Now Approaching... Sleepingbooty's Sept. PTR (We're BAAACK! 9/26)

[Twoboysnmygirl]

FYI, from what I read, they changed their rating system, you might want to go read up on it! I think that 1s, 2s, and 3s don't mean what they used to, I had read that they correlated with the old 4s, 5s, and 6s.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

maroo called me the other night with the exact same news, and we were totally doing a major happy dance!!! This is such amazingly awesome news.

Oh yay, its like that for your week too?!

FYI, from what I read, they changed their rating system, you might want to go read up on it! I think that 1s, 2s, and 3s don't mean what they used to, I had read that they correlated with the old 4s, 5s, and 6s.

Hmmm. That puts a bit of a damper on it. Where did you read that? Here on the Dis or on the touring plans website? Must look into this further....

 

[klacey1]

Oooo, I hope they haven't changed their rating system! Still, no matter what, I don't think you need to anticipate any kind of crowds!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Oh yay, its like that for your week too?!



Hmmm. That puts a bit of a damper on it. Where did you read that? Here on the Dis or on the touring plans website? Must look into this further....

It was here on the DIS, there was a pretty big thread about it, I can't find it now as it was a few days back, but on the thread they said that the new system was explained on the site as well??

 

[All7OfUs]

oh yay, its like that for your week too?!

it is! It is!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Oooo, I hope they haven't changed their rating system! Still, no matter what, I don't think you need to anticipate any kind of crowds!

It was here on the DIS, there was a pretty big thread about it, I can't find it now as it was a few days back, but on the thread they said that the new system was explained on the site as well??

it is! It is!

Well, Karen - you were right. They have indeed revised their crowd rating system. I found that thread you were talking about here on the theme parks board, and then I went over to the touringplans site and read about it on their blog. They give a pretty good explanation. Apparently, the old system awarded a crowd level number based on the average wait time at the "mountains" for that day. So, a 6 meant you waited 60 minutes. The new system is more a traditional 1 to 10 scale meaning 1 being the smallest possible crowds, and a 10 being the largest possible crowds. I actually just assumed that was how the old system worked, so it makes sense to me. And apparently, they feel this new way of tracking is a lot more accurate because they have tons more data coming in now that people are using their "lines" app on their smart phones. I can't wait to try that out!

 

[eandesmom]

I need to go check that out! Maybe this weekend....

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Cynthia! I just noticed you put a link to your Disigns in your siggie - very cool! I've been delving into the Creative Disigns board today, trying to find what I want. What I REALLY want, is to be able to create them myself!! Maybe someday, lots of practice, some new software, who knows....

 

[Charlefours]

Have you tried TGM? I went ahead and signed up for it too after I go a discount code for it. I certainly hope it is true!!

In case anyone is looking for it, here is the link on their blog about the new crowd calendar: http://blog.touringplans.com/2010/05/17/crowd-calendar-2-0/ I know you already read about it. I assumed like you did about the previous calendar. I don't know if they had previously stated they used the "mountains" to figure out the levels but just mentioned a complicated algorithm made up of various data. I had not realized that is how they figured it out before.

I guess this will help with those who complained it was not accurate.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Hey now, you are not getting away without sharing a funny travel story! I know you've got tons of them, because I've read them on your TR! Just cut and paste, brother! Help a girl out!

Oh sorry! Missed that requirement!

1. One year the men from our church went to Promise Keepers in Dallas. There weren't very many guys and the church van was being used by the teens that weekend, so everyone rode with the Men's ministries coordinator. He was in his wife's BRAND NEW, loaded with features, only had it two days – minivan. All the way up there, he made a HUGE fuss over not getting it dirty, not scratching anything, etc. etc. etc. His mantra was "My wife will kill me if we mess up her van!" Upon arriving at the event, it was necessary to park in a covered garage. He was nervous about it fitting, and slowly eased in. As the van passed under the entrance, my dad, who was sitting in the middle seat, reached up and banged on the roof several times. Our poor leader slammed on the brakes and went pale and stiff, certain he had lodged his wife’s new van under a beam or something. Of course he was hounded about that for a good many years to come.

2. Tracy and I were on our way to interview at a church and were flying from Oklahoma City to Houston. There was a particularly boisterous couple sitting across from us and two rows up. In their eagerness to point out whose fault it was that they had nearly missed their flight, neither of them realized they had left an open bottle of Dr. Pepper in the overhead bin. Until the plane took of. That’s when the waterfall began. It began raining down on them from the seams above them as the plane took off. I did crack up greatly. Until gravity began to pull it to the row behind them…then the row behind them. Suddenly there were three Dr. Pepper waterfalls showering down on the passengers across from us. It was sad. I felt bad for them. Which is not to say I didn’t continue to laugh.

3. This one didn’t make the TR, but we still laugh about it. (When Nana is a good mood.) When I was in high school and we drove to Disney, my dad and I drove at night and my mom took over around 8 AM. When my dad woke up a couple of hours later, he noticed that the Gulf was on the wrong side of the van. We then determined that after our last stop, mom went out the wrong exit and was driving back towards home.

4. When I was in the 3rd grade, I went to a week long kids camp. My mom hounded me not to lose anything and reiterated several times that there would dire consequences for failing to heed this warning. (She claims to have been bluffing.) She dropped me off on Monday with a final admonition to not lose anything. I returned home Friday faithful to my promise to keep up with it all. When I got off the bus, I proudly handed her my suitcase. It had gone the entire week without being opened. Yep. I came home in the same clothes I left in. Which grosses me out to this day. But I didn’t lose ONE thing! (Although mom DID wind up throwing that entire outfit away.)

I bit the bullet and renewed my subscription to touringplans.com a couple weeks ago. I hadn't done it earlier because before my earlier subscription had expired I had checked out the crowd calendar for our travel dates in September and of course, marked them in my spreadsheet. Yes, I know they can change. But it's September - its not going to be bad no matter what, right? So I didn't worry too much that I wouldn't see the changes. At that point they were pretty much 4's and 6's.

Fast forward to the present, and now that I'm in the travel business - with clients - I knew I needed to be able to advise them on itinerary matters. So I renewed. I'd used it for my client that is going in July (yikes, you don't want to see those numbers!), but I hadn't yet scrolled down to September, because I just wasn't that worried about it.

So this weekend, I booked 3 new packages - all for the same week in September that we will be there. Since we are already well past the 180 day mark, I knew we needed to get right down to business on ADRs. I pulled out my trusty spreadsheet and set about updating it so that I could use it for my clients.

You have clients! And bookings!

Awesome!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Have you tried TGM? I went ahead and signed up for it too after I go a discount code for it. I certainly hope it is true!!

In case anyone is looking for it, here is the link on their blog about the new crowd calendar: http://blog.touringplans.com/2010/05/17/crowd-calendar-2-0/ I know you already read about it. I assumed like you did about the previous calendar. I don't know if they had previously stated they used the "mountains" to figure out the levels but just mentioned a complicated algorithm made up of various data. I had not realized that is how they figured it out before.

I guess this will help with those who complained it was not accurate.

No, I've never tried TGM. I assumed it was more of an itinerary planning service (am I wrong?) like Ridemax. We don't tend to follow a fixed plan like that - although I'm sure it would be helpful during peak season. Just never seemed necessary in September or May.

Yeah, I think they probably explained somewhere on the site how the old crowd calendar worked - I just never paid attention. When someone gives me numbers on a scale of 1 to 10, I just assume they mean it in the traditional sense: 1 being the least, 10 the most. I never thought to delve further into it than that. At least now that's what it does mean!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Oh sorry! Missed that requirement!

And I wish I could find a puking smilie for #4! Seriously? You didn't change for a week?? Were there no adults present at this camp? I bet those clothes could've walked home on their own! But, good job not losing anything


Awesome stories, GB!

You have clients! And bookings!

Awesome!

Thank you! I'm having fun

 

[GreatBiscuit]

And I wish I could find a puking smilie for #4! Seriously? You didn't change for a week?? Were there no adults present at this camp? I bet those clothes could've walked home on their own! But, good job not losing anything


Awesome stories, GB!



Thank you! I'm having fun

Our sponsors were mostly college students. From what I hear tell, I was a rank lil biskit when I got home. All future travel instructions contained detailed bathing guidelines.

 

[All7OfUs]

those stories provided GREAT fun GB!! Awesome re-telling, too!

 

[jordanyosh]

I can't believe with Free Dining that the crowd levels will be at 1's. However, we used to travel during mid-September and it was a GREAT time to go!

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia! I just noticed you put a link to your Disigns in your siggie - very cool! I've been delving into the Creative Disigns board today, trying to find what I want. What I REALLY want, is to be able to create them myself!! Maybe someday, lots of practice, some new software, who knows....

it's always been there but my banner is so big it gets cut off I think! If I can help, once you figure out what you want, let me know!

Feel free to use the "long beach new york" part of our surprise trip as a story if you want. I'm sure I have funny travel stories, I just can't think of any!

SO bummed....looked at the crowd levels this morning based on the new system and we are 7,8 and one NINE!

aack!

I am not telling Jeff or Sandie. They will freak out.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I can't believe with Free Dining that the crowd levels will be at 1's. However, we used to travel during mid-September and it was a GREAT time to go!

JORDAN!!!! Good to see you!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

it's always been there but my banner is so big it gets cut off I think! If I can help, once you figure out what you want, let me know!

Feel free to use the "long beach new york" part of our surprise trip as a story if you want. I'm sure I have funny travel stories, I just can't think of any!

SO bummed....looked at the crowd levels this morning based on the new system and we are 7,8 and one NINE!

aack!

I am not telling Jeff or Sandie. They will freak out.

Thanks, Cynthia - I will probably hit you up on that. The thing I want to make seems pretty simple, but after looking at all the Disigners threads, I haven't found anything exactly like it. I saw somebody use it as their avatar - and I wish I'd made note of who it was. Basically, it was a black outline of a mickey head, and in side were the names of the family members sort of scattered about, some extending a bit off the side, and in the center it would say "so and so's disney vacation, 2010." Probably doesn't even make sense when I describe it like that.

Yikes, a 9??!!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Chapter 28. A Spooky Twist

We've been to WDW in September three times now, and DLR once in October - yet with all those opportunities, we've yet to go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. So, once again we are going at that time of year, but again, I had no plans to attend the party.

I'm not sure WHY I've never been that interested in going. Maybe because September seems pretty far from Halloween to me, and I'm not in the spirit yet. Maybe because Disney is SO awesome, you don't NEED to add a party to it. Maybe because I'm too frugal. Yeah, probably that last one mostly. I mean really - an extra $200 for a couple hours of Halloween themed characters and some candy?

Now, I'm considering going. Strongly. In fact, I'm pretty much decided. My reasoning is that as a TA, I need to try out all these things that I haven't yet. What if a client wants to know all about it? Sure, I can tell what I've read, but its not the same as experiencing it firsthand. So, in the interest of research, I think we'll go. Now don't get me wrong - I think it will be super fun and I'm very excited about it. I could just never justify the cost before. Now I can. Maybe I could even consider it a tax write-off! Okay, that might be stretching it.

Looking at our schedule, I think it'll fit in best on our first full day at the parks, Saturday the 18th. We'd planned to go to MK that day anyway. Actually, this idea first came up when I went back and rechecked park hours and MNSSHP dates to make sure my schedule still worked, and I saw a party had been scheduled for that day. At first I thought, "Great, now I'll have to rearrange everything to avoid MK that day." My next thought was, "Hmmm, what if...."

There's only one minor glitch: We have an ADR scheduled that night for Ohana. At 6:30. Yeah, not good. The party starts at 7. Of course the first thing I did (and I haven't even bought party tickets yet) was try to change our dinner to an earlier time. Nope. Not happening. I knew it would be a no go, because I've been making client's reservations this week for September, and I'm already finding that popular places have nothing before 8:00.

So, I can of course keep trying to change it, and I may get lucky. But I don't think I can count on that. We could show up early and try to get seated, but I doubt they will check us in more than 30 minutes early.

So lets say we show up early and get seated by, say, 6:10. I'm thinking even with that, its possible we may not get done and out of there and over to Mk until close to 8:00. Would that be not worth doing? What will we miss in the first hour? I know the party goes till midnight - but honestly, I doubt we'd make it that late. Should I go with this plan, or maybe think of doing the party another night?

Click here for Ch.29 Vintage Goodies

 

[Dancegrl624]

We're doing MNSSHP for the first time on Sept 28th (4 months from today!). I've heard it's best to arrive at the MK around 4pm (when you can get in with your party tickets). We have an early dinner for CRT at 4:25pm so we can be done with dinner before the party starts. If you really want to eat at 'Ohana, I'd say to keep your ressie for now and keep checking for an earlier time every now and then. I know you don't want to leave it for the last minute, but it worked for me last June. We were leaving on a Wed and the Friday before we left, I was able to find ressies for CM and LeCellier!