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

[msquoted]

Is it August yet?

 

[bobbie68]

What I'm reading mostly depends on if I'm on my phone or a computer. If I'm on a computer I'll check my subscribed threads and new posts. If I'm on my phone I'll check my subscribed and then I cruise between the Theme Parks Touring Plans and Strategies, Resorts and Restaurants.

I have a question for all you August folks. Last year when we went in August we didn't do any afternoon breaks. We are both 20 somethings with no kids. I felt like it was just wasting too much precious park time to take a break but ended up totally exhausted the last couple days. We went to DTD one night and I was just too exhausted to do anything there at all! This year we'll be going a couple days longer and staying at the Poly and BC so I think we should be able to do some breaks. My question is, do you ever feel like it's a waste? Do you ever get back to your room and get bummed out that you're not at a park?

We also have one Universal day planned. Our main goal at Universal is to go see Diagon Alley and Springfield. We still have park tix for that day at Disney because it's like a 20$ difference . Would we be totally nuts to stop in at a park that day after Universal? I feel like I would be kicking myself if we were down there for a day, on property (and we'll be at the Poly at that point) and didn't at least swing by MK.

I just recently got accepted to a Teacher Certification Program and will be going back to school in the fall so I don't know when our next chance to go to Disney will be! I want to be able to relax while we are there but also know that I'm going to want to be in the parks as much as possible!

Hi,
DH is in his late 30's and I am in my mid 40's and we have a DD 12. We have been going for a few years now and we don't tour much different. We go to the parks in the morning and stay till we are tired, then go back to the resort and relax, sometimes we go back at night. However, I will say I never feel like I am wasting any park time. For us the resort, DTD and any other aspect of Disney is part of the vacation. We like our down time and find it helps us through the week.

As far as going to MK when you get back I think that is fine. Why not. However, In order to see Diagon Alley this summer you are going to be fighting crowds and you might find you have to go later in the day to get into the park. I have been to Harry Potter at IOA but not till a few years after it opened. I am reading on the Universal board that either first thing in the morning or late day is the best.

Good luck.

 

[Pirate princess 2]

As a family we talk about everything we want to see and do, that usually includes time at the resort. On our day of arrival, I'm antsy to get to a park. If I don't get there by a certain time, I do feel like I'm wasting park time. As long as we are having a good time on our vacation, it's not a waste of time. I've also leaned that if we're able to stay longer than a week, I don't feel as rushed through the parks. That's not always financially possible though. This year we are going for 11 days. We have 3 non park days planned. We'll have dinner at a different resort. We'll go to DTD. We'll also go to the waterparks. It's all Disney and it's all fun.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I have a question for all you August folks. Last year when we went in August we didn't do any afternoon breaks. We are both 20 somethings with no kids. I felt like it was just wasting too much precious park time to take a break but ended up totally exhausted the last couple days. We went to DTD one night and I was just too exhausted to do anything there at all! This year we'll be going a couple days longer and staying at the Poly and BC so I think we should be able to do some breaks. My question is, do you ever feel like it's a waste? Do you ever get back to your room and get bummed out that you're not at a park?

We never feel like its a waste at all. While we love visiting the parks and attractions (Disney or otherwise), we also love our downtime. We plan dedicated resort days throughout our vacation so we can remain rested and relaxed, which allows us to make the most of our park time.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Is it August yet?

No.........waaahhh!!!!!!!!

 

[GillianP1301]

Gina, noticed you're from Canada, so directing this question to you. But any feedback would be great. Which airline do you normally use? I like Westjet and have flown them the past 2 years on Air Miles. This year, I'm paying outright so paying more attention to prices. They are still a bit high (in my opinion), so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm not even sure when to expect the lowest fares. What's your experience been like?

 

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

Gina, noticed you're from Canada, so directing this question to you. But any feedback would be great. Which airline do you normally use? I like Westjet and have flown them the past 2 years on Air Miles. This year, I'm paying outright so paying more attention to prices. They are still a bit high (in my opinion), so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm not even sure when to expect the lowest fares. What's your experience been like?

Hi...from Canada here too. We looked and compared prices with all airlines that fly out of Calgary to Orlando, west jet and air Canada were by far the most expensive. We've flown united for the last two years and will fly with them again this August. They were $2000 cheaper over all.

We checked and waited in previous years for better prices and learned to book as early as possible. We locked our prices down in January and I've been watching the prices climb since!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[nadira36]

I have a question for all you August folks. Last year when we went in August we didn't do any afternoon breaks. My question is, do you ever feel like it's a waste? Do you ever get back to your room and get bummed out that you're not at a park?

We also have one Universal day planned. Our main goal at Universal is to go see Diagon Alley and Springfield. We still have park tix for that day at Disney because it's like a 20$ difference . Would we be totally nuts to stop in at a park that day after Universal? I feel like I would be kicking myself if we were down there for a day, on property (and we'll be at the Poly at that point) and didn't at least swing by MK.

I just recently got accepted to a Teacher Certification Program and will be going back to school in the fall so I don't know when our next chance to go to Disney will be!

First, as a 20 something, I'd totally go back to the resort for down time. With 4 children it gets a lot trickier to get back and forth so we do shorter days rather than head back to the park after relaxing. When I was younger and had fewer children it was totally doable to take a break - and staying at the Poly and BC it's easy to get back and forth.

If you have energy after universal, and are back in time, I'd suggest stopping in and watching the MSEP and fireworks, maybe taking in a ride or two - FP+ would allow you to have something booked for that time of night.

Though staying at the Poly, I highly suggest, at least once, getting a dole whip (assuming you can still get them there in August) and enjoying your dole whip on a hammock while watching the fireworks. It's so magical!

Congratulations on getting accepted to school! If it may be a while between trips, I say go for magical and relaxed long before you go for time in the parks.

Gina, noticed you're from Canada, so directing this question to you. But any feedback would be great. Which airline do you normally use? I like Westjet and have flown them the past 2 years on Air Miles. This year, I'm paying outright so paying more attention to prices. They are still a bit high (in my opinion), so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm not even sure when to expect the lowest fares. What's your experience been like?

I usually compare expedia and travelocity for prices from Edmonton and book the cheapest fare with the times I want. It's a toss up as to which airline I prefer. Ultimately it comes down to cost and that's it. This year I'm flying United b/c it's so much cheaper. Personally, I found the prices this year to be the lowest in 10 years. I booked at the beginning of March. Prior to that I wasn't even looking. But I typically find March to be the best fares for my area - with another close sale about 3 months out from the trip time. The only issue I have with booking so far out, is they often change flight times - and for us, it's pretty important that we arrive in plenty of time to feed our children and get ME, with baggage pick-up. So arriving after7PM is really pushing it. The farther out I book, the better the fare, but the more phone calls I have to make about our reservation.

 

[minnie1012]

Question-How does everyone navigate these boards? Do you have certain boards you stick to? Do you just look at the most recent threads?

I enjoy wasting my time on here, but I feel like I don't do it efficiently. It's too big and I get lost. I only have one other message board I'm on, and it's much smaller.

It depends. Like others have said I always check what I am subscribed too. If I don't have a trip coming up I stay in community and budget for the most part. When I have a trip planned or have time then I will be in the family board, theme park strategies, restaurants, & disabilities board (dd has food allergies).

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina, noticed you're from Canada, so directing this question to you. But any feedback would be great. Which airline do you normally use? I like Westjet and have flown them the past 2 years on Air Miles. This year, I'm paying outright so paying more attention to prices. They are still a bit high (in my opinion), so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm not even sure when to expect the lowest fares. What's your experience been like?

We fly JetBlue (preferably from Syracuse, but don't mind flying from Buffalo either). We LOVE JetBlue ....the seats are roomy (DH is 6' 4" tall and BIG guy, so roominess is important!!), the onboard TV's and free seat selection are a must for us, everyone gets a free checked bag each way, and snacks are free too.

We have also flown Sunwing from Toronto (way, way too cramped) and Airtran from Buffalo (very old plane, no TV's, baggage was extra). Air Canada and Westjet from Toronto and Ottawa have always been well out of the budget.

For JetBlue, definitely the lowest fares in our experience have always been when the flights are first released. Our JB flights for this trip were purchased in November.....and have already more than doubled in price.

We personally hate flying from Pearson.....too big, too chaotic. Syracuse and Buffalo are WONDERFUL airports to fly from. Small, easy to navigate, and very traveller-friendly. Parking is cheaper too. As an added bonus, we clear customs at the border in the car vs. at the airport, so we don't have to be there 3 hours in advance of our flight. Even if JetBlue and Air Canada or Westjet were the same price, we'd still choose to fly from Syracuse or Buffalo. I know many Ontario folks love Southwest from Buffalo as well (their no change fees are very appealing!) but we avoid them as the open seating policy is not for our family, and they don't have TV's on each seat.

 

[maddiebee]

Thanks for all the replies! I definitely want to try to relax a little more on this trip and since we'll be at BC for a bit, we need some time at SAB!

 

[WAHkoMom]

Last night, my friend and her daughter came over for dinner and I shared with them the plans I've made so far for our trip. They picked out their Magic Band colors and changed their characters on MDE (this is all new to them) and I showed them pictures of AKV. It was fun to talk about our trip, even though it's 4 1/2 months away! Our kids are 14, 14 and 16, so we'll be able to split up during our vacation - letting the kids go off on their own, and allowing me, DH and my friend to have adult time, too.

I am so looking forward to our vacation!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So.... my task, over the next 140-ish days, is to find water shoes in a men's 14 or 15 that won't break the bank. DH has incredibly large feet which are sooooo difficult to fit. I was hoping to pick up a pair here at home but our area just doesn't carry sizes that large. Saw some on the swim outlet's online store but none ship to Canada (d'oh!! ) . Good thing I have a while to track a pair down!!

 

[msquoted]

RESORTS/DATES

7/27/14 - 8/9/14 Villas at Grand Floridian/Bay Lake Tower KSL
7/28/14 - 8/6/14 Port Orleans Riverside/Animal Kingdom Lodge anjalee6
7/30/14 - 8/3/14 Boardwalk Villas tina1220
7/30/14 - 8/6/14 Saratoga Springs Resort Vinnya1726
8/1/14 - 8/7/14 Universal/Coronado Springs Resort karenklo
8/1/14 - 8/9/14 Art of Animation/Boardwalk Villas Fivesacharm
8/1/14 - 8/10/14 Art of Animation llcole111
8/2/14 - 8/10/14 Pop Century dbramer
8/3/14 - 8/8/14 Animal Kingdom Lodge mom2kando
8/3/14 - 8/8/14 Art of Animation LK Suite hforman
8/3/14 - 8/15/14 Art of Animation LM SweetStitch13
8/5/14 - 8/10/14 Coronado Springs karenklo
8/5/14 - 8/12/14 Port Orleans French Quarter xlsm
8/5/14 - 8/15/14 Animal Kingdom Lodge OThopeful35
8/6/14 - 8/13/14 Boardwalk Villas lovenerds81112
8/7/14 - 8/23/14 Pop Century Mickey_Lynne
8/8/14 - 8/15/14 Pop Century huggiebear23
8/8/14 - 8/17/14 Port Orleans Riverside RysMomma
8/8/14 - 8/17/14 Royal Pacific Hotel/Boardwalk Villas JVL1018
8/9/14 - 8/16/14 Art of Animation srauseo
8/9/14 - 8/16/14 Pop Century ILoveMickeyandMinnie
8/9/14 - 8/21/14 Port Orleans Riverside fredflinstone
8/10/14 - 8/16/14 Port Orleans Riverside Poodie
8/10/14 - 8/24/14 Fort Wilderness mkoerner
8/10/14 - 8/21/14 Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani lovemygrowingfamily
8/11/14 - 8/16/14 Art of Animation Nemo Suite ajbrickyard
8/13/14 - 8/22/14 Saratoga Springs/Boardwalk Villas/Hilton Head Resort lovin'fl
8/13/14 - 8/27/14 Port Orleans Resort/Old Key West I Run Long
8/14/14 - 8/19/14 Pop Century Kimgof
8/14/14 - 9/1/14 Old Key West/Portofino Bay Hotel/Boardwalk Inn Scrap_Vamp
8/15/14 - 8/22/14 Pop Century DisMom1981
8/15/14 - 8/23/14 Pop Century Momof1redhead
8/16/14 - 8/23/14 Yacht Club maulers40
8/16/14 - 8/23/14 WAHkoMom Animal Kingdom Villas
8/16/14 - 8/24/14 Boardwalk Villas/Villas Wilderness Lodge/Animal Kingdom Lodge digiMom
8/16/14 - 8/24/14 Pop Century mom2clr
8/16/14 - 8/23/14 Port Orleans Riverside IndyDisney
8/16/14 - 8/26/14 Grand Floridian Mousemommy1
8/17/14 - 8/24/14 Grand Floridian RPC/Contemporary Resort TPV syp4dis
8/17/14 - 8/25/14 Villas at Wilderness Lodge/Coronado Springs Resort RedskinFan
8/17/14 - 8/25/14 Beach Club Princess Katherine
8/17/14 - 8/31/14 Sheraton Vistana Resort Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
8/17/14 - 8/21/14 Yacht Club DJFan88
8/17/14 - 8/12/14 Animal Kingdom Villas helenk
8/17/14 - 8/23/14 Pop Century MamaSammy
8/17/14 - 9/1/14 Pop Century michellelovesthemous
8/18/14 - 8/25/14 Saratoga Springs BudgieMama
8/18/14 - 8/25/14 Pop Century GoofyMB
8/19/14 - 8/26/14 Art of Animation LM Hockeyfan17
8/19/14 - 8/23/14 Wilderness Lodge mom2 3girls
8/20/14 - 8/23/14 Fort Wilderness Cabins dtats
8/20/14 - 8/27/14 Polynesian Resort iamadisneynut
8/20/14 - 8/29/14 Beach Club aloha517
8/20/14 - 8/29/14 Contemporary Resort TPV prgal0715
8/20/14 - 8/29/14 All Star Movies Pirate princess 2
8/20/14 - 8/30/14 Port Orleans Riverside wolf29
8/20/14 - 8/31/14 Port Orleans Riverside Mrs. M. Mouse
8/20/14 - 9/1/14 Port Orleans Riverside ellie'smom
8/20/14 - 9/1/14 Port Orleans French Quarter Disneylover99
8/20/14 - 9/3/14 Port Orleans Riverside Whereisalyssa
8/21/14 - 9/2/14 Port Orleans French Quarter donnaf516
8/22/14 - 8/26/14 Beach Club rebeccam31
8/22/14 - 8/31/14 Beach Club pate59
8/22/14 - 8/31/14 Beach Club/Boardwalk Villas tlenzendorf
8/23/14 - 8/30/14 Port Orleans French Quarter sktjcox
8/25/14 - 9/3/14 Wilderness Lodge Christinaxo
8/25/14 - 9/5/14 Port Orleans Riverside disneymom1229
8/29/14 - 9/1/14 Pop Century letthewookiewin

Can I be added to the list? We are staying at Ft. Wilderness and then offsite. I am guessing you don't count travel days in the vacation dates? If we are including the road trip/arrival days our vacation is from 8/8/14 - 8/17/14 or it would be 8/10/14 - 8/15/14 if we are starting the dates from our first day in the parks to the last day in the parks. Thanks

 

[Pirate princess 2]

So.... my task, over the next 140-ish days, is to find water shoes in a men's 14 or 15 that won't break the bank. DH has incredibly large feet which are sooooo difficult to fit. I was hoping to pick up a pair here at home but our area just doesn't carry sizes that large. Saw some on the swim outlet's online store but none ship to Canada (d'oh!! ) . Good thing I have a while to track a pair down!!

Did you try Payless? DS13 ( I can't believe he's 13) is now in a size 12. I was concerned the last time that I bought him shoes that soon I wouldn't be able to find him any if he keeps growing. Payless told me that on their website they sell larger sizes. IDK if they ship to where you are, but it might be worth a shot. Good luck.

On a different note, I am also ready for August. They are saying we could get 6-8 inches of snow tonight. I can't take any more snow.

 

[jmulvaney]

My DH and I are doing both our first couple-only and August trip, and I can't wait!! Our dates are 8/29-9/1 and we are staying at the Dolphin. We haven't been to WDW for over 6 years, so I am in a planning frenzy!

 

[Mousemommy1]

Can I be added to the list? We are staying at Ft. Wilderness and then offsite. I am guessing you don't count travel days in the vacation dates? If we are including the road trip/arrival days our vacation is from 8/8/14 - 8/17/14 or it would be 8/10/14 - 8/15/14 if we are starting the dates from our first day in the parks to the last day in the parks. Thanks

My DH and I are doing both our first couple-only and August trip, and I can't wait!! Our dates are 8/29-9/1 and we are staying at the Dolphin. We haven't been to WDW for over 6 years, so I am in a planning frenzy!

I got you both added to page 1. Happy planning!!!

It's a rainy Sunday up here in NH. Just grateful it's not snow. August dreaming here....

 

[GillianP1301]

We fly JetBlue (preferably from Syracuse, but don't mind flying from Buffalo either). We LOVE JetBlue ....the seats are roomy (DH is 6' 4" tall and BIG guy, so roominess is important!!), the onboard TV's and free seat selection are a must for us, everyone gets a free checked bag each way, and snacks are free too.

We have also flown Sunwing from Toronto (way, way too cramped) and Airtran from Buffalo (very old plane, no TV's, baggage was extra). Air Canada and Westjet from Toronto and Ottawa have always been well out of the budget.

For JetBlue, definitely the lowest fares in our experience have always been when the flights are first released. Our JB flights for this trip were purchased in November.....and have already more than doubled in price.

We personally hate flying from Pearson.....too big, too chaotic. Syracuse and Buffalo are WONDERFUL airports to fly from. Small, easy to navigate, and very traveller-friendly. Parking is cheaper too. As an added bonus, we clear customs at the border in the car vs. at the airport, so we don't have to be there 3 hours in advance of our flight. Even if JetBlue and Air Canada or Westjet were the same price, we'd still choose to fly from Syracuse or Buffalo. I know many Ontario folks love Southwest from Buffalo as well (their no change fees are very appealing!) but we avoid them as the open seating policy is not for our family, and they don't have TV's on each seat.

Thanks for this info. I've considered flying out of Buffalo, but whenever I check Jet Blue prices, it's never much of a savings over Westjet or Air Canada. Based on what you're saying, it's because I don't book early enough. It's good to hear all the positive feedback on Jet Blue though, they were a complete unknown to me, so at least I can keep them on my list of potential. And I suppose all I can do know is hope for a seat sale that I can take advantage of.

 

[Pikester]

Can I be added? Pop Century 8/16-8/23

 

[kpearl]

I'll be staying at All Star Music from 8/3 to 8/9!