Finally getting to see the lights! Nov '11 Anniversary/Holiday/F&W PTR-New 11/4 p50

[DisMomAmy]

So where are we staying? Anyone who has followed the TR that I just finished today, you probably already know we are doing this trip a little differently than others.

The trip started as a "few days" and has evolved into five nights at Disney with the possibility of another three at Tim's brother's house outside of Tampa. As we considered our options, and couldn't see anything good available through our timeshare, we wanted to consider other lodging options… which meant it was time to do some Fuzzy Disney Math!

Staying off-site involves a rental car – usually a minivan… at the time the best I could find was about $500. It costs us about $500/year for our condo. That gave me a budget of $1000 to possibly stay on-site!! Again, Tim told me to go for it and go over budget for our anniversary… but we need at least one bedroom. No regular hotel rooms or studios for him! We’ve gotten too used to having a lot of space by staying off-site. I also decided that we needed to be at BLT, BCV or BWV to avoided buses as much as possible. We stayed at CBR in 2009 & Tim hated the buses.

The prices for deluxe villas were scary! If we could get a code for 40% off then maybe or even possibly free dining but the last pin I got had this week blacked out so I wasn't optimistic that we'd get a code and I wasn't willing to wait around for free dining. Then I turned to renting DVC points! I'd read about people renting points... maybe this was a good option for us. I had one DVC member lined up but he only owned at SSR so we’d have to wait until 4/8 to book anything. Then I found another who was perfect! He offered me references up front & they checked out. He also owns points at BWV & BCV. After going back & forth over which resort we’d prefer it turned out he only had enough to book at BWV before the 7 month window so that’s what we did. I was surprised he was able to book us a standard view 1BR! Standard view would save us about $350 over preferred view at BWV, a villa at BCV or a standard view villa at BLT.

The plan at that point (mid-March) was for the owner to switch us to BCV on 4/8 (assuming there was still availability) and wait list us at BLT (no availability)… but did we want to leave BWV?? The more we thought about it, the more we decided we would like being in the Epcot area rather than the MK area. I'd love to be able to walk to MK but we spend a lot of time at DHS and would love to be able to pop in and out of MK during Food & Wine and for ADRs. So we decided to take BLT out of the mix.

I got in touch with our DVC owner and let him know our preference. On 4/8 he tried to switch us to BCV but didn't have any luck. So as of 4/8 and as of today, we're wait listed at BCV but still confirmed at BWV.

So we'll either end up staying at the Boardwalk Villas (photos from allears):

These two photos from mouseplanet:

Or the Beach Club Villas:

I don't think we can go wrong at either resort!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

both resorts sound great, and have some fun looking pools

 

[Charleston Princess]

Here!!! You are so going to love this trip! Boardwalk and Beach Club are definitely on my dream resorts lists, the Food and Wine Festival is fabulous, and the Osborne lights are very cool!

 

[beebeeryan]

Both resorts look awesome, and the clown does not bother me so much like a lot of people say, looks like a cool slide. I'd love to stay in the Epcot resort area, kids are still young for it though, the SAB pool would be too stressful, I could handle LP though. I'm hoping maybe in another year or so. Right now the kids are still MK kids. I love WS and we didn't even see it last summer

 

[DisMomAmy]

both resorts sound great, and have some fun looking pools

I will be very happy with either resort - I just know the kids would love SAB so it will be an added bonus if we're able to switch. The BWV villas are a little bigger & have had a full rehab more recently.

Here!!! You are so going to love this trip! Boardwalk and Beach Club are definitely on my dream resorts lists, the Food and Wine Festival is fabulous, and the Osborne lights are very cool!

Hi Jackie!! I've dreamed of going to the Beach Club since Tim & I had dinner at the Yacht club in 2007! As you probably know I'm not a foodie but I'm hoping Tim will be able to take advantage of the Food & Wine Festival.

Both resorts look awesome, and the clown does not bother me so much like a lot of people say, looks like a cool slide. I'd love to stay in the Epcot resort area, kids are still young for it though, the SAB pool would be too stressful, I could handle LP though. I'm hoping maybe in another year or so. Right now the kids are still MK kids. I love WS and we didn't even see it last summer

We had one visit that we didn't visit the WS either - but on following trips we've done the various activities to keep the kids interested - In 2010 we did the masks (which I guess are now bears), this year we did the passports and for a few years we've done a Kim Possible Mission - I think we've done three. Zach loves them - He's seven now so I guess he was five when he did his first one. It's nice to do an activity that will keep the kids interested in a country long enough to check out some of the great details.

 

[TeresaG]

Hi! Just popping in to say hi! We were there in Dec 2010 and seeing the lights was so so awesome! You'll really love it.

Both your resort choices look great. I hope to one day stay at the Boardwalk.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hi! Just popping in to say hi! We were there in Dec 2010 and seeing the lights was so so awesome! You'll really love it.

Both your resort choices look great. I hope to one day stay at the Boardwalk.

Thanks for reading!! I'm really excited about all of the new things we'll be experiencing this trip.

 

[DisMomAmy]

How are we getting there?

Driving!
























Just kidding!! I don't think we'll ever find ourselves driving to Florida! Tim & I aren't compatible in the car for long periods of time.

As usual we'll be flying. Hopefully on Southwest, but I'm not-so-patiently waiting for November tickets to be released on May 24th. We always prefer to fly Southwest because we can fly out of our smaller local airport in Manchester, NH. We'll see what the rates look like - I'm a bit nervous since it's Veteran's Day weekend & JetBlue's rates were pretty high when they came out last week.

We had originally planned to just do Disney. But after Jeff’s (Tim's brother) weekend visit in April, we decided to add a few days to visit him, Karen (Jeff’s girlfriend), J & K (Jeff’s kids from his marriage). The kids just adore them & would be pretty upset if we didn’t! At this point it looks like we’ll fly down on Saturday, into Tampa. We’ll get a rental car for a few days while we stay at Jeff’s, then head to Orlando on Tuesday the 8th and return the rental car at the Dolphin (which is super easy). That will also give us the majority of arrival day at Disney. We won't have any major added expense other than the rental car. After our last visit with Jeff, we decided the next time would just be hanging out, swimming, playing basketball, etc. The kids actually enjoy it more than the various outings we've done with them. This plan means that our "few days" at Disney will turn into a full week in Florida with the kids missing 2 1/2 days of school. Originally they were just going to miss the 1/2 day Wednesday. Then we decided they should miss at least part of the day Tuesday... then we decided to fly early Tuesday to maximize our time... and now with our visit to Jeff's we'll fly out Saturday! I don't expect any more changes to that unless it's flying down later than Saturday due to airfare issues. We'll see what happens on the 24th...

 

[DisMomAmy]

Park Tickets:

Since we didn’t upgrade our tickets in March and my AP just expired, we all need tickets. We are planning our annual spring trip for April 2012 so we have two trips within a year to work with. I’m definitely getting an AP since I may have a third trip in the works for fall 2012 with some DIS/Spectrum Mom friends. But what are the best options for the rest of the family? 5 day hoppers, APs for everyone, 10 day loaded tix?

Assuming we have two trips, November 2011 & April 2012, APs or 10 day loaded tickets are the two best options. The adult prices are $531 for an AP (Disney price) and $573 for a 10 day loaded ticket (Undercover Tourist). The extra $42 would get us 10 waterpark tickets that don't expire – less than the cost of one visit! So I think the 10 day loaded ticket is the way to go. We’ll use four or five days in November & save the other five or six days for April. We also plan to spend some time at Universal & the waterparks in April. I really hope both boys will be 54 inches by April. They are currently 51 & 52 (or 52 & 53 with shoes according to the height chart at Busch Gardens). We don’t want to go to Universal until they are 54 inches so they can ride everything... but we'll see... I can work with five or six days in April even if we don't go to Universal. We'll combine our waterpark & DTD days and don't plan to visit a park on our departure day.

I'd love to hear what you all think about our park ticket options. (And than you Heidi/MRYPPNS for helping me figure out our choices. )

I also want to mention that this trip is going to be a surprise for the boys!! Why? Because when we went to Disney in October 2007, Alex never really settled into his school routine that fall. Yes November is a month later than October so we could just downplay things and maybe it would be OK, but I'd have a hard time with that. Once people know, that's all I want to talk about.

Zach was watching TV and one of those home video Disney commercials came on and he says to me, "I want you to do that next time we go to Disney!" So that's our plan!!

However, I worry that a surprise will cause a little stress... One time we surprised Alex with some trip (can't remember where we were going?) and he had a million questions & wasn't ready to go! To ease their concerns, I'm planning on making them each a book with all of the details of the trip - Dates, travel info, where we're staying, where we'll be each day, etc. Hopefully it will go off without a hitch! As we get closer to November, I'm going to need help coming up with a way to reveal the surprise.

Up next - Our itinerary & ADRs.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

You definitely cannot go wrong with either BCV or BWV. Both are gorgeous! I love the idea of a surprise but with a detailed book. Such a great idea for a kiddo with Autism. Loving all these details Amy!

 

[MRYPPNS]

You are very welcome.

I think that the stop at Karen and Jeff's will help Alex transition to Disney. It will allow him time to process going to Disney before you get there but still allowing you to keep it a surprise.

Now that you are going with 10 day loaded potatoes I can't wait to see you master plans!

 

[DisneyCrafter]

You always think things through so carefully, I love it!

We debated renting DVC ourself to stay at BCV or OKW but in the end I chose Dolphin. We're getting one night free and a $100 resort credit. I can't wait to stay in the Epcot resort area, aren't you SO excited???!!! I really don't like the theming of the pool area at BW. I was very afraid of Clowns when I was little! I think the boys would just love the BCV pool area, it'd be easy to just spend a day relaxing by the pool!

Southwest flights have not been very low, especially flying into Orlando. I had been watching them LIKE A HAWK since my dates were released and I hadn't seen it go below about $130 each way. When I saw $99 and $104 for Tampa, I went ahead and booked it. I was getting way too stressed out waiting. If it does go down lower, we'll rebook and save the credits for another trip. Pixie Dust that you'll get good fares!

I upgraded my 4 Day PH to an AP when I was in DTD on my trip. It was a difference of about $227. I think that the 10 day loaded tickets are definitely the way to go! How nice it will be to have waterpark tickets and not have to worry about shelling out all of that money for the day!

I know that whatever you do choose will turn out just fine! It's exciting to go during the holidays, you'll have a great time!

 

[DisneyCrafter]

I think that the books are KEY to the surprise. When do you plan on telling them?

Maybe if Alex is concerned with making sure he has everything he needs you can include a packing list (with his most important necesseties for the trip listed) and he can check everything off so he knows that he has it! Just a thought...

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Oh man! I'm so jealous that you get to stay at either BCV or BWV! BEAUTIFUL!!

I love the idea of a surprise. If you can pull it off, I think it's fantastic! I'm sure that a little pre-planning and preparation on your part will make all the difference for Alex.

Good luck with the ticket choices/option....I'm sure you'll get some good advice here. I'm not the one to give it though...you and Julie are the people I turn to when I need that kind of advice!

 

[DisMomAmy]

You definitely cannot go wrong with either BCV or BWV. Both are gorgeous! I love the idea of a surprise but with a detailed book. Such a great idea for a kiddo with Autism. Loving all these details Amy!

I've been really torn about which resort to choose. I guess the availability at BCV will decide for us!

I'm going to put a lot more effort into planning for the kids' needs this time around.

You are very welcome.

I think that the stop at Karen and Jeff's will help Alex transition to Disney. It will allow him time to process going to Disney before you get there but still allowing you to keep it a surprise.

Now that you are going with 10 day loaded potatoes I can't wait to see you master plans!

I hadn't thought of Jeff & Karen's house as a transition period but you are absolutely right!

Loaded potatoes! I'm working on getting that update posted soon.

You always think things through so carefully, I love it!

We debated renting DVC ourself to stay at BCV or OKW but in the end I chose Dolphin. We're getting one night free and a $100 resort credit. I can't wait to stay in the Epcot resort area, aren't you SO excited???!!! I really don't like the theming of the pool area at BW. I was very afraid of Clowns when I was little! I think the boys would just love the BCV pool area, it'd be easy to just spend a day relaxing by the pool!

Southwest flights have not been very low, especially flying into Orlando. I had been watching them LIKE A HAWK since my dates were released and I hadn't seen it go below about $130 each way. When I saw $99 and $104 for Tampa, I went ahead and booked it. I was getting way too stressed out waiting. If it does go down lower, we'll rebook and save the credits for another trip. Pixie Dust that you'll get good fares!

I upgraded my 4 Day PH to an AP when I was in DTD on my trip. It was a difference of about $227. I think that the 10 day loaded tickets are definitely the way to go! How nice it will be to have waterpark tickets and not have to worry about shelling out all of that money for the day!

I know that whatever you do choose will turn out just fine! It's exciting to go during the holidays, you'll have a great time!

The Dolphin will be great - you get all the same benefits as the other on-site guests right?

I'm worried about the Southwest prices too but we'll see... I'm expecting it to be high so if it's lower then I'll be pleasantly surprised. I'll be able to use any credits we get for the April trip. And we'll probably fly into Tampa so hopefully we'll at least get that one reasonably.

I think the 10 waterpark tickets will be such a great bonus - that's like $450-$500 worth of waterpark tickets on EACH ticket! That's $1500 for only spending a little bit more than APs!

I think that the books are KEY to the surprise. When do you plan on telling them?

Maybe if Alex is concerned with making sure he has everything he needs you can include a packing list (with his most important necesseties for the trip listed) and he can check everything off so he knows that he has it! Just a thought...

I don't think we'll tell them until the day we leave! I'll have to wait and see what time our flights are but I want to wait as long as possible. It will be interesting to see how I can pack without them noticing... I usually have bags all over our bedroom for weeks & then more bags all over our small house for several days before we leave.

The packing list is a great idea.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Oh man! I'm so jealous that you get to stay at either BCV or BWV! BEAUTIFUL!!

I love the idea of a surprise. If you can pull it off, I think it's fantastic! I'm sure that a little pre-planning and preparation on your part will make all the difference for Alex.

Good luck with the ticket choices/option....I'm sure you'll get some good advice here. I'm not the one to give it though...you and Julie are the people I turn to when I need that kind of advice!

I'm really excited & hope Tim will like the villa as much as I know I will.

I really want to make it a big surprise - We have a lot of other fun stuff going on this summer so I'll try to focus on that with the kids so I don't spill the beans.

There are so many ticket options - it made my head spin! I think I've worked it all through now.

 

[disneyfan61]

Your plans sound great Amy.

DH & I will be flying out of Manchester in Oct. also. We have never flown out of Manchester or Southwest so not sure how it all works with the seats & loading but I guess we will find out. I checked air fare about 3 weeks ago & then checked 2 weeks ago & they had gone up by $100.00 round trip so I booked them right there & then. The prices are very high but I knew they would go up even more & they have since we booked.

Either BW or BC you cannot go wrong. I fell in love with BC when we were there last year. Hopefully we will get there again some day.

Good idea about doing the books with the plans for the kids & like Heidi said the visit with Jeff & family will help.

Sounds like you will have some Dis friends down there at the same time. That is always a great thing.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Your plans sound great Amy.

DH & I will be flying out of Manchester in Oct. also. We have never flown out of Manchester or Southwest so not sure how it all works with the seats & loading but I guess we will find out. I checked air fare about 3 weeks ago & then checked 2 weeks ago & they had gone up by $100.00 round trip so I booked them right there & then. The prices are very high but I knew they would go up even more & they have since we booked.

Either BW or BC you cannot go wrong. I fell in love with BC when we were there last year. Hopefully we will get there again some day.

Good idea about doing the books with the plans for the kids & like Heidi said the visit with Jeff & family will help.

Sounds like you will have some Dis friends down there at the same time. That is always a great thing.

Thanks Doreen!

Why aren't you guys flying JetBlue this time? Was Southwest cheaper? You'll be fine with the seating - just make sure you are online at exactly 24 hours before your flight to check in & get your boarding pass unless you purchased early bird check-in. I'd recommend paying the $10 each for early bird check in for your return flight. It seems most people do that so they don't have to be bothered to check in while on vacation. So for those who do wait until 24 hours, you don't get very good boarding passes.

 

[DisMomAmy]

At the moment, our itinerary looks something like this:

Tuesday 11/8 – Arrive in Orlando around 11:00am. Check in at resort & store luggage if villa isn’t ready. Return rental car at the Dolphin then take the boat/walk to DHS for a few hours. Return to resort mid-afternoon to settle into villa. Epcot for dinner (ADR TBD).

Wednesday 11/9 – Happy Anniversary to us!! Today is our MVMCP day!! I bought our tickets (with AP discount) on Sunday night!! We will spend the morning having breakfast at Cape May then head to DTD (I’m planning on using cabs to/from DTD). We’ll probably swim & have lunch at the resort before getting ready to head to the party. Dinner will be counter service at Magic Kingdom.

Thursday 11/10 – We’ll sleep late today (I suspect the latest we’ll get the kids to sleep is 8:00) then make our way to Animal Kingdom. This will be our only Animal Kingdom visit so we’ll be sure to take it all in! After a break (and probably swim) at the resort, we’ll head to Epcot and brave the crowds on what is expected to be a busy night. The way the park hours look right now, tonight will be opening night for the Osborne Lights at DHS. It’s also a Fantasmic night so everyone will be there. We’ll have an early dinner at 50s Prime Time then head over to see the Streets of America in all lit up! We may or may not get a chance to visit a ride or two!

Friday 11/11/11 (how cool is that!) – Veteran's Day – Today will be our only visit to Magic Kingdom aside from the party. We’ll plan to arrive around rope drop & stay until early afternoon. I’d like to be back at the resort by 3pm because tonight is our Anniversary Dinner night! Tim & I will be eating at Shula’s (at the Dolphin) because it’s Tim’s favorite!

Saturday 11/12 – Our last park day – Today we’ll spend the morning at Epcot, including lunch at one of our favorites – Teppan Edo!! After a mid-day break, we’ll visit DHS again. I want to take in the Osborne Lights one more time.

Sunday 11/13 - Departure day! We’ll have to see what today brings after I book our airfare but I’m hoping to get a late morning/early afternoon flight so we don’t have to get up too early but also get home early. If we have a little time before Magical Express, we’ll have breakfast (maybe Captain’s Grille) and relax at the resort. No parks today – unless I somehow end up with a really late flight.

Notes:
• This plan has us only using 4 days of our park tickets – saving six for April.
• If the Osborne Lights start earlier in the week we way switch things around on Tuesday and head to DHS in the evening. (I’ll make a backup ADR plan for this – we’ll do lunch at Epcot instead of dinner.)
• I originally had AK on Wednesday morning and DTD on Thursday morning thinking DTD would be a good thing to do the morning after the party but in an attempt to conserve ticket days, I am moving DTD to our MVMCP day so we won’t use any park tickets that day. Thanks Heidi for the suggestion! My only concern with this is that Alex won’t get his AK fix until mid-week. I will present this to him that this trip is a very different kind of trip and we can only go to AK once – therefore I am putting it in the middle. Hopefully if he knows the deal up front he’ll be OK. Maybe I’ll let him ride Dinosaur an extra time that day if he handles it well. (More about repeat rides later when I talk about the strategies we’re planning to use on this trip for managing behavior.)

 

[TeresaG]

Sounds like great plans!

We were at DHS to see the lights turned on and it was so cool. VERY crowded though, so be prepared. It was almost impossible to walk up and down the streets because of the people, but it dispersed pretty quickly. Regardless of how crowded it was, the spirit was there and it was magical.

We went to MVMCP too and it was a lot of fun. The parade and Holiday Wishes were so nice.