Plannning a trip for January!

Updating our plans... see page 2

Well it's that time of year again when I start to get the bug for going back to my happy place (we booked our very first trip in August for Christmas, but have gone the past two Januarys over MLK day). Especially since when I go on the SR cruise we aren't doing any park days. Also over the past week or so we've decided not to book the 2010 DCL cruise we'd talked about and do a Disney trip instead, so I've been toying with how to get two trips out of this -- one each year. I happened to check packages online the other night, and yesterday morning called AAA who saved me ~$175 on a 4-night, 5-day package at Animal Kingdom Lodge with dining and flights (saved $500 on the flights booking through Disney with the package). I paid the deposit and nearly half of our flights with Sunshine Rewards gift cards!!

So here is a preliminary pre-trip (never too early, right?!):

The cast is a family of Disney fanatics --
Me
DH, goes along for the ride but secretly loves it too
DS11, really wanted to go to the Grand Canyon this year but Disney is cheaper (I promised him Grand Canyon when everyone is able to do a good bit of hiking in a couple of years)
and DS9

When --
January 15-19, 2009. The kids are out of school on the 16th & 19th for MLK weekend so they only have to miss 1 day of school. I am happy about this since now DS is in 5th grade and I think it will be harder to take them out.

Tentative plans --

Thursday, 1/15 --
Arrive MCO at 11:25 am and take Magical Express to AKL. Check in, drop our carry-ons, head to DHS. Fantasmic dinner package at Hollywood & Vine (reservation at 4:40). Fantasmic at 7 pm

Friday, 1/16 --
Epcot mid-morning through pm EMH. Dinner at Marrakesh 7 pm. Illuminations at 9 pm

Saturday, 1/17 --
Animal Kingdom in the morning. Do our "must" list: Everest, Dinosaur and any other requests, and head back to AKL for the afternoon to enjoy the pool and resort. Dinner at Boma 6:35 pm.

Sunday, 1/18 --
Magic Kingdom all day through pm EMH. Dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe at 5:05 pm. Wishes at 8 pm, Spectro at 9 pm.

Monday, 1/19 --
Back to DHS until it's time to head home (we have a pretty nice day with a flight at 6:55 pm)

I'm so excited we are going to stay at AKL! If my November bonus doesn't happen to come in at what I think it should I'll switch to Pop as originally thought, but for now I'm dreaming of AKL. Now to figure out how many days are left...

:party:

I AKL will be wonderful! Never stayed there, but visited. VERY exciting!

I love your plan. I think stay at AKL would be fantastic.

Make sure you walk the trails at AKL. The resort is beautiful and I'm sure you will love it.

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Originally Posted by bbangel

Make sure you walk the trails at AKL. The resort is beautiful and I'm sure you will love it.

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You'll have to tell me about the trails. Is that where you look at the animals on the savannah? We did that when we ate at Boma. I am hoping we will be able to catch one of the storytellers or something like that. I didn't pay for the savannah view room, but hope to get up early in the mornings and take a stroll with my camera.

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Originally Posted by 3dog2kidmom

You'll have to tell me about the trails. Is that where you look at the animals on the savannah? We did that when we ate at Boma. I am hoping we will be able to catch one of the storytellers or something like that. I didn't pay for the savannah view room, but hope to get up early in the mornings and take a stroll with my camera.

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Yes, that is what I meant. I was amazed at how many people didn't realize that you could walk around the outside of the resort and find information and viewing spots for animals. The front desk should have a list of activities that take place in the lobby or around the fire pit and the times that you can find them.

Shelly we are talking about going that same weekend! I have heard the crowds can be pretty bad because of MLK holiday but I will hope for the best! I was also thinking of booking through AAA again! I was waiting for some '09 codes to come out, but I have read on other boards that the resorts are alreay filling up. I need to get on the ball!!

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Originally Posted by andrea2289

Shelly we are talking about going that same weekend! I have heard the crowds can be pretty bad because of MLK holiday but I will hope for the best! I was also thinking of booking through AAA again! I was waiting for some '09 codes to come out, but I have read on other boards that the resorts are alreay filling up. I need to get on the ball!!

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Andrea... we've been the same weekend the past 2 years and THERE ARE NO CROWDS!!! Granted, my frame of reference was Christmas week from the previous year, but still. I don't think I finished last year's trip reports, but look for my 3dog... TRs on this forum I think I might have mentioned how nice it was. I don't think we waited more than 20 minutes for anything. I love this weekend... we are getting 4 nights and 5 days and the kids only have to miss one day of school (so no homework to drag along!). And I think AAA saved ~$175 on this package.

Where are you wanting to stay?

Updating my plans (this is becoming a pre-TR... mods, feel free to move to the right forum for me.)

Lynn mentioned something on another thread about having breakfast at Crystal Palace because walking down a nearly empty Main Street was so nice, so I had to add that. And I tweaked our plans a bit to make better use of EMH. AND SIL & my nephew who live in the Tampa area may come visit one evening so I changed our Boma ADR to a bit later and added them on!

Here's the new schedule...

Thursday, 1/15 --
Arrive MCO at 11:25 am and take Magical Express to AKL. Check in, drop our carry-ons, share lunch at The Mara. Head to DHS. Fantasmic dinner package at Hollywood & Vine (reservation at 4:40). Fantasmic at 7 pm. Park closes at 8.

Friday, 1/16 --
Epcot mid-morning through pm EMH. Early lunch at Sunshine Seasons. Dinner at Marrakesh 7 pm. Illuminations at 9 pm. We probably won't take full advantage of EMH because I want to get an early start on Saturday.

Saturday, 1/17 --
Grab a snack at The Mara for breakfast and head back to DHS for early EMH. Lunch at Toy Story Pizza Planet and head back to AKL after lunch. I don't think we will have any trouble getting through this park in half a day if we just hit the high points. Enjoy the pool and resort and hopefully spend some time with SIL and DN. Dinner at Boma 7:15 pm.

Sunday, 1/18 --
8:05 breakfast at Crystal Palace!! This is the only part of our trip I'm keeping as a surprise for the kids until we actually get there. We'll tell them we're just going to grab a muffin at the bakery until we have to give it up to the CM at the gate so they let us in. I want to arrive early enough to get some pics of the empty street. I could spend all morning on that :)

Then Magic Kingdom until at least mid-day. We'll see how the lines are, how we feel, and how the weather is -- but may head back to AKL for a bit before dinner. Early dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe at 5:05 pm. Take boat back to MK for Wishes at 8 pm, Spectro at 9 pm. Park closes at MIDNIGHT :banana:

Monday, 1/19 --
Breakfast at The Mara, and head to Animal Kingdom. It's early EMH there so we will try to get there early enough to take advantage of that. Ride Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, catch a show or two, have lunch at Yak & Yeti CS, and if it's not too chilly I told the kids this time we might finally ride Kali River Rapids. Last!

Stay until it's time to head back to the resort :( to catch Magical Express for the airport (we have a flight at 6:55 pm).

We always do an early breakfast at MK for a non EMH day. We get lots of pics with our family without ANY one in the background. We usually take pics of other families for them and then they return the favor. Just love walking down Main Street and seeing that castle with hardly anyone there! VERY magical! You will not regret!

I'm going to try and talk DH into letting me take DS8 in January....I kind of have a lot of ammunition since we went absolutely NO WHERE this Summer! We will probably only spend a couple days at WDW and more time with Grandma and Grandpa....but a couple days of Disney is better than NO Disney!! I'm thinking maybe Jan. 14-16th. I too love WDW in January!!!!

Your plans sound great Shelly!!

We will be there Jan 4th through the 17th. We go the same time every year and the crowds are pretty low. This year we are going a week earlier than last year. I love CP!!

Is there is also a mental disorder called wdwrestaurantpickaphobia!?

I've only been planning this trip for about 2 weeks and have made no less than 4 calls to Disney dining. The first was to make our initial reservations, the next was to add the Crystal Palace breakfast (thank you Lynn!), and then I changed our Boma dinner so SIL and nephew could join us (we are doing that at 7:15 on Sunday now). So over Labor Day while DH and I were talking about his boss's recent trip to WDW (where they got upgraded to Poly concierge, Magic Kingdom view from a standard room BTW, those lucky ducks!!), I got to thinking about 'Ohana. I consistently recommend it as my hands-down, all around favorite, must-do restaurant at WDW to anyone who asks me for advice, yet we weren't going there this time. And I started to feel sad. I liked Whispering Canyon Cafe well enough, and DH and DS haven't been there yet, but it wasn't giving me that happy feeling and something still felt incomplete about my plans. Do I sound crazy yet?

So I took a poll (Me: "kids, I think I want to go back to 'Ohana for dinner -- remember that yummy vanilla bean bread pudding with the bananas foster sauce! -- instead of that canyon place that does crazy ketchup stuff and DD would have to get a kids' meal, okay?" "They: sure, mom!" lol), and it was settled. I called WDW-DINE the next morning and wouldn't you know they had the same time open we had at WCC! So I changed our ADR and now feel very happy that we are at least going to eat at my beloved Poly!

You're making my nouth water this morning Shelly!

I love unbiased polls like this! LOL!!

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Originally Posted by 3dog2kidmom

So I took a poll (Me: "kids, I think I want to go back to 'Ohana for dinner -- remember that yummy vanilla bean bread pudding with the bananas foster sauce! -- instead of that canyon place that does crazy ketchup stuff and DD would have to get a kids' meal, okay?" "They: sure, mom!" lol), and it was settled.

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I just pinned DH down last night about going in January and he said yes! Didn't even have to play the "no Summer vacation" card!!! WOOT!!!!

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Originally Posted by JillyFish

I just pinned DH down last night about going in January and he said yes! Didn't even have to play the "no Summer vacation" card!!! WOOT!!!!

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YAY!!!! :clap:

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Originally Posted by JillyFish

You're making my nouth water this morning Shelly!

I love unbiased polls like this! LOL!!



I just pinned DH down last night about going in January and he said yes! Didn't even have to play the "no Summer vacation" card!!! WOOT!!!!

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YEAH Jill! Looks like everyone is getting in their vacations! Congrats! Better start that pre planning report!

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Originally Posted by 3dog2kidmom

Is there is also a mental disorder called wdwrestaurantpickaphobia!?

I've only been planning this trip for about 2 weeks and have made no less than 4 calls to Disney dining. The first was to make our initial reservations, the next was to add the Crystal Palace breakfast (thank you Lynn!), and then I changed our Boma dinner so SIL and nephew could join us (we are doing that at 7:15 on Sunday now). So over Labor Day while DH and I were talking about his boss's recent trip to WDW (where they got upgraded to Poly concierge, Magic Kingdom view from a standard room BTW, those lucky ducks!!), I got to thinking about 'Ohana. I consistently recommend it as my hands-down, all around favorite, must-do restaurant at WDW to anyone who asks me for advice, yet we weren't going there this time. And I started to feel sad. I liked Whispering Canyon Cafe well enough, and DH and DS haven't been there yet, but it wasn't giving me that happy feeling and something still felt incomplete about my plans. Do I sound crazy yet?

So I took a poll (Me: "kids, I think I want to go back to 'Ohana for dinner -- remember that yummy vanilla bean bread pudding with the bananas foster sauce! -- instead of that canyon place that does crazy ketchup stuff and DD would have to get a kids' meal, okay?" "They: sure, mom!" lol), and it was settled. I called WDW-DINE the next morning and wouldn't you know they had the same time open we had at WCC! So I changed our ADR and now feel very happy that we are at least going to eat at my beloved Poly!

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Well, I'm sure the changes in the ADR system have been throwing you off, right shelly? ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JillyFish

You're making my nouth water this morning Shelly!

I love unbiased polls like this! LOL!!



I just pinned DH down last night about going in January and he said yes! Didn't even have to play the "no Summer vacation" card!!! WOOT!!!!

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w00t! How nice for DS8!

I'm tenatively joining this thread-I'm putting my deposit down for 1/30-2/1, but I won;t know if I get it off work until December, so I'm a little leery.

I'm following this thread and am very excited for all of you planning trips.

Shelly, you will LOVE the early ADR for CP. I think it's one of the most magical things to do. Walking down the empty street maks you feel like it's open just for you, and the great castle pics, it fabulous.

We are going in Sept (less than 2 weeks!!!) but my mind is already curious about Jan 2010 (shhhh, don't tell hubby) I'll be looking forward to all of your reports. I've never been in the Winter.

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Originally Posted by Hedy

Well, I'm sure the changes in the ADR system have been throwing you off, right shelly? ;)

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Um, yeah... that's it, LOL! Seriously I think I'm done now. However I am not really thrilled about Hollywood & Vine for dinner since it gets such poor reviews. I do want to do the Fantasmic Dinner Package -- with Fantasmic only being performed 2 nights a week now, even in January I would anticipate greater crowds and we will only have part of a day in the park anyway so I wanted to do the package to ensure seats that we do not have to line up too much in advance for. I don't want to use 2 TS on Brown Derby (tho' we've done that before and I enjoyed it), and Mama Melrose only had 4:00 open -- just a bit too early for dinner. I figured we could get in and out of H&V relatively quickly. Does anyone have any good things about H&V dinner to share?

I'm also a little unsure about Marrakesh so any reviews of that would be appreciated also.

I'm excited for all of the rest of you planning winter trips too!!!

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Originally Posted by 3dog2kidmom

Um, yeah... that's it, LOL! Seriously I think I'm done now. However I am not really thrilled about Hollywood & Vine for dinner since it gets such poor reviews. I do want to do the Fantasmic Dinner Package -- with Fantasmic only being performed 2 nights a week now, even in January I would anticipate greater crowds and we will only have part of a day in the park anyway so I wanted to do the package to ensure seats that we do not have to line up too much in advance for. I don't want to use 2 TS on Brown Derby (tho' we've done that before and I enjoyed it), and Mama Melrose only had 4:00 open -- just a bit too early for dinner. I figured we could get in and out of H&V relatively quickly. Does anyone have any good things about H&V dinner to share?

I'm also a little unsure about Marrakesh so any reviews of that would be appreciated also.

I'm excited for all of the rest of you planning winter trips too!!!

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WE went to H&V back in 2001 and it was fine........nothing too spectacular that I can remember, but everyone found something that they liked.

We ate at Morroco (TS) in 2007 and it was so so. my dd5 (4 at the time) loved it...she love couscous!!. My meal was okay, but my sister did not like her lemon chicken (it was a drumstick and I think that threw her off..) It is very pretty in there though. Always nice to try something new....now the CS at Morrocco I LOVE! Have never been disappointed. HTH

Pamela

Fast forward a couple of months. The SR cruise is over and I can now obsess some more about our January trip. I happen to read on the DIS that Disney is about to release the most spectacular deal in over 8 years: travel in the first half of 2009 and buy 4 days, get 3 free plus a $200 gift card. WHAT!?!? I am going in the first half, but I cannot extend due to school and work schedules. Plus I've already booked air (thru Disney). Too bad for me :( But I can't stop thinking about this fabulous deal and wondering what it would be like to actually spend an ENTIRE WEEK at Disney World! Maybe we could go over spring break instead?? Hmmmmm.....

And so I did it. I called the AAA agent who booked my package for a quote. Just to see. It would be too much I am sure. Or they would have our spring break dates blacked out from the deal. Meanwhile I worked up the numbers on the Disney site, downgrading from AKL to CBR to help make up the difference because I expected an airline change fee and I'd lose my AAA discount and also since March is peak season. Played around with airfares on AA's site to get an idea of cost and ran the idea by DH. Of course he loves Disney and usually is all "whatever you want is fine by me" so I knew it would be up to me. At first though he didn't want to do it because he really wanted to stay at AKL so wasn't onboard with changing to a mod. And who knows what will happen with his job. But see what the agent says.

So she calls me back yesterday morning with the best news... Disney IS NOT GOING TO CHARGE ME A CHANGE FEE on my air! I can't believe it. I guess that's what the "partially refundable" meant on the website, but whatever - I told her to change it on the spot. And the best part is I reworked our numbers (need to borrow from the 2010 cruise fund a little) and we are still going to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge!!

The room works out to $167 a night (it's regularly $355/$375 in peak season at AKL) -- and going to WDW for 8 glorious days!!! The kids still have to miss 2 days of school after spring break so we could get affordable flights (to go weekend to weekend was going to be over $1200 MORE than we paid), but it's all good :)

So this morning I took the time to redo all my ADRs and here are our plans at the moment:

Tuesday
Arrive 11:30, check in, get settled
Go to Downtown Disney and have late lunch/early dinner at T-Rex

Wednesday
Magic Kingdom
Dinner at 'Ohana

Thursday
Hollywood Studios
Fantasmic package @ Hollywood & Vine

Friday
Epcot
Dinner at Marrakesh (possibly changing to Nine Dragons and will do CS lunch at Marrakesh instead)

Saturday
Open -- either rent a car for the day and go in search of a beach, or go visit SIL, or stay around the resort and just hang out.
Late dinner at Jiko - just us adults. I'll get room service for the kids and let them watch a movie or something since we'll be at the same hotel and a quick phone call away (or maybe SIL will want to take them somewhere - we'll see!)

Sunday
Magic Kingdom
Early breakfast at Crystal Palace

Monday
Animal Kingdom
Dinner at Boma

Tuesday
Epcot (morning EMH)
and we have a late flight home at around 7p

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Whoo hoo! I still can't imagine what it will be like to have so much time at Disney World!! Will we actually be able to do it all this time?? :p

Oh, and I just saw that Flower & Garden starts on 3/18 so we'll catch that too!

YAY SHELLY!!!

:party:

I am trying to get my sister's family to book starting 3/26...I just figured out our package at POP after the gift card is only $689 because we don't need tix. I hope she goes. I've already booked POFQ for us in June but, if it's this affordable, I'll keep both ressies (both DON'T tell DH just yet! SHHHH!) Gotta see if that stimulus package comes through. I mean, we have to do the patriotic thing and spend this next one after being responsible with the first one. :flag: We bought 1 oversized window. Criminey - what fun was that?!?!?

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Originally Posted by fourfoxesinpa

YAY SHELLY!!!

:party:

I am trying to get my sister's family to book starting 3/26...I just figured out our package at POP after the gift card is only $689 because we don't need tix. I hope she goes. I've already booked POFQ for us in June but, if it's this affordable, I'll keep both ressies (both DON'T tell DH just yet! SHHHH!) Gotta see if that stimulus package comes through. I mean, we have to do the patriotic thing and spend this next one after being responsible with the first one. :flag: We bought 1 oversized window. Criminey - what fun was that?!?!?

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That's an awesome price! I wish we didn't have to fly and that would save so much. But it's too far for us.

So my head must be burried in the sand but is there possibly another stimulus coming? That would be awesome!! I refuse to be responsible with "found" money, lol! Well, I am paying off a chunk of bills with my bonus, but still most of the found money goes to vacations that we wouldn't take otherwise.

Well, we have to fly but I didn't include that. That's not part of the Disney Budgeting Method. :p Plus, we COULD drive from PA for the June trip, but I'd really hate doing so. Two days down and two back for not enough $ savings, when you factor in a hotel, food along the way, wear and tear, tolls, gas, etc.

To Quote the New York Times:

Mr. Obama called on Congress and the Bush administration to pass an economic stimulus package. If an agreement cannot be reached this month in the lame-duck Congressional session, he said, it will be his chief goal when he takes office on Jan. 20.


Other members in Congress have been mentioning it too, so it seems more likely to me than not, that we'll see more $ which I will happily spend in Disney this go-round.

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Originally Posted by fourfoxesinpa

Other members in Congress have been mentioning it too, so it seems more likely to me than not, that we'll see more $ which I will happily spend in Disney this go-round.

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Thanks for the recap! I'll sure be happy to do my patriotic duty and spend it! :rotfl:

Anyway, our air is so high (usually ~$1200 from STL to MCO) that I have to budget it :(