Twice As Nice & Double the Fun: an offsite October PTR where “2” is the magic number

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I am also in a holding pattern for trip planning right now. Today it is 30 days for me until our Spooky Orlando Trip and 90 days from our Thanksgiving/Birthday Orlando trip! Now we just have to sit and wait!!

Oh, fun!! Your travel dates are just before ours in both cases! We're at 48 until our October trip and 112 until our December trip. Are you doing Disney both trips, or Universal as well? A MNSSHP or a MVMCP? (or both?) HHN?

I hope you will be able to plan one after all Dancin'. I know how much you love those March Break trips. Maybe join us in the airmiles thread and start collecting towards tickets again? I'm only a small amount away from a 5 day Disney ticket. I am aiming for four by next August but will happy to collect enough for three tickets.

Gina and Elena, I hear you on the planning lull. There is really nothing to do for the October trip at this point. Dh is going to go on lunch and transfer some spending money to USD tomorrow. I need to make one day of fastpass+ selections for our party night. I can do that next Wednesday. But other than that.. just not much for now. I could always firm up our restaurant plans I suppose.

We'll be going to Lake Placid for 4 nights for our Thanksgiving. We stay at a lodge in the mountains with my whole family and it's just beautiful that time of year. We haven't been in a few years. I got thinking about it yesterday and I'm really excited for that now too. It's going to be an awesome October .

Lake Placid will be simply spectacular in the autumn.....the crisp weather, the vivid colours .

By the time you come home from that little side trip, your Universal adventures will be literally right around the corner .

I made our one-day FP selections 2 days ago. I was so excited to have something to do for the trip. It took me all of 3 minutes and then I was like, hmm, ok, uh, what's next?! I think I will start planning out what I will wear and maybe start making a list of things we need to bring. I'll just have to write out the list reallllly slowly to stretch out the time

Oh, I *adore* lists! What a spectacular idea to help fill in the lull that we are currently suspended in. I think I may start making a few as well, just to help pass the time . A packing list, a pre-vacation to-do list, a shopping list for when we arrive.

Are you applying? Thanks, you're hired!

I can't even remember what exactly you do . Regardless of your vocation, I suspect you'd be a real hoot to work for. The 2.5 hour commute might be a bit much in the winter, though .

Not sure if you've made a decision, but I can say wholeheartedly the camera on S6 Edge is far superior to any Apple camera! I have a 6S iPhone and my boyfriend just upgraded to S7 edge and I am SO jealous of the beautiful pics he can take! (He had the S6 and that camera was just as good!)
I have day times to WDW, DL and UO comes up in the next few months and my head is spinning trying to keep track of everything--so much brava to you for coordinating two different longterm vacations at the same time!!

Funny you mention the phone upgrade, I was just at Telus today trying to narrow down my choice. I was pretty sure I had decided on the Galaxy S6, but I can get the S7 (which has an equally as good...if not better...camera, is water resistant, has a bigger battery, and can accept microSD cards to expand the memory by an additional 200GB) for just $100 more. I hate to spend the extra money (because I'm cheap ) but I am thinking it might be $100 well spent. I have vowed to make the decision by Monday either way, so that's my big decision to be made this weekend. Your post has me leaning WAY toward the S7.....you had me at "beautiful pics" .

 

[dancin Disney style]

I can't even remember what exactly you do . Regardless of your vocation, I suspect you'd be a real hoot to work for. The 2.5 hour commute might be a bit much in the winter, though .

The short explanation.....stylist. Long explanation....long term care facility.

 

[klacey1]

Funny you mention the phone upgrade, I was just at Telus today trying to narrow down my choice. I was pretty sure I had decided on the Galaxy S6, but I can get the S7 (which has an equally as good...if not better...camera, is water resistant, has a bigger battery, and can accept microSD cards to expand the memory by an additional 200GB) for just $100 more. I hate to spend the extra money (because I'm cheap ) but I am thinking it might be $100 well spent. I have vowed to make the decision by Monday either way, so that's my big decision to be made this weekend. Your post has me leaning WAY toward the S7.....you had me at "beautiful pics" .

DO IT!!! I am incredibly cheap with phones and technology, but even I'd splurge on the $100 upgrade! You'll love not having to lug around a camera in the parks and still take great pictures!

 

[ElenaJane]

September Trip - Only 3 full days, but our arrival day we get there at 9am, so it is like 4 days! We will be staying on Universal property (Royal Pacific), so we will be doing a lot of Universal mornings. We will also do one HHN, and have already gotten out Express Passes so we can knock out every house. I am so excited about the Exorcist house and the American Horror Story House! We will also be doing one evening at MK and one morning at MK (Crystal Palace pre-rope drop ADR!), and one evening at Epcot (gotta see the new Soarin'!). We will also be doing one Sea World morning, as I want to ride Mako! No MNSSHP for us this time. We have gone the past 3 seasons. I do love the party, but as we our getting APs for Disney, I just couldn't swallow buying an extra add-on!

November Trip - This is like your Christmas trip, an absolute dream come true! For various family/logistical reasons, my family wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving a few weeks early this year. I quickly realized that would mean that Will and I would be free on the actual Thanksgiving holiday. One of my life-long dreams has been to celebrate my birthday in Orlando, especially to wake-up in Disney World. I figured this would never happen because my Birthday always falls in the Thanksgiving window (11/24) and we are always with family. Well this year my birthday actually falls directly on Thanksgiving. So we are going to have a 4-day trip, that will include Universal, MK, AK, as well as Busch Gardens in Tampa! We will be staying part of the time at my favorite , the Polynesian, but also 2 nights at the AKL (going to stay at Kidani in a one-bedroom suite...yolo).

So I am definitely counting down with you my friend!!! I will let you know what the Christmas decorations look like as I think some will be up by Thanksgiving!

 

[PrincessMamma4]

What have we covered so far? The itinerary, flights, the park-and-fly hotel, accommodations, and car rental. That, then, should bring us to….


ATTRACTIONS


As my PTR title suggests and I touched on briefly in earlier posts, we’re doubling up a lot on this vacation: over the course of two weeks, we’re hitting up many parks twice (though in some cases, those two visits to the same place are poised to be different experiences for various reasons). Having two days at our disposal at the same park is a rather calming influence: it takes away the feeling of having to see it all and do it all in a single visit. It definitely makes our vacation feel more relaxing on the whole, even if there is something going on virtually every day.


Since we have annual passes to both SeaWorld and Aquatica, visiting those attractions twice each was a no-brainer. SeaWorld has their Halloween Spooktacular events running on select dates (https://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/events/seaWorlds-halloween-spooktacular/) so we have arranged the itinerary to ensure that one of our visits falls on one of the dates that the seasonal events are being offered. While we have enjoyed their Christmas Celebration in the past and even had a taste of their Summer Nights events on one trip, this will be our first time at the Halloween Spooktacular. Our second SeaWorld visit is slated for mid-week (on a non-Spooktacular day) which will hopefully be less crowded than during the special events.

For Aquatica, we have two mid-week dates selected on our second week of vacation: we figure, by then, we’ll be ready to enjoy two low-key days in the water. We have rented cabanas for both days (thanks to our AP discount, we paid just $44.10 plus tax for each rental) which will give us a large locker in the cabana, our own fridge, 12 bottles of Dasani water, rental towels, and in-park discounts in addition to the use of the cabana .

Parking is free at both SW & AQ with our AP’s, and our annual Photokey will still be valid so we can get all of our digital pictures from both visits to each park.


Two days at Discovery Cove were also possible thanks to the deep discount offered to SeaWorld parks passmembers: our day resort admission was just $99 per person, per day.

We opted to forego the dolphin swim this time since we’ve been lucky enough to swim with the dolphins at DC three times on past visits, and to enhance the “relaxability” of those days: not having to be mindful of a dolphin swim time means we have literally no schedule from the time we arrive until the time the park closes. Beautiful. The DC price includes unlimited quantities of breakfast, lunch, all snacks, and beverages (including alcohol) in addition to the park activities, plus parking, a snorkel, a family photo, locker usage, towels, and even sunscreen are all provided complimentary. We are likely to Uber from the Vistana to DC on both dates this time so that Steve can enjoy a beverage or two (or more) without worry. We have never been to DC just as a couple and this these are easily our two most anticipated days of the trip .

Well, okay. Maybe they are tied as our two most anticipated days. We also two Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties booked and yeah, we’re pretty pumped about those too .

When the ticket prices were released for this year’s event, we were gutted: they were about $20 per person more than we paid in 2015 which quite honestly we found to be an excessively large increase. Much as we adored last year’s parties, the price hike coupled with the still-awful exchange rate had us agreeing to take a pass this October. It was the financially responsible thing to do.


A most amazing and special Vacation Angel, however, had other plans for us: in true Disney Magic “Where Dreams Come True” style, we were gifted with passes to not one, but TWO parties . Just when we didn’t think the trip could get any more epic, the bar was raised yet again and we were pixie dusted with passes to the Hallowishes Dessert Party for one of our nights . This year we have had more love, more generosity and more kindness bestowed on us than we have in our entire lives, and we are so stinking grateful (not to mentioned indebted) to the incredible folks who have made it possible. I can only hope they know how much they have touched our hearts, and how much joy they have brought to our 2016 vacations .


We will definitely be dressing up for both parties: pirates for one , and (hopefully) gangsters for the other. The latter, of course, hinges on whether we can get something suitable to fit my Big Steve for that second set of costumes (which will then also be used for Capone’s Dinner Show). If the plans for gangster wear falls short, then we’ll be pirates for both events.

I must admit, while I think it’s a ridiculous cost and a crazy huge splurge, I am super excited for the Hallowishes Dessert Party. I know the reviews have been mixed at best, but I wonder if a big part of that is the fact that the experience comes with such a substantial price tag. The desserts look super cute and I love the idea of reserved spaces for the parade and fireworks viewing, so it’s an upgrade that has us both pretty jazzed up. On that visit, we’ll probably skip dinner entirely (and just grab something later in the night if we find we are peckish) so we can enjoy as much of the dessert party offerings as possible. On our second party night, we kick off the evening with a character dinner at Crystal Palace (which Steve has wanted to return to since our first visit 2009). We will make FP+ selections for the first night (when we have the Hallowishes Dessert Party) but probably not for the second, since we have the ADR to work around. I am in the midst of organizing a Memory Maker Share on another forum so that we will have all photos from both nights for a very affordable price (under $30).

Two parties last year was so much fun: there was no pressure or rush to try and cram everything in on a single night. We have intentionally scheduled in nothing else on the morning/early afternoon of our party days (affording us the chance to sleep in and/or grab a nap before heading to the MK for a 4 pm entry) nor anything for the following mornings (so we can stay until close and sleep in the next day as late as we would like). The only thing I am little bummed about is that one of our favourite rides, Big Thunder Mountain, will be down for refurb on both of our party dates . We have vowed to ensure we hit up Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for the first time instead.....we missed that ride last year, at both parties.


Attractions to be continued…….

87 day to go!

Hi Gina...can you tell me which resort those pool picures are from??That place looks pretty nice!!

 

[PrincessMamma4]

Early December should be super nice . The Christmas events will be in full swing but you're still a couple of weeks from the really BIG crowds. I can't wait to hear if things work out for a holiday season trip for you!! I have my fingers and toes all crossed!



We got equally good value from our Universal AP's as well. 4 trips in total before they expired. If you are relatively certain you will be spending multiple weeks in Orlando throughout the year, you generally can't go wrong with annual passes.



FANTASTIC pictures . Those desserts are simply adorable (the oreo one with the Mickey ears is just so darn cute!!).....I hope they tasted as good as they looked. They certain have the fun factor down if nothing else!



Yes!! A PTR is so much fun to do....and it's definitely motivating. If you decide to get one started, be sure to post your link here on this thread so we can all follow along.

Your dates are great! December in Orlando is so festive. Honestly, even though its warm, I find it feels even more Christmassy there than it does here in the north. We might have the snow, but Florida just seems to ooze holiday cheer.

Man, I hope that our impromptu December trip pans out. If Steve can't get those vacation days approved, I'm going to need some serious virtual hugs from you guys. And a year's supply of chocolate to help numb the pain of disappointment .



Yep, that's for a one bedroom villa, not the studio. You have taught me well and I was sure to double check because laundry is a must. I hate, hate, hate taking a suitcase full of dirty clothes home.

As for needing a friend with an II membership ... what am I, chopped liver?



If we can secure Steve's vacation days for the 17th to 24th (which is our first choice), we have can have our pick of Grand Vista, Cypress Harbour, Harbour Lake or Sabal Palms....all two bedroom/two bath....for $327 for the week. Ditto for Sheraton Vistana Resort. Picking is going to be SUPER tough. We will proabably give Harbour Lake a pass simply because we have no kids along (and it sounds like its a better fit for families), but Cypress Harbour and Grande Vista are definitely looking like great options.



Hi klacey! to the thread!

Great feedback on our restaurant plans....its always reassuring to hear that we've made some good choices. I am just hoping all the walking and swimming will help keep all that deliciousness from finding its way straight to my hips .

I also appreciate you sharing your personal experiences with MGV. I'm always a bit hesitant to branch out when the Vistana is an option (sometimes its comforting to "go with what you know") but the Marriott properties definitely sound like they might be a fun and enjoyable change. Now.....if we could just get those bloody vacation days approved!! Ugh, this waiting is killing me .



The DC discount is one of our favourite perks . But then again, DC is also our favourite park . I could spend every day of our trip there and be quite content.



Were you thinking of a squeezing in a trip in the coming months? If you want, I'd be happy to look up prices for ya.....just let me know what month/week and I will see what's available.

So...we're staying at the Marriott Grand Vista end of September/October and I'm paying a lot more than $327/week. Can you tell me how to get a deal like that??? We have a 3 bedroom/3 bath

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The short explanation.....stylist. Long explanation....long term care facility.

I bet you are a favourite among the residents .

DO IT!!! I am incredibly cheap with phones and technology, but even I'd splurge on the $100 upgrade! You'll love not having to lug around a camera in the parks and still take great pictures!

I think I am convinced . The S7 it shall be! I am heading to Telus tomorrow to do the upgrade. Now, to find a case .

September Trip - Only 3 full days, but our arrival day we get there at 9am, so it is like 4 days! We will be staying on Universal property (Royal Pacific), so we will be doing a lot of Universal mornings. We will also do one HHN, and have already gotten out Express Passes so we can knock out every house. I am so excited about the Exorcist house and the American Horror Story House! We will also be doing one evening at MK and one morning at MK (Crystal Palace pre-rope drop ADR!), and one evening at Epcot (gotta see the new Soarin'!). We will also be doing one Sea World morning, as I want to ride Mako! No MNSSHP for us this time. We have gone the past 3 seasons. I do love the party, but as we our getting APs for Disney, I just couldn't swallow buying an extra add-on!

November Trip - This is like your Christmas trip, an absolute dream come true! For various family/logistical reasons, my family wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving a few weeks early this year. I quickly realized that would mean that Will and I would be free on the actual Thanksgiving holiday. One of my life-long dreams has been to celebrate my birthday in Orlando, especially to wake-up in Disney World. I figured this would never happen because my Birthday always falls in the Thanksgiving window (11/24) and we are always with family. Well this year my birthday actually falls directly on Thanksgiving. So we are going to have a 4-day trip, that will include Universal, MK, AK, as well as Busch Gardens in Tampa! We will be staying part of the time at my favorite , the Polynesian, but also 2 nights at the AKL (going to stay at Kidani in a one-bedroom suite...yolo).

So I am definitely counting down with you my friend!!! I will let you know what the Christmas decorations look like as I think some will be up by Thanksgiving!

Those sound like fantastic plans! And to be in Orlando on your birthday: simply spectacular . Which restaurant have you picked for your birthday dinner? Hopefully something super-special!

Hi Gina...can you tell me which resort those pool picures are from??That place looks pretty nice!!

None of those are from resorts, actually. The first pool picture (under the SeaWorld lighthouse photo) is Roa's Rapids at Aquatica. The other two are from Discovery Cove. Have you been to either park? My pictures do neither place justice....they are both more awesome than my photos could ever suggest.

So...we're staying at the Marriott Grand Vista end of September/October and I'm paying a lot more than $327/week. Can you tell me how to get a deal like that??? We have a 3 bedroom/3 bath

Since we own at Sheraton Vistana Resort, we have a membership with Interval International. Our II membership (which is $89 for the year) entitles us to book "Getaways": one week stays at various resorts, often at very deep discounts. I am not 100% certain, but I expect that these weeks are unsold inventory resulting from owner exchanges. We were shocked when we were coming up with multiple great resorts for our specific week at those crazy low prices: it was part of what cemented our decision to add in this extra trip. Our $327 for the week has to be WAY less than the yearly maintenance fees paid by an owner. Even adding in our II membership fee, it was still an incredible price .

 

[ElenaJane]

Since my birthday dinner is also Thanksgiving, there were lots of fun choices! I decided on Liberty Tree Tavern for our first night (Thanksgiving Eve), to practice for the big day . MK is supposed to be a zoo on Thanksgiving Day and AK is supposed to be better. So we are going to do BOMA on Thanksgiving! It is not an officially designated Thanksgiving spot, but I hear they have a lot of special offering for the day.

 

[bankr63]

It was, I swear. You've heard of bad chicken right? But have you ever heard of bad Rum?

Yes, they call it Tequila...

 

[bankr63]

We'll be going to Lake Placid for 4 nights for our Thanksgiving. We stay at a lodge in the mountains with my whole family and it's just beautiful that time of year. We haven't been in a few years. I got thinking about it yesterday and I'm really excited for that now too. It's going to be an awesome October .

We were in Placid this weekend; was camping near Saranac Lake for a couple of nights. We love that area for quick getaways.

Just a quick driving tip; if you are going through Tupper Lake avoid Rt 3 through the Main Street. It has been under construction since the spring, and considering how slowly it appears to be moving, won't be done by Thanksgiving. There are several roads that easily bypass the mess, but no detours are offered. It is a very steep hill and utter chaos (especially with 6,000lbs of trailer trying to pull you back down the hill on very loose gravel).

 

[pigletto]

We do go through Tupper Lake so this is awesome advice and I will make sure to pass it on to the group. Thank you! We stay at Whiteface Lodge while we are there and it's just beautiful. I am so excited!

 

[chicagoshannon]

We're down to 5 days until our trip. Eric called Sea World this morning and they said the free offer for passholders will be up online on Sept 1.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Since my birthday dinner is also Thanksgiving, there were lots of fun choices! I decided on Liberty Tree Tavern for our first night (Thanksgiving Eve), to practice for the big day . MK is supposed to be a zoo on Thanksgiving Day and AK is supposed to be better. So we are going to do BOMA on Thanksgiving! It is not an officially designated Thanksgiving spot, but I hear they have a lot of special offering for the day.

Great selections!! I have never been to either restaurant, so I will be looking forward to your reviews of both locations after your trip .

Yes, they call it Tequila...

We're down to 5 days until our trip. Eric called Sea World this morning and they said the free offer for passholders will be up online on Sept 1.

Good grief ..... nothing like SeaWorld leaving things to the very last minute. I hope you work well under pressure!

So awesome that your trip is SO close now . The excitement must be building at your house, especially with the two kiddos! Have you got the luggage all packed?

 

[chicagoshannon]

I've got as much packed as I can. Will have to wait until after I do laundry on Friday to pack the rest. I think I need to buy Madeline a couple of more outfits. She's got maybe 3 outfits that fit, that aren't dressy dresses. I don't really want to bring those with.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Alrighty, I am woefully overdue for a decent update post and I'm vowing not to let it go another day. If I keep this up I'll lose every reader I have .

There really isn't huge stuff happening on the trip planning front: there's precious little to take care of for our October trip especially, and most of the remaining to-do's are within the last month before travel. We will be able to make FP+ selections on September 16th, which will be fun (hoping for the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Splash Mountain: realistically we'd prefer 7DMT but know that is a virtual impossibility). Our Diamond Lane requests can't be sent in until 2 weeks prior, and ditto for our special requests (top floor, close to pool) for Wyndham Cypress Palms. My internet shopping from our favourite US retailers (with packages to be delivered to our Buffalo park and fly) also can't be done until about two weeks before we leave, so we're definitely in an October lull.

That said, I think we will purchase our Quick Queue passes for Steve this week for our SeaWorld days. Normally we would buy QQ for both of us, but with Sky Tower still down (and no reopening date in sight) it seems like a poor value for me when I'll only do two of the remaining attractions: Turtle Trek and Antarctica. Rather than pay $29 for Quick Queue, I think I've decided to book the Dolphin Encounter for the two of us as a cool little add-on. The Dolphin Encounter is $15 per person, so literally a wash between the two costs (and the 10% discount for pass members applies to both). I also read that we can pre-purchase three trays of food (for the sting rays, sharks and sea lions) on the pass member site for something like $9.38 (and its $5 per tray at the park) so I will likely buy everything in one order and have those little items scratched off the list.

December is in a bit of planning lull right now as well. The itinerary is set, the big stuff is all purchased (flights, accommodations, event tickets, etc.) so basically all we are doing is saving for food and incidentals. The Christmas packages for SeaWorld (which come with reserved seating for the special shows) will not be released until October so we have a while to wait on those: plus, during the month of October, passmembers receive a 30% discount versus the standard 10% off so it makes way more sense to be patient and hold off anyway. Hoop Dee Doo is still showing no availability for the bulk of our week (GRR!) so the waiting continues where that is concerned....hopefully Disney will see fit to open another block of dates on September 1st for all of us travelling during the busy Christmas season. Steve has been working a crazy amount of overtime over the past several weeks (by necessity and not by design), and is joking that he is working to pay off our entire December vacation in a single month. I am hoping he gets to enjoy Labour Day off but at this point I'm not willing to hold my breath.

We've been super busy getting Jake ready for his big move into his little apartment. We've been helping him shop for housewares and furniture and arrange for things like cable installation. He picks up his keys on Wednesday night and moving day is Thursday. He and I had a very precious and rare evening together the other night, just hanging out and watching TV and yakking about everything and anything, t and I have to say it made me rather emotional. Those "big feelings" are getting bigger and bigger as the days creep by. It's sad and wonderful and happy and sad all at the same time. I think I may need chocolate therapy by Saturday.

I'm still in the midst of upgrading my phone: I was all set to move forward with the S7 Edge but ran into a roadblock where protective cases are concerned. With Jake's move this week, I have deferred any decision on devices until next week when hopefully my mind will be clearer and my time will be a little less spoken for. Even with a September upgrade I will have lots of time to get accustomed to the new phone and the camera functions before we travel in October.

We are now down to 44 days until we leave for our October trip, and 108 until our December adventures. It's been a long summer watching my bosses enjoy their various summer holidays, and feels like forever since we were in Orlando in late April and early May. I am definitely feeling the NEED for a vacation.

 

[pepperandchips]

If I keep this up I'll lose every reader I have

Highly unlikely with all the "characters" here on this thread!!

We are now down to 44 days until we leave for our October trip, and 108 until our December adventures

YAY you are getting so close!!! Plus, don't be envious of your bosses. The Bo-Bina clan travels at a much nicer weather time of the year! You'd have been miserable in Orlando in the summer!!! I hope the days pass quickly (up until you arrive in Orlando, that is)

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thanks for the update Gina, things are moving ever closer on all fronts, vacation, planning, phone and Jake moving out

We are still saving for our Christmas trip (with the downward spiral of the £ I think spending money will be tighter this time), I am on the look out for the Seaworld Christmas extras and still deciding on wether to buy the all day dining for Christmas Eve before we go, or just decide on the day.

My dd just got her GCSE results which were really good (2 A*, 5 A's and 2 B's) and has enrolled today for college. She is already thinking of University and leaving her parents behind for student digs! But that's another 2 years yet, but as you know that will fly by. Otherwise I am just enjoying a week off work before college starts up, so time to catch up on the Dis

 

[Raeven]

I know what you mean with watching everyone else go on vacation in the summer, but now everyone else has used up their vacations and we both have two coming up!

 

[pigletto]

Thanks for the update Gina! I'm not sure if you have both your AP's for Universal purchased yet, but if you don't there is some talk of changes and possibly price increases to some of the passes. There's a post in the Universal forums with more info. It might be worth getting that last pass ahead of the changes.
I'm sorry you are having a hard time with the big changes coming up. I can relate on some levels. DD leaves for school again this Saturday, and though its easier this time than last year, she isn't in dorms anymore, and has an apartment, so who knows if she will come back next summer. It's great to see them thrive, and hard to let them go.

On the vacation front, I book our fastpasses tomorrow! We have that one night onsite after the party so we get the 60 day window. Luckily I asked last night in another thread if booking still opened at midnight like it did when we booked for May 2016. NOPE! It's 7am now. That works better for me. Staying up until midnight every night for a week to fiddle with fastpasses, and then getting up for work was no fun. I like the morning booking much better.

We are currently 60 days from our Universal trip.
Do you think Aquatica tickets might have a deal before we go? I remember they were really cheap (something like $19 pp) for our early December 2015 trip. Probably because the weather is so unpredictable then. It would be nice to see a cheap rate like that for the first week of November. I'm not holding my breath though.

As for the phone I think you are leaving yourself plenty of time to get used to it, and I totally understand not wanting to add one more thing to your plate right now.
We've had a pretty free summer and were just talking about what things start to look like in the Fall and ... is all I can say. We literally don't have one week night where one of us doesn't have a sport, coaching, a committee , a council, a practice, and DH is teaching at the college on top of his full time job. Then there is school projects and regular homework and weekend tournaments. I love our life and we make it all work but this Fall/Winter is going to be hairy and THAT is why I love our vacations and family time so much. I'll be just like you and soooooo ready for this trip when it comes.

 

[Lynne G]

Wahoo, sometimes nothing to do is a good thing.

Still tweeking my Mickey trip, as they keep adjusting the calendar.

And oh I forgot about the October pass holder deals for SW. Will need to remind myself as it gets closer.

Should get my magic band any day now, as almost 30 days until I will be in the World.

Wow, this summer has flown.