Wishin' & Hopin', Planning & Dreamin': Oct 2013 PTR - 10/20 UPDATE: Link to TR!!

[Pixiedust530]

Awww, you are so sweet!

Great shots! I always edit out the flagpole and a crane last time too!

You are going to have so much more camera time since it's just the two of you! I cannot wait to see all your shots! I suspect this trip with Savannah I will have less...but less for me probably means 1500 shots instead of 3500!

As I start working on my park plans, Wayne and I have actually decided to "schedule" some camera time. We just LOVE the rides so we will have to make some plans to focus on the photography too.

Sorry I didn't see this (I was sick last week and slowly catching up).

Love the photos (love Minnie posing!). It's so much easier to so pictures without a little one in tow.

I hope you are feeling better. Minnie played her character so well. She was just walking around, waving to guests when she saw me snapping pics. She stopped and dis her pose, then she was blowing us kisses, and holding her hand over her mouth like she was giggling. Even though we were waiting for RD (and unable to actually have a Meet n Greet) it was one of the coolest character interactions I have ever had.

 

[Tinker326]

Hopped over here from Karen's PTR & just read through yours. Funny, I suffer from THE SAME DISEASE! Seems to be common amoung us all...hahahaha!

Love the PTR- look forward to following. We are heading back to right around the same time you are & I've been planning (in my head) since last August.

I've never done a solo trip- don't think my hubby would go for it! Should be a great opportunity to take it at a slow pace & enjoy the surroundings!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Hopped over here from Karen's PTR & just read through yours. Funny, I suffer from THE SAME DISEASE! Seems to be common amoung us all...hahahaha!

Love the PTR- look forward to following. We are heading back to right around the same time you are & I've been planning (in my head) since last August.

I've never done a solo trip- don't think my hubby would go for it! Should be a great opportunity to take it at a slow pace & enjoy the surroundings!

Welcome aboard! So glad to have you along. I've been a little slow in my updates, but I'm getting into some serious planning now, so I hope to be around here more often.

I know what you mean about the planning in your head. I have been planning this trip (in my head) since our last trip in October 2011.

I thought that Wayne would be hard to convince to go solo. He actually surprised me a little. He said that he had a good time on our last trip (his first) but that he was SUPER EXHAUSTED and wanted to vacation once we returned home.

So...he has agreed to go on this trip, but asked for a slower pace and time to just chill. He actually asked me today if I was planning pool time! Um....of course honey...that was in the schedule... I guess I better get to penciling in that pool time.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Well ladies (and gentlemen...if we have any) it's OFFICIAL!!!! We are booked!

I am so excited...but it wasn't an easy road getting here!

A little over a week ago I started the search for renting DVC points for our trip. If you remember from way back when... we were thinking of Bay Lake Tower, Boardwalk or Beach Club. I may have forgotten to mention it but my choice was Bay Lake Tower. This was for a couple reasons...First, there is easy access to the monorail, MK, and options for ways to travel to EPCOT and/or DHS (not JUST the buses). Second, boats or monorail travel to Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge for multiple dining options. And third...it is so close and has a chance for views of my favorite park...Magic Kingdom!

Since we will be doing F&WF on this trip, Boardwalk and Beach Club were also contenders mostly for convenience to EPCOT!

I kind of thought that BWV and BCV would be unlikely, due to availability and me not being able to book far enough out. I though Bay Lake Tower would be easier to come by, but I was also realistic that Studios are some of the first rooms to go and we might not be able to stay at any of our choices.

So...back to point hunting. I kept my eye on the Rent/Trade Boards here, but it seemed everyone owned points at SSR, OKW or AKV and since we aren't within the 7 month mark yet I had to have someone who owned points at one of our resort choices. I wasn't having much luck. I did stumble on a few BLT, BCV and BWV owners, sent PM's and e-mails, but ultimately NO LUCK! There either wasn't availability, they didn't get back to me, or they had rented their points by the time I got to them! I got frustrated and decided to pay the higher per point cost with going thru David's Vacation Rentals. I registered, paid my $91 deposit, was contacted in less than 24 hours and told there was availability at BLT in a Lake View for Oct. 6-11, but NO availabilty beginning on Oct. 5. I decided this was okay (since they were the original trip dates anyway) and sat back and waited for them to locate a member with available points.

In the meantime, I get a PM from a DISer that Oct. 6-11 were available at BLT and did I want them? Yes...of course I want them...except I had already committed to David's Vacation Rentals, and you only get your $91 deposit back if they are unable to complete your request. It wasn't a big deal either way, as long as I got the reservation, but David's is $2 per point higher than what the DISer was asking! . I was very upset, so rather than responding I just logged off. A few hours later I get an e-mail from David's that due to high demand they currently did not have any members with BLT points. Would I like to keep my request on file or would I like a refund? I'll take the refund please!

I got back with the DISer, worked out all the details and transferred the funds. A few short hours later our reservation was secured! THAT deserves some dancing! and maybe even a little creepy guy .

We are booked for a stay on DVC points, checking in on Sunday, October 6 and checking out on Friday, October 11, staying at Bay Lake Tower!

I am so excited, and now I feel like I can begin the real planning. Stay tuned for rough park plans, ADR choices...and squeezing in pool time for the honey! Seriously, you might of thought he could have mentioned pool time sooner...WHERE am I going to squeeze in pool time?

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

WOOT!!!! Congrats on booking and getting what you wanted! That's fantastic!!! I'm looking forward to hearing all about your plans! Oh and good planning to avoid the weekend with F&W and book for weekdays!

 

[Tinker326]

I stayed at BLT in 2010 on rented points! I loved being able to walk to/from Magic Kingdom & we watched Wishes from the rooftop - it was AWESOME!!!

Very very exciting! Always such a great rush of joy when the reservations start rolling. It means it's going from your head to actuality!!!!

 

[KatMark]

Congrats. I love renting DVC points now that I've found a DISer who I trust and I've dealt with twice. I offered Mark BLT or BWV for our December trip and he told me to pick. Since we will be spending most of our time at Epcot and the Studios for the Osborne Lights, I went with BWV. We my try BLT another time for him (I'm not so interested in it except for the ease to MK but I like to please the hubby on occasion).

I can't wait to hear about your ADR's. I'm sure you'll find a little time somewhere to have some pool time.

 

[solana131]

Nice score! It's always wonderful when things fall into place so perfectly BLT looks so amazing...I love their pool. I have thought about researching DVC points, but it is all so confusing to me. Anyway...so happy for you and looking forward to hearing all your plans as they develope.

 

[Pixiedust530]

WOOT!!!! Congrats on booking and getting what you wanted! That's fantastic!!! I'm looking forward to hearing all about your plans! Oh and good planning to avoid the weekend with F&W and book for weekdays!

Thanks! We knew this trip was going to be a little shorter than our last (a full 7 nights/8 days) and as much as we are looking forward to enjoying the F&WF...I would rather not spend it with half of America either! So yes...avoiding the weekend...on purpose!

I stayed at BLT in 2010 on rented points! I loved being able to walk to/from Magic Kingdom & we watched Wishes from the rooftop - it was AWESOME!!!

Very very exciting! Always such a great rush of joy when the reservations start rolling. It means it's going from your head to actuality!!!!

This is a first for us...staying on rented points...but I am SO EXCITED! I stayed at the Contemporary as a kid and one of my fondest memories of that trip was walking down and hopping on the monorail to MK! I know it will be magical. I'm hoping that we can make it up to the rooftop to watch Wishes also.

Congrats. I love renting DVC points now that I've found a DISer who I trust and I've dealt with twice. I offered Mark BLT or BWV for our December trip and he told me to pick. Since we will be spending most of our time at Epcot and the Studios for the Osborne Lights, I went with BWV. We my try BLT another time for him (I'm not so interested in it except for the ease to MK but I like to please the hubby on occasion).

I can't wait to hear about your ADR's. I'm sure you'll find a little time somewhere to have some pool time.

I have a good friend that owns DVC and they are IN LOVE with BWV. I have never stayed (or set foot in) BWV, but for me it's just meh. On the other hand...she looks at me cross-eyed when I mention how great BLT looks. She is not impressed (but she hasn't stayed there either).

Nice score! It's always wonderful when things fall into place so perfectly BLT looks so amazing...I love their pool. I have thought about researching DVC points, but it is all so confusing to me. Anyway...so happy for you and looking forward to hearing all your plans as they develope.

I was a little stressed there for a bit, but thankfully everything fell into place. It's always stressful for me when money is involved. I love the modern decor at BLT and I'm sure I will take LOTS of pictures. DVC points were a little confusing at first, but I did tons of research. We hope to buy DVC one day, so this is kind of a "try before you buy" for us!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Time for an extremely past due Trip Update. When I left off I had just booked our room at BLT by renting points. Since then I have been stalking airfare like crazy.

Southwest is almost always the cheapest option for us. Now...I haven't actually flown "anywhere" since 2005 but I have helped my brother and my grandparents plan and book flights for their trips. Since I am a school bookkeeper I often have to book flights for teachers attending out of state professional development and conferences as well. So...I KNOW a good flight cost when I see it.

Well...Southwest doesn't release their flights for October until tomorrow, so I didn't want to book anything until then. I did check out the other airlines and Delta actually had some decent priced flights for our trip. I am nervous to fly Delta though as I have often heard that they are notorious for delayed flights, changing flight times, etc. This is HUGE for us. I am wanting to book our flight to Orlando for early morning so that we can take advantage of our arrival day and possibly hit a park. I also want our flight home to be late afternoon/early evening for the same reason. If Delta jacks up our flights or we miss a connection because of a delay I would be LIVID! So...I am still waiting on Southwest to release tomorrow.

So...over the last few weeks as I am stalking flights I have been continuously watching SW flights for late September. I have basically been using this as a benchmark for October for comparison. If I look at SW's schedule for the entire year their flight times generally dont change (Ex: Sun. flights to Orlando are always offered at the same time.) Since SW acquired AirTran, they have JUST (as in the last few weeks) added additional flights to the schedule. These new flights have 1 leg on SW and the 2nd leg on AirTran. They are completely booked through SW and all of SW's rules/policies apply. It basically opens up about 5 additional flights to choose from. Which means...we should be able to get a flight that lands in Orlando at about 11:25am instead of 1:50pm (which was previously the best offered time)! WOOOHOOO!

I'm still not throwing Delta out of the mix. It will all depend on flight prices and schedule once Southwest releases fares tomorrow. If I can get a better flight time on SW I would even be willing to pay a "teeny" bit more to fly SW vs. Delta just for peace of mind. It's also nice that I can get 2 FREE checked bags on SW vs. having to pay for baggage on Delta. If we end up flying SW, we have discussed packing an extra suitcase with some non-perishable food items since we will be staying in a Studio at BLT. Has anyone done this? I'm just thinking it would be more cost effective to purchase food here at home rather than using a food delivery service or purchasing onsite for the inflated cost of one arm, one leg and your first born child!

Sorry for the long-winded and boring post. But, hopefully I will be updating tomorrow that our flights have been purchased. I am so eager to cross one more thing off the list! Keep your eyes peeled for a life update (including my baby turning 6 ) and then once our flights are booked we can get down to the nitty gritty planning!

 

[LadyBeBop]

Which airport would you be flying out of? Louisville? Nashville? I'm bummed that SW doesn't fly out of Cincinnati/Northern KY. It flies out of Louisville, Indianapolis and Columbus. But not Cincinnati. Or Lexington or Dayton.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I hope you find a good fare! I will say that when SW releases, they release their cheapest price on that day. As time goes by, they RAISE the flight prices, so I hope you find something tomorrow and can book! Don't wait for them to go down b/c they will likely go UP each day after released!

I'm actually glad to know they release tomorrow, I want to see the lowest price we could get, but our flights won't actually be released, I'm looking at Feb. 2014...but at least it will give me an idea. I'm pretty sure we'll be renting a minivan and driving b/c there will be 6 of us!

 

[Pixiedust530]

I'm sure you all thought that I had run off and joined the circus since I've been MIA. I will admit...that's probably a pretty believable story since I am crazy enough to be in the circus....but alas...I'm still here. I just shared my long winded post about flights....BORING! I know. I promise this post will have more to offer....at least for all the OCD planners like myself! And it even has pictures... I have been working on rough park plans and I am hoping to begin posting those just as soon as I get my flights booked. Here's a sneak peek of how I plan...

First, I have a nifty little binder that holds all my planning secrets (you know...everything I've learned here on the DIS...SUPER TOP SECRET, right? ) It's a 1" binder with a cute little cover I created a few years ago.

It has tabbed dividers for each section.

1. Itinerary - Crowd Predictions (from TouringPlans.com)
2. Rides & Attractions - Park Maps
3. Dining
4. Transportation
5. Budget

Here's the inside view:

Tab 1 (Itinerary & Crowd Predictions) has a spreadsheet with the crowd level information from Touring Plans. For each day of our trip, it shows the overall resort crowd level, the recommended Best Parks and Parks to Avoid, the daily per park crowds and a place for me to write in our park choice for the day. You will notice in the picture that I have not filled in our park choices yet. I am still working all that out, and of course the per park crowd levels are continually adjusted which impacts my choices.

Here is the spreadsheet:

Also under Tab 1 will be a daily & weekly itinerary which will include park hours, our daily plans, where we are dining, etc. Sorry...I don't have a pic of this one yet. It's basically blank since all that info is still unknown.

Tab 2 has a spreadsheet listing of all the rides & Attractions, a description of the ride, whether or not they have Fastpass & Rider Swap and the length of the ride. I used this mostly for our last trip, because I went through and ranked how important it was for us to do that ride. Since it was Wayne and Caden's first trip I wanted to do as much as possible but I knew we couldn't do it all. I didn't want to throw out all my hard work, so it remains in the binder, but we will probably just reference it to decide what we MUST do.

Tab 3 is Dining and has printed menus from MANY MANY TS and QS restaurants. Wayne and I will use this to help pick our ADR's for this trip and decide on our QS meals also.

Tab 4 is Transportation and is a newly added section for this trip. It replaced the section with special recommendations, ideas, planning tips for kids under age 5. Now that I have a 6YO I won't need this section. Transportation has all sorts of flight info (discussed in previous post...I won't bore you with it again) as well as options for getting to and from places on property. I have always had a car onsite on past trips, but since we are flying we will be relying solely on Disney transportation so I want to be sure I know all the ins and outs and options for getting from Point A to Point B. If anyone has tips that would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Tab 5 is the Budget section...and go figure...it has MORE spreadsheets! What can I say...I'm addicted to Excel! I LOVE it! Anyway, here's a shot of my dining budget spreadsheet. It has our meal options and cost. This is in the VERY ROUGH stages right now, so ignore the choices as some or all of it wil be changing.

So, ladies and gentleman, there you have it...a sneak peek into my crazy Disney Planning. I have many more spreadsheets that I won't bore you with...unless you ask. Then you better watch out while I unleash my Spreadsheet Awesomeness!

 

[teetee830]

Hi, just and got caught up on your PTR. My self, my DS 6 and my mom will be going for fall break this year as well, Oct 14-19. I'm hoping for some discounts but being Columbus Day week I'm not counting on it. Right now we're booked at BC, if no discounts come through I might switch to a moderate.

I've been scanning the flights too and I thought AirTran was going to be my best bet but their prices for the times I want aren't that great. I'm hoping Southwest offers something better tomrrow. United has a decent price but the times aren't great. We hope to get in before noon to use the first day as well.

Will you be doing MNSSHP? I've never been in October so I'm excited to try it and F&W. Your son sounds like such a nice boy, my DS would probably mutiny if I went without him.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Which airport would you be flying out of? Louisville? Nashville? I'm bummed that SW doesn't fly out of Cincinnati/Northern KY. It flies out of Louisville, Indianapolis and Columbus. But not Cincinnati. Or Lexington or Dayton.

We will be flying out of Louisville. When I first got the idea for this trip (in early 2012) I had considered flying out of Lexington. AirTran and Allegiant were both options. Once SW acquired AirTran they discontinued flights out of Lexington. Allegiant was still an option, but it flies into Orlando/Sanford and we would have had to rent a car. Plus they charge baggage AND carry-on fees. It just wasn't worth the hassle for me. It likely would have saved us less than $50. So...after all my research on that I just decided we would fly out of Louisville (closest airport by a longshot) and probably do SW!

I hope you find a good fare! I will say that when SW releases, they release their cheapest price on that day. As time goes by, they RAISE the flight prices, so I hope you find something tomorrow and can book! Don't wait for them to go down b/c they will likely go UP each day after released!

I'm actually glad to know they release tomorrow, I want to see the lowest price we could get, but our flights won't actually be released, I'm looking at Feb. 2014...but at least it will give me an idea. I'm pretty sure we'll be renting a minivan and driving b/c there will be 6 of us!

Fares in general have gone up considerably over the last few years. While SW is still generally the best deal around they are by no means "cheap" fares. After our drive on the last trip Wayne said he would never rive again (at least not straight through). By the time you factor in the cost of an overnight stay on the way down and the way back, plus the time you lose just traveling I figured flying was worth the extra $$.

Stay tuned to see if I was able to book our flights?!?

Hi, just and got caught up on your PTR. My self, my DS 6 and my mom will be going for fall break this year as well, Oct 14-19. I'm hoping for some discounts but being Columbus Day week I'm not counting on it. Right now we're booked at BC, if no discounts come through I might switch to a moderate.

I've been scanning the flights too and I thought AirTran was going to be my best bet but their prices for the times I want aren't that great. I'm hoping Southwest offers something better tomrrow. United has a decent price but the times aren't great. We hope to get in before noon to use the first day as well.

Will you be doing MNSSHP? I've never been in October so I'm excited to try it and F&W. Your son sounds like such a nice boy, my DS would probably mutiny if I went without him.

Hey there! Thanks for joining in. October is such a great time to travel to WDW. We were there in Oct. 2011 and it was AWESOME. The crowds were low, weather perfect, and so much cool stuff going on...like MNSSHP and F&WF. We won't be doing MNSSHP this trip, but we did in 2011. It is one of my favorite memories from the trip. We took DS to The Pirates League at about 2pm the day of MNSSHP and I brought along a pirate costume. He had A BLAST becoming a pirate and he got to wear the costume the whole night. He even met Capt. Hook after the Villains show. It was very cool. I think that the Boo to You Parade and HalloWishes fireworks are some of the best that Disney puts on.

Here's a few pics from The Pirate's League and after!

Seeing himself for the first time in the mirror at Pirate's League:

Taking his Pirate Oath:

Inside the "secret" pirate room (Only Photopass pictures allowed):

F&WF is wonderful too. Since it will just be you, your DS6 and your mom I would suggest enjoying the F&W booths in the afternoon as soon as World Showcase opens at 11:00am. We did this and were able to enjoy the booths, the countries and the food without the shoulder bumping drunken crowds.

Where in Indiana are you? What airport will you be flying out of?

 

[teetee830]

We will be flying out of Louisville.

Where in Indiana are you? What airport will you be flying out of?

We are in Muncie, around 50 northeast of Indy, and will be flying out of Indy. I just booked our flights a few minutes ago

My best friend lives right outside of Louisville. We're practically neighbors.

I'm planning Pirates League for my DS too and trying to talk my mom into dressing up. I told her I would be Wendy and she could be Nana, she didn't find that funny at all.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Yesterday, I bored you all with discussions about airfare and booking, etc. I'm sure you probably all want to know what happened today.

First of all...I ALMOST forgot that flights were released today. I was so groggy this morning that I went about my morning, showering and getting ready for work and then realized it. I know...I know...I'm really slacking here!

Anyway, I logged onto SW's website about 6:30am and the flights were posted. Prices were exactly what I expected. Not cheap, but cheaper than Delta. However...much to my dismay Southwest went and changed their flight schedule from everything I was using for comparison! Anyway...not a big deal but it did mean we would land in Orlando a little later than I was planning.

My first choice with the earliest flight time departed at 7:50am and landed in Orlando at 12:55pm (with a 1 hour layover on Baltimore). I was about to select this flight and then noticed that for a measly $20 more per person we could depart at 10:30am and land in Orlando at 12:30pm (a DIRECT FLIGHT)! WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! I will take that one...please and thank you! This means we won't have to get up as early, won't have to mess with changing planes, and we arrive 25 minutes earlier than the other flight.

For our return flight, it was a no brainer! I was looking for the latest flight home! Depart Orlando at 6:50pm and land in Louisville at 10:30pm. I couldn't get a nonstop flight on the way home unless we departed Orlando at 3:00pm....eh...I'll pass on that! So, we have to change planes in Atlanta on the way back. Actually...the first leg of our return trip (from Orlando to Atlanta) is on AirTran and the second leg (from Atlanta to Louisville) is on Southwest. Hopefully all will go smoothly and my luggage will transfer with no problem. Fingers crossed!

Since this is another boring post I searched Google and found you a picture just to spice things up a bit!

So there you have it folks! Flights are booked! I am VERY excited! It just seems more REAL now! Stay tuned for more detailed trip planning now that I have flight times!

 

[Chicago Mo]

1st your itinerary is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I am SO very stealing this idea!!!
your pictures are also BEAUTIFUL!!! your little guy is adorable! pictures are breathtaking!

 

[Pixiedust530]

We are in Muncie, around 50 northeast of Indy, and will be flying out of Indy. I just booked our flights a few minutes ago

My best friend lives right outside of Louisville. We're practically neighbors.

I'm planning Pirates League for my DS too and trying to talk my mom into dressing up. I told her I would be Wendy and she could be Nana, she didn't find that funny at all.

We ARE practically neighbors! I actually live just outside of Louisville, to the South. It's nice to be "JUST" close enough yet "JUST" far enough away. All my family lives in Louisville which is actually where I grew up.

Your DS will LOVE Pirate's League. Be sure to book that at 180 days just like your ADR's. Those reservations fill up fast...especially on MNSSHP days. They don't extend their hours to accommodate party guests, so you will need to use a regular park admission to enter the park for Pirate's League. I think they take their last appt. at 3:30ish and you can't get into MK with your party ticket until 4:00pm.

I can't imagine why your mom didn't want to be Nana. The rest of my group didn't really dress up...I wore fairy wings and put some glitter on my face and my grandpa wore a Pirate Mickey tee-shirt and a Pirate's hat (just to match my DS). That was the extent of it.

1st your itinerary is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I am SO very stealing this idea!!!
your pictures are also BEAUTIFUL!!! your little guy is adorable! pictures are breathtaking!

Thank you! Thank you! I have plenty of other itinerary/spreadsheet pages but I just haven't gotten around to adding this year's trip info to them. I will post more as we go along. And feel free to steal my spreadsheets. I would be glad if they were useful to other's as well.

Thank you for the compliments on my little guy also. He is my baby...even though he keeps growing up on me.

 

[solana131]

So there you have it folks! Flights are booked! I am VERY excited! It just seems more REAL now! Stay tuned for more detailed trip planning now that I have flight times!

Me too! Just booked mine yesterday. Also flying Southwest. I didn't know they offered 1/2 and 1/2 with AirTran....not around here. I loved AirTran and I was very upset when they merged because our local airport has nothing for options anymore. We have to drive the 2 hours minimum to the next closest.

Congrats on the direct flight down! When it comes to Disney (and giving up all control on my luggage) I will only fly direct. We scored a 7am flight landing at 10:15. And on the return we are leaving MCO at 6:30! I am so excited. You can plan and plan and plan, but it doesn't really feel real until you book the airfare. You can cancel your room anytime, but you can't cancel flights without stiff consequences. Yay! We're going to Disney World!