Leaving the hubbies and kids behind - A May 2010 PTR, TR has begun!

[2ISUfans]

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, KATIE!!!

(that was for Daniel!)

Sorry I've been a bit busy with 26 Thanksgiving guests and many house guests, too.

Will call you in a bit.

Hope you have a terrific day!!!

Beth

 

[manntra]

When I was over on another TR (xoktenox I think) she was going a day early and staying at La Quinta by the airport. Said there was a shuttle from the airport...I assume it's free. In my mind it should be Stay there for the night and take the shuttle back to airport to get Magical Express the next day. Sounded like a perfect idea to me and the room at La Quinta was only around 65. Allegiant flies out of a different airport about 45 minutes away but they only fly out on specific days and they don't coincide with the days of the week I needed for my DVC points.

Tracy

 

[kschafer]

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, KATIE!!!

(that was for Daniel!)

Sorry I've been a bit busy with 26 Thanksgiving guests and many house guests, too.

Thanks Beth Love you!

I figured I hadn't heard from you because of the holiday, hope it was a good one!

When I was over on another TR (xoktenox I think) she was going a day early and staying at La Quinta by the airport. Said there was a shuttle from the airport...I assume it's free. In my mind it should be Stay there for the night and take the shuttle back to airport to get Magical Express the next day. Sounded like a perfect idea to me and the room at La Quinta was only around 65. Allegiant flies out of a different airport about 45 minutes away but they only fly out on specific days and they don't coincide with the days of the week I needed for my DVC points.

Tracy

Do you think ME would do the opposite? Take us to the airport the night before our flight then we could stay someplace cheap nearby?

If we decide not to Air Tran, we will go with Allegiant, yes they only fly 2 days a week but that works out fine for us (other than not arriving until 10:30 at night)

 

[brookelizabeth]

Checking in!

I'm so excited for you!!!!

Your plans are looking really great! I run into the Epcot heavy dining choices as well...there are just SO many good ones there! But even the commute on the monorail from MK to Epcot isn't bad, just a train transfer, it's pretty quick.

The flight decision is a tough one. However, you know you never ask a question like that on the DIS - you will get one answer:

Book the extra night.

 

[kschafer]

Checking in!

I'm so excited for you!!!!

Your plans are looking really great! I run into the Epcot heavy dining choices as well...there are just SO many good ones there! But even the commute on the monorail from MK to Epcot isn't bad, just a train transfer, it's pretty quick.

The flight decision is a tough one. However, you know you never ask a question like that on the DIS - you will get one answer:

Book the extra night.

Hey Brook, glad you found me over here! Do you think we all congregate here so we can be enabled?

************************************

Beth and I talked tonight and she is all for taking Air Tran We will arrive at 3 in the afternoon instead of 10:30 at night and will take the Sunday morning return flight instead of Saturday afternoon!! We are going to wait a month or so and see if by chance we get an e-mail with a discount.

Luckily she feels like I do in this planning...if we can save $40, that's more appetizers and drinks

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Beth and I talked tonight and she is all for taking Air Tran We will arrive at 3 in the afternoon instead of 10:30 at night and will take the Sunday morning return flight instead of Saturday afternoon!! We are going to wait a month or so and see if by chance we get an e-mail with a discount.

Luckily she feels like I do in this planning...if we can save $40, that's more appetizers and drinks

Hurrah! Now let's plan how to spend that $40!

 

[jenjolt]

YAY great plan Katie!!!!!

 

[MeMom]

Do you think we all congregate here so we can be enabled?
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Yes, and it is dangerous.

Seven and a half hours more at arrival and a whole extra night at departure!
Very nice.
Hanging out at Disney World as long as you can on Saturday and then staying cheaper at an off-site place may be a good idea. A few more dollars saved, since you know you are getting up really early anyway.

 

[kschafer]

Hurrah! Now let's plan how to spend that $40!

How many Grey Goose is that? (or Lost on Safari, or champagne, or margaritas or... )

YAY great plan Katie!!!!!

Just wait!!!!

Yes, and it is dangerous.

Seven and a half hours more at arrival and a whole extra night at departure!
Very nice.
Hanging out at Disney World as long as you can on Saturday and then staying cheaper at an off-site place may be a good idea. A few more dollars saved, since you know you are getting up really early anyway.

I'm starting to second guess the plan of staying offsite. Would it really be much cheaper to take a taxi and stay offsite? Depending on what deals Disney offers at the time, I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle of checking out/checking in We have to settle our flight dilemmas before I start worrying about hotel.

***********************************

So you know how CP has resort issues and LL has bag issues? I'm thinking my issue is flights!!!!

Beth and I talked last night and she was good with staying an extra night and her having to drive to Des Moines, she even said we could have her Dad drop us off/pick us up to avoid paying for parking. We decided to wait on buying plane tickets to see if we can get a slightly better deal. Well imagine my excitement when this morning I got one of the e-mail's LL mentioned offering lower rates on Air Tran I ran right over to their website to find that 1) the booking deal only goes into March. 2) the lowest flight between DSM and MCO was $139 each way and 3) none of them were direct.

So off I went to work today thinking we should just book the $99 each way they have now. After work I decided to look at the May dates and I see that unannounced they have dropped the price to $79 each way

I went out to run a few errands, came home and checked my e-mail to find a message from Allegiant Air that starting in March, their Des Moines flights will arrive at MCO instead of Sanford. And they are pricing out at $78 each way.

This is all getting so confusing!!!

Flying Allegiant would come to about $23 more but take us back to 7 nights, saving the cost of an additional night of hotel. On the other hand, we would have to change our plans from a Sat to Sun stay to a Mon to Mon stay and therefore going back to evaluate our ADR's and park plans.

 

[MeMom]

***********************************

So you know how CP has resort issues and LL has bag issues? I'm thinking my issue is flights!!!!

You guys all have issues?
No fair!
I want an issue, too!
As long as it's a Disney issue, that is.
What can I stress over???

As for staying off-site, I agree; I'd do it if the money is a big factor. If it's not, then staying at a WDW resort all the way through makes things simpler.

 

[kschafer]

You guys all have issues?
No fair!
I want an issue, too!
As long as it's a Disney issue, that is.
What can I stress over???

You have a jealousy issue!! We are all jealous of you for getting to go so often

 

[MeMom]

You have a jealousy issue!! We are all jealous of you for getting to go so often :yes:

Well, then, I am thinking there better be another issue, because I am about to go through a long and very dry Disney drought.
Dry drought. Imagine that?!?!?

After I have sung Auld Lang Syne
on the Poly beach to ring in 2010...

okay, let me rephrase that...

after I have listened to all the other Disers sing Auld Lang Syne on the Poly beach to ring in 2010...

I won't be back for a whole lotta months.
And I will be wilting away in sorrow as I wait for July.

Just the thought of it makes me cry.

So I guess my issue is that I'm a Disney spoiled brat.
Give me one trip, and I think I have to have another and another and another!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Oh man.

We all have our issues....except MeMom that is.

I really don't know what you should do. Is that $23 figure including the rental car price?

 

[2xcited2sleep]

What is my issue?? I want one too! Hmmm... shall I have a champagne, a margarita, a grey goose slushie, a chardonnay, a cabernet... shall I go on?

Well, whatever they may be, Disney issues are the best kinds of issues to have.

Wish I had an answer for you. Think you just have to price out the options and then decide. If the delta is ~$23 or whatever it is, is that worth it or would you gladly pay that for the convenience of staying onsite or getting an extra afternoon or whatever the something might be.

At least that's how I try to think about things.

Wish I could be more helpful.

 

[kschafer]

after I have listened to all the other Disers sing Auld Lang Syne on the Poly beach to ring in 2010...

I won't be back for a whole lotta months.
And I will be wilting away in sorrow as I wait for July.

Just the thought of it makes me cry.

So I guess my issue is that I'm a Disney spoiled brat.
Give me one trip, and I think I have to have another and another and another!

Hmm I love ya MeMom but a lot of us don't think of 7 months away is much of a drought (Brat!)

Oh man.

We all have our issues....except MeMom that is.

I really don't know what you should do. Is that $23 figure including the rental car price?

Since Allegiant is changing their flights to MCO instead of Sanford, a rental isn't required. If we could fly and have a rental for only $23 more, that would definitely be worth it!

What is my issue?? I want one too! Hmmm... shall I have a champagne, a margarita, a grey goose slushie, a chardonnay, a cabernet... shall I go on?

Well, whatever they may be, Disney issues are the best kinds of issues to have.

Who are you fooling? Since when do you choose The other day Beth said she read one of my comments about alcohol being a separate must-do category. She said she laughed and knew we were going to have a great time on this trip

************************

Flights booked!!

Beth and I talked last night and went over the options. It came down to which airlines offered the better flight times. Allegiant has late flights both ways so although our last day would be longer, we wouldn't arrive until 10 at night. Also, we would have to fly on Friday or Monday and we already made our ADR's around a weekend arrival/departure

We decided to take Air Tran's earlier flight which will get us there about 3 in the afternoon on Saturday so we will still be able to hit a park on arrival day We also decided since we got such a great deal on the tickets ($180 each after all the taxes and fees) that we would add an 8th night and leave on Sunday morning. We will still be home by 10 in the morning and get to spend Mother's Day with our kids

Flights...Check!
ADR's...Check!
Come on Disney, waiting to see what great deal you have for us on resorts!!

 

[Lady Lallie]

WOO HOO!! I am so excited that you booked your flights. I think I would have gone with that option too.

So where are you thinking of staying!?!

 

[MeMom]

Hmm I love ya MeMom but a lot of us don't think of 7 months away is much of a drought (Brat!)


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I know. I have a DISease.
It is very sad, and I have it bad.
I'm not sure if there is a cure.
I think there is not.

It was that year we went 5-6 times that did me in.
For some reason, I now think that is normal!

 

[kschafer]

WOO HOO!! I am so excited that you booked your flights. I think I would have gone with that option too.

So where are you thinking of staying!?!

I am SO excited!!

Well, my dream resort for theming is Wilderness Lodge. It just feels like ME My dream for location and ammenties is Beach Club (hello...stormalong bay, Beaches and Cream, and Christine's private entrance!) But unless Disney offers one heck of a deal, I think Deluxe will probably be out (and with 3 fri/sat nights, I think even renting DVC points will be too much)

My first non-deluxe choice is Coronado Springs but if it comes down to saving big bucks, I think we will be happy at POP. Beth said she got as far as looking at resort names and decided I knew what I was doing!

I know. I have a DISease.
It is very sad, and I have it bad.
I'm not sure if there is a cure.
I think there is not.

It was that year we went 5-6 times that did me in.
For some reason, I now think that is normal!

Poor MeMom!

 

[manntra]

on the flights....I don't like making them that far out in advance but I don't think there will be a better deal coming along---for either of us!

Can't wait to see what you come up with for your resort. And when you do if you will come down with a case of resortitis.

Tracy

 

[Charleston Princess]

Yes, resort decisions are definitely my issue -- I will admit it.

So glad you booked your flights!!!