Twice As Nice & Double the Fun: an offsite October PTR where “2” is the magic number

[Joanna71985]

I live aprox 30 seconds from a Krispy Kreme (too bad I don't go as often as I should)

 

[grantclaire]

Hi Gina! late to the party but the DW and I love your pre and post trip reports! We have one more family trip planned for next March. The son will be in grade 12 and wants to bring along the GF. This will be a grad gift for them. She has only been to Florida once when she was four. After that we will start planning our first trip ever without kids!

 

[sk8jdgca]

Did you see this?
http://www.cp24.com/lifestyle/human-interest/krispy-kreme-may-be-expanding-in-canada-1.2986531

 

[pigletto]

I approve of your fuzzy trip math Gina.
I'll be interested to see your review of Cypress Palms. If it's fantastic just pretend you hated it and shoot me a pm. Gotta keep the price low.

Ds and I have come up with our costume theme. He is a huge Dr. Who fanatic. While DH was still living in his work city during the week we started watching Dr Who together one or two nights a week. It was always a jammies and popcorn evening. So it's kind of "our thing".
Keeping in mind how hot it can be, and wanting to be festive but not costumed from head to toe, we decided to go for subtle Dr Who theme for MNSSHP. He will be the 10th Dr with a t-shirt we ordered that looks like this..
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f257/
He already has the hair, a sonic screwdriver, and we will get him the red or cream coloured converse.
I have decided to go themed as the Tardis. So a Tardis t-shirt has been ordered and I found Mouse ears on Etsy with a silver bow and tardis print on the ears.
Unless anyone reading is a Dr Who fan this probably all sounds like gibberish!
I'm really looking forward to this time with ds and we're happy to have nailed down outfits already.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

That all sounds good. I just booked the Club Villain for me, and I must be crazy. Already booked the D23 thing at Epcot, and the Halloween party. Was even thinking of the cheese demo on the day I leave for Universal. Ugh. Need to save my pennies for my December trip too. Well, as least some of that is paid for. Airfare, tickets all done. I am thinking of doing the seasonal Orlando Eye, as your trip report of it sounded like fun. I'll have to see the cost, and whether there's a military discount.

For October, found my hard to see mickey's scary ears T-shirt. So, placed it in the luggage. It will feel more real when I can do fast passes. Still figuring out what days, where. The best part about it, is the only figuring out days for USO, is relax and enjoy the parks and resort and do whatever I want whenever I want. That's why I decided to put WDW first. A week in Disney and a week in USO. Like you, USO always feels like home to me too. That, and we're looking forward to DC again. That's also such a nice, relaxing day.

Hope all is going well. This summer is flying by.

LOL, I feel your pain....it is so hard to resist all the awesome little add-ons during the themed seasons. The good thing is, most of them are superbly done so if you can stomach the added expense you are rarely disappointed.

I think you will really enjoy the Eye. Tickets are pretty reasonable, really, at $39 in advance and it includes Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussauds as well. The upgrade to the Christmas themed pod was only $5 each and got us not only a private ride but also VIP access (ushered in by an Eye staff member) and a Christmas cookie to enjoy while we waited. We thought it was absolutely worth it! So festive.

Gina, if you are going to fly SW then at the same time you purchase your tickets add on the EBCI. This should get you in the higher end of the A boarding group which could allow you to grab exit row seats. That's your best option for Steve. Alternately, you can upgrade your boarding slot at the gate to something in the A1-15 but the cost is higher than EBCI. As to the TV thing, they offer free WiFi that has live TV and a selection of TV series to watch. You can watch on your IPhone.

I live in Oakville so that shed is worth about a half million.

There truly is an app for everything

What? You don't have the Krispy Kreme app? Don't you have a KK in Mississauga?

We are definitely not ruling out Southwest if that ends up to be our only affordable option. We'd rather compromise on the flight than not go at all. So far (cross your fingers) Jetblue is virtually the same price.....so we are hoping that holds until Steve is able to get his vacation approval. If we ended up booking SW, we will DEFINITELY be purchasing ECBI: it will be well worth the extra cost.

I live aprox 30 seconds from a Krispy Kreme (too bad I don't go as often as I should)

Lucky girl . I should probably count my lucky stars that I *don't* live close to one of their locations......I'm sure its one of those things that I would never get tired of . Oh, my waistline .

Hi Gina! late to the party but the DW and I love your pre and post trip reports! We have one more family trip planned for next March. The son will be in grade 12 and wants to bring along the GF. This will be a grad gift for them. She has only been to Florida once when she was four. After that we will start planning our first trip ever without kids!

, my friend! It's never too late to join in!

You guys have some exciting times ahead.....what a great grad gift for your son and his beloved! And how fun to be entertaining your very first couples trip: let me tell you, its weird and wonderful all the same time. So different from travelling with the family, even when the "kids" are not really "kids" anymore. And you can take advantage of vacationing during the off-season, too, when you don't have to work around school schedules. Have you got a time frame picked out for your couples adventure?

Did you see this?
http://www.cp24.com/lifestyle/human-interest/krispy-kreme-may-be-expanding-in-canada-1.2986531

Much as I'd love to think one of those locations might make its way to SE Ontario, I'll bet a dozen donuts they'll all be in the major centres . Kingston wouldn't be too out of reach for us, though: at least we could be there in about an hour. Fingers crossed!

I approve of your fuzzy trip math Gina.
I'll be interested to see your review of Cypress Palms. If it's fantastic just pretend you hated it and shoot me a pm. Gotta keep the price low.

Ds and I have come up with our costume theme. He is a huge Dr. Who fanatic. While DH was still living in his work city during the week we started watching Dr Who together one or two nights a week. It was always a jammies and popcorn evening. So it's kind of "our thing".
Keeping in mind how hot it can be, and wanting to be festive but not costumed from head to toe, we decided to go for subtle Dr Who theme for MNSSHP. He will be the 10th Dr with a t-shirt we ordered that looks like this..
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f257/
He already has the hair, a sonic screwdriver, and we will get him the red or cream coloured converse.
I have decided to go themed as the Tardis. So a Tardis t-shirt has been ordered and I found Mouse ears on Etsy with a silver bow and tardis print on the ears.
Unless anyone reading is a Dr Who fan this probably all sounds like gibberish!
I'm really looking forward to this time with ds and we're happy to have nailed down outfits already.

Yay for your Halloween costumes being nailed down.....you guys work FAST! I am so happy your DS was on board to dress up: sometimes they start to get "too cool" by that age and its harder to convince them to give in to their inner child. It really does make for a super fun experience.

You can be sure I will provide a very detailed review of WCP, complete with lots of pictures. I am crossing my fingers it turns out to be the ah-mazing deal it appears to be on the surface. It's nice to have a budget option that still makes for an incredible family vacation. As long as its clean, comfortable and spacious, for that price I will consider it a win .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Car Rental

Our car rental for this trip gave me cause for concern when we first booked our flights. I was rather worried that a two week rental would end up grossly over-budget, and we'd be kicking ourselves for extending the trip out an extra week. As soon as our airfare was booked, I made that worst-case-scenario reservation (at a whopping $550 ) and began the hunt for a more budget-pleasing rate.

You can tell we have been travelling a lot when checking car rental rates is as automatic as checking the weather report: its long since become just something I do pretty much every day. We have long since learned that rates can (and do) change as often....or perhaps MORE often.....than the weather, so generally speaking my persistence usually pays off. For a while, our best car rental rates were generally secured pretty close to our departure day: generally anywhere between 2 and 4 weeks out. For the last couple of vacations, though, that "sweet spot" was found to be much further away from our travel dates: anywhere between 3 and 5 months out.

A full size car (or larger) is a must for us with Steve's height and brawny body style. Anything smaller and I risk a grouchy driver.

Since February, I have booked and cancelled and rebooked probably in the neighbourhood of 10 times. After two dismal Budget experiences, we stick with either Alamo or Dollar since we've rented from both on multiple occasions and neither have let us down yet. Right now, I'm holding reservations for both companies, a full size car with each: a very reasonable $282 is the Dollar price (with all taxes and fees included) and $314 with Alamo. Steve really does like picking his car from the available inventory, so Alamo is generally our preference if possible. That said, our very first Dollar experience yielded us the ability to pick our own car: but that's never happened since.

If prices get no better than they are now, I would still be okay with the rates we are currently holding, especially considering they are 15 day rentals. That said, I will still keep watching until October to catch any other price drops that might happen between now and then. Hope springs eternal!

One thing I will avoid this time is booking through RBC Travel Rewards, which I have done a couple of times in the past. The last two rentals have had not gone entirely smoothly (with delays at pick-up with both Budget and Dollar) and the rental agencies stubbornly refused to assist when the reservation was considered a third party booking. While RBC Travel Rewards is appealing because the final price is in Canadian funds (a real plus when the exchange rate is at 30%), if it comes with a hassle at MCO then its not worth the savings.

So, until Steve decides if he prefers the savings with Dollar to the pick-your-own-convenience of Alamo, I will continue to hold onto both reservations for the time being. I will be watching the rates pretty much every day, and hopefully maybe Alamo will nudge out Dollar before October rolls around, anyway.

On another note......today marks 90 days until departure . Tomorrow, we officially cross over into the 80's! I can't believe we are half way through July: this summer is flying.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It's funny how you can get attached to what is essentially a hotel/resort. We stay either onsite at WDW or UOR. If we have to go offsite (usually because it's a high-crowd week=$$$ or a "bonus" trip), we've only stayed at the Marriott timeshares. They've been so reliably good in Orlando I'm hesitant to book anywhere else. And they have so many I can always find a nice unit that works for us. I've been overall more satisfied with them in terms of room quality than the DVC units we have stayed in.

Now I want Krispy Kreme! I'm so glad there isn't one near me. Such a sweet tooth!

 

[WannaGoDW]

Hi Gina!
Always enjoy your reports!
Your car rental post has me thinking about our upcoming trip and rental. When you look for car rentals, do the additional driver fees influence your decisions? I've looked at Dollar, Budget and Alamo and only Budget seems to have the additional driver at no charge
Thanks

 

[Ruthie5671]

Gina, your meticulous planning has finally lit a fire under me. I think I've secured us a couple of nights for our pre-Disney portion of the trip at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. A two-bedroom condo for two nights is vastly less expensive than two hotel rooms for two nights. Plus a washer and dryer will be nice to have. I'm making progress! I hope you are in Orlando in December - maybe our paths will cross!

 

[JaxDad]

Hey Gina! We're back from our epic journey across New York. It was awesome! I will try to send a message and catch up on your PTR later when I fire up the laptop. I did a quick skim of the PTR on my phone and noted the Krispy Kreme references...

 

[dancin Disney style]

What? You don't have the Krispy Kreme app? Don't you have a KK in Mississauga?

Yes, there is a KK in Mississauga but I wouldn't drive there just for a donut of any kind. From my house it would be about a 20 minute drive and it's in an outlet shopping area so that donut would end up costing me at least $100.

I think I missed yesterday it was THAT sort of a day.
The world's first UFO landing pad was built in 1967 in St. Paul, Alberta.

(I can not confirm nor deny that may or may not have been 9 months before my birth. My mother may or may not have been abducted by Aliens.)

 

[bankr63]

(I can not confirm nor deny that may or may not have been 9 months before my birth. My mother may or may not have been abducted by Aliens.)

Might explain a few things...

 

[dancin Disney style]

Ok Gina, this is special just for you. Homemade vanilla bean cheesecake. Someday I will win you over, oh yes, someday.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Might explain a few things...

I have no idea what you could possibly mean

 

[ElenaJane]

I like the idea of a week at two different locations. We have done a 3-resort split day over 7 days, and that was a little too much packing/waiting for room/unpacking/packing/waiting for room.... you get the picture!

We rent from SIXT rental co. every trip. You have to take a shuttle to get to their site, but it is quick. I don't think we would ever get 2 weeks at under $300 though! Good find! Will likes the "fancy" cars SIXT has, so I don't think I will be able to convince him to try Alamo or Dollar. He agrees to the trips though....so I know when to pick my battles in life!

 

[pigletto]

It's a shame you've had a sour experience with the RBC rental. Between the savings of being able to book in Canadian and the fact that it has come in lower than I could book direct , and being able to use my points to pay for some or all of the rental, it's still a winner with us. We've never had anything but the typical line ups thus far. I don't know what you mean by delay.. they were out of the car you booked ? I'd be interested to hear what the problems were.
Vacation time is precious and you have to do what is comfortable for you in the end though. There are certain things we won't compromise on that others couldn't care less about, so I definitely understand.

 

[sympatico]

We usually rent our vehicle through the Costco site ( Alamo, Enterprise, Budget, Avis ). It does save us quite a bit and allows an additional driver with Alamo. But you do have to keep checking. Prices go up and down like a yo-yo.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It's funny how you can get attached to what is essentially a hotel/resort. We stay either onsite at WDW or UOR. If we have to go offsite (usually because it's a high-crowd week=$$$ or a "bonus" trip), we've only stayed at the Marriott timeshares. They've been so reliably good in Orlando I'm hesitant to book anywhere else. And they have so many I can always find a nice unit that works for us. I've been overall more satisfied with them in terms of room quality than the DVC units we have stayed in.

Now I want Krispy Kreme! I'm so glad there isn't one near me. Such a sweet tooth!

If our December trip comes together, we are seriously considering one of the Marriott timeshares for that vacation. We could get SVR for the week, but a part of us is saying we should take advantage of a new experience when the price is so low (around $300 for the week). @dancin Disney style has given the Grande Vista a great recommend, so that's the one we are leaning toward right now. Everything hinges on those vacation days.......

Hi Gina!
Always enjoy your reports!
Your car rental post has me thinking about our upcoming trip and rental. When you look for car rentals, do the additional driver fees influence your decisions? I've looked at Dollar, Budget and Alamo and only Budget seems to have the additional driver at no charge
Thanks

Steve does 100% of the drivin on our vacations, so the additional driver is nice (in the event of an emergency) but not a requirement. He actually prefers to do all the driving, and I prefer to be the passenger.....I'm definitely not clammoring to get behind the wheel (I'm happiest when I can gawk at the palm trees as we whiz down the highways ). For families who have two people who want to trade off driving duties, though, I can see where Budget comes out on top. Those additional driver fees can increase the price of a rental exponentially!

Gina, your meticulous planning has finally lit a fire under me. I think I've secured us a couple of nights for our pre-Disney portion of the trip at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. A two-bedroom condo for two nights is vastly less expensive than two hotel rooms for two nights. Plus a washer and dryer will be nice to have. I'm making progress! I hope you are in Orlando in December - maybe our paths will cross!

What are your December dates, Ruthie? As of right now, if a December trip materializes for us, it will be either the 3rd to 10th or the 10th to 17th. Would either of those weeks coincide with your plans?

Hey Gina! We're back from our epic journey across New York. It was awesome! I will try to send a message and catch up on your PTR later when I fire up the laptop. I did a quick skim of the PTR on my phone and noted the Krispy Kreme references...

Welcome back!! I am so glad to hear you had such a good vacation in Niagara Falls . How did you enjoy the Hornblower Cruise and Cave of the Winds? Did you end up riding the jet boats?

Yes, there is a KK in Mississauga but I wouldn't drive there just for a donut of any kind. From my house it would be about a 20 minute drive and it's in an outlet shopping area so that donut would end up costing me at least $100.

I think I missed yesterday it was THAT sort of a day.
The world's first UFO landing pad was built in 1967 in St. Paul, Alberta.

(I can not confirm nor deny that may or may not have been 9 months before my birth. My mother may or may not have been abducted by Aliens.)

I'd pay $100 for a Krispy Kreme donut .

Ok Gina, this is special just for you. Homemade vanilla bean cheesecake. Someday I will win you over, oh yes, someday.
View attachment 182214

No. Nope. Never. Not happening. I'd rather eat dirt .

I like the idea of a week at two different locations. We have done a 3-resort split day over 7 days, and that was a little too much packing/waiting for room/unpacking/packing/waiting for room.... you get the picture!

We rent from SIXT rental co. every trip. You have to take a shuttle to get to their site, but it is quick. I don't think we would ever get 2 weeks at under $300 though! Good find! Will likes the "fancy" cars SIXT has, so I don't think I will be able to convince him to try Alamo or Dollar. He agrees to the trips though....so I know when to pick my battles in life!

Oh, how I can appreciate that philosophy. It's one I live by as well. I figure Steve humours me on MANY aspects of our vacations, so the least I can do is be agreeable to the rare few things that he insists on as well. He's worth it .

It's a shame you've had a sour experience with the RBC rental. Between the savings of being able to book in Canadian and the fact that it has come in lower than I could book direct , and being able to use my points to pay for some or all of the rental, it's still a winner with us. We've never had anything but the typical line ups thus far. I don't know what you mean by delay.. they were out of the car you booked ? I'd be interested to hear what the problems were.
Vacation time is precious and you have to do what is comfortable for you in the end though. There are certain things we won't compromise on that others ciouldn't care less about, so I definitely understand.

When we rented with Budget at Christmas through RBC, they ran out of vehicles and we were delayed for hours while we waited for the SUV we reserved. RBC Travel wouldn't help because they said it was Budget's issue to fix, and Budget wouldn't help because it was a 3rd party reservation (we tried calling both customer service departments while we waited in line for almost 2 hours, only to find they were out of cars when we did get to the counter).

When we rented with Dollar in April through RBC, we had delays at pick up because I reserved the car with my credit card and Steve as the primary driver. Apparently their systems have changed since our last rental with Dollar and now the primary driver's credit card must be used to pay for the charges (even in a pre-pay scenario through a third party). It caused us at least a half an hour delay at the kiosk in the garage as they tried to straighten things out.

Between the two back-to-back issues, its definitely made us find the value in a rental direct with an agency. At least if things go wonky at the last minute, most of the competitor agencies at MCO are willing to price match at the time of pick up as long as the rental is not prepaid. I will miss that savings, though, and probably cringe a little (okay, maybe a lot!) when I see the converted amount on my credit card statement .

We usually rent our vehicle through the Costco site ( Alamo, Enterprise, Budget, Avis ). It does save us quite a bit and allows an additional driver with Alamo. But you do have to keep checking. Prices go up and down like a yo-yo.

I have also heard great things about the rates through Costco, but sadly, we're not members. If they ever build one a little closer to my house (the nearest is an hour away) then I would be happy to change that .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I missed making note of it yesterday, but we've officially entered

on the vacation countdown!

To be more specific, we're currently sitting at 88 days to go .

 

[JaxDad]

Welcome back!! I am so glad to hear you had such a good vacation in Niagara Falls . How did you enjoy the Hornblower Cruise and Cave of the Winds? Did you end up riding the jet boats?

We did Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds. Both were a blast, literally! We did not do the jet boats this trip, but I hope we'll make it back someday and do that as well as explore the Canadian side.