***Official April 2013 thread*** SEE POST # 4028

[kpmdjm]

Made the final payment. Yay!

My husband said he can't figure out how to make our final payment online. Can anyone help????

 

[gtpoohbear]

My husband said he can't figure out how to make our final payment online. Can anyone help????

I haven't tried yet but I've been hearing that the new site won't let you make payments online. Several people have posted about finding a "back door" into the old site by going to the "Order Customized Maps" link, and have been able to successfully make a payment that way. I haven't yet, but was going to try that trick sometime this week since we are getting close to our 45 days.

 

[Misti315]

41 days and counting for our first trip, we're so excited!

Us too!!

 

[TJDisneymama]

just did online checkin!
Does every resort give you different room request options? For AoA the options were: ground floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor, top floor, close to transportation.....and I think there was one more but I forget what it was. I chose top floor and close to transportation.

I'm still not PIF. My PIF date is tomorrow and I owe like $300. I know I could just throw it on a cc but i have such an aversion to charging stuff. Hopefully they don't cancel me before I get paid Wednesday, lol.
And then I still need to add the dining plan but will have to wait 'til I have the $$ to pay that in full. Ugh, money is getting tighter and tighter it seems. We also will have to pay Uncle Sam right before we go which sucks.....

 

[Misti315]

just did online checkin!
Does every resort give you different room request options? For AoA the options were: ground floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor, top floor, close to transportation.....and I think there was one more but I forget what it was. I chose top floor and close to transportation.

I'm still not PIF. My PIF date is tomorrow and I owe like $300. I know I could just throw it on a cc but i have such an aversion to charging stuff. Hopefully they don't cancel me before I get paid Wednesday, lol.
And then I still need to add the dining plan but will have to wait 'til I have the $$ to pay that in full. Ugh, money is getting tighter and tighter it seems. We also will have to pay Uncle Sam right before we go which sucks.....

Ours was supposed to be paid on the 21st, but our refund got held up by education credits. They sent us am email and said it had to be paid by the 30 day mark. Luckily we get our money this Wednesday. You should be fine.

 

[cgulls]

My guess is that it probably varies from day to day based on what they have available. It seems the only common denominator is that you get to stand on the platform to open the park. Everything else is just a bonus.

I still doubt I could convince DH get up extra early just for a possibility.

My family got picked a year ago. It was more than just standing on the platform during opening ceremony. We got to go into the park about 45 minutes before they let the crowds in. A CM took us around Main Street and we had over 100 PhotoPass photos taken of us on Main Street and in front of the castle with NOBODY else around. It was very very cool. We got to be backstage with the opening ceremony crew (the dancers).

We got one FastPass good for any attraction that day.

We didn't do anything special to get picked. And we're a pretty average family with average looking kids who were wearing average clothes. It just sort of happened.

 

[gtpoohbear]

We also will have to pay Uncle Sam right before we go which sucks.....

I thought it was strangely ironic that our taxes will be debited from our account 3 days before we leave, and that the amount of taxes we owe is almost exactly what our WDW vacation is costing

That's going to feel like one expensive week!

 

[anniebabymu]

I haven't tried yet but I've been hearing that the new site won't let you make payments online. Several people have posted about finding a "back door" into the old site by going to the "Order Customized Maps" link, and have been able to successfully make a payment that way. I haven't yet, but was going to try that trick sometime this week since we are getting close to our 45 days.

I PIF last night using the "back door" through the customizable maps link! Make sure you're logged in on the new site, click the order customized maps link then up in top click "my reservations". This took me to a page that had my balance and due date in red on top like in the old site. When I clicked that I was able to pay it! Got my "invoice " e-mailed today so I know it went through!

Now that we're all paid off my Mickey Mail needs to hurry up and get here!!

 

[buzzrelly]

I paid in full last night too...yay!! I didn't have any trouble with the website. I just went to the page where my reservation is showing and clicked the make a payment icon. It's feeling more real now! Now I just have to order my PP+ and decide if I want to send a gift basket to the room. I've sent baskets in the past but I cannot remember where I got them from. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[elfling8]

People that are having trouble getting to the pay your balance page on the website - try this link:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/
I saw it posted on another thread and it worked for me.

When does your Mickey Mail usually arrive? I'm waiting very impatiently. Does anyone know if you pre-ordered photopass+ if that info comes with the MMail? When we paid, it looked like the price reflected the pp+ addition, but it didn't have it as a line item on the receipt anywhere.

By the end of the week we will only be one calendar page flip from our trip!!!

 

[2excited2sleep]

Our Mickey mail arrived today

 

[wdwgirl03]

Our Mickey mail arrived today

YAY!!! Ours did too!

 

[anniebabymu]

People that are having trouble getting to the pay your balance page on the website - try this link:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/
I saw it posted on another thread and it worked for me.

When does your Mickey Mail usually arrive? I'm waiting very impatiently. Does anyone know if you pre-ordered photopass+ if that info comes with the MMail? When we paid, it looked like the price reflected the pp+ addition, but it didn't have it as a line item on the receipt anywhere.

By the end of the week we will only be one calendar page flip from our trip!!!

In Oct our pp+ came separately from our MM. Haven't ordered our yet this go around!

 

[cherylsmike]

I hadn't heard about the "back door" so I called to make my final payment. I told the automated system I wanted to make a payment and I did the whole thing pretty quickly using only the automated system. It even told me I was "Paid In Full". It was quick and easy.

Ironically, it was like my fifth final payment. I keep adding stuff. POP is the only resort I didn't make final payment for. I booked CSR standard room with tickets and made final payment. Then switched to POR with King bed and made final payment. Then added DDP and made partial payment and then a few days later final payment. I added my last day back and made final payment (wow, Debbie, you are on it...I haven't even posted that change on this thread yet but you already have the list updated...your awesome!) I added PH yesterday and made final payment again. The more OT I work the more money I make and the more money I spend. It's a vicious cycle. I guess I have an allergy to money in my account or the thought of actually having spending/fun money while on vacation.

My house would love to have some of this money dumped into it. I was looking at my main bathroom and I am just ashamed that other people will have to endure it while I am on vacation. I gave DH quite the lecture about being a lazy home owner. I even thought for 1/2 second that I should cancel the Disney portion of the trip to redo the bathroom, but luckily DH told me "Uh, HEdoublehockeystick NO! Thank goodness my DH is so rational

Any who, after all that. The automated phone system was an easy way to make a payment. And I don't normally have anything nice to say about automated phone systems.

 

[gtpoohbear]

People that are having trouble getting to the pay your balance page on the website - try this link:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/
I saw it posted on another thread and it worked for me.

You know, I hadn't thought that I minded the new website too much, it's kind of cute and all, when it works. But when I brought up that link I was almost giddy at seeing the "old" site again. Now I miss it. The new one definitely seems a little less Magical in comparison.

For some reason I still can't bring myself to PIF though, not sure what's holding me back It's going on our Disney Visa anyway, and we'll use the 6-months financing. But it still seems like an awfully big commitment. I have one more week until I'll have to take the plunge!

 

[TJDisneymama]

We're in the same boat house-wise. Lots of little things that need done since we'v e been here 11 years now, stuff is starting to go. A little tiny part of me (the un-fun,responsible part, lol) keeps thinking how we really should be spending this $ on the house, not vacation. BUT, then I think - I bust my butt working 3 jobs, am prone to depression (having an upcoming vacation is the best antidepressant in the world for me), and my kids are only young once; in 10-20-30 years would we look back and have fond memories of the new bathroom sink and/or tile backsplash in the kitchen? Is getting up every morning looking at new wall ovens going to keep the depression at bay? If i die next year, will i die happy that we spent all this $ on refinishing the floors? NO, NO, and NO!! Must keep the priorities in order.

 

[cherylsmike]

We're in the same boat house-wise. Lots of little things that need done since we'v e been here 11 years now, stuff is starting to go. A little tiny part of me (the un-fun,responsible part, lol) keeps thinking how we really should be spending this $ on the house, not vacation. BUT, then I think - I bust my butt working 3 jobs, am prone to depression (having an upcoming vacation is the best antidepressant in the world for me), and my kids are only young once; in 10-20-30 years would we look back and have fond memories of the new bathroom sink and/or tile backsplash in the kitchen? Is getting up every morning looking at new wall ovens going to keep the depression at bay? If i die next year, will i die happy that we spent all this $ on refinishing the floors? NO, NO, and NO!! Must keep the priorities in order.

Well said!

 

[wdw4rfam]

We're in the same boat house-wise. Lots of little things that need done since we'v e been here 11 years now, stuff is starting to go. A little tiny part of me (the un-fun,responsible part, lol) keeps thinking how we really should be spending this $ on the house, not vacation. BUT, then I think - I bust my butt working 3 jobs, am prone to depression (having an upcoming vacation is the best antidepressant in the world for me), and my kids are only young once; in 10-20-30 years would we look back and have fond memories of the new bathroom sink and/or tile backsplash in the kitchen? Is getting up every morning looking at new wall ovens going to keep the depression at bay? If i die next year, will i die happy that we spent all this $ on refinishing the floors? NO, NO, and NO!! Must keep the priorities in order.

Our philosophy also. Luckily my DH is just as Disney crazy as me if not worse. We say enjoy it while we can, while the kids are young. They aren't going to look back at their childhood and remember the boring things, they will remember our vacations. Don't work to pay bills I say, must have something to work FOR.

 

[wdw4rfam]

YAY!!! Ours did too!

oh, jealous.
Well, on the bright side.....within a few weeks we ALL will be getting our Mickey mail!!!

 

[Mousemommy1]

oh, jealous.
Well, on the bright side.....within a few weeks we ALL will be getting our Mickey mail!!!

Not me.....

Well, except for our ME stuff. This is the first time we've done a room only reservation and we don't get Mickey Mail for those I don't think....

Oh well I'll be excited for our ME stuff.