Looking for Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere a PTR

[TarzansKat]

At this point I've pretty much ruled out Boardwalk. I know that with the two of us splitting the bill it would only end up costing me about the same, a little bit more than what I was planning on spending on my entire trip solo, but I'm not sure that I want to stay there with my friend on this trip. I know that sounds really silly and probably a bit weird, but there is something about Boardwalk that I really want to save for a solo trip. Maybe because I love it so much, I'd hate to stay with someone who doesn't really like it, and have a part of the experience ruined for me.

Oh, hon, that's not silly at all! I'm totally down with the Boardwalk feeling like a solo place to you. And if that's how you feel, then you should save it for a solo trip!

I'm with you on some of those ADR suggestions. I love Chef Mickey's for breakfast, I don't know if you were thinking breakfast or dinner.

And I'm totally with you on Universal. I have nothing against it, but the next time I go there will be after they open the Harry Potter section. That, I'd really like to see. Everything else? Meh.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I don't blame you on putting Universal on the back burner....I have been once and I didn't really love it but I will go back for Harry Potter!

I think everything will work out just fine no matter where you stay...it's Disney!

 

[Hedy]

I look at Universal and WDW as Taco Bell and Chipotle. I like Taco Bell, I love Chipolte, but I don't eat there the same night.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I am with you about Universal! I will continue to put it on the back burner until Harry Potter opens up (and then it might still be on the back burner if Universal doesn't do a good job with it). I am a Disney snob, and I willingly admit it.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I'm with you on some of those ADR suggestions. I love Chef Mickey's for breakfast, I don't know if you were thinking breakfast or dinner.

And I'm totally with you on Universal. I have nothing against it, but the next time I go there will be after they open the Harry Potter section. That, I'd really like to see. Everything else? Meh.

I'm thinking Chef Mickeys for breakfast our last day. We both of flights at around 4 or so so we'll be able to take it easy and have a nice last meal before we leave. We won't be doing a park our last day, so it would be a nice choice outside of the parks.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one with Universal issues. There just isn't anything that really stood out to me when I was there.

I don't blame you on putting Universal on the back burner....I have been once and I didn't really love it but I will go back for Harry Potter!

I think everything will work out just fine no matter where you stay...it's Disney!

I can't wait to see the Harry Potter section. I'm such a complete geek!

I look at Universal and WDW as Taco Bell and Chipotle. I like Taco Bell, I love Chipolte, but I don't eat there the same night.

I love this comparison!

mmmm I want some Chipolte now!

 

[If U Had Wings]

I'm completely frustrated with Disney reservations and I just had to come on here and vent. Ugh!

I just spent a very aggravating 45 minutes on the phone with Disney reservations. They are lucky that I have unlimited long distance or I'd really be fit to be tied. The cm I got was also very hard to understand. She had a really heavy accent, and I felt awful that I had to keep asking her to repeat everything, and even then I still couldn't understand her.

My needs were simple, or so I thought. First I wanted to check on room availability and get some prices. I check on the WL first, to see what they had any standard view rooms available for the first few nights of my stay. None were listed online, but it can't hurt to ask right? They had nothing. I could convert my whole week over to a courtyard view, but there was no AAA discount available for those rooms. It would be about $2000 for the week.

Then I asked for a quote for CBR with an AAA discount if available. The cm asked if it was for the whole week, I said yes and she came back with a quote of $626. ????? I don't know where in the world she came up with that number. With no discount CBR would be $1173 for the week. AAA only gives a 20% discount.

I was trying to ask her some questions, but she wasn't terribly helpful at all. I finally gave up on the quotes and went ahead with my other reason for calling. I needed to add H's flight information to our ressies. She started taking the information and then stuck me on hold for over 20 minutes. Ugh! When she finally came back she said that she had wiped out my flight information when making the changes. I started giving her the information again. She put me on hold again where I was promptly disconnected. By this time the phones were shut down for the night.

Just really annoyed. I can't call from work, because I'm not paying for another 45 minute call out of my own pocket.

Just really annoyed. Thanks for letting me vent!

 

[Charleston Princess]

I would be super annoyed as well!!!

Sadly you didn't not have a magical night with the Disney Travel Company.

 

[Flossbolna]

So sorry that your phone call was not that magical at all! I think the trick ist that if you are not happy with the CM you are dealing with, just end the phone call and call back immediately. To be honest, I was relieved that you had problems understanding the CM. That happened to me a few times and I just thought it was due to English not being my native language...

I absolutely agree on your reasoning about Universal. I still have not made it there. And I think going there after HP has opened, is a good idea and staying there even more!!

Your friend's ADR suggestions are interesting and I like the idea of Jellyrolls. Perhaps you might want to combine it with dinner on the Boardwalk? I had a fantastic meal at FF on my last trip. Or you might be able to try the new restaurant which is replacing Spoodles.

 

[TarzansKat]

Oh my goodness, what a nightmare on the phone system!!! I hope you can get everything straightend out soon, I know it'll make you feel better. This time, if you get a CM you're not comfortable with, feel free to excuse yourself from the call and hang up and call back. I've done that in the past if I haven't felt "right" about the call.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I have had problems understanding CM's in the past. When I do, I just ask a few questions and then hang up. I try to be polite but it's frustrating for me and them when you can't understand each other.

Hopefully you will have better luck next time!

Oh and I am very proud of your new ticker!! Good for you doing the marathon next year.

 

[princess&her4princes]

I'm so sorry you went through all that last night with Disney!!! Just think...it's a new days!!! It's got to get better!! Good luck!!!

 

[maroo]

Gosh I hate that! I hope she was new and will get some help when they review her calls...

I hope you have a better day today!

 

[MinnieNurse]

So sorry that does sound frusterating. I wander if she was right on the CBR quote? I think I would have jumped on that if it was right.

I have had problems understanding CM's in the past. When I do, I just ask a few questions and then hang up. I try to be polite but it's frustrating for me and them when you can't understand each other.

I have this same issue all the time, next time I will just handle this way and call back.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I would be super annoyed as well!!!

Sadly you didn't not have a magical night with the Disney Travel Company.

Thanks. Come to think about it, she didn't even wish me a magical day. Hmmph!

So sorry that your phone call was not that magical at all! I think the trick ist that if you are not happy with the CM you are dealing with, just end the phone call and call back immediately. To be honest, I was relieved that you had problems understanding the CM. That happened to me a few times and I just thought it was due to English not being my native language...

Definitely not just you. The cm had a very heavy Indian accent, and spoke very quietly as well. It was very hard to understand her. I was asking her to repeat everything as I either couldn't hear her, or if I could I couldn't understand her.

I absolutely agree on your reasoning about Universal. I still have not made it there. And I think going there after HP has opened, is a good idea and staying there even more!!

I actually really do want to see HP world so I am looking forward to going, even if it will take away a few days from Disney.

Your friend's ADR suggestions are interesting and I like the idea of Jellyrolls. Perhaps you might want to combine it with dinner on the Boardwalk? I had a fantastic meal at FF on my last trip. Or you might be able to try the new restaurant which is replacing Spoodles.

I'm really liking the Jellyrolls idea, especially as there is no more Pleasure Island to keep us entertained at night. Our last trip we were at the parks late every night, and didn't have the energy to go anywhere after that. This trip since I have more free time added in, I want to try to check out some other things. I've heard such good things about Jellyrolls too.

The only restaurant I've eaten in over in that area is the ESPN club. I'll have to look up the menus for the places over there.

Oh my goodness, what a nightmare on the phone system!!! I hope you can get everything straightend out soon, I know it'll make you feel better. This time, if you get a CM you're not comfortable with, feel free to excuse yourself from the call and hang up and call back. I've done that in the past if I haven't felt "right" about the call.

It was really the being stuck on hold forever that was getting to me more than anything else. Believe me, I know what it's like to have computer issues, they happen occasionally at my part time job, but at least get back on the line and let the customer know why there is a delay. I couldn't tell if I had been forgotten or what. I should have just hung up and called back.

Oh and I am very proud of your new ticker!! Good for you doing the marathon next year.

Thanks! It's not written in stone yet, but I'm going to try. I'll see how my running is going at the end of the summer before making up my mind to pay the registration fee. Once I do that, I'm committed to training through the winter and want to be sure I have a good shot of completing it.

I didn't think I'd be ready in time, but a bunch of people on a disney running forum I post on feel there is plenty of time. I've been feeling enabled, and really good on my runs so I'm going to give it a try.

I just wish Disney would post the preferred hotels for the event so I could have an idea of how much money I'll be spending. For the ToT run this year the preferred deluxe is Boardwalk. If I wasn't going in Dec. I'd be so tempted!

I'm so sorry you went through all that last night with Disney!!! Just think...it's a new days!!! It's got to get better!! Good luck!!!

Thanks! I might try to call on my lunch hour from my cell phone. The problem with that is since my desk is in the center of my building and there are no windows in my department, I don't really get terribly good cell phone service. I'll have to see how it goes. I miss the 800 number so I could call from work.

Gosh I hate that! I hope she was new and will get some help when they review her calls...

I hope you have a better day today!

She really sounded like she was reading off a script. Usually when I call the CM's are really nice and chatty. This one sounded like she didn't want to be bothered. No chit chat at all.

So sorry that does sound frusterating. I wander if she was right on the CBR quote? I think I would have jumped on that if it was right.
.

I was kicking myself afterwards thinking that! That would have been cheaper than the AAA rate I'm paying for a value resort, and since I'm with a friend it would have only cost me about $320! Heck I'll live with being not being near the MK for that kind of a deal, and I'll love it.

I tried playing around with the numbers and couldn't figure out what in the world she had quoted me. I tried to see if she had only quoted me for the first 4 days, or if it should have been $1626, but then it would have been way too expensive. I'm baffled.

 

[MRYPPNS]

I look at Universal and WDW as Taco Bell and Chipotle. I like Taco Bell, I love Chipolte, but I don't eat there the same night.

This time, if you get a CM you're not comfortable with, feel free to excuse yourself from the call and hang up and call back. I've done that in the past if I haven't felt "right" about the call.

I do the same thing....just say "I gotta go, the baby is crying...."


In regards to Universal....what I did when I went with a girlfriend was to go the Universal Studios, IOA, Sea World and then a 3 or 4 day cruise on Royal Caribbean....no Disney at all. Works out much better because you are not directly comparing the non-disney part of your vacation to the Disney part. (I will say that service at Sea World and on a Royal Caribbean ship are A+ n my book.)

 

[If U Had Wings]

In regards to Universal....what I did when I went with a girlfriend was to go the Universal Studios, IOA, Sea World and then a 3 or 4 day cruise on Royal Caribbean....no Disney at all. Works out much better because you are not directly comparing the non-disney part of your vacation to the Disney part. (I will say that service at Sea World and on a Royal Caribbean ship are A+ n my book.)

I think we are going to do it when we go down to run/walk the ToT 13k. My idea is to get to Orlando, rent a car and then go to Universal for a few days. Then afterwards we can go to Disney primarily for our race (and hopefully a MNSSHP).

I've never been to Sea World. One of these days I want to get out there too.

 

[MinnieNurse]

You know I do want to go to US/IOA one day. I have been looking at the land/sea package they are doing now with Royal Carribbean. We have a Sea World in Texas, so I can honestly say I have never have the desire to go to Florida for Sea World. I wander if the one in Florida is better than Texas. The one in Texas is great. We love going, but it is nothing in comparison to WDW.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I've never been to IOA or Sea World at all, only Universal and that was back in '97. I'm curious about Sea World, but haven't had an urge great enough to make me give up Disney days.

What can I say? The mouse has some kind of strange control over me.

 

[Donald is #1]

I've never been to IOA or Sea World at all, only Universal and that was back in '97. I'm curious about Sea World, but haven't had an urge great enough to make me give up Disney days.

What can I say? The mouse has some kind of strange control over me.

I love Sea World. However I probably only head over there every 3-4 years. Like you, for some reason it seems to be hard to break away from Disney days.

 

[jenjolt]

Okay I should be doing other things but I keep finding PTRs that I want to read LOL!! I'm sorry about the frustrations with Disney on the phone, I hope you will be able to get everything worked out...sending pixie dust your way!!!

I'm subbing in so I can hear about the rest of your trip...Disney at Christmas time...I'm very jealous...can't wait to see your pictures!!