Mom, are we going to DisneyWorld today???...PTR for our first DW trip!

[imhzgrlnotu]

I'm new to the boards, found the site on google while trying to plan for our FIRST Disney vacation!

First, I'll answer the typical questions, then get into a bit of story and planning.

WHO: Jess (me) 27, Mark (DH) 27, Micayla (DD) 12, Tatiana (DD) will be 7 (visually impaired), Ariana (DD) will be 4, Giovanni (DS) will be 2. Meet the cast..(Pics the kids took by themselves using the webcam on my laptop. Yep, all by themselves!)

DH Mark, DD Ariana (almost 4), and Me (Jess)...I hate pictures.

DD Tatiana (almost 7, visually impaired), DD Micayla (12), DD Ariana again.

DS Giovanni (almost 2) and DH Mark again.

WHAT: First trip to WDW!

WHY: We're trying to do things with our kids that our parents were never able to do with us, and who DOESN'T want to go to DW?? (actually, that's a whole 'nother post!)

WHERE: Staying at All Star Movies

WHEN: August 16 - August 22, 2009

So Mark tells me a couple months ago to check out prices and stuff for DW. I honestly didn't want to go (figured it was mostly rides and I'm not one for rides and neither are the kids really) so I just didn't check. Then about a month ago he asks me if I've checked into it. Of course not. So he tells me to look up the info.

This time I actually do it lol. Figure out prices and options and wow, it's less than I figured it would be! I tell him and he says "OK". Now with him, "OK" means "sounds good, start planning". So I start planning. I tell him little bits and pieces every day for about a week, then I decide to tell the kids. I NEVER tell the kids anything because my thread title is a direct quote from my 6yo...daily. But this time I figured it would be nice to have the kids help me save so I told them.

We make a savings chart to hang on the wall, they put stickers on it for every $100 we save! He comes home and sees it, and tells me "you know I meant NEXT year right?"

Well it's too late now so I'm doing a ton of planning!

Since this is my first time, I got a travel agent to help with the details and anything I might forget or need to know.

I'm learning a TON from these boards though, I don't want to be surprised when I get there so I'm doing a lot of research and writing everything down that I think might be helpful. Thanks to everyone for all the great info here! :

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

Since we'll only be there for 6 days 5 nights I figured 4 days of park passes would be good. Now I'm kinda kicking myself but then again we're not doing rides so I think we might be ok.

I had all my dining choices figured out, but then I saw the DDP snack options thread and that all went out the window lol. Mark loves to get little snacks and try new things, and so do the kids so we spend a LARGE amount of our trip money on that when we go anywhere. Since we're going during free dining, with the info I got here for the price difference between the regular plan and the deluxe, I figured it's only about $200 more for the deluxe plan and it comes with so much more and we can go to a couple more of the TS meals I wanted to do! And honestly it's really not much more than what we'd spend if we had to buy those extra meals, and the snacks...so it's worth it to me. So I apparently was pretty tired last night when I did my math, because the difference is $32 for adults and $10 for kids. So that's $116 PER DAY! I think I added the $32 + $10 = $42 * 5 = $210. But there isnt just 1 adult and 1 child, theres 3 adults and 2 children lol. I'm a spacecase sometimes, I swear! Sooooo...all the part in italics is gone lol.

I won't know exact nights until the park hours and extra morning/evening hours are posted, but here's the ones I'm thinking of so far:

For table service:

Chef Mickey's
Akershus
Luau @ Poly
Ohana b'fast

For counter service:
A few turkey legs because Mark and the kids LOVE them but not sure from where yet, depends on how the dining plans work out.
Wolfgang Puck Express - honestly the breakfast and lunch sound so good there, we might do it twice.
Possibly Cosmic Rays @ MK or Flametree BBQ @ AK, Mark and Micayla love ribs!
Yak & Yeti CS

I know we'll end up getting more than 1 snack/day/person so I'm figuring 2 each, especially since DS2 isn't on the plan so won't get the free snacks! So @ $4 each that comes out to about an extra $100 for snacks.I still want to do CRT so I think we might just pay out of pocket for that which will be about $140 (I think gratuity is included in that, isn't it?). Also, the 50's Cafe looks nice, and I'm DYING to try the pot roast so I'm figuring about $70 for that, tax/gratuity not included. We'll still have at least 1 full set of CS credits so I doubt we'll have to actually buy any more meals than that. So added up, that's about $300, which is quite a big difference from the $580 extra it'll cost for the DxDDP!
Not sure of anything else yet, need to look at the menus a bit more.

So far I think day 1 will be DTD so we don't have to rush around to a park. We're driving from Houston so we plan on leaving Saturday afternoon, stopping for the night along the way, and getting to Orlando pretty early. (Speaking of that, does anyone know check-in/out times for the cabins?)

I think day 2 will be MK, day 3 AK, day 4 Epcot and day 5 HS. Then the day we leave we might go to DTD again if we have any food/snack credits left.

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

We figured out a budget (well Mark did, he tends to like to spend more than I do)...$2600 is the cost of the room/tickets, but I haven't added on the Deluxe DDP so that'll be another $200 or so. We figure about $300 for gas, so $400 to be on the safe side. And $1000 for souvenirs/tips/whatever else.

I'm one of those coupon freaks who won't ever pay for most HBA items ever again, and I'm starting to find certain food items I won't ever have to pay for lol. So the thought of spending $1000 on souvenirs makes me break out in hives. But Mark seems to think that's a decent amount because he forgets who he's with at times

MY plan which I'm borrowing from some lovely people here, is to buy stuff before we go and give them something each day which will be MUCH cheaper than buying it at the park.

Which leads me to another question...I saw people mention a Disney Outlet Store, is that near DTD? And what are the prices like compared to disneyshopping.com? I saw a bunch of items there that I know the kids will love, but if the same stuff would be cheaper at the outlet store I might as well wait and get it there. I don't really plan on getting toys, mostly clothes for them.

In the park I plan on getting a bunch of pressed pennies, I think they'll like those, and theyre cheap!

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

I figured I should probably keep track of the stuff I'm buying for the trip so I know how much I'm actually spending lol. I don't have much so far but I'll try to keep it as updated as possible.

3 (of 4) animal water bottles for the kids. these have straws and a top that flips over it to cover it, the top looks like a different animal for each of them. bought at cvs $2.99 each, 25% off sale = $2.24*3 = $6.72 - $2 cvs coupon = $4.72

Yep that's it so far lol. I plan on buying some of the sale stuff on DisneyShopping.com this weekend, the kids REALLY need summer clothes, and of course they're Disney themed so they'll use them at DW

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

So after looking at a few threads and opinions and thinking about how much time we'll actually be in our room, and a few other things...I've decided to change my plans!

I priced a stay at All Star Movies, for TWO rooms a day longer with 2 extra days of park passes and of course an extra day of the free dining plan...its $150 LESS than what I'd pay for the cabin! And I honestly don't think we'll need to use a full kitchen or fridge so it really doesn't make sense to spend that extra money on it.

With the plan before, I was planning on paying OOP for 50's cafe (about $70), and Cinderella's Royal Table Breakfast (about $140). Now, the 50's cafe will be free with the dining plan, and the $150 I'm saving in room costs can be applied to CRT! HUGE savings for us!

ANDDD the best part, I don't have to worry about cramming 4 parks into 4 days. I think AK and HS will still be 1 day parks, but I can split MK and EPCOT into 2 days each if needed. If we don't need the extra whole day at the park, we can go do something else like swimming or just taking pics of stuff (which I plan on doing a lot of!)

 

[disneyaddicted]

Your plans all sound great. Good choice on adding more days, it really is hard trying to cram everything in. I have always thought of Epcot as 2 parks, World showcase and Future World, so it's great that you have extra time for that now. There are so many shows to take in at WDW you will stay busy even withou the rides.

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

Your plans all sound great. Good choice on adding more days, it really is hard trying to cram everything in. I have always thought of Epcot as 2 parks, World showcase and Future World, so it's great that you have extra time for that now. There are so many shows to take in at WDW you will stay busy even withou the rides.

Thanks

I saw people say Epcot isn't really for kids, but I saw a ton of stuff my kids will love so I'll be doing 2 days there. And most likely 2 days at MK because my princesses love princesses! lol

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

Well I waited anxiously for the park hours to come out, and now that they're out...I really haven't much looked at them lol. I did though, using PSP, create calendars that has the week that I'll be there, and then I have the daily calendar of all the goings-on at the parks. I printed them out so I can relax somewhere else and figure it out because when I'm in front of the computer I find more and more Disney stuff to read and I can't think.

So tonight, I plan on actually figuring out my days and other plans.

Until then, I was thinking of a couple things that I figured I'd ask here, hoping to get a reader or two (or even just a couple other posts that don't have my name on it ):

I have the DDP and I wanted to get something straight as far as tax/gratuity. I've seen menus on a couple of different sites, and a couple of them say "Tax/gratuity not included." Does that mean I have to pay for the tax and gratuity for all the meals that I'm using the DDP for? I've also seen on a couple of the buffet meals where it says everything is included. Does that also include tax and gratuity? I'd really like to budget for all the extras and not knowing is driving me nuts lol.

Also, I plan on doing CRT breakfast. I've seen the menu for this on 2 different sites, and they both mention the free photo package you get. On one of the sites it says parties of 5+ get 2 photo packages, on the other it says parties of 6+ get 2 photo packages. I was wondering since technically we're a party of 6 will we get 2 packages even though my son is only 2 and therefore not getting a meal? CRT we're paying for OOP but I don't plan on buying him a separate meal.

Thanks in advance for anyone who might be able to answer

 

[pipermae]

I have the DDP and I wanted to get something straight as far as tax/gratuity. I've seen menus on a couple of different sites, and a couple of them say "Tax/gratuity not included." Does that mean I have to pay for the tax and gratuity for all the meals that I'm using the DDP for? I've also seen on a couple of the buffet meals where it says everything is included. Does that also include tax and gratuity? I'd really like to budget for all the extras and not knowing is driving me nuts lol.

Also, I plan on doing CRT breakfast. I've seen the menu for this on 2 different sites, and they both mention the free photo package you get. On one of the sites it says parties of 5+ get 2 photo packages, on the other it says parties of 6+ get 2 photo packages. I was wondering since technically we're a party of 6 will we get 2 packages even though my son is only 2 and therefore not getting a meal? CRT we're paying for OOP but I don't plan on buying him a separate meal.

Thanks in advance for anyone who might be able to answer

Hi there! I just found your PTR and thought I'd chime in! Your plans sound great so far. I know how you feel about not having followers. I have one loyal one, and people who randomly come and go.

1 - You said you'll be going during free dining, right? That includes taxes, I believe. I mean, your tax on a $0.00 bill, is still $0.00, right? Same with gratuity. That is, if I remember correctly.

2 - According to the Disney World website:

Complimentary Imaging Package

"Dinner includes one professional Imaging Package per group of 4 paying Guests, 2 packages for groups of 5 to 8 Guests, and 3 packages for groups of 9 to 12 Guests. Each Imaging Package includes:

* 4 prints 4" by 6"
* One print 6" by 8"
* One print 6" by 8" of Cinderella Castle
* Cinderella-themed photo holder"

So, I'm seeing 5-8 guests get 2 packages; and it seems you fall in that group.

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

Ok I added pics today, not great ones because my stupid camera is broken, but the KIDS took all the pics, so they're even better!

Last night I stepped away from the internet and sat quietly in my room while the babies drifted off to sleep...and planned! Here's what I've come up with so far:

Saturday 8/15: Try to go to bed early the night before so I can get up early and get finishing stuff done. Probably do the kids' baths the night before so I don't have to worry about that in the morning, get them breakfast while DH, DD12, and I are all taking our showers, and HOPEFULLY hit the road by noon. Stop every hour for bathroom unless nobody needs to go, then possibly every 1.5 hours. Every other stop, top off the tank while waiting (saves time). Eat lunch/dinner in the truck unless kids are REAL restless, then let them run around a bit. Stop for the night around midnight, just outside Tallahassee (or maybe a bit farther depending on how good we do on time.)

Sunday 8/16 Leave at 8am, get to hotel around 1pm, check in if possible.
Go to DTD and check out some stuff (don't really know what yet) probably Goofy's for a Rice Krispies Treat, WPE for lunch. Depending on time, go back to hotel and take some pics of the different movie stuff. Then head to Poly @ 8 for Luau dinner show. After that probably go back to hotel and go to sleep early.

Monday 8/17 Animal Kingdom! Get there at 9am for rope drop.
Yak & Yeti CS for lunch,
stay for evening EMH.
Not sure about dinner yet.

Tuesday 8/18 Epcot! Akershus for breakfast before park opens (first breakfast starts at 8:30 I read, but if it's earlier, I'll try to get the earliest one.)
Fife & Drum for lunch (turkey legs!!)
Illuminations @ 9
Evening EMH

Wednesday 8/19 Hollywood Studios! Get there at 9am for rope drop.
I think Backlot Express for lunch
Stay for Evening EMH

Thursday 8/20 Epcot (day 2)
Ohana breakfast @ Poly - 7:30am
Try to get to Epcot at 9am for rope drop
Stay til we see everything we wanted to, then probably go to Disney Outlet, or check out a couple other hotels. Possibly take the kids swimming in the pool at ASMo.

Friday 8/21 Magic Kingdom!! CRT @ 8:30 before park opens
Cosmic Rays for lunch
Not sure about dinner
Stay for Evening EMH as long as we can stand it.

Saturday 8/22 Magic Kingdom (day 2)
Get there at 9am for rope drop.
Do whatever stuff we didn't get to do on Day 1, or want to do again.
Not sure about lunch.
For dinner, Chef Mickey's at Contemporary at 7pm.
After dinner, leave to go home

Does that sound like an ok plan? I'm really hoping that with the economy and it being hurricane season, it won't be super crowded. I really want to go during EMH so we can take extra breaks if needed since I'm not spending the extra $200+ for park hoppers lol.

Any suggestions for meals to get in the parks that aren't planned already would be appreciated!

Also, does anyone know if there's maps of just the restaurants in the parks anywhere? I'd like to not be way across the park when I want to be at a certain restaurant lol.

OH! Today I got a gift card in the mail that I won on eBay the other day! I figure between the free money I get from survey sites and such, plus the cashback I get from buying stuff on ebay, and the eBay bucks I get back also, it's worth it to get gas gift cards a little at a time, and even if I only save a little bit of money...that's extra money for DW! So anyway, it's a $25 Shell gas gift card I won for $24.71. I used $5.55 from my Paypal that I got from doing surveys, and cashback. I also now have .50 in eBay bucks that I'll get in July I believe, and I'm not sure how much I'll get from BigCrumbs cashback. I don't count the cashback until I use it for something else though, so my actual OOP for the $25 gc was $19.16. Saved almost $6!