Sep 4- Sept 11 An Overdued Honeymoon Trip!

[ScottOKW2K]

Originally posted by sky7777
After discussed with wife, she prefers to do in Sept instead of having to wait for weeks/months for our trip.

Now, with the announcement i read announcement at Mousesaver - Hurricane Frances, I am thinking of postponing my trip to 9/11. Leaving on 9/11 and returning on 9/18. My concerns/questions are:

1) Will the after-effects of Hurricane Frances (assuming it hit Orlando over the labor day weekend) in Orlando spoil our vacation in Disney?

It probably won't spoil it, but it may put a crimp in it. If Frances hits Orlando I would expect for Disney to experience some short-staffing with cast members having to take care of their own homes instead of the "mouse's" house.

2) Travelling on 9/11, bad idea?

Probably not. Airport security will probably be a little tighter than usual.

3) Any difference if i go on a sat (9/11)and returning on the following Saturday (9/18) Vs leaving on a Monday (9/13) and coming back on Sunday (9/19)? In terms of the parks and rides.

Not really. Check the Disney site, or the main page of this site for information on specific ride closures or parade/fireworks times. I know that during the off season some parade/fireworks are not done every night. For example, I think Spectromagic only occurs once or twice during the times you listed.


4) Disney Customer service is closed,
have to call them tomorrow. Should I change my flight first then hotel? Bcos I can't go without any of them.....any thoughts on this?


Probably call disney first, and get several sets of dates where they show availability. Then call the airline and see if they can reschedule for any of those dates.


One last comment, as a follow-up to what others have suggested - please consider the early December timeframe again. It really is a truly *Magical* time at WDW. There are events during this time that are only done this time of year - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade, the Candelight Processional at Epcot, The Osborne Lights, and many others.

Here are some other reasons why you might consider this time :

September is "regular" season as far as resort rates, early December is the less expensive "value" season. In other words, more days at Disney for the same amount of cash (hint, hint).

The resorts are decorated for the holidays. This is worth experiencing.

You seem somewhat nervous/anxious right now about planning this trip. The extra time between now and December would give you and your new bride time to research for the trip, and continue to build the anticipaton. WDW is BIG, and the more information you have before you go will help make the stay there smoother.

Good Luck, and Best Wishes.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by ScottOKW2K
One last comment, as a follow-up to what others have suggested - please consider the early December timeframe again. It really is a truly *Magical* time at WDW.

Here are some other reasons why you might consider this time :

Good list.

Here are a couple more:

Although Disney is being VERY accommodating to those cancelling this weekend they may not be able to offer you as good a discount on your room. Technically you are past the booking window to get a discounted room for a 9/11 check-in. So, it would take some leniency on Disney's part to extend that discount to new travel dates.

You also may have problems with availability. If there are no rooms for next week--there are no rooms.

Sounds like you may be in for quite a long wait on the phone today, so I hope you are holding right now. I bet it really stinks to have to delay a long overdue vacation, but a little extra planning can make it a worthwhile delay.

 

[sky7777]

Such a painful experience for me.

1) Called up Air Trans, they said I can either

a) postpone my original flight (9/4) to within the next 5 days; meaning latest till Sept 9; or

b) Cancel the flight and get a credit (not cash refund).

ACTION: With the crazy weather down there, I guess I will have to cancel it.


2) Called up Disney, everything from Sept 11 to end of October is booked up.

And even with the mousesaver discount code: BAT, I still looking at paying extra $ 150 for the staying in Animal Kingdom Lodge for 7 nights for travel between October and December, which I think it's still ok.

ACTION: Will likely to cancel what I have now and look for better deals in Disney i guess.


Personally I would want to go first week of December (checked airfare for that week, very expensive...around $180 plus), but bcos of possible medical surgery, we would want to go earlier bcos I don't think one can enjoy much of Disney after a surgery.

Anyway...just kind of overwhelmed and lost now...

Thanks for listening..

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

If it were me I'd rather wait the extra months and have a magical time then go next week and deal with the hurricane after effects. Maybe you could explain that to your wife? Instead of thinking about having fun at Disney think about this...
1. Florida needs time to recover and any of us vacationing there could possibly be using valuable resources needed by residents after a natural disaster.

2. Disney, I believe, has stated that they will open up rooms to residents if needed and available... as vacationers we need to make them available for the residents... they have opened up their hearts and state to us so many times before.

whenever you go good luck and have a great vacation!!

 

[tjkraz]

Sorry to hear you couldn't get anything soon.

For what it's worth the couple of weeks BEFORE Thanksgiving are also an excellent time to visit. You probably won't see many Christmas decorations--although they do start to go up around the 10th of November. The holiday parades and shows don't start until after Thanksgiving.

If you are forced to wait until after the first of the year, January is also a good, low crowd season. The weather can be a little dicey in both December and January but, IMO, the crowds make up for that.

We were at WDW the last week of January '03 and everything was wonderful. It hit 70 degrees every day and we NEVER waited more than 15 minutes for any single ride. Just be warned that in both December and January the temps will get into the 50s at night, so warm clothes are a must. There will also be days where the daytime temps will stay in the 50s and 60s. But it's rare for any extended cold snap to roll through. If you're staying for a week, chances are you'll have just as many days in which you can wear shorts as days when you'll have to stick to blue jeans.

 

[disneyjenca]

Disney was totally booked from Sept 11 into October? Or just one resort?

Now I'm worried! I'm going Sept 11-18 and was hoping for a nice quiet vacation with short lines!!

- jen

 

[sky7777]

OK...i am looking at December now. Called Disney, they couldn't give me any deals with the BAT code. So I checked Expedia, found something great on Deluxe hotels. Need ur advice to decide which one:

Travel date: 12/12 - 12/19 (7 nights)

1) Disney' Wilderness Lodge

Room: Courtyard view
Price: $149 per night

2) Animal Kingdom Lodge

Room: Pool View
Price: $135

Which one should i pick? Heard from mousesaver.com that the Wilderness is the best deluxe resort among the rest?

Btw, is that time period considered PEAK? meaning will i have to stucked with crowd? or they still won't be too many people at that time?

Urgent advice needed...

thanks in advance

 

[sky7777]

moderator..pls help delete this post. Server was busy when i hit the submit button..came out duplicated posts.

Sorry

 

[tjkraz]

The first 2 1/2 to 3 weeks of December are VALUE season, and one of the slowest periods (smallest attendance) of the year. In fact, our trip dates almost mirror the dates you are looking at.

I don't think you can go wrong with either resort. Just about all of the Disney Deluxes are excellent in their own right. It's just a question of which suits your tastes. A lot of people are very fond of the Boardwalk or Yacht Club / Beach Club, so you'd probably get some arguments over which is truly the best.

WL is a little more in the thick of things as it's just a boat trip away from the Magic Kingdom. I also have heard the Christmas decorations at the WL are second to none.

Of course, if you take the room at AKL, there's always a chance (stress CHANCE) you could get a surprise upgrade to savannah view at check-in.

 

[erinch]

you may have a sorry experience with expedia or travelocity, which tend to let you get right to credit card input, then tell you there are no rooms available

I bet you're glad you cancelled for "the weekend of Frances"

 

[sky7777]

YES.....i am definitely glad i was able to postpone my trip and go on December for Christmas!

Just booked 7 nights 12/12 to 12/19, staying at the "Disney' Wilderness Lodge" for $1199.94 . Is that a good deal or what? I called Disney directly, they couldn't give me anything on those days and in that price, hence, i booked it via Expedia.

More opinions are welcomed.

But I sincerely want to thank those who helped give help and advice for the past days....during hurricane Frances.