September/October 2013 check in

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi Everyone,

We are slowly getting there with our bookings - there is so much information - its unbelievable. I'm struggling between my normally laid back self and the knowledge that if I am not organised we may miss out on things.

So far with a bit of research I think I have saved over $6000 for the family for our 3 week holiday. Not bad

Here is our itinerary:

10Sep SYD-LAX
4 nights Los Angeles Magic Castle Hotel
48 hour hop on hop off bus with Madame Tussauds
1 day Universal Studios

14Sep LAX-MCO
7 days car hire
7 nights Sheraton Vistana Buena Vista (exchange with RCI timeshare)
Cinderellas Royal Table booked

21Sep Disney Fantasy Cruise

28Sep 1 night Animal Kingdom Villas 2 brm savannah view
29Sep 3 nights Bay Lake Tower 2 brm lake view suite (couldn't get BLT for the full 4 nights)

02Oct MCO-SYD (long flight home)

I am really struggling with all the advance dining options and not sure what I should and shouldn't book at this stage. We also plan to book MNSSHP and Terrace dessert party when they become available but does anyone else have any not to miss dining options. We are planning on doing AK, MK, Epcot and DHS in the first week and maybe one of the water parks depending on weather etc.

I am having trouble with the website and bookings - is this normal from here
?

Thanks for any help

Jill

Hi Jill,

Firstly, yay again for the September 21st Fantasy Cruise! I will see you on the ship

Secondly, yes the website can be a real pain. So far I've booked 3 restaurants via the website, and I've made two calls to Disney to book the other 9.
The times I've called Disney I have been much more satisfied. The phone staff are really helpful and their systems can do things that the website can't (e.g noting celebrations and adding overseas cellphone numbers). They were also able to make my Pirates League booking for me on the afternoon of MNSSHP.
The website meanwhile keeps asking for a US cellphone number (which I don't have). In the end I just put in the landline number for the Disney resort we're staying at and that seemed to work.

Your plans look great, and well done for making so many savings. I presume you rented DVC points? As I've discovered, the savings can be really big.

Did you work out how to make best use out of your WDW pass without it expiring? Correct me if I've confused you with another poster, but from memory, you were trying to work out how to use both it both before and after the cruise so it didn't expire while you're on the ship.

 

[Minniemum]

Hi Everyone,

We are slowly getting there with our bookings - there is so much information - its unbelievable. I'm struggling between my normally laid back self and the knowledge that if I am not organised we may miss out on things.

So far with a bit of research I think I have saved over $6000 for the family for our 3 week holiday. Not bad

Here is our itinerary:

10Sep SYD-LAX
4 nights Los Angeles Magic Castle Hotel
48 hour hop on hop off bus with Madame Tussauds
1 day Universal Studios

14Sep LAX-MCO
7 days car hire
7 nights Sheraton Vistana Buena Vista (exchange with RCI timeshare)
Cinderellas Royal Table booked

21Sep Disney Fantasy Cruise

28Sep 1 night Animal Kingdom Villas 2 brm savannah view
29Sep 3 nights Bay Lake Tower 2 brm lake view suite (couldn't get BLT for the full 4 nights)

02Oct MCO-SYD (long flight home)

I am really struggling with all the advance dining options and not sure what I should and shouldn't book at this stage. We also plan to book MNSSHP and Terrace dessert party when they become available but does anyone else have any not to miss dining options. We are planning on doing AK, MK, Epcot and DHS in the first week and maybe one of the water parks depending on weather etc.

I am having trouble with the website and bookings - is this normal from here
?

Thanks for any help

Jill

Hi Jill,

Your plans are looking great and you've done an awesome job on the savings front.

With regards to dining, there are so many great restaurants that it's hard to narrow them down to a short list let alone trying to make that final choice. I've made a list of what I'll call interactive or unique dining experiences at WDW. I haven't included character dining as these are easily identifiable. If I've missed any I'm sure somebody will chip in with a suggestion or two.

'Ohana - coconut races, hula hoops - lots of fun games for the kids.

Whispering Canyon - kids get called up to ride "horses" around the restaurant and participate in a few other games. Ketchup anyone?

Chefs de France - Remy makes a brief appearance at each table from Mon - Sat at 12.30pm, 1.40pm, 2.50pm, 5.20pm. The animatronics of Remy still have my children in awe.

Coral Reef - Children are given a sheet to help them identify the sea creatures in the huge tank.

Teppan Edo - this is teppanyaki Disney style. Love, love, love it.

50's Prime Time - the waiting staff are in character adopting a strict 50's approach to eating. Watch your table manners!

Sci-Fi - Ever taken your kids to the drive-in? Now's your chance. Kitsch Sci-Fi movies showing.

If you like music you could also try Biergarten & Raglan Road.

I'm not sure if I've helped or just made your list longer!

 

[Feej]

Okay my work trip is now confirmed, so I'll be in the US between the 11th and 20th October.

Half my trip will be in Boston for work and then I'll have a few days hanging with my friends that live in Hollywood. Will be trying for a day at DL and (dates permitting) going to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. Went last year and it was amazing!

 

[australiankaren]

141 sleeps for us!!!

 

[5ofus]

141 sleeps for us!!!

That means 140 for me!!! I'm more like then

 

[Minniemum]

139 days until we leave!

148 days until we arrive in WDW for our Dismeet

 

[WanderlustNZ]

141 sleeps for us!!!

If you're 141, I must be 151.

Hmmm, I think I prefer talking in months than days as it sounds a bit closer. At least until my days get down to double digits.
I always get excited when the 17th of a month rolls around as it means another month down in my countdown. This holiday can't come quick enough for me

 

[areweindisneyyet]

139 days until we leave!

148 days until we arrive in WDW for our Dismeet

Yay.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

141 sleeps for us!!!

Thanks mate. Thanks for keeping count.

 

[PrincessInOz]

139 days until we leave!

148 days until we arrive in WDW for our Dismeet

That must mean that I have 146 or 147 days to go.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

141 sleeps for us!!!

That means 138 for me and today for the first time I officially got excited
My wait list for 2 nights in the middle of our stay came through so we now officially have 5 nights in a 2 bdrm at GCV our first DVC stay

 

[PrincessInOz]

That means 138 for me and today for the first time I officially got excited
My wait list for 2 nights in the middle of our stay came through so we now officially have 5 nights in a 2 bdrm at GCV our first DVC stay

Take lots of pictures of the 2-br.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Take lots of pictures of the 2-br.

Will take lots and lots now we just have to hope for the DVC pixie dust CM to hit and gives us a nice mickeys wheel of doom view

 

[Kristin5]

I finally have something to add - today the NFL schedule was released so we have been able to choose what game we could go to.

And, I am not one to dilly dally, so have booked game tickets and flights to Denver for September 29th (just a quick in and out trip for the game). It's a great feeling to know that this part of it has now been sorted as it is the one extra thing we all really wanted to do.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I finally have something to add - today the NFL schedule was released so we have been able to choose what game we could go to.

And, I am not one to dilly dally, so have booked game tickets and flights to Denver for September 29th (just a quick in and out trip for the game). It's a great feeling to know that this part of it has now been sorted as it is the one extra thing we all really wanted to do.

Well done!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

I finally have something to add - today the NFL schedule was released so we have been able to choose what game we could go to.

And, I am not one to dilly dally, so have booked game tickets and flights to Denver for September 29th (just a quick in and out trip for the game). It's a great feeling to know that this part of it has now been sorted as it is the one extra thing we all really wanted to do.

Congrats and thanks for that we will be in Houston on the 29th and there is a game on so we will go see that

 

[australiankaren]

were leaving on a jet plane!!!!!!!!!!!!

changed my mco-lax flights to get in 3 hrs earlier to connect to qantas home...cost me $304 in change fees but I can now sleep better knowing my exit row seats on QF are safe...15 hrs in a middle seat would be cause for him to divorce me.....so really $304 well spent

 

[PrincessInOz]

were leaving on a jet plane!!!!!!!!!!!!

changed my mco-lax flights to get in 3 hrs earlier to connect to qantas home...cost me $304 in change fees but I can now sleep better knowing my exit row seats on QF are safe...15 hrs in a middle seat would be cause for him to divorce me.....so really $304 well spent

Is kissy kissy Qantas your airline of choice for this trip??? What ever happened to ANZ and Delta?

 

[Caroline NZ]

If you're 141, I must be 151.

Hmmm, I think I prefer talking in months than days as it sounds a bit closer. At least until my days get down to double digits.
I always get excited when the 17th of a month rolls around as it means another month down in my countdown. This holiday can't come quick enough for me

Yep - I like the 17th as well

 

[areweindisneyyet]

Is kissy kissy Qantas your airline of choice for this trip??? What ever happened to ANZ and Delta?

Oh she flirts, kissy kissy Air NZ had a bust up over costs.

Fickle I say. :rofl


We will cross the Pacific with Qantas together. Separate planes. Can you imagine the poor crew if we travelled together.