Give me an AP & look what happens - 2 for 1 PTR!! NEW 3/11 p.63 TR Link

[DisMomAmy]

Welcome to my two trip combo PTR!! Since my first trip is right around the corner (two months from today) I’ve already made most of the plans, but didn’t want to start this report until I finished my last TR from April/May 2010. (See the link in my signature if you want to check it out.)

During our last trip (April/May 2010) we participated in the Give a Day program & cashed in our vouchers for the free one day park tickets. While the rest of my family upgraded their tickets to park hoppers, I used fuzzy Disney math to rationalize an AP for myself!! After all, this would entitle us to free parking, the ability to purchase a Tables in Wonderland dining discount card and lots of shopping discounts. I figured we would also be visiting WDW in February next year rather than our usual April vacation week since Easter falls late & we aren’t really interested in battling those crowds! With two trips within a year it was a no-brainer. So with an AP burning a hole in my pocket, the fall trip was born! My friend & next door neighbor, Laura & I almost made the same trip last year, but with our spring 2010 family trip still a question mark at the time & her busy work schedule, it just didn’t happen. This year it’s for sure!!

Time to meet my family:

Me (36), stay at home mom, part-time bookkeeper & full-time volunteer

DH (37), Solutions Engineer (IT/computer stuff) – acts like he just tolerates Disney, but look at the smile on his face in this picture:

Our boys:

DS9, Alexander (10 by our trip) – This will be his sixth trip! Alex is starting fourth grade this fall. He was diagnosed with autism (PDD-NOS) when he was two and has come sooo far since then.

With “aunt” Karen:

Doing the robot at H&V:

DS6, Zach (7 by our trip) – This will be his fifth trip! Zach is starting first grade this fall. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome this summer. We’ve suspected issues with social/emotion development for a while and are happy to finally have the diagnosis to get him the help he needs.

After conquering ToT last year:

And my companion for the fall trip, Laura… she’ll have to remain a mystery for now because I don’t have any pictures handy.

If you want to know more about me and my family you can check out the PTRs & TRs… links in my signature.

Links to updates:
Trip dates & Fall resort choice
Day One Plans/ADRs
Day Two Plans/ADRs
Day Three Plans/ADRs
New Kitty!
Day Four Plans/ADRs & Via Napoli update
Trip #2 - Feb/March 2011
No Tag-Alongs
Goals for DHS
Airline Tickets
Airline Tickets - part 2
Afternoon Tea at the GF
Odds & Ends
Airfare Booked!!
Epcot Goals - Fall Trip
March Park Hours are out!!
January Surprise
Back from the lake
February/March trip itinerary & ADRs
Anybody wanna dance?
First ADR
ADRs - Day 2
ADRs - Day 3
ADRs - Day 4
ADRs - Day 5
Magic Kingdom Goals - Fall Trip
ADRs - Day 6
ADRs - Day 7
ADR/Itinerary Recap - Feb/March 2011
Day One Touring Plan
Pixie Dust & Prayers Needed!
GG Update & Shopping
GG made it through surgery
Laura's Travel Booklet
Day Two Touring Plan
Day Four Touring Plan
15 Day Forecast
Ten Days!!
Nine Days
Eight Days
Seven Days - Happy Birthday Zach!!
Six Days
Five Days
Four Days
Three Days!!!!
Two Days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Birthday Weekend
One Day!!
Trip Report Link
GG Update
Last GG Update
Back to the PTR... recap of Feb/March trip plans
Timeshare Shopping
Animal Kingdom - part one
Animal Kingdom - part two
Animal Kingdom - part three
Life Update
Hollywood Studios - part one
Hollywood Studios - part two
Hollywood Studios - part three
Hollywood Studios - part four
Disney Shopping
Double Digits Dance!!
Happy November
Epcot - part one
Epcot - part two
Epcot - part three
Magic Kingdom
More Magic Kingdom
Even more MK
More MK - almost done...
A Spectrum Mom DIS meet
To do list & Day one touring plan
Day Two Touring Plan
Day Three Touring Plan
Day Four Touring Plan
Day Five Touring Plan
Day Six Touring Plan
Day Seven Touring Plan
Day Eight Touring Plan & A Snow Day
Let the Countdown Begin!
Full Itinerary
One Month!!
So much to do, so little time
Snow, snow go away!
A quick hello
Mystery Trip Revealed
Almost Two Weeks!
In Two Weeks - Day One 2/24
In Two Weeks - Day Two 2/25
In Two Weeks - Day Three 2/26
In Two Weeks - Day Four 2/27
In Two Weeks - Day Five 2/28
In Two Weeks - Day Six 3/1
In Two Weeks - Day Seven 3/2
In Two Weeks - Day Eight 3/3
In Two Weeks - Day Nine 3/4
In Two Weeks - Day Ten 3/5
In Two Weeks - Day Eleven 3/6
THREE days to go!!
Two more days!!
One Day!!
So long friends...
We're Home!!
Trip Report Link

 

[johnsonmatt3]

first to post woo hoo. im here and ready to read

 

[DisMomAmy]

first to post woo hoo. im here and ready to read

Yay!! You win the grand prize!! OK - so there's no prize, but I'm happy to see you over here... I've been waiting all day for someone the find me!

Where is everyone else??

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, look! I am second!!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Woo Hoo!! Second Prize!

 

[DisneyCrafter]

I'm here! Can't wait to follow along on more of your planning adventures!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

I'm here I'm here, and you've started Looking forward to your two new adventures

 

[Native NYer]

Joining in!
Can't wait to read about your trips.

 

[DisMomAmy]

I'm here! Can't wait to follow along on more of your planning adventures!

I'm here I'm here, and you've started Looking forward to your two new adventures

Joining in!
Can't wait to read about your trips.

Hi Ladies! Thanks for joining me!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Woo Hoo!! My ticker is under 2 months!!

 

[MRYPPNS]

I'm here! And since we'll going at the same time in 2011 it will be so fun to compare notes! Amy and I often give the same touring advice to other DISers so it should be very interesting to see how our plans match up for our family vacations.

PS: UncoverTourist ships quick!!!

 

[Happydog]

looking forward to reading all about it!

 

[mousescrapper]

I'm in...did I still make page one after 2 days


oh yeah....happy under 2 months mark...and I still can't believe you squeezed in two trips before mine.... JK

can't wait for all the fun!

 

[eandesmom]

Woot still made page one. I think.

 

[luvfigment]

Jumping on board. I am new to your PTR/TR but see your name a lot on other ones so wanted to check yours out.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Yes ladies - you all made page one!!

I'm here! And since we'll going at the same time in 2011 it will be so fun to compare notes! Amy and I often give the same touring advice to other DISers so it should be very interesting to see how our plans match up for our family vacations.

PS: UncoverTourist ships quick!!!

I can't wait to plan right along with you!! Still waiting for that PTR of yours to start up...

Yes - UT ships really fast!!

looking forward to reading all about it!

Thanks for joining me!! Looking forward to sharing!

I'm in...did I still make page one after 2 days

oh yeah....happy under 2 months mark...and I still can't believe you squeezed in two trips before mine.... JK

can't wait for all the fun!

Glad you made it!! Wouldn't be my PTR without you!!

Believe me... I know how lucky I am to be going back again so soon - twice!

Woot still made page one. I think.

Hi Cynthia!! Thanks for joining in!! You are so close to your trip!!

Jumping on board. I am new to your PTR/TR but see your name a lot on other ones so wanted to check yours out.

Welcome!! I've seen you around too... thanks for reading!!

I hope to have another update up tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Angies1274]

Hi Amy! Joining in! Aww...page 2 but I'm here! Can't wait to read all about your plans!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hi Amy! Joining in! Aww...page 2 but I'm here! Can't wait to read all about your plans!!

Glad you made it Angie!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Two for the price of one… so you may be wondering when are these two trips?

Trip number one: Girls weekend with Laura - Thursday, September 30 – Sunday, October 3, 2010

Trip number two: Family trip February vacation week 2011 (tentatively 2/24 – 3/6) – hopefully just the four of us.

Here’s what we’ve done so far for the fall trip:

When we were first considering a trip, we decided to book a hotel ressie. We figured we could cancel it if things didn’t work out but wanted to book something while the “Special Offers” were still available. We thought about Pop Century but decided to go moderate. My first choice was POFQ based on different trip reports I’ve read, but they were full. Laura had stayed at POR previously but was very excited with the idea of staying there again. She really loved the idea of being able to ride a boat somewhere!! So I booked POR-standard room (paid deposit for room only ressie) in May at 30% off through the special offers on the Disney website ($400 for the three nights). I later added water view to our ressie! (Now up to $460 for the three nights.) We dreamed of boats & mansions & walks through the bayou.

Not too long after we booked POR, Laura decided she could definitely go, so we booked our airfare on Southwest! Early flight on Thursday, 9/30 & late flight on Sunday, 10/3 - both direct.

Not too long after that I got a pin code for 40% off! Unfortunately POR and POFQ weren’t available. We decided not to switch since we were in love with boats & mansions & walks through the bayou.

Then on June 23rd I caught wind of some crazy deals on deluxe resorts on Orbitz. I plugged in our dates and saw those crazy deals with my own eyes! AKL - $313 for standard room/$398 for a savannah view! WL – Around the same price! Boardwalk Inn - $417 for a standard room/$519 for water view! Now what? I called Laura, she wasn’t going to be home until late! When she got home she came right over & we looked at pictures. We decided to upgrade!!! I’ve dreamed of staying at AKL but since we aren’t planning to visit AK & AKL is kind of far from the other parks, we opted for BWI!! And at BWI we could still have our boat rides! But we didn’t cancel the POR ressie quite yet. After all we’d been dreaming of boats & mansions & walks through the bayou!

After thinking about it, adding some requests to our Orbitz ressie & getting some feedback from friends who all thought we were crazy if we cancelled the BWI ressie, we decided on BWI! Finally in early July, I cancelled the POR ressie! Now we were dreaming of boats, boardwalk performers & walks to Epcot!

Up next: ADRs!

PS – This morning I read that the MSEP has been extended!! No definite date of when it’s been extended to, but there’s hope for us seeing it in October. (Let's hope they don't end it September 30th... that will throw all of our plans up in the air!) The same article confirmed that Wishes will be returning mid-August.

Here's the article: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours.htm#mainstelecparade

 

[MRYPPNS]

Amy- tourplanings is reporting that March park hours are out but I can't find them anywhere. Not on Disneyworld.com or on the travel agent pdf. Either someone made a big boo-boo or will have our hands on the March hours soon.....