Another Year of APs and a Surprise Cruise! Combo PTRs/TRs updated 6/16 Labor Day Parts 4&5, the end!

[amalone1013]

Well for what it is worth, I think I am going to book Kona Cafe for us for Breakfast on our resort day. I saw that there was a a mimosa flight that is calling my name!

Mimosa Flight
Your choice of Three Tropical Juices - Orange, Pineapple, Cranberry, Pink Grapefruit, or Liliko'i

And if you are into Bloody Mary's they have a Bloody Mary Flight... I always want to like Bloody Mary's but I just don't.

This is definitely on my radar! I'm not a tomato fan so I've never tried a Bloody Mary.

Yeah, they were like $60 something a ticket and now I think they've gone up. Plus they had the EP, loungers, etc upgrades.

I looked up EP out of curiosity... $100pp Labor Day weekend I don't think that bodes well for crowds... ah well I think I'd rather deal with them at a waterpark vs the regular parks.

 

[pepperandchips]

Oh my emotions can't take this!!!

Is there a traveler's anonymous group anywhere? Hi, I'm Alyssa and I'm constantly planning trips... to Disney and non-Disney! (Like Nashville in November... but that's a story for another post)

Hiiiiiiiii Alyssaaaaa

What if there was a trip where we did waterparks and ate at Signature restaurants?

that sounds AMAZING!

See how I had to twist his arm?

Haha, it looks like it was really really difficult!

early signature dinner before MNSSHP?

yes please!!!

I think we'll end up upgrading to Platinum Plus APs. We have our 7 day PHs for later in the month, want Memory Maker, and will also definitely be doing at least 1 day Epcot tickets next June. It's only $70 more to upgrade one to a Platinum pass and we should make up for that with discounts, and that's less than buying a regular one and buying waterpark tickets. I know we really only need one AP for discounts, but how do you choose? Honestly I could make this decision easier than Zack It makes more sense for me most likely, but I would be more okay with it being him due to $$ than he will be with me getting it and him having regular tickets It's another $240 to get a second Plat Plus AP... but if next June ends up being a 2 day ticket, or we go again another time (twist our arms!) we would come out ahead then.

I see that the Disney math took root... I can justify just about anything!

Jiko

YASS

Il Mulino

YASSSS

Bongos Cuban Cafe

Uhhhh. Well you better go if you're going, 'cause I heard this place is on the chopping block!

I wanna do this trip! Stinking wedding in my way of a labor day long weekend. Harrumph.

 

[Lesley Wake]

I'm super behind!

The waterparks trip sounds like so much fun! I'm going to try hitting up TL in December, but I don't know if weather will cooperate (Water parks are already included in my AP).

To help the budget I either booked all hotels with my credit card points or through Hotels.com with gift cards I picked up on sale (Amazon has them $40 for $50 quite often), so our total hotel cost is around $300

I never thought about doing this! Need to start stocking up for Tokyo!

Is there a traveler's anonymous group anywhere? Hi, I'm Alyssa and I'm constantly planning trips... to Disney

Seriously! They had cheap Frontier flights, $39 each way, from LA to Orlando. I considered going out there for 1 night to do MNSSHP and Food & Wine, but eventually talked myself down. It's all red-eye flights, which make me feel ill, and while it wasn't a huge expense, still I'd rather save that for Japan!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am super jealous that you guys are actually going on such a last minute trip. I love it!

 

[amalone1013]

I see that the Disney math took root... I can justify just about anything!

The dangers of Disney math... why I am so much better at it than regular math?

*attempts to justify a TIW card again...*

Uhhhh. Well you better go if you're going, 'cause I heard this place is on the chopping block!

Oh man, I didn't know that. It's come up a couple times, including at DTD at DLR (on past trips). It's more Zack than me... I look at the menu and I'm sure it'd be good, but nothing jumps out at me. We're looking again tonight.

I wanna do this trip! Stinking wedding in my way of a labor day long weekend. Harrumph.

Seeeee? That's how I felt about Memorial Day weekend! Darn weddings

I never thought about doing this! Need to start stocking up for Tokyo!

I keep an eye out... most of them I end up using for a Quality Inn back in my hometown that runs $50-$90 a night but they are handy!

Seriously! They had cheap Frontier flights, $39 each way, from LA to Orlando. I considered going out there for 1 night to do MNSSHP and Food & Wine, but eventually talked myself down. It's all red-eye flights, which make me feel ill, and while it wasn't a huge expense, still I'd rather save that for Japan!

I would have trouble talking myself down from that! But I could probably sacrifice for an overseas trip! I'm so anxious to plan one of my own. I also need to get back to your France TR.

I am super jealous that you guys are actually going on such a last minute trip. I love it!

I'm so excited! It would totally not be possible if I didn't hoard all credit card rewards for travel - I was able to cover flights and hotels that way. That's saving us $1200...

 

[amalone1013]

A Mysterious Labor Day Weekend Trip
Plans as of August 25th and ADRs
Labor Day Trip - 6 days!
Anniversary Trip - 19 days!
Cruise Trip - 302 days!

Dining choices are selected and ADRs are made! Here is the plan, though Zack is trying to change things as I type...

Friday:
Fly in, late as always - around 11pm. DME to All Star Movies

Saturday:
Move our things to All Star Music for the rest of the trip (will probably do ourselves because we're hoping to just have backpacks).
Kona Cafe 8:30am
Typhoon Lagoon
Sanaa 7:35pm
Depending on if I am a glutton for punishment, maybe MK? It's open until midnight this day

Sunday:
Trail's End 8:20am
This isn't too early for brunch right?
Volcano Bay
Morimoto Asia 6:45pm
Wander Disney Springs, maybe Jock's, etc.
Bongos got scrapped for meals, but look at these adorable souvenir cups they sell:

Monday/Tuesday:
Boma 8:30am
Blizzard Beach
or
Breakfast?
Epcot
Just not sure which day to do which... on Monday we could get in early for the party, but don't have too... plus we'll have APs again and be back in a couple weeks. So we could stay longer at BB if we wanted. Or we could do BB on Tuesday, then grab our stuff and catch DME at 4:15pm. Or if we really wanted, we could just do BB for 2-3 hrs each morning... might play this by ear.
And obviously I need another breakfast option...

Monday evening:
If Epcot, maybe stop at Poly for TS/Capt Cook's before...
MNSSHP!
I booked two FPs before the party starts, Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan

Tuesday evening:
Flight home is at 7:15pm (ahhh, familiarity...)


So what Zack is trying to change... basically I caused myself problems because I sent him a map with everywhere starred on it earlier - restaurants, waterparks, etc. He's asking why we don't go to Blizzard Beach first and then straight from there to Sanaa... I think he thinks Kona is at AKL. I guess I should have added restaurant names to the map. ​

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I want to eat at all of those places!!! This sounds like a perfect water park day!

 

[pepperandchips]

I'm not seeing a lot of signatures, madam!!!
But woo hoo for morimoto! So good!!!

 

[amalone1013]

I'm not seeing a lot of signatures, madam!!!
But woo hoo for morimoto! So good!!!

I know, they didnt really make it! I should have just said resort dining!

We decided to add Il Mulino to the next trip since we're staying at the Dolphin. I was looking through menus again and a lot seem seafood heavy right now, which we dont really do. I like shrimp, but zack wont touch any of that. I'm still a bit torn on if its ridiculous to have bread service in the Sanaa lounge and then go to Jiko for entrees... and we decided to save yachtsman for another trip.

Morimoto is a stretch for me honestly, I'm not usually big on Asian food. But Zacks been really wanting to go. Marriage is all about compromise, right?

 

[pepperandchips]

And obviously I need another breakfast option..

Maybe on your epcot day a good breakfast option would be Ale & Compass? I just read this week that they brought back some old favorites (the chocolate waffles and the breakfast buffet). I'm just being selfish since I really want to read a new review of this

I'm still a bit torn on if its ridiculous to have bread service in the Sanaa lounge and then go to Jiko for entrees... and we decided to save yachtsman for another trip.

I have never thought to do this since I would be afraid I would be too full from bread service to enjoy Jiko fully, but if you left enough time in between this could be a fun progressive dinner! Like bread service and a couple drinks, go out and watch the animals, walk over to Jambo (to work up your hungries again), maybe see if there are any activities in the Jambo lobby or overlook, linger around and maybe get a drink at Victoria Falls, and then entrees at Jiko?

Okay now I'm thinking that would be really fun!

 

[amalone1013]

A Mysterious Labor Day Weekend Trip
Final Plans
Labor Day Trip - 1 day!
Anniversary Trip - 14 days!
Cruise Trip - 297 days!

You may have noticed something about me, I can never seem to leave well enough alone...

Tuesday night Zack sort of off-handedly mentioned Wednesday morning flights, so at work yesterday I started playing around and found direct flights home that land at 9am Wednesday morning! That means they're early enough that Zack wouldn't have to count that as a PTO day. They were slightly less than our current flights Tuesday night, but obviously we'd have to add another hotel night. So I'm thinking... we'd probably have to be done doing whatever at around 3pm on Tuesday, to catch DME for a 7:15pm flight. Epcot is open until 11pm Tuesday night, so it really comes down to what another 8ish hours of time is worth... will it be worth the cost of an additional night?

Obviously fuzzy Disney math says YES!

But...

I didn't even have to do any fuzzy Disney math!


When I booked originally, out of all of the values, I could only get a discounted room on Friday night at All Star Movies or All Star Sports, so that was part of why we were switching hotels. Our first night had hit the point of being non-refundable (really both had), but I decided to see what it looked like if I modified the All Star Music reservation to add Tuesday night.

And Pop Century came up!

And it had a room only discount available!

And with the discount it came to TWO DOLLARS LESS OVERALL than our ASMus reservation with one less night!

Room two dollars less overall, cheaper flights, 8 extra hours... it's like they're paying us to stay!

I booked our rooms with credit card points, which means Chase is basically acting as a travel agent so I had to call them and wait on hold while they called Disney to try and change the room. I was so nervous someone would book it out from under us, but we got it!

Then I had to wait on my boss to approve Wednesday off for me (I ended up texting her at home because she didn't tell me before she left for the day ). I start at 7am so I'd only be able to do a half day at most, and when we get back I'll be working everyday including the weekend until we leave for the longer trip, so I figured it'd be better to take the day for errands and laundry, etc.

After I got the okay on that, I booked the flights, cancelled the old ones, and rearranged our schedule again...

In addition...
Saturday: we may wander over to MK since it's open late after exploring AKL; we'll be upgrading to APs on the way into the water park so we'll see what FPs come up for the weekend then. I decided what the heck and to do Boma and Sanaa on the same day since they're near BB.
Sunday: we want to hit Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar in DS too; depending on when we do that and how we feel we may wander to MK again.
Monday: Zack actually agreed to the idea of sleeping in since we'll have MNSSHP; I'm debating a late breakfast (perhaps Ale and Compass @pepperandchips) and then we'll probably munch on a few F&W things in Epcot before getting ready for the party. We should see @chunkymonkey there at some point!
Tues: We won't necessarily spend the whole day at Volcano Bay; we decided to leave the evening open so we could leave when we felt like it and not worry about a dinner ADR. Instead we will head back to the hotel and change, then head to Epcot for F&W, Illuminations, and EMH.


And there you have it! I need to make a packing list since I'm at work until 7pm tonight, and will need to go home and power pack - tomorrow Zack is picking me up from work and we will head straight to the airport!

If I'm fancy, I will attempt to post a few pictures here. But most likely I will instagram.

See you in a few days!​

 

[chunkymonkey]

See you real soon!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I just jumped on board this PTR the other day and have thoroughly enjoyed your "thought process" for planning and replanning and planning again This is how my mind works, too. Even once I've decided on a plan, if something pops into my mind or some better idea comes along, I am fully committed to rearranging until I can squeeze every ounce of magic into our trips

We just booked a Very Merrytime Cruise for next year, but our countdown is SO far away!!! I'm already trying to figure out how many days we should add on to stay at WDW before the cruise....and let's be honest, after, too

Have an amazing time on your trip!!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm sad we missed you by only a few days for your Labour Day trip, but I hope you had/are having an awesome time!! I'm here and following along, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about all of this!

 

[cheryllarsen]

Wow, sounds like amazing fun!

 

[cheryllarsen]

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed the reading!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I love that I am looking at this now, and it appears that you are probably riding Peter Pan right now!

I decided what the heck and to do Boma and Sanaa on the same day since they're near BB.

Sounds like a yummy day to me!

 

[amalone1013]

I love that I am looking at this now, and it appears that you are probably riding Peter Pan right now!


Sounds like a yummy day to me!

And I just opened this, and we are in the fp line now

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

And I just opened this, and we are in the fp line now

YEAH!!! Love it! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

[kastoney]

I fell woefully behind but it looks like you have at least one trip in the books and are probably on another one (insert immense jealousy here). Happy Anniversary. Hope you are having a blast.