Spending my birthday in Disney! Oct 2010 PTR - UPDATED 10/11 TR STARTED

[jenny105]

Love your purchases!! Gotta love Old Navy.

WHAT?! A PINK bikni for $7?!?! Jealous! Great deal!

How nice Chris is coming! Hey- the more the merrier!

Good thinking about the ADRs. It makes a lot of sense to cover the bases when you don't know the exact number of people! Trust me, everyone else on the DIS would do the same!

So excited for more!!

PS- just started re-reading HP. I'm starting with #4. I want to re-read 4-7 before the movie comes out, just to brush up. Thought you'd appreciate this, fellow HP lover!

I KNOW! I couldn't believe the deal I got on that! It was shipped today.

I figured better safe than sorry with the ADRs! I don't want to be that person who's like 'Well, I said 5 but really I meant 8!' I forgot my friend Katie is going down to Disney the same time as me (she's staying off property) so I think I'll ask her and her b/f too. I may need one for 10 for Ohana.

I did that when HBP came out! And then I ended up reading 7 again. I love that we're going to IOA the month before part 1 of the last movie comes out. I'm going to be all about HP in the fall!

 

[jenny105]

Just a quick post guys. My SIL's mother went to have surgery done on Monday and there were complications. The situation isn't great right now and could go either way. I just ask that you all keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks.

 

[princess_momma]

Just a quick post guys. My SIL's mother went to have surgery done on Monday and there were complications. The situation isn't great right now and could go either way. I just ask that you all keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks.

I'll keep her in my prayers Jenny!

 

[jenny105]

I'll keep her in my prayers Jenny!

Thanks Kimmy! She's actually doing much better and seems on the road to recovery but she may be in the hospital awhile.

 

[jenny105]

Don't really have much to report Disney wise. People are going crazy since free dining has come out and I've been getting numerous calls/emails from people wanting quotes. I got a new booking yesterday so that's great!

Our travel dates don't fall within the FD promo but I priced out 5 nights at the end of September to see what the price would be. Over $5,000. Think I'll have to pass on that one! I wish I could combine my TA discount on the room with free dining but I have to pay rack rate if I want it and I just don't think it's worth it. Hopefully they'll come out with a deal for TAs like they did last year.

Peggy (my SIL's mom) is doing much better. She was on a ventilator and they took her off that yesterday and she was alert. She didn't know what happened so she was asking all sorts of questions. She thought she was in a car accident. Hopefully she will be out of ICU soon.

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was busy! On Saturday, I drove all the way from Kris's (about an hour from where I live) to meet my friend for dinner at an outdoor seafood place since it was so nice out. It was nice to chat and catch up. I've known her since HS, we've been friends since we were 14! Kris was supposed to meet us but he was tired so I ended up driving all the way back up to his house! I drove all over the state of NJ on Saturday! On Sunday, I went to my brother's early so him and my SIL could visit Peggy and I watched my nephews. I don't know how you ladies with kids do it everyday, I give you major props. I was exhausted by 5 with a pounding headache! My mom, grandma, sister and cousin Chris ended up coming over later in the afternoon and we had a BBQ. Yummy!

In a couple weeks, I'M GOING TO SEE THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK! For those of you who don't know, they rank very high, at a par with my Disney obsession. I'm so excited! I saw them 6 times since the reunion in 2008 (told ya I was obsessed) and this is the first time I'll be seeing them in close to a year. It's up in Connecticut so ROAD TRIP!

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! 5 months to go!

 

[Charlefours]

Hey Jenny! Sorry I missed some updates.

I am glad your DSIL's mother is doing better. Do you know when she is going to be released? You know, all my friends without kids say the same thing. It sure is great to catch up with old friends!

I hope your cousin ends up going. Maybe he will change his mind and come the whole week?

NKOTB--I saw your countdowns!! I am glad you have something to look forward to!

 

[jenny105]

Hey Jenny! Sorry I missed some updates.

I am glad your DSIL's mother is doing better. Do you know when she is going to be released? You know, all my friends without kids say the same thing. It sure is great to catch up with old friends!

I hope your cousin ends up going. Maybe he will change his mind and come the whole week?

NKOTB--I saw your countdowns!! I am glad you have something to look forward to!

Hi! No worries!

I don't know when she's going to be released yet but my mom just emailed me at work and told me that they are moving her from ICU today or tomorrow so that's a good sign!

I don't know why my cousin won't just stay the whole week. It's only an extra two nights! I don't get what his deal is. He's going to be paying for the week anyway so he may as well stay!

I can't wait until NKOTB! I bought the tickets in January and it seemed soooo far away then. I can't believe it's 2 1/2 weeks away! A couple girls who are on an NKOTB thread on DIS are going too so it's like a mini-DIS meet!

 

[jenny105]

So it dawned on me. I better get my airfare soon!

Living in NJ, there's around 5 airports for me to choose from, the closest being Newark. I checked with Continental and they're around $260 roundtrip. I don't know how they get away with charging more than any other airline. Because it's Newark? JetBlue also has flights out of there but only 3 a day. The flight back would be at 10:30 am. Definitely want a later flight so we could have most of the day to enjoy. So Newark is out unless Continental lowers their fares.

Next up, Atlantic City International. Very small airport, flown out of it once, really easy, no crazy security lines. Spirit Air flies direct to Orlando from here and we took that last year. Not the nicest planes I've ever seen but it's a short flight so who really cares? Their fares a few weeks ago were about $175 round trip. That was looking like the way to go (despite their ridiculous carry on fees ) except now the airfare has gone up to $212. Ugh.

JFK. Never flown out of this airport but it's a complete pain in the butt to get to. It's not far from here really but the Verrazano Bridge and Belt Parkway. It's a nightmare. It's only 33 miles from my sisters but if you hit traffic, it could take you two hours. The flights I'm looking at are nowhere near rush hour times so I THINK we would be ok but who knows. This is the best airfare I've seen. JetBlue $179 roundtrip. Plus JetBlue lets you check your first bag free. Double I've never flown on JetBlue but from looking at their site...wow, they seem awesome! Dunkin Donuts coffee on a plane? Count me in!

There's La Guardia too but I haven't seen anything that flies direct from there. My cousin Chris is pushing Philadelphia on us but their fares are about $40 more than JFK and it's about 2 hours away. Plus you have to pay to check bags. He says this doesn't matter to him cause he'll only bring a carry on. Way to think about the rest of us! He may fly out of there regardless of what we do.

So I'm leaning toward JFK despite being terrified of the traffic, bridge tolls, and parking costs. But we'd have to pay to park anywhere and we'd all split it so that's not really a big deal. I doubt we could find a ride that could take ALL of us. I'm hoping those fares will stay up for a few more days because I think I may book me and Kris's airfare this weekend. I wish we could all book our flights together but cousin Chris is being difficult, Alex is in Las Vegas, and Kim and Adam may or may not have the money for it right now. I think my best bet is to get it and then give everyone my flight info. If we can get on the same flights, great.

Basically, when I'm ready to book, I'm going with whoever is cheapest! JFK is the front runner now with AC being the backup. I just wanted to get this all written down cause everything is jumbled in my head!

4 months and 30 days to go!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi Jenny!

Just another Jersey October Birthday Girl here!

I seriously know what you mean about those airfares... you should see how they gauge the prices during Jersey Week! I got ours for $100 less per ticket out of JFK last year!

(But, we had to use yucky Delta.)


Kathy

 

[jenny105]

Hi Jenny!

Just another Jersey October Birthday Girl here!

I seriously know what you mean about those airfares... you should see how they gauge the prices during Jersey Week! I got ours for $100 less per ticket out of JFK last year!

(But, we had to use yucky Delta.)


Kathy

Hi Kathy!

What part of New Jersey are you from? How was flying out of JFK? Everyone I'm traveling with seems to be ok with it except for my cousin. Is it better or worse than Newark? I can't imagine many things being worse than Newark! I always seem to get delayed whether I'm coming or going.

Delta's fares are about on par with JetBlue but since you said they're yucky, I'll stay away!

 

[Charlefours]

Hmm...could you find a hotel that does a stay and park close to JFK to help with the commute? If you can find a good deal it may be worth it.

 

[jenny105]

Hmm...could you find a hotel that does a stay and park close to JFK to help with the commute? If you can find a good deal it may be worth it.

I was thinking about that. Marriott gives travel agents a great rate and there's got to be one around JFK. Maybe I can get a deal with them...

 

[KathyRN137]

...What part of New Jersey are you from? How was flying out of JFK? Everyone I'm traveling with seems to be ok with it except for my cousin. Is it better or worse than Newark? I can't imagine many things being worse than Newark! I always seem to get delayed whether I'm coming or going.

We're in the western part of Essex County... it usually takes us only 20 min to get to Newark Airport, which is why I prefer it.

I had nothing against JFK, but the traffic getting there was a nightmare! We left three and a half hours before our flight and we made it by the skin of our teeth!

Hmm...could you find a hotel that does a stay and park close to JFK to help with the commute? If you can find a good deal it may be worth it.

After my experience, I'd say this is an excellent suggestion!

I was thinking about that. Marriott gives travel agents a great rate and there's got to be one around JFK. Maybe I can get a deal with them...

I'd look into it!


Kathy

 

[Dancegrl624]

JetBlue is outstanding!!! We've had to catch connecting flights at JFK and the JB terminal is beautiful. Once you fly JB, you won't want to go back to anything else. Not only do you get Dunkin Donuts coffee...you get a choice of snack and you can have as many as you'd like, PLUS you get a tv at every seat with DirecTV and there is XM radio. It is THE BEST!!!

 

[michellem1118]

When we lived in NYC, we flew JetBlue out of Newark to get to Orlando; we also flew American out of Newark pretty frequently since parking at Newark was so much cheaper than the NYC airports. We only flew out of LGA or JFK if MIL was dropping us off/picking us up. If JetBlue is the cheapest, though, I'd definitely look for a park & ride hotel near the airport, where you can stay the night before & then take their shuttle over - it would be worth it even without your TA discount!

As for SSR - although we like the Congress Park area, we actually much prefer the Paddock area. We've stayed in the Paddock on 2 of our 3 SSR stays. It's the 3rd (of 5) bus stop within the resort, it has its own quiet pool & hot tub, and its a super quick walk over to the main pool & main building. There are pictures of the view we had from our room in my "Never Again" TR in my siggy, if you're interested.

 

[MyMuse]

Hi there!

Joining your PR since I'm going pretty much the same time as you. My dates for FL are 10/6-10/17, though Disney is 10/10-10/17.

I usually fly out of Newark. The last few trips, I use a car service to bring me to the airport, so I don't have to deal with parking. I'm a Continental person since I belong to their FF program, but last trip, I used Jetblue since I wanted a change and the prices were exactly the same. The seats on JB definitely are bigger and more comfortable. The terminal out of Newark is different from Continental's and super slow.

For Continental, their best prices usually are 6-8 weeks out. Now, I haven't gone down to FL in October in a few years, so I don't know if this info is wholly correct. I'm tracking it, but I probably will not be buying airfare for at least, a couple of more months. However, with Jetblue, if the proces go down after you book, the will credit you with monies to use for a next trip.

Hope this helps!

 

[jenny105]

We're in the western part of Essex County... it usually takes us only 20 min to get to Newark Airport, which is why I prefer it.

I had nothing against JFK, but the traffic getting there was a nightmare! We left three and a half hours before our flight and we made it by the skin of our teeth!


After my experience, I'd say this is an excellent suggestion!


I'd look into it!


Kathy

That's what I'm afraid of, the traffic! Especially if it's raining. I think I'm going to look into hotels, at least for the night before departure. If we get stuck in traffic on the way home, ah well.

I'm in Monmouth County but I work up in Union county. You're the next county over from my office

JetBlue is outstanding!!! We've had to catch connecting flights at JFK and the JB terminal is beautiful. Once you fly JB, you won't want to go back to anything else. Not only do you get Dunkin Donuts coffee...you get a choice of snack and you can have as many as you'd like, PLUS you get a tv at every seat with DirecTV and there is XM radio. It is THE BEST!!!

That's JB's 'headquarter' terminal right? Looking at their site, I was impressed. They seem awesome! I couldn't believe they had DirecTV. I was like 'I can watch all my bad VH1 reality tvs on the plane!'

When we lived in NYC, we flew JetBlue out of Newark to get to Orlando; we also flew American out of Newark pretty frequently since parking at Newark was so much cheaper than the NYC airports. We only flew out of LGA or JFK if MIL was dropping us off/picking us up. If JetBlue is the cheapest, though, I'd definitely look for a park & ride hotel near the airport, where you can stay the night before & then take their shuttle over - it would be worth it even without your TA discount!

As for SSR - although we like the Congress Park area, we actually much prefer the Paddock area. We've stayed in the Paddock on 2 of our 3 SSR stays. It's the 3rd (of 5) bus stop within the resort, it has its own quiet pool & hot tub, and its a super quick walk over to the main pool & main building. There are pictures of the view we had from our room in my "Never Again" TR in my siggy, if you're interested.

I think I'm definitely going to start looking at hotels in the area. It would be so much easier if we could get a park and fly rate. I'll have to talk to everyone about it but they're all pretty easygoing so I don't think it'll be a big deal!

I haven't heard much about the Paddock area. I'll have to look into it. Anytime I see someone's TR about SSR, Congress Park is always mentioned. I like the idea of being close to DTD but I hear it's a far walk from the main building! Thanks, I'll definitely have to check out your TR!

Hi there!

Joining your PR since I'm going pretty much the same time as you. My dates for FL are 10/6-10/17, though Disney is 10/10-10/17.

I usually fly out of Newark. The last few trips, I use a car service to bring me to the airport, so I don't have to deal with parking. I'm a Continental person since I belong to their FF program, but last trip, I used Jetblue since I wanted a change and the prices were exactly the same. The seats on JB definitely are bigger and more comfortable. The terminal out of Newark is different from Continental's and super slow.

For Continental, their best prices usually are 6-8 weeks out. Now, I haven't gone down to FL in October in a few years, so I don't know if this info is wholly correct. I'm tracking it, but I probably will not be buying airfare for at least, a couple of more months. However, with Jetblue, if the proces go down after you book, the will credit you with monies to use for a next trip.

Hope this helps!

Hi! Welcome! Where are you headed to those 4 nights before Disney? Just curious

Thanks for the tips on the airlanes and fare. I don't know if I want to wait that close to our travel dates to book airfare because I'm afraid the prices will keep going up! I didn't know that about the pricing with JetBlue, that's good to know!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Yup...that is their "hub". It's a gorgeous terminal. You don't even think you're in an airport after awhile. The DirecTV is awesome! I love watching the Today show every morning and I was able to do so on our flight down!!

 

[jenny105]

Yup...that is their "hub". It's a gorgeous terminal. You don't even think you're in an airport after awhile. The DirecTV is awesome! I love watching the Today show every morning and I was able to do so on our flight down!!

The flight I'm looking at is an early afternoon flight. What good shows are on then? 99% sure we are going to book the JetBlue flight!

 

[Dancegrl624]

The flight I'm looking at is an early afternoon flight. What good shows are on then? 99% sure we are going to book the JetBlue flight!

I have no idea!!! They have a lot of channels, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something to watch. Either that, or listen to the XM radio. They have lots to choose from!