Resortitis is still rearing it's ugly head over me for this trip. I think it's payback for all the times I've had a good chuckle at laughing at everyone else suffering from it on their PTR's.
This has never happened to me before. Usually I just pick a resort (POFQ), book it, and live in peace and harmony until check in. This trip though is out to get me.
I was very tempted to upgrade my resort to the Boardwalk now that there are two of us. Very tempted. Half the cost, with my 20% AAA discount, would be less than what I was going to pay for my split stay by myself so price wise it is entirely doable now. But...
There's always a but right?
Saving some money is begining to look alot better. Why? Because I'm toying with the idea of another trip next year - two trips actually. Originally I was supposed to be going to Italy next year with my mom. That was the plan that was hatched before the economy took a nose dive and my raise was cancelled this year, and bonuses were eliminated. Due to changes in the review process at work I won't be due for another raise until next June (if they even give them then) when it should have been next Feb. In a nutshell, I won't be seeing any additional money for ages.
My mother is also dead set on taking a Perillo tour. She did a Perillo trip to Hawaii about 15 years ago, and loved it. The Perillo trip is supposed to be fantastic, but it's pricey. For the tour/food and flight it's about $5,000 per person. Plus spending money on top of that. There are cheaper tour groups (including
Adventures by Disney), but she's being stubborn on this one. Perillo or nothing. I just don't think I'll be able to muster that up. I had been counting on the bonus money in particular to partially finance that trip. So now she's talking about going with my dad instead, when he finally comes in to some money from a workers comp case he has going on.
With no Italy trip likely next year, I'm looking at Disney. My friend H and I want to go down next October for the ToT 13k race. It's near my birthday, and the two of us have decided that we really want to finish a Disney race. Since she is going to walk it, the ToT 13k is a better choice because it only requires you keep up a pace of an 18 minute mile instead of the 16 minute mile requirement for the 1/2 marathons. I am also toying with the idea of going down in March for a long weekend for the Princess 1/2 marathon, for a solo trip. That's still just an idea right now, but I'm contemplating it.
With the idea of two more possible trips, I've pretty much decieded that I don't want to spend much more additional money on my room this trip. The same or less is my motto, but there is another issue. The split stay. I'm toying with the idea of going to just one resort. I don't mind moving from one resort to another, but now that I'm traveling with someone else I'm concerned about ADRs. I've been reading on the boards, that with a split stay you cannot use the 10+ rule to book ADRs for your entire visit from the day of first check in. So in my case I'd have to call on 9/6 to make ADR's for my first 4 days, and then again on 09/09 for the ast 3 days. Annoying. I guess this wasn't an issue before, but with their new system there is no way around this. For a solo trip it wouldn't have bothered me too much, but with my friend there are some "tougher" ADR's I'm hoping to get. Without the benefit of the 10 days I'm not sure I'll get them.
So the question becomes where to stay for the full week. I'd be willing to pay just a little more and stay at the Wilderness Lodge for the entire week, but there are no more standard view rooms available. To stay there the entire week we'd have to bump up to a courtyard view, which would bump the cost up even more. I could change just my first few days to a courtyard view, but I'd still have the ADR problem with a split stay doing that. There are pros to staying at the WL though. Much of my plans so far, have really been based around the fact that I'd be staying in a Magic Kingdom area resort. Plans I've been toying with - a day at the GF spa, breakfast at Kona, Chef Mickeys, relaxation around Bay Lake, all would be much easier staying at WL.
Other options would be to stay at the AKL in a standard view room for the week (still available), or moving to a moderate for the week. I've stayed at AKL before and loved it, but I'm thinking that my savannah view room the last time might have spoiled me for a view of the parking lot. It's also pretty far away from the MK, and with what I wanted to do this trip it would make those things fairly inconvienent. Pluses though are the great buses, the beautiful lodge and the animals.
For a moderate resort, it would probably end up being a stay at CBR. POFQ would be my choice if by myself, but that is where H and I stayed our last trip and she did say she'd like to try somewhere new. CSR would have been my second choice, but when I checked online today they only had a king bed rooms and junior suites available, neither of which is good for us. That would leave POR and CBR. Having stayed at POFQ many times I'm familiar with POR. The grounds are beautiful, but the bus service there can be a bit tough. I've never been on the grounds at CBR, but loved the pics that Heidi had posted from her trip report. I love the beachy theme of the place, and the fact that there is a lake. I'm not concerned about the large size of the resort in regards to walking around it, but am a bit concerned about bus service. With a moderate stay, again I'd be away from the MK area and I'd also be giving up my balcony, but to be honest now that this isn't a solo trip any longer I'm not looking forward to the balcony as much. I'm not sure I'll get to enjoy it as much while with my friend.
So my choices are such:
1) No change. Just suck it up with the ADRs and keep with a split stay. I could still get lucky and get everything I want.
2) Pay more and stay at the WL with a courtyard view for the week.
3) Be a bit inconvienced and stay at the AKL for the week, but get to keep my balcony.
4) Give up the balcony, and the convience and stay at CBR for the week. On the plus side, save more money for the next trip(s).
Let me know what you think! I'd love to get some thoughts from people who have stayed at some of these places. Any pros or con's I'm not thinking of?
You're going to have so much fun, let the planning begin!!! Does "H" have a lot to say about planning or is good to go with the flow? Had my first BFF trip in December (with our families) and it was the BEST TRIP EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last year when we were supposed to go, she mentioned a few things, so I'm going to try to work in a few of them when possible.I know how you feel about meeting someone you are just meant to be friends with, it's an awesome feeling.
I've never been told I look like anyone in my own family, but when we travel together people tend to think we are sisters. I've never really been one to have just one friend I consider to be my "best" friend, as even amoung my close friends, I'm always reluctant to truly open up. H is probably the one friend who knows me and my biggest secrets the best. She loves Disney as well, but hasn't been there nearly as often as I have. Our last trip was her first staying on property, and needless to say I got her hooked.
