Resort Changers--The Saga Continues.....

[Lillian Gracey]

You guys are so sweet! :'D That totally made my day. I'm getting ready to go to the DMV to get my new license! I'm so stoked! I hope everyone has a wonderful day today as well!

 

[pas130]

Happy 21st Birthday Hannah!

 

[disneydreamin247]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH!!!!

Enjoy your special day and have a beer for me! I hope you have an awesome amazing super radtastic day!!!!

 

[pas130]

disneydreamin247She may very well be teething. Poor Princess, and poor Mommy.

kaffinitoWe are booked at Portofino, and I have to say I have had nothing but excellent interaction with the reservations and accounting (made several date changes, paid in advance) I saved more with Stay more save more than AP rate. We aren't CL there even though it is a suite. I'm not a fan of the US/PB threads but from pics and reviews I think we'll be happy. How bout WL/PB split stay so you can be onsite at Disney as well.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

Thanks so much everyone! You are the best friends a gal could ever want. My boyfriend told me for the last 5 or 6 months he's been wanting to give me one of his Dogfish Head 120 minute IPAs for my birthday. I won't be drinking that tonight, but he will give it to me tomorrow. I told him to wrap a bow around the neck of the bottle and he said he would.

I'm going to order an appletini, easy on the tini, as my first drink! I love Scrubs.

I'm off to get my new license! Can't wait to finally get a new picture.

Oh yeah! My family in St. Louis sent me a $75 Disney gift card to use in Disney World! Now I have $90 in gift cards! I have a $15 gift card I haven't used that I got for Christmas.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

So it took me like two minutes to get my license. lol My Passporter's Guide came in today! I am so excited!!! It's an awesome birthday present to myself.

 

[kaffinito]

kaffinitoWe are booked at Portofino, and I have to say I have had nothing but excellent interaction with the reservations and accounting (made several date changes, paid in advance) I saved more with Stay more save more than AP rate. We aren't CL there even though it is a suite. I'm not a fan of the US/PB threads but from pics and reviews I think we'll be happy. How bout WL/PB split stay so you can be onsite at Disney as well.

That's good to know! I did look at the stay and save rate and it does look like a good one. I would only be paying $100 more for one extra day at RPH.

Thanks so much everyone! You are the best friends a gal could ever want. My boyfriend told me for the last 5 or 6 months he's been wanting to give me one of his Dogfish Head 120 minute IPAs for my birthday. I won't be drinking that tonight, but he will give it to me tomorrow. I told him to wrap a bow around the neck of the bottle and he said he would.

I'm going to order an appletini, easy on the tini, as my first drink! I love Scrubs.

I'm off to get my new license! Can't wait to finally get a new picture.

Oh yeah! My family in St. Louis sent me a $75 Disney gift card to use in Disney World! Now I have $90 in gift cards! I have a $15 gift card I haven't used that I got for Christmas.

Congrats on the new license and the extra money for your trip!

Enjoy your Appletini!

 

[kaffinito]

Hi gang,

I had my August trip all planned out, and then decided to go to US/IoA during our trip. We've been to WDW a lot, but never to US/IoA. I keep planning to go there, but never seem to actually make it part of one of our vacations so...

Currently we're booked at OKW on points with the last three days at AKL CL. Here's my question. Would you...

1. Stay at OKW and go to US/IoA during the OKW stay

2. Stay at OKW but change the last three days to four at RPH or HRH to go to US

3. Switch the OKW stay to AKV (on points) and stay at RPH or HRH for four days to go to US.

Thanks for any help on this one!

 

[Lillian Gracey]

Thanks! And I will enjoy the appletini, easy on the tini.

Have you stayed at OKW before? If not, I would go with option 2. I would book a hotel at US/IoA so you aren't spending a lot of money going back and forth.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

OH MY GOSH!!! MY MOM SURPRISED ME WITH AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND CAKE!!! It's technically a princess cake because the design is supposed to be the princesses in a garden, but she had the roses be red and white and she bought the Alice figures from the Disney Store to put on the cake! She even bought Princess napkins and plates. I love my mother. She knows me so well! I will post pictures later! The figures aren't on the cake yet. We are going to put them on after we get back from dinner.

 

[sjs314]

disneydreamin247She may very well be teething. Poor Princess, and poor Mommy.

kaffinitoWe are booked at Portofino, and I have to say I have had nothing but excellent interaction with the reservations and accounting (made several date changes, paid in advance) I saved more with Stay more save more than AP rate. We aren't CL there even though it is a suite. I'm not a fan of the US/PB threads but from pics and reviews I think we'll be happy. How bout WL/PB split stay so you can be onsite at Disney as well.

I love the looks of Portofino and when I stay at Universal that is the resort I am booking.

Hi gang,

I had my August trip all planned out, and then decided to go to US/IoA during our trip. We've been to WDW a lot, but never to US/IoA. I keep planning to go there, but never seem to actually make it part of one of our vacations so...

Currently we're booked at OKW on points with the last three days at AKL CL. Here's my question. Would you...

1. Stay at OKW and go to US/IoA during the OKW stay

2. Stay at OKW but change the last three days to four at RPH or HRH to go to US

3. Switch the OKW stay to AKV (on points) and stay at RPH or HRH for four days to go to US.

Thanks for any help on this one!

I went to US a few times while staying on Disney property and did not feel it was a hastle driving there for the day but in all fairness that was before US had their own onsite hotels, back in the 90's. If I were going there now I would stay onsite at US because of the early entry option.

I would either do option 2 or 3, I like both OKW and AKL it would depend on whether I wanted to spend more down time at my resort or not. I would got with AKL (option 3) if I planned on spending more time at the resort than the parks while at Disney, since I like the pool at AKL better and the overall atmopshere of AKL, plus the food options I think are better at AKL.

If going to the parks I prefer the bus system at OKW when I stayed there I found it very efficent, plus you have the water taxi to DTD

 

[kaffinito]

OH MY GOSH!!! MY MOM SURPRISED ME WITH AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND CAKE!!! It's technically a princess cake because the design is supposed to be the princesses in a garden, but she had the roses be red and white and she bought the Alice figures from the Disney Store to put on the cake! She even bought Princess napkins and plates. I love my mother. She knows me so well! I will post pictures later! The figures aren't on the cake yet. We are going to put them on after we get back from dinner.

How awesome! Pics please!

I love the looks of Portofino and when I stay at Universal that is the resort I am booking.

I went to US a few times while staying on Disney property and did not feel it was a hastle driving there for the day but in all fairness that was before US had their own onsite hotels, back in the 90's. If I were going there now I would stay onsite at US because of the early entry option.

I would either do option 2 or 3, I like both OKW and AKL it would depend on whether I wanted to spend more down time at my resort or not. I would got with AKL (option 3) if I planned on spending more time at the resort than the parks while at Disney, since I like the pool at AKL better and the overall atmopshere of AKL, plus the food options I think are better at AKL.

If going to the parks I prefer the bus system at OKW when I stayed there I found it very efficent, plus you have the water taxi to DTD

Well I do love AKL a LOT. I'll try to switch my DVC ressie tomorrow and do an AKV / RPH split stay.

I've been crunching a lot of numbers, and the trip is definitely doable if I do it that way.

I'm looking forward to trying out US/IoA. I have an AP for it, that I still haven't been able to use.

The only thing I would hate to lose is the AKL CL though. It is very very nice....

 

[Lillian Gracey]

I had a wonderful birthday! I only had three drinks so I didn't go overboard. I just had two appletinis and a cocktail called Candy Shop.

Here are some pictures from my awesome day:

http://img251.imageshack.us/g/birthday004m.jpg/

 

[WDWKOOK]

You guys are so sweet! :'D That totally made my day. I'm getting ready to go to the DMV to get my new license! I'm so stoked! I hope everyone has a wonderful day today as well!

Thanks!

Thanks so much everyone! You are the best friends a gal could ever want. My boyfriend told me for the last 5 or 6 months he's been wanting to give me one of his Dogfish Head 120 minute IPAs for my birthday. I won't be drinking that tonight, but he will give it to me tomorrow. I told him to wrap a bow around the neck of the bottle and he said he would.

I'm going to order an appletini, easy on the tini, as my first drink! I love Scrubs.

I'm off to get my new license! Can't wait to finally get a new picture.

Oh yeah! My family in St. Louis sent me a $75 Disney gift card to use in Disney World! Now I have $90 in gift cards! I have a $15 gift card I haven't used that I got for Christmas.

You are all set with gift cards. Can you pay for Gramma's cake with them? Did you really end-up going easy on the tini?

So it took me like two minutes to get my license. lol My Passporter's Guide came in today! I am so excited!!! It's an awesome birthday present to myself.

Two minutes? That's a record and a great birthday present. Are you happy with your photo?

OH MY GOSH!!! MY MOM SURPRISED ME WITH AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND CAKE!!! It's technically a princess cake because the design is supposed to be the princesses in a garden, but she had the roses be red and white and she bought the Alice figures from the Disney Store to put on the cake! She even bought Princess napkins and plates. I love my mother. She knows me so well! I will post pictures later! The figures aren't on the cake yet. We are going to put them on after we get back from dinner.

I love your cake and I think it's perfect for you. What flavor was it?

I had a wonderful birthday! I only had three drinks so I didn't go overboard. I just had two appletinis and a cocktail called Candy Shop.

Here are some pictures from my awesome day:

http://img251.imageshack.us/g/birthday004m.jpg/

What great photos, Hannah. I'd say your birthday was a complete success. That picture of you with all the tix at D&B reminds me of the arcade at the CR where you get all those tix to use toward prizes. You'll have to go down to the arcade while Gramma's napping one afternoon.

Thanks for sharing your special day with all of us!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hi gang,

I had my August trip all planned out, and then decided to go to US/IoA during our trip. We've been to WDW a lot, but never to US/IoA. I keep planning to go there, but never seem to actually make it part of one of our vacations so...

Currently we're booked at OKW on points with the last three days at AKL CL. Here's my question. Would you...

1. Stay at OKW and go to US/IoA during the OKW stay

2. Stay at OKW but change the last three days to four at RPH or HRH to go to US

3. Switch the OKW stay to AKV (on points) and stay at RPH or HRH for four days to go to US.

Thanks for any help on this one!

I am making a big assumption here. I assume what you told us last month about not being able to change OKW was not exactly correct. If in fact you really can change OKW (w/o a penalty), I would choose option three - switch to AKV and go to US while staying off-site. It looks like you've already decided on this option so let us know what happens when you call today and good luck!

 

[sjs314]

I had a wonderful birthday! I only had three drinks so I didn't go overboard. I just had two appletinis and a cocktail called Candy Shop.

Here are some pictures from my awesome day:

http://img251.imageshack.us/g/birthday004m.jpg/

Happy Be-Lated Birthday ! Love the cake !!!!

 

[pas130]

LillianGracey Thanks for posting the pictures Hannah. Looks like you had a really nice Birthday!

kaffinito I know I'm way late on this but, if you can switch to AKV and do the WDW/US split stay I say go for it Going to Universal from Disney is easy, Parking is no sweat, but the perks of Universal Express pass for the rides, and being able to walk back to your hotel is worth the split stay IMO....Let us know how you make out

sjs314 I was originally looking at RPR for our stay. I called reservations and she asked who was coming and gave me MANY options WITH prices. That's how I ended up eith Portofino. It was cheaper than 2 rooms at PB, a little more than 2 reg rooms at RPR, but the suite WAS included with the Stay More Save More Discount. It looks lovely, doesn't it? Talked DH into a Christmas 2012 GF stay (well early Dec), I have over a year to save.....

 

[disneydreamin247]

LillianGracey Looks like you had a great day. You look so beautiful and the cake is just awesome!

kaffinito I would say go to US/IOA while at OKW, but I'm not a huge fan of US. I can do both parks in one day because I'm a chicken and go one like 4 rides there.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

@WDWKOOK: The bartender at Dave and Busters didn't get the 'easy on the tini' bit when I ordered it like that, so I just asked for an appletini. It was delish! I really liked the Candy Shop Cocktail, which is the other drink in my pictures. Regarding my tiara, we wene to Party City to get one and the Disney Princess crowns didn't fit me. They were too small. I was so disappointed, so we went with a blue tiara. lol

I won't be paying for my gramma's cake with them since I gave them my debit card. I'm fine with that. As long as it gets paid for one way or another.

I love my picture! I was worried that it wasn't going to turn out well, but it looks great!

Isn't it so perfect!? I loved it so much! It is so me! It was just a plain chocolate cake. My sister doesn't like fillings so my mom didn't get one. It was fine with me. I rather have the cake be something everyone would eat instead of what I want. I would have loved a raspberry filling.

I love the picture of me with the tickets. I really wanted a picture of me with the tickets so I had my boyfriend do that for me. I kinda want to go to the arcade at CR. I'm all about the claw machines though. Love them and I'm pretty good at them. We played the claw machine with the jewelry in it and I got a watch on my first try, another watch and a bracelet. lol And at Gameworks I got a Hello Kitty plush. I have almost all the colors that are in the claw machine there. I was missing two, but I got one of them last night. Now I'm only missing one. I'm determined to get the last one.

We got to gameworks about an hour before they closed since I wanted to feel special about being there after 9pm since that's when it turns 21+. Well, when we got there, it was basically empty. No one was at the front desk so we didn't get carded. I went to get an appletini (which didn't taste as delish as the one at Dave and Busters since you could really taste the Kettle One Vodka) and they didn't card me either. I guess they just assumed since we were there so late that we were 21+. It kind of made my night. lol There were lots of firsts that night. I got carded at Dave and Busters, paid for an alcoholic drink, got my first drink paid for (by my boyfriend) for my birthday, didn't get carded at Gameworks when I walked in and didn't get carded for buying an alcoholic drink.

And you are so very very welcome! I wanted to share this wonderful day with everyone.

@sjs314: Thank you so much! I love the cake as well. It's definitely me.

@pas130: You're very welcome! I had wonderful day!

@disneydreamin247: Thanks so much! I had to pretty myself up for my new drivers license. I love the cake. My mom told me she almost didn't want to cut it because it was really cool. lol

I forgot to mention, the bartender had to check his phone for the date while he checked my ID because he didn't know what day it was. I thought it was pretty funny.

 

[kaffinito]

I had a wonderful birthday! I only had three drinks so I didn't go overboard. I just had two appletinis and a cocktail called Candy Shop.

Here are some pictures from my awesome day:

http://img251.imageshack.us/g/birthday004m.jpg/

Love the pics! I think that cake turned out great!

My fav is the blue tiara

I am making a big assumption here. I assume what you told us last month about not being able to change OKW was not exactly correct. If in fact you really can change OKW (w/o a penalty), I would choose option three - switch to AKV and go to US while staying off-site. It looks like you've already decided on this option so let us know what happens when you call today and good luck!

Well, ok, so I might have fudged a little when I said I couldn't switch. The DVC people get a little irritated if you try to switch one of those ressies....

So I really can't easily since it's through DVC, but I do have a little bit of wiggle room - depending on how many points it is at AKV.

If I can change to AKV then I'll take that option. I'm jonesing for another AKL stay, so I have to go there - if possible. I also picked RPH for my US/IoA stay based on overall practicality.

LillianGracey Thanks for posting the pictures Hannah. Looks like you had a really nice Birthday!

kaffinito I know I'm way late on this but, if you can switch to AKV and do the WDW/US split stay I say go for it Going to Universal from Disney is easy, Parking is no sweat, but the perks of Universal Express pass for the rides, and being able to walk back to your hotel is worth the split stay IMO....Let us know how you make out

sjs314 I was originally looking at RPR for our stay. I called reservations and she asked who was coming and gave me MANY options WITH prices. That's how I ended up eith Portofino. It was cheaper than 2 rooms at PB, a little more than 2 reg rooms at RPR, but the suite WAS included with the Stay More Save More Discount. It looks lovely, doesn't it? Talked DH into a Christmas 2012 GF stay (well early Dec), I have over a year to save.....

On getting to stay at GF finally!

That's good advice about the suite - I wonder if they have them at RPH too? I like that hotel the best because of the food options mainly.

I also noticed that all three hotels have cabanas at their pools for rent for a day for only 150.00. I am sooo going to do that!

LillianGracey Looks like you had a great day. You look so beautiful and the cake is just awesome!

kaffinito I would say go to US/IOA while at OKW, but I'm not a huge fan of US. I can do both parks in one day because I'm a chicken and go one like 4 rides there.

I'm a chicken too - but the kids aren't. They will probably end up doing at least three days there.

@WDWKOOK: The bartender at Dave and Busters didn't get the 'easy on the tini' bit when I ordered it like that, so I just asked for an appletini. It was delish! I really liked the Candy Shop Cocktail, which is the other drink in my pictures. Regarding my tiara, we wene to Party City to get one and the Disney Princess crowns didn't fit me. They were too small. I was so disappointed, so we went with a blue tiara. lol

I won't be paying for my gramma's cake with them since I gave them my debit card. I'm fine with that. As long as it gets paid for one way or another.

I love my picture! I was worried that it wasn't going to turn out well, but it looks great!

Isn't it so perfect!? I loved it so much! It is so me! It was just a plain chocolate cake. My sister doesn't like fillings so my mom didn't get one. It was fine with me. I rather have the cake be something everyone would eat instead of what I want. I would have loved a raspberry filling.

I love the picture of me with the tickets. I really wanted a picture of me with the tickets so I had my boyfriend do that for me. I kinda want to go to the arcade at CR. I'm all about the claw machines though. Love them and I'm pretty good at them. We played the claw machine with the jewelry in it and I got a watch on my first try, another watch and a bracelet. lol And at Gameworks I got a Hello Kitty plush. I have almost all the colors that are in the claw machine there. I was missing two, but I got one of them last night. Now I'm only missing one. I'm determined to get the last one.

We got to gameworks about an hour before they closed since I wanted to feel special about being there after 9pm since that's when it turns 21+. Well, when we got there, it was basically empty. No one was at the front desk so we didn't get carded. I went to get an appletini (which didn't taste as delish as the one at Dave and Busters since you could really taste the Kettle One Vodka) and they didn't card me either. I guess they just assumed since we were there so late that we were 21+. It kind of made my night. lol There were lots of firsts that night. I got carded at Dave and Busters, paid for an alcoholic drink, got my first drink paid for (by my boyfriend) for my birthday, didn't get carded at Gameworks when I walked in and didn't get carded for buying an alcoholic drink.

Now that sounds like a great birthday!