WDW Poly Princess
Needs a Disney Fix
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2000
- Messages
- 4,873
There And Back Again: A Disney Tale Part 1- All of that Boring Trip Planning Stuff
***I apologize in advance for how boring this part of the report is. I'm just yet to find a way to make the planning process exciting to read, but I know it's helpful for others planning, so here ya go!***
Concerning Our Cast:
*Crystal (WDW Poly Princess)- Turning 23 on this trip, my 5th trip to WDW, 3rd solo trip.
*Kiki- Friend from Orlando who makes a cameo appearance as our superhero, Airport Transport Girl.
*Katie- Twenty-something friend who lives just outside of Orlando. We met on an online horse message board about ten years ago, and have been in touch ever since.
*JP- Katies brother, who Ive talked to online for years, but have never met until now.
*The Photos- I should probably forewarn you that this report contains over 200 photos, thus making them almost a character in themselves!
It's a dangerous thing, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you'll be swept off to." Bilbo in Fellowship of the Ring
Lets start off with a little background for this trip, shall we? Ill just pretend I can hear you agreeing! Originally, I booked a trip for February 2004, but my dad had a stroke in December 2003, so I didnt want to go away with the possibility that he would pass away while I was gone. I rescheduled my trip for May, and my dad passed away in March, so I decided that May was just too soon. I finally decided to reschedule for early December, so that I could be in the World both for Mousefest and my birthday. If only December werent so far away!
I got an e-mail in August with a pin code for value resorts for $49, so I decided that since Id had so much bad luck trying to get a trip plan to work, Id just go against all lucky odds and book my trip on Friday the 13th. I almost waited till 1pm (13:00) to call, but patience has never been my thing, so I called up while I was working. A couple of people at the places I was delivering things to for work were amused by my walking around with a cell phone glued to my head while I worked. Okay, if were being honest, they were probably much more amused by the fact that I was singing along with all of the Disney music while I was on hold! Due to the hurricane (going on while I was calling, of course) , Disney had significantly cut back the number of CMs working that day, so I was on hold for about half an hour. I danced around and sang along to Everybody wants to be a cat, the POTC music (complete with ghostly voice warning Dead Men Tell No Tales!), Spoon Full of Sugar, and the Tiki room song, until the lovely Carol Lee answered. Strangely enough, I think that the CM who booked my last trip was called Carol Lee, but I dont think it was the same one! I gave her my pin # and she quickly found me a room at All Star Music for the 5th of December! The strange thing is that I told her that Id recently moved, but she didnt update the computer with my new info! Im guessing she was a little distracted by the impending weather, though! She also didnt tell me what my total with tax was, so I had no idea how much my card was charged until I got the confirmation mail a week or so later (sent to the old address, forwarded to the new Casa Crystal). The important thing, however, was that I had my first reservation ready to go!
I like to stay at a value resort on my first night because I usually book my flight through Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, or another cheap online flight service, which means Im never sure what time Ill be arriving until I book the flight (Usually just a week or so before my trip). Since I usually dont get in until the evening of the first day, Im happy with a cheap place to crash for the night! I fell in love with ASMu on my last trip, so back there I go again!
I decided on my last trip while waiting in line for a bus after a morning at MK that the Wilderness Lodge is the perfect place to stay after my first MK day. I love hopping on the WL boat for my afternoon break! Thus, two nights at WL to start my trip off right!
So, next thing you know, its Saturday, August 28, and Im laying by my back door to keep an eye on my cat while shes outside for a few minutes, so I grab a notebook to sketch out a calendar for my trip. I cant remember when the Hidden Mickey Hunt led by HM Author is, so I run to the Passporter site to check the Mousefest schedule. Well, while Im there, I decide to check the boards, starting with the Resort board, and WHAT? AP Rates are out ALREADY? After a few squeals of delight, and a little dancing around the room, my fingers are dialing the ol 407-WDISNEY that we all know and love. I dont have to hold at all! I dont think this CM gave her name, but unlike the last one, she DID update my address and phone number, so she gets a cookie! She puts me on hold for a minute while the computer system updates with my new info, and I cant help but giggle with delight- the first thing of hold music I hear is There it is, Wendy! Second star to the right and straight on till morning! This is exciting for me, because my website is called Straight On Till Morning. What a coincidence for that to be the first thing I hear!
After being on hold for about a minute, the CM comes back and says that I can get two nights at WL, Woods View, with AP Rate for $270! This comes out to $134.92/night, which I am pretty sure is the cheapest I have EVER gotten WL! Hooray! Giddy with the joy of reservation making, I ask her to check the Poly for the 10th and 11th, and voila! Garden View Poly, two nights for $466. I hesitate for a moment, because I had expected an AP rate of about $210/night, so $466 sounds like a lot. The CM tells me that its $209/nt plus tax. Is it just me, or is that a LOT of tax?
I knew that I wanted two nights at the Polynesian for my birthday (Okay, so I actually wanted about sixteen nights, but I could *afford* two nights!), so that choice was easy. I also hoped for a couple of days in a DVC Studio in the Epcot area, so I spent some time on the Rent/Trade board, but apparently I was way too slow- they had all been booked up for my vacation dates about six hundred years ago. Maybe next time!
This whole Where Im Staying! bit is getting much too long, so Ill sum it up here!
Arrival Night: ASMu
2 nights at WL
2 nights at PO-FQ
2 nights at the Poly
2 nights at PO-R
I should mention that I had been trying to get PO-R for *ages*, and they were all booked up, but the magical people at Dreams Unlimited swooped in and made it happen! Hooray!
The only other things I needed to do pre-trip were schedule the two tours I wanted to do (Wild by Design and Hidden Treasures of the World Showcase), which was easy as pie. A few weeks before leaving, I read Delswifes post on the Theme Park board about her upcoming trip, so I decided to buy MVMCP tickets so that I could meet her clan. After watching airfare that seemed way too high for weeks, it finally dipped down to a reasonable amount, and so a week before my trip, I bought my airfare, and was finally ready to go!
Will I actually make it there in one piece? Find out soon!
***I apologize in advance for how boring this part of the report is. I'm just yet to find a way to make the planning process exciting to read, but I know it's helpful for others planning, so here ya go!***
Concerning Our Cast:
*Crystal (WDW Poly Princess)- Turning 23 on this trip, my 5th trip to WDW, 3rd solo trip.
*Kiki- Friend from Orlando who makes a cameo appearance as our superhero, Airport Transport Girl.
*Katie- Twenty-something friend who lives just outside of Orlando. We met on an online horse message board about ten years ago, and have been in touch ever since.
*JP- Katies brother, who Ive talked to online for years, but have never met until now.
*The Photos- I should probably forewarn you that this report contains over 200 photos, thus making them almost a character in themselves!
It's a dangerous thing, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you'll be swept off to." Bilbo in Fellowship of the Ring
Lets start off with a little background for this trip, shall we? Ill just pretend I can hear you agreeing! Originally, I booked a trip for February 2004, but my dad had a stroke in December 2003, so I didnt want to go away with the possibility that he would pass away while I was gone. I rescheduled my trip for May, and my dad passed away in March, so I decided that May was just too soon. I finally decided to reschedule for early December, so that I could be in the World both for Mousefest and my birthday. If only December werent so far away!
I got an e-mail in August with a pin code for value resorts for $49, so I decided that since Id had so much bad luck trying to get a trip plan to work, Id just go against all lucky odds and book my trip on Friday the 13th. I almost waited till 1pm (13:00) to call, but patience has never been my thing, so I called up while I was working. A couple of people at the places I was delivering things to for work were amused by my walking around with a cell phone glued to my head while I worked. Okay, if were being honest, they were probably much more amused by the fact that I was singing along with all of the Disney music while I was on hold! Due to the hurricane (going on while I was calling, of course) , Disney had significantly cut back the number of CMs working that day, so I was on hold for about half an hour. I danced around and sang along to Everybody wants to be a cat, the POTC music (complete with ghostly voice warning Dead Men Tell No Tales!), Spoon Full of Sugar, and the Tiki room song, until the lovely Carol Lee answered. Strangely enough, I think that the CM who booked my last trip was called Carol Lee, but I dont think it was the same one! I gave her my pin # and she quickly found me a room at All Star Music for the 5th of December! The strange thing is that I told her that Id recently moved, but she didnt update the computer with my new info! Im guessing she was a little distracted by the impending weather, though! She also didnt tell me what my total with tax was, so I had no idea how much my card was charged until I got the confirmation mail a week or so later (sent to the old address, forwarded to the new Casa Crystal). The important thing, however, was that I had my first reservation ready to go!
I like to stay at a value resort on my first night because I usually book my flight through Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, or another cheap online flight service, which means Im never sure what time Ill be arriving until I book the flight (Usually just a week or so before my trip). Since I usually dont get in until the evening of the first day, Im happy with a cheap place to crash for the night! I fell in love with ASMu on my last trip, so back there I go again!
I decided on my last trip while waiting in line for a bus after a morning at MK that the Wilderness Lodge is the perfect place to stay after my first MK day. I love hopping on the WL boat for my afternoon break! Thus, two nights at WL to start my trip off right!
So, next thing you know, its Saturday, August 28, and Im laying by my back door to keep an eye on my cat while shes outside for a few minutes, so I grab a notebook to sketch out a calendar for my trip. I cant remember when the Hidden Mickey Hunt led by HM Author is, so I run to the Passporter site to check the Mousefest schedule. Well, while Im there, I decide to check the boards, starting with the Resort board, and WHAT? AP Rates are out ALREADY? After a few squeals of delight, and a little dancing around the room, my fingers are dialing the ol 407-WDISNEY that we all know and love. I dont have to hold at all! I dont think this CM gave her name, but unlike the last one, she DID update my address and phone number, so she gets a cookie! She puts me on hold for a minute while the computer system updates with my new info, and I cant help but giggle with delight- the first thing of hold music I hear is There it is, Wendy! Second star to the right and straight on till morning! This is exciting for me, because my website is called Straight On Till Morning. What a coincidence for that to be the first thing I hear!
After being on hold for about a minute, the CM comes back and says that I can get two nights at WL, Woods View, with AP Rate for $270! This comes out to $134.92/night, which I am pretty sure is the cheapest I have EVER gotten WL! Hooray! Giddy with the joy of reservation making, I ask her to check the Poly for the 10th and 11th, and voila! Garden View Poly, two nights for $466. I hesitate for a moment, because I had expected an AP rate of about $210/night, so $466 sounds like a lot. The CM tells me that its $209/nt plus tax. Is it just me, or is that a LOT of tax?
I knew that I wanted two nights at the Polynesian for my birthday (Okay, so I actually wanted about sixteen nights, but I could *afford* two nights!), so that choice was easy. I also hoped for a couple of days in a DVC Studio in the Epcot area, so I spent some time on the Rent/Trade board, but apparently I was way too slow- they had all been booked up for my vacation dates about six hundred years ago. Maybe next time!
This whole Where Im Staying! bit is getting much too long, so Ill sum it up here!
Arrival Night: ASMu
2 nights at WL
2 nights at PO-FQ
2 nights at the Poly
2 nights at PO-R
I should mention that I had been trying to get PO-R for *ages*, and they were all booked up, but the magical people at Dreams Unlimited swooped in and made it happen! Hooray!
The only other things I needed to do pre-trip were schedule the two tours I wanted to do (Wild by Design and Hidden Treasures of the World Showcase), which was easy as pie. A few weeks before leaving, I read Delswifes post on the Theme Park board about her upcoming trip, so I decided to buy MVMCP tickets so that I could meet her clan. After watching airfare that seemed way too high for weeks, it finally dipped down to a reasonable amount, and so a week before my trip, I bought my airfare, and was finally ready to go!
Will I actually make it there in one piece? Find out soon!
Nice to know I'm not the only Disney nerd around here! 
