(update 08/06) This One's for You, Mom -- Sep 2015 PTR

[PracPerfPatricia]

Ann- I was cracking up when I read that Victoria now likes to read about Disney accidents... oh wow- aren't teenagers a hoot?

Everything you wrote about your parents was lovely - and I'm totally looking forward to reading about your trip... hopefully I can figure out these "new" Dis boards since it's been a while since I've been here...

Sending good wishes everything works out exactly as you want it to...

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Following along. i think it is great your doing this trip for your mom. The plans you have look great. I hope you will be able to get the standard room for the 5th.I am sending you extrajust to increase your odds.

Ok, I'm gonna say it right here, right now.....I don't like the new format for Dis!! Nope! so......Hiya Belle!!! Thank you for joining my ptr! Sorry about that rant about booking, it's just my first time doing DVC and I'm so nervous about it. This trip is soooo important to Mom!!

I'm so excited for you that you get to stay at Grand Floridian! I know it was important to get this for your mom, so I'm glad you'll be able to stay there!
Fingers crossed that the Standard View opens up! More snow? Hasn't there been enough?
We actually had unexpected (to me at least) snow today, but thankfully it was only a coating and was gone a few hours later.
But seriously, hasn't there been enough snow this winter to last like 5 winters???

OMG!!!! I am soooooo freakin sick of this snow!! I can't remember a year with this much snow! We just had another 8 or so inches last night into today. At this point it's just crazy! We definitely do not need anymore. The ski resorts have enough, the snowmobilers have enough, EVERYONE has had enough! Ugh!

Ann- I was cracking up when I read that Victoria now likes to read about Disney accidents... oh wow- aren't teenagers a hoot? Everything you wrote about your parents was lovely - and I'm totally looking forward to reading about your trip... hopefully I can figure out these "new" Dis boards since it's been a while since I've been here...Sending good wishes everything works out exactly as you want it to...

Hi Patricia!!!! Glad you could join me!! Yep, teenagers!!! Hey, she'll be 17 on the 18th so I consider it good that we've made it this far! Yes, my parents were such a wonderful example on how marriage should be and I am so happy to be doing this for her.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hi everyone!!! Well, I have some GREAT, FANTASTIC, STUPENDOUS news!!! We are officially booked with a reservation email & number!!! And we are linked to MyDisneyExperience so it's got to be true, right??!! Yep!!! I was feeling nervous on Saturday and the DVC group on Facebook said I should just call again to ease my mind. I ended up calling and talking to such a wonderful CM Chase and he did everything for me. And by everything I mean he made my Waitlist come true!!! We are now officially booked from September 5th through the 11th Standard View (actually he suggested he request courtyard view for me) at the Grand Floridian!!!Can I get a whoo hoot!!!???? SQUEE!!!! No more ressie to worry about!! It's all on one ressie number, one set of Magic Bands! You guys cannot believe how over the moon I am now! He also suggested a higher floor near the elevators, so I'm good with that too! He made sure to mark it was Mom's 75th birthday celebration. OMG!!! This is really happening!!! Next up will be purchasing the park tickets, airline tickets, Dining Plan, Memory Maker, and Mom's special surprise!! But first, we've got to wait for the lovely State and Fed tax refunds to come in. Soon....very, very soon!!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay! I'm so glad everything is taken care of and is in your MyDisneyExperience account.
Sounds like Chase was a great CM - I'm so glad you had such a good experience!

 

[Tinker326]

Great news Ann! So exciting. I can't WAIT to see the pictures and hear about the Grand Floridian. Someday I would like to stay there too....

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

FANTASTIC NEWS Ann!! That is so awesome!! I don't know how you deal with that much snow, that's insane! We have only had a dusting a couple times this year (knock on wood), I just cannot imagine doing my job in that much snow!

 

[princessbelle2015]

I am so happy that you were able to get Grand Floridian for the whole time. Having the rooms all taken care makes the trip feel more real.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

More Exciting News!!!
I bought Annual Passes for us!!!! Yep! I priced tickets out and for a 5 day regular pass it was going to be $300+ for each of us and with our DVC discount the Annual Passes were $485 for each.



Considering we are going back down sometime in June and will need park tickets then, too, this was a no-brainer! This way we are able to get two trips out of one ticket. Rumor has it that ticket prices were going up this coming weekend and I thought this would be a good time to buy. I also wanted to have the tickets prior to our Fast Pass ressie day. Now I know everything is all set. What I didn’t realize is the WE CAN PARK HOP!!! We’ve never been able to park hop before, so this is going to be a very cool thing, especially for Victoria. She was going to miss her favorite meal this time since we are not going to AK and her favorite is Tusker House breakfast.



Now we can do that as well as the Safari and then head out of the park to our scheduled day. OMG! This is going to be soooo cool!!! So, the plan is to head to DTD after we arrive at our resort and activate the passes. I’m nervous I won’t remember to do that, but who am I kidding? Of course I will remember to do that!!! I just love the fact that I won’t have to buy tickets for Victoria’s graduation trip! That’s a big expense! So many possibilities!!! Yahoo!!!!



I also purchased Memory Maker with our tax refund! Yeah! I didn’t want to go on a trip without it and since this is our “big, once in a lifetime” trip, I figured why not just buy it. I didn’t want to wait for a share. Who knows, I may end up hosting a share, but I don’t think so. We’ll see. Oh, I should purchase Mom’s birthday gift while I’m at it. Yep, gotta go do that!!!
So that’s my big excitement!!!!

 

[ursalita]

Congratulations on booking! It's so great that you were able to get your wish list!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

I'm so sorry about all of your snow--- David and I were first jealous when New England got hit with that big snow storm but after 2, 3, 4- not so much (I feel sorry for people that are snowbound- kind reminds me of Jack Nicolson losing it in the Shining...) We are getting about 4-6 " right now (which is kind of fun snow) but the single digit temps are the really killer thing...

I'm with Victoria- Tusker House breakfast is one of my favorites too

I think I missed something... what's Memory Maker?

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Yay! I'm so glad everything is taken care of and is in your MyDisneyExperience account.
Sounds like Chase was a great CM - I'm so glad you had such a good experience!

Hi Sarah! Well, by now you have finished your race. I hope you and Beth did fabulously --- I’m sure you did! Oh, I am soooooo relieved to have a confirmation of the room we wanted. One less thing to think about……Now it’s onto ADR day on March 9th!!!

Great news Ann! So exciting. I can't WAIT to see the pictures and hear about the Grand Floridian. Someday I would like to stay there too....

I’m sure I will be taking LOTS AND LOTS of pictures. I just can’t believe it’s all coming together! Like I’ve said previously ---- there was no backup plan!!! LOL!

FANTASTIC NEWS Ann!! That is so awesome!! I don't know how you deal with that much snow, that's insane! We have only had a dusting a couple times this year (knock on wood), I just cannot imagine doing my job in that much snow!

According to the news, this is the 7th most snowiest February ON RECORD!! Yep, I sure can believe that. I don’t ever, ever remember this much snow in one month and it just doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. Oh, let me take that back, we actually had no snow yesterday and it got up to 28 degrees!!! Yay!!! There isn’t any snow in this week’s forecast, but it’s going to be frigid! Great--- not! I love where I live, though. I love being able to smell the ocean in just a ½ hour drive!!! I can’t imagine living in the plains or Mid-West. You should be back home by now…..so when is that trip report coming???

I am so happy that you were able to get Grand Floridian for the whole time. Having the rooms all taken care makes the trip feel more real.

Hi Belle!!! Quite honestly it still doesn’t feel real! Maybe it won’t until all of our snow is GONE!!! I can’t even fathom being on the monorail line and only having to take busses to HS! That’s going to be weird. I really don’t think we’ll be going to AK, but we’ll see. I did mention Victoria loves Tusker House for breakfast so maybe that and the safari (and MAYBE EE!!!). If we end up doing that, we’ll also hop a bus to AK. Oh, so many choices!!

Congratulations on booking! It's so great that you were able to get your wish list!

It feels wonderful to know that part is all set!!!

I'm so sorry about all of your snow--- David and I were first jealous when New England got hit with that big snow storm but after 2, 3, 4- not so much (I feel sorry for people that are snowbound- kind reminds me of Jack Nicolson losing it in the Shining...) We are getting about 4-6 " right now (which is kind of fun snow) but the single digit temps are the really killer thing...I'm with Victoria- Tusker House breakfast is one of my favorites too I think I missed something... what's Memory Maker?

Hi Patricia ---- anytime you and David want to come up and take some of this snow off of my property, you are welcomed to!!! Bring a couple of dump trucks – you’ll need them! Around here you are only really snowbound on blizzard days. Other than that, I still drive to work and to shop with no problem. There’s never any of those “no bread left on the shelf” things here. At least not that I’ve seen. I live on a fairly busy road, so it’s usually plowed soon after the snow starts. Anything up to 1 foot of snow is just an inconvenience….LOL!
Memory Maker is the old Photopass. Boy, you’ll need to do your research before you go to Disney again, huh? How’s Emily doing in school? How’s everyone doing in general? I miss reading about your adventures!

 

[solana131]

Everything is falling into place, so excited for you!
You guys are going to love the Grand. The grounds are so beautiful, even when your mom is just "hanging out at the resort" it will be amazing. I loved having breakfast at Gasparillas Grill and sitting outside overlooking the castle. And the "quiet pool" is so great! We didn't use the beach pool at all because it was so noisy and busy. But the Courtyard pool was amazing.
We were in Boca Chica, on the end right next to the docks. Don't forget about the Electric Water Parade at night. It is really fun.....loud...but fun
No, I don't think I will do a TR from this last trip. I don't have as much time for the DIS as I used to and I struggle to keep up with the threads I am following, much less start a TR myself.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Everything is falling into place, so excited for you!
You guys are going to love the Grand. The grounds are so beautiful, even when your mom is just "hanging out at the resort" it will be amazing. I loved having breakfast at Gasparillas Grill and sitting outside overlooking the castle. And the "quiet pool" is so great! We didn't use the beach pool at all because it was so noisy and busy. But the Courtyard pool was amazing.
We were in Boca Chica, on the end right next to the docks. Don't forget about the Electric Water Parade at night. It is really fun.....loud...but fun
No, I don't think I will do a TR from this last trip. I don't have as much time for the DIS as I used to and I struggle to keep up with the threads I am following, much less start a TR myself.

Oh, I am so excited to be staying at the Grand. I hope it's not too "upper class" for me. I know Mom is goning to love it!!! Is the courtyard pool the one closest to the villas? That's the one I'm hoping to use most often. Yep, I'm very fortunate this is coming together like it is.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

So yet another detail is now done ---- flights are booked! I was able to book them on the day they came out on February 19th. I think they are pretty reasonable -- $320 per person round trip. Of course I still look everyday to see if they go lower, but I'm pretty satisfied with the price. We did have enought points for a one way flight, so we did that, and I had a credit of $158 from the non-Playlist trip, so the price was even less. That's usually about what we pay, so it's all good. We are flying Southwest as usual.



I just love their no change fees and no bag fees. I'm planning on bringing a suitcase full of snacks!! Victoria is big on bagels lately and I love to snack on cheese and crackers. So, I'm thinking pb, bagels, popcorn, bread, crackers etc. Mom loves grapes, but I'm sure we can pick up grapes right there at the quick service place. Besides, since Mom is coming to breakfast with us most days, we can sneak some fruit in our refillable mugs back to the room. Naughty girl, aren't I???



We are still undecided on the Dining Plan. My biggest hang up is buying the plan for Mom since it's everyone or no one. Ugh! She eats like a bird! She had diverticulitis and every year or so she has to get her throat stretched due to it closing so her and food are not the best of friends. She has to be very, very careful when eating or she will choke. We've had a couple of close calls so it's scary. Peter is dead set on getting it. I bet I could prove it's less expensive to not have it. Boy oh boy I just can't decide. Also, afftecting my decision, is Mom wants to pay for her own food. Now this makes sense as she won't be with us for most meals and she could do what she wanted. I'm thinking counter service will be too much food for her as she'll eat half of a sandwich and save the other half for dinner. Ugh! I just wish he wasn't so set on it. Here's another thought on TIW.....The card costs $100 which will give us 20% off the meal and it includes the tips. Now, having the DVC/Disney Visa card already gives us 10% on SOME meals but it doesn't include the tip. I usually tip at least 18% in Disney, so I still think the TIW is worth the $100 anyways. Oh, would someone please decide this for me???!!!

My figures: DDP $60.63 x 4 = $242.52 pp x 6 = $1,455.12 + tips $163 = $1,618.12
Table service = $904
Table service with tips = $163 (tips) = $1,067
TIW discount (20%) = $904 - $181 = $723.00
Table service with TIW (tip included) = $723 + $163 = $886
estimated counter services= 6 days x3 people =18x$20(avg meal) = $360
$886 + $360 = $1,246 TIW = $100 (card) $1,346

SEASONS ENTRÉE $12.29/SODA $2.99/DESSERT $5 = $21
COLUMBIA ENTRÉE $ 9.99/SODA $3.20/DESSERT $4.19 = $17
COMMISS ENTRÉE $11.49/SODA $3.29/DESSERT $5.19 = $20

Does that make sense to anyone? Peter also states that the counter service and snacks that Mom won't eat would be available for us to eat. By the numbers it's pretty darn close in price based on eating the most expensive table service things and I don't believe we will always do that. With the DDP we know we'd have the 1 counter service per day paid for.

Obviously, I need help!!

 

[princessbelle2015]

Great that you got your flights booked.

That's a hard decision between DDP or TIW. One plus of the TIW is you can use it when you go back in June. I know people who have smaller appetites like to eat appitzers at table service meals.

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay for annual passes! Having the ability to park hop is really nice ... we haven't gotten park hoppers on the past few trips, and I've missed being able to hop over to a different park.

We've never gotten Memory Maker ... but one of the PhotoPass CMs this trip said we should have (after we printed $120 worth of pictures ...), and I'm actually thinking about it for the future. I think it will be nice, especially for your mom's big trip, to have the ability to download all of the pictures. Just make sure you stop for as many pictures as you can and really take advantage of what you paid for.

Hi Sarah! Well, by now you have finished your race. I hope you and Beth did fabulously --- I’m sure you did!

It was great! Beth is now hooked on runDisney ... she wants to go back for Marathon Weekend in January.

Congrats on booking the flights - looks like you got a good price.

The dining plan question is a hard one ... looking at the numbers you posted, I think TIW does look like a better bet. But I get the the dining plan is really convenient ... it's a hard decision to make.

 

[Tinker326]

Congrats on your flights & prices! And I'd say skip the Dining Plan. It just doesn't look like you are going to break even on it with how/what your mom eats.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

My days…….
We will be leaving our home and flying out of Portland, Maine on Saturday, September 5th. I’m pretty sure we’ll be picking Mom up at her house and taking our car, but she may insist on Peter driving her car. She’s like that – she thinks my car is small (yeah, Mom….I drive a Dodge Caliber. Try driving in Peter’s Fiat 500!



Now THAT’S small!!!). We will have eaten breakfast at home as we aren’t leaving until 8am since the flight is at 9:50am. I don’t think security will be an issue in Portland --- it usually isn’t. Maybe one of us will end up with the TSA “fastpass” so that we can go through the “don’t take off your shoes” line. Usually one of us ends up with it! It’s totally random as we’ve never paid for this privilege. We are flying into Baltimore and will be landing in Orlando around 2:30pm. I’m sure we’ll probably get a chance to eat lunch in the Baltimore airport.



If we have to, we’ll just pick something up and eat on the plane. I can’t remember how much time we’ll have in between flights……
Hopefully the Magical Express will be there waiting for us when we land. This will be a new experience for Mom since she’s never stayed at a Disney resort and has never ridden the ME. I wonder how she’s going to enjoy not having to bring her suitcase to the resort. Oh, this is going to be fun!! I can’t wait to see her face! It’s going to be magical!!!




I’m thinking we’ll get to the resort by 3:30pm. Now we’ll need some time to unwind and settle in, but we’ll also need to go to Downtown Disney to exchange our vouchers for the actual annual passes and to buy the Tables in Wonderland card. (Yep, TODAY’S decision is to go with the TiW card!! Stayed tuned --- that may change!!) I’m figuring that may take us an hour or so……now we’ll be up to about 5pm if all goes as planned. I’m thinking I should make the ADR for 1900 Park Fare for 6pm. I’m hoping that’s not too late for Mom. I think we’ll be ok. Yes, our first ADR is for 1900 Park Fare!! Very convenient for us staying at the Grand.



After dinner I’m sure we’ll want to look around the resort and perhaps catch the Water Parade and Wishes on the beach. At least I will…..I’m not sure about the rest of the crew…..I’ll be so excited to watch them!!! OMG!!!
And that will wrap up day one!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

Wow, that is one small car!

I think TIW is a good decision ... I hope you guys stick with it! 1900 Park Fare should be a great first ADR, and then anyone who wants can go back to the room while you get to watch awesome Disney magic!

I really want to see the Water Parade ... we've tried the past 2 trips and it just hasn't worked out in terms of timing. But I think Wishes & Water Parade from the beach will be an awesome way to end arrival day!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

First day looks good! I like the dining plan because you don't have to worry about money or carry a bunch of it around but it sounds like the TIW card would work better for you this trip!