September 2011 - The Planning Has Started!!!

[JoBird]

Whelp I did it.

I just booked thru AirTran.

The flights kept changing and would only let me have 3 seats at $93. I was scared it would go up and I wouldn't get the cheaper flts.

So--- I paid $79 on the way back and $93 for three seats and $123 for two on the way down.

More than I wanted to pay, and a heck of a lot more than we used to get it for.



Oh yeah-- we added days too, LH.
We are now Sept 1- Sept 10, GF still.
Sorry for the changes.


Pixie Dust for all waiting to book the airfare....

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Congrats Jo!!!

 

[L-Harper]

Whelp I did it.

I just booked thru AirTran.

The flights kept changing and would only let me have 3 seats at $93. I was scared it would go up and I wouldn't get the cheaper flts.

So--- I paid $79 on the way back and $93 for three seats and $123 for two on the way down.

More than I wanted to pay, and a heck of a lot more than we used to get it for.



Oh yeah-- we added days too, LH.
We are now Sept 1- Sept 10, GF still.
Sorry for the changes.


Pixie Dust for all waiting to book the airfare....

Yay! I also have changed you on the first post.

 

[L-Harper]

I have an idea that I wanted to run by you guys... Would any of you be interested in a group chat on the DIS chat? We could schedule something! I think it would be a lot of fun.

 

[JoBird]

Congrats Jo!!!

Yay! I also have changed you on the first post.

Thanks guys!!!!



Shelly--- I'm pixie dusting and banana dude'ing everything in sight for your airfare......
Remember your fortune....




LH-- you are so on top of things!! Thanks!!!
I need to change my ticker. Which means Tinkersmell is gonna have to start all over. Again.
She'll never get to where she's going at this rate.

 

[MamaJessie]

I need to change my ticker. Which means Tinkersmell is gonna have to start all over. Again.
She'll never get to where she's going at this rate.

I was just admiring how far she has come the other day.....

 

[TinyDancer]

Flights for us through AirTran will be $760 after bags.. Do their prices go down any or do they sell out?

 

[disneydreamin247]

I reallyyyyyy wish JetBlue would open up booking already so I could start stalking!

 

[pinkle]

We booked southwest! I like that bags are included and it's direct. $1300 ouch!

 

[Smile4Me]

I have a month and two weeks but as everyone else here starts booking ADRs it will make the time till I can make mine fly

My date to call is not until March 29th which seems so far away still

Yeah our ADR date is March 28th. I haven't even started to plan. I probably won't plan until right before to avoid changing our plans 183293 times.

I have a 5 weeks til I can make my ADRs too,,,but between now and then the park hours should come out which will leave plenty of time to rework the adrs and our schedule...only then to stalk the adr cancellation board and the website to try to get better times and switch things up until the trip comes, right?

 

[MamaJessie]

I have a 5 weeks til I can make my ADRs too,,,but between now and then the park hours should come out which will leave plenty of time to rework the adrs and our schedule...only then to stalk the adr cancellation board and the website to try to get better times and switch things up until the trip comes, right?

The unofficial hours are posted a few pages back which has helped me obsessively plan.

 

[pinkle]

When should the official hours be out????

 

[L-Harper]

I was hoping you guys would be able to help me with my plans. On our very first day/night is where I need help right now. I'm confused! I'm not sure what time we'll be getting in yet because I haven't booked our flights. I'm guessing mid-day though. Here is my plan:

-Check into Pop Century
-Pick up the fridge {from Krystal's Pop Swap}
-Head straight to Magic Kingdom
-Hopefully make the parade by 3:00
-Lunch or snack, depending on when we make it in, at Main Street Bakery
-Tour around MK
-Dinner 'Ohana {I'm thinking around 6:30)
-Wishes at 9:00

Is this too much to do on the first day?! Also, is it too much to try to squeeze 'Ohana in? Our main goal on our first night is to watch Wishes. This has been the 1 consistent thing my DS1 has been most excited about for a few months.

The problem with being new to Disney is that I have NO idea how long things actually take. I plan on posting each of my days for critique once I get them laid out if you all will help me.

 

[MamaJessie]

I have read that a lot of people go straight to the parks when they get there, but that just isn't for us. Personally I would either explore the resort and maybe have a character dinner to start the vacation. Our first night we are going to hang out at POR and then head over to DTD. We like to unwind before we start hitting the parks bright and early the next day

 

[disneydreamin247]

I was hoping you guys would be able to help me with my plans. On our very first day/night is where I need help right now. I'm confused! I'm not sure what time we'll be getting in yet because I haven't booked our flights. I'm guessing mid-day though. Here is my plan:

-Check into Pop Century
-Pick up the fridge {from Krystal's Pop Swap}
-Head straight to Magic Kingdom
-Hopefully make the parade by 3:00
-Lunch or snack, depending on when we make it in, at Main Street Bakery
-Tour around MK
-Dinner 'Ohana {I'm thinking around 6:30)
-Wishes at 9:00

Is this too much to do on the first day?! Also, is it too much to try to squeeze 'Ohana in? Our main goal on our first night is to watch Wishes. This has been the 1 consistent thing my DS1 has been most excited about for a few months.

The problem with being new to Disney is that I have NO idea how long things actually take. I plan on posting each of my days for critique once I get them laid out if you all will help me.

I'm exhausted to just reading that! I find that our travel day is a LONG day so we tend to take it easy. We usually are checked in by 11:30. Our usual plan is check in, if our room is ready we head there. If it isn't, we get something to eat at the resort. DS likes to play in the arcade for a while. Usually by now our room is ready. We then head there, have our groceries delivered, rest up a bit and then head out to the parks or to our dinner ressie. Then we get a good rest and have an early morning planned for the next day. The first day is usually exhausting, especially when you have young ones, because of all the excitement. That's our experience anyway. Yours may differ.

 

[pinkle]

I was hoping you guys would be able to help me with my plans. On our very first day/night is where I need help right now. I'm confused! I'm not sure what time we'll be getting in yet because I haven't booked our flights. I'm guessing mid-day though. Here is my plan:

-Check into Pop Century
-Pick up the fridge {from Krystal's Pop Swap}
-Head straight to Magic Kingdom
-Hopefully make the parade by 3:00
-Lunch or snack, depending on when we make it in, at Main Street Bakery
-Tour around MK
-Dinner 'Ohana {I'm thinking around 6:30)
-Wishes at 9:00

Is this too much to do on the first day?! Also, is it too much to try to squeeze 'Ohana in? Our main goal on our first night is to watch Wishes. This has been the 1 consistent thing my DS1 has been most excited about for a few months.

The problem with being new to Disney is that I have NO idea how long things actually take. I plan on posting each of my days for critique once I get them laid out if you all will help me.

Sounds good to me!!!!!! We do something very similar, except we do Chef Mickey's...it's so fun starting the week off having dinner with Mickey! This also takes the pressure off of needing to see the characters in the park!

 

[KellyWasHere]

That does seem like a lot to me too, L-Harper. Especially if you're planning to be up early the next day? After a day/night like that I probably wouldn't be able to get my family up and get them to START getting ready until 8 or 9. I wonder if you could make an ADR at a resort restaurant that evening to get a view of Wishes? I have never done this so don't know if it's possible, just a suggestion to look into it?

 

[KellyWasHere]

Also, are you saying that your son is 1 year old and is requesting to see Wishes on the first night? That is really cute. My youngest just turned 2, this year will be her third trip to DW (!) and she has no clue about anything that goes on there when we're not actually there.

 

[MissLiz]

Wow! You guys were a chatty bunch while I was gone!!!!

Holy Majolies! What a whirlwind trip, but it was so fun!!!!

We didn't get in until about 10pm on Friday and we just stayed at the Sheraton Safari hotel. We've never stayed there, but it was nice. Not Disney, but nice. lol

We got up early on Saturday to transfer over to Saratoga Springs.

Now, let me tell you, we've always made fun of this resort. Don't know why, we just always joke about "Sarasota Springs" and how far away from everything it is. We drove up and went in to check in. We were in Congress Park and our room was ready at 7am! Woot!

We took our stuff to our room and got back in the car to drive to Epcot. It took us about 5 minutes total to get from the resort to our parking space. It was stinking cold!

We spent the whole day there. We ate lunch at Les Chefs de France and dinner at Biergarten. Both were fantastic, as usual!! Crowds were small in the morning but the afternoon got crazy. There was a cheer competition this weekend and all the cheerleaders were everywhere.

We skipped IllumiNations because we were all so tired.

Sunday morning, we headed to Magic Kingdom. Once again, it took us maybe 10 minutes to get from the resort to the parking lot. We took the monorail over and were there in plenty of time for rope drop. Notice the new signage at Magic Kingdom:

It was a little warmer Sunday, but still chilly. Crowds were great in the morning again and got crazy in the afternoon. I have never seen it so busy! We've been in both May and Sept and this was busier. We ate lunch at Crystal Palace:

We skipped Wishes, too, since we were done with everything we wanted to do by about 5pm and the crowds were just overwhelming, so we headed back to the resort and decided to walk to Downtown Disney. It took us about 10 minutes and was a really nice walk. We ate at Earl of Sandwich and just wandered around. It was a nice way to end the trip.

Yesterday we slept in, got up and had breakfast, and headed back home.

Now I'm really ready for September!!!!!!

 

[jbmom]

L-Harper, that seems like a lot to me. I think it would depend on how well you sleep the night before. I never sleep well the night before Disney.

MissLiz, wonderful pictures! It looks like your family had a great time despite the chilly weather and crowds! What an awesome hubby you have!