The NEW Official November 2010 Countdown & Planning Thread ~ Come join us! (Part 2)

[vllygrrl]

QOTD. Did you book with a pin, free dining, public room discount or other?

We originally used a pin offer to book free dining, then upgraded to DxDP. When the room discounts came out, it saved us $300 to convert to that offer.

I did learn something in the process though - you are able to take the room-only offer and convert it to a package online, but they CANNOT do this for you on the phone! I made a call to WDW Travel, and they could not add dining/tickets to the room offer, but they held on the phone for me as I booked it myself online. As soon as I had the new package in place, they cancelled my original reservation.

 

[JLVermillion]

Hello to all, I have a lot of reading to to catch up, 24 days to go I just wanted to let those who are going first week of Nov that there will be TWO launches from Kennedy Space Center. The first one is on November 1 at 4:40 pm , Space Shuttle Discovery. The second one is a rocket launch on Nov 4 time undetermined.

 

[arbarks]

I'm worried I made a mistake in planning our park days. I planned for us to visit DHS on 11/14 because I really wanted to see Fantasmic! After reading a few posts about how crazy DHS is on Fantasmic! nights I'm worried it will be too busy for us to enjoy. I could switch this day to AK (I had AK scheduled for 11/16) but I would lose my Tusker House breakfast ADR and the kids really enjoy eating there (and I love getting to the parks early). So, what do you think...keep the schedule as is, brave the crowds, or switch and catch F! next year? TIA

 

[Pumba's Truth]

I'm worried I made a mistake in planning our park days. I planned for us to visit DHS on 11/14 because I really wanted to see Fantasmic! After reading a few posts about how crazy DHS is on Fantasmic! nights I'm worried it will be too busy for us to enjoy. I could switch this day to AK (I had AK scheduled for 11/16) but I would lose my Tusker House breakfast ADR and the kids really enjoy eating there (and I love getting to the parks early). So, what do you think...keep the schedule as is, brave the crowds, or switch and catch F! next year? TIA

Personally Tusker house trumps all in this situation. It's a can't miss for my family.

We are in a similar situation as you, but we have two nights of Fantasmic to choose from, we're choosing the Sunday which should be less crowded, in addition to that we are planning on zipping to MK right after so it should be a blast.

 

[Px4]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!
Today, I love DISBOARDS! I just read about the new Military Discount here and I called and saved myself another $600! HOT DOG!

 

[Px4]

Ignore that.... I think the people on the phone were wrong. I think they were quoting me on the non discounted price. Because to me, it sounds like it is going to cost MORE once you add in tickets. Waiting on my TA to figure it all out.....

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!
Today, I love DISBOARDS! I just read about the new Military Discount here and I called and saved myself another $600! HOT DOG!

Ignore that.... I think the people on the phone were wrong. I think they were quoting me on the non discounted price. Because to me, it sounds like it is going to cost MORE once you add in tickets. Waiting on my TA to figure it all out.....

Good luck!

 

[summerlady]

I'm worried I made a mistake in planning our park days. I planned for us to visit DHS on 11/14 because I really wanted to see Fantasmic! After reading a few posts about how crazy DHS is on Fantasmic! nights I'm worried it will be too busy for us to enjoy. I could switch this day to AK (I had AK scheduled for 11/16) but I would lose my Tusker House breakfast ADR and the kids really enjoy eating there (and I love getting to the parks early). So, what do you think...keep the schedule as is, brave the crowds, or switch and catch F! next year? TIA

We'll be in DHS on the 14th as well, it's our arrival day and for us DHS is a half-day park. (I had originally scheduled DHS for a non F! night the same week but I ended up changing our dates slightly to get lower airfare) We're going to skip F! this time and I'm a bit concerned about the crowd level but that's the only day we can do DHS this trip. According to the crowd calendars it's either a 1 or a 2 so I'm hoping it won't be too bad and we really, really want to see the Osborne lights plus we have a 6 p.m. ADR at Sci-Fi. I'm gonna stick with it and hope for the best.

Not gonna tell you what to do but I'd keep it as is if I were you.

 

[CrazyaboutGoofy]

I got my big Disney envelope in the mail yesterday!! All my paperwork, vouchers and confirmations!!

Lucky! I have not gotten mine yet. I guess that is what happens when booking with a TA.

QOTD. Did you book with a pin, free dining, public room discount or other?


We booked free dining but upgraded for the 1 table service meal. My parents booked with a FL resident discount.

I originally got a pin for 20/30/40. We used the 30%, then about a month later, I got another pin for Free Dining for the first week of November. Saved us another $600.

Hello to all, I have a lot of reading to to catch up, 24 days to go I just wanted to let those who are going first week of Nov that there will be TWO launches from Kennedy Space Center. The first one is on November 1 at 4:40 pm , Space Shuttle Discovery. The second one is a rocket launch on Nov 4 time undetermined.

Awesome!

 

[Px4]

Ackkk! I bragged to soon!

When I started doing the math in my head, the price didn't seem right. I couldn't get ahold of my TA so I just went ahead and called back. The original person not only quoted me the wrong price, but gave me the WRONG package! Luckly (or maybe not) I didn't let her change it then since I wanted to let my TA deal with it.

The first CM I talked to entered in the code and quote me the price for a Marathon discount with quick service dining! (the original CM gave me the code MR2 to pass along to my TA -which is the marathon code) Not sure why??? And from what the 2nd CM told me, she doesn't understand why the system is allowing it to book it that way, considering the marathon is in JANUARY! But when she enters it in, it does allow the change and changed my dining to quick service. She said that was a major glitch that she made sure to pass along.

Now, with the real Military Discount (code MR4) I would NOT save anything since I have free dining and I have deluxe dining. I would actually have to pay $250 MORE! That is even if I bought my tickets at Shades of Green. Now, if a ticket discount comes out like before, then I would save some. But the tickets before have been limited days and we are not shorting ourselves any days. We want 7 nights and 8 days in the parks!

DANG! I was all excited about saving more money! But I have save myself around $1800 from my original full price booking, so I can't really complain!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

We originally booked at rack rate, cost was $3050.67 for 9 nights and QSDP and 6 day base tickets. The I applied the pin I got for a room only discount and that took it to $2934.97, not much of a deal but I took it just in case. The free dining came out, we had to add 2 days to our trip, but I didn't mind, but then DH couldn't get all that time off work so we cut a day off the end of the trip, so in the end we got an extra day and our price came in at $2345.63.

So, with free dining we got 10 nights, 6 day base tickets and QSDP for DH, DD11 and DD8 and myself for $2345.63. DD15 is on my grandparents room and they also in the end wound up with FD.

 

[sharig5576]

Hello to all, I have a lot of reading to to catch up, 24 days to go I just wanted to let those who are going first week of Nov that there will be TWO launches from Kennedy Space Center. The first one is on November 1 at 4:40 pm , Space Shuttle Discovery. The second one is a rocket launch on Nov 4 time undetermined.

With a 5 year old space obsessed little boy, we can't wait for this!!!! I saw videos on you tube that you can see the launches from the parks I actually just signed up for text messages if the launch date/time changes...

http://www.upoc.com/group.jsp?group=LaunchHolds

 

[jrasmom]

QOTD ~ we weren't going to WDW this year (husband & I were in Maui for a week in May for our 15th anniversary) but we've always wanted to go this time of year. When the free dining dates got extended into November I mentioned it to him his reply 'it's probably still more expensive that time of year' so I checked LOL the week we're going was the same price as the week we normally go in September so I 'persuaded' him to book for THIS YEAR!

I'm sitting here trying to plot out which park which days & have a question for some of you.

On 11/29, 11/30, 12/1, and 12/2 the crowd leves are 1-3. Does it really matter which park we choose with thoe numbers? I mean there are park recommendations and all but if it's that low is it really going to bad at any park in your past experience?

 

[Pumba's Truth]

QOTD ~ ... so I 'persuaded' him to book for THIS YEAR!

Gots to love the power of persuasion eh?

 

[eah7]

I want my Disney Mail! But it is going to take forever since I am going so late in Nov. Plus, it has to go to my TA first, then she will send it to me. BLAH! But atleast time is still flying by.....

But..... with time still remaining, I have started the dreaded "Are my ADRs really what I want?" thinking.... And I have decided, all but 1 I am 100% sure of. I am debating my Narcoossee's. Wondering if I should try to switch it to Cali Grill? I have been looking forward to Narcoossees forever, but now with all the mixed reviews, esp about the bad service, I am nervous. Right now there isn't a time open I am interested enough in to mess with changing, but if something opens up, I may switch.

Oh my gosh...I don't feel so bad at all!!! I am second guessing so many things mainly because of mixed reviews. With the 3 generations and young grandsons, we have had to make compromises. Being the first generation, I didn't always agree with what my daughter picked, but we had to really take the little guys needs seriously.
I have Kona for breakfast but questioning that. I switched from Tutto to Via Napoli...same thing. We have one I'm not that thrilled but we think the boys will enjoy. Thanksgiving I obsessed over and really doubting Cape May that will only have traditional holiday meal buffet. I have searched for other options.
I guess I just need to go with the flow!! If someone hates it, they can share, buy something different, get a snack or grab a CS somewhere. What else can I say or do? Comes down to we are going to have fun as a family during our favorite time to visit Disney. What more can we ask for?!

 

[luvmy2babies]

I am obviously very late to this, but we are going Thanksgiving week. We will be there 11/21-11/27. It is the first trip for my children and my first trip in 30 years. I was my dd's age when I went.

She has no idea. I was planning to do a short trip around her fall break (school closes for an annual teacher's conference) and low and behold, they combined it with Thanksgiving week. I almost can't believe it. My dd is 7 and has been asking to go since she was 4 years old. I originally said we'd go when her brother could walk so she thinks we are waiting until he is 2.

For some reason every time I say wait until ds gets bigger, she thinks that means wait until he's 2. She's going to have that boy doing everything at 2. Anyway, turns of events in our lives basically made me say "What the heck am I waiting for?" And that fall break ending up being a full week was just confirmation that 2010 is our year to take on the World.

I'm so excited. 45 day mark is Thursday for us. I paid off our package today.

 

[eah7]

QOTD. Did you book with a pin, free dining, public room discount or other?

We are booked with 40% discount. Even though it is only good for a couple of days, TA said it was better than the FD pin I received. (I am almost embarressed to say how many pin codes I received!!) I had hoped FD would be cheaper but because dh and I are at Yacht Club and rest of family at Treehouse, we couldn't access the code for everyone. I did receive the $500.00 gift card for the Treehouse.
We are actually staying at CSR on the 20th because I got such a deal with that 40% pin code. I hadn't planned on staying on site that night but I couldn't have gotten a deal like that anywhere!

 

[Pumba's Truth]

We are actually staying at CSR on the 20th because I got such a deal with that 40% pin code. I hadn't planned on staying on site that night but I couldn't have gotten a deal like that anywhere!

UGH!!! I'm still trying to add the 20th at CSR to the beginning of my trip No such luck as of yet. Only 1BR suites are coming up.

Oh well, glad you were able to make full use of the discounts you were offered.

 

[JLVermillion]

With a 5 year old space obsessed little boy, we can't wait for this!!!! I saw videos on you tube that you can see the launches from the parks I actually just signed up for text messages if the launch date/time changes...

http://www.upoc.com/group.jsp?group=LaunchHolds

I started a thread this morning asking for pics of launches at the Parks/Resorts, the pic posted from MK was great. I was also told you can see from the Boardwalk and Beach Club. DH is making me keep it a secret until we get to the parks for the kids in our group. I do not know that I can

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

I've changed what we are booked under so many times, I've finally decided to stop and just leave it be. I have promised myself not to do any more price comparisons! We are staying at Pop so %25 isn't much of a savings vs free dining.

No Mickey Mail for me today!