My first ever pre-trippie for WDW

[joolz1910]

BBB booked for DD (8) and DD (5) on 7th November at MK at 9.50am, total cost £68. I think I'm going to hold off on booking anything else for the time being as the additional costs (after the actual booking) have now reached £900, and although that includes passports, Estas, party tickets etc, it has increased the price of the holiday by quite a lot. Time to put the credit card away for a little while...

 

[Ciorsdah]

I am heading to the party on the 28th of September, can't wait!!

It's amazing how all the costs soon add up, but the BBB experience will be magical for your wee girlies. I wish they did an adults version!!!

 

[bex7583]

are you just planning on doing disney then ? no seaworld or universal?

also what is a photopass??

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

BBB booked for DD (8) and DD (5) on 7th November at MK at 9.50am, total cost £68. I think I'm going to hold off on booking anything else for the time being as the additional costs (after the actual booking) have now reached £900, and although that includes passports, Estas, party tickets etc, it has increased the price of the holiday by quite a lot. Time to put the credit card away for a little while...

I'm getting a little bit like that Juliette! My budget trip is getting more and more expensive, with all the partys, tours and add-ons I've been looking at!

xxx

 

[joolz1910]

are you just planning on doing disney then ? no seaworld or universal?

also what is a photopass??

Just Disney for us! I decided that I wanted to take it all at a slower pace with the kids. The plan is to start saving again when we come home and go again in another 3-4 years. The kids will then be 16, 12 and 9 and will probably enjoy Universal a little bit more.

A photopass is a Disney 'extra'. I have prepaid to have CM's take 'professional' photos of us around the parks. They are stationed around the parks at strategic points.

I'm getting a little bit like that Juliette! My budget trip is getting more and more expensive, with all the partys, tours and add-ons I've been looking at!

xxx

Tell me about it!

 

[joolz1910]

We decided to count the coins in our 'terramundi' today. We have been saving £2 coins since about 2009, so we were hoping this would contribute to our spends. I guessed we had £600 and DH guessed £900. We ended up with £1280! This more than takes care of our spending money plus it will cover some of the extras I have booked too! Really pleased with that amount

 

[Ciorsdah]

We decided to count the coins in our 'terramundi' today. We have been saving £2 coins since about 2009, so we were hoping this would contribute to our spends. I guessed we had £600 and DH guessed £900. We ended up with £1280! This more than takes care of our spending money plus it will cover some of the extras I have booked too! Really pleased with that amount

Thats fantastic!!! Very disciplined of you to be saving all those £2 - I'd have spend them on wine long before now

What else have you still to organise?

 

[joolz1910]

Thats fantastic!!! Very disciplined of you to be saving all those £2 - I'd have spend them on wine long before now

What else have you still to organise?

The thing is, quite a lot of those £2 coins will be spent on cocktails! We've still got to get passports, do ESTAs, book Magical Express, get some dollars...etc

 

[gingermoonman]

good read! look forward to more

 

[joolz1910]

good read! look forward to more

Thank you. I had hoped it would be helpful to anyone planning for the first time (like me) to see everything itemised, so that the 'extras' could be calculated in with the cost of the holiday.

All of my ADR's are now booked!
Tues 30th Oct Crystal Palace 8.10
Wed 31st Oct Whispering Canyon Dinner 5.00
Thur 1st Nov Le Cellier Lunch 12.50
Fri 2nd Nov Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner 5.00 (MNSSHP)
Sat 3rd Nov Saana Dinner 5.00
Sun 4th Nov Hoop de Doo Dinner show 6.15
Mon 5th Nov Rose and Crown Dinner package for Illuminations 7.05
Tue 6th Nov Mama Melrose Dinner package for Fantasmic 1.20
Wed 7th Nov Akershus Lunch (after BBB in the morning) 1.30
Thur 8th Nov
Fri 9th Nov Chef Mickey’s 5.00
Sat 10th Nov Rainforest Café (AK) Dinner 5.00
Sun 11th Nov Garden Grill Dinner 5.45
Mon 12th Nov 1900 Park Fare Breakfast 8.35

I got everything I wanted.

Next week it's kids' passports.

 

[princess_ariel_85]

Thank you. I had hoped it would be helpful to anyone planning for the first time (like me) to see everything itemised, so that the 'extras' could be calculated in with the cost of the holiday.

All of my ADR's are now booked!
Tues 30th Oct Crystal Palace 8.10
Wed 31st Oct Whispering Canyon Dinner 5.00
Thur 1st Nov Le Cellier Lunch 12.50
Fri 2nd Nov Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner 5.00 (MNSSHP)
Sat 3rd Nov Saana Dinner 5.00
Sun 4th Nov Hoop de Doo Dinner show 6.15
Mon 5th Nov Rose and Crown Dinner package for Illuminations 7.05
Tue 6th Nov Mama Melrose Dinner package for Fantasmic 1.20
Wed 7th Nov Akershus Lunch (after BBB in the morning) 1.30
Thur 8th Nov
Fri 9th Nov Chef Mickey’s 5.00
Sat 10th Nov Rainforest Café (AK) Dinner 5.00
Sun 11th Nov Garden Grill Dinner 5.45
Mon 12th Nov 1900 Park Fare Breakfast 8.35

I got everything I wanted.

Next week it's kids' passports.

Congratulations on getting all the ADRs you wanted! You've picked some great places to eat.

I've been meaning to ask you, how did you go about getting a refund on your photopass CD? I'm thinking of changing ours to the photopass+

x

 

[joolz1910]

Congratulations on getting all the ADRs you wanted! You've picked some great places to eat.

I've been meaning to ask you, how did you go about getting a refund on your photopass CD? I'm thinking of changing ours to the photopass+

x

Hi, I emailed them. They were happy to do it.

So glad I have something to look forward to at the moment. I got the girls' passport photos today, so I'll try to post those applications off this week. One more thing off my 'to do' list.

 

[Kilted_Yank]

I have been enjoying this for a while now! It reminds me of the time that we surprised our daughter. We go to wdw every August (it is only a 12 hour drive from where we live in Virginia), but I was going to have to take a trip to Orlando for work, and had planned on having the family fly down for a few days after I finished my business for a mini-vacation.

My wife had already booked the tickets and I was driving (I could have flown, but driving saved the price of the ticket and gave us a car to drive at no additional expense).

We told my daughter that I was going to Georgia, as I do this fairly often, and that I would see her when I got home. I gave her a goodbye kiss as I left the house that morning at 6 AM and wished her good luck in her soccer (football) tournament. I got into the car and made tracks down the road.

She had no clue.

After her first game that afternoon, Susan (my wife) had Olive 9the daughter) call me on my mobile to tell me about her game. After she had told me about her 2 goals (I was so proud), I told her that she should play especially hard in her last game and then she was going to get a special surprise. I told her that after the game, she was going home to clean up, and then was heading for the airport. she said oh daddy, are we coming to visit you in Georgia? (where I go for work is very near the beach), and I said no, when you get off the plane, I will be waiting for you... in Orlando!

My wife took a picture as I told her... it was priceless. 6 hours later, I met them at the airport, and a good time was had by all!

 

[joolz1910]

I have been enjoying this for a while now! It reminds me of the time that we surprised our daughter. We go to wdw every August (it is only a 12 hour drive from where we live in Virginia), but I was going to have to take a trip to Orlando for work, and had planned on having the family fly down for a few days after I finished my business for a mini-vacation.

My wife had already booked the tickets and I was driving (I could have flown, but driving saved the price of the ticket and gave us a car to drive at no additional expense).

We told my daughter that I was going to Georgia, as I do this fairly often, and that I would see her when I got home. I gave her a goodbye kiss as I left the house that morning at 6 AM and wished her good luck in her soccer (football) tournament. I got into the car and made tracks down the road.

She had no clue.

After her first game that afternoon, Susan (my wife) had Olive 9the daughter) call me on my mobile to tell me about her game. After she had told me about her 2 goals (I was so proud), I told her that she should play especially hard in her last game and then she was going to get a special surprise. I told her that after the game, she was going home to clean up, and then was heading for the airport. she said oh daddy, are we coming to visit you in Georgia? (where I go for work is very near the beach), and I said no, when you get off the plane, I will be waiting for you... in Orlando!

My wife took a picture as I told her... it was priceless. 6 hours later, I met them at the airport, and a good time was had by all!

What a lovely surprise! I wish someone would phone me with the same message lol.

Well, I watched the Disney Planning DVD, which got me in the mood for more planning. It was narrated by Brandy and had a few 'tips' for first-timers. The new Art of Animation resort was featured and the Artists' impressions of the new Fantasyland expansion.

I'm seriously considering cancelling our Mama Melrose Fantasmic package and taking our chances with everyone else re- seating. I prefer the Chefs de France menu. Will give it some thought.

Got the kids' passport photos the other day, so will get my friend to countersign them and get those posted asap.

 

[Ciorsdah]

What a lovely surprise! I wish someone would phone me with the same message lol.

Well, I watched the Disney Planning DVD, which got me in the mood for more planning. It was narrated by Brandy and had a few 'tips' for first-timers. The new Art of Animation resort was featured and the Artists' impressions of the new Fantasyland expansion.

I'm seriously considering cancelling our Mama Melrose Fantasmic package and taking our chances with everyone else re- seating. I prefer the Chefs de France menu. Will give it some thought.

Got the kids' passport photos the other day, so will get my friend to countersign them and get those posted asap.

I've got a Mama Melrose package as well that I'm tempted to cancel, but DBF wants to see the show but refused to stand in line for over an hour so I think that one will be staying

We've decided about our desert party that we will leave it until next year, I'm still on my diet and have discovered that if I stay well away from any form of white flour or sugar I dont put on anything at all and a desert party this year would be a diet disaster!

 

[joolz1910]

I've got a Mama Melrose package as well that I'm tempted to cancel, but DBF wants to see the show but refused to stand in line for over an hour so I think that one will be staying

We've decided about our desert party that we will leave it until next year, I'm still on my diet and have discovered that if I stay well away from any form of white flour or sugar I dont put on anything at all and a desert party this year would be a diet disaster!

I'm just not sure if we will need Mama Melrose in order to get a good seat. The menu doesn't inspire me.

My diet downfall is bread. If I can just keep away from it, I can lose weight; oh and cheese, plus cake, and did I mention pizza? lol

 

[joolz1910]

100 days to go and I posted the passports off today! The man at the post office told me that they were taking up to 3 months to process them - I hope not. £98 for two children's passports. All I have to do now is pay for ESTAS, Garden Grocer order, book Magical Express....oh and pay the balance of the holiday by 6th August.

 

[joolz1910]

Paid off my balance in full today: £5250 We are really, really going now.

 

[joolz1910]

Posted the passports off on 20th July and got them back today, 10th Aug. Will be doing ESTA's this weekend.

 

[Twinkly-Tink]

One less thing to do......one step closer!! We go just before you I think.....starting to get a little excited now :-D !!!