Trip Report With a little bit of Pixie Dust...we made it to Batuu!

Hi all, super excited (and nervous) to be doing my first (pre) trip report!
I absolutely love reading others trip reports on here and with the help and encouragement of @Darstarr decided to give it a go!
This trip took some serious magic to come to fruition, and makes looking forward to it all the sweeter. Fun fact, this trip was arranged with a 2 week time window, as explained below.

I apologize ahead of time for the long winded explanation of how it is we will be traveling to Galaxy's Edge, but here it is!

Some back story to this unexpected trip, (and to explain the pixie dust part). We were at Disney in December of 18, and did not think we would make it back this year as my daughter will be getting married this October. But, we are annual passholders and I heard there would be an AP preview for GE, reportedly for people who have activated AP's. (This is where the pixie dust will come into play).
I started following the blogs much more closely. Why the blogs? Because we rarely to never get any communication from AP or DVC and no matter how many times I've chatted with their IT department has it been resolved.
And, sure enough the day the registration opened I didn't get an email from Disney, but got a notice from one of the blogs I follow.

So I jump on the link and there were all kinds of spots available, and I got my husband and I a slot to see GE and make a lightsaber! So exciting!
Now is where it starts to get more complicated. My 19 year old son who previously wasn't sure he wanted to go, now said he would love to go once he realized we were going. :confused:
So I start reading comments from several people who had been able to get a reservation, that they were able to buy an AP that morning and use it (unactivated) to register for the GE preview. (It wouldn't have mattered one way or the other, but I thought my sons AP was renewable but it had expired).

I go onto the website to try to buy a pass. But the pass would not stay in my cart. I call Disney and some how end up with a pleasant reservation lady who says it's true, you can buy a pass and link it for the preview. (She actually put me on hold and checked and said reservations were still available for GE, let's do this)!

So, she takes my credit card info for $950 (we're DVC), and then neither of us can link it to my account and I end being transferred to the AP IT people. They finally get it linked and, you guessed it, the reservations were now closed because at that point I had been on the phone 2 separate times, once for 1 hour 15 min, and the second 1 hour and 48 min (no joke). So at that point I figure we're not going if we can't all go and I (naively) ask them to refund the cost of the AP and cancel it. (They misinterpreted what I said and thought I asked for their first born). So, apparently this isn't done and I get told because we're DVC I have to talk to them. That lady at DVC thought I asked for 2 of her children and said I needed to talk to guest services. She in turn thought I was speaking a foreign language because she said if I wasn't currently on property she couldn't help me. So guess who she transfers me to, yep, back to the AP people. :banghead:

But, this is where the magic starts, I'm talking to the AP lady and she says "honey I can't find you in our system at all", of course you can't, almost came out of my mouth. But then, she realized I paid full price and she is the lady you pay payments to for your AP. She asks if I can wait on hold she thinks she can throw some magic my way, and I thought are you serious?! I am now an hour into my 3rd phone call of the day, I am not going anywhere if you can help me! She connects me to guess who, yep, the AP IT people! Aggggghh. But things started to look brighter, because THIS lady told me she couldn't return my money, but could "escalate" our situation to the escalation team, but she couldn't guarantee the outcome.

And now I will apologize again for the incredibly long wind up to the resolution, but we waited for over a week and when I finally had given up that anything positive was going to come of this, I got an email from Hope. That was the name on the email, no lie, and their solution was to add my son to our reservation, and so we are headed to Batuu with less than 2 weeks to plan/schedule etc!

Now, who will be coming along. My son S who started all of the drama.
IMG_1729.JPG


And my husband G and me! Missing this trip is my daughter and her fiance.
IMG_1756.JPG


We will be there Aug 18-21, with our GE preview day on Monday morning. With such late notice, the only place I could find to use our DVC points was at Saratoga Springs. The Tree Houses no less! I have never stayed there before but from the sounds of it we will have plenty of room to spread out!
We are ridiculously excited to have this impromptu trip and can't wait to get there!
 
Last edited:

Janir

Well-Known Member
Hi all, super excited (and nervous) to be doing my first (pre) trip report!
I absolutely love reading others trip reports on here and with the help and encouragement of @Darstarr decided to give it a go!
This trip took some serious magic to come to fruition, and makes looking forward to it all the sweeter. Fun fact, this trip was arranged with a 2 week time window, as explained below.

I apologize ahead of time for the long winded explanation of how it is we will be traveling to Galaxies Edge, but here it is!

Some back story to this unexpected trip, (and to explain the pixie dust part). We were at Disney in December of 18, and did not think we would make it back this year as my daughter will be getting married this October. But, we are are annual passholders and I heard there would be an AP preview for GE, reportedly for people who have activated AP's. (This is where the pixie dust will come into play).
I started following the blogs much more closely. Why the blogs? Because we rarely to never get any communication from AP or DVC and no matter how many times I've chatted with their IT department has it been resolved.
And, sure enough the day the registration opened I didn't get an email from Disney, but got a notice from one of the blogs I follow.

So I jump on the link and there were all kinds of spots available, and I got my husband and I a slot to see GE and make a lightsaber! So exciting!
Now is where it starts to get more complicated. My 19 year old son who previously wasn't sure he wanted to go, now said he would love to go once he realized we were going. :confused:
So I start reading comments from several people who had been able to get a reservation, that they were able to buy an AP that morning and use it (unactivated) to register for the GE preview. (It wouldn't have mattered one way or the other, but I thought my sons AP was renewable but it had expired).

I go onto the website to try to buy a pass. But the pass would not stay in my cart. I call Disney and some how end up with a pleasant reservation lady who says it's true, you can buy a pass and link it for the preview. (She actually put me on hold and checked and said reservations were still available for GE, let's do this)!

So, she takes my credit card info for $950 (we're DVC), and then neither of us can link it to my account and I end being transferred to the AP IT people. They finally get it linked and, you guessed it, the reservations were now closed because at that point I had been on the phone 2 separate times, once for 1 hour 15 min, and the second 1 hour and 48 min (no joke). So at that point I figure we're not going if we can't all go and I (naively) ask them to refund the cost of the AP and cancel it. (They misinterpreted what I said and thought I asked for their first born). So, apparently this isn't done and I get told because we're DVC I have to talk to them. That lady at DVC thought I asked for 2 of her children and said I needed to talk to guest services. She in turn thought I was speaking a foreign language because she said if I wasn't currently on property she couldn't help me. So guess who she transfers me to, yep, back to the AP people. :banghead:

But, this is where the magic starts, I'm talking to the AP lady and she says "honey I can't find you in our system at all", of course you can't, almost came out of my mouth. But then, she realized I paid full price and she is the lady you pay payments to for your AP. She asks if I can wait on hold she thinks she can throw some magic my way, and I thought are you serious?! I am now an hour into my 3rd phone call of the day, I am not going anywhere if you can help me! She connects me to guess who, yep, the AP IT people! Aggggghh. But things started to look brighter, because THIS lady told me she couldn't return my money, but could "escalate" our situation to the escalation team, but she couldn't guarantee the outcome.

And now I will apologize again for the incredibly long wind up to the resolution, but we waited for over a week and when I finally had given up that anything positive was going to come of this, I got an email from Hope. That was the name on the email, no lie, and their solution was to add my son to our reservation, and so we are headed to Batuu with less than 2 weeks to plan/schedule etc!

Now, who will be coming along. My son S who started all of the drama.View attachment 397842

And my husband G and me! Missing this trip is my daughter and her fiance. View attachment 397844

We will be there Aug 18-21, with our GE preview day on Monday morning. With such late notice, the only place I could find to use our DVC points was at Saratoga Springs. The Tree Houses no less! I have never stayed there before but from the sounds of it we will have plenty of room to spread out!
We are ridiculously excited to have this impromptu trip and can't wait to get there!
WOW, you got some upgraded AP's AND got the entire process squared away in a really short time window AND had to book some rooms to boot. I am impressed!!
My DW and I a will be there during the same window and I didn't want to upgrade our AP's to try for a chance at SWGE review, knowing I'd spend close $600 to upgrade only to get a CHANCE at it. (now I kinda wished I could have but fiscal responsibility says I will wait my turn next year for SWGE)
My hat's off to you!
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I am so glad you did this!! I love me a long story, especially one with a happy ending!!!

Also, love the treehouses!!

Cant wait to hear all about your trip!!
First, thank you again for your help getting started with this trip report, I really appreciate it!

It definitely was a fabulous resolution, for sure!
I was pretty sure they were going to say, sorry- but no Docking Bay 7 for you!
(Guess where we're planning on eating lunch Monday)?!

And I can't wait to see the treehouses.
One of the things my husband adores about Disney is the boat trip from Port Orleans to Disney Springs (forever Downtown Disney for us), and I am hoping to be able to catch the boat from the back side of the treehouses. I can't remember if a boat will stop there to pick people up. Does anyone know?

Sounds like a lot of drama but I'm glad you got it all worked out. Enjoy Batuu! Both my husband and I were amazed by the detail of SWGE in Disneyland.
That is very exciting to know! Can't wait to see it!
That was a rollercoaster of drama! BUT, so glad they made it work for you. And it's the best case scenario! Woo hoo!
It definitely was a roller coaster ride, but so excited and grateful they threw the dust our way!
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WOW, you got some upgraded AP's AND got the entire process squared away in a really short time window AND had to book some rooms to boot. I am impressed!!
My DW and I a will be there during the same window and I didn't want to upgrade our AP's to try for a chance at SWGE review, knowing I'd spend close $600 to upgrade only to get a CHANCE at it. (now I kinda wished I could have but fiscal responsibility says I will wait my turn next year for SWGE)
My hat's off to you!
We usually buy the Platinum (not the plus) if our budget will take it, because we are never sure when we can get there.
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, in the 2 weeks we ended up having to plan I was able to schedule the following. If anyone has any ideas for something different (better), please chime in.

We have one way flights from Pittsburgh early on Sunday to Tampa. Why Tampa, because at this late notice it would have cost us $1,500 for the 3 of us to fly Southwest from Pittsburgh to Orlando round trip. :oops:
I found that to fly into Tampa one way was around $110 each. We rented a car that we are able to leave at Disney's Car Care Center. (This is the first time we have ever done this). Then on Wednesday we will fly out of MCO back to Pittsburgh. If the gods of travel are kind we will get into Disney noonish. (This save us about $700 including the price of the car rental)!

The plan for Sunday is to check into Saratoga Springs if our room is ready, if not, to drop luggage with bell services and then drop the car and go over to the MK. I was able to get us FP's for HM, SM and Thunder Mountain.

Monday is our big day with the GE preview in the morning with (hopefully) lunch at Docking Bay 7! A fast pass for TSM, and Star Tours and then maybe if we're not dragging, head over to Epcot for some late day/evening fun.
Question here, does anyone know if I only book 2 passes at HS, can I then book over at Epcot later?

Tuesday (with protests from my husband) I am going to Uber over to The Character Warehouse and then it's lunch at Disney Springs. We have a reservation for Rain Forest Cafe for 2 reasons. 1,my husband loves it and 2, someone gave me a gift card for there! I know some people don't like their food, but I figure a burger is a burger.
We are then headed to AK late afternoon where I got Safari, EE and wait for it.... FOP fast passes!!

Wednesday we have to catch the magic bus (we call it that), at 5:20 am!! for an 8:30 flight back home. Nothin magic about that!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
That would be super fun! I have read some of your trip reports, will you be traveling with your sister and nephew again?
And thanks for the info on the fast passes.
Yes--it's the three of us again. Like you, a very last minute trip b/c we got the preview also!!
You're welcome!!
 

Minthorne

Well-Known Member
That's so exciting! What are your plans for the 20th? Maybe we will get to say hello! We will be AK late afternoon evening, and have to leave on the 21st.:(

We are at the new Grand Destino tower so we though we'd check that out during the day. That evening we are doing dinner at the Wave at 5pm then we are going to the Halloween Party on the 20th - dressed in Disney Christmas attire - our costumes are we are Time Travelers from December!
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We are at the new Grand Destino tower so we though we'd check that out during the day. That evening we are doing dinner at the Wave at 5pm then we are going to the Halloween Party on the 20th - dressed in Disney Christmas attire - our costumes are we are Time Travelers from December!
How crazy is that?! Halloween in August! I think the costumes make all the sense.
Hope you all have a wonderful time!
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
There is a dock near TH 7021.
Thanks for that. I just had a chance to look at a resort map.
With how crazy fast we had to schedule this trip the only room request I made with the DVC CM who helped me, was to be near a bus stop if at all possible due to my husbands crappy knees. To be near both would be very special!
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We got our reminder email today for the Galaxy's Edge preview (yeah)!
But, I have a question if someone could help me out. It says to check in at the Grand Avenue entrance to SWGE. Is this the Streets of America/Osborne Lights Street?
I'm having a difficult time finding it on the MDE app/map.
Thanks in advance.
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
I got mine also! Yes, near The Muppets is where you go.
I’m surprised that you have to bring the confirmation page with you. I would have thought that it would be linked through MDE.
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I got mine also! Yes, near The Muppets is where you go.
I’m surprised that you have to bring the confirmation page with you. I would have thought that it would be linked through MDE.
Thanks for the info.
And yes I agree. In this era of going green it doesn't make a lot of sense. But, with all of the fun :rolleyes: we had getting to this point, I'll do anything they say to be able to see it!
We're all packed and ready to fly out tomorrow, so excited!
 

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