Our 1st ever pre-trip report!!!!

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi everyone!!!

I have never done a trip report before, let alone a pre-trip one - so please be gentle!!

As some of you will know, (from my MANY posts on the planning boards) I have been planning a special Christmas trip for 2010 for almost 12 months now!!

It's special in the fact that, having visited WDW almost every year since I was 5 years old (I'm now almost 35!!), I have never visited over the holiday period!! DH (Steve) works for Royal Mail and has been granted 'one off' special leave over the holidays, so this really will be a ONCE IN A LIFETIME trip for us!!

So.......

let me formally introduce us .....

There's Me - Amy (34 now - 36 when we go!!) - the Chief Planner and obsessed Disney addict!!

DH - Steve (35 now - 37 when we go!!) - Loves Disney but really doesn't want to know the details until we actually get there!! - (hence the reason I am boring you guys instead)!!!

DS1 - Kai (5 today!!! - 6 when we go) - Loves spiderman, IOA and Disney Cars - enjoys the pool as much as anything!!

DS2 - Lucas (20 months - 3 when we go) - Loves Playhouse Disney - can't really speak yet but knows the important words - 'Disney' and 'Donald Duck' - no sign of him saying 'Mummy' in the near future however!!

..so thats my family.... now for our plans so far!!!.....


Let me start by saying, this has changed possibly a dozen times since I began planning in June 2008!!! The only thing actually booked is the Disney Cruise, and even this has already been cancelled from being a very extravagant 11 night Southern Carribean cruise to a less expensive (but still extravagant!!) 7 night Western Carribean cruise!!

So finally...... my (current) accomodation plan:

Sat 11th Dec - Fly Virgin to Orlando - Hire car to Beach Club (std view) for 8 nights
Sun 19th Dec - Move to the Polynesian (MK View!!) for 4 nights
Thu 23rd Dec - DCL bus to Disney Wonder for 7 nights
Thu 30th Dec - hire car to Hard Rock Hotel for 7 nights
Thu 6th Jan - Taxi to airport for flight home

This is the current plan, and the only question (at the moment) is whether we go to Disney's Vero Beach for 2 nights after the cruise, before moving to Hard Rock - but I have a while to make that decision!

Anyway, thats our plan, and I will report back some more later - I DO have a plan already for where we plan to eat each day - but I thought that would be too much information for you to take on board in the first post!!

Speak to you soon!!

 

[jackieleanne]

Great plans it sounds like it will be a magical trip. Your youngest son sounds so cute, its great he knows the important words "Disney" and "Donald Duck"

 

[irongirlof12]

wow- it sounds like the trip of a lifetime

 

[gemmybear83]

Might see you there! Were hoping to get married on the 9th Dec and honeymoon on the Disney Wonder and the Yacht Club

 

[suzycute]

Your trip sounds fantastic - you're getting to try all the hotels I would love to try too . . . Beach Club, Polynesian and Hard Rock Hotel - not to mention the Wonder (which I have tried and is "wonder"ful!!). I'm sure you will have a trip of a lifetime!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Great plans it sounds like it will be a magical trip. Your youngest son sounds so cute, its great he knows the important words "Disney" and "Donald Duck"

He is very cute - although he is beginning to develop Donald Duck's temper too!!

wow- it sounds like the trip of a lifetime

It will certainly be a one off, as Steve can't normally have any time off over Christmas, so we are really 'going for it' next year!!

Might see you there! Were hoping to get married on the 9th Dec and honeymoon on the Disney Wonder and the Yacht Club

Oh Wow!! Are you getting married in Florida?? Which Wonder cruise will you be on - we sail on 23rd Dec - perhaps we will bump into each other!

Your trip sounds fantastic - you're getting to try all the hotels I would love to try too . . . Beach Club, Polynesian and Hard Rock Hotel - not to mention the Wonder (which I have tried and is "wonder"ful!!). I'm sure you will have a trip of a lifetime!

We stayed at the poly last year in a Garden view room, and really wanted to try a MK view room - I just hope all the planning and expense pays off and it is as wonderful in 'real life' as it looks on paper!!

 

[gemmybear83]

Oh Wow!! Are you getting married in Florida?? Which Wonder cruise will you be on - we sail on 23rd Dec - perhaps we will bump into each other!

QUOTE]

Were getting married in Walt Disney World at the Yacht Club Gazebo hopefully on the 9th December - and going on a cruise on the 12th December (already booked).

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Oh Wow!! Are you getting married in Florida?? Which Wonder cruise will you be on - we sail on 23rd Dec - perhaps we will bump into each other!

QUOTE]

Were getting married in Walt Disney World at the Yacht Club Gazebo hopefully on the 9th December - and going on a cruise on the 12th December (already booked).

congratulations!! - We will just miss your wedding as we don't arrive until 11th Dec (otherwise I might have had a peak - I love weddings!! - we were married in the Wedding Pavillion back in 1998 - you really will have the best day of your life I'm sure!!)

So what is your itinerary? - or perhaps you have a link to your plans?

 

[gemmybear83]

Awww thanks! I didnt know you were another disney bride Were hoping to fly on the 5th for a week and stay at POFQ or another mod (I think I might fall in love with CSR on this trip though!) with our families - then go for the 4 day cruise (our 1st cruise!), and then a 4dayish stint at one of the deluxes - were thinking the yacht club at the moment but that might change! Were also debating about staying for xmas too - but probably move into a villa or DVC so we have a bit more space to relax - and it will be much cheaper!!

 

[Cinderella]

Hi Amy - What an awesome trip. I didn't realise you were doing the cruise too. You will have a blast. We did the 4 night cruise in December 2005 and it was too short.

I think it's great the way you've planned it. We've stayed in Disney up until 22nd December and it was just beginning to get busy. We've also arrived on 31st December and it got quiet on 2nd Jan. So, you'll get quiet times in the parks and be on the cruise over Christmas, which is fab.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Awww thanks! I didnt know you were another disney bride Were hoping to fly on the 5th for a week and stay at POFQ or another mod (I think I might fall in love with CSR on this trip though!) with our families - then go for the 4 day cruise (our 1st cruise!), and then a 4dayish stint at one of the deluxes - were thinking the yacht club at the moment but that might change! Were also debating about staying for xmas too - but probably move into a villa or DVC so we have a bit more space to relax - and it will be much cheaper!!

sounds like a terrific plan!!! We might well cross paths then as we overlap for quite a 'chunk' don't we!! - Of course by the time I get there you will be an old married woman!!

Hi Amy - What an awesome trip. I didn't realise you were doing the cruise too. You will have a blast. We did the 4 night cruise in December 2005 and it was too short.

I think it's great the way you've planned it. We've stayed in Disney up until 22nd December and it was just beginning to get busy. We've also arrived on 31st December and it got quiet on 2nd Jan. So, you'll get quiet times in the parks and be on the cruise over Christmas, which is fab.

Our first disney cruise was the 4 night and we loved it!! This past May we tried the 3 night with our two children and that really felt short (It might sound daft but the 4 nighter felt twice as long as the 3 night!!) - We had originally booked the 11 night Southern Carribean xmas cruise, but with the way the economy is at the moment it just felt too extravagant - not that I have toned it down very much!!

I was quite disappointed to change initially (especially as I was the 'founder member' of the 11 night Dis Meet thread!) - but I know it was the right decision - especially as this way we can do all of Disney before the cruise and then just do Universal after New Year and hoipefully avoid the really BIG crowds!!

 

[wicket2005]

I love reading about other people's plans and reports so don't worry none of us will find it boring. We went in December last year for the first time and just loved all the decorations and atmosphere. It is certainly worth going at least once at this time of the year to see all the festive decorations, you will love it.

Your plans sound fab, Hard Rock is our favourite hotel.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

UPDATE ON ACCOMODATION!!!!

Hi, you might have notice my updated Ticker!!! - I have now BOOKED my WDW hotels!!!

We decided to add the DDP to our Polynesian stay (as we won't have a car there and will just be doing MK/monorail resorts). But when I phoned the UK booking, they told me how you have to add the park passes to be able to book the dining option - not a problem except we would have to stay at the Poly first as otherwise we would be without the park passes at the Beach Club - very confusing!!

So.......... I wasn't keen first of all (for some unknown reason I had been looking forward to finishing my WDW stay at the poly!) ....well I repriced the two hotels and the upshot is - If I do the Poly first, including the dining it works out £230 cheaper!! (thats like free dining and cash in my pocket!!) ......... all of a sudden I can't remember why I ever thought it was better to do the POly second!!


So - The new (improved) itinerary is....

Sat 11th Dec - ME bus to the Poly for 5 nights inc DDP (BOOKED)
Thu 16th Dec - Trf to Beach Club for 7 nights (BOOKED)
Thu 23rd Dec - DCL Bus to Disney WOnder (BOOKED)
Thu 30th Dec - Hire Car to Disney's Vero Beach for 2 nights (not booked)
Sat 1st Jan - Hire Car to Hard Rock hotel for 6 nights (not booked)
Fri 7th Jan - Fly home!!!

So excited!!!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

I love reading about other people's plans and reports so don't worry none of us will find it boring. We went in December last year for the first time and just loved all the decorations and atmosphere. It is certainly worth going at least once at this time of the year to see all the festive decorations, you will love it.

Your plans sound fab, Hard Rock is our favourite hotel.

Hi!!

Thank you for your kind comments!! - I am so excited after all these years to finally see the magic of a WDW Christmas!!

To be honest as much as I LOVE Disney -we stayed at Hard Rock for 3 nights at the beginning of our last holiday and LOVED it!!

So much so that next year we are saving the BEST for last!!

 

[wicket2005]

We did find the Hard Rock and the Universal parks a lot quieter than when we usually visit in July and they were quieter than the Disney parks, which at first felt a bit strange.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

We did find the Hard Rock and the Universal parks a lot quieter than when we usually visit in July and they were quieter than the Disney parks, which at first felt a bit strange.

I can imagine that it would feel a bit strange after the Disney crowds - even when we were there in May it was similar - the whole of Universal just felt so much more relaxed and laid back!! Although I'm not sure if that might change a bit once Harry Potter opens!!

Surprisingly my two boys loved IOA - especially Seuss' Landing - so it would be nice if they can get some 'quiet' time there!!

 

[gemmybear83]

Loving your plans we saw the end of xmas season stuff last Jan and we loved it!! I was even more converted by disney xmas season by DLRP last December - it magical!

Less of the old married woman please!

 

[Figaro's paws]

Sounds like a great plan will be reading with interest!

 

[Lizzybear]

Great start and sounds like it'll be an amazing trip I'd love to go in December at some point

 

[Cyrano]

Can't believe that I missed this earlier

Sounds like you have a magical "once in a lifetime trip" planned