***Official May 2023 Thread***

[babydoll65]

Now that were close to going, I think I have everything finalized with resorts and dining. Trip date 5/11-5/20. Staying at four resorts: Saratoga Springs deluxe studio (dvc rental) just for our arrival day and taking advantage of being walking distance to Disney Springs. Checking into Fort Wilderness for seven nights the next day. Renting a large camper and golf cart through Disneys preferred vendor. Booked a one night stay (taking advantage of the disney visa room offer) at the Contemporary (water view/club level) in the middle of our fort wilderness stay and doing the EPCOT evening emhs for deluxe guests. Heading back to the campground the next day (which is our rest day) for three more nights then checking into the Grand Floridian in the new deluxe resort studios (dvc rental) for one more night before heading back home Was able to get the seats and sweets dessert party, Space 220 lounge, Crystal Palace breakfast, Beaches and Cream and two time at Rainforest Cafe. Not my favorite but my son loves it and i (for some strange reason) love the gift shop

 

[Figmentmommy]

Love Poly CL! Have a great trip! Editing to add that GF RPC is the best Club Level.... I have to say that because my daughter is a CM there

Thank you! Always side with your kids!!

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Went ahead and got the Magicband+ even though I decided it wasn't worth it.

What is wrong with me this trip?!?

 

[Marrila]

Went ahead and got the Magicband+ even though I decided it wasn't worth it.

What is wrong with me this trip?!?

Nothing wrong with early souvenirs. Which one did you select?

 

[kylenne]

Went ahead and got the Magicband+ even though I decided it wasn't worth it.

What is wrong with me this trip?!?

They got me good with those too...I swore I wasn't going to buy them because they weren't worth it and we have a million MB2s from all the canceled/postponed trips that we still haven't used but MB+ designs were just SO cool that we caved. My gf is a HUGE Orange Bird fan so I had to get her that one, and I got Figment.

The awful thing is now that we have the split stay we can order more bands and I'm having a hard time not just getting two more!

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Nothing wrong with early souvenirs. Which one did you select?

Thanks for the enabling. That's why I am here.

I got the white 4 parks one and got my aunt the chip-n-dale one as a surprise. She LOVES them.

I went back and forth on the Figment one as I love Figment and liked the 80s vibe it had. But I really, really hate Journey into Imagination now so ultimately felt I couldn't support it.

 

[SEAGULL59]

I am also getting ready to order MB+ even though I wasn't planning to. My husband and son decided to go along this trip and they do not have MB so I am going to get all of us new ones! Take my money Disney!! LOL

 

[1420Elexismc]

Went ahead and got the Magicband+ even though I decided it wasn't worth it.

What is wrong with me this trip?!?

We ended up with them too but a friend of ours got them at a discount otherwise I would have 100% waited and bought regular 2.0 when we got there lol
I got Dumbo, Grogu for my son, and Donald Duck for that guy I married

 

[AUDramaQueen]

I am also getting ready to order MB+ even though I wasn't planning to. My husband and son decided to go along this trip and they do not have MB so I am going to get all of us new ones! Take my money Disney!! LOL

Well I mean if they got Magicband+ then you definitely need it!

 

[kylenne]

Well I mean if they got Magicband+ then you definitely need it!

That Disney math'll get ya

 

[AUDramaQueen]

That Disney math'll get ya

You don't have to tell me as I try to justify getting the AP when they go back on sale the 20th!!

 

[kylenne]

You don't have to tell me as I try to justify getting the AP when they go back on sale the 20th!!

Oh me too. But it's already justified for me. I already learned my lesson being "responsible" and letting it lapse last year because my work situation didn't allow me to take any time off in 2022. Fortunately I'm on a different, better team now and I can take off whenever so I'm in a much better position to go frequently again. And we were thinking about a land and sea trip at some point next year anyway. I am very concerned they will sell out of APs before we can get down in May so I'm fully prepared to take the 20th off work just to sit on the phone if I have to.

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Oh me too. But it's already justified for me. I already learned my lesson being "responsible" and letting it lapse last year because my work situation didn't allow me to take any time off in 2022. Fortunately I'm on a different, better team now and I can take off whenever so I'm in a much better position to go frequently again. And we were thinking about a land and sea trip at some point next year anyway. I am very concerned they will sell out of APs before we can get down in May so I'm fully prepared to take the 20th off work just to sit on the phone if I have to.

Since my dad is also going on this trip we have the military tickets. So not sure about those upgrading over the phone and also don't want to wait in case they sell out like you said.

I priced it out and I think I really only need two trips to break even not including the discounts. The AP thread has people saying they need 3 trips to just break even so not sure if I am wrong or they are (or we just aren't comparing apples to apples)

Glad you set boundaries about your time off. It's so important!

 

[kylenne]

Since my dad is also going on this trip we have the military tickets. So not sure about those upgrading over the phone and also don't want to wait in case they sell out like you said.

I priced it out and I think I really only need two trips to break even not including the discounts. The AP thread has people saying they need 3 trips to just break even so not sure if I am wrong or they are (or we just aren't comparing apples to apples)

Glad you set boundaries about your time off. It's so important!

I would usually take one longer trip with my gf and then a couple of long weekends solo. For me, because we like to stay at deluxes the extra resort discounts really made it worthwhile. We're not really big merch people but the discounts on party tickets and dining also add up. Especially dining back when Tables in Wonderland was a thing. Of course there is also the "Disney math" aspect where having the pass makes you go more frequently than you otherwise would. But even out of state, direct flights are so cheap and plentiful from NYC to Orlando, even now, that it's worth it. I almost never pay cash for flights I have so many JetBlue points with their credit card. Tbh I don't spend a whole lot on anything else, this is my fun thing, and I underestimated how much I missed being able to just go whenever.

And thanks, I am in a much better position now with the team I wanted to be on all along (project management). My old boss in the training dept. was very vindictive and a bully. Everyone knew I always take the week of my birthday off every year whether I go to Disney or elsewhere. And last year was one of the rare times Memorial Day actually fell on my birthday, it only happens every few years. I was all set to just go for the weekend, booked at the Dolphin, and Disney announced Cosmic Rewind would open. I've never gotten to go for the opening of a ride and I was so excited. Cue my boss telling me I had to facilitate the new hire class that began the day after my birthday. Four other trainers were available, there was no reason it had to be me. She just did it to be petty because she knew I was going. (And she had assigned me nearly every class since before the pandemic hit even. I hardly had a break.)

I won't lie I'm still upset about it. Like even though my gf wanted to go to Epcot on our arrival day and I will try to get a boarding group from the plane, I still booked Epcot for my birthday because I want to ride Cosmic Rewind out of spite lol. Even if it's not when it opened, I'm gonna ride the dang thing on my birthday like I was supposed to! Meanwhile my "new" boss (I worked for her years ago, which is why I wanted on her team) is asking me how the planning is going and wanting tips on how to do her first Adult Disney trip now that her DS is in college lol

 

[bluedolphin32]

Went ahead and got the Magicband+ even though I decided it wasn't worth it.

What is wrong with me this trip?!?

I did that with the dessert party. I had been waffling on whether it was worth the money for our family of 5 (4 of us are Disney Adults now). My DH was like "let's do it!" so I booked it. We'd already decided we weren't going to pinch pennies for this trip. If we're going to go, let's go and do it right.

Cue my boss telling me I had to facilitate the new hire class that began the day after my birthday. Four other trainers were available, there was no reason it had to be me. She just did it to be petty because she knew I was going. (And she had assigned me nearly every class since before the pandemic hit even. I hardly had a break.)

Wow! All I can say is I'm so glad you have a better boss now. I hope your birthday redo is awesome this year!

 

[Figmentmommy]

They got me good with those too...I swore I wasn't going to buy them because they weren't worth it and we have a million MB2s from all the canceled/postponed trips that we still haven't used but MB+ designs were just SO cool that we caved. My gf is a HUGE Orange Bird fan so I had to get her that one, and I got Figment.

The awful thing is now that we have the split stay we can order more bands and I'm having a hard time not just getting two more!

Four new bands for us too - even though we have plenty of old ones! My sons got the 4 Parks and 100 Years and DH and I both got Established 1971 since it‘s our birth year too! Seemed fitting since this is sort of a delayed 50th birthday trip for us. I almost picked Figment but the 1971 band won out!

 

[sdk1231]

New Magicbands for this trip as well but not MB+. My daughter and her 3 friends going on Grad trip selected the MK "land" themed MB2's. My daughters and I tried MB+ on a prior trip, but we didn't love them.

 

[kylenne]

I made a massive booboo with these trip dates y'all...I'm a HUGE soccer fan, and follow a team in the English Premier League (Manchester City) that is running neck and neck chasing the league leaders to win another title. We have to win every single game for the rest of the season (which is very possible for these guys, they go on crazy winning runs) which means the last day of the season will be critical. And I was the dummy who didn't check the schedule and didn't realize until just now that Championship Sunday falls on our arrival day! Fortunately we are coming on the first flight of the day so will likely get to property around 10-10:30a, and the games start 11:30a Eastern time.

Just praying our room will be ready by then or else we will have to schlep to Disney Springs to catch it at City Works. It's a shame ESPN Club closed because that would have been a perfect solution. On the bright side, Rose & Crown should certainly be hopping! Hopefully we'll stop in for a celebratory pint (or drown my sorrows, like I did when we lost the Champions League final the day i arrived to the Grand Floridian a couple years ago).

 

[1420Elexismc]

I made a massive booboo with these trip dates y'all...I'm a HUGE soccer fan, and follow a team in the English Premier League (Manchester City) that is running neck and neck chasing the league leaders to win another title. We have to win every single game for the rest of the season (which is very possible for these guys, they go on crazy winning runs) which means the last day of the season will be critical. And I was the dummy who didn't check the schedule and didn't realize until just now that Championship Sunday falls on our arrival day! Fortunately we are coming on the first flight of the day so will likely get to property around 10-10:30a, and the games start 11:30a Eastern time.

Just praying our room will be ready by then or else we will have to schlep to Disney Springs to catch it at City Works. It's a shame ESPN Club closed because that would have been a perfect solution. On the bright side, Rose & Crown should certainly be hopping! Hopefully we'll stop in for a celebratory pint (or drown my sorrows, like I did when we lost the Champions League final the day i arrived to the Grand Floridian a couple years ago).

Fellow Man City fan here! Hoping you can get somewhere to watch the game!

 

[kylenne]

Fellow Man City fan here! Hoping you can get somewhere to watch the game!

Awesome!! On that 2021 birthday trip I had breakfast at the GF Cafe and hilariously enough my server was a Chilean guy named Sergio. I happened to be wearing my Aguero shirt and we struck up a great conversation about the game. I never did find anywhere to watch the CL final at the resort (I was a little nervous about asking the pool bars to turn off the golf or w/e they had on) so I ended up watching from my room. And I admit I was so distraught I shut the tv off and walked to MK. All I saw were Chelsea shirts around the resort too, to add insult to injury!

Next year we are doing a cruise out of Southampton, spending a few days in London before we get on the ship, and hope to make the pilgrimage up to Manchester before we get on the ship. My gf doesn't really understand much of the game but enjoys watching and has been dragged into supporting City too.