*** The Official August 2018 Thread*** - let's have some fun....

[ariane37]

If you are thinking of August 21st as a party night .......... there is no party on the 21st. They changed park hours on their calendar and the MK closes at 9pm that day.

Thank you! I had seen that and then forgotten about it

Yeah that is our last night too so it seems a fun way to say goodbye. And like dizneeat said 21st is a reg 9pm close now so it looks like the decision was made for you lol.

Have fun on your trip next week!

lol yes it was! And thank you, I had a quick 2 days there last month and I've been looking forward to this like crazy ever since

 

[DaniMoon]

Hi, I just booked a trip for August 15-28 at Pop. We were not going to get "home" this year, but an unexpected death in the family has made us realize that we have to do what we enjoy (within our means), as often as we can. Excited to start planning this trip.

We were at Pop last June, pretty confident we will get a renovated room this trip. My current dilemma is flights, YIKES! I knew I got a good deal last year, now I'm spoiled and want to find that price point again, and can't get close. Driving doesn't appeal to us (we are in PA).

Had to edit my dates. Found better pricing leaving a day earlier.

 

[capegirl]

Hi, I just booked a trip for August 16-28 at Pop. We were not going to get "home" this year, but an unexpected death in the family has made us realize that we have to do what we enjoy (within our means), as often as we can. Excited to start planning this trip.

We were at Pop last June, pretty confident we will get a renovated room this trip. My current dilemma is flights, YIKES! I knew I got a good deal last year, now I'm spoiled and want to find that price point again, and can't get close. Driving doesn't appeal to us (we are in PA).

Sorry for your loss. Yes, I have also come to the conclusion that life is very short, so we do our best to enjoy our family vacations while we can. We are in the same boat for August; flights are pricey. Driving does not appeal to me either, but this is our plan unless I happen upon a good deal. We have driven from MA many times, so we know the drill, but it is quite a haul. The trip south is pretty easy, but the trip back north, after all that Disney fun, can be a beast.

 

[DaniMoon]

We have been down during the halloween party and the christmas party but have never gone, my kids were younger and didn't do late nights because we prefer rope drop. This trip they will be 10 & 11, so I think they could handle later nights and I have three pool days, so I could plan one for after a party night. I have seen that they have gotten much more crowded the last couple years, and I really don't want to deal with candy. Is it worth it if we don't actually go trick or treating? My kids are not ones to stand in line for character, even tho I would love to do Jack and Sally and the 7 Dwarfs.

 

[MamaJessie]

We have driven from MA many times, so we know the drill, but it is quite a haul. The trip south is pretty easy, but the trip back north, after all that Disney fun, can be a beast.

We drive from CT and we are the opposite lol. The ride there feels like it takes an eternity - no one can sleep and they want to snack 24/7. The ride home everyone is tired and had too much vacation food and just want to rest. I will say though that last two hours takes FOREVER

 

[ColonelHathi]

We have been down during the halloween party and the christmas party but have never gone, my kids were younger and didn't do late nights because we prefer rope drop. This trip they will be 10 & 11, so I think they could handle later nights and I have three pool days, so I could plan one for after a party night. I have seen that they have gotten much more crowded the last couple years, and I really don't want to deal with candy. Is it worth it if we don't actually go trick or treating? My kids are not ones to stand in line for character, even tho I would love to do Jack and Sally and the 7 Dwarfs.

We went to MNSSHP in October 2013 when our kiddos were 5 and 7 - they had a blast. We waited in line for the 7 dwarfs so I don't think we will do that again. Maybe Jack & Sally? The parade and fireworks are amazing and very much different from what they do on a normal day. Not sure how crowded the August parties will be? They tend to get more crowded on weekends (locals) and closer to Halloween (again, more locals)

 

[MamaJessie]

We went to MNSSHP in October 2013 when our kiddos were 5 and 7 - they had a blast. We waited in line for the 7 dwarfs so I don't think we will do that again. Maybe Jack & Sally? The parade and fireworks are amazing and very much different from what they do on a normal day. Not sure how crowded the August parties will be? They tend to get more crowded on weekends (locals) and closer to Halloween (again, more locals)

Purely guessing but I would imagine the opening party would be the busiest of the three with every person with an online presence trying to cover it.

 

[DaniMoon]

We went to MNSSHP in October 2013 when our kiddos were 5 and 7 - they had a blast. We waited in line for the 7 dwarfs so I don't think we will do that again. Maybe Jack & Sally? The parade and fireworks are amazing and very much different from what they do on a normal day. Not sure how crowded the August parties will be? They tend to get more crowded on weekends (locals) and closer to Halloween (again, more locals)

Thanks, I forgot about the parade. I will say I am leary of doing advanced hard ticket items because I did the Star Wars galactic nights (might have the name wrong) last year and my son had an asthma attack and two tickets were wasted and he and I were back at the room doing breathing treatments. But my mom is giving us some extra $ and I could use some of it for the party.

Not everyone dresses up, right. I got dirty looks when I suggested it. I will have to try and find matching halloween shirts maybe.

 

[JdeeJo]

Booked our hotels yesterday so we're now official: Aug.18-31 (mostly in the All-Star Music Resort)

Making the reservations was tricky and time-consuming; I have a total of 6 reservations for 4 adults and 3 kids doing split stays and complicated arrival/departure timings. At least the Disney Experience interface keeps everything organized and easy to see.

Has anyone had any luck getting Disney to combine 2 reservations in the same hotel for back-to-back nights? The hotel wasn't listed as available for a 2-night stay so I had to book each night separately. My daughter will be 8 months pregnant in August and I think she'd prefer to not have to change rooms. Would I need to call ahead of time or just talk to someone at the front desk at check-in?

 

[MamaJessie]

Booked our hotels yesterday so we're now official: Aug.18-31 (mostly in the All-Star Music Resort)

Making the reservations was tricky and time-consuming; I have a total of 6 reservations for 4 adults and 3 kids doing split stays and complicated arrival/departure timings. At least the Disney Experience interface keeps everything organized and easy to see.

Has anyone had any luck getting Disney to combine 2 reservations in the same hotel for back-to-back nights? The hotel wasn't listed as available for a 2-night stay so I had to book each night separately. My daughter will be 8 months pregnant in August and I think she'd prefer to not have to change rooms. Would I need to call ahead of time or just talk to someone at the front desk at check-in?

If it was me I would probably call ahead to have it noted and then mention it again at check in.

 

[mamamelody2]

Booked our hotels yesterday so we're now official: Aug.18-31 (mostly in the All-Star Music Resort)

Making the reservations was tricky and time-consuming; I have a total of 6 reservations for 4 adults and 3 kids doing split stays and complicated arrival/departure timings. At least the Disney Experience interface keeps everything organized and easy to see.

Has anyone had any luck getting Disney to combine 2 reservations in the same hotel for back-to-back nights? The hotel wasn't listed as available for a 2-night stay so I had to book each night separately. My daughter will be 8 months pregnant in August and I think she'd prefer to not have to change rooms. Would I need to call ahead of time or just talk to someone at the front desk at check-in?

Yes, we had a split stay at POP last November. 2 nights w/o the dining plan, then 6 nights w/ free dining. Our TA called and told Disney it was a continuing reservation and we wanted to stay in the same room. When we arrived, I asked if they knew if we were actually able to stay in the same room, and we were. So, yay! I don't think it's ever guaranteed that you can keep the same room in a split stay situation, but they will do their best to accomodate you.

 

[ColonelHathi]

Thanks, I forgot about the parade. I will say I am leary of doing advanced hard ticket items because I did the Star Wars galactic nights (might have the name wrong) last year and my son had an asthma attack and two tickets were wasted and he and I were back at the room doing breathing treatments. But my mom is giving us some extra $ and I could use some of it for the party.

Not everyone dresses up, right. I got dirty looks when I suggested it. I will have to try and find matching halloween shirts maybe.

Not everyone dresses up, no, and we really aren’t planning to with full costumes since it will be so hot! We did dress up in 2013, but it was dress up light - DH wore a Disney bowling shirt and chucks, I wore a poodle skirt with Penelope (poodle from Frankenweenie), and had some cat glasses, scarf and a polo. That felt fuzzy honestly, but it was fun.

This year DD might wear a Little mermaid skirt and purple tank, but that will be the closest we get. DS might wear a Stitch Tee, I might Disney Bound a bit TBD.

In October it is so much easier to get in the mood. It IS great people watching and you will likely see some really creative costumes even in August.

You also can probably wait to get tickets until the day of. Not sure how many August parties sold out last year, if any? Halloween and a few weekends in October, absolutely sell out. Haven’t decided if we will just wait and see what the weather does for the party date during our stay.

 

[Disneylover99]

You also can probably wait to get tickets until the day of. Not sure how many August parties sold out last year, if any? Halloween and a few weekends in October, absolutely sell out. Haven’t decided if we will just wait and see what the weather does for the party date during our stay.

We will be in DW for all four parties, so we're flexible. I think we'll just wait and buy day of, depending on the weather. The August parties didn't sell out last year, but if one suddenly does sell out this year, I'll make a decision and buy tickets for one of the remaining dates.

 

[Tomh]

Hi, I just booked a trip for August 15-28 at Pop. We were not going to get "home" this year, but an unexpected death in the family has made us realize that we have to do what we enjoy (within our means), as often as we can. Excited to start planning this trip.

We were at Pop last June, pretty confident we will get a renovated room this trip. My current dilemma is flights, YIKES! I knew I got a good deal last year, now I'm spoiled and want to find that price point again, and can't get close. Driving doesn't appeal to us (we are in PA).

Had to edit my dates. Found better pricing leaving a day earlier.

Sorry for your loss! You have an excellent perspective though. Quality time with the family, that is what life is all about!

Flights, yup, no thanks lol. With our family of 5, there are two that are absolutely terrified of flying, and it's pricey. We drive down from NY ever summer. It is a heck of a long haul, but to be honest, it isn't that bad.

 

[Mika02]

So since I booked AKL CL room I was trying to see if the kids wanted to forgo a park day and not go to Epcot. All 3 kids were like um why aren't we going to Epcot. But what about Spaceship Earth, Soarin and Test track. Smh so funny last year was our 1st trip to Epcot and now they are hooked!

 

[Aladora]

Just booked our MNSSHP tickets! We are attending the Aug 28th party and now I need to think about costumes.

 

[DaniMoon]

Sorry for your loss! You have an excellent perspective though. Quality time with the family, that is what life is all about!

Flights, yup, no thanks lol. With our family of 5, there are two that are absolutely terrified of flying, and it's pricey. We drive down from NY ever summer. It is a heck of a long haul, but to be honest, it isn't that bad.

My husband decided to splurge a bit on flights. Our biggest issue with the drive down in losing days of our vacation, which would mean a shorter stay in DW. Driving was on the table for the first time this year, since we have a newer vehicle. But since I'm a country girl and like back roads, I'm not much help on highways (that's where my anxiety kicks in).

Maybe if our oldest ever decides to go with us again, then there'd be two drivers.

 

[Tomh]

My husband decided to splurge a bit on flights. Our biggest issue with the drive down in losing days of our vacation, which would mean a shorter stay in DW. Driving was on the table for the first time this year, since we have a newer vehicle. But since I'm a country girl and like back roads, I'm not much help on highways (that's where my anxiety kicks in).

Maybe if our oldest ever decides to go with us again, then there'd be two drivers.

My mother travels with us. In theory, she can drive if the need arises. In practice, I do all of the driving. Our car is old, but we rent an SUV for the trip so that we have room for everyone, and our stuff. We then stay offsite, and use the rental to drive back and forth to the parks.

 

[AntJulie]

FYI...BOG dinner reservations available on most party nights until 6:10pm in August/September.

 

[Aladora]

FYI...BOG dinner reservations available on most party nights until 6:10pm in August/September.

I booked a 4:55 for the 28th...then second guessed and moved it to 4:00...then triple guessed and now it is at 4:30.

We are still debating hitting a water park during the day or taking it off as a total rest day until the party. I don’t want to risk a 4:00 adr in case we spend more time at the water park but then again I didn’t want to book a later dinner because we wanted to try and hit some rides between when we can enter MK at 4:00 and when the party starts at 7:00.

Am I over thinking this???