~Snowbird Chat 2~

[Mndisneygirl]

Sorry about the problems with the online dining system Kim.

Shawna - hang in there - the deals will come!!

One of my best friends (lives in Philadelphia) just booked a trip to WDW for the beginning of June to celebrate her DD's 10th birthday. We spend almost 2 hours on the phone last night comparing plans and notes! Her DD is my god daughter, I wish we could all go together!! Whenever we see them (not often), the girls are like best friends! They had wanted to go on the Dream 4 day cruise, but waited too long to book and they are SOLD OUT! I felt bad for her, but she's okay with their plans anyway.

I stayed home sick today - woke up with a golf ball in my throat - oh it hurts to swallow! (it started yesterday). Plus a bit of fever and headache. I'm just laying in bed surrounded by technology and napping. I didn't sleep well at all last night, so it's nice to have a quiet day at home.
DH has the same throat thing. It's nasty and annoying, and it better go away SOON! I'm disinfecting the whole house.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Sheree....hope you feel better soon!! I woke up with a bit of a headache today...so I am laying down waiting on the Excedrine to kick in!!! We are having weather changes here...so that's part of it...and in a few weeks things will start blooming and pollen will begin to float around--tis the season of allergy-overload!!!
I am gonna talk to Mike this weekend about making a prelim vacation plan..I am booking the Cont this year... we tend to go back and forth between that and the BC....so it's the time for Cont again!! He reaaaally loved the WL, but for a fam of 5 you have to do the deluxe Jr. Suite...that's a bit more than what I want to spend...considered doing a split stay..4 nights there toward the end, and the cont the first 3 or 4 days.... I did think about doing the CR club level.---the idea of breakfast and snax offered is very appealing. I wouldn't have to pack all that breakfast junk, and just few random snax for each day....it's about $100 more per night, but I am weighing how much the total overall is when you consider how much I would spend on the food and for shipping it down...+ the convenience of just going to the lounge area for food! I am really leaning toward that...but, I will just have to see what it pans out to be.Especially if we do not do the DDP.... I am gonna pull up the menus and figure out how much it is for the places we like to eat, then I would have an idea of how much I want to put on the GCs and how much extra cash we need just for tips...I don't want to put any food charges on the Credit card next time...
I always say I want to do Tips with cash, but we end up doing the room charge. I am determined to do it staight cash next time! I have PLENTY of time to plan!! I will let u know how the plans go!!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

OK. So after 3, yes 3 phone calls to Disney Dining and endless hours on my computer, I have finally figured out our vacay plans!!! Here is the itinerary for your viewing pleasure and comments (PLEASE!!!)

Day 1

arrive Poly via DME ~ 1230
check in, explore, relax swim etc
5 - Monorail to MK!!!!!
6pm Supper @ The Plaza
Stay for MSEP & Wishes

Day 2

9am RD @ DHS
lunch @ ???
1pm back to Poly for swim time
430 - to Epcot
535pm - supper @ Rose & Crown
Do Kim Possible Missions until kids are bored

Day 3

am emh @ MK
lunch @ CHH
back to Poly for swim time
DHS for Fantasmic @ 830pm

Day 4

NO PARK DAY #1
sleep in???
DTD??? Mini Putt????
not. making. plans. for. this. day. until.....
CMC Clam Bake @ BC 625pm

Day 5

am emh @ DHS
lunch @ 50s PTC 1230pm
back to Poly for swim time
Epcot 5-9
Illuminations @ 9 (maybe - its not our fave!)

Day 6

805am Crystal Palace
MK 9-12
Poly swim time
'Ohana 505pm
PM EMH @ MK til midnight!!!

Day 7

My baby girls 8th birthday!!!
NO PARK DAY #2
no plans here either until....
Chef Mickey's 505pm
Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage 845pm!! (Have to book on March 2)

Day 8

am emh @ Epcot
lunch @ Sunshine Seasons
Poly for Swim time
DATE NIGHT for the Hubs and me!!!!! Kids to Neverland Club!!!
(Any ideas on where we should go or what we could do?? We WILL have park tix so could go anywhere really!!! Thinking about 3hrs max tho...)

Day 9

am emh @ AK (only day there so will probably stay for a while maybe noon or later!)
Poly swim time (and possible DIS meet!)
MK for last rides and to hug Mickey bye bye!!

Day 10

not sure of departure time cause flights not booked yet, might be time for 'ohana/Kona breakfast but not sure!!! Hoping tho.....

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Kim -- have you checked with WDW for your flights? I was at the end of my rope about the airfare for this trip. We usually pay about $79 for flights. AT has them at $124. They started at $114, then went to $119, then $124. I was starting to regret my decision to wait them out. This morning someone on the September countdown said she called WDW and got her flights cheaper than what the airline website was offering. Anytime I have ever looked at flights on the WDW site when booking a trip they have been exactly the same as AT's prices on their site. But when she posted this I thought I would call and check anyway. And while we didn't get super low rates like usual, we did get a much better price than they have out right now!! Through AT's site it would have been $1077.60 for all 4 of us. I just booked the same exact flights on AT through WDW for $830!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Kim...your days look really good to me. I like that you are planning the extra morning hours to avoid being there during the heat of the day. I usually try to avoid the EMH park on the day it's offered, but if it was summertime I would hit it!!! Just because it's sooooo hot!! you have lots of swim/down/rest times in the heat of the day and I like that...the humidity really saps your energy.
I know your baby is gonna have an awesome bday just being at Disney for her birthday!!! How FUN is that?!!!!
Date night for you and Ken....hmmmm...maybe the French or Italian resteraunt? What do you NOT want to eat? Of course, we love Le Cellier, but it might be too hard to get at this point...and has it went to 2 TS points already? When Mike and I get time with just us there, we tend to wander around Epcot...OH!! How about the Cali Grill on top of the Contemporary Resort? I have not kept up with the reviews for here lately, but last I heard it was really good. There is soooo much to pick from!!!!!
Of course,....you could always order room service and just stay in the room!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Shelly - good deal on the airfare! I'd LOVE to get flights for that cheap. We can go one way for about $84, but coming home is over $200. DH suggested we rent a car one way coming back, but I nixed that plan - too hard to pack properly! Of course with the price of gas going up by the minute, it's going to cost a lot to get there no matter what we do!

Kim - good looking plans and ADRs!!! Wise to get up and enjoy the parks early before it gets too hot!! For date night? I think that the France restaurants would be good (Bistro is more $$$ but I've heard great things) We liked Chefs quite a bit. Narcoosee's is supposed to be really nice too - again I think it's pricey.

Shawna - they will release more offers!! I'm sure they will! I think the club level might be a good idea - save you from having all the snacks to buy and pack. I've heard breakfast options are pretty good.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Sheree...trip before last, we did the last night at the WL..don't know if you remember, but Mike and Saylor had roamed over there toward the end of the trip just to look at it and he fell in love with it...so we moved over there for our last night...we LOVED the club level...kids enjoyed the cookies and milk and I loved having a place to zip up to in the morning for breakfast--we aren't huge breakfast eaters (well, Mike is!), but we just pack granola bars, cheerios whatever can ship easy....that last morning being able to go up there and get something quick was amazing!!!! Plus, I would rather give them the option to go back at night and grab a cookie than have a whole piece of cake at the restaurants!!!Or those massive ice creams....yeah...I think I am talking myself into it more and more....now if I can just sell it to my husband..
Hope all my birdies have a great weekend...stay well and hang in there..winter never lasts forever!!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Kim -- have you checked with WDW for your flights? I was at the end of my rope about the airfare for this trip. We usually pay about $79 for flights. AT has them at $124. They started at $114, then went to $119, then $124. I was starting to regret my decision to wait them out. This morning someone on the September countdown said she called WDW and got her flights cheaper than what the airline website was offering. Anytime I have ever looked at flights on the WDW site when booking a trip they have been exactly the same as AT's prices on their site. But when she posted this I thought I would call and check anyway. And while we didn't get super low rates like usual, we did get a much better price than they have out right now!! Through AT's site it would have been $1077.60 for all 4 of us. I just booked the same exact flights on AT through WDW for $830!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to check it out right now!!! I will let you know what it looks like! Thanks for the tip!

EDIT - checked it out and it does seem to be a GREAT deal although I am fairly certain you need to buy tickets in order to be able to book those flights and we are NOT buying our tickets through Disney so I don't think I can get those rates! I can wait it out tho...Sun Country hasn't even released their August dates yet - competition will get better once they do! Airtran and Delta and Sun Country are the three airlines that fly direct from MSP to MCO so they usually compete most fiercly at around the 3-4 month mark! I am not worried too much about it yet! I think I booked our flights for our trip last year at about the 4months out from our trip and got a DEADLY rate!!$69 each way per person!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Our mark for the best rates is usually around the 12 week time...You still have plenty of time yet!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

6 Months from today we will be at Disney!!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Good Luck with your ADRs tomorrow Shelly!!! What are you hoping for??

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Shelly - good deal on the airfare! I'd LOVE to get flights for that cheap. We can go one way for about $84, but coming home is over $200. DH suggested we rent a car one way coming back, but I nixed that plan - too hard to pack properly! Of course with the price of gas going up by the minute, it's going to cost a lot to get there no matter what we do!

Thanks Sheree! I wonder why your flights are so cheap going down but not coming back? That stinks!

Are you excited??? You are leaving so soon!! I am excited just to be getting ADR's tomorrow!

I am going to check it out right now!!! I will let you know what it looks like! Thanks for the tip!

EDIT - checked it out and it does seem to be a GREAT deal although I am fairly certain you need to buy tickets in order to be able to book those flights and we are NOT buying our tickets through Disney so I don't think I can get those rates! I can wait it out tho...Sun Country hasn't even released their August dates yet - competition will get better once they do! Airtran and Delta and Sun Country are the three airlines that fly direct from MSP to MCO so they usually compete most fiercly at around the 3-4 month mark! I am not worried too much about it yet! I think I booked our flights for our trip last year at about the 4months out from our trip and got a DEADLY rate!!$69 each way per person!

I didn't realize you had to have a package to add airfare. We do have a package for the first part of our trip and that's where the airfare was added to. We just have a room only ressie once we get to the Poly.

Well good luck with your airfare!

What day/s do we overlap now? Just the 31st?

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Good Luck with your ADRs tomorrow Shelly!!! What are you hoping for??

Thanks!

I am after:
Ohana
Kona 2X (breakfast)
Marrakesh
Sci-Fi
Turf Club
Shutters
Chef Mickey's
And I am going to make a LeCellier ADR just to have in-case we chicken out of trying Marrakesh!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Thanks Sheree!

What day/s do we overlap now? Just the 31st?

Yes we will be at the Poly together only the 31st! We leave for home the next day!

Your ADRs look great! I hope you get everything you want!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Got my ADR's this morning! I didn't have too much trouble, the site just ran slow. I got everything I wanted and the times I wanted other than at LeCellier and Ohana, had to go much earlier than wanted for those dinners.



Now just 180 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Shelly...Yay for you!! How exciting!!!! I know you are glad that's over..just seems like you and I were doing that for the last trip doesnt it?!

 

[drakes]

I have been MIA... it is going to be March soon, and my photos are still not downloaded onto my PC

I am feeling like the trip was so far away... and there was so much i wanted to share... when will we find more hours in a day?

I am working on photopass, feeling overhelmed with their website... it takes forever to edit pics

I am wanting to get the order in tonight... as I am thinking they start to expire tomorrow? but that confuses me as well.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Way to go on the ADRs Shelly!! Are you going to try Shutters at CBR? Have you been before? The DIS unplugged guys reviewed it and it wasn't pretty. The review itself was hysterical to listen to, but it made me wonder who eats there if that type of thing happened a lot! We never saw too many people in there when we stayed at CBR in 09.

Joanne - hang in there - we'll be happy to see you pictures etc whenever you get around to it. I had a couple of sick and busy days this weekend and would have much rather been here or planning/packing. Nope, just selling GS cookies and laying around feeling cruddy!

I'm really getting excited for our trip, even though I feel lousy and wish I could have more organized and ready! It's going to be a busy week. My parents and brother are going to be heading to FL tomorrow (Sanibel Island) and I'm taking them to the airport early a.m. before work. Work is busy too and I really want to get through my plans on my PTR. Oh, and I probably should start packing before the week is over!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend. Poor Madison was sick on Saturday...she must have gotten the same bug that I had the previous Saturday. She was feeling better by Sat night, but woke up dehydrated yesterday. We even bought her Pedialyte to drink on Saturday, but it was pretty gross. Tony went and got her some Gatorade yesterday morning instead. She had to dance yesterday morning in an Irish dancing show, and she was such a little trooper. It was back to school for her today and she was a lot better.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Shelly...Yay for you!! How exciting!!!! I know you are glad that's over..just seems like you and I were doing that for the last trip doesnt it?!

Thanks Shawna! Yes, I feel so relieved to have my airfare and ADR's all taken care of.

Are you going to go in November again?

Way to go on the ADRs Shelly!! Are you going to try Shutters at CBR? Have you been before? The DIS unplugged guys reviewed it and it wasn't pretty. The review itself was hysterical to listen to, but it made me wonder who eats there if that type of thing happened a lot! We never saw too many people in there when we stayed at CBR in 09.

Thanks Sheree! Yes, we are going to try Shutters at CBR. We've never been there. I know it gets mixed reviews, but I'm hoping for the best. We did that with Olivia's at OKW and it was a fantastic meal!