PTR - Seaworld, DCL, WDW in October 2014

[WanderlustNZ]

We did the same last trip and were lucky enough that no one let slip! In a way putting it up on Facebook that it is a secret means no one can do the "oh I didn't know it was a surprise" trick.

I hope everyone is sharing in your excitement.
My Facebook friends don't really get why I travel so much so I rarely announce my trips anymore until I get back and put up some pics. I find I get way more support and excitement here on the Dis where people can relate to my love of travel. Hugs to all my Dis friends xx

 

[dabecs]

I hope everyone is sharing in your excitement. My Facebook friends don't really get why I travel so much so I rarely announce my trips anymore until I get back and put up some pics. I find I get way more support and excitement here on the Dis where people can relate to my love of travel. Hugs to all my Dis friends xx

I don't get a lot of support from my husband's side - most I think are green with jealousy (they are the manicured, pedicured, hair styled "how can you afford trips like that?" types). I just find Facebook makes it easier to make sure everyone knows and we haven't forgotten to tell someone (which on hubby's side leads to great offence!).

Well my inlaws have told us they had also booked a trip for similar dates - they are flying to Jacksonville then driving to Savannah and across to New Orleans with stops on the way. They might join us for Seaworld and Discovery cove (save me now! Just keep telling myself it's only 2 days) but it will be completely out of there way on their road trip - so fingers crossed

 

[zanzibar138]

I hope everyone is sharing in your excitement.
My Facebook friends don't really get why I travel so much so I rarely announce my trips anymore until I get back and put up some pics. I find I get way more support and excitement here on the Dis where people can relate to my love of travel. Hugs to all my Dis friends xx

Me too! All I get from non-Disers these days is an eye roll and 'is there ever a time when you're NOT going away?'

Hope you got some more positive feedback dabecs

 

[gogo65]

I'm the same, most people roll there eyes,, if I say I'm going away. I try not to say much at all anymore which takes away some of the fun. It is nice this time as we are going with friends, I just met with my girlfriend and we were so excited talking about the trip, it is nice to be able to share the excitement

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I don't get a lot of support from my husband's side - most I think are green with jealousy (they are the manicured, pedicured, hair styled "how can you afford trips like that?" types).

Lol. I know those types very well.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

It is nice this time as we are going with friends, I just met with my girlfriend and we were so excited talking about the trip, it is nice to be able to share the excitement

That's so awesome.

 

[Tashinwdw]

It is so good that we have the Disboards, as I totally relate to the friends and family not supportive. I get the looks and rolled eyes whenever I start talking about a holiday, and the comments "how can you afford that" I just explain that I save my butt off and do without lots, so I can go on holiday. I dont think they see that its a matter of priorities, they have different ones to me. I dont give them a hard to for going out to restaurants every few nights or having cupboards full of shoes and handbags, I am happy for them.
I love getting on here and reading what everyone is doing, I get excited for everyone and feel I am going along with them on their journey. And I love that I can also get on here and talk about my holiday plans and get support and not the 'ahh' comment.

So thanks for sharing all your plans and trips everyone

 

[dabecs]

And I love that I can also get on here and talk about my holiday plans and get support and not the 'ahh' comment. So thanks for sharing all your plans and trips everyone

I'd do the 'Dis Rocks!' Emoticon but I'm on my iPad

It is fantastic to have fanatics to chat with and let our crazy all hang out

 

[dabecs]

Booked our first 4 nights accommodation! I went with everyone's advice and booked the same hotel for the first night rather than stay at the airport.

So the first 4 nights will be spent at the Renaissance at Seaworld, of course I got the room package with breakfast included

I also booked our day at Discovery Cove (ouch!) I have high expectations for it to live up to! Happy the price includes Seaworld entry, we plan to go there the day before.

Still on the real estate wheel at the moment so it was nice to do a bit of holiday planning and dreaming

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Good to see it all coming together. I must update my plans as I did some more firming up over Easter. You must be close to 180 days by now? Universal is getting more of my focus this trip though with HP extension and not having been before = sorry Mickey.

 

[dabecs]

Good to see it all coming together. I must update my plans as I did some more firming up over Easter. You must be close to 180 days by now? Universal is getting more of my focus this trip though with HP extension and not having been before = sorry Mickey.

I think our 180 days is the end of April (our WDW bit is the end of our trip).

I look forward to hearing about your Universal leg, one of the reasons we are not going there is because I couldn't get my head around cruising and Universal on this trip. It's a whole new world! And my girls are too young to have read/watched Harry Potter so I feel like it would be 'wasted' on them a bit.

Gives me an excuse for us to go back when they are older

 

[PrincessInOz]

Booked our first 4 nights accommodation! I went with everyone's advice and booked the same hotel for the first night rather than stay at the airport.

So the first 4 nights will be spent at the Renaissance at Seaworld, of course I got the room package with breakfast included

I also booked our day at Discovery Cove (ouch!) I have high expectations for it to live up to! Happy the price includes Seaworld entry, we plan to go there the day before.

Still on the real estate wheel at the moment so it was nice to do a bit of holiday planning and dreaming

Glad you got the accommodation booked.

Everyone that's been to DC seems to love it. Hope it's the same for you.

 

[dabecs]

Glad you got the accommodation booked. Everyone that's been to DC seems to love it. Hope it's the same for you.

I'm sure it will be, but it feels kind of shocking to book 4 nights accommodation (including breakfast) for a just over $1000 and then book one day at Discovery Cove for more!

 

[dabecs]

I don't think I have mentioned in my musings so far that rather than going through LAX we are landing at San Fran this trip. So our flight is Mel- Syd - San Fran - Orl.

Having never been to San Francisco it's sad we couldn't find the time to stop for more than 2 hours I am hoping it will be a smaller airport and easier to navigate. Can anyone give me any advice?

We are flying the whole way with United which I am hoping will make things easier

 

[zanzibar138]

Nice work avoiding LAX

We've only been in and out of San Francisco on domestic flights, but I remember it being fairly easy to get around. It's far away from the city, but that won't bother you since you won't have time to consider going anywhere anyway.

 

[dabecs]

Nice work avoiding LAX

We've only been in and out of San Francisco on domestic flights, but I remember it being fairly easy to get around. It's far away from the city, but that won't bother you since you won't have time to consider going anywhere anyway.

Unfortunately we go through LAX on the way home (but that is much easier with no customs clearance to do). I've had a look at the SFO map and it looks easy enough to navigate.

I have just chosen colours for all of our magic bands (there are 6 of us and 6 colours so I assigned one colour to each of us!) and I also ordered Memory Maker ($149). Not sure how much we will use the posed photos but we love the ride photos

Only a week till I can start making ADRs

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Dabecs, your plans sound like they are coming along really nicely. It's exciting that your ADR window is so close.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I don't think I have mentioned in my musings so far that rather than going through LAX we are landing at San Fran this trip. So our flight is Mel- Syd - San Fran - Orl.

Having never been to San Francisco it's sad we couldn't find the time to stop for more than 2 hours I am hoping it will be a smaller airport and easier to navigate. Can anyone give me any advice?

We are flying the whole way with United which I am hoping will make things easier

San Francisco is a much easier airport to navigate. If you're travelling United the whole way, it should be an easy transit. Because it is smaller, clearing immigration and customs is usually fairly painless. I find that the SF immigration officers a little more human. The ones at LAX don't smile or make too much eye contact. The ones at SF will at least make eye contact and have a one-line conversation.

If you're lucky and depending on where you're sitting and if you have a view, you might be able to see the city. But they do usually approach from the south; so you might not see the city.
If you have a window seat, take a look out the window as you're landing. As the plane approaches it's landing, it will fly in over the inner bay from the south. You'll be flying over the northern part of Silicon Valley; and catch a glimpse of San Mateo bridge.



YAY for ADR booking window nearly opened. Hope you get all the ADRs you want.

 

[dabecs]

San Francisco is a much easier airport to navigate. If you're travelling United the whole way, it should be an easy transit. Because it is smaller, clearing immigration and customs is usually fairly painless. I find that the SF immigration officers a little more human. The ones at LAX don't smile or make too much eye contact. The ones at SF will at least make eye contact and have a one-line conversation.

If you're lucky and depending on where you're sitting and if you have a view, you might be able to see the city. But they do usually approach from the south; so you might not see the city.
If you have a window seat, take a look out the window as you're landing. As the plane approaches it's landing, it will fly in over the inner bay from the south. You'll be flying over the northern part of Silicon Valley; and catch a glimpse of San Mateo bridge.



YAY for ADR booking window nearly opened. Hope you get all the ADRs you want.

Thanks for the info PiO, I knew you would be able to tell me about San Fran We are travelling United the whole way so glad to hear it will be easy

 

[dabecs]

It's 180 day

I just managed to book:

Olivia's dinner(staying at OKW with a daughter named Olivia this was an easy choice!)
Chef Mickeys breakfast
Teppan Edo dinner
Chefs de France dinner
Tusker House breakfast
Raglan Road dinner
HDDR dinner
BE OUR GUEST dinner (this is the one I am most excited about!)
Sanaa dinner
Akershus lunch
Sci Fi lunch

I have more to do over the next few days as the window opens up but to be honest once I got BOG the rest is gravy

This trip is getting really real