We're not going to WDW this year - yeah right!

[Azure]

Nice TR Pixie!!!

 

[TaraLee4]

I'm always late for the party...but i always show up!!

hehehe...great start!

 

[BeautyNBeast]

Subscribing

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Definately subscribing!
I mean, come on, it's a fellow SECRET GREEN CLUB MEMBER!

 

[nsalz]

I love living this again...more more more

I am sorry it took me so long to get here, but you know the whole work thing...they are actually making me work now

I'll wait until you are done with yours and then I will start mine.


In case no one knows..I'm 40

 

[uhtimex]

It took me 5 days to catch this TR. I am so ashamed after all the complaining I did about not getting to read this tr. But like they say, good things come to those who wait.....and this reads like it is gonna be good I can't wait for day 6

 

[DISUNC]

 

[pixie dust 112]

See my reply to your latest installment on your TR thread for the answer to that!

 

[DISUNC]

Flattery will get you EVERYWHERE with me!
However I am still gonna hold out (and possibley HAUNT) for your next edition! Come on! LizzY is even ahead of you!
If I was LizzY I'd hold this over your head!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Flattery will get you EVERYWHERE with me!
However I am still gonna hold out (and possibley HAUNT) for your next edition! Come on! LizzY is even ahead of you!
If I was LizzY I'd hold this over your head!

Yes, but LizzY has just been sittin around all summer, while I've been working to pay for all of these jaunts to the mutherland!

 

[DISUNC]

Yes, but LizzY has just been sittin around all summer, while I've been working to pay for all of these jaunts to the mutherland!

Not what I here!!!!! Poor LizzY, cookin, cleanin.....while you and her sisters go to the Ball!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Not what I here!!!!! Poor LizzY, cookin, cleanin.....while you and her sisters go to the Ball!

Yes, my 14 year old drama queen. She definitely has a rough life!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Part 2

Now it’s time to start planning for the trip. We know we have to go back in April 2007 for LizzYs high school band trip. Her band will be playing at EPCOT and will be leading the MK parade during our Spring Break next year. So we know that we may as well get APs. AP rates weren’t out yet for July, but I went ahead and made reservations for POR, our favorite resort, knowing that the rates would come out sooner or later and I would have them applied to my resort reservations at that time. OK, so I make our reservations for July 9 – 17th. Now it was time to make those airline reservations! I go to the southwest site to see what the fares are. Now, you must understand that I am the QUEEN of the low airfare ( Well, I’m actually the Queen of the Universe, but that’s a story for later on down the line in this trip report!). As unimaginable as this may seem, there are NO low fares on Southwest (my favorite airline) out of ALbany for our dates!!!! So I start looking around at other airlines and other airports. I find a decent fare ($79.00 each way) out of another airport fairly close to home, but I am somewhat worried as I am not familiar with the airline (can’t even remember the name now) and this particular airport seems to be famous for having unknown airlines come and go rather quickly. Additionally they only fly to Orlando on Friday so we can’t leave on Sunday as originally planned! I’m unsure of using the airline, but am thinking about it, so I do what any reasonable person would do, I call CRO and add 2 days to the beginning of our trip! Now mind you this airline only flies back on Sunday, but it would be silly to change my departure date up a day ‘til I know for sure what I’m going to do. Nsalz didn’t know anything about the airline either, but she did know someone who would be using it in about a month. I decided to hold off on the airline ressies until this other guy could give us a report. In the meantime I’d just keep checking. We also considered driving, and I know a lot of other people love to do this, but it would mean cutting into our WDW time and I really can’t imagine driving that far with my family. DH and I have different driving styles …. And believe me that is the understatement of the year. He feels it is appropriate to drive fast and all cars should be as close to one another as is possible. I, on the otherhand, will exceed the speed limit by about 10 mph and believe it is appropriate to leave room for at least one index card between me and the car ahead of me! When DH is driving I try to be helpful by applying my foot rather firmly to the imaginary brake pedal on the passenger side of the car every 15-20 seconds. I also give him helpful reminders like the car ahead of us is applying its brakes and we should slow down NOW!!!!! And OK our exit is about a mile ahead…. Now our exit is ½ mile ahead, our exit is ¼ mile ahead, we should get out of the left lane now and cross the four lanes to the exit lane because this is our exit….. we just passed our exit. For some reason I feel under appreciated through all of this help that I give him! Anyway we are not compatible driving companions on long trips.

I still did consider this driving thing tho. After all we could drive part way the first day stay over and let the kids see some sites in this beautiful country of ours. Then drive the rest of the way the next day. We would have great family bonding times, playing license plate games and singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall… then two things happened to make me realize that driving was not an option….. 1. I drove 10 minutes with my DH to get WinniethePooh93 from Basketball practice and was in great fear for my life and the lives of those people in the other vehicles around us, and 2. I remembered the Griswald’s trip to Wally World!

Got home and back on the computer to look for fares once again. I am the type of person who is absolutely sure if we don’t book our plane right away we will not be able to get a flight to Orlando in July!!! And you know we’re not drivin! Of course it was still February, but July is prime vaca time so obviously we had to book immediately. Luckily Southwest fares had come down to $99.00 each way on their weekly special. I am used to paying $49.00 each way when we go to MCO, but didn’t think we’d get anything cheaper. This was the time period when gas prices were raising about 20 cents a gallon every few weeks so I figured this was probably the best we could do. Could have booked that other airline but was still not too comfortable with that. So I booked. Of course I booked from the 7th through the 17th, after all that’s what we had reserved at POR!

I started waiting for AP rates on Mousesavers and Allearsnet.

In April I ordered our APs. I try to buy things a bit at a time to make the expenses more manageable. Aren’t I thrifty? Well when I want to be. I’m sure it wasn’t thrifty when I changed from a week at Cape Cod to 11 days at WDW! Bur hey ya only live once!

In May something absolutely amazing happened, I found the DISboards!!! Now I could check every morning on the June July August thread to see when the AP rates were coming out. I checked and checked and checked. I waited and waited and waited. I listened to all rumors posted on these boards and tried to interpret everything said to every DISer by the CMs at CRO. Nothin. However, I did find out about the DDE and ordered my card. Paid $60.00 and saved hundreds! Great thing to have if you have an AP.

Then, one day I do not check the boards in the morning because I realize I am becoming an addict. (Aren’t we all? Odds are good if you’re reading this you too need a 12 step program!) I check in the afternoon and find out that the rates came out that morning! But no rates for the moderates. Being a family of 5 we need POR or a deluxe. Sometimes we book two rooms instead of a room for 5, but remember, we are on the braces budget this year. I really wasn’t counting on POR not having an AP rate! So I guess we’ll pay $155.00 a night for POR. Afterall the airline reservations are made, we have our APs and our DDE card, we’ve got to go! But wait, There are AP rates for YC, BC and BWI. It’s $189.00 a night at those resorts. They’ve got queen sized beds. It’s not thaaaaat much more. We get to stay at a deluxe…. and ….Nsalz is staying at BWV. I talk to DH who gives his usual response, I don’t care, whatever! So of course I change our ressies to BWI!

 

[nightowlky]

An index card is WAY too much room to leave between you and the car in front of you.

Haven't you ever watched NASCAR?

 

[javamom]

subbing!

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Yeah, thanks PD for the update!!! Btw, I think you sound like an excellent driver. I drive the same way which is why I won't let dh drive while I'm in the car!!!

 

[Mic_n_Min]

Subscribing- you're not even in the World yet and I am hooked!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

When I get back next weekend, this trip report better be finished!

 

[pixie dust 112]

subbing!

We'll be there 9/28 til 10/2. Where are you staying? Will you have a LGMHPC on you?

Your family will love POR. That's where we are staying in Sept/Oct.

 

[pixie dust 112]

Yeah, thanks PD for the update!!! Btw, I think you sound like an excellent driver. I drive the same way which is why I won't let dh drive while I'm in the car!!!

Good Policy!