And I am here for the Food...A Disney SOMETIME (AUG '20 mini trip) Report (9/10 update)

[Jenny Sanders]

There’s always next time for Tiffins

 

[kittylady1972]

Realized I posted this in an old thread...so sharing here since it is more relevant.

DINING PLAN DILEMMA

So I'm still waiting for SOG to contact me about tickets. I got an automated email that they received my form...I don't know if that was from the one I emailed or the one I faxed because I sent it both ways. Hopefully they will contact me today about processing my order.

In the meantime, over the weekend I started to seriously look into the idea of booking a dining plan for our upcoming trip. We have two SIGNATURE meals planned while there...and I think we could probably save some money by booking the Deluxe Dining Plan for our timeframe, even if we only did one night. With 3 different hotel reservations right now (first night there are 2 rooms with 2 of us in one room and 4 in another, night 2 and 3 we are all 6 in one room) I can choose just how much I want to spend. I have to run some numbers but I truly think with those expensive meals at play (Jiko and Flying Fish) it would save us some money. I have until 2 days before our trip to decide...so about 2 weeks...to add it to our room reservation. I just have to figure out which one.

 

[ariane37]

I've played around with the idea of a dining plan again - we haven't used one in probably 6 or 7 years - but even with all the signatures we do I'm afraid we won't use it to it's fullest. We like our apps too much lol and while I also love my sweets and desserts I don't always want it right after dinner. But on the other hand I've heard of people only staying a couple nights getting the deluxe to do signatures so it may work for you!

 

[kittylady1972]

I've played around with the idea of a dining plan again - we haven't used one in probably 6 or 7 years - but even with all the signatures we do I'm afraid we won't use it to it's fullest. We like our apps too much lol and while I also love my sweets and desserts I don't always want it right after dinner. But on the other hand I've heard of people only staying a couple nights getting the deluxe to do signatures so it may work for you!

It has been MUCH longer than that since we had a dining plan. We got it one year when we were only staying a few nights at a resort AND in the early years when you did get the appetizer and dessert on the basic plan. We found at the end we struggled to use all of our credits too. So I'm considering between their new Dining Plan Plus or the Deluxe Dining Plan (which would include the appetizers). Actually I'm more excited about all of the snack credits since we will only be in the parks for ONE day...and we could use the credits for the Flower and Garden booths...I think we could really make good use out of those. So I'm pretty sure we'll get one of the plans...and I have until 2 days before we leave to add it.

 

[kittylady1972]

So interrupting this TR to do a little bit of flashback Wednesday. One of my favorite trips took place 3 years ago in March 2017. It had been one month since losing my mom to cancer, the kids had a few days off from school, and I was just in need of a little break. I spent a few days before this looking into flights...before finally deciding early one Friday morning while at work that I was just going to do it...we were going to do a girls trip to Florida. My daughter and my mom were very close, she loved my mom from pretty much the time she was born, and her death was painful for both of us. So I came home from work, asked her if she wanted to go to Disney, told her to pack a backpack of clothes for a few days, and then I booked flights for us both...one way to Florida...no hotel, no car, nothing else. We headed to the airport to catch our flights that morning.

Fun fact was the flight had a connection in Charlotte, NC, which is near why my brother lives and also works. When we landed we texted him and he was working nearby, picked us up, and took us to lunch...before returning us back to catch our flight to Florida. While waiting at the airport in Charlotte, I did book our return flights home a few days later.

We landed and I booked the rental car while standing at the rental car booth at the garage. We headed directly to Magic Kingdom where I had already had free entrance to a DVC Moonlight Magic event. We booked our hotel for 2 nights as I was in the parking lot of MK. We enjoyed a great night at MK that evening before heading to our hotel. We had 2 additional fun days to enjoy the parks before returning home on Sunday.









One month later I would receive my own cancer diagnosis...and 2017 would continue to pretty much suck for quite some time for all of us as I underwent treatment, but on the bright side we scheduled a few other trips to Disney in 2017 between my treatments and also the July 2017 death of my husband's mother. We found joy whenever we could do so.

Anyway I think that was our last time at Flower and Garden so I'm looking forward to returning this time around for sure. Although I'm thinking Hollywood Studios park may be the one park we don't visit this time around, but hopefully we'll get to EPCOT and maybe MK and AK as well. That might be tough for one day as we also have to squeeze in a meal at Flying Fish that same day.

 

[kittylady1972]

A minor update here...as part of my regular DVC stalking routine, last night I lucked upon a room for the first night of our trip. It's a 2BR Villa at Copper Creek at Wilderness Lodge...and I snagged it. So now we have at least 3 consecutive nights at Wilderness Lodge, just one will be Copper Creek and 2 of them at Boulder Ridge, so some moving will be involved unless by luck I check in and can somehow manage to get all 3 nights in on unit. We've never stayed in the Copper Creek portion so that should be fun.

As such, I cancelled our Sanaa reservation for our arrival night, since we won't be at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Instead we'll just snag something at the resort or somewhere nearby, maybe Polynesian or Contempo Cafe? I'm okay with that.

Oh and in an added fun twist, DH has to travel for work the few days before our trip. So he has scheduled his return flights so that he arrives at our departing airport about 3 hours before we are scheduled to leave. Let's hope that works out, since he has a connection to make to get there. It also means he'll have real luggage...so I'll end up paying the good people of Spirit now so that he can check a bag. Awesome...but what else can I do? So we'll all head to the airport that afternoon, a 4:45pm flight, and hopefully he'll arrive as scheduled at 1:45pm from his other flight. Should be fun!

And in other news, it's looking likely I may end up having to cancel our Italy/Greece cruise by the end of this month. I'm hoping I can reschedule it once things work out, but as of right now I can't travel there so if I cancel by March 30th at least I only lose $125 of the nearly $4000 it will cost for the cruise.

 

[ariane37]

That's really a shame about your cruise - what line is it with? All the cruise lines are constantly changing their cancellation and change policies the last couple weeks and we're constantly updating our clients, so it's possible that by the time you need to make a decision you won't even lose the deposit. I understand why you don't want t have plans to travel there now though

 

[kittylady1972]

That's really a shame about your cruise - what line is it with? All the cruise lines are constantly changing their cancellation and change policies the last couple weeks and we're constantly updating our clients, so it's possible that by the time you need to make a decision you won't even lose the deposit. I understand why you don't want t have plans to travel there now though

Our cruise is Royal Caribbean. I've kept up to date with their website and won't cancel until the absolute last minute for sure. I actually am ok going there and do plan to go if at all possible. Unfortunately it is not a decision I can make on my own as my employer dicates where I can travel to as well and we have to have pre-approval to leave the country...and right now Italy is listed as a prohibited country. Cancelling now means I only lose $100 and not the entire $1000 deposit I've put down so far.

In fact, now even local business travel is being cancelled. DH no longer will be going to Texas as planned and will be going to airport with us instead of flying in from elsewhere. On the bright side, things are improving in those other countries which is good news. It sounds like there is finally a turning point towards the positive even as here in Maryland we had the first 3 confirmed cases yesterday.

 

[ariane37]

Yes Starbucks has put a ban on travel too. DH was supposed to just go to Boston next week and now he's not.

I didn't realize it was your employer! But now you can reschedule with no fees and you won't lose anything so maybe go that route! I would assume if you rebook for next year all would be fine as far as work?

 

[kittylady1972]

In other fun news...guess who is going to Florida...next week...for ONE day???

So what would you do if you had about 8 hours in Florida...maybe a little bit less...no park passes.

 

[kittylady1972]

Yes Starbucks has put a ban on travel too. DH was supposed to just go to Boston next week and now he's not.

I didn't realize it was your employer! But now you can reschedule with no fees and you won't lose anything so maybe go that route! I would assume if you rebook for next year all would be fine as far as work?

Well if I cancel now...it would be with the intent of rebooking it again for the same timeframe because we have a group of people going during that time and we do still want to make it happen. Hard to say what the situation for work would be but the going theory is if the danger is less this year then we could maybe still make the June/July trip happen.

 

[kittylady1972]

So YEAH for Royal Caribbean relaxing their cancellation policy...and apparently the airlines are doing the same. Good news. We are now in no rush to cancel our trip.

And the big news...I booked a one day trip to Florida for next week as I mentioned above. Me and my daughter and her best friend are going to catch a flight in the morning for an early afternoon arrival, where I'm going to head to Shades of Green and finally buy those Disney park passes I need for the following week IN PERSON since I'm struggling to reach anybody on the phone to complete my purchase and we don't have a lot of time left. Right now we'll probably just hang around Disney Springs for a while, grab lunch and dinner there, then catch a 10:45pm flight back home that same day.

Crazy? Yes. However when you pay $28 for a RT ticket to Florida...hard to pass that up.

 

[footballmouse]

 

[kittylady1972]

To do a Disney park for a few hours tomorrow or not...that is the question I'm struglling with right now. We may even do the Universal parks since I have an annual pass for those and would only have to buy tickets for the girls. Decisions, decisions.

 

[kittylady1972]

So we had a GREAT day on Tuesday, and returned home exhausted. We were able to have lunch at Contempo Cafe, followed by some Disney snacks, then I picked up my one day WDW passes at Shades of Green. The rest of our day, from about 3pm to 8pm, was spent at the Universal Parks where the crowds were very light. We probably waited no more than 15-20 minutes for anything. It was a great day.

Not sure what is going to happen next week. I was just able to change my DVC room...and had my choice of pretty much ANY RESORT for our stay. I'm sticking with Copper Creek for all of it now.

State has closed schools here for the next two weeks starting Monday, so really we could leave at ANY time. I'm not sure what to do. Still waiting to see what happens with work and with Disneyland closed now...I'm more than concerned.

I cannot imagine being a travel agent right now @ariane37 as it must be insane.

 

[piglet1979]

Just read that WDW is closed as well but resorts and restaurants will be open for now. Schools here are now closed until April 3rd. Rec centers and pretty much everything is closing here.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

And in other news, it's looking likely I may end up having to cancel our Italy/Greece cruise by the end of this month. I'm hoping I can reschedule it once things work out, but as of right now I can't travel there so if I cancel by March 30th at least I only lose $125 of the nearly $4000 it will cost for the cruise.

This really sucks. I know how much you all were looking forward to it.
I take it your Disney trip will have to be rescheduled now too??? I'm so sorry Dina!!!

 

[kittylady1972]

Just read that WDW is closed as well but resorts and restaurants will be open for now. Schools here are now closed until April 3rd. Rec centers and pretty much everything is closing here.

This really sucks. I know how much you all were looking forward to it.
I take it your Disney trip will have to be rescheduled now too??? I'm so sorry Dina!!!

Yes I just read last night about the WDW closure as well. Yes I was pretty disappointed but we'll still go...just don't know when that will happen. I'm working on that now. I just submitted to get my airline credit and trying to figure out how to deal with the DVC reservation I have right now.

The good news out of this is now I'll have extra time to plan since I already have a park ticket at least.

So kids are out of high school for two weeks, college for my son is closed 3 weeks and then after that goes completely virtual until the end of the semester. Interesting times for sure here. I'm not sure how my kids are going to deal with all being home together at least for the next two weeks and the limited places to go and things to do at least with groups.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

I am in the exact same boat. It's so sad on so many ways for so many people!!!! Your next trip will work out beautifully!!!

 

[ariane37]

I cannot imagine being a travel agent right now @ariane37 as it must be insane.

Thank you Yup it's nuts and that's putting it nicely. I was on the phone/mostly on hold for over 10 hours today and it'll happen again and again during this!

They also closed our schools until the 30th and while I guess I get it not looking forward to it