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

[amystevekai&bump]

thanks every one for their comments!!! It really is great to share my plans with you - I think I have now finally bored DH to death (and he does love Disney too!!)

I am struggling with what else to really plan now - I don't expect to book the Virgin flights until 11 mths out, and as for the Hard Rock - as we won't be arriving until Jan 1st 2011, I guess I may have to wait until Aug 2010 to book that!!

So I'm now in that awkward inbetween stage where I have nothing to look at but my itinerary and possible adr choices - but even those i've been looking at for the past 6 mths!!! (Steve really can't understand how I can plan what I am going to eat in almost 2 years time!!)

Anyway, thanks for your interest - I love reading what you all are planning as well - it makes me feel slightly less obsessive knowing you share my OCD for Disney!!

 

[raph_b]

Sounds like a great trip you've got lined up

I'd love to go in December one year, it looks so pretty everywhere at that time.

And I'd love to stay at the Poly one day too....

In fact, can I come with you?!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Sounds like a great trip you've got lined up

I'd love to go in December one year, it looks so pretty everywhere at that time.

And I'd love to stay at the Poly one day too....

In fact, can I come with you?!

Now normally I would say yes, but with all these people I am putting in my suitcases, I am starting to get concerned about the baggage allowance!!

 

[mark&sue]

you have the most amazing trip planned. hope you enjoy the rest of your planning time and come back and up-date us when you add more

thanks for sharing

susan

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Sounds like a great trip - I am so jealous!!!!

 

[Snowy-girls]

Sounds like a wonderful trip you have planned-lucky you .x.

 

[jockey]

Your plans sound great

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Firstly, thank you everyone for your support and nice comments!

Secondly, I am now ALL BOOKED!!!!!

We rang Virgin Holidays on Thursday (the day the 2010 fly drive prices came out), just to get a rough idea of prices, and well they gave us 15% discount AND THEY decided that the Hard Rock Hotel prices looked incorrect??, so without me even asking, they went away and spoke to a Supervisor and agreed to knock a further £400+ off of the hotel price - So we ended up booking there and then, as the price for flights, car hire, 7 nights at Hard Rock (deluxe room) and Universal tickets worked out £800 cheaper than I had estimated we would be paying!!!

So having jumped at the chance, we are now going straight to the Hard Rock after the cruise - so will be there from 30th December through to 6th January when we fly home. It does mean skipping Vero Beach - but I think price wise we made the right choice, and it means we'll just have to go to Vero Beach next time!!

So other than a couple of days car hire to book from the Port to Universal with Hertz - we are all sorted!!

I am now off to work on my Universal dining plans and will report back soon!!

 

[raph_b]

What a great result with the booking!!

Let us know your Universal dining plans - I can highly recommend Mythos

 

[Pinky166]

Your plans are fab Amy.

Sounds like you got a great deal with the flights & HRH!!

I went this past December (our first time to see the christmas decs), it is so beautiful - you will absolutely love it!!!

We are going in Sept this year & I have 4 nights at the Poly booked, I can't wait to stay here , also a 4 night cruise (our first ever).

Looking forward to reading more as you plan your trip.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Hello again everyone!! Long time, no speak!!!

Well ...... its all changed again!!!

I have been all quiet on the trip planning front, as I have been very busy - despite saying I would wait until next year (I am not known for my patience!!)..... I have taken the plunge early and have bought into DVC!!!

We have closed today - so I am now the proud owner of points at BLT and AKV!!!

Of course, this will now effect our bookings next year!

So..... When the 11 month booking window opens (which will be in January - 11th to be precise), I am hoping to book 5 nights in a studio at BLT (MK view) and then keep 2 nights at the Beach Club & then book 5 nights at AKV (1 bed savannah view), before still going on the cruise on Dec 23rd.

I won't cancel the Poly or the rest of the Beach Club until I have my DVC bookings in place, and I am going to keep 2 odd nights at Beach Club as the nightly room rate there costs about the same as the deposit I've already paid, so its silly to lose that and besides I would like to try the Beach Club and Beaches n Cream!!

So, as I say - all change once again!!

So the holiday will now (hopefully) look like this:


Sat 11th Dec - Fly to Orlando & Magical Express to BLT (MK view studio)

Tue 14th Dec - Mickeys very merry xmas party

Thu 16th Dec - Trf from BLT to Beach Club

Sat 18th Dec - Collect car & trf to Animal Kingdom Villa (1bed savannah view)

Thu 23rd Dec - DCL bus to Disney Wonder cruise

Thu 30th Dec - Limo from Port to Hard Rock Hotel

Thu 6th Jan - taxi to airport for flight home

So thats the latest (and I am hoping it won't change) - although there is talk that our relatives won't be able to join us for New Years Eve and therefore there won't be a party at their villa, so I am still considering the possibility of spending Dec 30th & Dec 31st at Vero Beach, as I wonder whether the NYE activities there might better suit our two small boys than NYE at Universal??

But that would mean cancelling 2 nights at HRH and getting involved with amending my Virgin Holidays booking - which having had major problems changing things with them before, I promised myself I wouldn't do that again!! - so we'll see!!

Anyway, thats it from me for the moment, so bye for now!!

 

[mandymouse]

I can't believe that I had misssed this Pre-Trippy. Your plans sound amazing Amy, lucky you to be on the Disney Wonder for Christmas Day

What ADR's are you hoping to make ?

 

[amystevekai&bump]

I can't believe that I had misssed this Pre-Trippy. Your plans sound amazing Amy, lucky you to be on the Disney Wonder for Christmas Day

What ADR's are you hoping to make ?

Hi Mandy!!

We are planning to have the dining plan for the first 5 days, so that we can get most of the more expensive meals covered!!

As our boys will only be 3 and 6, we still like to do the character meals rather than the more 'formal' meals. So we are planning Chef Mickeys breakfast, Crystal Palace breakfast, Whispering Canyon Cafe dinner & Le Cellier (candlelight processional dinner package if it's still under the dining plan next year!!). That would leave 1 TS meal under the dining plan, and I am still hoping that they bring back the characters at Liberty Tree Tavern, so that we can book an American Style 'Christmas' dinner, although if not we may opt for O'Hanas.

As for CS - We will go to Contempo Cafe, Cosmic Rays & Wolfgang Puck Express but not sure about the rest. Oh and we will spend at least a couple of snack credits at Goofy's Candy Co!!

The other meals we are planning (although not on dining plan and some without adrs) are - Beaches n Cream (possibly twice!!),Boma breakfast, Cape May Cafe, Tusker House, Rainforest Cafe & T-Rex.

We will also need to fit in eating at Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse & TGI Fridays, as per usual. Although I do fancy trying Mannys chophouse too & we will need to eat in the DVC one night just to try it!!

In fact with all this eating I am not sure whether we will be able to fit in any parks!!

 

[mandymouse]

As our boys will only be 3 and 6, we still like to do the character meals rather than the more 'formal' meals.

My girls are 18 and 16 and we still prefer the character meals

Great choices Amy, you're going to have a great time