Bare with me, this is the first time i am attempting a WDW trip report. I figured i would get started with a pre-trip report. Let me just give a little history of this year regarding my excitement. We had an 8-day trip back in May for my 8 year old's birthday (it was a great week). We stayed in Wilderness lodge (our favorite) and the weather and crowds were great. We made the star tours grand reopening and jedi training for my 5yo. He was in heaven. So after our trip i've tried to keep the disney fever at bay and not eat or breathe anything disney. That didn't last very long and by the end of this summer i was back on the web all about WDW. My wife and I have an ongoing agreement (mostly at her will) that we are to only visit WDW every 1.5 years. So my countdown timer was ticking away at ~ 403 days till our next trip, until 2 days ago. I got a call from my wife while i was at work, that she has a great idea but she can't tell me until i get home. OMG the suspense! I got home and entered the door and it never occured to me what i was about to hear, especially from her. She decided that since i warned her not to throw me a surprise 40th birthday party this year "how would a 5 day trip to disney this december, instead, sound?" Are you kidding me?! She did mention that the kids can't stop talking about it and we would be celebrating my 40th, my 6yo's birthday and our 12th year anniversay all at the same time, since they fall in the same week. S--t yeah!. I was so stunned because i couldn't believe what she was telling me. This was a dream come true. I never thought i'd see the day that i would be going to visit WDW 2 times in 1 year. I so admire the members that discuss their multiple trips and have wished for that to happen to me. And here i am.
I was so excited to start this thread and I would have started it yesterday but i had to book all the reservations and plans. We are leaving dec 9th and returning on the 13th. That changes my countdown timer from 401 to 31 days :sohappy:. Getting dining reservations, etc. for WDW 30 days before is not easy. But all worked out well. We got a great deal and here are the details:
This will be a surprise trip for the boys. They will be getting up very early for a 6am flight and that is when they will be informed of their surprise. We will be staying in Port Orleans French Quarter resort (1st time, we usually stay at wilderness) they had a 30% discount for rooms only so that's all we booked through disney. The park hopper passes were purchased through Undercovertourist which was better than AAA discount and we are opting for no dining plan this time. We want to gauge our usage. It seems even with the basic plan we don't use it all up. On previous trips we had the premium and it was too much. So after all was said and done, we made it affordable with no guilt.
My plan will be to post as much up-to-date reports and pics, probably every night when i get back to the resort or if i have some down-time in the parks. I can't wait to use my new iphone with all those great WDW apps and the ease of posting reports and pics without having to haul a laptop. let me know if anyone has an great tips with the iphone and this forum. Since i am new to this i would hate to figure it all out after the trip.
Wish me luck. I will post some more before take-off!
I was so excited to start this thread and I would have started it yesterday but i had to book all the reservations and plans. We are leaving dec 9th and returning on the 13th. That changes my countdown timer from 401 to 31 days :sohappy:. Getting dining reservations, etc. for WDW 30 days before is not easy. But all worked out well. We got a great deal and here are the details:
This will be a surprise trip for the boys. They will be getting up very early for a 6am flight and that is when they will be informed of their surprise. We will be staying in Port Orleans French Quarter resort (1st time, we usually stay at wilderness) they had a 30% discount for rooms only so that's all we booked through disney. The park hopper passes were purchased through Undercovertourist which was better than AAA discount and we are opting for no dining plan this time. We want to gauge our usage. It seems even with the basic plan we don't use it all up. On previous trips we had the premium and it was too much. So after all was said and done, we made it affordable with no guilt.
My plan will be to post as much up-to-date reports and pics, probably every night when i get back to the resort or if i have some down-time in the parks. I can't wait to use my new iphone with all those great WDW apps and the ease of posting reports and pics without having to haul a laptop. let me know if anyone has an great tips with the iphone and this forum. Since i am new to this i would hate to figure it all out after the trip.
Wish me luck. I will post some more before take-off!
And the resorts are decorated beautifully for the holidays!!!
