trip report (adding more all the time)

[JadeDarkstar]

Sunday we got off the worse bus ride finally and was happy to check in HOJO's right away. by 1.30pm i think.
They were grate we got room 1709 very nice. Very roomy. Grate view.
Capt bane went to store and got drinks for us. (smart thing, we drunk so much water)
I have a few pics id put here my son on the bed happy and in front of tv.

Sunday night we went to goofys dinner. My son got his bucket and cake (he loved it till he got to the sweet middle and he just ate the top.
We saw all the normal ones from Goofys and Mulan.
(it was packed they said glade we had reservations they were turning ppl away becouse the bday bash in dl)

Monday we got in at 9.30 for our plaza inn meal. I was mad that the guy made me use my MM even tho id been told i didt have to to get to plaza inn. (what ever )
we saw fairy godmother and all the normal plaza inn characters.

By time we got out with our new pic (32dollers with tink in hand at plaza inn (NEW)
We only got on pirates and HM that morning.
I was hoping the whole week wouldnt be like that. It was 105 out side hotter then phx we went back to hojos and I took pics of DS and capt bane at the play area. from our room.

4pm we ate at rainforest cafe yumm stake shrimp and ribs.
My son got a stuffed black owl that he loves

When we went back we walked around traded some pins and i forget what else, pluse we got on casy jr's train (never been) It was neat DS loved it

We headed home soon after that.

Tuesday we decied to try to get there a few mins earlier then Monday (the line for security was so long Monday, still long Tuesday and 98% that day. Heat wave still followed us.
That day we got pirates and hm and splash. (only three rides again)
We ate at BB but only ended up being me paying. DS hated the kids meal our waitress was talking to us before we ordered at how shes had so many complaints about the kids pbj being gone. Now some say there kids wont eat anything..well my son showed that was true. she took his meal off the ticket.

Capt bane was sick we almost canceled BB but he didnt want me to miss my lunch. We shared the meal he ate my salad part of it. The waitress didnt charge us split fee.
I got the cookie boat and shared with DS he loved it.
The waitres was nice and gave us the chest for Capt bane because he was gona order the desert just to have it but didnt want to get sick.

We went back to hotel did what we do. DS play area.

This night we got back and went over to the parade area. we had good seats and i was happy. but then a bunch ppl moved up in front and we didnt see anything.
left kind of mad.
Did have a popcorn bucket because i was gona buy some and a lady asked me to buy hers and shed buy me mine. because she had three small children and the line was 20mins long all the way to the street and i was up front. It was cool i did it and helped her and she bought mine.

wed day off. Story tellers GRATE stake so going there again. I loved it
We did a dvc meeting and got a big book and there new promotions (that were trying to do)
then we got DS his legos. (Sunday night after goofys he got the 65doller castle his gift he used his dads and grandpas money on)
Those were his two big gifts pulse his books with pic and auto in it.

Thursday we were in line early and second at the gate waited till 945 when they let us in rope drop
We got mickey and goofy and chip and dale and a few others in Halloween dress up.

when rope drooped we raced to star tours. then space then Matterhorn. (Matterhorn to long has to wait.)
went to pirates pirate island found capt jack in new orlens square not pirate island. went on hm again We went on the train all the way around and my son loved it he didnt believe me when i said there would be dinos lol he loves dinos.

we went home early came back ate at Ariels (grate stake) Then we went back to dl got seats for parade an got to see the flag ceremony (one thing capt bane was afraid he wouldn't get to see. but we were just in time)
For best parade seats sit in front of train station at 430 till 7

friday best day
First in line at security early.645 for 8am opening
we got first in line gates and had mattohorn first ride, dumbo secound,mr toads wild ride 3erd. (maybe this is the day we did the train oops) and took the street car from the train back to closer to hm and pirates and we went on splash before we went back to hotel and went to dca at 530 stood in line 2ed in line
Then trick or treat started at 730 even tho my ticket said 630 al well. we got all the candy places and mickey minnie and the top hat guy and crella and the evil steap mother and 2 sisters.
My DS wasnt filling well so he didnt dance or anything but i did i liked pirate warf it was cute we got the activitys for him to take home.
I gave my left over voutchers to a nice family for food since we hadnt used as much as we had becosue cap bane and ds being sick.
(all week my tummy acked but never sick sick so that was good)

all in all good trip

 

[davidsprincess]

Thanks for sharing, Jade! I can't believe all the hours of planning your trip has come and gone . Good thing that you are going to go to DW next year.
Sorry to hear about the sickies in your family. Glad that overall you had a nice time. Nice of you to get that lady her popcorn and then have her buy yours
What happened on the bus ride down that made is horrible?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

well for starters it was gona be 2hours late. we ended up getting on the next one that had been 1hour late after all so we were lucky to get on but
they gave us the broken emergincy exit door and dad had to hold ds on his lap and i couldnt sleep a wink with every one telling us that door was swinging open the whole time they were on it before phx stop.

I didnt like it at all and one employ i spoke with said they were not allowed to have that bus leave the station with that damage but they did..she was so mad when i told her about it

 

[davidsprincess]

They should have offered you a refund or something. That is insane!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

tell me about it it never opened on us they slept but i didnt i was watching like a hawk listening to every sound. the wind was blowing though an opening (hell maybe thats how my son got sick )

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh that is terrifying about the door! I'm glad you told Greyhound about it. I can't even imagine that. If I tell my dad about it he might freak out...he's a retired Greyhound driver, though he worked there when it was still Union and things like that would never happen.


They made you use your MM for a meal reservation? Seriously? That's very weird. Not that Disney Dining knows much, so if they are the ones who told you you wouldn't have to use it I can understand that they might have gotten it wrong, but on the other hand, I'm not totally sure it makes sense that you would need to use it when you have a PS halfway into the MM hour. I would follow up with that, perhaps. At the least they would get the people who told you you would NOT have to use it re-trained (if that is wrong), or the person who made you use it re-trained (if he was wrong).


Did you like the DVC presentation? It looks like so much fun, to own it. Though I'm quite sure I would buy off resale at a very low amount. Many on the DVC boards think that's not worth it, but I think it would be.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i think that dvc is well worth it. even if it was 1600 down in stead the 500 promotion.
260 a month is alot but it looks like we will be able to do it.

I was told that the disney dinning didnt know what they were talking about. tho when i called them i asked to speak with a manger to make sure, she told me no just line up and when got to the front tell them not on MM i was just going to plaza inn she said ited be no trouble at all

all well i let it go but i did mintion it to a few cms

 

[davidsprincess]

I didnt like it at all and one employ i spoke with said they were not allowed to have that bus leave the station with that damage but they did..she was so mad when i told her about it

In fact, the company motto is"If you can't do it safely, then don't do it at all" (I work for the same company that owns Grey Hound) I am glad you told someone. They will hopefully foreward it on to the powers that be. The driver should have refused to take that bus.

I am glad that you are all safe and sound

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ty yes she and i spoke alot it was cool to meet some one even for 30mins that while i waiting for bus i could talk to some one

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

i think that dvc is well worth it. even if it was 1600 down in stead the 500 promotion.
260 a month is alot but it looks like we will be able to do it.

Jade, maybe you can help me understand the DVC a bit better since you had a chat with them there.

I've read on MouseSavers.com that the price for being a DVC member is QUITE substantial,in fact, here's a quote from the website

The initial cost of joining DVC is significant (without incentives, the current minimum of 160 points costs $16,640 plus closing costs, if you purchase direct from Disney) and you will pay substantial annual dues/maintenance fees (current minimum is around $674 per year).

Seems to be a pretty big price discrepancy. Did they talk to you about the buy-in cost? Or is the $260 a month the financing for the $16k overall join fee?