Plunging elevators, runaway trains,speeding cars,+Haunted Mansions! April 2012

[3princesses+aprince]

Haha! Well I was behind the camera and Manny was chasing kids around. I'll have to get a good pic of us up soon!

 

[-Hope-]

That place looks like SOOO much fun! I love all the smiling faces.

 

[klacey1]

Aw, looks like Sam had a fun party! Those bears on the stage remind me of Country Bears Jamboree!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm so glad she had a blast! It looks like you all did! I can't believe they are getting older so fast (I guess we all are, but I remember how young they looked in your first TR!

Did you ever notice that your Emily and my Savannah look a little bit alike?

 

[3princesses+aprince]

That place looks like SOOO much fun! I love all the smiling faces.

Yes it's a blast!

Aw, looks like Sam had a fun party! Those bears on the stage remind me of Country Bears Jamboree!

That's the first thing I thought of when the bears came out.

I'm so glad she had a blast! It looks like you all did! I can't believe they are getting older so fast (I guess we all are, but I remember how young they looked in your first TR!

Did you ever notice that your Emily and my Savannah look a little bit alike?

I know, I was just looking back on my 09 TR and they do look so little. I have to get a recent picture of my stepson up, he looks like a man now. (Well to me anyway)

And I have looked at Savannah before and saw some Emily there. Very cute.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Not sure what happened on this double post?

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Ok so i'm wondering if I should book our trip at some point over the next few months or wait to see if I get the free dining pin. I'm afraid that if I book it I will not get a that pin (if they get sent out this year) BUT of course I don't wanna wait to long either

What's everyone's take on booking versus waiting for a pin? Also what's the longest you would wait for that pin before you booked anyway. We're looking at the first week of December so i'm trying to figure out how long to wait.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Hmmmm, I've gotten pins when I was booked, but I would wait just a bit, but it depends on your dates. Are you going really close to xmas? I would book under your huband's name, and then make an account on the disney site in your name (if you don't already have one) and price trips and save them. Then stop going to the site and see if you get a pin! That's how I started getting mine, now I get them all the time...and I'm staying offsite!

If you don't get anything, I would book about 7 months out. I would think lots of people will book right before 6 months so they can do ADR's, so I would back it up a few weeks from that period!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Leave it to Karen to figure out how to book and still try to get a pin.... Which pin are you looking for Pam?? Free Dining probably with the size of your family, huh?? Well, I know they are out there as I got one by email and one by snail mail.....of course not for December, though.....We'll be wishing for pixie dust

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Hmmmm, I've gotten pins when I was booked, but I would wait just a bit, but it depends on your dates. Are you going really close to xmas? I would book under your huband's name, and then make an account on the disney site in your name (if you don't already have one) and price trips and save them. Then stop going to the site and see if you get a pin! That's how I started getting mine, now I get them all the time...and I'm staying offsite!

If you don't get anything, I would book about 7 months out. I would think lots of people will book right before 6 months so they can do ADR's, so I would back it up a few weeks from that period!

Leave it to Karen to figure out how to book and still try to get a pin.... Which pin are you looking for Pam?? Free Dining probably with the size of your family, huh?? Well, I know they are out there as I got one by email and one by snail mail.....of course not for December, though.....We'll be wishing for pixie dust

Thanks girls! I didn't think about booking in my dh's name! Awesome idea! Right now we're looking at the first week of December? I've even been thinking about the first week of November for a warmer temps? I definitely already have my account set up on Disney's website. I guess what i'm doing is good cause I did get the free dining pin for July and early august. SO I"m praying for that free dining pin for december. It would save my family 1300. It's such a large savings because only one of our kids are still in the "kids age range" Lizzie will be 10 in June. Ok, so I won't wait too long then to book, i'll of course want to make ADRS too so I wouldn't want to wait past that 6 month out mark. I so hope that free dining pin comes to me over the summer.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Ok so one more question while i'm at it, if we decide to go in November instead. Have you guys ever been the week after Halloween. Well, we would check in on the 6th or 7th of November and stay that week. Are Halloween decorations still up, or are Christmas ones up yet? Or are they in transition and we'll see no decorations.

I'm gonna go searching around.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Ok so i'll still take any November advice I can get but I did some research:

1) Free dining pins for late 2010 starting coming out in early May 2010

2) Free dining was released to the public for late 2010 the first week of July 2010

3) Free dining dates for the pincodes included mid october til the end of december.

4) Free dining that was released to the public was for certain weeks only. It was not for the week in December I was thinking and it wasn't for the first week of November. It was good for the 2nd week of November though which would take me ending our trip a few days before thanksgiving.

5) I went to touringplans and saw that the week before thanksgiving had extremely low crowds with levels in the 1's 2's 3's and a one or two 4's and 5's. Now that sounds great!!!!

6) I've been busy today I also looked through a few November trip reports and the weather was warm this past year. Nights were in the 60s and these disers had some 83 degree days. That sounds lovely.

SO NOW I'M THINKING I'M GOING TO TALK TO MANNY AND SEE WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT NOVEMBER INSTEAD OF DECEMBER. I know exactly what he'll say, I don't even have to ask...."Whatever you wanna do hun, i don't care when we go"

Ok so the only thing i'm worrying about now is airfare prices. If we're flying home 3 days before Thanksgiving am I going to be scared when I price our air? Has anyone ever flown around these days?

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I have nothing to add for November information......but I just wanted to say HI!!!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi Pam! Nice to see you back on the DIS and planning a trip!

I haven't read yet, but wanted to say HI!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

I have nothing to add for November information......but I just wanted to say HI!!!

Hi Pam! Nice to see you back on the DIS and planning a trip!

I haven't read yet, but wanted to say HI!

Well hello friends. Glad to see that even though not much is going on you still come to say hi.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I don't know a lot about November, but I've heard it's less busy than December (except Thanksgiving) but you still get all the holiday decorations!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Yes we're really thinking November now! WHICH MEANS WE'RE ONLY 8 MONTHS OUT INSTEAD OF 9 I talked to Manny last night and he said "yeah lets go in November then" I figured he'd be fine with whatever but he actually sounded pretty excited! I was pretty sold when I saw the low crowd levels and weather. Pricing is the same as early December, so no change there. It's hard for me to set dates right now because i'm of course hoping and praying for that free dining plan. So we may have to play around with the days a little to match that, which is fine, we're pretty flexible. I'm hoping within the next couple of months i'll get a pin

The dates i'm looking at right now (free dining 2010 was available for them) are Sunday November 13-Sunday November 20! So I suppose I could start planning on that and see what happens. I should make a ticker

 

[klacey1]

Those dates look perfect! The parks and resorts should be fully decorated for Christmas! You should look into a sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness! I hope you guys do get some sort of pin!! Do you know where you'd like to stay this time?

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Thanks Kylie you reminded me I hadn't posted that info yet!

Ok so as i've been searching around these past 2 days i'm thinking NOVEMBER 13-20, 2011 WILL BE OUR DATES! That could change a little depending on if free dining is offered and for what dates. AND also on airfare. We'll see what it looks like for that week as soon as southwest gets those dates released. I'll be checking for that daily

HOTEL: PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE OF COURSE! I am very excited about staying here and cannot wait!!!!! I was showing Manny some pictures and he's excited as well. I think we'll go with the "standard" room. It won't be too HOT to walk and we won't be going back and forth to the pool all day. (I am hoping we get a few good pool days in though) We'll be in the Alligator Bayou section, which is the one that sleeps 5. I'll request a building as close as we can get to the foodcourt and whatever we get i'll be happy with. I'm really looking forward to taking the water taxi over to DTD! It looks like a lovely ride!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Oh, you'll love the water taxi to DTD!! I think we did that at least 4 times!!! And at night it is really beautiful! It's even beautiful in the rain. Yep, that's one thing I am very happy about with staying at POFQ --- the water taxi is still available!!