***Official November 2013***

[wdwnut61]

Our neighbors took the auto train last year and loved it. We went down at the same time in June 2012 but we flew. I agree unless the price to fly became too ridiculously high I'd rather fly and be there in 2 hours. Our friends had to sacrifice 4 days for travel up and back

Our flight is $500.00 round trip for the two of us. We love Southwest and do pay for the early bird check in but we've never had a problem getting seats. FigmentChick you should check BWI it's an hour for us probably 2 for you. They usually have less expensive airfare than PHL.

Our youngest will be attending college in the fall 2014 and has her sights set on Florida. I'm already dreaming about the long weekends and breaks so we can hop over to Disney Looks like we'll be purchasing AP's next year

 

[beachmama3]

We are not flying this time. Flights were costing the five of us over $1300 and I checked Philly, AC, Trenton, and Wilmington. Add to that rental car and (possible) airport parking costs and we decided to take the AutoTrain. I love trains, so I'm really excited. Heck....I love all forms of travel. Plus, I'll have my own minivan, which makes me more comfortable than renting.

Lorton, VA (where we get the train) is just below DC and I can get there in about 2 hours. Yes, it takes longer than a flight, but I think it will be a great adventure!

We are in S. Jersey too, so AC airport is the closest to us. We had been planning on driving, but just got back from WDW on Sunday and drove down and back and I'm not sure I can do that again in 60-some days!! lol Spirit doesn't have anything available the day we are leaving, except for a 12:30pm flight that I can't make. So....we are flying out of Philly. For the five of us, it is $1300. I would love to check out the autotrain for our trip next August though! I like to have my car with me, too.

 

[ammag]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

 

[ammag]

Oh will probably buy her ears too

 

[Holly Quinlan]

Has anyone been to Monsieur Paul's recently? I have a 7:30pm ADR but I keep seeing mixed reviews. We are paying out of pocket for this meal and sending our son to the cubs den during this time. I would love to eat here since my husband and I haven't had a date night in over 4 years. But I would hate to spend that amount of money on one meal and it not be the best meal of our vacation

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

Call Disney florist!!! They have all kinds of ideas that are not just flowers.
Explain to them and maybe they can have a special something for her in the room when she returns at night. You can try this link to get ideas.
http://disneyworld.disneyfloralandgifts.com/home.do

 

[smplicty29]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

What about a spa treatment at one of the resorts?
I also read about a Tea Party at the Grand Floridian that sounds really nice.
Are you doing Photopass! Maybe getting the package so you have lots of great pictures of all of you together and you could get a photo book made up for her after the trip.

 

[MamaJessie]

What about a spa treatment at one of the resorts?
I also read about a Tea Party at the Grand Floridian that sounds really nice.
Are you doing Photopass! Maybe getting the package so you have lots of great pictures of all of you together and you could get a photo book made up for her after the trip.

Love the photopass and book idea!

 

[Sheilby]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

I'm awful with cute ideas, but I just wanted to wish your mom the best. BTW, if you are only doing two park days, are you sure you want to do Animal Kingdom? Not that it isn't a great park, but it does close so early at that time of the year. Do you have plans for the rest of the evening?

 

[taaren]

Awesome! Ours day off may include Blizzard Beach as well, but I'm not sure yet. We'll see.....we usually fly by the seat of our pants that day and just do whatever we want.

And, to top it off, here's how my last couple of days have gone: dishwasher needs complete new wiring (a "varmint" got in there), the right-side drain in my kitchen sink is leaking all over my cabinets and kitchen floor, the garage door decided to break and can no longer be opened/closed and actually, at one point, was hanging hap-hazardly, and, lastly, the dryer vent under the house was eaten into by the varmint (I realized this when I went under the house to turn the water off).

None of these issues are particularly expensive, but just frustrating and "oh, my goodness, all at once!!!" Except for the garage door, everything will be fixed by the end of the weekend, but it's a little overwhelming. You know? (we're not fixing the garage door because we hope to start converting the garage to a master suite once we're home from Disney)

Oh wow that sounds stressful! Hope the rest of your week goes smoothly!

We are going Nov 17th until Dec 6, I have a few 'free' days planned, could anyone who has been in November before give me an idea of how likely it is we will get the weather to hit Blizzard Beach? My DH is DESPERATE to get there, I'm not so bothered as DD can't swim yet so I would be just chilling all day with her in the shallow pools. I am happy to go to the resort pool but as this is DH first time to WDW and he really loves water parks I would love if I could make this happen for him! I did ask in another thread a while back but it was full of people who hadn't yet been in November so no one really knew!!

I'm really hoping for warm days so we can hit Blizzard Beach. Last year I scheduled two potential BB days since our tickets (now PAPs) included them, and the first week we were there it would have been warm enough but no time, and the second week we had room in the schedule but it was freezing ... I water parks but also love to travel in the fall and winter, which never seems to quite work out with the two together ...

Our good news from today is that our 5 month old baby finally slept in his stroller! For an hour and a half!

This bodes very well for our Disney trip... He went through a month or so of hating his stroller and crying anytime I took him out in it, but one day he magically loved it again! So much that he refused to sleep in it.

I was starting to get worried about how we would do WDW with a baby who doesn't sleep in his stroller... But tadah! Today he did!

Just need to keep it up now, until our trip!

Also, we're contemplating booking a "First Haircut" for him while we're there from the MK barber. Is 7 months too little, do you think?!

My DS got his first haircut at 2 1/2 months, so definitely not too little! If he can hold his head up, you're fine.

The people that are flying out of AC are not getting that great of a deal. Spirit Airlines is charging for everything - including carry on bags. No, thank you. That's why we won't even consider them anymore.


Oh....and I just got off the phone with Amy's principal and we have a plan for her next three years (yes....she's graduating early!). One of the things she will do is take courses at the local community college to make room in her HS schedule for art, but also get credit for college. whoo-hoo!!! And she will officially be considered a Senior her third year so she can go to prom and on the senior class trip if she wants to (although, I am trying to convince her to go on a mom & daughter trip).

Those fees are killer. Its awesome that your daughter has a plan for graduating early and that she's able to do all the senior stuff. I graduated early, but didn't plan it until halfway through my sophomore year ... fortunately they still let me do the senior stuff since most of my friends were a year ahead of me.
She must be very smart and ambitious! I think it was one of the better decisions I made to "rush through" high school even though a lot of people told me I'd regret it ... I enjoyed my college years a lot more than my hs ones, and got on to the parts of life I wanted to live sooner.

Posting here because it's a surprise and I can't talk about it anywhere else. But I'm doing the happy dance.

We had to cancel our family trip for October due to budget, but airline miles + my mom's spare room + annual passes from our last trip means I can take DS11 to Disney for his birthday for the same price it would cost me to do a laser tag birthday party with his friends. Total no-brainer!

So flights are booked and it's official. Arriving in Orlando on Oct 31 but will be at Disney Nov 1, 2 and 4. Staying offsite at my mom's house. They have APs too so it will be an awesome weekend.

Terri! So glad you're able to make it back sooner than you thought! Welcome to the November thread ... what a fun surprise for your DS.

What about a spa treatment at one of the resorts?
I also read about a Tea Party at the Grand Floridian that sounds really nice.

Love the spa idea.

The Afternoon Tea at the GF was neat, I did it last trip. Its not really a party though ... it just kind of makes me think of being British and enjoying a social afternoon, if that makes sense. I'd recommend it for a fun afternoon with girlfriends, if you want to try delicious scones and tea.

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

Maybe a Fort Wilderness sleigh ride or one of the tours?

 

[Tltorrez]

Our flight is $500.00 round trip for the two of us. We love Southwest and do pay for the early bird check in but we've never had a problem getting seats. FigmentChick you should check BWI it's an hour for us probably 2 for you. They usually have less expensive airfare than PHL.

Our youngest will be attending college in the fall 2014 and has her sights set on Florida. I'm already dreaming about the long weekends and breaks so we can hop over to Disney Looks like we'll be purchasing AP's next year

I just booked out of BWI yesterday. I paid $300 each because I have specific time constraints on this trip. If I had more flexibility I saw flights as low as $206. Reagan National was cheaper. We've flown from there a couple times because of price but I'm not doing it during rush hour.

 

[FigmentChick]

We are in S. Jersey too, so AC airport is the closest to us. We had been planning on driving, but just got back from WDW on Sunday and drove down and back and I'm not sure I can do that again in 60-some days!! lol Spirit doesn't have anything available the day we are leaving, except for a 12:30pm flight that I can't make. So....we are flying out of Philly. For the five of us, it is $1300. I would love to check out the autotrain for our trip next August though! I like to have my car with me, too.

Yeah, I'm a little worried about the 2 hour drive home from DC (I know I'll be tired after 10 days in Disney), but I'll get through it. I just can't believe how much airfare has climbed. When I took my family for their first trip in 2006, we had $69 airfare each way. And it's steadily climbed and baggage fees have been added, etc. BWI really wasn't any better with prices and I did check all different airports since we're near so many.

But, no big deal. The price of the AutoTrain for all five of us (coach seats) and our car round trip was $1,050. Plus, I had a $200 credit for when Amtrak had a train break down on the way to DC and we were sitting on the rails for 4.5 hours. Yip, not fun at all.....especially when it was a trip to the Air & Space Museum for my son's birthday. So, I paid $850 for a round trip and I'm excited because it's a new adventure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a little nervous and anxious, but I think we'll be fine. And we never go to the parks our first day, so we can rest in the room if we want to.

OK...everyone have a great day. I just got to work and realized I left something very, very important at home, so I have to run to the store to pick up replacements.

 

[OneBadApple]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

I was going to suggest the Afternoon Tea at GF, but a few others have already done so.
I also wanted to wish your mom the best. Aren't moms the greatest? My parents are picking up part of both mine and my sister's trip, because they wanted to be able to go with all the grand kids.

Yeah, I'm a little worried about the 2 hour drive home from DC (I know I'll be tired after 10 days in Disney), but I'll get through it. I just can't believe how much airfare has climbed. When I took my family for their first trip in 2006, we had $69 airfare each way. And it's steadily climbed and baggage fees have been added, etc. BWI really wasn't any better with prices and I did check all different airports since we're near so many.

But, no big deal. The price of the AutoTrain for all five of us (coach seats) and our car round trip was $1,050. Plus, I had a $200 credit for when Amtrak had a train break down on the way to DC and we were sitting on the rails for 4.5 hours. Yip, not fun at all.....especially when it was a trip to the Air & Space Museum for my son's birthday. So, I paid $850 for a round trip and I'm excited because it's a new adventure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a little nervous and anxious, but I think we'll be fine. And we never go to the parks our first day, so we can rest in the room if we want to.

OK...everyone have a great day. I just got to work and realized I left something very, very important at home, so I have to run to the store to pick up replacements.

I was just thinking about that the other day. I can't believe how much the cost has gone up, plus most airlines charge for checked luggage. BTW our first trip was Thanksgiving 2006.

 

[ammag]

Great suggestions guys! Looking into all of them...there is so much at WDW even after reading things and researching for almost two years new things still p up. I love that! We went last fall on our first, longer, trip and we all loved animal kingdom. I MIGHT be able to get a free ticket so we might add on hoppers for the others and do Epcot that night. If not then if we are not too tired we will do DTD . I am dying to see Epcot again too but it's such a short trip! I had considered the Xmas party but I feel like it's too early to do Christmas on nov. 11. Then again at home we have Halloween stuff out and it's August so I will probably be tired of Christmas by then!

 

[babydoll65]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

The Luau at the poly is a nice show and the food is great

 

[mulan1123]

Anyone have a suggestion for something I can do for my mom? Here's the story...she's just over 2 years in remission from multiple myeloma (horrible blood cancer) she ended up paying for our park tickets and hotel, we were going to pay her back but she won't let us..so wow amazing gift! We are going November 10-14 with Veterans Day being our resort day then Ohana at 5, two park days of magic kingdom and animal kingdom. DD6 DS2 DH and I. Mom will be renting a scooter to help as she can't walk long distances.

Well I just got a text from her, she went to a casino and won $1k and told me the food is on her now too! That's amazing as I was literally selling things to make some extra money for the trip. (Long story but this is an add on and was not planned on, but we had free air so went for it. My mom might have as little as 3-10 years before the cancer is back to it could be her only chance. That's why it's a short trip, would rather do it up for longer but it's best we can do now)

TRYING to think of something special I can do for her on the trip. Any ideas?

At MK none of us are into the fireworks she said she would rather do rides or sit and relax..so dessert party is out. She doesn't want attention for the cancer anniversary so adding something special at a dinner is out. She hasn't been to Mk since 1985 so it is all new to her. She is mostly just excited about being with the kids, doesn't realize she will have an awesome time too. So anything we can do at either park or hotel? She's not into sweets so I can look into a special cake but idk if its as special to her..maybe.

I know this is a tall order but if anyone has an idea please pass it on! I can probably spend up to $100.....

Maybe something personalized or with her initials?? I read somewhere to get monograms on towels but not sure if they're done at WDW..

I have never been to WDW (will be my first visit in November).

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

Great suggestions guys! Looking into all of them...there is so much at WDW even after reading things and researching for almost two years new things still p up. I love that! We went last fall on our first, longer, trip and we all loved animal kingdom. I MIGHT be able to get a free ticket so we might add on hoppers for the others and do Epcot that night. If not then if we are not too tired we will do DTD . I am dying to see Epcot again too but it's such a short trip! I had considered the Xmas party but I feel like it's too early to do Christmas on nov. 11. Then again at home we have Halloween stuff out and it's August so I will probably be tired of Christmas by then!

I liked the idea someone had about having a photobook made for her. Since you said "Up to $100" and buying photopass and making the book would bring the price up, you might want to consider a website like snapfish and upload some pictures that you take yourself. AND know that the Disney photographers will take a picture with your camera if it isn't too busy in the area you are at. Even if you just get a few, I'm sure your family has some wondering photos you can add to a very memorable book

I'm sure whatever you end up doing will be very special and memorable.
Please let us know what you decide to do. I'm excited for you.
Oh and I get what you mean about what to fit in on a short trip.
So much to do.

Good luck!

 

[Andie272]

All booked! At least the hotel. I have to call to add dining and will do park tickets as we get closer!

Now onto planning my days and meals!

Going to do the MVMCP on the day we get there

 

[Coconuts]

Great suggestions guys! Looking into all of them...there is so much at WDW even after reading things and researching for almost two years new things still p up. I love that! We went last fall on our first, longer, trip and we all loved animal kingdom. I MIGHT be able to get a free ticket so we might add on hoppers for the others and do Epcot that night. If not then if we are not too tired we will do DTD . I am dying to see Epcot again too but it's such a short trip! I had considered the Xmas party but I feel like it's too early to do Christmas on nov. 11. Then again at home we have Halloween stuff out and it's August so I will probably be tired of Christmas by then!

I saw the mention of the Luau; we have never been there but we do HDDR every trip. It is so much fun for our entire family. It has given us so many family memories.

 

[OneBadApple]

I liked the idea someone had about having a photobook made for her. Since you said "Up to $100" and buying photopass and making the book would bring the price up, you might want to consider a website like snapfish and upload some pictures that you take yourself. AND know that the Disney photographers will take a picture with your camera if it isn't too busy in the area you are at. Even if you just get a few, I'm sure your family has some wondering photos you can add to a very memorable book

I'm sure whatever you end up doing will be very special and memorable.
Please let us know what you decide to do. I'm excited for you.
Oh and I get what you mean about what to fit in on a short trip.
So much to do.

Good luck!

A photobook is a great idea. When my parents went to Italy a couple of years ago, they met my mom's 90 year old aunt for the time. As a gift, we made a photobook of all the relatives here in America, and she loved it.