Sept / Oct 2011

[Jade+3]

Travelmum, that is disappointing. We decided against the F! package and will just see what the regular line is like. DH is not too fussed if he does not see it so will probably take the younger kids back to the room. I am using the same agent as you, and was not that impressed with my ADR experience as she did not make my reservations until midday. My expectations may have been too high as I assumed she would do them at 6am. I wish I had done them myself.

 

[Travel Mum]

Jade, I was actually up on Saturday night at 11pm our time which was 6 am Michele's time so I decided to stay up a bit later to see when she emailed me and to find out how she had done. I was very impressed because Michele had told me that she had set her alarm clock for 5.55 am (Saturday morning for her!) and, sure enough, she emailed me at 11.15 pm my time so 6.15 am her time. At that point, she told me about her success with most and disappointment with F! and said she was making herself a cup of tea and getting ready to phone Disney at 7 am about the F!. So, my experience with Michele has been very impressive I just wish perhaps they read the Disboards and other forums a bit more because I had already read somewhere about people having to put the individual date in for F! when booking online but presumed the travel agents would already know that so didn't mention it. However, when Michele came back to me and said that Disney has said Sep/Oct not available for booking, I though "oh crap" because I myself already knew how to get around it and I knew Battymum's DU agent had got a Sep booking for her. Hence a day was lost and we lost our 180+6 advantage.

 

[Travel Mum]

Oh and Jade, did you get the ADR's that you wanted?

 

[hellosue]

Hey, everyone don't you just luv our exchange rate!

Just paid most of Disney, Dolphin Swim @ Dolphin Cove and Dinner Show @ Pirate Adventure - saved hundreds $$$$$ ..... working so hard now to pay everything else off...

Congrats on ADR's

Sorry for those not getting F'tasmic times - which agency did you use?

I went with Magic For Less - Deb - got everything I wanted including 3pm Lunch/Dinner at Fantasmic (Hollywood & Vine) 22 Sept

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Hey, everyone don't you just luv our exchange rate!

Just paid most of Disney, Dolphin Swim @ Dolphin Cove and Dinner Show @ Pirate Adventure - saved hundreds $$$$$ ..... working so hard now to pay everything else off...

It feel great to do that doesnt it!

The exchange rate is awesome i just changed over $1000 at the post office still cant believe it only cost me $991.70 amazing so much better than last year would love to have changed more but am still paying of our flights.

Travel mum keep checking for you mama melrose ADR because i finally this week got H&V for fantasmic at 5:00pm so I am cancelling our Mama Melrose at 2:00pm. I know the reviews are either love or hate for H&V but the reality is our kids wil eat the food there and most of them wont really like or be able to eat (food allergy's) a lot at Mama Melrose.
I did have to book 3 tables of 2 to get the booking but we are fine with that for 1 meal.

Jade+3 Congrats on your ADRS as well.

Is time flying or is it just me? Does anyone do the lunch to get Nemo tickets?

Just a question about travellers checks we didn't take them last time just took a lot of cash and Debit Visa card. I read up a lot on them last time and a lot of people were saying they had trouble getting them cashed so i was just wondering for those of you who use them where are you cashing them and are you charged for using them?
DH wants to take double the cash w etook last time and i am just not that keen thinking that a travel card with half might be a better idea. He just wants to lock in the exchange rate which i understand but i dont think i am comfortable with that much cash.

 

[Jade+3]

Oh and Jade, did you get the ADR's that you wanted?

I did get everything I wanted, but a couple of the times are unsuitable. It would not have been an issue if my kids were older, but my 2 year old is not going to be pleasant to anyone (Mickey included) at 8pm! I will keep checking to see if anything else opens up.

WAMUMOF4, I had no trouble with travellers cheques. I only used them within WDW as I had heard of people having trouble at other places. We managed to avoid ATM fees as I would use a cheque whenever we brought something and would get the change in cash. I got mainly $100 cheques for this reason.

 

[marvel]

I have never understood the appeal of travellers cheques. I use the wizard mastercard if the exchange rate is good at the time, it doesn't charge conversion fees, also have the global amex travel card which locks in your rates and i take cash. All the hotels have safes, so your money can be stored safely. And if you want money from the global cash card, the fee is super low to withdraw from ATM's.

you guys are doing well with your bookings, i haven't even booked hotel yet!!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

So i thought since I am doing up our itinerary for a friend i would put it up here at the same time since it has been finalized for a couple of weeks
July 30 Arrive Dallas start driving to New York
we are stopping at Graceland and Washington
Aug 1 New York will arrive very late
Aug 4 Niagara Falls Canada side
Aug 5 Indianapolis DH doesn't know we are going to the speedway here
Aug 6 St Louis Ironman 55 (sprintcars)
Aug 7 Moline John Deere headquarters
Aug 8 Knoxville Iowa staying here until Aug 15
Aug 9 Oscaloosa speedway
Aug 10-14 Knoxville Nationals (sprint cars)
Aug 15 Iowa State fair
Aug 16 Nashville Grand Opry and Jack Daniels distillery
Aug 17 Byron GA somewhere other side of Atlanta will spend half day there
Aug 18 -19 Orlando Nick resort going to either Kennedy Space center or Universal
Aug 20-25 POP DW
Aug 25 Daytona Nascar track tour on way to Charlotte
Aug 26 Charlotte lots to do and see
Aug 27 Nascars Bristol have to drive back to Charlotte 3 hours
Aug 28 Back to DW
Aug 29 Half day at DW then on to Slidell LA
Aug 30 spend half day at New Orleans then on to Houston
Aug 30 to Sept 4 Houston Space center and other tourist things planned for us
Sept 4 Dallas
Sept 5 Fly home
Sept 7 arrive Perth

I put in our trip on gas buddy and without all the in town driving we will do it came to 7001 miles I hope we get a car with a dvd player again.

 

[battymum]

OMG - I am exhausted just reading that! I thought we had a busy holiday planned!

 

[hellosue]

WAMUMOF4,

WOW! I am envious that you can spend so much time away from home.... How fantastic to go to so many places to suit everyone... well done on your planning!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

OMG - I am exhausted just reading that! I thought we had a busy holiday planned!

Me to it's time to stop calling it a holiday and go back to calling it an Adventure Seriously though we are on to do 2 trips like this in 13 months

WAMUMOF4,

WOW! I am envious that you can spend so much time away from home.... How fantastic to go to so many places to suit everyone... well done on your planning!

Thanks hellosue can say i am glad to have it all sorted. DH is taking 2 1/2 weeks unpaid leave that's how we can go for so long and i am SHM so not an issue for me kids are home-schooled no issue there either. DH and kids are cranky i didn't book for longer but unfortunately the budget doesn't allow us to go longer

 

[kylieh]

We've decided (again) on our Halloween Costumes. Pretty easy!!!

DH: Dr Doofenshmirtz, tan trousers, black t-shirt, white lab coat. There are basic lab coats on ebay for around $20-$25. Might try op shops a bit first though.

DD: Vanessa - Black leggings or skirt depending on weather, black shoes or boots, black tunic shirt. MIL said she would make the shirt.

Me: Charlene Doofenshmirtz - Dr D's ex wife. Super easy. I purchased some glasses frames off ebay today for about $15. I have a green shirt and handbag And I have short hair.

 

[hellosue]

Kylieh,
Great to know you will be at WDW for Halloween as well..... Does everyone dress up?
We have never done Halloween and looking forward to it.

Just finished booking last of internal flights, so can now post itinerary:

6 Sept Melb - LAX - Louisville(Kentucky)
7-10 Shelbyville Kentucky
10 Sept Louisville - MCO Orlando
10-12 Sept Royal Pacific Hotel (Universal/Island of Adventure)
12-17 Sept Spring Hill Suites SeaWorld (SeaWorld/Dolphin Cove/Kennedy Space Centre and of course Shopping)
17-29 Sept WDW - POP Century (MK, AK, HS, EPCOT, DTD, DQ, BB, TL, MNSSHP)
29 Sept booo hoooo MCO - LAX - MELB
back to reality and work .....

 

[Travel Mum]

29 Sept booo hoooo MCO - LAX - MELB
back to reality and work .....

Hellosue, I presume we will pass you somewhere in the air as we depart Wellington on 29 September and fly WLG-AKL-LAX-DFW-MCO, arriving MCO at 8.30 pm still on 29 September

 

[battymum]

Hellosue,
Looks like we will be at Pop at the same time -
we are there from 16-23rd Sept! - I wont suggest a dismeet as our schedule when we are there is hectic -as I am sure yours is - but if you hear some aussie accents be sure to say G'day!

 

[austraveler]

We look like the first cab off the rank - Universal on 8 and 9 Sept and then WDW (Beach club) for 10 to 16. We will have been on the Disney Med Cruise in Italy prior to that.

 

[bondgirl]

How do you do everyone.
I'm pretty new to these boards(well to actually post , that is...lurker).
I'm heading over in September as well.
We leave on the 16 September and fly home on the 12 October. We're spending the 1st week and a half offsite at the Coco Beach resort and then staying on property at he All Star Movies from the 29th September.
I'm planning to run the WDW Wine and Dine Half Marathon is celebration of a quite scary "noughty" birthday this year. Thought a trip would be more fun than a party.
We are all pretty excited. This is our second trip to WDW. Our first was in 2006.
These boards have been an awesome tool for my planning.. thanks for all the helpful, valuable information.

 

[HappyFingers]

just checking the ticker

look at Donald go
he's at the front door

 

[austraveler]

How do you do everyone.
I'm pretty new to these boards(well to actually post , that is...lurker).
I'm heading over in September as well.
We leave on the 16 September and fly home on the 12 October. We're spending the 1st week and a half offsite at the Coco Beach resort and then staying on property at he All Star Movies from the 29th September.
We are all pretty excited.
These boards have been an awesome tool for my planning.. thanks for all the helpful, valuable information.

Welcome. I take my hat off to anyone that can run a half marathon!

 

[Travel Mum]

Yep, look at my Pluto - he is so excited to be closer to Mickey