Onsite for the first time in forever. October 2014 PTR

[vleeth]

I hate to say it, but dh's plan makes sense. Plus you can use those hotel points to go on another vacation later. I know you want to ride EE in the dark, but you also want to eat at BOG.

 

[JMSMommy]

Yeah, I'm leaning more toward the "It's Fate" plan, while Dh is now leaning more to Vacation Bloat #2 plan. If we ever get on the same plan, it will be a miracle! LOL

I've told him we could still leave on Friday, just not as early. Drive 8 hours instead of 10, then still have 2 hours to come on in Saturday...spend that evening at Downtown Disney shopping and such. Still sleep in more, and still make it to our BOG lunch. I'm a HUGE Beauty and the Beast fan, so I'm very excited about the grey stuff.

Now he's worried about 10/30 MNSSHP being crowded. ::bang head::

 

[JMSMommy]

Well, the MNSSHP sold out on 10/30 before we could book it (and really before we had made a decision on which would be better). So, that decision was made for us.

We've also found out that because we have a package deal with room, free dining, and park tickets, that unless we stay onsite on 10/25 we can't enter the parks on 10/25.



How much do we really want to do the party? Enough to book us all onsite for 10/25 (remember we need 2 rooms).

We could do MK on Sunday as planned though enter even earlier now. Stay until 7. Do 1900 Park Fare after we leave MK. THEN, we could do the party on Tuesday 10/28 - which is original Universal/IOA day. We could move it to Thursday 10/30 instead (but that is Halloween Horror Night and I think we'd get kicked out of the parks earlier than we would on the Tuesday).

Plus, that means we'd be doing this schedule:

MK/1900 Park Fare
Epcot/Le Cellier
Disney Quest/short rest/MNSSHP
MK/CRT
US/IOA
DHS/SciFi
AK

If we did book room only ressie on 10/25 with MNSSHP, we'd be doing

MK or AK
Rest/MNSSHP
EP/Le Cellier
US/IOA
MK/CRT
DQ/long rest/1900 Park Fare
DHS/SciFi
AK or MK


Or we could keep what we have (which is offsite using reward points but just off Disney Property)

MK (arrive close to park opening)
EP/Le Cellier
US/IOA
MK/CRT
DQ/long rest/1900 Park Fare
DHS/SciFi
AK


Wish we had known that we couldn't stay offsite and use our park tickets last week when I got 1900 Park Fare and 10/30 MNSSHP was still available! Oh well...if it's sold out it must be crowded, right? We don't like crowded.

 

[vleeth]

Why can't you use your tickets?

 

[JMSMommy]

Why can't you use your tickets?

If you stay off-site, they will not be active because Disney doesn't see that you are there yet. They were bought as part of a package with the Free Dining promotion. It was an interesting 45 minute conversation on the phone with Disney trying to figure out WHY we couldn't select 10/25 to make fastpasses when we had an extra "day" valid to do so (we could select 10/28 and 10/30 which were in our resort stay but couldn't select 10/25). IF we book a room only reservation, they can separate the park tickets or something (basically they attach the room only reservation to our stay and Disney computers now recognize that we are THERE and eligible to use that ticket). It has to be a software coding thing. I told my husband to look at it as a "reward" for spending more money with Disney.

I am remembering WHY we've always stayed offsite.

 

[JMSMommy]

Okay, where did I leave off?! It's been a busy, yet frustrating few days of Disney planning.

First off, we had to discuss staying onsite vs. staying offsite for that first arrival day. When we FINALLY had decided, and called our travel agent, she was told they couldn't activate the tickets a day early for us if we stayed onsite. Okay, so now that we are confused and frustrated. We are back to the drawing board.

A few days later, after LOTS of discussion on what would be best/easiest/etc. We finally decide to just go ahead and book a room only for Caribbean Beach on 10/25. We are HOPING they can put us in the same room as the rest of our week stay, but if not...oh well.

Our newest iteration of "The Plan" now has us resting, swimming, and shopping on Saturday 10/25 from mid-afternoon through the evening.

Sunday, we will do a full day at Magic Kingdom. So, now we're trying to see what to do with fastpasses that day. We have BOG lunch reserved too. At the moment we are planning to just go back to the hotel at 7.

Monday, we will do a mostly full day at Epcot (we are not planning to stay for Illuminations). The girls only want to visit the China exhibit. Britt wants to see the American show. The girls have asked to see Aladdin if we can.

Tuesday, this will be Universal day. According to our Touring Plans, we don't need Express pass to get through both parks in one day. However, since we aren't doing MNSSHP, we are thinking we will get those Express passes and suddenly we can do all our favorites multiple times.

Wednesday, this is our 2nd MK day...and CRT.

Thursday, Disney Quest, rest, and 1900 Park Fare where I HOPE our oldest daughter will be thrilled to finally...finally meet Prince Charming.

Friday, Hollywood Studios (praying for NO test on Toy Story....oh my...)

Saturday, Animal Kingdom until we are done, then start our drive home.

I finally feel like we have things sort of, almost, set in...pencil?

OH, and our youngest daughter has decided that Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique looks like the most wonderful thing ever! 2 weeks from our trip...and I'm now calling multiple times a day.

Plus still checking daily for that 7dmt to match up with the other 5, or a 4th A&E....like I've been doing since 60 days out. Seriously! Those just are NOT popping up for us.

2 weeks...and we'll be in Florida but not quite yet to Orlando.

 

[vleeth]

Well, pencil is something!

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Following along! I think you made the right call about the party. We are going the night of our travel day (flying) and even with a nap in the hotel I'm worried I'm setting myself up for a complete exhausted toddler meltdown. In our case we didn't have much choice since our trip is so short. And I just lost our HM FP+ trying to get ETWB using the app (why doesn't it tell you the new selection is not the same timeframe before you select it?) Well, I've got a week and a half to try to bump it within the 3 hour party window.

 

[JMSMommy]

I can't believe we are getting so incredibly close!!! More vacation bloat, and so glad things were only in pencil!

We finally decided that on the off chance that we could get the SAME room for our room only resort stay and not have to change rooms, then we should go for it. We can save our Hilton reward points and do an anniversary trip soon. That sounded like a better plan to me for sure. So, we definitely leave very soon.

Thanks to people here on the Dis we think we can do an early activation of our tickets at DTD on Saturday 10/25, and if we can, then off we go to either AK or MK (it's open until 2am!). If this works, we will be adding a day to our base tickets.

If we manage to get the same room, or even if we don't we will open MK on Sunday 10/26. We may, or may not have BOG FP (they seem to have disappeared since we booked the 10/25 resort only stay - thus further ensuring that if there is a bug in the software our family will find it). We still have NOT managed to get 7dmt for all 6 of us together, but we do have a plan for that.

I managed to grab a TT and Soarin' fp during the glitch in MDE, so wooohoo...that makes up for possibly lost BOG FP. Right?!


Which brings us to our youngest daughter's request. She wants to do BBB. I am limited on the days we can do said experience if we can even manage to get it booked! IF we knew we could enter the MK on Saturday 10/25 (or even AK on 10/25), and we knew we could possibly do MK on Saturday 11/1 that would open up options...but no. I'm to the point of calling 3 times a day to look for a reservation, trying for our off day at DTD. Hoping for some pixie dust.

I've been reminiscing about past trips - this was May 2004...

 

[JMSMommy]

Following along! I think you made the right call about the party. We are going the night of our travel day (flying) and even with a nap in the hotel I'm worried I'm setting myself up for a complete exhausted toddler meltdown. In our case we didn't have much choice since our trip is so short. And I just lost our HM FP+ trying to get ETWB using the app (why doesn't it tell you the new selection is not the same timeframe before you select it?) Well, I've got a week and a half to try to bump it within the 3 hour party window.

I'm thinking the we made the right decision as well, but I'm still a bit sad we are skipping it.

Good luck bumping your ETWB! I've been working for almost 60 days now to bump ONE 7dmt to match our other 5. I'm to the point where I know we will have a blast regardless, and luckily we have a plan in place to ride it all together earlier that day.

 

[JMSMommy]

So, I have been calling BBB for a few weeks multiple times a day. Each time it's the same thing...call, as soon as Fairy Godmother gets on, press 1 and wait. Sometimes it's a short wait and sometimes it's a really really long wait. This past time it was a 30+ minute wait.

The CM comes on, and I explain, "I am just calling to see if there happens to be any availability of an appointment during my trip which starts in less than 2 weeks. I know it's a long shot, but hey, I have nothing better to do, right?!"

He replied, "Hey now, let's try to be a bit more optimistic." Then, he starts to ask me the questions.

I tell him my name, my zip code, my phone number, that it's for 1 little princess who is 6 and she is NOT celebrating anything. All in practically one breath.

He laughed, then said, "You've definitely done this a few times."

He asked for the day I was wanting to check, and I replied, "Do you just want the whole week or my ideal day first?" He said, "Let's try that ideal day." So, I told him, Thursday October 30.

He said, "So your ideal would be Thursday October 30 at 11:30AM right?"

Huh?!

"Yeah, October 30th would be ideal."

He said, "at 11:30...right?"

OH! Oh MY GOSH!!!! There was an appointment! He totally derailed my whole thought process as I was NOT prepared to be told there was an appointment.

So, we got that booked, while I think I giggled in joy a bit. FYI I talk when I'm nervous and I giggle when I'm excited and happy. He asked me if there was anything else I was wanting because it was obvious that I had some pixie dust going on.

Unfortunately, I didn't...well, unless he could get me that single 7dmt to match with the other 5 or get that single switched to an A&E! That was outside his abilities, of course.

After getting all the confirmation numbers down, I did think of something he could do for me. That 1900 Park Fare ADR on 10/30? I had been unable to make a note/special request on it about how my 8 year old daughter has wanted to meet Prince Charming for 5 years, and that has been her #1 request for the last trip and this trip. It took a bit to explain that this 8 year old was NOT the little Princess getting a BBB - and he wanted to know why I wasn't booking her a BBB as well. Which led to my explaining that my 8 year old is a tomboy, who detests all things make-up, nail polish, and hair styles. She's more girly than she realizes though.

He happily obliged me to let them know that she would really really really love it if Prince Charming would come by our table so she could meet him. I really wanted it where hopefully somehow Prince Charming could know to pay attention to my tomboy of a little girl OVER the younger sister who will have the full Princess hairstyle going on. Not sure if he fully understood what I was asking for, and I know that even if nothing special happens, my little girl will still be in awe to get to see Prince Charming.

I am hoping that my 8 year old will want to wear her Mulan costume (yes she picked it out) to that meal. She has a Jessie costume for Halloween.

 

[JMSMommy]

I can't believe we're down to counting hours until we leave! My mind is a jumble of thoughts, the house looks like something exploded in it as we scurry to pack and prepare.

"Momma, my throat hurts."

"Mom, my tummy hurts."

Ensuing panic sets in.

Hours, granted quite a few hours, but hours. Each one ticking by slowly...yet too quickly as well.

Cleaning out the van, stocking the DVDs to play along the way (lots of Disney) and book on tape (Harry Potter book #2 I think). New books bought to take on the trip. Are we the only people on the planet who would buy new books to take to Disney?! Feverishly checking MDE for A&E fast passes times (need to change a single time because I finally got another fast pass). Still checking to get that 6th fast pass for 7dmt with the other 5 so we can all ride as a family (been checking for almost 60 days now...multiple times a day on a day that MK is said to be a 2/10).

Trying not to be worried about the A&E - Dh has a fast pass from 2:20-3:20, Sarah and I have fast passes from 3:20-4:20, and Katie has a fast pass from 3:40-4:40. IF all 'timing' works, we could all 4 walk in at 3:35, but the idea is to be there right before 3:20, and have Dh wait inside the queue on us. Maybe the CM standing guard will take pity on us. LOL

Hours. We leave in hours....

 

[vleeth]

Well, I'm guessing you are on your trip.

Here's some . Let me know how it all goes.

 

[3tiggerstoo]

Totally forgot about your pre-trip report until I saw your travel photos this morning. Hope you're having an incredible trip!!! Can't WAIT to hear all about it!! I'm soooo jealous.