It's a Stack-a-licous good PTR!

[EvilQueensRock]

Stacking my WDW trip a little by little!

Can't book my January trip due to it not quite being August, so I've done the only thing I can do right now - Got ressies for CRT!!! DD is going to be thrilled! I just got a dinner ressie at CM as well - figured since we're at MK we can just hop the monorail over to the Contemporary and check it out.

Suppose I should put it ye olde vacation request at work now... (1/2 day Jan 12, back to work Jan 19)

Can't decide where to stay! Should I go big, since it's just myself and DD? Should I go cheap, since we probably won't spend much time at the hotel? Should I go moderate as DH might be able to fly down on his days off from work? Whyyyyyyy am I sooooo indecisive?

I know I need to have $200 in hand and a decision made when I go to book this trip very shortly.

Here the cast: Myself (36) DD (10) DH (39) (but he's probably not joining us)

Here's our choices:
Value: Pop Century - cons: no fridge, coffee maker or waterslides pros- affordable, keep hearing how it's the bomb!, food court looks promising

Moderates: Sheesh! We like all of these! (well, sort of...)
Coronado Springs: my first choice due to dining options, queen sized beds, and cool pool area (DD isn't so hip on CSR)
Caribbean Beach: This is where DD wants to stay (I think it has something to do with the dumpy bucket in the kids water play area), I'm not that impressed with it, between reviews and photos I've seen.
POFQ: dedicated bus stop. Need I say more? Stayed here before and liked it.

D-D-D-Deluxe!: C'mon Hotel Snob Fairy Godmother! Make it happen!
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Probably the only deluxe I can afford as long as Disney has a fabulous vacation discount package available in January, and both of us want to stay here.
Beach Club: Have you seen the pool area??? Ohhhh yeahhhhh...
Contemporary: I was surprised when I really checked this place out. Looks pretty cool to me!

Yes, I will be purchasing the dining plan. Probably the regular dining plan as I happen to like food, and will need a good excuse to stop going at 80 miles an hour while touring the parks, and this will also force DD to stop and eat SOMETHING! during the day.

So, day 2 of our trip is planned! Magic Kingdom! (Day 1 will be travelling and we won't arrive MCO until late as I'm surprising DD after school that day by showing up after school, tossing her in the car, and driving straight to the airport!)

Hopefully I will remember to logon tomorrow and get my next ressie booked! I will probably forget as we are hopping the train and heading to Chicago for the day tomorrow... but I scored the one ressie I needed to get before DD decides she's too old and she's had it with the princess dress-up thing (she'll be 10 in December. Me tinks dis is my last chance at little kid at Disneyworld.)

Now I must finish cleaning the house. Ugh. See ya'll later!

 

[EvilQueensRock]

Finally got around to booking the rest of my ADR's. Hopefully all these restaurants will still be on the DDP when we get there.

So far, so good:
Cinderella's Royal Table (B)
Chef Mickey's (D)
Sanaa (D)
Whispering Canyon Cafe (D)
Tokyo Dining (D)
Olivia's (B, had to do it, have you seen what's on the Breakfast menu??? YUM.)
Back to actual trip planning. I think we're going to fly down and head to WWoHP first, and maybe stay at the Nickelodeon Suites or Embassy Suites, then head over to WDW. DH wants to go to Epcot, and I think he wants to check out OKW. (YAY.) Then it's back to reality for him but DD and I get to PARTY a little bit longer.

So it appears the Dining Stack is complete. Now on to the booking stacks: WWoHP and WDW.

 

[EvilQueensRock]

So I had a total wrench thrown into my pre-trip planning yesterday...

Checked my email last night and had a message from Hampton Inn saying I was one of their daily winners in their Chain of Friends sweepstakes and I had one 8 free nights!!!!! I NEVER win ANYTHING so this is soooo awesome!

So now I have to decide if I'm going to use my free Hampton nights and stay off-site, or save the free nights for DD's Irish dance competitions next year (mostly in the Chicago/Wisconsin area.)

Did some number crunching last night to see how I would fare without Disney transportation and DDP.

Here's a guesstimate:

Rental Car for week: $300
Park passes for DD and me: $500
Keeping 5 ADR's I presently have: avg. price $70 x 5= $350
Not including airfare as we try to fly standby. One meal per day covered with Hampton's continental breakfast.
total: $1150

Guesstimated amount for WDW with same park passes and DDP:
$1500 (this number will probably drop once Disney releases its deals for January.)

Reality: would probably skip the rental car and use public trans/hotel shuttle. Probably won't keep any of my currents ADR's except Teppan Edo and CRT (which is already paid for) which now brings my vacation cost down to park tix (bought in advance), one ADR, and snacks/souvenirs.

Of course, I don't have the prize packet in my hot little hands yet, and don't know The Rulz for free nights, and all this over-analyzation could be for nothing. At any rate, what a huge blessing! (And I got it on my birthday!)

 

[EvilQueensRock]

I am probably the most overly analyzing idiot I know. Sigh. DH just glazes over when he hears anything to do with this trip come out of my mouth. Of course, he has yet to drink the Disney kool-aid so he just doesn't get it.

So glad the rates for 2011 are now available. So sad the discounts are still waaaay off in the distance. As I am also nickel-n-diming my way to pay for this thing, it's affected where I want to stay, eat, and do.

So now I'm thinking POP-QSDP-5 days tix-4 nights. It's in my budget. This is what is important. We wanted CBR-DDP-7 days tix-6 nights. Have determined DD could care less where and when we eat so the DDP prob is not worth it on this particular trip. (All she wants is CRT and Kona Sushi. I can handle that.) CBR would still be nice, but I think we'll be at the parks the majority of the time and the resort perks would be lost on us. Oh reality.

My other deal breaker on the DDP was that Teppan Edo is not listed on the 2011 restaurant list (????) and I cannot get a ressie at O'hana!!!! Had no idea that was such a hot spot!

Have a great day everybody!

 

[EvilQueensRock]

I'm beginning to think I'm talking to myself. Oh well.

So, We are BOOKED. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went with Pop Century, upgraded free QSD to DDP, 7 day ticket (may have to change that to no expiration) and am now in limbo AGAIN until DH gets his new work schedule after the next bid in October. Sigh.

I have booked, changed, and re-booked different ADR's so many times I'm pretty sure Disney is going to hunt me down and take away my laptop. The latest adventure:
Yak & Yeti
Kona Cafe
Sci-Fi
Garden Grill
50's
CRT
Chef Mickey's
Cape May Cafe'

I'm sure this line-up will either change again, or possibly, GROW, as I'm kicking around upgrading again to the DxDP, because, I'm an idiot.

Princess M and I have been reading different WDW books and are excited to look for hidden treasures and mickey's on our second pass through the parks. We are also excited to go to mini-golf!

Now I need to start searching for flights. We can fly stand-by but I'm thinking I would prefer to have confirmed seats for the flights down. The last thing I want to happen is Princess M to have an absolute total and complete meltdown at ATL b/c we're stuck there without seats on the flight. (Who am I kidding- I'd probaly be the one crying.)

Very excited! We're going on alllllll the rides!!!!