September 2011 - The Planning Has Started!!!

[DaniB]

I really like the idea of the magnetic dry erase board, but don't think I want the extra weight in my luggage. (Flying from Canada). Last year we brought way too much stuff!

I ended up finding a "poster" someone made in the DISign area. With a bunch of different colored MM heads for people to sign & leave comments. I'm going to print one out on cardstock and leave that attached to our door!

We're also doing the Pirates and Pals Fireworks cruise, but that's on Monday the 26th.

The Pirates & Pals Fireworks cruise is so much fun!!! Have you been on it before?

DH and I are going in Sept from the 17-24th . Its our first anniversary and our first trip to the world! so excited. My college classes have a break from labor day until the last Monday in Sept, so i thought the latest week we could go would be the best time for us.

We were going to go in may of this year, but DH got a job in Oregon (we are from the California Bay Area) so it got moved to Sept

You all have been so helpful! The money we lost having to cancel our May trip i hope to "make back" in what i make by booking in mid september instead of Memorial Day weekend!

Hey, we'll be there around the same time! 19th - 28th for us. I originally planned a trip at the end of May / beginning of June (hubby's birthday and Star Wars). But my DH balked at the crowds and we switch to September.

What money did you lose when you cancelled your May trip? From Disney? Disney moved our vacation to September no problem, but we "lost" our 1-way tickets from Buffalo to Orlando. Luckily it was only about $80.

Has anyone ordered their customized maps yet from WDW?

I wish I could! Disney won't deliver to Canadians though...

I just did all of our ADR's,we are doing the DxDP,so we are instore for a yummy trip

Lucky!! Last year and this year I kept trying and trying for DxDP. But no matter how I work it out, it doesn't work for us.

 

[Elianor]

Anyone else out there fretting over airfare? Last time we went I got tickets out of Kansas City through Airtran for around $179 a person and right now it's sitting at $300 per person! That's $1200 for airfare for the 4 of us...For that, I would almost rather drive it (DH would *freak* at the idea of a three year old on a 24 hour car trip!)

Besides, one of the things DH adores is the Magical Express and I don't think he wants to miss that. I am trying to figure out if I hold out for a better airfare or just bite the bullet and go with what I can get now and have it done.

Any thoughts?

 

[DaniB]

I just love how excited everyone gets about ADR's......I have found people who understand me

LOL - my mom thinks I'm nuts, making dining reservations 6 months away from our trip. And then I'm trying to explain how important it is, because 3 days later I wanted to change our Ohana time slightly, and can't! It's booked right up until 9pm!

I have seen a lot of Dissers say that they are going to order bottled water. As soon as we found out that you can get free ice water from any CS-we almost completely stopped with bottled water altogether! We may bring one or two reusable water bottles to have in the room or carry with us and keep in line...

I did know about the free ice water from any CS last year, and we brought filtered water bottles with us. However, we still ended up purchasing some large bottles from CSR's gift shop! Out in the parks, it was great getting the water. And we found we didn't need the filtered bottles. Couldn't taste anything strange. But every morning and every evening, we would all want to drink water.

So, I know we will want water in our room again this trip, and this time I'm looking at ordering it ahead of time. It was a lot purchasing from the gift shop!

The DIS is very distracting!

Isn't it though? I'm suppose to be working on my son's birthday party.

I've used wegoshop.com and LOVE them and there's no minimum! There's no markup either. You pay the store's prices and they'll shop at Walmart or a warehouse store if you ask them to. You just pay a tiered delivery fee. I can't say enough good things about them! Here's a link to their page wegoshop

Thanks for the link! I'm going to check them out. I just can't see myself using Garden Grocer as I don't plan on purchasing anything other than a case of water.

Ok POP lovers....here's a few photos I thought I'd share from our little photo shoot last year. I came up with the design for the outfit and had a friend sew it for us. If this doesn't get you in the mood for POP......nothing will!

I love that outfit!!! What a great idea! I've seen homemade Disney outfits before, but nothing specific for a resort. I want a shirt like that!

 

[DaniB]

were staying at csr and it will be our first time at that resort. how is it?

We stayed there last year with our kids and loved it!! There's a huge thread about CSR in the resort section. Lots of info and photos.

Now some of my friends are telling me that I"m crazy for doing so many breakfast TS's. What do you think? I figure with the breakfast buffets we'll be full most of the day (so eating doesn't interfer with touring) and then we'll just do CS's somewhere later in the day with a snack in between. Sound good?

I don't think you are crazy. Personally, my husband & I love a hot filling breakfast. My ideal DDP would be 2 TS meals (breakfast & dinner) and 2 snacks daily.

If I could ask for prayers for my father in law. He has terminal liver cancer and is not doing well. His organs are swelling and making him uncomfortable and he is hallucinating at night. I think they are going to place him in a care facility since he is becoming a danger to himself. My poor mother in law is a wreck of course and my husband is trying so hard to be a rock for both of them. So any prayers would be wonderful!

I'm so sorry to hear this. My prayers and wishes are with your family.

Also as we do not celebrate halloween here My DD14 & DD16 are excited to do trick or treating, (I hope this is open for teenages as well)

Yes, for sure your girls can trick-or-treat. Even you! It's open to all ages. And you end up with a ton of candy.

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Anyone else out there fretting over airfare? Last time we went I got tickets out of Kansas City through Airtran for around $179 a person and right now it's sitting at $300 per person! That's $1200 for airfare for the 4 of us...For that, I would almost rather drive it (DH would *freak* at the idea of a three year old on a 24 hour car trip!)

Besides, one of the things DH adores is the Magical Express and I don't think he wants to miss that. I am trying to figure out if I hold out for a better airfare or just bite the bullet and go with what I can get now and have it done.

Any thoughts?

The Wall Street Journal recently had an article that said the cheapest day to buy airfare is typically on Tuesdays. You may want to continue to monitor prices each day throughout the course of a week or two and see how they fluctuate. Also, try calling Disney and booking directly through them. Here's the WSJ article, which was interesting:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704062604576105953506930800.html

 

[DaniB]

Congrats on the baby news TinyDancer!!!

I want to brag on my little girl a bit. She's 8 and getting to the age where having her 2 and a half year old brother hanging about is a bit of a drag (you should hear the fits pitched when he gets into her Littlest Pet Shop toys!) But she's so inclusive of him when it comes to events or activities. I never get the rolled eyes or argumentative tone when talking about bringing him along on an outing with her.

That's great! I wish my DD and DS got along better. My DD gets jealous of him.

Instead, we all wore matching tie-dye mickey shirts.

Here is a picture of the girls (DH and I wore them too):

Those shirts are fabulous! I wish I could tie-dye! I read in a later post that you purchased these off e-bay. Do you by chance remember the seller's name? How were the shirts? Did they feel stiff to wear? How did they wash? bleed?

Just wanted to let you all know I wont be around for awhile. I can only imagine how many pages of catching up I am going to have to do My grandma booked the whole family on a cruise because she feels this will be her 'last family vacation' due to her health. Personally I think shes crazy and wont be going anywhere for awhile, but I'm not complaining about a free vacation! Even though I still have 4 days to go, there is SO much to do I really dont see myself having time to come online.

Wow, leaving in 4 days for a surprise cruise? How nice of your grandma! Here's hoping she's wrong and around for many years!

I am always excited to go to bed and come back to pages of chat and new travelers!! It's gonna be hard to contain ourselves for 5 months, 3 weeks and 3 days!! I made some character meals autograph books and Epcot passports for 5 girls on Artscow and I am dieing for them to come. It was only almost 2 wks ago and I know they come from overseas but I am impatient... Anyone have experience with this site?? Well hope you all have a great disney day. I am off to drive to our Disney store(an hr away) to get my preordered Tangle movie and shop...

Please, please DON'T phone Artscow about your order!!! I keep reading of people who phone to inquire about their order and then Artscow *cancels* their order! Because of Disney images... As long as you don't phone, your order will come. But it takes awhile... I'm in Canada and it was taking 4-6 weeks.

Logged into the WDW site to see there's only 174 days left until our trip!

Same here!!

 

[Millermom0606]

Hey Y'all!!!! (wow I really just said that didn't I?!?)

Anyways, I got the girls Rapunzel T and a 9" Vinylmation for $17 TOTAL (Thanks MamaJessie!!!) I need one more Vinylmation for autographs!! I'm going to wait to give the girls their Ts till we get there! Gotta find Phineas and Ferb ones for my boys now!!! One DD already has a Minnie T and one has a Mickey T..... I also worry about them getting HOT in them, BUT I'm thinking with shorts they should do fine..... (may pack a tank just in case though...... you know, like after we've met the bulk of our characters LOL)

I need to find somewhere to get Pins, and then make something to keep the pins in.... right now they're in my Deadly Nightshade Jug..... LOL

I am hoping that I can convince my girls to do a T with a tutu instead of the full Princess get up, last time my oldest got SO hot she didn't wear it long, and I kinda felt like we 'wasted' the OOOOO $65.......

I'm not sure we are going to do Pick a Pearl this time either..... they don't wear them EVER..... what do you think???

Hope everyone is having a Magical Day :

 

[Elianor]

Thanks, ThereYouSeeHer!

I have a fare tracker set up for kayak, but the lowest price it's alerted me to lately was $293 and the flight times were meh.

We have to drive 3 hours to Kansas City or 2 hours to St. Louis to catch a plane so a 6am flight is problematic. Doable, but not ideal. Not to mention, I don't want to have to leave Florida at 7am either!

I currently feel like an idiot for not snapping up the flights when they were sitting at $250 apiece.

 

[Amyphee]

We'll be there from Sept. 19 through Sept. 24, after spending 2 nights at Clearwater Beach. It will be my daughter's first WDW trip! She will be 3 then. We'll be at POFQ, unless we upgrade before then.

 

[Smile4Me]

Can someone add me to this WONDERFUL list???? WOW!!!! We are going Sept. 17-24. Staying at Port Orleans Riverside. CELEBRATING MY 40th BIRTHDAY w/ the kids!! WOO HOO!!!!

Maybe we'll see you there! My bf and I will be at Riverside the exact same time!

HOLLA!!

We have a Grand Gathering Sept 24-Oct 1st! My cousin and I will be celebrating our 30th birthdays!!

We'll be at Port Orleans Riverside!

Just made our ADRs on Monday at 5:30am and I really am having a hard time waiting now! I don't want to wish away the summer but c'mon September!

I hear ya! I totally feel like I'm wishing my summer away...so to combat that I'm coming up with some major chores at home (painting and such) to keep me busy and planning Disney movie nights!

Anyone else out there fretting over airfare? Last time we went I got tickets out of Kansas City through Airtran for around $179 a person and right now it's sitting at $300 per person! That's $1200 for airfare for the 4 of us...For that, I would almost rather drive it (DH would *freak* at the idea of a three year old on a 24 hour car trip!)

Besides, one of the things DH adores is the Magical Express and I don't think he wants to miss that. I am trying to figure out if I hold out for a better airfare or just bite the bullet and go with what I can get now and have it done.

Any thoughts?

Have you gotten a quote through Disney yet? They have surprised a lot of us, me included, by being able to provide the same flight times or comparable hundreds of dollars cheaper than anything us planners can find online! Good luck!

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

Please, please DON'T phone Artscow about your order!!! I keep reading of people who phone to inquire about their order and then Artscow *cancels* their order! Because of Disney images.. As long as you don't phone, your order will come. But it takes awhile... I'm in Canada and it was taking 4-6 weeks.



Same here!!

Don't worry I have no intentions of calling. I placed an order before this that somehow, someone flagged and they refunded my money cause they said copyright even though they weren't Disney made prints just DISigner made prints. So my DH opened an acct and I placed a different order and so far so good. It says processing. I know it takes 4-6 wks...I am just excited... I wanna make more later this summer after I see these and see how long it takes, then maybe July I will make regular character auto bks.

Today I Disney shopped....I am so excited....179 days come on baby!!

 

[KELLY]

LOL Amy, I think part of the reason is because WDW is also celebrating it's 40th anniversary, so that makes it a little more fun

My dh turns 40 a 10/11 so I'm trying to come up with something special for him?

Anyone else out there fretting over airfare? Last time we went I got tickets out of Kansas City through Airtran for around $179 a person and right now it's sitting at $300 per person! That's $1200 for airfare for the 4 of us...For that, I would almost rather drive it (DH would *freak* at the idea of a three year old on a 24 hour car trip!)

Besides, one of the things DH adores is the Magical Express and I don't think he wants to miss that. I am trying to figure out if I hold out for a better airfare or just bite the bullet and go with what I can get now and have it done.

Any thoughts?

Hey Y'all!!!! (wow I really just said that didn't I?!?)
I ended up getting 4 round trip tickets out of Manchester Nh on SW for 665.00. I thought for sure I would be paying around 1200.00 for the 4 of us. I just happen to almost book airtran. Went to SW and they had this amazing fare. I booked it right then. I called my dh and he thought I was joking. After I booked the flight went from 69 to 119. Those same flights now sit at 1450.00.

Anyways, I got the girls Rapunzel T and a 9" Vinylmation for $17 TOTAL (Thanks MamaJessie!!!) I need one more Vinylmation for autographs!! I'm going to wait to give the girls their Ts till we get there! Gotta find Phineas and Ferb ones for my boys now!!! One DD already has a Minnie T and one has a Mickey T..... I also worry about them getting HOT in them, BUT I'm thinking with shorts they should do fine..... (may pack a tank just in case though...... you know, like after we've met the bulk of our characters LOL)

I need to find somewhere to get Pins, and then make something to keep the pins in.... right now they're in my Deadly Nightshade Jug..... LOL

I am hoping that I can convince my girls to do a T with a tutu instead of the full Princess get up, last time my oldest got SO hot she didn't wear it long, and I kinda felt like we 'wasted' the OOOOO $65.......

I'm not sure we are going to do Pick a Pearl this time either..... they don't wear them EVER..... what do you think???

Hope everyone is having a Magical Day :

My girls have never done the pick a pearl. So they would never miss it. I'm the same way about the dresses. But my girls do like to play dress up at home. Right now I'm working on the maybe we won't do PL and BBB. But I'll buy you the dresses,crown and wand. My youngest wants to do BBB but she don't really know what it is. I'm thinking once my oldest goes to PL I can just bring her to the dress shop and get her the stuff and she will never know the diffrence. She won't even leave piggy's in her hair. So I can's see spending 50.00 for her hair she won't even leave in.

 

[mickeymouseclubhouse]

Those shirts are fabulous! I wish I could tie-dye! I read in a later post that you purchased these off e-bay. Do you by chance remember the seller's name? How were the shirts? Did they feel stiff to wear? How did they wash? bleed?

Thank-you!

It's been a long time since I purchased the shirts...I wish I could remember the seller

The shirts were fantastic! They were very soft and comfortable and have held up very well. We even wore them again on a later trip because we got so many compliments and the colors stayed bright and vivid. I just washed them together on cold and never had any problems

 

[MikellaCinderella]

Have you gotten a quote through Disney yet? They have surprised a lot of us, me included, by being able to provide the same flight times or comparable hundreds of dollars cheaper than anything us planners can find online! Good luck!

I've had my eye on airfare since January when I booked this trip. Prices are around $250 or $300. Airtran just started a sale for $208/RT, but travel has to be completed by June 22nd. Ugh. I don't know whether to just purchase some so we have it or roll the dice and hope prices come down instead of going higher.

I didn't call Disney to ask about airfare because I figured it would be the same as if you booked your airfare with your vacation package online, and for that they were wanting to charge me $500/RT! Do you think it would be different if I called them?

 

[MikellaCinderella]

Don't worry I have no intentions of calling. I placed an order before this that somehow, someone flagged and they refunded my money cause they said copyright even though they weren't Disney made prints just DISigner made prints. So my DH opened an acct and I placed a different order and so far so good. It says processing. I know it takes 4-6 wks...I am just excited... I wanna make more later this summer after I see these and see how long it takes, then maybe July I will make regular character auto bks.

Today I Disney shopped....I am so excited....179 days come on baby!!

The copyright is on Disney's characters, even if the DISigner drew the images. Stupid, I know, especially since the DISigner isn't making a profit on the images, but that's how the copyright works. I'm going to probably end up printing out my DD's autograph book just to save the hassle, but I know the ink will probably cost me a fortune with all the graphics I want to use from the DISigners! My photo printer does a wonderful job, but uses sooo much ink! I have a folder saved on my computer FULL of DISigns!! LOL!

 

[BorkBorkBork]

Thanks for the compliments!

My youngest DD has always been an easy going baby and now child Thinking back to that party we did stay until almost closing I believe. DD enjoyed the first few hours of the party and then she fell asleep in her stroller later in the evening (we have a baby jogger city mini with full recline and large canopy). Which worked out great because then I would rest with the baby and DH would be taking my older one to the other activites. The worst part was waking her up and trying to hold a cranky, sleeping child on the bus back to Pop

So, I guess it really depends on the temperament of your daughter. Do you think she will be able to fall asleep in the stroller later in the night?

Thanks so much for all your input! Alice is very flexible and hopefully still will be in 6 months (a whole third of her life from now!). She has only had one opportunity to fall asleep in her stroller so far (a Chicco that doesn't recline very much, also the stroller we're taking to WDW) but that was at the Museum of Science and Industry and it was really loud. I think if she's tired enough she will fall asleep anywhere. She does in the car all the time! As long as she's not unhappy we'll stick it out til close.

Hey Amy, I'm heading to your neck of the woods this Sunday! Going to visit my sister in Bettendorf. Hopefully you guys will have some nice weather!

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

The copyright is on Disney's characters, even if the DISigner drew the images. Stupid, I know, especially since the DISigner isn't making a profit on the images, but that's how the copyright works. I'm going to probably end up printing out my DD's autograph book just to save the hassle, but I know the ink will probably cost me a fortune with all the graphics I want to use from the DISigners! My photo printer does a wonderful job, but uses sooo much ink! I have a folder saved on my computer FULL of DISigns!! LOL!

I am making each girl a journal too. Trying to find all the perfect graphics. just trying to decide whether to print on paper or cardstock...never done it before....any suggestions??

 

[MikellaCinderella]

Thanks so much for all your input! Alice is very flexible and hopefully still will be in 6 months (a whole third of her life from now!). She has only had one opportunity to fall asleep in her stroller so far (a Chicco that doesn't recline very much, also the stroller we're taking to WDW) but that was at the Museum of Science and Industry and it was really loud. I think if she's tired enough she will fall asleep anywhere. She does in the car all the time! As long as she's not unhappy we'll stick it out til close.

Hey Amy, I'm heading to your neck of the woods this Sunday! Going to visit my sister in Bettendorf. Hopefully you guys will have some nice weather!

Hey Hey!! Last I checked it was supposed to rain! 70% chance and only high in the upper 40's. Sorry to disappoint! Hope you have "indoor" plans!

My older DD has her first soccer game of the season on Sunday in Freeport. I hope it doesn't rain up there too. I'm not going with her this time though, but still.....hope it's not cold and rainy for her.

 

[MikellaCinderella]

I am making each girl a journal too. Trying to find all the perfect graphics. just trying to decide whether to print on paper or cardstock...never done it before....any suggestions??

I'm going to use cardstock for the autograph book, but for a journal....hmm....are you going to add pics from your trip and stuff later? If so, you might want cardstock for that too.

I haven't made any books myself before, but after finding all the DISigns over the past few weeks, I'm sooooo gonna do it! Those are some creative ladies (and gentlemen!!)

 

[BorkBorkBork]

Hey Hey!! Last I checked it was supposed to rain! 70% chance and only high in the upper 40's. Sorry to disappoint! Hope you have "indoor" plans!

My older DD has her first soccer game of the season on Sunday in Freeport. I hope it doesn't rain up there too. I'm not going with her this time though, but still.....hope it's not cold and rainy for her.

BOOO! I am so sick of the cold, rain is OK but not too much fun! DH & I would probably be taking our DD and her older cousins outside while my sister hangs with her 2 month old and relaxes...oh well. Hopefully it'll improve. Good luck to your DD for her first game!