OMG, I Can't Believe I Just Did That! Solo Trip PTR

[jsmla]

The gods of prudence and fiscal responsibility are surely going to strike me dead. My grown children will certainly disapprove. My long suffering DH cannot understand why I do these things but I don't seem to be able to help myself. I blame the DIS.

Okay, so I have thus big splurgy Free Dining trip all planned for late September. I'm staying at Pop but my trip is chock-a-block full of dessert parties, Early Morning Magic, pricey dining and a costly onsite side trip to Univetsal. I should be satisfied, and I was.

Until I stumbled upon this:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/hotwire-question.3615442/#post-57979710

I was bored, avoiding productivity at all costs and ran a little Hotwire search. Low and behold, POFQ was, indeed, going for the unbelievable rate of $98/night! OMG!

Just for fun, you understand, I then took a little sneaky peak at the Southwest site and flights were coming in under $130 R/T, OMG!

People, by 2017 standards anyway, WDW is practically free this August!

So I booked it.

9/13 6:00 AM flight arriving at MCO at 8:45 AM
9/13-18 at POFQ
9/18-19 at Coronado Springs (French Quarter was $175 for the 18th and the price difference between flights on Friday vs Saturday was enough to justify the move to CSR.)
9/19 7:30(ish) PM flight home

OMG!

 

[jsmla]

Just checking the new photo upload thingy and showing off my bargain!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Wow! That's awesome!!

 

[jsmla]

This will be a solo trip for me. Most of my Disney trips are solo these days. My DH, who in every other possible respects is absolutely lovely, does not like theme parks. Really, really doesn't like 'em. Here he is at Dollywood:


The people behind us are the only reason he ever agreed to attempt a roller coaster. Our DD could make that man walk across live coals. Don't worry, though. We hiked approximately 437 miles up and down the sides of mountains that trip. He loved that part.


DH is a hiking, rafting, nature guy. This is me on a DH vacation. We spent a frigid day hiking and spelunking and doing all kinds of similarly horrible things. I'm not as happy as I look. There are no candid shots of me hiking. DH knows better than to poke that bear. We do have a video in which I can be heard complaining rather loudly about how wet, cold and tired I am, about how stupid this is and how far it is back to the car but I'll spare you. We've got another one of these sort of trips planned for this Labor Day week-hiking, horseback riding and rafting in Wyoming. It's going to be epic. To say that the great outdoors is not my thing would be putting it very mildly. As far as I'm concerned, the great outdoors is full of long hikes, bugs and animals who look at me and think, "Yum, lunch!" As far as I'm concerned the great outdoors and the beasts that live in it can stay there unmolested by me.

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

To say that the great outdoors is not my thing would be putting it very mildly. As far as I'm concerned, the great outdoors is full of long hikes, bugs and animals who look at me and think, "Yum, lunch!" As far as I'm concerned the great outdoors and the beasts that live in it can stay there unmolested by me.

Are we the same person?! Living in SWVA (basically on the Appalachian Trail), people are always hiking and camping likes it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nope nope nope! Gimme a/c, running water, cars, hotels!

Enjoy your solo trip! I'm still in awe of your POFQ Priceline bargain!

 

[jsmla]

Filthy Lucre, the Lack Thereof and a Little WDW Problem, Part 1

I go to Disney World a lot, four or so longish trips a year. 2017 saw a slight Disney drought. I skipped my spring trip because 10 days ago my baby girl did this:










It wasn't cheap. Loving people has a way of cutting into the vacation budget sometimes.

Anywho, this spring I invested all of my frustrated Disney lust into planning a big (for me) blowout (again, for me) September trip. I went (for me) all out-4 nights at Royal Pacific Resort followed by 8 nights at Pop Century with Free Dining upgraded to the regular Dining Plan. For someone who spends much of her Orlando time eating in at a cheap off-site condo this was living writ large

I was happily planning my big trip when I stumbled across the Hotwire thread. Port Orleans in August for $98 a night, unbelievable! I haven't seen prices like that since the recession!

But I can't. I can't possibly go two months in a row. I mean you can only be so selfish and irresponsible and my September trip was going to be a doozy. Don't be ridiculous woman.

Oooh, look. Southwest is having a sale, $62 each way to Orlando! I haven't seen flights that cheap in years!

It's obvious and inescapable-Fate obviously wants me to go to WDW and who am I to argue with Fate?

 

[marcyleecorgan]

WOW congrats on your great luck! Enjoy your trip!

 

[jsmla]

Filthy Lucre, the Lack Therof and a Little WDW Problem, Part 2

(Disclaimer: There will be many references to cost in this PTR. I have an annual vacation budget to which I adhere fairly strictly. Unfortunately stumbling around in the Wyoming mountains is proving to be a lot more costly than I anticipated. The lodging establishments of Jackson Hole have a very high opinion of themselves. A Motel 6 there is going in the $150/200 night range (ouch!) and the restaurants are similarly expensive. If I want to add a solo trip without either compromising Wyoming or going over my vacation budget there will have to be some finagling. We are not running up credit cards or anything.)


So I'm going on a surprise, spur of the moment trip to Disney World! Yippee!

Now to pay for it. My main concern is covering the $700 + I'm spending on resorts. I had a Southwest credit that covered my flight and I have an AP so tickets are covered.

I decided to drop two extra nights from my September trip. I was paying $160/night without dining which is a lot for Pop in September. That's almost $350 right there. I also cancelled one of my Happily Ever After Dessert parties to save $60. There's enough wiggle room to cover the rest if I cancel one night at Royal Pacific.

Dining is my next obstacle. Eating with Mickey is expensive and, while I enjoy Disney Dining, it doesn't make or break a trip for me. I plan on a mix of brownbagging it, eating "in" and a few carefully chosen restaurants. Here are my ADRs:



I get 30% off at Brown Derby and 10% at Liberty Tree. I chose Brown Derby because I have a busy day and don't care for QS at the Studios. LTT is on my last day after checkout when I don't want to bother with a brownbagging lunch. Besides, IMHO, Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake is the perfect way to end a surprise, spur of the moment trip

For the rest I'll haul some things from home and put in a Garden Grocer order. I'm guessing breakfasts will be yogurt and fruit. In the parks I'll either dress up a side salad or kids' meal with extra veggies and stuff or do things like peanut butter sandwiches, hummus and veggies, etc. I tend to eat very lightly in the parks, especially in the summer.

So, that's as far as I've gotten. Time to buy that AP and make me some FastPasses

 

[jsmla]

A Not So Magical Morning

Just spent the last three hours or so trying to sign up for Magical Express

10:00 AM
Called WDW to link my Hotwire reservation, on hold for 27 minutes, told tough nuts, call Hotwire. I was also told (after a second fairly lengthy hold) that removing 8 days from my September Free Dining ticket would void all of my September FastPasses in spite of my recent AP purchase. This is contrary to what I was told by several very knowledgeable Dissers. Gave up, will sort the ticket thing out later.

10:50 AM
Called Hotwire, participated in a fruitless journey through their automated system, gave up and googled "Hotwire speak to a human". Called new phone number and they gave me a confirmation number.

11:10 AM
Called WDW back. Only 20 minutes on hold this time. My hard-won Hotwire number is a no go. The guy on the other end was pretty darn unsympathetic too. Every CM that I spoke to this morning used the words "third party reservation" in tones usually reserved for phrases like "virulently contagious venereal disease".

11:40
Called Hotwire, spoke to the fabulous Caroline who actually found an actual real, totally valid confirmation number. Of everyone I spoke with (including WDW) she seemed to be the only one who actually knew what I was talking about. She even stayed on the phone with me while I linked my reservations online. I seriously almost cried. Caroline at Hotwire deserves a raise!

12:00
Called WDW to reserve Magical Express, 12 minutes on hold only to be told that I have no resort reservation in the system even though I can see it on my MDE page right there in front of me. Put on hold again, put on hold for a loooong time before being told I would be transferred to someone. Don't know whom because the phone beeped three times then disconnected.

12:30
I'm seriously spitting nails by now and can't bear the thought of navigating the WDW automated system yet again. Googled Magical Express. First number I tried was only for the lucky people who already have a DME reservation. On the plus side, they didn't put me on hold before not helping or hanging up on me.

12:35
Called the second number (407-939-1936), on hold for a few and then, finally, finally was able to make my DME reservation. My resort reservation had finally shown up, oh, happy day!


It's now after 1:00 PM-that's three hours, a great deal of it spent on hold with Disney. I'm seriously considering cancelling my Pirates of the Caribbean FastPass. Forget Small World I never want to hear that song, ever again!


Still, did I mention that I'm going to Disney World? Yo Ho!

 

[jsmla]

FastPass Time!

When I decided to book a last minute (!) summer (!) trip I was very nervous about FastPasses but I was actually quite pleased with my results. I'm pretty sure this is a case where going solo works to advantage

I plan to arrive at the tail end of my first FP window each day. I'm also going, for the first time, attempt (I'm a morning person!) to do fewer rope drops and to spend more evenings in the parks.

Sunday 8/13 (Arrival Day)
1:40 Navi River Journey
-I probably won't make it to this. If I can't score a later time I'll opt for something else.
6:30 Festival of the Lion King (7:00 PM show)
7:45 Kilimanjaro Safaris (hoping for a sunset ride)
Plan is to try and catch River of Light and see how evening EMH at AK goes.


Monday 8/14
(Sleep in after late night, pool time)
3:50 Mission Space
4:50 Living with the Land
5:50 Soarin'
World Showcase

Tuesday 8/15
(Trying for an early lunch at Be Our Guest)
12:50 Splash Mountain
1:50 Big Thunder Mountain
2:50 Haunted Mansion
(Pick up 4th, 5th, etc FPs as available)

Wednesday 8/16
(Morning at AK with no FP, plan is to arrive very early and attempt Flight of Passage)
12:25 Tower of Terror
1:30 Beauty and the Beast (2:00 show)
3:00 "lunch" at Hollywood Brown Derby
3:55 Star Tours
(Plan is for a fairly early night.)

Thursday 8/17
(Rope Drop at DHS)
9:20 Toy Story Midway Mania
10:55 Voyage of the Little Mermaid (11:15 show)
12:00 Tower of Terror
(Afternoon at pool, Disney Springs evening)

Friday 8/18 (Morning EMH @ Magic Kingdom)
9:10 Buzz Lightyear
10:10 Haunted
11:10 Pirates of the Caribbean

(Plan is to grab Epcot FP at 11:10)

Saturday 9/19
11:35 Buzz Lightyear
12:55 Splash Mountain
1:55 Peter Pan
2:00 Back to POFQ to catch DME

 

[jsmla]

Lots of pixie dust thus morning, look at what I found-a Be Our Guest lunch and a later time for Navi River Journey





T-11!

The itinerary is shaping up! I'd like a later TSMM FP on the 17th but, all in all, I'm tickled, especially considering I booked most of it less than two weeks out.


Sunday 8/13 (Arrival Day)
4:00 Navi River Journey
(I'll keep checking to see if I can get a later time but was pretty happy to snag this )
Dinner at Satu'li Canteen (excited to try this!)
6:30 Festival of the Lion King (7:00 PM show)
7:45 Kilimanjaro Safaris (hoping for a sunset ride)
Plan is to try and catch River of Light and see how evening EMH at AK goes.


Monday 8/14
(Sleep in after late night, pool time)
3:50 Mission Space
4:50 Living with the Land
5:50 Soarin'
World Showcase

Tuesday 8/15
12:50 Splash Mountain
1:50 Big Thunder Mountain
2:15 Lunch at Be Our Guest
2:50 Haunted Mansion
(Pick up 4th, 5th, etc FPs as available)

Wednesday 8/16
(Morning at AK with no FP, plan is to arrive very early and attempt Flight of Passage)
12:25 Tower of Terror
1:30 Beauty and the Beast (2:00 show)
3:00 "lunch" at Hollywood Brown Derby
3:55 Star Tours
(Plan is for a fairly early night.)

Thursday 8/17
(Rope Drop at DHS)
9:20 Toy Story Midway Mania
10:55 Voyage of the Little Mermaid (11:15 show)
12:00 Tower of Terror
(Afternoon at pool, Disney Springs evening)

Friday 8/18 (Morning EMH @ Magic Kingdom)
9:10 Buzz Lightyear
10:10 Haunted
11:10 Pirates of the Caribbean

(Plan is to grab Epcot FP at 11:10)

Saturday 9/19
11:35 Buzz Lightyear
12:55 Splash Mountain
1:55 Peter Pan
2:00 Back to POFQ to catch DME

 

[jsmla]

T-9

No August Disney trip related stuff yesterday. DD and I each drove halfway from/to Atlanta to meet up in Mississippi so that I could return her pup. DH and I dog sat during the honeymoon.

DD and I did do a little February Princess Half Marathon planning over the phone while we drove. I'm in charge of ADRs and FPs, DD is in charge of actually running.

This morning I put in my Garden Grocer order. And, yes, that is a lot of beer for a solo

 

[jsmla]

We went to Sam's today to stock up on tp, paper towels, etc and I saw these. I have big plans to go bagless and there are 6 pockets on those puppies

One week from right now I should be relaxing poolside at POFQ

 

[jsmla]

T-4!

I decided to try to avoid so many middays in the parks and made a few changes. I love Early Morning Magic but it was sold out when I first began all of this. I was finally able to get a reservation for my MK day on 8/15. I cancelled my Brown Derby lunch to help to cover some of the cost. Moved a few FPs around from middle of the day to either the morning or late afternoon/evening in hopes of spending the hottest part of the day back at the resort.

Sunday 8/13 (Arrival Day)
4:00 Navi River Journey
6:30 Festival of the Lion King (7:00 PM show)
7:45 Kilimanjaro Safaris (hoping for a sunset ride)
Plan is to try and catch River of Light and see how evening EMH at AK goes.


Monday 8/14
(Sleep in after late night, pool time)
3:50 Mission Space
4:50 Living with the Land
5:50 Soarin'
World Showcase

Tuesday 8/15
7:45 Early Morning Magic
9:55 Splash Mountain
11:10 Big Thunder Mountain
12:10. Buzz Lightyear
(Pick up 4th, 5th, etc FPs as available)

Wednesday 8/16
(Morning at AK with no FP, plan is to arrive very early and attempt Flight of Passage)
5:35 Toy Story Midway Mania
6:45 Star Tours
7:55 Tower of Terror

Thursday 8/17
(Rope Drop at DHS)
9:20 Toy Story Midway Mania
10:30 Voyage of the Little Mermaid (10:50 show)
12:00 Tower of Terror
(Afternoon at pool, Disney Springs evening)

Friday 8/18 (Morning EMH @ Magic Kingdom)
9:10 Buzz Lightyear
10:10 Haunted Mansion
11:10 Pirates of the Caribbean

(Plan is to grab Epcot FP at 11:10)

Saturday 9/19
11:10 Buzz Lightyear
12:55 Splash Mountain
1:55 Peter Pan
2:00 Back to POFQ to catch DME