The Mother/Daughter Polynesian Surprise **NEW 5/1 I'm back!

Can I just say how much I enjoy having a day off during the regular work week? :cloud9: Let's me focus more on Disney planning and the DIS! :woohoo:

Having the day off also allowed me to stay on top of the mail. Lookie, lookie what came for me today!

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I pointed out this shirt in July (I think) but they only had L or XL. And my sister being the greatest person that she is, remembered how much I wanted this shirt and found the right size. :hug:

And more importantly, this also arrived all wrapped up in the shirt:

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[Insert heavenly-like noises here] :yay: It's my AP!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, sorta. It's those stupid vouchers you have to exchange. I don't understand why they can't just give you the real AP right then and there. Maybe it's a security thing? Who knows :confused3

So with a new shirt and AP (voucher) in hand, I am now going to try to purchase a TIW card. :wizard: Due to the recent price hike for the DDP, in the long run, I think taking the TIW card route makes more economical sense. Really, I can't see myself spending $500+ (the cost of DDP here in Canada) on Disney food within 8 days. I'm just not that big of an eater. Getting the 20% off food (even with the automatic 18% gratuity) will really add up in the long run.

I just got back from the library with my huge bounty of Disney movies. I was able to grab Pocohantas, The Aristrocats, Pinocchio, and Mulan. I haven't seen any of these movies in SO long. Probably since they were new to VHS :scared1: I'm debating which one I should watch first and what order. This will be my nights this week - full on Disney movie nights!

My Random Past Disney Photo of the Day this time isn't Disney related at all but I just have to post this picture. It's my dog, Pixel, after just getting groomed. This is the best she's ever turned out and thought I'd share her nice new look with everyone :p Trust me, she doesn't look this nice all the time! Of course, the day she gets groomed is the day we have terrible rainy weather. I swear it never fails whenever I get her groomed....

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We'll have to hope for AP room discounts (been up to 40% in the past!).

I hope I like it too! Do you have any suggestions as to what we absolutely must try? I haven't heard much hype about the Wave and am wondering if there are hidden gems about it.

I've really liked their sustainable fish dish--they also have a nice collection of sustainable wines. Oh yeah--don't forget your TIW card gives you 20% off both food and alcohol! ;)

That would be super cool! She is really nice and has a very loud laugh :laughing: Great with the little ones too. Her real name starts with "A". If you get a female server with the name beginning with the letter "A", ask her if her sister calls her Bubba. That would freak her right out! She'll wonder where you got your information from :rolleyes1

I'm hoping since my sister will be working that Le Cellier will be a little lenient. It can't be THAT hard to seat one person! At least I hope not...

Well... good luck! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for a Canadian beginning with "A"... I'm guessing she'd be from Ontario too?

OMG your doggie is so adorable! :)
 
I've really liked their sustainable fish dish--they also have a nice collection of sustainable wines. Oh yeah--don't forget your TIW card gives you 20% off both food and alcohol! ;)

Good thing I like fish! I'm sure we'll be having wine also. Bubba is a big fan of wine :laughing:

OMG, I'm going to be a big ball of adrenaline on my first couple of hours in WDW come November. :hyper: Having to exchange my voucher for the real AP and buying the TIW card. No doubt it'll be Murphy's Law and SOMETHING if not EVERYTHING will slow me down :rolleyes:



Well... good luck! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for a Canadian beginning with "A"... I'm guessing she'd be from Ontario too?

Yes, she'll have either "Ontario, Canada" or "Markham, Ontario" on her name tag. I'm jealous you might get to see her before I do ;)
 
OMG, I'm going to be a big ball of adrenaline on my first couple of hours in WDW come November. :hyper: Having to exchange my voucher for the real AP and buying the TIW card. No doubt it'll be Murphy's Law and SOMETHING if not EVERYTHING will slow me down :rolleyes:


Let's hope not! At least you should be able to prebuy your TIW and just pick that and the AP up at Epcot GR! ;)

I'll have fingers crossed for an easy trip! And if I see your sister, I'll be sure to say Hi! :)
 
Thank you for coming out of lurkdom. And thanks for reading along. :)

I'll take your advice about riding Dumbo during MVMCP. Are there two parades during every night of the party? Just want to make sure so I can convince my sister that there will be another parade! My goodness, I'm going to be tired that night. Hopefully the "Disney adrenaline" will keep me going!
Yes, there are definitely 2 parades. I went to the later one. During the parades and wishes, the majority of the rides are walk ons. Disney adrenalin will keep you going, but the crash when it's all over can almost be painful:lmao: I thought I would never catch up on sllep after my last trip.

The shirt your sister sent you is so cute. That was majorly nice of her.
 
Yes, there are definitely 2 parades. I went to the later one. During the parades and wishes, the majority of the rides are walk ons. Disney adrenalin will keep you going, but the crash when it's all over can almost be painful:lmao: I thought I would never catch up on sllep after my last trip.

Tell me about it! After every Disney vacation I have to catch up on sleep for the next two days. It's like I need a vacation from my vacation :lmao: Can't help it though. You're in Disney after all!!!

The shirt your sister sent you is so cute. That was majorly nice of her.

Thanks :cutie: I love getting mail from her now as she always seems to send some sort of Disney goodies and other surprises. Can't really blame her for her shopping sprees though. If I was working down there, I'd spend my whole pay check in 2 seconds flat! :rotfl2:
 
Saw your comment on another PTR that you're worried nobody will read yours. (Which I totally relate to, I'm having the same fear about my own PTR that I'm attempting! :rotfl:)

I'm here to subscribe, and can't wait to read more! :cutie:
 
Saw your comment on another PTR that you're worried nobody will read yours. (Which I totally relate to, I'm having the same fear about my own PTR that I'm attempting! :rotfl:)

I'm here to subscribe, and can't wait to read more! :cutie:

:welcome: The more the merrier! Thanks for joining in! Looking forward to sharing ideas :wizard:
 
Spoke to Bubba last night. She was at Magic Kingdom enjoying MNSSHP dressed up as a pirate: You know, there are times when I wish I could just squeeze through the phone line and end up on the other side with her! It's hard not to feel a twitch of envy sometimes :laughing: Alas, I keep reminding myself that I WILL be there in less than

47 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, okay. It's still over a month away but the waiting is killing me! :hyper:

I exchanged for USD today. Pretty good rate. $200USD=$218.08CAD. Can't complain about that. I now have my budget met for food money if I add together what I exchanged today with what USD I have left over from July. Wait a second. Just realized that I haven't even mentioned my budget for November! :eek: So here goes:

Food Budget
I calculated the total cost for myself at each of the table service meals including taxes (6.5%) and estimated tip (18%) based on what I most likely will order (other than at buffets of course which are a set price). Also allocating a few dollars for counter service and snacks.

Le Cellier = $60
Cape May Cafe = $25
Donald's Safari Breakfast = $25
The Wave = $45
California Grill = $85
Counter service = $50
Snacks = $30
GRAND TOTAL: $295

I estimate that we will be splurging at both Le Cellier and California Grill. Bubba always gets the Inniskillin Ice Wine. It's good stuff, I must admit. I haven't factored in the CM discount my sister will get but it's always better to aim high than shoot low. At CS's we'll most likely share our meals since the portions are huge. I hate wasting food too.

And for spits and giggles, I am giving myself $150-$200 spending money. Will most definitely be doing some x-mas shopping while all the Disney x-mas paraphernalia is available!!! :yay:

Soon to come: Packing list & November Itinerary Version 2, Day 3

 
Inniskillin Ice Wine... Mmmmmmmmmmmm :)

I keep meaning to make the drive over to the winery--maybe that will happen this winter/spring... if I don't keep planning Disney trips!
 
For April, I've been thinking of surprising my Mom with a 1 night stay at WL. It would be the first night of our trip to avoid the higher room-only rate over the weekend. I would LOVE to surprise my mom with this. It's not a terrible rate either. $183 for a Woods View Room. Yes, it'll add another resort that we'll be staying at but who ever said you can't do 3 resorts in one stay? :rolleyes1 Yes I'm crazy but you only live once. You could die tomorrow or fall and break your back only to wish you had done all these things that you only dreamed of doing. I may need to sleep on this idea and come back tomorrow with a clear head. To take into account that our luggage will be transported not once but twice by Bell Services, which makes me a little nervous. :scared: Also, we've never done a split stay so this could only heighten the tension further. But I can't get the image of my Mom's face lighting up as we pull up to WL instead of Pop, like originally planned. Sure, she'll realize something is up when we get onto ME but it'll all be part of the fun.

You see, my Mom is always going on about finances and how she never has the budget to do the things she wants to do. My biggest joy in life is bringing joy and happiness to others - especially my family. :hug: I want to do this for her. To give you an idea of how frugal she is (Canadians may only understand the pricing here but bear with me). My sister was willing to pay for an 8 night resort stay at ASMo at the end of November (in fact she already had it booked). All my Mom had to do was pay for her flight down. I found an awesome rate with West Jet for $245CAD round trip. This was a phenomenal price. Usually flights go for anywhere between $400-$600 roundtrip out of YYZ. I jumped on the phone and told my Mom. But to my sadness, she went off on her finances and how tough things are right now. It makes me sad to hear her talk about stuff like this :sad2: She had the opportunity to be in Disney, during X-mas time. Her DREAM COME TRUE. Sigh. Now, to make up for that, I really want to surprise her with this one night at WL. Yes, it's only one night but it'll be worth it in the end. That's it. I'm going to do it...................right after I get some sleep first :surfweb:
 
Don't forget to keep an eye out for AP rates in the Spring, now that you are a passholder! :) Though, $183 woodsview is pretty good. And, if you see any of the DVC property discounts, VWL would be a great chance to be at the WL complex, if that's where the discount is. :)
 
I'm thinking about splurging on WL if we book bounceback for 2010. :goodvibes Either that, or POFQ, depending on finances. I've yet to even visit WL, but all the photos make it seem just beautiful! :thumbsup2
 
That would be so cool to give your mom a night at WL. You're a good daughter.

Somebody want to tell me what bounceback is? I have seen it mentioned on other TR's.
 
Somebody want to tell me what bounceback is? I have seen it mentioned on other TR's.
I've yet to experience it myself as this will be my first trip since 2006. But my understanding of it, from all I've read here, is that when you check into your room, there may be a card with a "Bounce Back" offer. Basically, you get a great deal when you go ahead and use that card to book another trip within the year, before you check out of the resort. :goodvibes I've almost got DBF convinced that we should go back in October 2010 for F&W and MNSSHP! :woohoo:
 
Don't forget to keep an eye out for AP rates in the Spring, now that you are a passholder! :) Though, $183 woodsview is pretty good. And, if you see any of the DVC property discounts, VWL would be a great chance to be at the WL complex, if that's where the discount is. :)

I looked at the Villas a several of the resorts but it just doesn't seem reasonable to spend $250+ for one night. Thanks for the suggestion though :goodvibes I will keep an eye out for those AP rates too! Thanks for the reminder.

I'm thinking about splurging on WL if we book bounceback for 2010. :goodvibes Either that, or POFQ, depending on finances. I've yet to even visit WL, but all the photos make it seem just beautiful! :thumbsup2

You MUST stay at WL - if you can budget for it that is. It's one of my favourite deluxe resorts (That being the only deluxe I've stayed at :laughing: ) It feels like home when I stay there. The rooms are big. Two sinks in every bathroom. Big, comfy beds. Beautiful grounds. Close proximity to MK. Nice, warm, cozy atmosphere :cloud9: Complete bliss. POFQ is another great choice. You can read my review by clicking the link in my signature :thumbsup2

That would be so cool to give your mom a night at WL. You're a good daughter.

Thank you :) Can't say I've always been like this :littleangel:
 
you must stay at wl - if you can budget for it that is. It's one of my favourite deluxe resorts (that being the only deluxe i've stayed at :laughing: ) it feels like home when i stay there. The rooms are big. Two sinks in every bathroom. Big, comfy beds. Beautiful grounds. Close proximity to mk. Nice, warm, cozy atmosphere :cloud9: Complete bliss. Pofq is another great choice. You can read my review by clicking the link in my signature :thumbsup2
Oh, as much as I loooooooooove AKL, I have no doubts that I would adore WL as well. Someday, hopefully! :goodvibes
 
I've slept on it. I'm still all for booking the one night .... but now I can't decide WHERE! :scratchin

So this morning I decided to go straight to the source - My Mom. I wrote a simple e-mail that went something like this:


"If you could spend a week in ONE of the following resorts, which one would you choose?

a) Animal Kingdom Lodge - Savanna View
b) Polynesian - Garden View
c) Wilderness Lodge - Woods View

I just need your input to help me make a decision for something here at work."


I added in that last part so it doesn't allude to anything. It seemed to work though! Problem is, her response did not have WL as the top choice, which I can understand as we have stayed at WL already. Here is how she rated them:

1st choice: Polynesian - Garden View
2nd choice (a): WL - Woods View
2nd choice (b): AKL - Savanna View

Of course she picks the highest priced one-night stay out of the three of them. DOH! :headache: She says she likes the views at WL and AKL equally, hence both of them being 2nd choices. Only reason WL rates higher is due to its location. I know exactly why she chose the Poly. Here's the back story:

In August, Bubba paid for my Mom to go down to the World for a 5 day, 4 night stay at Poly - Theme Park View for her birthday with my stepdad. She had no idea where she was staying until she arrived so it was all going to be a BIG surprise (Our family love the surprises, can you tell?). So far, so good right? They show up at the Poly, get to the check-in desk and are told "We're terrible sorry but we have been overbooked. Would you mind being moved to Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary for your stay?" I'm sure you're thinking "Dude, that's an awesome upgrade!" right? At the time BLT :-)lmao: I'm sorry that makes me laugh every time) had just opened so my Mom didn't really know much about it to truly appreciate what a good upgrade this was. Of course she enjoyed it but I know it wasn't what she truly wanted. She wanted Poly. She still wants Poly.

:scratchin:scratchin

And here lies my dilemma. The cost of a one night stay at Poly is $56 more than WL. Not a huge difference so it is workable. But more money is more money. Now that I know what my Mom really wants, it's hard to shy away from it. The fact that we'll be staying at 3 resorts in one visit also scares me :scared1: We won't be renting a car so we'll have to depend on Bell Services UNLESS Bubba gets an extension and will be there during our trip. With her car, it will make the transitions much easier and smoother.

How do I manage to always make a Disney vacation more complicated? :sad2: The things I do for surprises!

 
Oooo Poly... :) We did a split stay at WL/Poly a few years ago in Dec (hooray for AP rates!). Um, I say go for it and hope for a discount later! I assume you are booking room-only, not a package, so you can change it later if you get a better rate or change your mind.... :)
 

In August, Bubba paid for my Mom to go down to the World for a 5 day, 4 night stay at Poly - Theme Park View for her birthday with my stepdad. She had no idea where she was staying until she arrived so it was all going to be a BIG surprise (Our family love the surprises, can you tell?). So far, so good right? They show up at the Poly, get to the check-in desk and are told "We're terrible sorry but we have been overbooked. Would you mind being moved to Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary for your stay?" I'm sure you're thinking "Dude, that's an awesome upgrade!" right? At the time BLT :-)lmao: I'm sorry that makes me laugh every time) had just opened so my Mom didn't really know much about it to truly appreciate what a good upgrade this was. Of course she enjoyed it but I know it wasn't what she truly wanted. She wanted Poly. She still wants Poly.
I say definitely go for Poly, then. If you can manage the extra $50, that is. It's just one night, and it sounds like it would mean the world to her. :hug:
 

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