Will this trip ever get off the ground? - Jan 2012 PTR - TOMORROW - 1/5!!!

[tankgirl427]

Ack... I am sorry to hear about the 4th person bailing..

Ticket prices are going up, but not by a whole lot, right?

Now I'm not so sure about her breaking up with her boyfriend cause now she has herself listed in a relationship with a guy with the same first name as the guy she was dating. If only she would write me back so we coudl talk somethings out. I feel like the trip in October is going to be a mess (control Disney freak I am) and January has more things arranged and in order.

The only day ticket went up $4, park hopper option up $4, then after four days instead of $5 between days its $8. And I can't remember what it costs for four days now.

I also forgot to mention that I went to the "Where Memories Begin" tour when it was in Boston, well they had a spot in Boston for the Saturday and it was in a mall north of Boston, about 20 minutes away from me for both Saturday and Sunday. It wasn't anything really special, they had these photo booths you would go into and it said smile for Mickey, Minnie, make a goofy face for Goofy and I think the last one was Donald and then they put your picture in each of the four parks and printed out one of the four photos and then you got a magentic Disney photo frame. That was the highlight of the whole thing.

I was not feeling much Disney magic from any the workers there of being happy to be part of something Disney. I mean a smile wouldn't have hurt!

 

[annmarieda]

How cool you got to go to the tour. I didn't realize that was happening.

I am sorry that your October trip is in a bit of a state. That really sucks. Especially when you are the planner. Do they not understand you are trying to make their vacation a good one? Hopefully it will come together and everyone will have a good time! .. fingers crossed.

 

[tankgirl427]

Thanks to Su-Lynn about her simple easy steps to renting DVC I thought how cool would it be to do a split stay and surprise my cousin with moving us to a nicer resort. Not saying POFQ wouldn't be nice, but we aren't going to be staying there if I get the DVC points.

We'll start off at Pop for the first two nights, let her think that's where we are staying the whole ten days, then be like nah let's go stay somewhere else, pack up and I'll have them move our bags for us. And hopefully........ (fingers crossed) we can end up at BLT studio with a MK or Lake View!

Renting the points will cost me more on the trip, BUT its a huge savings on the actual cost of the room if you price it out on the Disney website!

Can you imagine waking up next door to the MK?

So now I'll wait and see while I look like this

 

[annmarieda]

That will be awesome! I hope it works out. I also hope that you feel better soon.

 

[tankgirl427]

Oh I feel fine. I just get sick thinking about all the money the room costs. You know when you do the Disney math and realize its a LOT of money?

 

[annmarieda]

I am glad you feel fine... just sick from doing disney math. I understand. I could make our trip a bit cheaper by staying elsewhere... maybe not doing the party... maybe not doing BBB. However, I keep thinking this is a "special" trip (although not sure why). When I stop to think about the expense, I too look a little.

I recently got an offer for DVC.. and for a brief moment I wondered if that would be a better route for me to take since I can't seem to not go to Disney. The offer was that if I were to buy in at 160pt I would get a 4 night at DL or WDW or Hawaii. At I think it was 320 it was a cruise on the Dream. Enticing.. but ultimately (I think) 160 points is about 18k. $500 in dues each year... plus the cost of tickets and food. I am not sure that would make anything cheaper..even with the free vacation.. Still...had to do some disney math on it. and at that point I really felt Do I really spend that much on Disney? I must be a nut.

 

[tankgirl427]

I got that offer too. I don't have 18K to spend on a timeshare, if I did have 18K I probably would have a mortgage instead of a timeshare. LOL.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Disney math is definitely a bit overwhelming at moments. Alright, pretty much all the time...isn't it just so much better to think about the trip and the fun, rather than the whole "how to get to that point" part?

How cool you might be staying at BLT!! I hope your plan works out!

 

[annmarieda]

I got that offer too. I don't have 18K to spend on a timeshare, if I did have 18K I probably would have a mortgage instead of a timeshare. LOL.

Yup.. plus. Tell me what I am missing. I can't see how that saves. I mean, you still need tickets and dinning... and assuming there was some sort of room discount...????

Course, looking at my most current dilemma... maybe that is why people go with DVC. (my older kids may want to go... and I can't put them in with us...so where to put them..and how to afford it.. ect. )

 

[tankgirl427]

Yup.. plus. Tell me what I am missing. I can't see how that saves. I mean, you still need tickets and dinning... and assuming there was some sort of room discount...????

Course, looking at my most current dilemma... maybe that is why people go with DVC. (my older kids may want to go... and I can't put them in with us...so where to put them..and how to afford it.. ect. )

I think its more the 18K for 160 points gets you 50 years of vacations (minus the dues you have to pay each year), but you also have to consider how often you will want to go, how many points the type of room would cost you, etc. But you get $100 off the price of the annual pass. LOL

I'm sure Joyce could help explain better if there are any other benefits and now we know why her Sept trip broke the bank!

 

[tankgirl427]

Nothing has happened on the renting DVC points front yet. A few of the days I wanted a MK view studio are gone, so if I do go ahead it may be Lake View. Which isn't bad especially if I can get one that you can see MK from! I'll have to crunch those numbers later today.

On to my plans for October:

10/14 - Fly down to MCO. Est. Arrival Time - 10:05pm. The time share doesn't start until the 15th, so I decided I'd treat myself to a night at Pop. No need for checked luggage because #1 - its one night and #2 - at the time share I can do laundry so what's the point? ME to Pop, check in and go to sleep!

10/15 - Everyone else arrives at some point, hard to say when flights have yet to be booked and there are no real arrangements made. Check luggage with Bell Services, check out. Head to HS to turn in Pass Voucher for Annual Pass and *possibly* pick up TIW card. Why would I do this when we have a time share and a kitchen? We are planning one meal onsite and saving 20% doesn't bother me. Plus I have too many TS places picked out for January if we get/do the Dining Plan. I need to see if I can make the $75 back on the few meals I have planned. Do park stuff until other people arrive, get back to Pop, pick up luggage, have them pick me up or take taxi to time share. Go grocery shopping and have a nice first night!

10/16 - Possible MK day with CP breakfast before opening. Maybe trying Splash Mountain again, just not in the front row! Maybe trying DW's Space Mountain. I hated DL Space Mountain. I like seeing where I'm going!

10/17 - Epcot for Food & Wine. I *may* try Mission Space for the first time

10/18 - Hang out at the timeshare in the day and MNSSHP at night?

10/19 - HS day. TSM and ST!

10/20 - I was thinking doing AK in the morning and Epcot for Food and Wine at night. But this is the only day I have us jumping parks. So maybe.... Epcot only day? Move Animal Kingdom until next day?

10/21 - Was supposed to be a MK day. But with MK earlier in the week and MNSSHP earlier, maybe we can get everything done we want to and today will be AK?

10/22 - Time to check out. Flight leaves at 6pm, so maybe I can sneak back into the parks for a bit today? Where would I leave my luggage?

 

[annmarieda]

I am not sure about what you do with luggage when staying DVC. I would assume the same as if you were at any resort. They will hold them for you.

Cool on the night at Pop!

 

[tankgirl427]

I am not sure about what you do with luggage when staying DVC. I would assume the same as if you were at any resort. They will hold them for you.

Cool on the night at Pop!

Well the DVC rental would be for January. My friend used one of her timeshare weeks for our October trip, I'm just coming down a day before it starts and leaving late the last day. If my friend in FL wants to stick around and drive me to the airport I could always leave my bag in his car.

 

[tankgirl427]

Do you believe in Disney Karma?

Last week and this week I've been behind two cars which made me stop and wonder if they were part of the Dis. I have pictures ( I know I know taking pictures on my phone while driving not good. But we were stopped!)

Today, we went out to Five Guys for dinner and I convinced BF to go into the mall so I could go into the Disney Store and there were a TON of new shirts! I really liked them and picked up six! Then I got a Vinylmation and when I was paying I noticed in their trade case was a Fairy Godmother. Opened up my box and what's in it? A FAIRY GODMOTHER! Its like Karma! or Pixie Dust or something!

I have pictures of the cars, a really funny men's shirt that had everyone looking at me in the store and I'll have to take pictures of my new shirts to share.

Pictures commence!

This is more Eggplant in color

Who says cats and mice don't get along????






My drawer of Disney shirts makes a nice little bed!

 

[annmarieda]

Cool shirts! And on the Disney Karma

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Aww Disney karma is great!! And those shirts are really cute! I just hate how expensive Disney t-shirts are!

 

[tankgirl427]

Cool shirts! And on the Disney Karma

I know I was just really excited to see new shirts that I thought were cool and wanted to honestly buy! Usually there isn't too much I like! I had a hidden mickey in my hot chocolate this morning too! I almost took a picture.

Aww Disney karma is great!! And those shirts are really cute! I just hate how expensive Disney t-shirts are!

I was jsut really in love with all the new shirts I saw. There is a really cute Pooh one I wanted to go back for, but BF wasn't happy about me buying any, so six might have put him over the edge! The only thing going for the shirts were being 2 for $28 and then the Disney Visa discount on top of that.

 

[tankgirl427]

With ADR booking coming in a little over a week, I figured its time to go over the park plans and where to eat. This is probably my 15th revision of where to eat and what parks to be in, but for all you know it could have been my first. Let me tell you, its taken a lot of work to get it to this point. Most places I don't have a particular time picked out, but for which meal its for.

On with the show!

Arrival Day - AK - Lunch - Flametree (it was closed in Sept), Dinner - Jiko

HS - Lunch - Starring Rolls (split sandwich and cupcake), Dinner - 50's PTC (hopefully I can get a server to ham it up with us!)

Epcot - Breakfast - Akerkus (either before park opens, or late breakfast before WS opens), Dinner - Via Napoli

Epcot - Lunch - Le Cellier (pretzel bread!)

MK - Breakfast - Crystal Palace (before park opens hopefully!)

MK - Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern (more pot roast )

Epcot - Lunch - Beaches and Cream (No Way Jose!)

MK - Breakfast - Main St. Bakery (Cinnamon Roll, yes please!), Dinner - Ohana (never done this before!)

HS - Lunch - Sci-Fi, Dinner - WPE (bacon wrapped meatloaf , in the words of Homer Simpson "grrglgrrrrgllgrrgll")

AK - Breakfast - Tusker House (don't care if its during the park being open or not), Lunch - WPE (ME should pick us up around 3 or 4pm so this is our last meal)

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

We have several ADR ideas in common!! Jiko, Via Napoli, Le Cellier (but we're thinking dinner there), Crystal Palace (I want to try to get a pre-park opening ADR too!), Liberty Tree Tavern, and Beaches and Cream!

Great, now I want a barbecue chicken flatbread, steak, and a malt. Disney planning always makes me hungry!

 

[tankgirl427]

We have several ADR ideas in common!! Jiko, Via Napoli, Le Cellier (but we're thinking dinner there), Crystal Palace (I want to try to get a pre-park opening ADR too!), Liberty Tree Tavern, and Beaches and Cream!

Great, now I want a barbecue chicken flatbread, steak, and a malt. Disney planning always makes me hungry!

Since I'm thinking of getting TIW and no dining plan, I think timing of Le Cellier is flexible, I just don't understand why the filet at lunch is $26.99 and at dinner is like $40?

The BBQ chicken flatbread is one of the reasons I want to go to Jiko, I'm obsessed with BBQ chicken pizza recently and I really want to try it!

I got some changes for January all ready!