Renfroe family returns to WDW for first time in 5 years!

[AlohaAnnie]

Congrats!!

.

 

[englishrose47]

Great Deal Alan !! I was very impressed with the New Little Mermaid Ride ! Also Dumbo is now 2 separate identical rides , and I rode it fr the first time , the lines at the old Dumbo were always way tooooo long !!

 

[pixleyyy]

Well, it's official! It's a done deal! We had been waiting on discounts and today we got them! 25% off at Port Orleans Riverside and a discount on park tickets over 4 days! Total savings: $373.32!

Quick story: After reading FB this morning, I saw where lots of people were posting that the discounts had become available. (Here's a link to one of the sites that posted the info: http://www.themainstreetmouse.com/2...holders-released-for-dates-through-june-2014/ ) Anyway, I called Disney to get a quote. I spoke with a woman named Kristy Renee and she had NO CLUE It's sad when folks like us know more than the people who make Disney reservations for a living! Anyway, after spending more than 30 minutes on the phone with this lady, she quoted me a price of $2,997....$100 MORE than the price I was looking at on my computer screen booking it myself! And it gets worse....I told her "no thanks, I'll call back later." Well guess what? She booked it ANYWAY! I checked my email at lunch and I had a message from Disney Travel with a confirmation number. I was furious! Anyway, I called back this afternoon and spoke to a very nice man named Benton. I explained the whole situation to him and he had me fixed up in just a matter of minutes! By the end of the conversation, I had the trip booked, deposit paid, new confirmation number, and synced up with mydisneyexperience.com! My final price was nearly $500 less than I was quoted this morning! Final price: $2,522.

So, just to recap:
Disney web site price quote: $2,896
Kristy Renee quote: $2,977
Benton quote: $2,522

So, anyway, it's a done deal! Six nights at Port Orleans Riverside, 7-day Magic Your Way tickets with Water Park Fun & More options. Done and Done!

Wahoo! So exciting!!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Awesome job, Alan.

Woohoo! Thanks Kathy!

Oh my word! I spoke with Kristy Renee this morning too! Except she didn't flub up my reservation. Thank goodness! Now that I'm reading your post, I am reminded that I need to add the water park option to our tickets. Guess I need to get back on the phone and call 'em again.

Doesn't it make it all seem more real when you actually book?!?! And, add saving money on top of it and you can't help but dance.

We love the water parks option! We use it like some people use park hopper. We will hop from a park to a water park, or vise versa. Now with FP+, you can schedule your rides at a park in the afternoon, and spend the morning at at water park!

Oh Lawd, Miss Kristy Renee and I just weren't communicating very well! After speaking to the other guy, he saw where she had not bundled resort reservation with tickets, etc. Thank goodness it got worked out!

Oh heck yes it makes it seem more real when you book! That's your commitment for sure! Now we are surely doing the happy dance!

What a great deal!

I thought so too Laura! Sometimes good things DO come to those who wait!

Congrats!!

.

Thanks Tina! SOOOOO excited!

Great Deal Alan !! I was very impressed with the New Little Mermaid Ride ! Also Dumbo is now 2 separate identical rides , and I rode it fr the first time , the lines at the old Dumbo were always way tooooo long !!

Hi Rosie! I'm looking forward to the Little Mermaid ride, but I'm REALLY hoping that the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be up and running! I'm betting rope droppers will be making a bee-line for that ride! And I know what you mean about the old Dumbo....our very first trip to the Magic Kingdom was a day trip in 2005 and we had no clue what we were doing. The kids wanted to ride Dumbo and I could not believe how long the wait was!

Wahoo! So exciting!!!

Oh yeah!!!! Thanks Annette!

 

[alan_renfroe]

My dear wife, Elizabeth, is arriving at Disney World right now!!! She's attending a conference at Coronado Springs Resort over the weekend. She's on the MDE bus headed to CSR now!

 

[KatMark]

My dear wife, Elizabeth, is arriving at Disney World right now!!! She's attending a conference at Coronado Springs Resort over the weekend. She's on the MDE bus headed to CSR now!

Lucky her. I hope she has a great time.

 

[englishrose47]

Free Trips are De Bomb !!!! I love my every year Free Trips !!!!!

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Hello! I came over from the facebook group. Still catching up, but I love seeing itineraries of Disney veterans! I think I have been so worried about how FP+ will change things I haven't started mine, but I guess I need to if I want to be ready to reserve our FP+!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Lucky her. I hope she has a great time.

She is!! She had a few SNAFUs along the way, but she arrived on time, went to Epcot last night and got to ride a few rides and see Illuminations, and today after the conference she met some online friends at Raglan Road for dinner! The conference ends tomorrow at noon, and then she's going to Kona for lunch! She'll be flying home tomorrow night and I'm picking her up in Atlanta.

Free Trips are De Bomb !!!! I love my every year Free Trips !!!!!

Rosie, I had a business trip in November, 2012 to Orlando and my wife came along. We stayed at POP and had a great couple of days! Yes, free trips are awesome!

Hello! I came over from the facebook group. Still catching up, but I love seeing itineraries of Disney veterans! I think I have been so worried about how FP+ will change things I haven't started mine, but I guess I need to if I want to be ready to reserve our FP+!

Hi MeeskaMomma! Don't stress over the FP+, I think eventually it will be a great thing for all of us! We usually arrive at the parks right at rope drop or shortly thereafter....so we are using our FP+ when the parks start to get busiest....one right before lunch and two right after lunch. I hope that strategy works for us! Glad to have you along for our PTR!

 

[alan_renfroe]

I saw someone on FB who did an Excel spreadsheet of daily plans and I loved it! So, I decided to create one for our trip as well. Here is where we are currently with our plans. (I'm hoping by planning ahead like this, it will give us a good indication of the FP+ we should make when the time comes!)

 

[AlohaAnnie]

I saw someone on FB who did an Excel spreadsheet of daily plans and I loved it! So, I decided to create one for our trip as well. Here is where we are currently with our plans. (I'm hoping by planning ahead like this, it will give us a good indication of the FP+ we should make when the time comes!) http://s293.photobucket.com/user/alan_renfroe/media/alan_renfroe011/Picture1.jpg.html

Nice, I really like it!

I type my plans out in word by each day, I really enjoy it, I have a vacation binder also that I have decorated and I put all my vacation plans in that binder.



I love a plan!



How was your wife's trip? Is she back yet? .

 

[Tinkl0ver66]

Hey Alan, it's Denise from FB I'm also following along. It was awesome reading the story about your family! My girls are (now) 19 and 21. We figured it out yesterday and this will be their 6th visit! 163 more days!!!

 

[Tinkl0ver66]

Nice, I really like it! I type my plans out in word by each day, I really enjoy it, I have a vacation binder also that I have decorated and I put all my vacation plans in that binder. I love a plan! How was your wife's trip? Is she back yet? .

I'm also a planner!! I remember doing a huge plan book when my kids were really little (they are now 19 and 21) reading this makes me want to make another one. I am also bringing my 64 year old sister who has never been there!! I don't know who's more excited...her or me

 

[englishrose47]

Your plans sound great Alan . I am a planner but it is all in note books , I am too technically challenged to attempt a spread sheet . I like yoyr restautant choices too !! Sci Fi is on my list for May but not sure if it is on Carol's who says lets try some different places that we prolly would.t with the group !!! Time will tell!!

 

[blueangel2]

following along from FB. I love the spreed sheet. I might have to still your idea. I plan on also making individual index cards with each park day planned out on one side. The other side will have the park, parade and show hrs, and ADR confirmation #s on one side along with tips that I've attained from different sites and blogs.

 

[KatMark]

Very nice Excel spreadsheet, Alan. Plans are coming along great.

 

[pixleyyy]

I saw someone on FB who did an Excel spreadsheet of daily plans and I loved it! So, I decided to create one for our trip as well. Here is where we are currently with our plans. (I'm hoping by planning ahead like this, it will give us a good indication of the FP+ we should make when the time comes!)

Love this. Totally want to do a spreadsheet for our trip! Did you get the template somewhere or just made it on your own?

 

[anniebabymu]

I saw someone on FB who did an Excel spreadsheet of daily plans and I loved it! So, I decided to create one for our trip as well. Here is where we are currently with our plans. (I'm hoping by planning ahead like this, it will give us a good indication of the FP+ we should make when the time comes!)

Love it! I made a fun color coded spreadsheet on Google Drive! Sent it to my T.A. and I think it blew her mind. Ha ha! She knew I was Disney crazy, but I don't think she REALLY knew until that moment

Love the plans!! And I love that you saved a bunch of money!! My T.A. better be on it tomorrow and get our discount! She already gave my MIL and FIL theirs with the Visa discount, but we don't have one (put everything on Southwest credit cards for points!) so tomorrow needs to hurry up and get here!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Nice, I really like it!

I type my plans out in word by each day, I really enjoy it, I have a vacation binder also that I have decorated and I put all my vacation plans in that binder.



I love a plan!



How was your wife's trip? Is she back yet? .

Hi Tina! Yeah, I love a plan also. A WDW trip is an investment for us, so we definitely try to make the best of it by being well planned and prepared.

Elizabeth got home last night and she had a great trip!

Hey Alan, it's Denise from FB I'm also following along. It was awesome reading the story about your family! My girls are (now) 19 and 21. We figured it out yesterday and this will be their 6th visit! 163 more days!!!

Hi Denise! Glad to see you here! Welcome! I'm down to 144 days to go now!

I'm also a planner!! I remember doing a huge plan book when my kids were really little (they are now 19 and 21) reading this makes me want to make another one. I am also bringing my 64 year old sister who has never been there!! I don't know who's more excited...her or me

Oh my gosh your sister is going to have the time of her life! And you'll be there to share her excitement....that awesome!

Your plans sound great Alan . I am a planner but it is all in note books , I am too technically challenged to attempt a spread sheet . I like yoyr restautant choices too !! Sci Fi is on my list for May but not sure if it is on Carol's who says lets try some different places that we prolly would.t with the group !!! Time will tell!!

Hi Rosie, hope you had a great weekend! Since we are not on the dining plan this time we decided to try a few new places. Firsts for us on this trip: Boatwright's, Olivia's Cafe, Captain's Grille, and Be Our Guest. We are excited to try some different places this year!

following along from FB. I love the spreed sheet. I might have to still your idea. I plan on also making individual index cards with each park day planned out on one side. The other side will have the park, parade and show hrs, and ADR confirmation #s on one side along with tips that I've attained from different sites and blogs.

Welcome aboard! We're glad to have you here! I like that idea about the index cards! Reminds of how I used to study for grad school! That is a great idea!

Very nice Excel spreadsheet, Alan. Plans are coming along great.

Thanks Kathy! I'm hoping that this spreadsheet will make it easier for us when the time comes to choose our FP+.

Love this. Totally want to do a spreadsheet for our trip! Did you get the template somewhere or just made it on your own?

Hi Annette! I actually stole the idea from someone in one of my facebook groups. I loved the idea, and it really gives you a good vision for planning each day. I didn't have a template, I just created it in Excel. I'd be happy to send you the excel sheet if you'd like and you can customize it. Just let me know.

Love it! I made a fun color coded spreadsheet on Google Drive! Sent it to my T.A. and I think it blew her mind. Ha ha! She knew I was Disney crazy, but I don't think she REALLY knew until that moment

Love the plans!! And I love that you saved a bunch of money!! My T.A. better be on it tomorrow and get our discount! She already gave my MIL and FIL theirs with the Visa discount, but we don't have one (put everything on Southwest credit cards for points!) so tomorrow needs to hurry up and get here!

Hi Andrea! Hahahaha....I wonder if people like us, you know the planning types....I wonder if we drive T.A.s crazy or if they love us for our obsessive organization?

Those discounts are posted today on the site! Hope you get a great deal!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Great job on the spreadsheet! I start out thinking that I'm going to do one for our trips but never get around to it.

I see that you said you were trying a few new restaurants. We are too. Olivia's, Kona and Trails' End are our new ones for next trip.