September 2011 - The Planning Has Started!!!

[jbmom]

Today was the day I got to make the first 10 days of my ADRs so I should have known something was going to go wrong. Yesterday and last night we were treated to 1/2" of ice. The power went out about 1am. I got up at 6 and tried doing my ADRs on the iphone, but the internet was really slow so I ended up calling at 7, got right through and had no problems!

Heres what I have so far:
Aug. 24 Crystal Palace breakfast 8:05am
Biergarten 4pm

Aug. 25 Turf Club 5:40pm

Aug. 26 Scifi 11am
Teppan Edo 5:50pm

Aug. 27 Cape May Clambake 5:40pm

Aug. 28 Coral Reef 5:30pm

Aug. 29 LeCellier 5:30pm

Aug. 30 Hoop Dee Doo 5pm

I still have to make ADRs for Liberty Tree Tavern lunch, San Angel Inn lunch, Tutto Italia dinner and Kona Cafe dinner. I don't foresee any problems with those!

 

[L-Harper]

Thanks for the warm welcome and adding us to the list!

We're so glad to have you! Please, join our conversations.

Today was the day I got to make the first 10 days of my ADRs so I should have known something was going to go wrong. Yesterday and last night we were treated to 1/2" of ice. The power went out about 1am. I got up at 6 and tried doing my ADRs on the iphone, but the internet was really slow so I ended up calling at 7, got right through and had no problems!

Heres what I have so far:
Aug. 24 Crystal Palace breakfast 8:05am
Biergarten 4pm

Aug. 25 Turf Club 5:40pm

Aug. 26 Scifi 11am
Teppan Edo 5:50pm

Aug. 27 Cape May Clambake 5:40pm

Aug. 28 Coral Reef 5:30pm

Aug. 29 LeCellier 5:30pm

Aug. 30 Hoop Dee Doo 5pm

I still have to make ADRs for Liberty Tree Tavern lunch, San Angel Inn lunch, Tutto Italia dinner and Kona Cafe dinner. I don't foresee any problems with those!

YAY! I have to say that I'm SO excited to see some September travelers starting to book their ADR's! How fun!

 

[disneydreamin247]

I just had to spend $660 on a new mattress. All I could think about was the 2 extra nights I could be adding to my trip with that money.

 

[mayfam2010]

Congratulations on the recent adoptions. What a great surprise for your children. I hope you have a great vacation.

Thanks!

 

[SnipsNSnails]

We just booked tonight!!+

I had a PIN for 35% off so I figured we better book and still hope for free dining at some point, but we're officially going!!

We're booked Sept 17-24 at CBR, two rooms. DH and I and our boys (will be 5 and 2) in one and my parents and grandparents in the other! I am so excited!

 

[mayfam2010]

Wow! So many posts since I was last able to check this thread! Yay for all the Disney adventures everyone has planned!!!

I'm trying to decide something and wondering if anyone is in the same boat... we booked through a travel agent (who we love and was able to get us a great deal!), and part of their services is to book our dining for us.... and since it's our first time going I'm kind of thinking this might be a good idea! However, I'm also totally a hands on person, and also think booking myself would be a good learning experience, you know? Plus, they pick our restaurants for us based on our family's likes and ages, etc..(I can add suggestions if I want but they also assume that people who are 1st timers need some help... but they don't know I hang out here in my spare time LOL), and maybe I should just let them pick for us... other than a few I know we definitely want..... Any suggestions on this?

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Oh wow! I don't think I could let someone else choose! That's been a large part of the fun for me, reading about the different choices and deciding where to go and when... Will they know which parks you want to go to on which days? It would be annoying IMO to be headed to AK for the day and to have a noon ressie in EP.

 

[ShhhQ]

they pick our restaurants for us based on our family's likes and ages, etc..(I can add suggestions if I want but they also assume that people who are 1st timers need some help... but they don't know I hang out here in my spare time LOL), and maybe I should just let them pick for us... other than a few I know we definitely want..... Any suggestions on this?

Wow this sounds like the opposite of what it should be! All 4 of our trips have been thru a TA that also makes our ADRs but they try to get OUR wants... they have made a few suggestions. I think if you know what you want, demand it.

 

[Smile4Me]

I'm also totally a hands on person, and also think booking myself would be a good learning experience, you know? Plus, they pick our restaurants for us based on our family's likes and ages, etc..(I can add suggestions if I want but they also assume that people who are 1st timers need some help... but they don't know I hang out here in my spare time LOL), and maybe I should just let them pick for us... other than a few I know we definitely want..... Any suggestions on this?

You said it yourself, you're a hands on person. This site and allears.net offer the menus , do some studying to see what you and your family are interested in and do it yourself! No guess work!

I just had to spend $660 on a new mattress. All I could think about was the 2 extra nights I could be adding to my trip with that money.

We used part of our tax return on a new bed frame, mattress, and box spring...and i love it. It will last a lot longer than a couple extra vacation days!!

 

[MelSettle]

Hello everyone! I swear I think I've spent the last week trying to read through this entire thread!! I love all of the great info on here! This will be our FIRST family trip to WDW!! I'm so excited! We're doing 10 days at the Beach Club Sept 18-25! DD1 will be almost be 4 at the time and DD2 will be 18 months. DD1 is a princess FANATIC and she also loves MM clubhouse so I just can't wait to see her reaction to everything! We actually used Disney to potty train her! LOL!

So, I love LOVE love planning but I am so stuck trying to figure out how to start? I have done a TON of research, but no definite plans yet. We are foodies so when we booked during free dining we upgraded to the Deluxe plan. I guess I just don't know where to start with all of the planning and I'm starting to stress about how close the ADR period is getting! Any suggestions on how you start with your plan? I forgot to mention that my parents will be going us for the first half of the trip so I'm trying to figure out what to include them in and not? Make sense? Anyway....I have gone on and on here so I will get off.....look forward to chatting with everyone these next months leading up to the trip!!

 

[MamaJessie]

Today was the day I got to make the first 10 days of my ADRs

Awesome!!

I guess I just don't know where to start with all of the planning and I'm starting to stress about how close the ADR period is getting! Any suggestions on how you start with your plan?

When I stayed onsite I started by checking out the park hours and trying to maximize the EMH. Then I planned where we ate around that. Since I am off site this time I am planning to avoid EMH and hopefully any crowds, and am planning that way. And welcome to the thread!!

We used part of our tax return on a new bed frame, mattress, and box spring...and i love it. It will last a lot longer than a couple extra vacation days!!

Make it three sept disers that used income tax money for a bed. It was a necessity!!

 

[KellyWasHere]

Hello everyone! I swear I think I've spent the last week trying to read through this entire thread!! I love all of the great info on here! This will be our FIRST family trip to WDW!! I'm so excited! We're doing 10 days at the Beach Club Sept 18-25! DD1 will be almost be 4 at the time and DD2 will be 18 months. DD1 is a princess FANATIC and she also loves MM clubhouse so I just can't wait to see her reaction to everything! We actually used Disney to potty train her! LOL!

So, I love LOVE love planning but I am so stuck trying to figure out how to start? I have done a TON of research, but no definite plans yet. We are foodies so when we booked during free dining we upgraded to the Deluxe plan. I guess I just don't know where to start with all of the planning and I'm starting to stress about how close the ADR period is getting! Any suggestions on how you start with your plan? I forgot to mention that my parents will be going us for the first half of the trip so I'm trying to figure out what to include them in and not? Make sense? Anyway....I have gone on and on here so I will get off.....look forward to chatting with everyone these next months leading up to the trip!!

Fantastic and welcome!! I usually plan what park I want to go to on which day, then plan my ADRs around that. Also, do you mean including your parents in the ADRs? Because you could just include them in all reservations that they may come to, and if they decide they don't want to you could show up for your reservation and just tell them you have 2 less people. Not sure if you'd be penalized for someplace that requires a deposit, like CRT or Akershus, but it wasn't a problem when we did it last time at the restaurants that don't take a deposit.

 

[L-Harper]

We just booked tonight!!+

I had a PIN for 35% off so I figured we better book and still hope for free dining at some point, but we're officially going!!

We're booked Sept 17-24 at CBR, two rooms. DH and I and our boys (will be 5 and 2) in one and my parents and grandparents in the other! I am so excited!

Hello everyone! I swear I think I've spent the last week trying to read through this entire thread!! I love all of the great info on here! This will be our FIRST family trip to WDW!! I'm so excited! We're doing 10 days at the Beach Club Sept 18-25! DD1 will be almost be 4 at the time and DD2 will be 18 months. DD1 is a princess FANATIC and she also loves MM clubhouse so I just can't wait to see her reaction to everything! We actually used Disney to potty train her! LOL!

So, I love LOVE love planning but I am so stuck trying to figure out how to start? I have done a TON of research, but no definite plans yet. We are foodies so when we booked during free dining we upgraded to the Deluxe plan. I guess I just don't know where to start with all of the planning and I'm starting to stress about how close the ADR period is getting! Any suggestions on how you start with your plan? I forgot to mention that my parents will be going us for the first half of the trip so I'm trying to figure out what to include them in and not? Make sense? Anyway....I have gone on and on here so I will get off.....look forward to chatting with everyone these next months leading up to the trip!!

Welcome to the both of you! I have both of you added to the first post!

 

[disneydreamin247]

We used part of our tax return on a new bed frame, mattress, and box spring...and i love it. It will last a lot longer than a couple extra vacation days!!

The responsible part of me knows this. The Disney freak in me says you could spend an extra 2 nights sleeping like a queen in Disney.

I REALLY need the bed, though. My mattress is absolutely horrible and is making my already painful and uncomfortable pregnancy even worse. Of course the bed doesn't come until Friday which is my due date, but it's also my birthday so happy birthday to me! A brand new super comfy mattress to sleep on! I got a super good deal on it too. It was already on sale for the holiday and I talked the salesman down a bit. When I got home I called a different Sleepy's and asked if they could do better and got another $60 off. Can't complain!

 

[youcansmellit]

We will be at CBR September 16-25. Free dining!

 

[DaniB]

I go to the list of subscribed threads. The ones that have new posts will be in bold letters. In front of the thread title there is a little arrow, click on this arrow and it will take you to the first unread post in that thread.

Thanks for the reply! I pulled up my subscribed thread list, and yes I do see a bolded thread title. And I do see a black arrow in a green circle pointing to the thread title. Is this the arrow? However, when I point the mouse cursor at it, it doesn't seem to be clickable. Nothing happens when I click on it.

OHhh.. hang on. I see another arrow pointing down and yes! That one says go to first new post! Ohh, thank you so much!

LOL .....I just figured that out last week, after being on the DIS for over a year slow learner!!

LOL - yes, I am too it looks like.

 

[DaniB]

My husband was on the computer the other day and I had my Disney planning spreadsheet open. He just saw it but didn't really read any of it, then said "I think we should stay longer". I'm not sure whether I want to burn up any more of my vacation days from work though. I jotted out a rough plan and as long as we get to most of the parks by rope drop we should have more than enough time to do what we want. And honestly, the idea of 2 double beds for more than 5 nights kind of gives me a headache. BUT, adding in an extra day or two would give us a nice buffer in case we end up having some excessively rainy days or one of us gets sick or something. I figure we have until March 26 to decide, and if the free dining promo comes back that would pretty much make the decision for us.

I remember last year when I booked our trip, it was for 8 nights at POP. I kept fretting over those double-beds once I found out CSR had queens. (11 & 6 year olds here). Hubby kept telling me to switch and don't worry about the extra cost. About 2 months later, after I discovered DIS and learned about Disney, I also decided I did not book enough days for our first trip! So, I switched to CSR and added 2 more days on. Took me a little longer to 'fess up about the extra days to hubby...

Notice lots of buffets? My DS is at that age where the kids meals are not enough food so we try to get on the TS meals things he won't have to get the usual kids fare at. If there are TS places where the kids meal choices are not the norm feel free to shout em out!

We love buffets because our kids have such different tastes! Our daughter is very very picky, and our son usually loves food and variety. This way everyone is happy.

Ugh. Just spent the whole weekend sick in bed and Saturday was my birthday.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear you're sick on your birthday weekend. Happy Birthday!!! Hope you feel better soon!

I'm trying to decide something and wondering if anyone is in the same boat... we booked through a travel agent (who we love and was able to get us a great deal!), and part of their services is to book our dining for us.... and since it's our first time going I'm kind of thinking this might be a good idea! However, I'm also totally a hands on person, and also think booking myself would be a good learning experience, you know? Plus, they pick our restaurants for us based on our family's likes and ages, etc..(I can add suggestions if I want but they also assume that people who are 1st timers need some help... but they don't know I hang out here in my spare time LOL), and maybe I should just let them pick for us... other than a few I know we definitely want..... Any suggestions on this?

Wow, I never heard of a TA choosing the restaurants their clients will eat at before. However, I can see some people liking that. I'm afraid I wouldn't. For me, part of the enjoyment of planning was investigating the Disney restaurants and choosing for our family!

I would suggest you take a peek at Disney's website and go over the restaurants. You might find there's one or two that you really want to visit and can get your TA to book you an ADR there. Allears.net has a pretty good menu list to look to see if you like the type of food offered at a particular restaurant.

It is fun planning! The downside is it can become addictive...

 

[L-Harper]

We will be at CBR September 16-25. Free dining!

I have you added to the first post!

 

[L-Harper]

Last night I was talking to my friend about being excited for Disney and that I wished she'd take a WDW vacation soon so I could share my excitement with her. Well... wow... she's a "special snowflake". Granted, her little ones are 3 and 6 months old, but she was saying how much she'd hate going to Disney for more than just a couple days. She can't imagine spending so many nights in a hotel room with screaming kids who won't sleep. She told me I was "insane" for wanting to go for 9 nights. She also said that she's going to laugh when I come home and complain about how awful it was. Some people! "I'm just not into that whole Disney thing like you."

 

[disneydreamin247]

Last night I was talking to my friend about being excited for Disney and that I wished she'd take a WDW vacation soon so I could share my excitement with her. Well... wow... she's a "special snowflake". Granted, her little ones are 3 and 6 months old, but she was saying how much she'd hate going to Disney for more than just a couple days. She can't imagine spending so many nights in a hotel room with screaming kids who won't sleep. She told me I was "insane" for wanting to go for 9 nights. She also said that she's going to laugh when I come home and complain about how awful it was. Some people! "I'm just not into that whole Disney thing like you."

WOW! All I can say is EWWW! I have a friend like that. Her son is going to be 8 this year and every year I invite them to come (in their own room) and every year she says she can't see herself parting with that much money just for a trip. Uhh hello! It isn't for you, it's for your son! He's past the age where it will all seem magical to him now. I can't imagine NOT taking my kids. This baby will be around 6-7 months for her first trip!!! I was raised on Disney, and my kids will be too!