A Little History
Each year, for the past four Octobers, we have taken a short anniversary trip without the children. (Thanks mom!) Our first trip was to Universal Florida for our 24th anniversary in 2004. We stayed at the Portofino in a great room with a balcony, enjoyed the tasting menu along with some fabulous Saki at Tchoup Chop and attended HHN for the first time (Yikes, on my part!). Since then weve traveled to Sedona Arizona, cruised to Bermuda and relaxed on Sanibel Island Florida.
The original plan for an anniversary trip this year was to be Las Vegas. DH had been to Vegas a couple of times for work conventions but I have never been. I thought it would be fun to check out the casinos, hit a couple of shows and dine at a few celebrity chef restaurants. Throw in a tour to Hoover Dam and a little gambling and it seemed like a great trip. Then fate intruded.
Im basically a self-employed computer consultant who has been at the same client for over 12 years. Even though business is going well they have decided all consultants must go. My actual final end date continues to change, first it was May, then June and now September but its inevitable that things are coming to an end.
At first, we talked about skipping the trip all together this year but then decided we still wanted to do something, so our thought was to scale it down a bit. One of the things that made Vegas expensive was the high cost of the cross-country air travel. I began looking for some less expensive destinations closer to home. It seemed airfare from Philly to Orlando on Southwest was within reason. So back to Florida we go again this year.
Disney didnt seem like the right choice since we knew we would be heading there in 2010 with our youngest DS on his high school music trip. For a long time we had been die-hard Disney fans but many years ago when the boys were still small we ventured over to Universal one trip and fell in love with the resorts and parks. We are a thrill ride family that enjoys taking in the attractions at a less than commando pace; no waiting at rope drop for this bunch. Universal became the obvious choice for this trip. We are looking forward to the new Simpsons ride, as well as all our old favorites, Men in Black, Hulk, Popeye, Dueling Dragons, etc. We have also been following the HHN site and DH is really excited. So am I. Maybe.
Off and on for many years Ive lurked here on the DIS boards, picking up many wonderful tips that have made all of our previous trips, both Disney and Universal, extra special. One of my all time favorite aspects of the boards is the trip reports. Its like being on a virtual vacation. So I thought it was about time I gave back to this great community with a little trip report, actually pre-trip report right now, of my own. I hope youll read this devoted lurkers report.
Planning
Our anniversary is October 11th. We usually attempt to schedule the trip as close to that date as possible. We also usually plan for a Monday to Friday trip since its easier on my MIL to attend to the kids during the school week. My sons are now teenagers and are pretty self-sufficient with school and home but a little mom-mom spoiling while we are away is always appreciated. This year only youngest DS will be home since oldest DS is a new college freshman away at school.
We did have to push out the trip to a little later into October because of a mini fall break oldest DS has the middle weekend of the month. He says he wants to come home that weekend to see us but I know its actually to see the girlfriend. Its not a bad thing though, even with the 12 hours of driving well have to do to get him and bring him back, because it will give us a chance to celebrate his birthday (October 4th), albeit a little belated.
We will arrive at Universal on Monday October 20th for four nights. In the past we have stayed at both the HRH and PBH, so this time I considered RPR but in the end chose PBH once again. We had such a great time there four years ago we really wanted to go back, and besides celebrating our 28th anniversary both DH and I are celebrating the big 5-0 birthday. This will be our present to each other so we booked a deluxe king club room using the Supersaver rate. We really enjoy the option of a casual light breakfast along with evening snacks and dessert. We also purchased 2D/2P tickets online, as well as HHN tickets for Wednesday the 22nd. Okay, we are all set. There was really no need to continue reading the DIS boards until we get closer to the trip. But I couldnt resist, so I did keep reading and an idea started to percolate in my little brain.
Each summer, in July, we rent a house at the beach for a week. Its a tradition that our boys wont let us think about changing. But we also like to take another family vacation as well each year. Something a little further afield. Unfortunately, or actually fortunately, the last two years we have been able to send our sons on organized trips abroad, Europe and Australia. A second vacation therefore hasnt been possible. But all the talk about APs got me thinking. Its been almost seven years since the boys had been to Universal and theyre not happy we old folks are going a second time without them. So I figured convincing the family to take a trip next June wouldnt be too difficult. Especially after I mentioned there should be another new roller coaster to try by then and HP construction should be progressing which could entice DH to add a few days onto that 2010 Disney trip.
So I got on the phone to Universal about converting my 2D/2P tickets to APs. I wanted to switch DHs ticket to a Power Pass and my ticket to a Preferred AP to take advantage of any discounts. Universal customer service was so helpful. The current Power Pass online sale price wasnt available via the Universal phone system. So she converted my pass to the Preferred AP and canceled my DHs ticket so that I could go online and purchase it at the sale price. I also decided at that time to purchase Express passes for HHN since DH and I simply hate to stand in long lines. I'm still waiting for an email confirmation which I want to have in hand at check-in.
Next, I called about an APH rate for my Portofino reservation. I managed to save a little money on the room since the APH rate was slightly better than the Supersaver rate. I was a little disappointed she wouldnt let me put a request in for a balcony on the reservation even after she called a supervisor to ask permission since I mentioned it was our anniversary. Though, they did note on the reservation that I was a returning guest and told me to ask at check-in about a balcony.
Once I get the school calendar for youngest DS Ill be able to make reservations for next June. We need to decide between HRH and PBH. The boys, in the past, have only stayed at HRH. Ill have to see if they want to try PBH or stick with HRH again.
Now all we have to do is wait for October to get here. Then I plan to return to the trip report section of the board to finish what I started here. Hopefully with pictures. In the meantime, Ill continue to live vicariously though everyone elses reports.
Each year, for the past four Octobers, we have taken a short anniversary trip without the children. (Thanks mom!) Our first trip was to Universal Florida for our 24th anniversary in 2004. We stayed at the Portofino in a great room with a balcony, enjoyed the tasting menu along with some fabulous Saki at Tchoup Chop and attended HHN for the first time (Yikes, on my part!). Since then weve traveled to Sedona Arizona, cruised to Bermuda and relaxed on Sanibel Island Florida.
The original plan for an anniversary trip this year was to be Las Vegas. DH had been to Vegas a couple of times for work conventions but I have never been. I thought it would be fun to check out the casinos, hit a couple of shows and dine at a few celebrity chef restaurants. Throw in a tour to Hoover Dam and a little gambling and it seemed like a great trip. Then fate intruded.
Im basically a self-employed computer consultant who has been at the same client for over 12 years. Even though business is going well they have decided all consultants must go. My actual final end date continues to change, first it was May, then June and now September but its inevitable that things are coming to an end.
At first, we talked about skipping the trip all together this year but then decided we still wanted to do something, so our thought was to scale it down a bit. One of the things that made Vegas expensive was the high cost of the cross-country air travel. I began looking for some less expensive destinations closer to home. It seemed airfare from Philly to Orlando on Southwest was within reason. So back to Florida we go again this year.
Disney didnt seem like the right choice since we knew we would be heading there in 2010 with our youngest DS on his high school music trip. For a long time we had been die-hard Disney fans but many years ago when the boys were still small we ventured over to Universal one trip and fell in love with the resorts and parks. We are a thrill ride family that enjoys taking in the attractions at a less than commando pace; no waiting at rope drop for this bunch. Universal became the obvious choice for this trip. We are looking forward to the new Simpsons ride, as well as all our old favorites, Men in Black, Hulk, Popeye, Dueling Dragons, etc. We have also been following the HHN site and DH is really excited. So am I. Maybe.
Off and on for many years Ive lurked here on the DIS boards, picking up many wonderful tips that have made all of our previous trips, both Disney and Universal, extra special. One of my all time favorite aspects of the boards is the trip reports. Its like being on a virtual vacation. So I thought it was about time I gave back to this great community with a little trip report, actually pre-trip report right now, of my own. I hope youll read this devoted lurkers report.
Planning
Our anniversary is October 11th. We usually attempt to schedule the trip as close to that date as possible. We also usually plan for a Monday to Friday trip since its easier on my MIL to attend to the kids during the school week. My sons are now teenagers and are pretty self-sufficient with school and home but a little mom-mom spoiling while we are away is always appreciated. This year only youngest DS will be home since oldest DS is a new college freshman away at school.
We did have to push out the trip to a little later into October because of a mini fall break oldest DS has the middle weekend of the month. He says he wants to come home that weekend to see us but I know its actually to see the girlfriend. Its not a bad thing though, even with the 12 hours of driving well have to do to get him and bring him back, because it will give us a chance to celebrate his birthday (October 4th), albeit a little belated.
We will arrive at Universal on Monday October 20th for four nights. In the past we have stayed at both the HRH and PBH, so this time I considered RPR but in the end chose PBH once again. We had such a great time there four years ago we really wanted to go back, and besides celebrating our 28th anniversary both DH and I are celebrating the big 5-0 birthday. This will be our present to each other so we booked a deluxe king club room using the Supersaver rate. We really enjoy the option of a casual light breakfast along with evening snacks and dessert. We also purchased 2D/2P tickets online, as well as HHN tickets for Wednesday the 22nd. Okay, we are all set. There was really no need to continue reading the DIS boards until we get closer to the trip. But I couldnt resist, so I did keep reading and an idea started to percolate in my little brain.
Each summer, in July, we rent a house at the beach for a week. Its a tradition that our boys wont let us think about changing. But we also like to take another family vacation as well each year. Something a little further afield. Unfortunately, or actually fortunately, the last two years we have been able to send our sons on organized trips abroad, Europe and Australia. A second vacation therefore hasnt been possible. But all the talk about APs got me thinking. Its been almost seven years since the boys had been to Universal and theyre not happy we old folks are going a second time without them. So I figured convincing the family to take a trip next June wouldnt be too difficult. Especially after I mentioned there should be another new roller coaster to try by then and HP construction should be progressing which could entice DH to add a few days onto that 2010 Disney trip.
So I got on the phone to Universal about converting my 2D/2P tickets to APs. I wanted to switch DHs ticket to a Power Pass and my ticket to a Preferred AP to take advantage of any discounts. Universal customer service was so helpful. The current Power Pass online sale price wasnt available via the Universal phone system. So she converted my pass to the Preferred AP and canceled my DHs ticket so that I could go online and purchase it at the sale price. I also decided at that time to purchase Express passes for HHN since DH and I simply hate to stand in long lines. I'm still waiting for an email confirmation which I want to have in hand at check-in.
Next, I called about an APH rate for my Portofino reservation. I managed to save a little money on the room since the APH rate was slightly better than the Supersaver rate. I was a little disappointed she wouldnt let me put a request in for a balcony on the reservation even after she called a supervisor to ask permission since I mentioned it was our anniversary. Though, they did note on the reservation that I was a returning guest and told me to ask at check-in about a balcony.
Once I get the school calendar for youngest DS Ill be able to make reservations for next June. We need to decide between HRH and PBH. The boys, in the past, have only stayed at HRH. Ill have to see if they want to try PBH or stick with HRH again.
Now all we have to do is wait for October to get here. Then I plan to return to the trip report section of the board to finish what I started here. Hopefully with pictures. In the meantime, Ill continue to live vicariously though everyone elses reports.
