tinker1bell
<font color=teal>I'll never grow old<br><font colo
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2005
Now if I could just get my actual post count to match up with the post number on this thread this time!!!!!
There are tons of great hotel options off-site that will cut that number down A LOT! Some of the off-site hotels you could acutally walk to the park more quickly than you could from Parasie Pier or DL Hotel. I've never used it, but I believe that the meal plan is really just a series of vouchers. You use them towards your meals as you see fit. While a few specific meals are covered, the rest are covered by the dollar value vouchers. If you didn't see the breakouts of them, here's a site with a good breakdown:
http://www.starward-dream-vacations.com/DL Meal Plans.htm
I've never used the vouchers, but I seem to remember figuring out one time that we'd be better off with just paying OOP for our meals. Remember too that there are tons of restaurant options just blocks from the parks (all walkable so you wouldn't have to rent a car unless you were doing other SoCal things). There are fast food and table service both, plus some specialty restaurants close by as well. If you stay off-site, there are options with breakfast provided.
What info did you run for pricing? I can't seem to duplicate your pricing to see if I can come up with any additional advice.
Wow - that seems really high! With all the off-site options, as Tia mentions, you could definitely stay for cheaper. When Jonathan and I went in Jan. '06 for 3 nights/4 days, I think we paid about $800+ for our AAA package at the DL Hotel. We originally were booked at the Candy Cane Inn for less, but the AAA package at the time gave you unlimited FP's, so we decided it was worth the extra expense (and loved the history of the DL hotel).
Also, for what it's worth, I don't think you'd want to spend a week out there, unless you were planning to do other SoCal attractions. I think you could easily see most of everything in both parks in 3 days (although keep in mind that if you're looking at weekends, since it's definitely more of a "locals" park, the attendance #'s sky-rocket).
Don't forget that they're also going to be doing that huge renovation to DCA over the next few years (seems like it will be done in 2011 or 2012?) - before then, the park will be torn up. Might be worth waiting if it's going to be your one and only trip out there.
If it helps at all, I would put the BC as my fave in the Epcot resort area. Admittedly, we didn't use the buses (had our rental car), but I would bet during the height of summer, that BC probably only shares with YC most of the time. (That is one of my pet peeves about so many deluxes - good grief, give them their own buses! You're certainly paying enough! ) Probably wise to put the queen bed request on your reservation, although I think those rooms are very limited.
That's unfortunate to hear about your ME reservations. AKL IPO has had such a reputation on these boards of being just great, but I've read a few instances recently where they're non-responsive. I wonder what's up with that? Guess I should probably get on their radar screen early for December...
"so we're stuck with BC."We'll have to start a new thread in 3 more pages!
I am getting fidgety about Beach Club. It's the bus thing. Sharing a bus between YC, BW, & S/D is not going to make me happy. I am going to try to be calm about it. I am going to remember that it will take a REALLY LONG time to get anywhere. I am going to remind myself that I checked availability at other resorts for those dates with Bounce Back and there was nothing open, so we're stuck with BC. I did have a request for 2 queen-size beds added to our ressie. If I am going to cram into a double bed I might as well stay at Pop where the buses aren't shared with any other resort!
The CM helping me today said there is no Magical Express notation on my ressie. That is NOT GOOD. AKL IPO said they took care of that. I guess I will follow up with them closer to the trip.
Glad to hear you made it back home safe & sound!She is settled in quite well, I think. Kristin and I got a lot of things unpacked yesterday and today so her room looks like it can be lived in. Both her room mates like her dog and seem very nice and very busy. So there should not be much of a transition there.
I decided to drive on home tonight, rather than spend the night in Richmond with Kristin in her dorm/apartment. I am almost caught up here and then I am hoping to sleep in tomorrow. I don't teach until 3:00.
Good morning.
YAY, our tickers are back!!
Hope you're feeling better!We have a 2-hour delay here which means no preschool. Thank goodness! I still have the fever and the awful cough. I don't want to go infect any of the kids, but we don't have subs available.
So can we just send you all our shirts? I bet the press does a great job too!You might use them to invest in a t-shirt press --you'd be done in no time! Randy loves ours. We're usually finishing up things at the last minute before trips, so I can pack while he presses.
Thanks for all the PD for Andrew and the games. His team won the tournament! Andrew was on cloud 9 last night. He played pretty well. He played 1/2 of the first game, all of the second game, 1/2 of the third game and the fourth game only lasted 1/2 of an inning. He held his own -- actually played pretty good, but didn't have any on-base hits. He connected a few times for foul balls and a pop-up someone caught, but he also walked a few times and made a couple of important runs.
Do we get to see it?His 6th birthday is our first day at WDW so I wanted a special shirt for him. Of course he wanted Jack Sparrow. For some reason nothing came immediately to mind so I played around and came up with something. I'll see what he thinks when he gets home from school.
Well you can walk to Epcot and Studios. How bad can it be? Pop has direct busses you know.I am getting fidgety about Beach Club. It's the bus thing. Sharing a bus between YC, BW, & S/D is not going to make me happy. I am going to try to be calm about it. I am going to remember that it will take a REALLY LONG time to get anywhere. I am going to remind myself that I checked availability at other resorts for those dates with Bounce Back and there was nothing open, so we're stuck with BC. I did have a request for 2 queen-size beds added to our ressie. If I am going to cram into a double bed I might as well stay at Pop where the buses aren't shared with any other resort!
The CM helping me today said there is no Magical Express notation on my ressie. That is NOT GOOD. AKL IPO said they took care of that. I guess I will follow up with them closer to the trip.
YUCK!!!! I am SO done with winter. We are relatively mild this week-40's but I am ready for sunshine and 60's or so would be nice. I'm hoping daylight savings will get me out this funk-driving home in daylight.Good afternoon, DDA! After 70+ yesterday we're starting to dip below freezing and the rain is turning to sleet. Yuck! That lasts the rest of today and tomorrow is looking like 3-6" so far with more on Thurs. Oh well, spring will come sooner or later.
How sad.I'll try and catch up with the rest of you guys soon. I'm having a trying few days with work, trying to balance when I'll be done there, etc. We also had a client pass away over the weekend (15 month old, who actually was one of our most stable clients) so there is a TON to deal with there -- both with debriefing (self and staff), and a crapload of paperwork, etc. The administrative aspect of it (and all of the root cause analyses, incident reporting, etc (even though it didn't happen anywhere near one of our shifts) just make it a really strange experience.
I hope you all are doing well!
"so we're stuck with BC."
Don't stress Elizabeth. Our first week last summer at the BC was packed & we still had great bus service. I must admit that Pop has the best buses but the wait for BC was never long & you only take a bus to Mk & AK anyway. The walk to Epcot & boat to HS are great!
I would get your request in for the queen beds. There are more queens than doubles though.
Jen, we got your package -- thank you! You confused the daylights out of Kyle, because he didn't recognize your name!
I'll try and catch up with the rest of you guys soon. I'm having a trying few days with work, trying to balance when I'll be done there, etc. We also had a client pass away over the weekend (15 month old, who actually was one of our most stable clients) so there is a TON to deal with there -- both with debriefing (self and staff), and a crapload of paperwork, etc. The administrative aspect of it (and all of the root cause analyses, incident reporting, etc (even though it didn't happen anywhere near one of our shifts) just make it a really strange experience.
I hope you all are doing well!
Well I got the results of my mammo. Seems they found calcification & I need to have another mammo in 6 months.
That was one thing I didn't like about staying at BWV....too many bus stops.We'll have to start a new thread in 3 more pages!
I am getting fidgety about Beach Club. It's the bus thing. Sharing a bus between YC, BW, & S/D is not going to make me happy. I am going to try to be calm about it. I am going to remember that it will take a REALLY LONG time to get anywhere. I am going to remind myself that I checked availability at other resorts for those dates with Bounce Back and there was nothing open, so we're stuck with BC. I did have a request for 2 queen-size beds added to our ressie. If I am going to cram into a double bed I might as well stay at Pop where the buses aren't shared with any other resort!
The CM helping me today said there is no Magical Express notation on my ressie. That is NOT GOOD. AKL IPO said they took care of that. I guess I will follow up with them closer to the trip.
YUCK!Well I got the results of my mammo. Seems they found calcification & I need to have another mammo in 6 months.
YUCK!!!! I am SO done with winter. We are relatively mild this week-40's but I am ready for sunshine and 60's or so would be nice. I'm hoping daylight savings will get me out this funk-driving home in daylight.
On a better note, he went to his detention after lunch and the classroom was locked. He sat down in the hall and waited. The teacher came along and asked him what he was doing, and he said he was there for detention. The teacher had forgotten, and for DS's honesty the teacher said he doesn't have to come to detention after today!
Would it take more than an hour to take the monorail from MK to Epcot and walk through Epcot? Probably by the time you changed monorails and went through bag search at Epcot but it might be less stressfull for you.I know, I know. But MK is my favorite park. I guess I should start staying at a monorail resort, huh? It will just really chap my tushy if we are stuck on a bus for an hour every time we try to go to or from MK or AK. We don't spend much time at AK, but MK is a big deal. I suppose we can always take a cab if the buses are stressing me out.
Bernadette - I know the buses are direct from Pop, which is why we love it there! But the dang beds are too small!
So DS called just now. He had homework on Wednesday that he didn't finish because his eyes were still blurry. He had a sub on Thursday because his teacher was chaperoning a field trip. Friday DS was on a field trip and didn't have his backpack, but he didn't see the teacher anyway. So I told him he HAD to turn that in TODAY. The marking period ended Friday, so I am sure they have to have grades in soon. DS tried to go turn it in this morning but the hall monitor got him so he wasn't allowed to go to the classroom. (It's a crap shoot - we knew she might get him.) So by the time he went to class he FORGOT to turn it in!
The teacher talked to each student today about their project boards. He told her there is some blank space, and she told him to color it. I did print out some extra photos from the internet today so we can add some to the board, but I told him NOT to color it. I think it will look HORRIBLE if he tries to color in the blank spaces. What do you guys think?
On a better note, he went to his detention after lunch and the classroom was locked. He sat down in the hall and waited. The teacher came along and asked him what he was doing, and he said he was there for detention. The teacher had forgotten, and for DS's honesty the teacher said he doesn't have to come to detention after today!
WOW! you guys got that quick..i just ordered it the other day!Jen, we got your package -- thank you! You confused the daylights out of Kyle, because he didn't recognize your name!
:
Would it take more than an hour to take the monorail from MK to Epcot and walk through Epcot? Probably by the time you changed monorails and went through bag search at Epcot but it might be less stressfull for you.
You could also just get off at the first bus stop if the busses were sharing. How far of a walk is it from the furthest resort to the BC? Can't be that far from say BW to BC and it would probably be faster than waiting for a bunch more stops.
2 rooms at Pop (4 beds, 2 bathrooms, 2 tvs....) has to be cheaper than BC.
I do want to stay at BC with the kids someday as I know they would LOVE the pool but not til Emma is a bit less picky. She's getting better-maybe next year unless we love the family suites.
I think photos from the internet of Greece would be a great idea. Could you do any graphs-maybe a pie chart of their exports? I don't think him coloring in the background would go with the current look of the board. It looks so nice & neat now that I think if he colored it in it would look lousy-like he ran out of ideas or something.
Question for you guys--
My mom has my grandpa's favorite ties and wants to make them into something for my grandmother..she was thinking a pillow, small blanket, or something like that..
is there anything else that you guys have done in the past?
Sorry, Jen. Unless she wants to mount them on a Science Fair board this is not my area!