****Official August 2014 Thread****

[DisMom1981]

Looking at being at WDW 8/22-8/30 and my oldest daughter may bring her BFF so we will be a party of six and are pretty much priced out of staying on site. Looking to stay at Bonnet Creek. Now if the BFF doesn't come, or free dinning is offered or some other scenario happens we may end up onsite at POR Looking at coming in on a Friday and starting our parks Saturday. Our plan is 7 day tickets with park hoppers and water parks. One day we will be heading to Legoland. Last day will be a late flight so we will have 3/4 day there. Second trip ever and last one was a decade ago for just 4 days.

How exciting! Lots of changes since your last trip!

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[DisMom1981]

Hello All!!!! I have been so busy with the holidays I haven't been able to get on here in what seems like forever! I hope everyone is already having a great new year! I can't believe it's already almost time for me to make our ADR's!!! I am so excited we are trying a bunch of new resturants this year. Everyone talking about FP+ does make me realize I need to figure out what I want to pick for rides. I am so excited to go to Disney!!!!

Me too!!! I hate wishing time away but......is it August yet?!?!

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[tlenzendorf]

Me too!!! I hate wishing time away but......is it August yet?!?!

With schools closing due to cold tomorrow and ridiculous wind chills I could use some August!

 

[rebeccam31]

We booked our fp+ prior to the tiering that went into effect on Nov 1. I think you can get TOT and RNRC but you can't get TSM and RNRC. We were lucky to have all 3.

That's correct. ToT is a tier 2 ride for whatever reason.

 

[supergoofy]

How exciting! Lots of changes since your last trip!

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On one hand I am glad I have been doing research since March.

But on the other hand I know how much is there and know how much we will not get to see.

But kids are older so I am letting them plan this out with me. Each one gets to pick an ADR. And from rope drop till lunch will be pretty much planned. But from their till bed time I am just going to relax and let it all go.

 

[xlsm]

Oh I vote that it's your birthday too that week!

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It'll be 6 months after my bday, so I can just celebrate turning 32 1/2 right?? Kind of like, hey, I woke up breathing this morning, let's party!! LOL

 

[hforman]

If you are rope droppers or early arrivers, I would save your passes until the afternoon or evening. No need to have them in the morning. Same if you hop...go to park 1 in the morning and avoid long lines then have fp+ for the park you plan to hop to.

Thank you, that's great advice!

 

[WVParkfan]

August 2-9. Our first visit in 4 years, our 10th overall, and our first OFF SITE stay. Using up the final 3 days on old Park Hoppers and looking for a great vacation!

Leaving in 207 days!

 

[Dwheels]

Yea 2014 is finally here!! We usually visit WDW at least once a year and 2013 we skipped

 

[DisMom1981]

It'll be 6 months after my bday, so I can just celebrate turning 32 1/2 right?? Kind of like, hey, I woke up breathing this morning, let's party!! LOL

Absolutely!!!

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[tlenzendorf]

It'll be 6 months after my bday, so I can just celebrate turning 32 1/2 right?? Kind of like, hey, I woke up breathing this morning, let's party!! LOL

DBF turns 40 in February. He keeps saying he's celebrating his 40th birthday at Disney. 6 months after his birthday. If it works for him it works for you

 

[tlenzendorf]

With the cold days off school adding to an already long winter break we did our Disney planning today. It looks like there is a pattern to EMH and hours, so we followed that

The kids did dining research, gave their top 3 and DBF and I narrowed it down. Now I can't wait for hours to come out just to verify and then 2/26 for making ADRs!! I'm almost more excited for that than our DL trip in 10 days... Almost.

 

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

So how many of my dis friends received the computer key and date magnet? And how far out are you from your trip? I'm feeling left out lol!!!

 

[hforman]

So how many of my dis friends received the computer key and date magnet? And how far out are you from your trip? I'm feeling left out lol!!!

me, too! I tried asking disney live help and they told me they were only going to people who registered recently, but that's not true because some people who registered back in july got them. seems very random.

 

[KSL]

Hi All!

I just caught up with this thread -- I am from the 2013 August group, and even though our trip starts in July this year, I like the August planners and it's nice that there are a few familiar "faces" here, so this is the group I will stick with! Mousemommy, if you don't mind adding me to the list, that would be great. I posted part of our trip dates back on page 12 but didn't make it onto page 1 yet. Our dates and resorts are now completely set as:

Sun., July 27 - Sat.., Aug 2 == Villas at Grand Floridian
Sat., Aug 2 - Sat., Aug 9 == Bay Lake Towers

Adding to the discussion of the Incredibles package with the thumb drive, booklet, and magnet, here's our experience: We booked the BLT portion of our stay at 11 months out (so, early September) and got the box with these items sometime in mid-December (yay! fun! but nothing really new. Love the magnet, tho! ). Then we booked the VGF portion of our stay at 7 months out (so, late December) and just two days ago received another package with a customized booklet for our VGF dates (including magnet in the back, so now we have two magnets, one for each set of dates of our split-stay), but no thumb drive. Not sure whether that's because they "knew" they'd already sent us one (but I feel like I have read posts of people with split stays receiving two packages with thumb drives?), or whether they aren't sending the thumb drives anymore, or what. Those of you who haven't received them yet, maybe they are still coming! I know last year people who had purchased the DVC annual passes were getting these cool car magnets and we never got one...until seemingly months after everyone else had theirs, and then it came!

I know this is August planning, but does anyone know if all the July hours are posted somewhere? On the official site I only see them through mid-month. I can start planning ADRs in a couple of weeks, so I need to get a rough idea of which parks on which days and like to consider the EMHs.

Now that the trip is later THIS YEAR I will start planning in more earnest and will try to check in with the DIS more regularly. I am happy to be back in a planning group!

 

[tlenzendorf]

Those of you who haven't received them yet, maybe they are still coming! I know last year people who had purchased the DVC annual passes were getting these cool car magnets and we never got one...until seemingly months after everyone else had theirs, and then it came!

I know this is August planning, but does anyone know if all the July hours are posted somewhere? On the official site I only see them through mid-month. I can start planning ADRs in a couple of weeks, so I need to get a rough idea of which parks on which days and like to consider the EMHs. Now that the trip is later THIS YEAR I will start planning in more earnest and will try to check in with the DIS more regularly. I am happy to be back in a planning group!

That's like me and DBF. We both got APs in September, he got regular and I got the passport for both DL and WDW, he got the passholder magnet and I didn't. Talk about ticking me off!

Try this link for the July hours: http://media.disneywebcontent.com/S...pdf/ParkHours/WDW_Operating_Calendar_july.pdf

Also, it seems like all the EMH hours repeat and the hours stay fairly consistent year to year, so here is August 2013 for those like me that want to get planning

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/S.../pdf/ParkHours/WDW_Operating_Calendar_aug.pdf

 

[KSL]

Tlenzendorf, thank you for the links! I am hoping there will be some changes to the July schedule as it gets closer, because these are definitely shorter hours than we usually see in August. No daytime parade at MK!? Only one MSEP per night!? (not that we watch both, but it dissipates the crowd and we like to have the choice of times) I had been bracing myself for BTGs, but I think maybe I need to do a little more research on traveling in July! Anyway, I know this is an August planning group, so no more whining about July from me! Besides, I will be in Disney -- it's all good!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So frustrated today that I hope you don't mind me venting .

We are booked for our first two week trip in August (the 17th to the 31st).

We purchased our airfare in November when Jetblue released their flights, as we know from past experience that flights with JB tend to only get higher with time (and FWIW, flight prices have gone up by over $100 pp, round trip, when we booked).

DH works as a supervisor for an auto parts manufacturer in our city. He has been employed there 20 years this May. He has the highest seniority in his department, and is entitled to 5 weeks of vacation under company policy. This is a non-unionized organization.

Official vacation requests are opened on January 1st of each year. So, as soon as the new year hit, he placed his vacation request for our two weeks.....and was told yesterday by his supervisor that it was denied, as they don't want him away for two weeks at one time .

This is the first time in 20 years he's ever had vacation time declined. Particularly when its requested this far in advance. This is not a small company.....there are at least 700 permanent employees plus a fluctuating number of temporary and contract workers.

DH is the kind of employee who very rarely even takes his whole vacation entitlement in a year (he forfeited some again in 2013....but that's another story). He works tons of overtime to cover for various others who need time off for whatever reason (vacation, illness, or even when things are just backed up and they need an extra pair of hands). He is frequently called in for "two hours" and ends up spending 8. He was even called in at dinnertime on New Years day for a couple of hours .... and ended up staying until 1:30 am.

To change our airfare is going to be $150 pp (x 4, as we will have to pay for changes to our three tickets plus DS's GF who is coming with us for her first trip to Florida) plus any difference in airfare.

He is taking our dilemma to HR to see what can be done, but I am heartsick at the thought that we may be out another $1000 US and have to cut our vacation short. This was supposed to be DS's celebration trip for his high school graduation.

I just want to SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And cry . Though I did that last night and it quite honestly didn't help.

 

[tlenzendorf]

Tlenzendorf, thank you for the links! I am hoping there will be some changes to the July schedule as it gets closer, because these are definitely shorter hours than we usually see in August. No daytime parade at MK!? Only one MSEP per night!? (not that we watch both, but it dissipates the crowd and we like to have the choice of times) I had been bracing myself for BTGs, but I think maybe I need to do a little more research on traveling in July! Anyway, I know this is an August planning group, so no more whining about July from me! Besides, I will be in Disney -- it's all good!

I'm sure it will be updated. The parade isn't on I bet because of the change. When does the new one start? March? We have the same touring style every trip which is why planning around EMH works better for us then the actual hours do.

 

[tlenzendorf]

So frustrated today that I hope you don't mind me venting

I hope everything works out!!