friends or do sleepovers Halloween night, and my son-in-law could certainly handle Halloween with the 9 yr. old. My DH ( Grampa ) can help and do things with the kids too. Celebrating her birthday before or after the trip(s) would be fine with all.
Random Ninja, thanks for the Hurricane Season info...I thought it was over earlier than that. I am still taking a risk sailing in November, but hopefully I won't be unlucky enough that I get to experience a Hurricane on 2 out of 3 cruises!
I think I have eliminated doing the Girls Trip the week before the cruise. I hate the idea of arriving on the Friday before Halloween, it will be crazy busy. Then my daughter would be home for the 9 year old on Halloween, in case it's more of a big deal than I think it is for the kids. I did not know about Jersey Week ( what IS that? ) and did not know about the Wine and Dine Marathon. Thank you disneyfantotheend and SRUALmn. Poison Ivy, you have some great ideas too!
Is Food and Wine over by the week of 11/14-11/21? What is the cost of it, it's a separate ticket is it not? And then you still pay for food and wine? I have never done it, so forgive my ignorance. I would still love more opinions and ideas..I love that fellow Dis'ers have such great ideas and input. Keep the opinions coming!

 

[disneyfantotheend]

Is Food and Wine over by the week of 11/14-11/21? What is the cost of it, it's a separate ticket is it not? And then you still pay for food and wine? I have never done it, so forgive my ignorance. I would still love more opinions and ideas..I love that fellow Dis'ers have such great ideas and input. Keep the opinions coming!

Yep, sadly food and wine would be over. F&W is not a separate ticket item. There are however special demonstrations and stuff you can buy tickets to. The food booths are open during regular park hours and they offer different samples of ethnic foods at each booth. Not free samples of course.