PTR: Because We're Insane: Driving & Triple Split Stay!

[JenSop]

Two quick little updates.....


On another fashion note, I got a new running/tennis skirt for my trip. I like to wear these, as most are quick-to-dry fabric and have built in biker shorts in them.

So I just got this cute skirt from Athleta (Gap company) in a nice blue color. The shorts underneath are a good mesh fabric and will be really good for an AK day (specifically Kali River Rapids!)

On another note, I remembered what another of my "Top 5" videos was going to be - Top 5 Gift Shops! (My mom's idea.) As there are definitely destination gift shops that just can't be missed!

 

[redlight]

I'm in.

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. You look too young for it to be the 10th.

 

[JenSop]

I'm in.

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. You look too young for it to be the 10th.

Thanks for joining in!

And thanks even more on the looking-too-young compliment. I've been very blessed with good genes. I'll leave it at that.

 

[TanzUnited99]

I like the skirt - a great buy!

I look forward to hearing all about your top 5 gift shops. Having never been I would love to know about the shops I can not afford to miss!

 

[Villainess]

*LOVE* your top 5 lists and all your pretty dresses! I am not a shorts fan so in the summer I live in dresses and skirts.

 

[obxlover]

Next up - Itinerary!!!!

Okay - I LOVE making itineraries. I make a cool chart that lists everything.

And now, for the first time in public, I am sharing my chart layout! Eek!

I took out the times and confirmation #'s for obvious reasons (But they're there in the original) and am presenting it here for you dear readers!

Weeeeeeeeee!!!!!


So excited!!!!!!

Look at all our awesome ADR's!!

(I can see that the chart showed up kind of small, so here's a summary....

Sat. - Le Cellier (lunch) & Cape May Cafe (dinner)
Sun. - Kouzzina (dinner)
Mon. - Via Napoli (dinner)
Tues. - Yachtsman Steakhouse (dinner)
Wed. - Hacienda de San Angel (dinner)
Thurs. - Victoria and Albert's (dinner)
Fri. - Fulton's (lunch) & California Grill (dinner)
Sat. - Chefs de France (lunch)

Now, we started with the 5 ADR's in the middle (from Sunday to Thursday.) But as we added days, we added meals. A couple months ago, we added Cape May Cafe for our arrival day dinner. (All you can eat crab legs? Yes please!)

Then over Easter, we had some down-time while visiting Brian's mom for the weekend. It was serious planning crunch time - final decisions had to be made! What would be our final ADR's and how were we going to pay for them?

So what we're doing for our final plan is attaching the DDP to the OKW portion of our stay. Then - we had to decide whether or not to do it on the single night stays on either end of our trip. You see, I'd been doing a lot of reading on the DIS (what's new?) and started thinking more about Tables in Wonderland. We ended up deciding to get TIW and use it on those extra days AND on our Victoria and Albert's meal. We don't want to use it on our entire trip. We like the ease of the DDP - not having to look at prices on the menus is great. But we thought that on either end of the trip, it would be nice to have the option of not ordering full meals every time - maybe just go with sharing appetizers and such. PLUS - now we can finally try Fulton's, as we've never done so since it's not on the DDP! (Plus, we'll use our TIW for our alcohol at our TS meals all week.)

Just looking at all those restaurants makes my mouth water! I can't wait!



On the chart, you can also see that I've listed all the park hours for all the days we'll be there - including which have EMH. I also showed which evening EMH's we're going to do. (MK EMH is our favorite!!!!!)

We have a print-out where we've scribbled which parks we'll probably do on which days, but we actually are kind of relaxed about that. One way or another, we're totally sleeping in on Monday morning after our super late MK EMH the night before!

We have ressie's at Haceinda the same night as you guys! What time is your ressie's for?

This is the first time we have went to WDW in the summer, so I have a few questions? What type of shoe do you wear in the park? What is moleskin and where can I find it?

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I know I'm a bit late in joining in, but I wanted to say that your plans (and outfits!) look great! I too make spreadsheets of our schedule - hey, gotta plan and organize!!

 

[JenSop]

I like the skirt - a great buy!

I look forward to hearing all about your top 5 gift shops. Having never been I would love to know about the shops I can not afford to miss!

Perusing the gift shops is part of the fun! I especially love how so many of the vintage styles are coming back now. Although I've preliminarily restricted myself to ONE new Tee, as it's so easy to get carried away....

*LOVE* your top 5 lists and all your pretty dresses! I am not a shorts fan so in the summer I live in dresses and skirts.

Thanks! I'm really really hoping that these videos come together well. Planning out and organizing beforehand is alot of work, as I need to make sure we get absolutely every shot.

We have ressie's at Haceinda the same night as you guys! What time is your ressie's for?

This is the first time we have went to WDW in the summer, so I have a few questions? What type of shoe do you wear in the park? What is moleskin and where can I find it?

I think our ADR is for 8pm? I'd have to pull up my file. I know I tried to make it late enough that maybe, just maybe, we'd be able to watch Illuminations during our dinner. *crossing fingers!*

For shoes, I have some really comfy walking sandals that I use for the day - usually alternate between my Keens (open toe), Eccos, and my prettier strappy sandals that I was wearing in the shot with my green skirt on. (Can't remember the brand off the top of my head.) I also wear my Reef flip flops A LOT! The traditional "Sandy" style. Best flip flops ever made.

Mole skin is like a very thin felt fabric with sticky stuff on one side. You can put it on your skin where you get hot spots. So if you have shoes that are really comfy, but they rub weird in one place, just put some moleskin there. You can buy it right near the band aids in any grocery or drug store.

 

[Kathymford]

You are giving me some great ideas. I am so overwhelmed planning my very first WDW trip. And I've got some things down, like my ADRs, but beyond that, I just don't know where to start! LOL. I'll keep lurking...keep up the good work!

 

[ChiCat]

WOW! I'm down to 22 days on my countdown! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I HAVE to get super organized for my videos.

Can anyone think of something they wished they'd known before a trip OR heard someone say they wished they'd known?

So far this is what I'm planning:

*Everything Fast Pass
*How to use Photopass
*Top 5's:
-Rides
-Beverages
-Hidden Gems
-Experiences

I'm going all out with the editing and want to make these look top of the line professional. So excited!

What do you guys think? Anything else I should try to add?

Videos? On Youtube? Cuz I would totally subscribe, I'm a youtube addict. And Disney videos sound awesome to watch! I mostly watch beauty related ones.

 

[saintstickets]

Videos? On Youtube? Cuz I would totally subscribe, I'm a youtube addict. And Disney videos sound awesome to watch! I mostly watch beauty related ones.

Did someone say Disney videos on Youtube?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2597843&page=9

Go to post #127 for links to Christmas videos.

 

[JenSop]

I know I'm a bit late in joining in, but I wanted to say that your plans (and outfits!) look great! I too make spreadsheets of our schedule - hey, gotta plan and organize!!

Glad to have you on board! Welcome to my PTR! Thanks on the outfits - and I LOVE to find other planners! I mean, who doesn't love the planning process?

You are giving me some great ideas. I am so overwhelmed planning my very first WDW trip. And I've got some things down, like my ADRs, but beyond that, I just don't know where to start! LOL. I'll keep lurking...keep up the good work!

Thanks for lurking! I can imagine how overwhelming it must be to be planning a first Disney Vacation in this day and age. (That's who most of my clients are. And that's why I'm here to help them! )

You're already off to a good start by being here on the Disboards! I would suggest seeing what your priorities are for each park and go from there. Make a list. You won't get anywhere close to seeing everything, so don't even try. When are you going? A lot of my advice would hinge on the time of year you'll be traveling.

And if your trip is still a ways away, I'll probably have my website and videos up in time for you to watch before your trip!

Videos? On Youtube? Cuz I would totally subscribe, I'm a youtube addict. And Disney videos sound awesome to watch! I mostly watch beauty related ones.

Thanks! I'll let you know when they get up there. I'll have them on my website, my facebook page, and on Youtube. I plan to make them look like something on the Travel Channel - edited together really well and all. Wish me luck!

 

[ajf1007]

Hi neighbor! We live in PA as well, outside of Doylestown and I totally remember reading your article! WOW! You are amazing! I just wanted to say I loved, loved, loved the outfits! I am an Anne Taylor junkie and as I was looking at your dresses, I thought - Hey, I have that - to 2 of them, which I got at Anne Taylor.

Anywho - I'm so excited to read more and get your updates, I can't wait to hear all about your trip! You went to Quakertown HS - I went to Upper Perk! Small world!

So... I'm subbing now and then I will go back and read your other TR's, which I'm very excited about!

Also interested in your driving aspect. I've thought about it so much and my DH is so against it. I was looking at it as we'll power through on the way down cause we'll be so excited, but then my DH, the dark cloud reminds me that we still have to drive home. I even looked at the autotrain and by the time I priced that out, it was more expensive then airfare. So...maybe your tips will get him to change his mind. We're planning a big time trip to AKV 9/2012 and I was thinking about driving. Hmm....

Bring on more updates!!! YAHOO!

 

[Kathymford]

You're already off to a good start by being here on the Disboards! I would suggest seeing what your priorities are for each park and go from there. Make a list. You won't get anywhere close to seeing everything, so don't even try. When are you going? A lot of my advice would hinge on the time of year you'll be traveling.

And if your trip is still a ways away, I'll probably have my website and videos up in time for you to watch before your trip!

We are going this October (7th - 14th). I was glancing through your October girls trip report, but I think I've only gotten through the first day!! lol

 

[JenSop]

Hi neighbor! We live in PA as well, outside of Doylestown and I totally remember reading your article! WOW! You are amazing! I just wanted to say I loved, loved, loved the outfits! I am an Anne Taylor junkie and as I was looking at your dresses, I thought - Hey, I have that - to 2 of them, which I got at Anne Taylor.

Anywho - I'm so excited to read more and get your updates, I can't wait to hear all about your trip! You went to Quakertown HS - I went to Upper Perk! Small world!

So... I'm subbing now and then I will go back and read your other TR's, which I'm very excited about!

Also interested in your driving aspect. I've thought about it so much and my DH is so against it. I was looking at it as we'll power through on the way down cause we'll be so excited, but then my DH, the dark cloud reminds me that we still have to drive home. I even looked at the autotrain and by the time I priced that out, it was more expensive then airfare. So...maybe your tips will get him to change his mind. We're planning a big time trip to AKV 9/2012 and I was thinking about driving. Hmm....

Bring on more updates!!! YAHOO!

Thanks so much for joining in and reading! And thanks a bunch on the compliments - I really appreciate it.

What can I say - I love cute clothes. Working a part time retail job basically just pays for the shopping habit you develop while you work there.

Wow - it really is a small world! I'm always excited to "meet" new PA people here on the boards!

Now for the serious part (haha) - the driving. (cue scary music.)

I won't lie. Read my other TR that chronicled our driving trip two years ago. It's absolutely horrible. I hated it and swore we'd never do it again. But here we are getting ready to do it again. Yes, the drive down is just bearable, as you're on your way to Disney - yay! The drive back is like one of the circles of Hell.

But look at it this way - depending on your vehicle, you can save TONS of money. Two years ago, I think we spent a total of around $250 on gas. That's TOTAL! Granted, gas prices are a bit higher now, but even if we pay $100 more, that's like the price of ONE plane ticket for our dates. (I seriously couldn't find anything under $350 for our dates, and the better flights were closer to $400 each - yikes!)

And you have complete flexibility on when you leave to come home. For example, I was able to add that extra day to the end of our trip because we didn't have plane tickets locking us into an exact date. And we can leave anytime on that last day. Right now we're thinking it'll be sometime after lunch, but maybe we'll change our minds and leave after dinner.

We are going this October (7th - 14th). I was glancing through your October girls trip report, but I think I've only gotten through the first day!! lol

My first advice would be not to go to Epcot on a weekend - especially in the evening. It is INSANELY crowded! Plan a weekday for Food and Wine - it's fabulous!

 

[WDWnovice1]

Wow! You're trip sounds a lot like ours! We were originally going to drive (from central PA), but at the last minute decided to fly because the gas prices are soooooo high and my patience is sooooooo low . Found fairly decent fares for AirTran.

We are also doing the triple stay! My husband travels a lot for work and belongs to Marriott Rewards. We are going from June 6th - 19th and only have to pay for 4 nights!! We're staying 2 nights at Marriott Courtyard (free with reward points), 4 nights at the Dolphin (nurse's discount), and 7 nights at Marriott Spring Hill Suites (free with reward points) We were originally only going for 9 nights, but with the free hotel stays, we were able to add on 4 extra days Very excited to get there. Only 5 more days to go!!

 

[JenSop]

Wow! You're trip sounds a lot like ours! We were originally going to drive (from central PA), but at the last minute decided to fly because the gas prices are soooooo high and my patience is sooooooo low . Found fairly decent fares for AirTran.

We are also doing the triple stay! My husband travels a lot for work and belongs to Marriott Rewards. We are going from June 6th - 19th and only have to pay for 4 nights!! We're staying 2 nights at Marriott Courtyard (free with reward points), 4 nights at the Dolphin (nurse's discount), and 7 nights at Marriott Spring Hill Suites (free with reward points) We were originally only going for 9 nights, but with the free hotel stays, we were able to add on 4 extra days Very excited to get there. Only 5 more days to go!!

Welcome aboard my PTR! Thanks for joining! I tell ya, there's lots of us PA-ers out there who love goin' to Disney!

How awesome is it that you get to stay for so many nights?!!?!? I can't wait until our trip is only 5 days away - not too much longer!

So, do you guys do off-site alot? I haven't stayed off-site since i was a kid, and now with DVC, it's not really an issue. But I've always been curious on what people's thoughts are when it comes to staying outside Disney. And I can definitely see how you're saving a ton of money, having to only pay for four nights. We like getting the dining plan, and the meals are such a huge part of our trip.

Are you going to do a TR? I'd love to read it if you do one!

 

[ShesAPirate]

I could see staying off-site when you have a deal like the PP posted... but for me, I don't feel like I'm really there if I'm not staying on-site. One trip, I stayed on-site for 5 nights, then moved off-site for the last 2 or 3, planning on seeing other things in Orlando... and I totally regretted it. It was such a let down. It's all about what's important to you, though. I like to be immersed in that Disney magic for the entire trip, from the minute I wake up until the minute I fall asleep... so if I can't afford to stay on-site, I don't go.

Oh, and speaking of going... I'm just a few days away from booking. We're just trying to nail down the dates. I'm sooooo excited, I can barely stand it!!! Flights are looking crazy expensive, but still better than driving from NJ!

 

[JenSop]

I could see staying off-site when you have a deal like the PP posted... but for me, I don't feel like I'm really there if I'm not staying on-site. One trip, I stayed on-site for 5 nights, then moved off-site for the last 2 or 3, planning on seeing other things in Orlando... and I totally regretted it. It was such a let down. It's all about what's important to you, though. I like to be immersed in that Disney magic for the entire trip, from the minute I wake up until the minute I fall asleep... so if I can't afford to stay on-site, I don't go.

Oh, and speaking of going... I'm just a few days away from booking. We're just trying to nail down the dates. I'm sooooo excited, I can barely stand it!!! Flights are looking crazy expensive, but still better than driving from NJ!

I'm the same way though. I like feeling like I'm in a totally separate world from reality. I don't want to see normal stores or restaurants or highway stuff - I just want Disney. Happy to feel like I"m on another planet! That's also why we don't use our own vehicle while there. I drive SO much at home - especially as a singer - I'm always driving down to Philly or NYC for gigs and rehearsals and easily put almost 25,000 miles on my car each year. I like someone else driving me around!

Yay for your upcoming booking! That's almost as exciting as getting to go! (I know I'm already excited that at the beginning of September, we can book our Grand Gathering for August 2012! )

 

[Kathymford]

Right now I'm planning on doing Epcot on a Wednesday...I'm hoping to avoid some of the crowds for F&W that I've read about. Do you think that will work? Also that is EEMH for Epcot too, so I can just concentrate on F&W during regular hours and see everything else later! Any cracks in my plan?