*****Official February 2015 Thread! Come check in and chat!*****

[AZMermaid]

Ugh that looks rough! Small World is likely closed to remove the holiday stuff so I am going to be optimistic that it is reopened by the time we go. I am pretty sure Pooh is scheduled to reopen 2/5, I can't remember your dates though! I hope Redwood Creek is open for us- our whole arrival day is planned based on letting them burn steam back there for a while after the long drive! That is the first I have seen of the Railroad closing- that would be a big loss for my family too. I too am trying not to stress too much until I see the list for our dates- but it is hard! Just remember- your son (and my kids) don't know Small World exists. Well, mine sort of do because I sing it all the time and we have the book, but even then, they don't know they are missing something.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I am just thinking there are a lot of rides that he won't really enjoy all that much. But I know that he would probably love Small World.

 

[minneylovesmicky]

Small World is likely closed to remove the holiday stuff

We are there from 1/2 till 12/2 so am hoping that it will re-open before we leave. will keep everything crossed

 

[lalasmama]

Change in plans... After cancelling a December trip, and charges being dropped by the hotel, charges were added back a week later. So, we're jumping off the DI&S ship, and heading back to our favored PVI from 2/4-2/8.

Have to admit I'm pleased that we're back at PVI, which is where DD, DH, and I stayed for our first family vacation, as well as where DH and I stayed on our honeymoon. The beds can't be beat, the towels are great, and that breakfast is a nice way to start the day.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Change in plans... After cancelling a December trip, and charges being dropped by the hotel, charges were added back a week later. So, we're jumping off the DI&S ship, and heading back to our favored PVI from 2/4-2/8.

Have to admit I'm pleased that we're back at PVI, which is where DD, DH, and I stayed for our first family vacation, as well as where DH and I stayed on our honeymoon. The beds can't be beat, the towels are great, and that breakfast is a nice way to start the day.

They charged you even though you didn't stay there? Did you get your money back??

That worries me. We booked our February trip with them. And we booked some days in April as back up which we will cancel if we're able to make it in February. (If anyone gets sick or something, we'll cancel Feb and go in April.)

 

[Aladora]

Change in plans... After cancelling a December trip, and charges being dropped by the hotel, charges were added back a week later. So, we're jumping off the DI&S ship, and heading back to our favored PVI from 2/4-2/8.

Have to admit I'm pleased that we're back at PVI, which is where DD, DH, and I stayed for our first family vacation, as well as where DH and I stayed on our honeymoon. The beds can't be beat, the towels are great, and that breakfast is a nice way to start the day.

If you cancelled more than 48 hours before the start of your stay and were still charged for one or more nights of your stay, I would absolutely get hold of the hotel and demand that they reverse the charges. Unless they have changed their policy from the end of August, this is what it says at the bottom of their reservation confirmation e-mail:

Deposit/Cancellation
Must cancel 48 hours prior to arrival in order to avoid a fee of one nights room and tax. Your credit card will be authorized for one nights room and tax within 48 hours of the arrival date. If your credit card is not approved the reservation will be cancelled. If the reservation is not guaranteed with a credit card, a deposit in the equivalent of one nights room and tax is required within 30 days prior to the arrival date.

 

[lalasmama]

They charged you even though you didn't stay there? Did you get your money back??

That worries me. We booked our February trip with them. And we booked some days in April as back up which we will cancel if we're able to make it in February. (If anyone gets sick or something, we'll cancel Feb and go in April.)

If you cancelled more than 48 hours before the start of your stay and were still charged for one or more nights of your stay, I would absolutely get hold of the hotel and demand that they reverse the charges. Unless they have changed their policy from the end of August, this is what it says at the bottom of their reservation confirmation e-mail:

Cancelled at 36 hours, when FIL died. They refunded our first night, cancelled the rest of the stay. Everything refunded within 24 hours.... Then they re-charged us for that first night a week later, when we didn't have any reservations. Honestly, I understand not being refunded the money--if they had said that when I called. Instead, they refunded it, and recharged it a week later. That is where I'm taking issue. DH is speaking with a manager about it today.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Ah. So yeah...technically you should be charged for 1 night since it was in that 48 hour window. They much have realized their mistake. Or maybe the way they have to do it is to cancel and then recharge the 1 night.

 

[lalasmama]

Ah. So yeah...technically you should be charged for 1 night since it was in that 48 hour window. They much have realized their mistake. Or maybe the way they have to do it is to cancel and then recharge the 1 night.

Technically, yes, I understand if they were charging me. But they refunded it, as they said they would, then recharged me a week later. I'm fine that they charged me--not fine that they refunded and then recharged a week later without warning, as I thought it was forgiven due to the circumstances, and then they went against what they said they would do. Oh well. Water under the bridge now, and they've lost our 10 nights a year, which I know they won't really miss

 

[Satye1]

Looks like rumors are true!!
They have posted Fireworks "Fantasy in the Sky" for weekends in January...which should be great news for us fellow disers going in Febuary!

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/day/2015-01-24/

 

[Aladora]

I just booked our dining reservations, Blue Bayou for F! dining on the 10th and Napa Rose Chef's Counter and Pinocchio's Workshop on the 11th! When I was on the phone with GCH, I managed to get a note put on our reservation that we would prefer a bunk bed room near the Napa Rose elevator, although I know that it is never guaranteed that they will be able to honour the request.

The only thing left to do book are our parkhoppers and I am still holding out to see if a) our $ improves and b) ebates gets a better cash back %. I think that the latter of those might happen but I doubt the former will, at least not in any significant way.

I keep running the numbers and no matter which way I go, they all end up pretty close to the same, around $950 Canadian for the three 5 day parkhoppers. I wish I had enough Airmiles to get one of them but I'm short around 1000 miles...I doubt I can get that many in the next month or so. But, everything else has been booked and the other two big expenses (hotel and airfare) have been paid for.

Now...to wait and try and figure out how to tell our son.

 

[MadameRebecca]

Oh!! I really hope there's fireworks in February! Sounds promising.

The Aussie dollar isn't much better either. Keeps dropping but there's not much we can do now. Holiday is all booked and flights paid. Luckily, food is much cheaper in the States than here. I always laugh when people complain about the price of food in the parks. I think it's pretty good.

 

[MG3G]

I "think" I found the cheapest tickets on way.com even with exchange! AND even better Get Away Today will match prices so I'm thinking about pulling the plug and buying them. We need 6 tickets - 4 adults and 2 children, one kiddo is still free. We are forgoing hoppers this trip as the tickets themselves are just SO expensive. Anyone else doing that?

I didn't realize you could start booking things already so I guess I'll get on that too - we are hoping for Bippity on the 10th. I am going to see if they will take pity on me and let us book our 2 year old, she'll be 34 months on the trip. I know normally that is no dice but this may be our last family trip due to my medical issues so I am hoping for some huge pixie dust.

Anyone else super stressed about the railway being down in Jan? I have been searching everywhere and there is zero info about how long and why it's down that I can find. For us it's MAJOR - like major, major that it's down. I'm not entirely sure how we will manage the trip without it honestly.

Also coming to the realization that we will likely have three "handicapped" people on our trip so that adds a whole nother layer. I will have my ECV, I think I am going to rent instead of bringing mine from home though so the airport is going to be a challenge! DS2 has autism and we are keeping the DAS in the back pocket. He's doing great now but I don't know if Disney is going to be too much, he's 11 but when we went when he was 6 he spent a lot of time hiding out in the stroller with blankets. I think the plan is to not bother with the DAS until we NEED it though because we'll already be in the WC line with me so hopefully that will be quiet enough he won't need more of a break then that. THEN our youngest broke her leg in Oct and it's STILL not healed! I just realized that likely she won't be up to walking yet by then, I men she's 2 so she will have a stroller anyway but more then likely even walking the lines might be too much. I'm hoping the cast will come off next week which gives her a little over a month to learn to walk again but her leg looks TERRIBLE. During cast changes I've been able to see she has lost a boat load of muscle tone, physio is already lined up for as soon as the silly thing gets off.

IDK I just feel super stressed about our trip. We are staying at the DI&S which has such mixed reviews it makes me nervous. Our rental car is through SIXT which I've never even heard of before but was almost 1/2 the cost and has ok reviews so I am worried about that. Not to mention we HAVE to have a full size SUV and if they don't have one we are hooped since we won't fit in anything else. (Another reason I'm likely renting a scooter instead of bringing my own is the worry about it fitting in the hatch.) We are flying United which I'm not familiar with, out of SEA which we've never done. Then the refurbs and the dollar and everything .... I just want to stay home -lol.

 

[Satye1]

Yes, I saw the railroad closure too, crossing my fingers that this is brief, we love riding this for a much needed break on the footsies!

You might want to read the updates they just rolled out on the changes to Disability service for guests...it is highlighted in an article posted this week by mouse planet. http://www.mouseplanet.com/10886/Disneyland_Resort_Update

I traveled with my daughters broken leg when she was 4. They were very accomidating, she was unable to walk at all or bear weight on leg/cast. We headed to main street @ city hall & they gave us a pass for seperate entrance so she could go directly from wheel chair (or stroller) to ride...since she was too big to carry hold in lines for long period & they dont allow wheel chairs/strollers (nor will they fit) in most lines....with exception to DCA--@ DCA most lines their are accominating to special needs, mobility devices.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I "think" I found the cheapest tickets on way.com even with exchange! AND even better Get Away Today will match prices so I'm thinking about pulling the plug and buying them. We need 6 tickets - 4 adults and 2 children, one kiddo is still free. We are forgoing hoppers this trip as the tickets themselves are just SO expensive. Anyone else doing that?

I didn't realize you could start booking things already so I guess I'll get on that too - we are hoping for Bippity on the 10th. I am going to see if they will take pity on me and let us book our 2 year old, she'll be 34 months on the trip. I know normally that is no dice but this may be our last family trip due to my medical issues so I am hoping for some huge pixie dust.

Anyone else super stressed about the railway being down in Jan? I have been searching everywhere and there is zero info about how long and why it's down that I can find. For us it's MAJOR - like major, major that it's down. I'm not entirely sure how we will manage the trip without it honestly.

Also coming to the realization that we will likely have three "handicapped" people on our trip so that adds a whole nother layer. I will have my ECV, I think I am going to rent instead of bringing mine from home though so the airport is going to be a challenge! DS2 has autism and we are keeping the DAS in the back pocket. He's doing great now but I don't know if Disney is going to be too much, he's 11 but when we went when he was 6 he spent a lot of time hiding out in the stroller with blankets. I think the plan is to not bother with the DAS until we NEED it though because we'll already be in the WC line with me so hopefully that will be quiet enough he won't need more of a break then that. THEN our youngest broke her leg in Oct and it's STILL not healed! I just realized that likely she won't be up to walking yet by then, I men she's 2 so she will have a stroller anyway but more then likely even walking the lines might be too much. I'm hoping the cast will come off next week which gives her a little over a month to learn to walk again but her leg looks TERRIBLE. During cast changes I've been able to see she has lost a boat load of muscle tone, physio is already lined up for as soon as the silly thing gets off.

IDK I just feel super stressed about our trip. We are staying at the DI&S which has such mixed reviews it makes me nervous. Our rental car is through SIXT which I've never even heard of before but was almost 1/2 the cost and has ok reviews so I am worried about that. Not to mention we HAVE to have a full size SUV and if they don't have one we are hooped since we won't fit in anything else. (Another reason I'm likely renting a scooter instead of bringing my own is the worry about it fitting in the hatch.) We are flying United which I'm not familiar with, out of SEA which we've never done. Then the refurbs and the dollar and everything .... I just want to stay home -lol.

I will be sad about the railroad just because my son seems to enjoy trains. Plus, it's just a nice ride to sit and relax on for a bit.

We are also staying at the Desert Inn and Suites. We normally stay at the Anaheim Plaza which isn't really a great hotel at all and we still have a good time. So I am hoping since my expectations are low, the Desert Inn will be okay...haha.

How did your daughter break her leg? Poor thing. Hopefully she'll be okay for your trip.

 

[Aladora]

I "think" I found the cheapest tickets on way.com even with exchange! AND even better Get Away Today will match prices so I'm thinking about pulling the plug and buying them. We need 6 tickets - 4 adults and 2 children, one kiddo is still free. We are forgoing hoppers this trip as the tickets themselves are just SO expensive. Anyone else doing that?

I've been checking three different ways of getting our tickets, flightcentre.ca, way.com and orbitz via ebates and I have been using the current exchange to compare. Since flightcentre.ca is in Canadian $ and there is no tax, it still seems the best price. Using these numbers, way.com is actually the most expensive. If you want, I can run the numbers using your number of tickets, just let me know how many days and I will give you some comparisons!

Right now, flightcentre.ca has the following prices, in CAD$
5 day hoppers Adult $321.00
Child $304
Total for 3 of us $946.00

way.com
Adult (converted using Bank of Canada) $331.43
Child $308.17
Total for 3 of us $971.03

orbitz via ebates.ca (current cash back 3.75%)
Adult (converted using Bank of Canada) $336.08
Child $318.63
Total for 3 of us minus cash back $953.64

I didn't realize you could start booking things already so I guess I'll get on that too - we are hoping for Bippity on the 10th. I am going to see if they will take pity on me and let us book our 2 year old, she'll be 34 months on the trip. I know normally that is no dice but this may be our last family trip due to my medical issues so I am hoping for some huge pixie dust.

You can definitely book for things already, I think all the way to Feb 15th or so. They are pretty strict on ages for things like BBB but I will keep my fingers crossed that you can get her in there!

Anyone else super stressed about the railway being down in Jan? I have been searching everywhere and there is zero info about how long and why it's down that I can find. For us it's MAJOR - like major, major that it's down. I'm not entirely sure how we will manage the trip without it honestly.

Also coming to the realization that we will likely have three "handicapped" people on our trip so that adds a whole nother layer. I will have my ECV, I think I am going to rent instead of bringing mine from home though so the airport is going to be a challenge! DS2 has autism and we are keeping the DAS in the back pocket. He's doing great now but I don't know if Disney is going to be too much, he's 11 but when we went when he was 6 he spent a lot of time hiding out in the stroller with blankets. I think the plan is to not bother with the DAS until we NEED it though because we'll already be in the WC line with me so hopefully that will be quiet enough he won't need more of a break then that. THEN our youngest broke her leg in Oct and it's STILL not healed! I just realized that likely she won't be up to walking yet by then, I men she's 2 so she will have a stroller anyway but more then likely even walking the lines might be too much. I'm hoping the cast will come off next week which gives her a little over a month to learn to walk again but her leg looks TERRIBLE. During cast changes I've been able to see she has lost a boat load of muscle tone, physio is already lined up for as soon as the silly thing gets off.

If you feel your son really does need one, get the DAS and use it if you feel you need it but also make good use of Fast passes as well. All of the attractions in DCA are WC accessible so you will have to either use the DAS, FP or wait in the regular stand by line. Even if you do not use the DAS in DL, you might want to look at it for DCA. For many the attractions in DL, you will be directed to the accessible entrance (usually the exit) or you will be given a return time similar to a fast pass. Unlike the DAS, the WC return time will have a one hour window for use.

IDK I just feel super stressed about our trip. We are staying at the DI&S which has such mixed reviews it makes me nervous. Our rental car is through SIXT which I've never even heard of before but was almost 1/2 the cost and has ok reviews so I am worried about that. Not to mention we HAVE to have a full size SUV and if they don't have one we are hooped since we won't fit in anything else. (Another reason I'm likely renting a scooter instead of bringing my own is the worry about it fitting in the hatch.) We are flying United which I'm not familiar with, out of SEA which we've never done. Then the refurbs and the dollar and everything .... I just want to stay home -lol.

We've stayed at the DI&S twice now and had been booked there for this trip until I found that great deal for the GCH. It's nothing fancy but the rooms are a decent size, we've never had a problem with cleanliness and you can't beat both the location and price! The beds are on the firm side but many people like that.

SEA is the only airport we will use when going to DL. It is quite small and easy to navigate plus it is the closest one. We've never flown United but I've never heard anything terrible about it.

 

[MG3G]

Thanks for all the pep talks everyone!

Yep I heard they are very strict on age for the boutique ... I don't want to lie so my first choice is to ask. Baring that I "might" buy her a one day ticket for a 3 year old - then she'll be 3 right IDK why it's such a big deal - it just is. I can remember being in the delivery room with the girls talking about taking them one day, and this might be the ONLY day. I'm prepared that it may not happen but I'm hopeful that it can work.

I never even THOUGHT of the lines being WC assessable in CA. I wasn't even going to bother getting him a DAS until we needed it IF that happened. Thanks for pointing out the mainstream lines, perhaps we will get the DAS on day one just in case then.

For passes we need 4 adults, 2 children - 5 days and we aren't hopping.

Ya the hardness of the beds at DI&S scares me a bit. I don't do super firm bed well. As long as it has a pillow top though it should be ok OR we can buy a foamy.

Good to know that SEA isn't huge I thought it was big like YVR.

 

[Aladora]

Thanks for all the pep talks everyone!

Yep I heard they are very strict on age for the boutique ... I don't want to lie so my first choice is to ask. Baring that I "might" buy her a one day ticket for a 3 year old - then she'll be 3 right IDK why it's such a big deal - it just is. I can remember being in the delivery room with the girls talking about taking them one day, and this might be the ONLY day. I'm prepared that it may not happen but I'm hopeful that it can work.

I never even THOUGHT of the lines being WC assessable in CA. I wasn't even going to bother getting him a DAS until we needed it IF that happened. Thanks for pointing out the mainstream lines, perhaps we will get the DAS on day one just in case then.

For passes we need 4 adults, 2 children - 5 days and we aren't hopping.

Ya the hardness of the beds at DI&S scares me a bit. I don't do super firm bed well. As long as it has a pillow top though it should be ok OR we can buy a foamy.

Good to know that SEA isn't huge I thought it was big like YVR.

The beds are pretty hard, a foam topper might not be a bad idea.

If you are making a stop to buy things, definitely pick up a flat of water and maybe some snacks as well. The water in Anaheim has (in my opinion) a strange taste and I cannot drink it, neither can our son. Bottled water in DL is close to $4/bottle, although if you go to the small store in the PVI, you can get it for $1.15. But, your best bet is to just get a flat of water and grab a few bottles before you leave the room.

SEA is MUCH smaller than YVR, slightly bigger than YYJ, maybe twice the size of YYJ. Totally manageable.

So, the numbers.

flightcentre.ca
Adult 5 day non hopper: $284.00
Child: $267.00
Total for your group: $1670.00

way.com
Adult: $290.73 ($250.00 US)
Child: $273.28 ($235.00 US)
Total for your group: $1709.48

orbitz via ebates.ca
They do not offer the 1 park per day tickets for more than 3 days.

Based on our current exchange rate, it is better for you to get the tickets through flightcentre.

 

[jmac323]

I can't book resies yet. I need another week and then I can! I am pretty sure we'll do rainforest Cafe the night we arrive (that is something we do every time we go). I know I want to eat at Blue Bayou one night or afternoon and I need to do a character meal for DD4 birthday. She is not really into princesses and we loved Stitch at Mickeys Surfs up so we may do that again however it was a far walk for us. Hmm decisions, decisions.

As for tickets, I think I'll either do getawaytoday or through my company. They are within $100 of each other but I usually get some deals at getaway. I was hoping for some awesome deal, but nothing yet.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I doubt the Desert Inn has pillowtop mattresses. You can get a foam topper at Target or something, I bet. We have a Tempurpedic at home so all hotel beds suck to me.

We plan to go to Target to buy snacks, diapers, wipes, water, and some other odds and ends. I bet we'll spend at least $250. Eek.