You Get a Suite! You Get a Suite! Everybody Gets a Suite! December 2023 Trip Report! (RL Update 10/6!!)

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I enjoyed your trip report. You had several lucky experiences. And you made great use of the club lounges.

Thank you! We did have some amazing luck on this trip, I still can't believe the upgrade at the Boardwalk!

I never liked coming home on a Sunday and going to work on a Monday. It is nice to have a day to get back to normal again.

Oh yeah, when we come back on Sunday's I always take Monday off. I need a day to get back into real life!

That sound be a lot of fun. We plan to add club level to our Wilderness Lodge trip in February. We've enjoyed club level but can't do it when traveling with family members who don't want to stay at the deluxe resorts.

I can't wait, we've definitely gotten hooked on club level! We're staying club at Wilderness Lodge for my birthday next year as well! I've heard really good things about it so can't wait to try that one too.

 

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What a great trip!!! I have yet to stay club level because I’m sure it would be so hard not to once I do

Haha, I hear you. We really wanted to upgrade our YC stay this October to club, but there was never any discount for those rooms so we didn't. I'm a bit sad, but at least Epcot is nearby so we'll get plenty of food and drinks there at Food and Wine!

Thanks for sharing your holiday trip! I’m looking forward to your next one

You're welcome!

 

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Just popping in with a RL update! We are just over 2 weeks away from our F&W trip and I am soooo excited! I'm also in semi panic mode since there is so much to do before the trip, and like clockwork, work has ramped up in the last two weeks so I'm strapped for time. Plus I am a tad worried about getting sick prior to the trip, so many people are sick at work right now, and I just don't need that in my life right now (or really ever). Fingers crossed I can avoid all those germs. Oh well, there's a bright big Disney light at the end of the tunnel!

We're pretty much done with all the planning, mostly. I may be changing the first day I get there a bit. I'm going down a day ahead of my mom, but I'll be getting there later (like 2ish), so originally just planned to head to Epcot and spend the afternoon/evening at Epcot enjoying F&W. Well, then I saw the September cookie at Gideons, and of course sent it to my mom and she agreed we HAD to get one. Well, silly me, it's the September cookie. We're not planning on going to Disney Springs until October. D'oh!

Now I'm thinking of when I arrive heading to Epcot to activate my AP and grab a bite to eat at F&W since I'll likely not have had a chance to eat yet that day, then head over to Disney Springs and hopefully grab that cookie for my mom and I! I'm still debating this, I'm worried by that point they may be out for the day, plus that's a lot of running around the first day and we have a BIG week ahead so I don't want to do too much the first day.

So, here's a question, does anyone know if they extend the monthly cookies a bit beyond that month??? I suspect no, but if there's a chance it may be available the first few days of October I may be willing to chance it.

Other than the super exciting upcoming trip, I'm impatiently waiting for December 2025 bookings to open, and hopefully some winter 2025 discounts to be released. We really want to upgrade our trip for FArts to be club level, but we're not about the pay the current rack rates for club, so really hoping some discounts come out soon so we can upgrade. I was hoping that maybe since YC and Stormalong bay is under refurb then, that they would have some amazing rates there, but sadly it looks like they're starting the renovations at club level so there's nothing available there for our trip. Right now we're at the Boardwalk, but if they release some big discounts for BC club we'd definitely switch!

That's about it for now, I'm sure I'll be back next week when I book the LLMP and LLSP, which wow, I can't believe is next week already! EEK! So exciting!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Other than the super exciting upcoming trip, I'm impatiently waiting for December 2025 bookings to open, and hopefully some winter 2025 discounts to be released. We really want to upgrade our trip for FArts to be club level, but we're not about the pay the current rack rates for club, so really hoping some discounts come out soon so we can upgrade.

You can check the bounce back discounts for early 2025 when you are there in a few weeks. Maybe they will have something that is available at club level with that discount.

We already have two separate vacations booked with the bounce back for 2025.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

So exciting to have your next trip coming up! I'm already looking forward to the report. It has been very rainy here these last several weeks so I'm hoping you're in for a nice and dry visit. I've visited the festival once so far and it was a very quick trip so I'm looking forward to going back and trying more. Forever sad about the lack of special events.

 

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You can check the bounce back discounts for early 2025 when you are there in a few weeks. Maybe they will have something that is available at club level with that discount.

We already have two separate vacations booked with the bounce back for 2025.

Yeah, we'll call if nothing is released prior to our trip, I'm really hoping to be able to upgrade! We'll have to see if we can apply the bounce back to the June trip and next September trip as well. So many trips coming up!

 

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So exciting to have your next trip coming up! I'm already looking forward to the report. It has been very rainy here these last several weeks so I'm hoping you're in for a nice and dry visit. I've visited the festival once so far and it was a very quick trip so I'm looking forward to going back and trying more. Forever sad about the lack of special events.

I also hope the rain dries up a bit before our trip! I especially hope the weather is good the days we arrive (we're arriving two separate days), and the night of the Halloween party. Other than that, the rain shouldn't ruin our plans too much!

I'm so sad there are no special events this year. I was certain this would be the year they came back. It really makes F&W less of a draw for us, we're thinking now of switching to a Disney Cruise in September now instead and spending more time at other festivals like FArts (which is currently my favorite).

 

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Happy weekend everyone! Popping in with another real life update before our trip.

So I had big plans to really get stuff prepped this weekend for our trip, not so much packing, but getting the house super clean (l love coming home to a clean house), getting the stuff put together for my pet sitter, trying on Disney clothes, and other random pre-trip activities.

Well, none of that happened since I seem to have come down with some weird stomach bug. It's super weird though, like I'm not nauseous or anything and still have my appetite, its just my stomach is feeling very angry and burning and just heavy. It actually started this past week, but it wasn't too bad then and I just figured something I ate was irritating my stomach. But by Friday it started to hurt a lot more, and yesterday, while feeling a bit better, I decided to take it easy to give my body a rest. Today it seems to have gotten worse again and even woke me up super early this morning and I couldn't fall back asleep due to the pain, ugh. I've never had anything like this so I'm not sure what's going on, but think I'll avoid food today to give my digestive system a rest and hopefully that will help. Luckily I was able to make an appointment with my doctor tomorrow morning so I can figure out what's going on since this isn't fun.

I guess the good news is I still do have an appetite, and besides the pain in my stomach I feel fine otherwise, so hopefully this is just a bug that needs to work its way through my system. Fingers crossed!

In other news, my mom called to apply for DAS this week and was approved. I 100% did not expect her to get it due to the DAS changes since she doesn't have a developmental disability, but after going over some real life situations she's had to deal with, they approved her. She was really worried about it, so I'm glad it worked out for her!

I've also been watching the weather like a hawk the past few days. I'm obsessed with the tropical tidbits site since they have various forecast models that show model runs that go out 15 days, so I can get an idea of what could be coming, especially on our travel days. Funny enough, back in 2022 while doing this I saw a hurricane even from 15 days out that was looking to hit FL during our trip, and sure enough, Ian hit mid trip that year! Yes, I know that's not common for the these to be accurate that far out, but it was accurate at least once, so it can happen again! So last night when I checked our travel days and saw a hurricane moving up the west coast of FL the day I fly down I had a mini panic attack, but fortunately this mornings model run got rid of it. Phew (for now).

So that's it for updates for now. Hopefully I start to feel better in the coming days so I can get all my pre-travel stuff done!

 

[precious pixie]

I hope you start to feel better soon! That's good that you can get to your doctor tomorrow.

I am glad your mom got DAS! That will be a relief while you are there.

Fingers crossed for no major storms during your trip. I do enjoy the occasional good afternoon thunderstorm that clears up while there. They are so intense, and then poof... sunny, clear skies. Just not every day

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm glad that your mom was able to get DAS. It will make things so much easier for her.

I hope you can avoid any tropical storms or worse. September can be a tricky month.

Hopefully, the doctor will know what's going on with your stomach.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Ugh, feel better!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Cannot wait to hear about your trip and hope, in the most non-stalkerish way possible, that we can meet up

 

[mickey916]

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

Now, I'm not a doctor (and I don't play one on TV), but that sounds a lot like I felt when I was dealing with an ulcer. I hope you get it all figured out so you can have an amazing time at Disney!

 

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I hope you start to feel better soon! That's good that you can get to your doctor tomorrow.

Thank you!

I am glad your mom got DAS! That will be a relief while you are there.

Yeah, me too. We were prepared to not have it this trip, but it does make things a lot easier for her.

Fingers crossed for no major storms during your trip. I do enjoy the occasional good afternoon thunderstorm that clears up while there. They are so intense, and then poof... sunny, clear skies. Just not every day

Seriously! I don't mind it too much if it happens during our trip (not that I want it to happen, but it's less annoying), I just want them to stay away during travel days!

 

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I'm glad that your mom was able to get DAS. It will make things so much easier for her.

Me too, she's so happy she still qualified!

I hope you can avoid any tropical storms or worse. September can be a tricky month.

Yeah, we've been amazingly lucky in our September trips only dealing with one hurricane during a trip. Hopefully it stays that way!

Hopefully, the doctor will know what's going on with your stomach.

Yeah, she wasn't sure, but ran some tests so hopefully I'll know soon!

 

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Ugh, feel better!!

Thank you!!!

 

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Cannot wait to hear about your trip and hope, in the most non-stalkerish way possible, that we can meet up

Haha, yes, that would be fun! When are you planning on being there?

 

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Hope you feel better soon!

Thank you!!

 

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Now, I'm not a doctor (and I don't play one on TV), but that sounds a lot like I felt when I was dealing with an ulcer. I hope you get it all figured out so you can have an amazing time at Disney!

Oh interesting, thanks for letting me know! I hope this goes away in the next few days, I really don't want to be dealing with this in Disney, especially at Food and Wine!