*******Official August 2017 Countdown Thread ~ Feeling hot, hot, hot!!!******

[Pills]

12 weeks from today.

Unfortunately, the airline fares aren't doing well by us. We save our CC points for travel, so we're going to pay for at least half of the fares that way, but it's not easy to find something less than $500 pp that doesn't involve LaGuardia. Those of you near NYC know about the nightmare that is currently.

 

[AliceNDinah]

Just curious as to who will be there the very last week of August. Our family of three will, and we can't wait!!!!!!!!!

 

[mnmhouston]

12 weeks from today.

Unfortunately, the airline fares aren't doing well by us. We save our CC points for travel, so we're going to pay for at least half of the fares that way, but it's not easy to find something less than $500 pp that doesn't involve LaGuardia. Those of you near NYC know about the nightmare that is currently.

I have been battling fares as well and have now added two extra days to my trip to get a lower fare. Staying at Pop so even with two extra nights, still making out way ahead. Saved $600 doing it that way. Our return alone was going to be $1100 for 3 of us. Coming back the day later (labor day) is only $525! Newark to Orlando.

Finally locked and loaded...now to pay Disney eeeeeek!

 

[mnmhouston]

Just curious as to who will be there the very last week of August. Our family of three will, and we can't wait!!!!!!!!!

We will! Pop Century 8/27-9/4 Myself and BFF celebrating our 40th bdays with my DD9 and DD14. We are so psyched. We have been friends for 35+ years and are the ultimate disney fanatics but have never gone together. My daughters are just as into it, so it will be much more fun traveling with her than DH who can only take so much....lol!

 

[BigMommaMouse]

Just curious as to who will be there the very last week of August. Our family of three will, and we can't wait!!!!!!!!!

We will be there Aug 16 to Aug 30!

 

[dizneeat]

We'll be there too - Aug 22nd to 28th before we board the Dream.

 

[Tomh]

Our 60 day mark is Monday the 12th. I can't wait to start making FP+ selections!

 

[dizneeat]

Our 60 day mark is Monday the 12th. I can't wait to start making FP+ selections!

You have to let us know how it went for you.

 

[VillainFavs]

I haven't been in August since 2011, and stayed off site that time. I was just reading the Beach Club thread and saw in the first post that last August, on site guest were given a bottle of bug spray, with information on mosquito control.

Is that normal now? Are they that bad?

7 trips, all in August, never used bug spray once. No bites at all for the four of us--and I have one DS who is usually a mosquito magnet!

I think the hype last year was all about Zika and they were just being over-the-top cautious.

 

[VillainFavs]

We'll be there too - Aug 22nd to 28th before we board the Dream.

Our dates exactly--but we're boarding Reality instead of the Dream after. Home for oldest DS's senior year of high school!

 

[Pills]

I have been battling fares as well and have now added two extra days to my trip to get a lower fare. Staying at Pop so even with two extra nights, still making out way ahead. Saved $600 doing it that way. Our return alone was going to be $1100 for 3 of us. Coming back the day later (labor day) is only $525! Newark to Orlando.

Finally locked and loaded...now to pay Disney eeeeeek!

We would usually go the night before - the difference in the fare would be about the same as an extra hotel night (I think last time the difference was $60), and occasionally we'd get FD for that night as well, so completely worth it. The wife didn't want to do that this time.

It's actually not the trip down, anyway - it's the trip back. Hard to find for less than $322pp. I can go out from LGA for $122... but it's LGA. Frontier is cheaper from Islip, but with bag fees it's about the same. Coming back on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend isn't easy!

 

[TJDisneymama]

Ive never had an issue with bugs no matter what month I've gone, and I've been in Feb, April, August and November during the past few years.

 

[Pills]

So this is where I am now. You can skip if you're not interested, but I need to get this down.

The flight back on JetBlue went down by $100, but the flight down went up. We can go out of LGA at 9 AM on 8/24 for $122/person instead of from JFK. OR, we can go the night before from JFK for $107/person (we live MUCH closer to JFK). Flight would land at 10, so we'd have to get our bags. So, $60 cheaper to go the night before there.

It looks like I can get a room at an All-Star for about $104/night, which includes taxes. We'd also want to add a park day for $40. This adds $84 to the vacation... but then we'd have to transfer to the Poly.

I think I have to do more research. Can we have our bags to go the Poly instead of the one night room if we don't need anything in them? How easy is it to transfer hotels for a split stay?

 

[dizneeat]

I think I have to do more research. Can we have our bags to go the Poly instead of the one night room if we don't need anything in them? How easy is it to transfer hotels for a split stay?

I don't think you can send your luggage to the Poly when you arrive, BUT, having it transferred from one resort to another is a piece of cake. Hand your luggage to bell services in the morning, tell them where it needs to go and it will be at your resort at check-in time (given you are checking in around three pm). We changed resorts 5 times in 16 days last summer and having luggage sent on was no hassle at all.

 

[Alli76]

So this is where I am now. You can skip if you're not interested, but I need to get this down.

The flight back on JetBlue went down by $100, but the flight down went up. We can go out of LGA at 9 AM on 8/24 for $122/person instead of from JFK. OR, we can go the night before from JFK for $107/person (we live MUCH closer to JFK). Flight would land at 10, so we'd have to get our bags. So, $60 cheaper to go the night before there.

It looks like I can get a room at an All-Star for about $104/night, which includes taxes. We'd also want to add a park day for $40. This adds $84 to the vacation... but then we'd have to transfer to the Poly.

I think I have to do more research. Can we have our bags to go the Poly instead of the one night room if we don't need anything in them? How easy is it to transfer hotels for a split stay?

I would do anything to avoid LGA right now!

 

[Tomh]

You have to let us know how it went for you.

Of course. That is what this forum is all about, sharing in the joy of planning

 

[Pills]

I don't think you can send your luggage to the Poly when you arrive, BUT, having it transferred from one resort to another is a piece of cake. Hand your luggage to bell services in the morning, tell them where it needs to go and it will be at your resort at check-in time (given you are checking in around three pm). We changed resorts 5 times in 16 days last summer and having luggage sent on was no hassle at all.

Awesome! Thanks!

I would do anything to avoid LGA right now!

Same. I texted our normal driver and he said it was $10 more to go to LGA (so another $10 saved by going the night before from JFK), but a potential 90 minute trip! If we'd have to be there by 8 for a 9:30 flight, that would be leaving at 6:30, meaning getting up an hour before... ugh.

I think the wife is now down with going the night before and spending the extra $74.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Our 60 day mark is Monday the 12th. I can't wait to start making FP+ selections!

Our 60 day mark is the 15th - excited to hear how you make out, especially with Animal Kingdom FP+! Good luck

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

7 trips, all in August, never used bug spray once. No bites at all for the four of us--and I have one DS who is usually a mosquito magnet!

I think the hype last year was all about Zika and they were just being over-the-top cautious.

Agreed! We've done 12 trips in a row in August - never wore bug spray and no bites. Lots of sunscreen but no bug spray

 

[Tomh]

Awesome! Thanks!



Same. I texted our normal driver and he said it was $10 more to go to LGA (so another $10 saved by going the night before from JFK), but a potential 90 minute trip! If we'd have to be there by 8 for a 9:30 flight, that would be leaving at 6:30, meaning getting up an hour before... ugh.

I think the wife is now down with going the night before and spending the extra $74.

Well, I save a lot of that grief by driving, which of course, brings it's own particular flavors of grief. I will be driving a rental car, which I will be picking up the morning we leave, at 7:30 in the morning, 40 minutes (in the wrong direction lol) from my house. so I'll need to be on the way there a little after 6:30, which means I'm going to have to be up around 6:00 to have breakfast and get ready. I guess it's all just a matter of which grief you prefer lol.