I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[snugglebug]

Okay, so my IHG options are Myrtle Beach, FL, Tx, Vegas, Gatlinberg Tn, etc. I had a lovely trip to Galveston, TX all planned. Flights on Delta using up my $50 GCs I have ($600 in total). Using my free night at a Hilton in Galveston, my resort credit the other night. And then I heard from people it's a crappy place!!! UGH. I heard the beach is "hard sand" and there aren't really any waves.

So that leave us either using the IHG hotel offer another time. Problem is the ex and I split up Christmas, Presidents weekend flights are $$$$$$$ and my kids and I don't sync Spring Breaks in 2020 (I'm a teacher). My daughter is leaning towards FL, but I worry, FL in Mid-August. 1 - the heat. 2- the hurricanes 3- we wouldn't be doing Disney so it feels like a waste. UGH.

I could drive to Gatlinberg from MI, but we're not really mountain people. And I have no clue what my kids would do while I'm at the presentation, there's only 1 pool. We did Myrtle Beach last summer and they loved it. But they don't want to do the same thing again, and I don't blame them.

So tell me, how bad is the Cocoa Beach area mid-August?

I'll chime in to say skip Galveston. There are so many better beaches. Like @wendow my family is very close. I have no interest at all of heading to G when I visit. The last time I was there was probably for senior prom over 20 years ago. My sister goes a lot and both of my daughters have been recently, but it just does not appeal to me. My youngest came home and was not thrilled at all with the "beach", thankfully her friend's family had other activities planned during their trip that were more fun lol

 

[vanjust14]

You don’t drink fountain pop? Or you don’t drink pop at all? Dh and I don’t ever drink pop that has sugar in it. We stick to Pepsi and Coke Zero

Hmm I wonder what the best way is to stay at the Swolphin. I’d hate to pay out of pocket for it

Do you have a bonbon card you could upgrade to the brilliant, pay a prorated AF and use the $300 credit for your Swolphin stay? I just did this recently. Food at the pool also counted toward the credit.

 

[wendow]

Also a fan of straws!!! I may be hoarding a stock of them given the bad press they are getting lately. I also bring my own to WDW now

Oh my goodness! I take straws with me everywhere too, including WDW.

 

[MrPTato]

No milk?! That’s my favorite drink

I love milk. Just not part of my thinning down plan. I’ll come back to it eventually.

 

[Lain]

Well, it looks like a self-referral clawback doesn’t land you on the naughty pop up list.

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/cc18gz/_/etn5x5y

I should note that u/cowsareeverywhere said his account is under review too.

 

[amalone1013]

When I drink canned pop at home it has to be in a cup with ice and usually a straw lol

This is how DH is

You don’t drink fountain pop? Or you don’t drink pop at all? Dh and I don’t ever drink pop that has sugar in it. We stick to Pepsi and Coke Zero

Hmm I wonder what the best way is to stay at the Swolphin. I’d hate to pay out of pocket for it

In your situation, I'd think about starting AA miles but as you said you're drinking from the Cippy cup... I'd probably be willing to cash out some URs to help offset it...

No pop for me Nothing carbonated unless it is booze. Even then it cant be too carbonated. Wine, cider ok. Champagne, sip slowly but don't go out of my way for (more like new years or mimosas). I wont drink mixed drinks with pop typically, like rum and coke or even long island iced tea. Even in college there was no drunk enough for drinking mixed drinks with pop!

What’s that about?

Lady goes back in time in Scotland... im bad at describing. I put it on my list after several here saying it inspired them to go to Scotland like @calypso726

I booked Swolphin using AA miles. SO, So, so cheap compared to Disney...

Yes, shouldnt have forgotten AA miles AA that was what we used for 4 other nights! Duh!

Haven't drank milk in like 10 years. Just wait. Your lactose intolerance days are coming. You whipper-snapper, you!

Noooooo milk is also my favorite!

 

[mhartman09]

I cannot even remember what we ordered from Picabu but I just remember the price for food seemed SOOO much less than anything I'd pay at Disney restaurants.

We typically fly out on the early morning flight, which is like 5:40 here, and honestly, it's brutal. We live almost an hour from the airport and between the drive and having to get there and park and be in almost 2 hours before, I do not sleep the night before. I've done this year after year (and for more trips than wdw), I'm kind of getting over it. I suggested to dh that we take the last flight out the night before our trip, which doesn't land until 1:30am , but not sure that is gonna work either. I'd just rather fly, land and then sleep than fly, land and then try to keep myself awake for hours and trying to do fun stuff while I'm dying inside from lack of sleep.

I hate trying to push through a park day after an early flight. We usually have 3 non-stop s day from MSY to MCO - super early like 6 am, mid-day or late like 9 to 11ish. With those choices I will usually opt for the late flight if it's late enough for me to make with working until 5 pm that day. I'm a night owl anyway, so I can function pretty well on just a few hours sleep. However, I sleep like crap the night before an early flight always feeling nervous about it.

Hmm I wonder what the best way is to stay at the Swolphin. I’d hate to pay out of pocket for it

Our 1st stay there was back when it was 25k per night and we did the 5th night free. This particular trip is 5 nights too, but I only had 100k Marriott points. We are going super cheap at Movies the first 3 nights, then moving over to Swan on points. It pained me to use that many points on just 2 nights, but I really didnt want to pay out of pocket since this was an "extra" trip DH already wasn't thrilled about doing.

 

[afan]

Me too. I drink everything but water with a straw. And I'm from TX, so ice is mandatory lol!

I can't really do straws any more but still do with my tumblers for water. I had to stop chewing gum too. I was swallowing too much air and it collects in my throat in my chest. Went to the dr because I was getting short of breath but it was just built up gas. Yay for aging I'm guessing? So now I keep gas relief chewables around and will need one tonight but without the gum it's way less often of an issue and now that I know what it is I treat when it starts.

No pop for me Nothing carbonated unless it is booze. Even then it cant be too carbonated. Wine, cider ok. Champagne, sip slowly but don't go out of my way for (more like new years or mimosas). I wont drink mixed drinks with pop typically, like rum and coke or even long island iced tea. Even in college there was no drunk enough for drinking mixed drinks with pop!

Why dilute the alcohol with something that's not ice and even then it's questionable? Though a vodka collins or vodka with a juice can be good. I'd rather just have my whiskey or scotch on the rocks though or a cider.

I hate trying to push through a park day after an early flight. We usually have 3 non-stop s day from MSY to MCO - super early like 6 am, mid-day or late like 9 to 11ish. With those choices I will usually opt for the late flight if it's late enough for me to make with working until 5 pm that day. I'm a night owl anyway, so I can function pretty well on just a few hours sleep. However, I sleep like crap the night before an early flight always feeling nervous about it.

I'm so different from everyone. I always take a red eye to maximize my time on the east coast and just go from when I get there. I'll sleep a bit on the plane but not as much as if I was in a bed and it's way less than I can normally function on but it works for me. I hate wasting an entire day in the air. AS non stop leaves here at 8am and gets in to MCO at 4 something. I'd just rather do it overnight when I know I'll at least sleep through some of it and not be bored and impatient waiting for the plane to hurry up and get there.

 

[wendow]

I hate trying to push through a park day after an early flight. We usually have 3 non-stop s day from MSY to MCO - super early like 6 am, mid-day or late like 9 to 11ish. With those choices I will usually opt for the late flight if it's late enough for me to make with working until 5 pm that day. I'm a night owl anyway, so I can function pretty well on just a few hours sleep. However, I sleep like crap the night before an early flight always feeling nervous about it

We've never done this but thinking we will for this next trip. We are all night owls. Why not push through a few extra night hours vs. all of us getting us super early (me and dd19 not sleeping at all)??? Just makes more sense. If it doesn't work and is a royal failure, we won't do again.

 

[PolyRob]

Ugh anyone with Verizon Unlimited?

I have auto-pay enabled to save on the monthly charges, but I have been paying a majority of the bill on a cc to either meet MSR or get 3x points for almost a whole year now and only let about $1.50 get taken from my checking account. It had been working great!

This month, I get a disclaimer when I go to process the cc payment:



The line access discount is more than what I would get in points so it looks like that is no longer an option

 

[wendow]

Y'all want to hear something crazy...my ds8 and I are taking an overnight flight to FL to join my dh for his training. There are such awful flights from DEN to FLL that we just went with that. I won't sleep but ds will. We could have taken a 5:40am flight and I also would not sleep. Why not land in FLL at 5:13am and just head to have breakfast with dh and then sleep? My ds8 is super chill so he will either sleep too (most likely) or watch cartoons. Either way, a couple hours for me will be fine, and then I'll be good to go for the day.

 

[Haley R]

Haven't drank milk in like 10 years. Just wait. Your lactose intolerance days are coming. You whipper-snapper, you!

I feel so sad for you

Girl! You just mix AA cards in the middle of the CIP's!

Lol I’m not getting any AA cards until I know for sure Disney is staying through 2020

 

[Haley R]

Do you have a bonbon card you could upgrade to the brilliant, pay a prorated AF and use the $300 credit for your Swolphin stay? I just did this recently. Food at the pool also counted toward the credit.

Nope, no bonbon card.

 

[Haley R]

This is how DH is

In your situation, I'd think about starting AA miles but as you said you're drinking from the Cippy cup... I'd probably be willing to cash out some URs to help offset it...

No pop for me Nothing carbonated unless it is booze. Even then it cant be too carbonated. Wine, cider ok. Champagne, sip slowly but don't go out of my way for (more like new years or mimosas). I wont drink mixed drinks with pop typically, like rum and coke or even long island iced tea. Even in college there was no drunk enough for drinking mixed drinks with pop!

Lady goes back in time in Scotland... im bad at describing. I put it on my list after several here saying it inspired them to go to Scotland like @calypso726

Yes, shouldnt have forgotten AA miles AA that was what we used for 4 other nights! Duh!

Noooooo milk is also my favorite!

I don’t drink any alcohol ever. I just don’t like the taste and I’ve tried many things. I mostly drink water, milk, pop with no sugar, and monster.

We might end up cashing out some URs. We’re gonna PC dh’s CSR here soon so cashing out wouldn’t be a terrible thing to do.

Do you drink skim?

 

[Haley R]

I can't really do straws any more but still do with my tumblers for water. I had to stop chewing gum too. I was swallowing too much air and it collects in my throat in my chest. Went to the dr because I was getting short of breath but it was just built up gas. Yay for aging I'm guessing? So now I keep gas relief chewables around and will need one tonight but without the gum it's way less often of an issue and now that I know what it is I treat when it starts.



Why dilute the alcohol with something that's not ice and even then it's questionable? Though a vodka collins or vodka with a juice can be good. I'd rather just have my whiskey or scotch on the rocks though or a cider.



I'm so different from everyone. I always take a red eye to maximize my time on the east coast and just go from when I get there. I'll sleep a bit on the plane but not as much as if I was in a bed and it's way less than I can normally function on but it works for me. I hate wasting an entire day in the air. AS non stop leaves here at 8am and gets in to MCO at 4 something. I'd just rather do it overnight when I know I'll at least sleep through some of it and not be bored and impatient waiting for the plane to hurry up and get there.

I only use the plastic straw that came with my tumbler at home and I use it for water too. I don’t chew gum either but for a different reason. My enamel is bad on my back teeth and gum does terrible things to my teeth. My dentist described it as a zing and that’s exactly what it feels like. I can feel it go all the way through to my gums. It happens when I eat too much sugar at once too (like gummies).

 

[amalone1013]

I don’t drink any alcohol ever. I just don’t like the taste and I’ve tried many things. I mostly drink water, milk, pop with no sugar, and monster.

We might end up cashing out some URs. We’re gonna PC dh’s CSR here soon so cashing out wouldn’t be a terrible thing to do.

Do you drink skim?

I used to.. growing up we always got 1% and my parents got skim for themselves. Eventually we switched to skim. Then my roommate and I in college would buy 1% usually... that was a compromise as I was used to skim and she was 2% lol. And now we do all 2% because that's what ILs always buy. I cant tell much of a difference between skim, 1, 2% now and will drink them all/whatever is available.

ETA I also bounced around a lot between the different kinds.. like my great grandma would give me 2% then I'd go home and have 1%, or skim if we were out of 1%. Drink mostly skim, have 2% at school, 1% at grandparents all in same day. So it's pretty much the same to me.

 

[wendow]

I feel so sad for you

Lol I’m not getting any AA cards until I know for sure Disney is staying through 2020

I don't miss cow's milk in the least. Not ever and I don't miss the tummy aches

I agree to watch what happens with AA and Disney. However, I find it very, very, very odd - have I mentioned how odd I find it - that Swolphin fell off the UR site?? I'm hopeful they stay on the AA site and we can at least get those with AA miles. Second best, imo! I'd be really shocked if they are no longer on AA. I still don't understand why the Swolphin fell off UR's.

 

[amalone1013]

I don't miss cow's milk in the least. Not ever and I don't miss the tummy aches

I agree to watch what happens with AA and Disney. However, I find it very, very, very odd - have I mentioned how odd I find it - that Swolphin fell off the UR site?? I'm hopeful they stay on the AA site and we can at least get those with AA miles. Second best, imo! I'd be really shocked if they are no longer on AA. I still don't understand why the Swolphin fell off UR's.

I know, on our Christmas trip I got Swolohin last minute non refundable rate for like 10k or 12k URs

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Um...wth?View attachment 416708

So it seems your missing $500 (lost by fed ex) showed up and they ad packed the other missing cards in that envelope but marked them in the other envelope. Then thisnone is the resend to cover the missing fed ex $500 one that already showed up. Did I get that right?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

That's right, I thought you were one of the people affected recently. See, I should've paid closer attention!

I did end up going online to cancel his reservation before doing mine, and then tried to go through the rebook link on the text that SW sent me. But it was unclear on that link if I was going to be on the hook for the increase cost in points (even though their policy states that I wouldn't be, since this was a flight cancelation instigated by them) and I didn't want to deal with that fight if they took more points from me. So I waited for the phone call back so I could verify that with a human. But next time, if there is a next time (I've flown Southwest for over 15 years and this has never happened to me before) I'll do what you are saying. Still, if people are in a mad rush to rebook, there's no guarantee that I could grab the CP seat if flights are getting sold out.

The rep said storms were the cause of this cancelation, and if it was truly that then I guess I will count myself lucky that all I'm dealing with is a later flight and not one of the poor folks who are caught in the storm's path.



I hope you have no problems!! Really, this is the first time I've experienced this kind of situation, delays yes, last minute cancellations no. But I suppose if you fly often, odds are it can happen. I have to wrap my head around the fact that some weather happening somewhere else, i.e. not my origin or destination, can still affect my travel plans.

Well I just got to BW a bit ago after my flight drama today, so you aren’t alone. We were supposed to leave at 5:30. The first drama was that we got stuck in traffic like I’ve never seen before in my life and I didn’t get to the airport until 4:45. I’m not one to want to sit around the airport but that was cutting it close even for me. We boarded on schedule. Then at 5:40 the pilot (super nice guy) says there is a ground stop and we hope to leave at 6:30. Will update. At 6:30 he says they’ve pushed it back to 7:30 and at that time allowed us to get off the plane. I was super grateful because we were hungry and if we had to wait until we got to Orlando we’d would be starving. So we got off and ate and stretch her legs and then got back on the plane about 720. We did end up leaving around 740. Apparently it was bad weather in Orlando and Tampa and there was just too much air traffic circling that could not land so they issued a ground stop for Orlando. So when we landed we sat on the plane waiting for the little dudes that waive the red flashlights to be able to guide us into a gate. That was another 25 minutes or so of waiting. I finally got to magical express and we were the first ones on the bus, so we waited forever for more people to come, and then I was the fourth resort drop off. It’s been a really long afternoon! I’ll have to post a view from our room tomorrow. We have a corner room with an extra window, a big balcony, and a few of the quiet pool. I’m loving Boardwalk. The rooms are just so much more fresh and airy than the Polynesian rooms were.