NEWS FLASH: You must be 4YO to go to Disney! Oct '11 PTR, 10/24 WE'RE BACK! p 18

[LJD2143]

Uh...and I thought I was obsessive? Opening windows for each ADR...you are my hero.

Ditto!!!

 

[-Hope-]

Hurray! I'm so glad you got all of your ADRs and at the times you wanted. They look great- you guys are definitely going to eat well.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Yay for ADRs!!! Looks like everyone is getting what they want today! It's such a good feeling to get them set in stone! Uh...and I thought I was obsessive? Opening windows for each ADR...you are my hero.

Thanks Karen...that gave me a good laugh! It was a great feeling getting all the ADR's finished!

So it looks like our only overlapping day is Monday at Epcot. I didn't have any hold when I called at 7 AM but I also called the number for specialty cruises. Went straight through and she was more than happy to take care of all the ressies I couldn't do online. I don't think she believed me about Biergarten and had to try herself. I think she went to her supervisor when we hung up because she was really frustrated with it. After it not working she said, "Is there anything I else I can't get for you." Then she proceeded to forgetting to change from dining and almost thought she couldn't get Behind the Seeds.

Congrats on getting what you wanted....hopefully they will get the Biergarten issue figured out soon. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very nice. She asked if we were celebrating anything & I just said my son & boyfriends first visit. She got their names & then asked if we would just be celebrating their 1st visit at this meal or would I like her to add the celebration to ALL of our reservations. Heck yeah!!! Add it to all of them. You never know what sort of Pixie Dust we might get!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Ditto!!!

I warned you all in my first post that I was obsessive!

Hurray! I'm so glad you got all of your ADRs and at the times you wanted. They look great- you guys are definitely going to eat well.

Thanks Hope! I am so excited about the food! I haven't eaten TS at Disney since my 1992 trip. I food!!!!

 

[Tink2Day]

Don't know if you have $ stores there but most of them have sticker books and boxes of different stickers too.

Check the Disney store online they might have a Disney shirt on sale? Kmart has a lot of cute Disney things for adults (shop online if you don't have one).

I see you bought a flashlight but after what we saw there, go to the $ store and get some glow necklaces and bracelets it's all the rage to have a lightup glowing something after dark at MK. Someone gave the kids a spinning light up toy from Walmart that they got for $3-5 a lot cheaper than the $10-15 ones in the park and he'll be right in style.

The F&W festival is great (yummy) and they had a performer giving a concert at night, when we were there.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Don't know if you have $ stores there but most of them have sticker books and boxes of different stickers too.

Check the Disney store online they might have a Disney shirt on sale? Kmart has a lot of cute Disney things for adults (shop online if you don't have one).

I see you bought a flashlight but after what we saw there, go to the $ store and get some glow necklaces and bracelets it's all the rage to have a lightup glowing something after dark at MK. Someone gave the kids a spinning light up toy from Walmart that they got for $3-5 a lot cheaper than the $10-15 ones in the park and he'll be right in style.

The F&W festival is great (yummy) and they had a performer giving a concert at night, when we were there.

Welcome to my PTR! Glad to have you along! Thanks for all the ideas.

I hardly ever shop at Kmart so I never thought to look there for Disney stuff. I will have to check them out soon!

We already have glow sticks, glow necklaces and glow bracelets! (My boyfriend used to be a DJ and has TONS of "glow" stuff. I also already have a light up spinning Halloween pumpkin that he always carries on Halloween when we trick or treat. Since we will be at Disney in October it will be perfect!

I have neer done F&WF but I am SOOOO excited! I love food and can't wait to try some yummy new stuff!

 

[lbuzz52]

Adr's look great!
my kids really liked FOLK. When we went back to the resort that evening they spent an hour pretending to be the lions from the show

I I have seen tiny sticker books in the dollar spot at target they typically have a few stickers with them. They are about half page size. They aren't really meant to be something to continue collecting stickers in but at least they give you a place to put some.

I loved food and wine and can't wait to get back for it

 

[mousescrapper]

my next stop was Books-A-Million looking for a sticker album for Caden to collect stickers in. (He keeps wanting to put them on things like the wall, the refrigerator, the walls, his train table, etc.) I had a sticker album as a kid but I am finding that apparently that was a thing of the 80's! Who knew?

my youngest DD (4) does the same thing too...sometimes we get them all on paper, but then I have tons of papers all over the place I loved sticker albums too...I still have mine from my childhood

Anyway, after my unsuccessful trip to Walmart for a Disney shirt I still was wanting that Disney fix! So...I picked up this:

I have that book too I have read it it is a fun read, my DS (12) loves it too!


YAY for all your ADR making....I tried that multiple window thing last yr making my ADR's for our Nov trip...had some of the same issues. so glad you got everything you wanted and it all worked out so well

 

[Tink2Day]

Welcome to my PTR! Glad to have you along! Thanks for all the ideas.

I hardly ever shop at Kmart so I never thought to look there for Disney stuff. I will have to check them out soon!

We already have glow sticks, glow necklaces and glow bracelets! (My boyfriend used to be a DJ and has TONS of "glow" stuff. I also already have a light up spinning Halloween pumpkin that he always carries on Halloween when we trick or treat. Since we will be at Disney in October it will be perfect!

I have neer done F&WF but I am SOOOO excited! I love food and can't wait to try some yummy new stuff!

Oh yeah! He'll be so happy to be part of the group and how cute is a spinning pumpkin for Halloween! Almost as cute as your little guy is!
When we were there we even played with some of the spinning lights (the Minnie with her dress which billowed out) and we were adults! I ended up buying a light up Tink pin.

Yes I have bought a couple of hoodies at KMart it's kind of neat because you don't see 500 people with the exact same outfit!


The worst thing about F&W? They'll have to roll you out of the place if you try too much, so plan strategically. We went on the afternoon we arrived and made our plan of attack for the day we would be spending more time at Epcot. We each tried about 3 different treats at F&W and shared those.
Sadly we had to satisfy ourselves with fish and chips from UK and 2 pastries each from the Boulangerie on the first night, such a hardship but we managed to survive it.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Adr's look great!
my kids really liked FOLK. When we went back to the resort that evening they spent an hour pretending to be the lions from the show

I I have seen tiny sticker books in the dollar spot at target they typically have a few stickers with them. They are about half page size. They aren't really meant to be something to continue collecting stickers in but at least they give you a place to put some.

I loved food and wine and can't wait to get back for it

How cute....a part of me wishes Caden had another kiddo to hang out with while we're at Disney.

I'm still struggling with the sticker book dilemma. What I originally wanted was a book with pages that you could remove stickers from and move them around if you wanted. I'm leaning more towards making him a sticker book with my scrapbooking supplies.

I have that book too I have read it it is a fun read, my DS (12) loves it too!


YAY for all your ADR making....I tried that multiple window thing last yr making my ADR's for our Nov trip...had some of the same issues. so glad you got everything you wanted and it all worked out so well

I STILL have not started reading the book. It's been so busy around here.

Aside from the minor glitch in the beginning the multiple windows worked like a charm! Yay for being obsessive! I knew it would come in handy one day!

Oh yeah! He'll be so happy to be part of the group and how cute is a spinning pumpkin for Halloween! Almost as cute as your little guy is!
When we were there we even played with some of the spinning lights (the Minnie with her dress which billowed out) and we were adults! I ended up buying a light up Tink pin.

Yes I have bought a couple of hoodies at KMart it's kind of neat because you don't see 500 people with the exact same outfit!


The worst thing about F&W? They'll have to roll you out of the place if you try too much, so plan strategically. We went on the afternoon we arrived and made our plan of attack for the day we would be spending more time at Epcot. We each tried about 3 different treats at F&W and shared those.
Sadly we had to satisfy ourselves with fish and chips from UK and 2 pastries each from the Boulangerie on the first night, such a hardship but we managed to survive it.

Awww thank you! I think he's a cutie, but of course my vote doesn't count! The spinning pumpkin is adorable! It will be perfect for the parks.

Will probably check out K-Mart today! Maybe!

I'm sure I will need to be rolled out of F&W....I don't know when to stop.

 

[PEANUT1]

Hi Stephanie!! I just stumbled upon your trip report bc your titile was cute then I realized it was a fellow October traveller. Everything looks great so far!! Its very exciting planning your child's first trip.

The only advice I have for you is about Dinosaur....that is one scary ride My daughter was just 4 on our last trip....she really wanted to go on it. I was really hesitant because my 7 year old won't even go on it and I remember taking my 8 year old niece on it years ago and she was totally traumatized.

Anyway, I took my little one on it and I had to cover her eyes almost the entire time....after the ride she told her daddy that she loved it but never wanted to do that again

 

[Pixiedust530]

Hi Stephanie!! I just stumbled upon your trip report bc your titile was cute then I realized it was a fellow October traveller. Everything looks great so far!! Its very exciting planning your child's first trip.

The only advice I have for you is about Dinosaur....that is one scary ride My daughter was just 4 on our last trip....she really wanted to go on it. I was really hesitant because my 7 year old won't even go on it and I remember taking my 8 year old niece on it years ago and she was totally traumatized.

Anyway, I took my little one on it and I had to cover her eyes almost the entire time....after the ride she told her daddy that she loved it but never wanted to do that again

Hello Andrea! Glad to have you along. It's great to be able to read along with other Oct. travelers.

Thank you for the advice on Dinosaur. I have heard so many mixed stories. I think I will start by showing him YouTube videos of the ride. If those freak him out then we'll definitely call it a NO! If he seems okay with the videos we will play it by ear while we are there.

 

[stephielela]

Jack has a spinning pumpkin light up thing too, I got it for him for MNSSHP last year, and he wouldn't let go of it!!! It's always a good idea to bring your own glo items, since they are about a quarter of the cost of the ones Disney sells!

I've been debating about Dionosaur too... maybe I will have Jack watch YouTube videos of it (are there any?) and see what he thinks?

 

[Pixiedust530]

Jack has a spinning pumpkin light up thing too, I got it for him for MNSSHP last year, and he wouldn't let go of it!!! It's always a good idea to bring your own glo items, since they are about a quarter of the cost of the ones Disney sells!

I've been debating about Dionosaur too... maybe I will have Jack watch YouTube videos of it (are there any?) and see what he thinks?

Here are a few videos I found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DVP9gRQeSc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X7QiRwWD6Y

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Oh I would LOVE to got to Disney one year for the food and wine fest. I LOVE food too, i'd be in heaven. My dh too.

Did you have Caden watch the videos yet?

 

[stephielela]

Here are a few videos I found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DVP9gRQeSc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X7QiRwWD6Y

Thanks!! That will be super helpful!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Did you have Caden watch the videos yet?

I showed the videos to Caden a couple nights ago. He laughed through the entire thing. He kept saying "Look at those silly dinosaurs Mommy, they're trying to eat us....but they're not real. That's just silly"

I asked him if he would like to ride the ride and he said "Of course Mommy!" I told him it would be dark and bumpy and might be a little scary. He told me "Mommy, there's nothing to be scared of, they're not real dinosaurs. If it's scary you can just close your eyes." Apparently he was concerned that I would be scared!

We will probably take him on the ride...unless he has adverse reactions to other dark or potentially scary rides earlier in the week. (AK is the last park we visit).

Thanks!! That will be super helpful!

You're welcome! They aren't the best quality, but you get the idea at least.

 

[Parla]

At least your putting some thought into the Dinosaur ride. The sad thing is the people that don't really know what the ride is and just drag any 4 year old on. Talk about the possibility of being scarred for life. Not every kid reacts the same way. I knew my son wouldn't be able to handle it. Sounds like Caden will hold your hand for you though.

 

[Pixiedust530]

It’s been a while since I have updated this PTR so I figured it was that time again. I still have much to share, but if I don’t space it all out then I will run out of stuff before October gets here!

Today’s update may be a little boring for some of you, but it’s the type of thing I live for! MATH….Disney Math to be exact. Buckle up and hold on tight….this could be a bumpy ride.

With all the buzz right now on the DIS about the possibility of Free Dining promotions I started crunching some numbers. I have been saving for this trip for over a year (and this year’s tax return sure helped). I booked the trip for the ONLY dates that work for us. I wasn’t worried about discounts, promotions, pin codes, etc. I had saved enough to pay for our trip…7 nights in a Value, 5 day park tickets and the dining plan.

I knew all along that if free dining was offered that it would save us a bundle… $727.79 to be exact (But who’s counting?) So…I started thinking….I wonder what it would cost for us to stay in a Moderate with Free Dining? As much as I would like to upgrade to a Mod I wasn’t really opposed to staying in a Value…especially at ASMo because I had requested a Toy Story room and Caden LOVES Toy Story. This trip IS all about him and we will be in the room mostly just to sleep, so part of me would rather just pocket the extra $$ if Free Dining is released.

Well, to humor myself (and immerse myself in 2 things I love…Disney and Math) I decided to look at Mods and crunch the numbers anyway. Of course, once I started looking at the Mods I stumbled upon the Pirate rooms at CBR. OMG….how did I not know these existed? Caden is dressing as a pirate for Halloween and for MNSSHP while we are there. This would be PERFECT!

Our current trip is booked at ASMo, with DDP, and 5 day MYW tix for a total of $2356.67.

To upgrade to CBR Pirate room, with DDP and 5 day MYW tix the total would be $3014.17. $657.50 more. No can do Batman!

If Free Dining comes out (assuming it is the QSDP for the Mods) the cost for a pirate room at CBR & our park tix would be $2286.38. Since we want the DDP and not the QSDP we would have to pay the difference to upgrade…which would be $11 per adult, per day. That is an addition of $154.00 for the whole week, making the Grand Total $2440.38. This is only $83.71 more than our original package at a Value Resort. I can handle an additional $83.71.

As if all that wasn’t enough…I got to thinking again. I know…DANGEROUS! I have been warned on numerous occasions. Anyway….warnings schwarnings….I was thinking!!! What if Free Dining doesn’t come out for our dates? What if they release a %off room rate instead? What would the price difference be? Could I afford it? **If you haven’t already noticed, I’m kinda liking the idea more and more of staying at CBR in a Pirate Room.**

So…back to the drawing board…er, calculator…I go! The room only rate for CBR Pirate room would be $1550. I thought that 35% off Mods seemed like a pretty standard/reasonable offer to hope for. That means the room would be $1007.50. Add on $732.73 for 5 day MYW park tix for 2 adults and 1 child (tax included) and then add an additional $727.79 for the DDP and we’re looking at a Grand Total of $2468.02. This is only $111.35 more than our original package at a Value Resort. I think I could probably swing an extra $111.35 as well.

So….what does all this mean? Well, right now it doesn’t mean squat. Neither of these offers have been released, nor can I guarantee that either of them will be released. Unfortunately, what it DOES mean is that I have somehow managed to get my heart set on staying at the CBR in a Pirate room… I think! The only thing I’m not really thrilled about is the size (HUGENESS) of the CBR property and the whopping 4” mattress on the Pirate Beds (design flaws wouldn’t allow for a full size mattress & box springs, so the beds have a box spring and a 4” pillow top). I think for right now I should just leave my reservation alone, because without Free Dining or 35% off Mods there is NO WAY we can afford to stay anywhere except where we are booked. I will be keeping my eye out for any special offers that might benefit us, however there is still that small part of me that wants to stay at ASMo and just pocket the extra $$ we would save if a promo comes out. I'm so confused!

What do you guys think? Has anyone stayed in a Pirate room at CBR? What about a regular room at CBR? Is it hard to get around the property since it is SOOOOO large?

Do you think it’s worth the extra $83 or $111 to stay at CBR vs. ASMo or would you just pocket the savings and have more spending $$ for the trip? HELP!!! I NEVER thought this was going to be an option. I assumed Values was all we could afford no matter what!! Now I actually might have to make a choice!

 

[Parla]

I can't help with any knowledge on CBR but just know that there are lots of us hoping to save some money in October with a discount. A small part of me hopes the discounts skip our week though to avoid crowds. I know the last pin that I got on a post card just before our trip had a percentage off but a two week period containing our trip was blacked out of it. Then when the day I went to make our reservations the regular Savannah room selection completely disappeared from AKL. It was there the night before. I checked before I left and the TA had the same thing on her screen (she didn't believe it and called Disney to make sure). No regular Savannah view. We had to pay extra for the Arusha Savannah view. The AAA travel agent said that there was some kind of big convention happening that week (hence no discount and limited rooms) and the weekends would probably be more crowded as well as evenings at F&W. We do most of our touring during the day so I was okay with that.

Still, fingers crossed for a discount. I think Caden would be just as happy with a giant Toy Story figure outside of his room. Especially since he doesn't know about the pirate beds.