Sept/Oct Planners Check in here

[Oz-kateer]

The water in Florida is ok, and there are dozens of chilled filtered water fountains at the parks - we just took one empty plastic bottle each and filled them up. Also, any food outlet will give you a cup of iced water for free, any time.

I really don't know why the Americans buy water by the truckload to take to Florida, because if you take the water to the parks you have to consider two things - first, water is heavy. Second, the water gets very warm being carried in your bag all day and tastes awful.

If you want a few bottles for your hotel, that's okay, but I wouldn't get obsessed with buying caseloads to take into the parks. You can use your resort mug to get iced water when you're at the hotel.

PS: Just got an email from Amazon, my DVDs have been shipped.

 

[kyl]

Thx oz-kateer, I thought there must of been something wrong with it the way people order it? I am happy to take my resort mug and get it filled at the hotel. I think maybe I will change my order to just one case to have in the room. You just saved me about $30USD. Thanks!

 

[kyl]

O.k so I have read this book called birth order, and I am thinking that most of us on here must be first born due to how organised we like to be am I right?

 

[Oz-kateer]

Yes, guilty. Oldest child.

I'm relatively organised in real life, but when it comes to travel, I go all out. I don't plan the toilet breaks (I'm not that OCD about it) but I have found if you plan ahead a bit you have a better time. I have tried travelling by the seat of my pants and while that's ok if you're an adult on your own, if you have kids in tow, planning works better.

Plus it's so FUN to plan for holidays like this! YOu get exciting reading about it.

 

[kyl]

I am so with you on that one. Once you have kids you really need to organise everything prior to leaving so that everyone has a good time. My hubby is a last born, easy going non planing type. We all know that type! If he booked this holiday we would just show up with no ADRs no park tickets oh I could only imagine it! The difference is like you guys I get excited about doing this stuff (typical eldest child ). I had to laugh when I saw Ms. Suttergirls list of things to take away, this is so me to a tea. I even have word documents made up with what we are doing on what day and printed them off and given them to those who can read going with us (mr three can't read yet). I have printed of information and posted it to my mother in law on the north coast as she is coming with us. Its FUN ! What will I do when we get back......plan another I think although the bank balance may say something different.

 

[Travel Mum]

O.k so I have read this book called birth order, and I am thinking that most of us on here must be first born due to how organised we like to be am I right?

Ha, ha, yes, I'm an oldest child too

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

It's too complicated a story but I'm kind of a 1st born.

I am definitely a planner and really find spontaneity overrated .

When I came back from our trip last year I had the blues so bad because I didn't have anything to plan. I stayed away from the Dis until January. Then I just decided to start planning a trip that didn't exist yet and I knew somehow the universal would just give me one . And now look at me, 41 sleeps to go.

Kyl - how have you set out your per day sheets? Care to share?

 

[kyl]

It's too complicated a story but I'm kind of a 1st born.

I am definitely a planner and really find spontaneity overrated .

When I came back from our trip last year I had the blues so bad because I didn't have anything to plan. I stayed away from the Dis until January. Then I just decided to start planning a trip that didn't exist yet and I knew somehow the universal would just give me one . And now look at me, 41 sleeps to go.

Kyl - how have you set out your per day sheets? Care to share?

I knew you would of been a first born or eldest child figure in the familyWhat I did was one sheet with all our flights and dates to different places, after disneyworld mother in law is going home and we will fly back with her to LAX. See she gets the plane and stay o/night then onto san-fran and yosmite national park from there we plan on driving back to anaheim and spending a few nights at disneyland at the Howard johnson hotel. I have two plastic sleeve folders one with our disneyworld stuff and the other with all our other part of the holiday. O.k so you will all laugh.....I have in my disneyworld folder. Page one is a printed sheet with each day dated and what park and ADRs we have for that day I also typed in the park hours for that day and if there are magic hours. I also printed of my confirmation reservations and put them in daily order so I can prove our reservations if need be. I couldn't sleep at night about a week ago thinking how many bits of paper I have in the filing draw so had to put it into a folder in order and now feel much better
We have two days on our way back from yosmite to anaheim were I have not booked anythingThis is so not me but DH wants to leave it that way so that if we see some town we like we can stay there overnight. Plus we want to do the drive on the coast so it will be nice but I am hoping we will find hotels along the way I have booked the car though so I guess if worse comes to worse we will be sleeping in it

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I totally keep everything a folder.

Last time, we were doing so many pre-organised things it was crazy. I had everything in it's own plastic sleeve, and everything in the exact order that we were doing it down to the smallest detail .

I have a folder again this time but since our trip isn't quite as "micro-managed" I don't have quite as much in it but I haven't started planning out in detail in day of WDW yet .

 

[kyl]

I noticed on one of your post Ms.Shuttergirl that you have ordered some washing sheets, have you used them before. I saw them on green grocer and ordered some but don't know how well they will wash Great idea though saves risking power all through the bag
Yep like you each day is a new sleeve in my folder. We have some friends coming along at the same time as well. She booked there accomodation and up graded to the ddp. Then that was it I was like noooooooo you need to make ADRs she was up all night a few weeks back booking it all she had no idea she just though you showed up to where ever you wanted to eat and got in Boy I was nearly having a heart attack and it wasn't even my ADRs I had already booked ours

 

[Oz-kateer]

When I came back from our trip last year I had the blues so bad because I didn't have anything to plan. I stayed away from the Dis until January. Then I just decided to start planning a trip that didn't exist yet and I knew somehow the universal would just give me one . And now look at me, 41 sleeps to go.

Absolutely agree - treat trips to Disney like the basball team in Field of Dreams - build it, and they will come.

Our trip last year was a bit like that, I just had a thought out of the blue one day - I'd like to take DS to Disney. I had no idea how much it would cost or what was what as it had been so long since I'd been there. So I started to look into it, had to find out about costs, flights, bookings etc. The Sept/Oct school holidays seemed lilke the best time to go. But I have just bought a house and didn't have enough money right then to do it.

And then suddenly it all locked into place - Delta started flying to SYD and created a huge price war, fares went way low, Disney announced free dining and overnight it all became very affordable. And I alreday had it planned, so a few phone calls and online bookings was all it took and we were off!

This one we are about to embark on was pretty much the same - I thought since I now have all the kids with me full time I'd like to take them ALL, so I played around wondering "I wonder how much?" and the jump in cost from 2 to 5 really wasn't as much as I thought. Free dining was more economical than a room discount. So I thought I'd maybe keep it in the back of my mind to do it next year, but I was worried as the kids are in high school and will be nearing HSC exams in Sept 2011.

Then the tax man sent me a nice surprise in April as my tax agent had been making an error for the last three years, and so my return was about 8 times as much as I was expecting. Suddenly - we could go. And again, because I'd alreday done the planning, going ahead and booking was just a matter of a few calls.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Oz-kateer, glad to hear someone else thinks like me and so excited for you that it all came together. Yay!!!!

 

[aussietravellers]

Just arrived home after being out all day (and am about to leave again for school pickup) and guess what was waiting for me. The DVD's I also got the Kingdom Kingdom books for my DS.

I'm a first child too and Ms.Shuttergirl that is so funny that you mention the folder. This morning whilst I was waiting for a friend to go out, I printed up everything (etickets, booking confirmations, letters from Disney (we have some free vip fastpasses because of a problem we had, so need the letter with the details) etc). I got out my little folder and have organised it all. I will do a separate folder with all of my dining printouts (just incase one is autocancelled I will take along the proof that I made the ADR) and then I'll do another folder with printouts for coupons, maps, any other touristy info I may want, like lists of stores I may want to go to, or places to buy prepaid phones etc).

What's funny about that bottled water, is most of it that is sold in the parks isn't even spring water. It's like a treated water (can't remember the exact term), like that Dasani that is everywhere, you are paying for a bottle of basically purified tap water, I'd just sooner drink it from the tap. But I will be buying some bottled spring water for delivery in the room. But there isn't anything wrong with the Florida tap water

 

[kyl]

O.k so I am just as bad as you guys, I want to go on a disney crusie next time. But have kept this hush hush because DH would die if he knew I was even thinking it. I know it wont be for a couple of years but the new disney dream cruise looks so amazing. I think we all have disney fever. Its just so beautiful to see the childrens faces I love it. Haven't told them yet that I have ordered the DVDs will just surprize them when they turn up! Another good read from Amazon that I ordered like 9mths ago was the unoffical guide to WDW and I also ordered and read the unoffical guide to WDW with kids. They have some great advice you guys most likely have all read it if you are anything like me ......he he he

 

[Travel Mum]

Yes, whilst I love Royal Caribbean cruises and we will be on Freedom of the Seas next year, I suspect that once I receive my DVD's from Amazon and watch the Disney cruise one, I'll be keen to try it too. With them now going to be cruising on the West Coast, it makes it far more realistic for us to get up to L.A. sometime in the next few years than it would be for us to get back to Florida. Plus Disney has some cabins that fit families-of-five so sounds good!

 

[kyl]

I know getting it from LA will be much better than having to travel to orlando. Although I think disney should do an Australian cruise, then we could get on from here while everyone from America most likely will fly home..he he he

 

[aussietravellers]

Although I think disney should do an Australian cruise, then we could get on from here while everyone from America most likely will fly home..he he he

Oh wouldn't that be FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

 

[kyl]

Was it you yesterday aussietravellers that got the dvd set, I can't keep up! We all seem to be getting it at once. Anyway if it was did you enjoy?

 

[Travel Mum]

Oh wouldn't that be FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

Yes it would (easy for us Kiwis to get to Oz)!! And, it's maybe even a possibility because the Disney boats aren't all that big compared to RCCL's mega liners who will never come all the way down here. Fingers crossed!

 

[aussietravellers]

Was it you yesterday aussietravellers that got the dvd set, I can't keep up! We all seem to be getting it at once. Anyway if it was did you enjoy?

Yes it was me

They are just great. We have watched three of the six so far, we have watched the WDW behind the scenes, the WDW thrill ride one and the Animal Kingdom one.

They really get you all excited about the trip.

Thanks Ms.Shuttergirl for mentioning them

Everybody waiting for theirs, I am sure you will love them.