2009 Discussion-We'll make time fly by!

[snykymom]

Happy New Year!!!

I can't believe it; time is ticking away and we're going to Disney in less than 3 months. Finally told the girls on Christmas Day. They are sooooo excited for their first trip. Question for any veterns who may read this thread. Does anyone know how much it would be to get a taxicab from Pop Century to the nearest WalMart or should I go to Downtown Disney to get one from there? We are from Canada, flying out of Buffalo and want to get a few things such as breakfast bars and water and stuff for the room and parks. We are on the dining package but don't want to waste time in the mornings on dining. I also heard that the closest WalMart has an outlet are right there as well. Is this the case? Would really appreciate any info on this. Thanks loads and happy planning! I got the deluxe, leather Passporter for Christmas and have been reading ever since.

You might be better off ordering your groceries from Garden Grocer (www.gardengrocer.com) and have them delivered to your resort. It probably wouldn't cost any more than the cab, and you don't waste time!

And I leave in just about 36 HOURS!!! Happy New Year!!!

 

[Nurse_Mommy4]

Good Morning 09'ers!

I haven't been on this thread in awhile, sorry if this gets long but I have new stress......

Due to the 4/3 deal coming out I have two "different" sets of friends joining us at WDW this June. They are both dear friends of mine who will be there with their families, however they are not in the same circle of friends (and are pretty much strangers to each other). At 1st they were both going at seperate times (one friend the 1st week and one the 2nd week). But now due to work schedules they are both going the 1st week.

One friend is staying at POR (where my family will be) and the other friends family is staying at CSR. Both sets are newbies. Both want to share some if not most ADR's with my family and the friend staying at POR wants to do most parks with us. The friends staying at CSR are not early risers and will probably meet up with us from time to time at the parks.

I'm getting a headache thinking about the ADR's.
Should I book with GG for the group ADR's or can I book with regular dining? I was bummed out at 1st about the 90 day booking window....but now I really need the extra time to plan.

Any suggestions on how to deal with these group meals would be greatly appreciated! At least one group will be on the DP. We are looking to eat together at some fun places like CP, WCC, 50's prime, T-REx, and the princess breakfast at Norway. I will have my own ADR's for just my family after my friends leave. I am kind of looking forward to the second week at POLY with just my family.

 

[Buzz2001]

34 more days for me!!

 

[Vandercapellen]

Good Morning 09'ers!

I haven't been on this thread in awhile, sorry if this gets long but I have new stress......

Due to the 4/3 deal coming out I have two "different" sets of friends joining us at WDW this June. They are both dear friends of mine who will be there with their families, however they are not in the same circle of friends (and are pretty much strangers to each other). At 1st they were both going at seperate times (one friend the 1st week and one the 2nd week). But now due to work schedules they are both going the 1st week.

One friend is staying at POR (where my family will be) and the other friends family is staying at CSR. Both sets are newbies. Both want to share some if not most ADR's with my family and the friend staying at POR wants to do most parks with us. The friends staying at CSR are not early risers and will probably meet up with us from time to time at the parks.

I'm getting a headache thinking about the ADR's.
Should I book with GG for the group ADR's or can I book with regular dining? I was bummed out at 1st about the 90 day booking window....but now I really need the extra time to plan.

Any suggestions on how to deal with these group meals would be greatly appreciated! At least one group will be on the DP. We are looking to eat together at some fun places like CP, WCC, 50's prime, T-REx, and the princess breakfast at Norway. I will have my own ADR's for just my family after my friends leave. I am kind of looking forward to the second week at POLY with just my family.

First of all it's Disney. Stop Stressing!! You ar so lucky that you will have friends join you in WDW. Talk to both of your friends and explain the situation and see if they would like totake advanage of Magical gatherings. Also plan a disney evening at your home and invite both families so every one will have a chance to meet before the trip. Hopefully some of the kids (assuming kids are involved) will be around the same age. The kids enjoying things together will really add to the fun! Most of all. Don't worry about everyone wanting to do the same thing at the same time. Do what your family wants to do, and let every one join you at there own pace. Disney had a great iterary tool that I found every helpful. My parents are joining us. I made an iterary and e-mailed it to my folks. They will join us when they want accoring to my schedule. They know that I planned everything for my son.

Good luck! Stop stessing! Most of all Have a Magical Trip!!

 

[lmillercrew]

First of all it's Disney. Stop Stressing!! You ar so lucky that you will have friends join you in WDW. Talk to both of your friends and explain the situation and see if they would like totake advanage of Magical gatherings. Also plan a disney evening at your home and invite both families so every one will have a chance to meet before the trip. Hopefully some of the kids (assuming kids are involved) will be around the same age. The kids enjoying things together will really add to the fun! Most of all. Don't worry about everyone wanting to do the same thing at the same time. Do what your family wants to do, and let every one join you at there own pace. Disney had a great iterary tool that I found every helpful. My parents are joining us. I made an iterary and e-mailed it to my folks. They will join us when they want accoring to my schedule. They know that I planned everything for my son.

Good luck! Stop stessing! Most of all Have a Magical Trip!!

Great idea!!! Make your schedule and let everyone else follow what and when they want. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy trying to please everyone. It's your vacation too.

 

[Nurse_Mommy4]

Thanks guys!

Sometimes I just need to chill out!

I like the make my own schedule and the Disney night at my house ideas, I think it will be good for my friends to meet prior to WDW.

Your also right that I am lucky to have friends join me at Disney; it will be a blast to share my favorite place with dear friends.

I just worry to much sometimes, thanks again for the reality check!

 

[DWFan4Life]

We just got there last Christmas holidays and the experience is really wonderful, now we are planning to go back for the next holidays. But are minds can be change every now and then.

Have a safe trip everyone.

 

[2poohbears]

We're going at the same time as my friend's family in FEB, and we've made a good number of ADR's together, and requested rooms near each other at the hotel. There will be 7 of us, total. We've also decided to meet for Spectromagic, we're doing the Fantasmic dinner package together, and we'll spend some time together in the parks. We also agreed to do things separately, as we also want time with just our own immediate family. I think it will work out well. I'll let you know when we get back in March!

 

[POOHLUV69]

Haven't been around much lately, just thought I'd pop in and let everyone know that we moved our vacation to Aug 16-23. I got the free dining (pin) email that's been going around, so I had to modify our reservation just a little. I'm so excited, we've never had free dining before. I'm sure it will be packed and crazy, but if it's free, it's for me.

 

[sandym718]

Hi everyone!! This thread has been quiet!!

I called last Saturday for the rest of our ADR's and got everything!! Working on some planning strategies - mainly when to do DHS and AK. I think I might try out RideMax just for the fun of it!! Income tax refund is scheduled to be direct deposited on Feb. 13th and I'll be calling Disney to pay off our trip in full!!

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

I was just thinking about this thread the other day. We received the free dining pin also!!!! My first email pin code. I was so excited. It saved us almost $950.00.

 

[AngelBabyJana]

Hi everyone!! This thread has been quiet!!

I called last Saturday for the rest of our ADR's and got everything!! Working on some planning strategies - mainly when to do DHS and AK. I think I might try out RideMax just for the fun of it!! Income tax refund is scheduled to be direct deposited on Feb. 13th and I'll be calling Disney to pay off our trip in full!!

This thread has been quiet!

Congrats on getting all the ADR's that you wanted. I missed our Saturday call in (was still undecided at that time), but I called Monday and was still able to get all of the ADR's that we wanted. I think we finally have a "schedule" of some sort to go on, which is a good thing.

Glad to see that we are not the only ones putting our refund towards our Disney trip - we didn't get back enough to pay for the trip but it will pay our balance off. Usually we just apply the refund to our property taxes or credit card ..... so it feels good to use it for vacation this year.

I can't believe that it is less than 3 months now. Time has been flying by this year! Can't wait!!!

 

[Tiff172]

I am looking at going December 2 - 11 with DB family. We still aren't sure yet though...it all depends on the economy I assume. I really hope we can go though. Does anyone have ideas on a family of 4-6 going away (all adults)..should we go for a suite or separate rooms?

 

[Nurse_Mommy4]

Good Morning!

I too recieved the Free Dining Pin and being the Disney Freak that I am I couldn't resist booking a trip for this fall.

It will be my youngest DD's b-day and we will be in the middle of moving down south, sooooooo....... I figured what the hey I might as well stop off at Disney for a little free dining.

My oldest DD will be starting college so she can't join us, but we're celebrating her high school graduation at Disney in June!

 

[brentalex]

I am looking at going December 2 - 11 with DB family. We still aren't sure yet though...it all depends on the economy I assume. I really hope we can go though. Does anyone have ideas on a family of 4-6 going away (all adults)..should we go for a suite or separate rooms?

I think that if you can all stand to be in the same place, a suite is better than separate rooms. When I travel with my family we like to stay together, seems to make the vacation more of a family thing. Rather than everyone going off on their own each night to separate rooms, we all get to hang out with each other as much as possible. You give up a bit of privacy, but I think all in all you end up with a better time.

 

[snykymom]

Personally, I would get two rooms. The suites (at least the All-Star suites) have one queen bed, one queen sleeper sofa and two single sleeper chairs. I wouldn't find the pull-outs particularly comfortable.

You might also take a look at the Ft. Wilderness cabins.

 

[mrsscooter]

We went down with another family, so we were a party of 9 and we opted for two adjoining rooms. They both had a tv and 2 queen beds and a pull out couch so the kids pretty much had their room and tv to relax and play in and the adults had their own space to relax and play cards, etc. Then, at bed time, we put the kids to bed in their respective rooms and the adults sat out on our adjoining patio. Sometimes you can get two rooms for the same and most times cheaper rate than a suite. Just my two cents............

 

[Tiff172]

I was looking at Old Key West or Saratoga Springs...possibly a two bedroom villa or just getting two rooms close by at a resort. It seems that the cost is very similar for the room only portion. Does anyone have a preference of resort when it comes to family gatherings? It will be some peoples' in the party first time to Disney so they want it to be special. Thanks!!!

 

[mrsscooter]

First of all it's Disney. Stop Stressing!! You ar so lucky that you will have friends join you in WDW. Talk to both of your friends and explain the situation and see if they would like totake advanage of Magical gatherings. Also plan a disney evening at your home and invite both families so every one will have a chance to meet before the trip. Hopefully some of the kids (assuming kids are involved) will be around the same age. The kids enjoying things together will really add to the fun! Most of all. Don't worry about everyone wanting to do the same thing at the same time. Do what your family wants to do, and let every one join you at there own pace. Disney had a great iterary tool that I found every helpful. My parents are joining us. I made an iterary and e-mailed it to my folks. They will join us when they want accoring to my schedule. They know that I planned everything for my son.

Good luck! Stop stessing! Most of all Have a Magical Trip!!

I agree......Stop stressing and have a great time!!! We are doing a HUGE Grand Gathering in October with about 7 other familes, and there are about 30 of us all together with 6 campers. We all had a big picnic at the end of August to make our ressies, and then talked about the "plan" while we were there We all decided to do one big GG special dinner for all of the group and then we talked about doing 2 or 3 group potlucks back at the campground with everyone and also decided to do the Mickeys No So Scary Halloween Party on the same day. Other than that, we all decided it was a free for all and that if you wanted to joing another family for the day or that particular park, super, if not, no big deal. We all have the basic understanding that we dont have to be stuck up eachothers butt for the whole trip. The coolest part is that all of the "older folks" are taking all of the kids for a day so that the "younger folks" can go and do whatever without having the kids, and they are also doing it for an evening as well. The only stipulation is that it has to be on the same night....LOL Like someone just said, make a Disney night at your house so that everyone can meet and talk about the plan. When we had our picnic, we had disney balloons and disney paper & plasic goods etc. That would be my advice to you........(IMHO)

GOOD LUCK IN ALL OF YOUR PLANNING!!

 

[sandym718]

How's everyone doing planning-wise? I changed one ADR (dropped Tutto for Wolfgang Puck Cafe). I was a little disappointed to do that, but we decided to do DHS evening EMH that night and DH didn't want all Italian anyways. We loved WPC last trip, so happy to be going there again. I did sub to RideMax and I've been playing with that a bit.

Two things that I'm happy about right now (besides going in the first place!): Doing the DHS evening EMH makes it a for sure that our last full day is left free for "favorites"! We can go back to whatever park we want - even split up if DD and DS want different things.

Also, DH agreed to take an additional day off work (for 7 total), so we're going to take 2 days to drive down!! Feeling relieved that we won't be driving all night and arrive exhausted. Plan now is to leave about 6 AM on Thurs, April 30th. Drive as long as we can, or until about 9 PM then find a cheap place to stay. Hoping for only 4 hours or so of driving on Friday and check in at the Poly around lunch time! Eat some lunch, hit the Volcano pool, get settled in the room, Dinner ADR at Kona and early to bed - all ready to hit MK in the AM. We had already planned 2 days driving on the way home.