Once in a Lifetime Adventure, Again! ~ PTR

[LiquidSunshine]

In 49 days, I will be starting my Double Digit Dance!

Still only have the one ADR organised, and I have to get the ESTAs sorted out to, but I have found out that Disney has now published the dates for this year's Halloween parties!

Very excited - we loved the party in 2014, and I am hoping to take a costume with me this time!

No sign of the tickets being on sale yet, but I can't wait to go trick or treating again, and to see the fab parade!

 

[BudgieMama]

So jealous! I'd love to do MNSSHP!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

You will have to squeeze it into a future trip!

The parade & fireworks are fantastic! But the trick or treating is something else. The plastic bags given out at the gates are practically bursting at the end! I still don't know how we managed to bring so many sweets home...

 

[BudgieMama]

Sadly, working in a school, it just doesn't work out! I can't recover from jetlag quick enough to be fit to work if I did a half term visit in October but it doesn't seem like a sensible option.

 

[LiquidSunshine]

That'a shame, the MNSSHP are well done.

Another thing off my to do list. Martin's Money Tips email had an article about ESTAs, so I took that as a sign & sorted ours out last night, and were authorised pretty much straight away!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

A miserable day here, and I have been dreaming about Disney.

I had been considering Las Vegas & Disneyland California next year for my 30th. But I am just too tempted to book WDW again with the 2017 free dining offer.

I have been looking at prices, and have seen that for an extra £448 compared to the price of 2 weeks at POFQ, I could stay in either OKW or SSR - I am very tempted by SSR....

Have already mentioned it to DBF, who smiles at the thought of WDW again next year.

Very tempted to pick up the phone and pre-register for SSR....

 

[BudgieMama]

Such a tough choice: DL or WDW!

We LOVED SSR, and would be there this year if it wasn't for a nearly £900 saving (even if we'd have upgraded to DDP, we'd have saved £600 and that's not a small amount for us).

 

[LiquidSunshine]

I think I am more swayed towards WDW. The free dining is the big draw & direct flights from Dublin. There doesn't seem to be the same kind of offers for California - not that I have found anyway!

We love the look of SSR, but there is a OKW v SSR thread currently running on the Planning forum, so going to do a little research on OKW.

 

[BudgieMama]

We had the same toss up over SSR or OKW, but as we only needed one bed, SSR won it for us: the studio at OKW has two double beds, whilst the studio at SSR has one bed and one sofa bed. We only needed one bed, and I like having a sofa to sit on... we got upgraded as it was, but even their one bed villa has one bed (an American King sized, which is ENORMOUS and so much bigger than the UK King sized) and then a sofa bed in the lounge.

 

[Jennisney]

Loved reading your first post!! As it is so reminiscent of what happened with my boyfriend!!! I thought he was gonna hate it and wanna come home and never return... but HE LOVED IT!!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

It was a real struggle to get him to agree to book the first trip! It was weeks of...PLEASE! PLEASE!

Now, he can't get enough!

Clare - that is the point SSR is winning over for me, the one bed & sofa. Plus I prefer the layout of the room at SSR compared to OKW. I like as well how you don't walk straight into the beds, there is that slight corridor/hallway.

Also, looking at the room tours AllEars.net & David's VC Rentals have up, the OKW rooms to be are......slightly boring . OKW doesn't seem to be doing it for me.

What section did you stay in? How did you find the bus services?

 

[BudgieMama]

We were in The Paddock as far as I can remember. It had a great quiet pool with a great slide. Buses were pretty decent, but the SSR stops always seem to be the furthest away from the parks at the end of the day!!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

Funny, I always though POFQ was quite far! Especially at MK...after the Halloween party it felt like a trek!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

MDE sorted! Another thing ticked of the list.

And we are into May already! Eek.

 

[LiquidSunshine]

4 months to go.....

MNSSHP tickets are on sale, for the dates we were thinking of going, prices are $72 per ticket which we think is a $10 increase on what we paid in 2014. Going to book them anyway, as we loved MNSSHP last time!

 

[LanaBear-ox]

I think the price increase for MNSSHP isn't so bad when you look at it from the pound to dollar rates. Well it doesn't for me anyway lol. Not long to go for you now though. Are you booking any more ADRs?

 

[LiquidSunshine]

I know, some others have said that the price increase for their dates is too much - the most expensive is $105 & a lot are around the $91 and $95 mark. Eek.

Yes, need to have another look at ADRs. Want to book T-Rex - we went last time one Sunday lunchtime without an ADR and it was quiet and got seated quickly, but can't remember what we ate! but I do know that we enjoyed it.

Was looking at Tusker House for breakfast, but DBF doesn't seem to be up for the character dining experience. So might have a look at Yak & Yeti etc for lunch. When we went in 2014, we didn't do a lot of table service - we did plenty of the QS and have some favourites to return to, so I am not to worried about ADRs.

So just have breakfast at BOG booked, might have another look at the lunch menu though!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

I am a day late, but yesterday, we booked our 2nd trip a year ago! I can't believe how quickly time has gone by.

Halloween party tickets have been booked, and a lunch ADR for T-Rex has been sorted out. Thinking of lunch at BOG.

I saw a post on the official Disney FaceBook page yesterday, that a new section of Disney Springs has now opened - Town Center. I am excited because there are a few shops opening which I am love - mainly Sephora. As we don't have one here in the UK, my plan was to order all my favourite products and have it delivered to the hotel, but now I will be able to sail over from POFQ, and browse!

Other shops I am looking forward to are Anthropologie, Kate Spade, LACOSTE & Coca-Cola store.

 

[LiquidSunshine]

Seriously close to booking again for next year. It's my 30th next year, the original plan was maybe DL California but the UK WDW offer is just too good.

Already there is no availability at POFQ for our preferred dates which was to arrive either 30th Sept or 7th Oct 2017... and quite limited around those dates, but I have managed to find a few dates available either side of our preferred.

We have decided that SSR & OKW are just not our cup of tea. If budget allowed we would love to do AKL. If we return to POFQ, we are considering a room upgrade. Just not sure we can push the budget to AKL, that might require a split stay.

16th - 30th September 2017 (direct with Disney - hotel, tickets, QSDP). Same prices for 12th - 26th October & 14th - 28th October.

POFQ - Standard:- £2,874.00

POFQ - Garden view:- £2,944.00

POFQ - River view:- £3,210.00

AKL - Standard:- £3,658 (DDP)

Then we need to factor in approx. £1000 for flights (our flights with Aer Lingus direct from Dublin this year cost £986 in total). Quidco is 3% cash back, which bring our deposit down to £11.68 (for POFQ garden view).

I am also worried if we can't decide, we will lose more availability. POFQ was available a few days ago for arrival 7th Oct, and now there is nothing at all!

 

[LiquidSunshine]

385 days ago, we booked our 2nd trip to WDW.

And today, it's time for a double digit dance!

99 days to go!