The "3882 days between WDW visits is just insane" PTR

[justakrazymom]

My mother in law owns the dance center so my kids dance..a lot.. Declan is only taking 2 classes this year ( 7 last year) but that's because he's playing bball this year ( plus karate and swim). We don't do competitions though.. not our thing nor is there time..LOL

yes I got the camera..oh my I love it!!

Ok i already posted these on FB so you can have the links:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=255310&id=582426654&l=f70b907a2a

and
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=255406&id=582426654&l=914327b843

and yes..i've been done shopping since before black friday...LOL.. i hate shopping so the sooner I can be done the better!!

I got the camera because of the trip..but am very glad because I am a picture ***** ( http://wayzleyacademy.homeschooljournal.net/ ) and now I will have awesome pictures!

 

[MK2010]

Hey! I'm subbing! I am a homeschooling mother of 4 too! We suprised our kids (Then age 9,7,6,4) with a trip to WDW last year for the first week in December.

They weren't thrilled. I know crazy right? Anyway, we had driven to San Antonio 'cause that's where the cheap airline tickets were and my parents met us there. The kids thought we were doing a mini vacation with my Mom and Dad. My oldest really wanted to see the Alamo and cried when I said we weren't going because we were going to see the Mouse. My daughter just wanted to stay at the hotel and swim and couldn't get it in her head that she could do that at Disneyworld. Nutty kids. (They finally forgave me once we got into the parks.)

Anyway, I'm going back this year with a friend (see my PTR) and leaving them ALL at home with my parents. Still, I dream about taking them all back. They want to go to Sea World first though. So it may be awhile. Hubby and I may go back by ourselves before we take them again. It was a magical trip. They got to experience it as kids. I'd like to take them back as teens 'cause it'll be a whole new experience.

How did you plan when to go? Do they already have free dining out for next August? I loved going that first week of December 'cause the crowds were low (everybody else is in school!) and we got free dining.

Also, we live about 24 hours from Disneyworld. How will y'all drive straight through? Just switch off driving? And what will y'all do the first day there? Will the kids want to immediately go to the parks? Will you be able to check in early. (Sorry, I forgot, but you are staying on-site, right?)

I'm a planner too- at least when it comes to WDW, not always so much everywhere else.

Anywhoo- now that I've hijacked your PTR, I'll wait patiently for the next update!

 

[justakrazymom]

241 days!

That said I found our CP lanyards from 10 years ago!!! I am so excited to see them!!

 

[justakrazymom]

Oh very cool on another HS'er!!!

Yes free dinning is out for the end of August til I think right thru Sept. We picked the dates because our best friends are going, they are my bosses and my job will be closed anyway, and because we are about to graduated my oldest early so he will be at the Community College in Sept!

Mine are gonna be thrilled believe me.. they have watched every behind the scenes, or planning DVD they can..lol..they want to go BAD!

When we drive to GA my husband does all the driving. That's about 17ish hours.. I HATE driving on the highway. This time though once we get south of the mason dixon I will do the driving so he can rest then once its dark he will have to take over. I figure worse comes to worse we pull over at a rest stop and both nap a few hours..LOL...

Plan is to arrive in Orlando, hit up the Super Target to get food and snacks and such then check in..if the room is ready we will set that up, if not pool time. My oldest and my mother are coming by Amtrak so we will wait for them ( dh will go pick them up) and then head to the parks! MK will be first of course!!

 

[bigsis1970]

Hey there --- I see your plans are coming right along, I just updated mine to include our daily plans -- come back over and take a look.. only 56 more days till I make some ADRs!!!!! Maybe we'll bump into each other when were down there

 

[justakrazymom]

I have some plans just haven't gotten them written..kinda waiting to hear which day we are going to do our Grand Gathering..ugh I hate having to wait on other people to make up their minds!!

 

[justakrazymom]

Just need to vent a touch.. as I've stated we are going down with a boatload of people. I think I have decided we will not be eating with them..at all. Why?

Well just a little info..I am a planner ( duh) and I am getting the vibe that because I haven't been to Disney in 10 years I don't get a lot of input with the group..um..NO... So I was asking about our Grand Gathering and got fluffed off.. forget it.. I will make all our ADR's and park plans and see the group at the resort.

I never had intention of touring with them because it's just TOOO big of a group and that many small kids..well mine are hard enough but let's not add 7 more please...lol..

So I am going back to worry just about our group of 7...

That said.. I have decided that we are doing breakfast at the castle.. my daughter is not a huge princess fan BUT I don't want to look back and say.. "why didn't we just do it when she was little"... or I don't want to get there and have her say "I wanna eat there" ..worst case I make the ADR and cancel right?

 

[bigsis1970]

Exactly correct - My DD wasn't a huge fan either when we ate there but man did we have fun seeing them all - and my DS got lots of attention (they were 8 and 5 during that trip!)

Oh and gosh touring with a big group is taxing -- i once went with my BFF her two kids and another BFF, her hubby and her two kids so we were 4 adults and 6 kids ages 12 to 1 ... CRAZY, we mostly stayed together but because my kids were the biggest we had to break group for a few hours every day .. I happened to be the master planner of group so i just said this is what/where we are going come along if you'd like - we did not have many dining ressies together though just a Chef Mickey Bfast rest was just counter service together - my family also did Crystal Palace and Donalds..

 

[justakrazymom]

Yeah I know where I want to eat, where I want to take my family ( 4 of the 7 have never been!).. so i am going off "solo"..they go to WDW yearly so i very much doubt we have the same plans in mind anyway. There is currently 21 in our "group"..and I love em all but I want to still like em at the end of the trip!

Yeah I just keep remembering my oldest who was 4.5 when we ate a CRT.. he coulda cared a less about the Princesses pre-trip but he loved the experience..still talks about it to this day ( almost 12 years later)...so i am going for it.. plus it uses up some of my TS credits..LOL..

 

[bigsis1970]

OMG 21!!!!! I can't imagine traveling with that many people ... Is everyone staying at POP?

 

[justakrazymom]

yep we are..LOL.. we all work together (one family owns the place) so the business will be shut down while they are down at WDW.. since we can finally afford to bring our family we decided to not miss multiple weeks of work which if we went a dif time I would miss..kwim?

 

[bigsis1970]

Awesome!!!

 

[DsnyMama]

How awesome does this trip sound! I'm along for the ride!

 

[justakrazymom]

sweet!! So glad I am picking up readers!!

 

[justakrazymom]

I know people are reading this even if they aren't posting.. lol.. I am really stressing about ADR's.. we won't have hopper passes so where we have an ADR we are "stuck" for the day.. so I am thinking of maybe not doing many in parks..

in MK ~ tonys ( grand gathering) and the CRT..(3 of 10 credits)
Epcot ~ Coral reef ( 4 of 10)
HS ~ (Sci Fi 5 of 10)
AK~ ???? Not sure where to eat when there..help (7 of 10)
Hoop Dee Doo ~ 8 of 10 credits

Thinking Chef Mickeys and Whispering canyon.. that way we aren't locked to a park.. but then again I love Crystal palace.. I could do that for dinner and have CRT for breakfast same day right....hummm input?


Oh and I did the math
just entered the calendar year of the trip..yes I am excited.

I read on the board about a new offer.. room only discount 25% off for my dates.. so I needed to crunch some numbers.

We have 2 resssies at POP.. about $1000 each..so $2000.. "free" dining. We spend $440 to upgrade from the QS to the regular DDP..

here's where the math comes in.. I can save $500 on the ressies.. add in the $440 we spent to upgrade the food plan.. that is $940 total.. I needed to see if what we had planned for potential meals made that savings up...or if we lost or broke even.

here's the run down

10 TS meal credits ( x 4 adults and 3 kids)

Hoop Dee Doo ( Definitely happening) 2 Credits or $331 cash
CRT Breakfast ( Def) 2 Credits or $286 cash
Coral Reef (Def) 1 Credit or approx $177 cash ( did not include drinks)
Sci Fi (Def) 1 Credit or approx $146 cash
Tony's for a Grand Gathering (most likely) 1 Credit or $215 cash
Donald's Safari (maybe) 1 Credit or $127 cash
Crystal Palace (maybe) 1 Credit or $150 cash
Whispering Canyon ( maybe) 1 Credit or approx $156 cash

So Table Service meals alone would be $1588 with the DDP

Now on to CS we have 10 credits X 7 people.. I reviewed a few menus and just rounded off what I thought we'd spend on the DDP total for the 10 days if those numbers are off please correct me)
$15 a meal x 4 adults x 10 days =$600
$7 a meal x 3 kids x 10 days= $210

Snacks I figured $3.50 per snack x $70 snacks= $245

Grand total of food ON the "free" DDP is $2643

So if you take what I spent on upgrading which is $440 then we are getting
$2203 worth of food "free".. even subtracting the $500 I could save on the rooms that's still $1703 worth of food FREE!

Now in the interest of showing both sides I am going to say this.. if we didn't have the DDP we would def eat a little different..so here's those numbers:

4 TS meals..
Hoop Dee doo at $331
Cinderella's Royal Table at $286
Coral Reef at $177
Sci Fi at $146
total for the 4 TS meals I know we would def do is $740

now for CS I know I would share with my mother but my DH and teen would never share so that would bring us to $15 x 3 x 10 = $450

Add in we would need 6 more CS meals for the no TS days and that adds another $15 x 3 x 6 = $270

My little ones would like share two meals between em for CS so we have
$7 x 2 x 10 = $140

Add in the 6 extra days we need a 2nd CS meal and that's
$7 x 2 x 6 = $84

Snacks I think would be about half
$125

So OOP food would cost us $1809

If we ditched the DDP and got the room only discount and ate only a few TS meals and split CS meals we'd lose approx $869 worth of food.. so YES the "free" dining is worth it to us according to my math.( potentially more because my 3 wee ones may be much hungrier than I expect

Now I admit I don't know all the ins and outs since it's been a long time since I was at WDW..but I know how my family eats and I also know if I am going I want to do some of the things we loved before ( HDD ) and things I want my younger ones to experience ( CRT).

I think we will stick with our free dining ressies!

 

[justakrazymom]

Well guess what I did yesterday.....

After a few subjects we decided to go sledding..all was fine for 2,3,4 runs down..then 5th run, Taejan on the sled with me...we hit a jump I didn't know was there and when we came back down I broke my coccyx..yep...I broke my bum... it hurts like nothing else... I've had 4 kid with no medication..this is a whole different kinda pain...

Only me.. really.. if ya knew me..you'd know only ME!


Oh 220 days to go!

 

[justakrazymom]

So another change..lol... I've decide to skip CRT.. I think we will eat with the Princesses in Epcot..

That said Ziah ( my daughter) has decide Daisy Duck is her favorite..so where is the best place(s) to have a meal with her??

Also on the DDP our credits don't expire til midnight the day we check out right? So that gives us an option of a character meal before we leave property ( has to be a resort meal tho as we won't have more days on our MYW tickets)..

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Tuskerhouse is the spot to meet Daisy. She is in safari gear.

 

[PirateKate]

Hi! Your trip looks like so much fun! Wow, three kids in three years. Sort of makes having my two thirteen months apart seem not so bad.

Looks like you've got some good restaurants!

 

[justakrazymom]

yeah..3 in 3 is an adventure.. scary thing is 2 of the 3 were twins for the first trimester..

Nothing really to update with.. still awhile before I can make ADR's.. I have spent almost no time planning the trip.. too much going on in life... We will be paying off one ressie on Saturday.. that leaves us just our part of the 2nd ressie left ( about $1200)..that is very exciting! I bought The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World but alas since I have almost no time without the kids and they don't know about the trip, I have only read 3 pages..ack!!

I have been very busy helping our best friends ( and WDW travel mates) get their new night club up and running..we are either opening this weekend or next depending on the building inspector. I am working one of the bars ( yeah I can't mix a drink to save my life.. beers and soda for me) three nights a week.. I am very ready for another job ( I work part time from home).

On the non trip front my almost 9 year old finished 3rd grade Monday.. we ordered 4th grade and will start it Monday... very exciting! We have decide to restart my 7 year old in 2nd grade.. with a new curriculum.. I am certain the first few weeks will be very fast paced as it will be review. Did I mention we officially graduated my eldest( about 17 months ahead of his peers).. he's now a homeschool high school grad.. local community college is next for him! Hoping it doesn't interfere with our trip dates!