MAY we go to Disney? Yes we MAY! A May 2014 PTR

[DisneymoonJess07]

It's that time! We OFFICIALLY decided to go yesterday, so it's FOR REAL planning time now! A lot of our details are still up in the air, but I'm too excited to keep it to myself.

First, who are we?

Officially coming:

ME! Jessica - 28, Disney enthusiast/wannabe-expert. I work at a synagogue in Manhattan, and I will have just finished a masters degree at NYU when we go on the trip. I love living in the city, but am always interested in getting away. My birthday is in May also, so this trip is going to be my present for that as well.

Erin - 29, my friend, Disney enthusiast/expert. Her family owns DVC, although we're not using it for this trip since they used it all for Aulani (a totally excellent choice, IMHO). She works at a company in Chicago for her day job and as a stage manager part-time, which is her real love. Her birthday is ALSO in May, so we're counting it as a birthday trip for her as well.

Possibly coming:

DH - 31, under enthusiastic about Disney, but loves me and likes hanging out with Erin, so he knows he would have fun on the trip. He is in graduate school to become a rabbi, so he'd also miss a little school to come with if he chose to.

Erin and I met in Sept. 2007 (right after DH & I got married!) when we were working at the same non-profit in Chicago. I left after a year, but we kept a close relationship this whole time, partially over our mutual love of Disney. She helped us a little when DH and I were planning our Disneymoon (as did the lovely Disboards!) and we're SO excited for this trip, whether it turns out to be a Girls Trip or a Three Mouseketeers adventure!

More details to come, including our dates, hotel options etc. But, I declare this PTR officially open

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Date & Location

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Following along!

Welcome!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Yay! Another trip to Disney! I can hardly wait to hear all of the juicy details.

 

[Tasmen]

Yay! Another May trip! Any idea on when you might be going? May is such a wonderful time to go.

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Yay! Another trip to Disney! I can hardly wait to hear all of the juicy details.

Yay! Another May trip! Any idea on when you might be going? May is such a wonderful time to go.

Welcome!! More details to come today!!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

So, we're hoping to go for an extended weekend, since we're all either working or in school. We want to leave in the evening of Thursday May 8, and arrive back home the evening of Tuesday, May 13.

We haven't decided yet where we'll stay, since it sort of depends on how much privacy we want and how many of us there are. I would love to stay at Pop Century - it looks like fun, and fits the budget. If there are three of us, it'd depend if we're comfortable in a smaller room like that. If not, well, that won't work! We've talked about some of the Downtown Disney hotels, but I am wary of staying off-site (even that close) with the problem of the magic bands not being solved yet - who knows where it will be by May, but still.

So those are the very basics!

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Joining in

We will be there in May too!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Awesome! Yay May people!!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Anyone have any thoughts on staying off-site with the whole magic band thing? Sigh. It's annoying that we don't know what the future of that will be - I want to PLAN people!!

I also bought the 2014 Unofficial Guide. I bought it for our 2009 trip and it really helped. Not that there are so many changes, but I felt like I would be worried about things being wrong if I didn't have an up-to-date one. Obviously, the magic band stuff is all weird, but I figure I'll just have to keep looking up that info anyway.

It's been fun reading through it - it makes the trip feel so much more real!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Anyone have any thoughts on staying off-site with the whole magic band thing? Sigh. It's annoying that we don't know what the future of that will be - I want to PLAN people!!

I also bought the 2014 Unofficial Guide. I bought it for our 2009 trip and it really helped. Not that there are so many changes, but I felt like I would be worried about things being wrong if I didn't have an up-to-date one. Obviously, the magic band stuff is all weird, but I figure I'll just have to keep looking up that info anyway.

It's been fun reading through it - it makes the trip feel so much more real!!

Sorry but I can't offer any info regarding offsite/magic band question. I'll keep a watch and see if I find any trip reports that include a similar scenario. Even after 19 trips to Disney, I still buy the Unofficial Guide. I don't know why I do other than the fact that I like to read anything about Disney.

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Sorry but I can't offer any info regarding offsite/magic band question. I'll keep a watch and see if I find any trip reports that include a similar scenario. Even after 19 trips to Disney, I still buy the Unofficial Guide. I don't know why I do other than the fact that I like to read anything about Disney.

I feel like there's something about the Unofficial guide that doesn't get old. Not sure why not, but it doesn't. Oh well. It wasn't expensive and I'm enjoying it!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

So as I mentioned in my introduction, this trip is totally a celebration. Obviously, it right before my birthday and Erin's birthday, but it's also going to be RIGHT after I finish the last piece of my master's program!

Yesterday, I had a meeting with my advisor that totally confirmed it. If I can study enough in the next 5 months, I will be able to take my comprehensive exam BEFORE we got to Disney!!

That means - I will be DONE with my degree, even if I don't have the actual diploma by then. I'm also taking an intensive class between the end of January and the end of March, so it's going to be a really intense few months...

But at the end? DISNEY!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Take a look at this article: http://www.****************/fastpas...il&utm_term=0_585957dd1b-97ca51c3a2-297323845

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Thank you! If it does work like that, it'll be interesting to see how it works for real. Given that it's December, I imagine they'll have worked it out by May.

I think my preference is still to stay on site, but we'll see what happens. I wish the suites at the resorts (even at AoA or ASM) weren't so expensive compared to a regular Disney hotel room.