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***Hey, Hey! Come right in and plan, OFFICIAL OCTOBER 2017 thread!!!***

Discussing the dining plan on other forum, thought I'd post my opinion on it here in case anyone has questions or wants opinions about it. :)

By convenience I mean all of our lunches/breakfasts are paid for with snacks/quick service. Done. Our main parts of our dinner (entree, dessert). Done. All we have to do is have money for booze, which isn't just for dinner :p, appetizers if we want (won't always) and tips.

Our plan is for each one of us (myself/boyfriend and my sister) to take turns paying for any apps/drinks/tip at our table service. Or one can pay for dinner extras, the others can pay for that person's cocktails throughout the day. We drink enough to cover costs!
And we tie our credit cards to our magic bands, so it still takes the same amount of time to pay.

Do we get the most expensive entrees at dinner? Not on purpose, but it usually works out that way because they sound so good! Does it make financial sense? Maybe not, but nothing about this trip makes financial sense! :rotfl:

We've been traveling together for many years. We've had plenty of trips where we were eating barely anything because we didn't budget correctly. Now we are in a better financial position, but still, paying ahead of time for food greatly appeals to us.
I am way better at paying a price up front/paying it off and being done with it, rather than trying to budget what I think we'll eat, paying attention to the budget when we are there (which I'm terrible at :)) or using my food budget for other stuff before we even eat! If I had an unlimited budget that would be great, but sadly I don't. A healthy budget, but limited. One day....
This way, we definitely have all necessary meals paid for months before we even go and I can use my spending money for anything I choose! It's not for everyone, I get it, but we like it and that's that. :)
 
Talked with my sister, already some changes and decisions made! And Micky (my boyfriend of 20 years) doesn't want Boma, so okay...

Wed - arrive at Polynesian late morning (knock wood) - MK and Skipper Canteen evening. (out of pocket)
Thurs - Epcot Future World/Food/Wine morning/early afternoon, MNSSHP at night. No table service this day.
Fri - Animal Kingdom day/night - leave around 8. The Wave for dinner (1 credit)
Sat - Hollywood Studios day, Homecoming for dinner, if feel like it, pop to MK late night just to soak up atmosphere. (1 credit)
Sun- Kona breakfast, wait for sister to arrive, Boathouse for dinner. (2 credits)
Mon - Epcot, early afternoon to close. Food/wine snacking, Chef De France late dinner (1 credit)
Tues - sleep in, Animal Kingdom afternoon/night - Sanaa dinner (1 credit)
Wed - MK day, California Grill Dinner/MK late night possibly (2 credits)
Thurs - Wave breakfast (out of pocket) Epcot to eat at food/wine/HS at night for TOT, TSMM and fireworks and finish off the trip!
Fri - go home early and pick up the cats who I will be missing badly! :)
 
Hi all some fun ways to plan,
- I started my piggy bank ( actually 64 oz bottle ) collecting silver . Whatever I get I don't pay for trip but add something special to the vacation . Things I did in the past set up : perfectly princess tea party , Victoria Albert , pirate league for whole family before mnsshp
- I collect gift cards for food and wine festival ( target has a wdw card, visa , American Express )
- started countdown app on phone , seen on Pinterest peeps making one with picture frame and mini chalkboard .
- I look up on Pinterest must try's for counter service , treats and new tours ( ha I haven't done one yet but they look fun )

Any suggestions or likes that made the vacation magical .
 
I plan whenever I have time, that way I don't feel overwhelmed when dates are approaching.
Like these few weeks are a slower time at work, so I have more free time to read menus, make a loose plan, etc. I may not have time as work picks up again. Then when my ADR date approaches, all I have to do is finalize.
I budget any extras (parties, after hour events, etc.) that I think we will purchase into my monthly bills, that way we have the cash on hand to purchase when tickets go on sale.
I use my Disney Visa reward dollars toward food/wine, it will be great!
As I posted a little earlier, I watch some great you-tube videos - rides, park walkthroughs, hotel walkthroughs....
 


I think its time to add my name in to the October 2017 group. My best friend and I decided to have a girls only trip and are going to food and wine, I think we finally decided on Oct 28-Nov 1. Probably going to stay at POP, I would rather go cheap for the room and have more money for Grey Goose Shushes. :drinking1 I'm not planning to spend too much time in the room anyway.

Hoping there is some good demonstrations going on when we are there, thankfully we can be flexible with our dates if we there is something we really want to do another time.

Im not very good at posting, but I will be lurking around this post often. :blush:
 
I think its time to add my name in to the October 2017 group. My best friend and I decided to have a girls only trip and are going to food and wine, I think we finally decided on Oct 28-Nov 1. Probably going to stay at POP, I would rather go cheap for the room and have more money for Grey Goose Shushes. :drinking1 I'm not planning to spend too much time in the room anyway.

Hoping there is some good demonstrations going on when we are there, thankfully we can be flexible with our dates if we there is something we really want to do another time.

Im not very good at posting, but I will be lurking around this post often. :blush:

Hi!!! I've added you to our list. If you change your resort, I can update if you'd like.

Please join in and post, we are a welcoming people!
 
Please add me to the October planning thread:

October 20 - 27, Contemporary Resort

Also you may want to add this information to your initial post. The dates for the Swan/Dolphin Food and Wine Classic have been announced, October 27 and October 28, 2017. Also reservations for the event are already available: http://www.swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/index.h
 


Please add me to the October planning thread:

October 20 - 27, Contemporary Resort

Also you may want to add this information to your initial post. The dates for the Swan/Dolphin Food and Wine Classic have been announced, October 27 and October 28, 2017. Also reservations for the event are already available: http://www.swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/index.h

Hi and welcome! I've added you to the list and thank you very much for the information! :)
 
Just returned from seeing what Christmas at the parks was all about and booked Halloween while in line at Hollywood Studios.

October 16-20
Villas at Grand Floridian

Hello! Welcome! :wave: You've been added to the list!

Halloween is our FAVORITE time go to to WDW...of course I bet a lot of people on this thread will say that. :laughing:

Happy planning!
 
I'm planning our next trip to WDW for October and was wondering if DHS was decorated for the Fall and with any Halloween decorations. We just got back from there a couple of weeks ago and I feel in love again with that park seeing all the vintage Christmas tinsel and window decorations from the 50s. I found it even more festive than MK and they even had snowfall.

15673066_1372616332749903_390848222408701488_n.jpg
 
I'm planning our next trip to WDW for October and was wondering if DHS was decorated for the Fall and with any Halloween decorations. We just got back from there a couple of weeks ago and I feel in love again with that park seeing all the vintage Christmas tinsel and window decorations from the 50s. I found it even more festive than MK and they even had snowfall.

No. Magic Kingdom is the only park that's decorated for Halloween.
 
No, Magic Kingdom is the only park that's decorated for Halloween.

Sorry, double post.
 
No, Magic Kingdom is the only park that's decorated for Halloween.

Sorry, double post.

:thanks: That's what I thought but still disappointing. :sad1: With Club Villain and Villains in Fantasmic they could work that or SW theme in more at DHS. Who knows though? Maybe Disney has an idea for next year with getting more people into the park.
 
First time going Halloween week and also first time for the MNSSHP. I've gone in December the last 2 of 3 times so I'm hoping the Halloween party is just as good. I do hear though that other than MK, they don't decorate as much for Halloween in other parks than they do for the Holidays, so that's a bit of a letdown. Still looking forward to the party though.
 
:thanks: That's what I thought but still disappointing. :sad1: With Club Villain and Villains in Fantasmic they could work that or SW theme in more at DHS. Who knows though? Maybe Disney has an idea for next year with getting more people into the park.
There have been rumors for several years that WDW has considered the possibility of having a more "adult" Halloween party at the studios, themed to "A nightmare before Christmas". It would be similar to Universal's "Halloween Horror Nights". With the Studios now a major construction zone, that will probably not happen until Star Wars land is completed.
 
Had to cancel the April trip, so it all about October now. :)

We have never been to WDW at Halloween and I am very much looking forward to it. I just wish that HM had to NBC overlay (I do love it so). I plan to buy our Halloween Party tickets the moment they come out. Last year was such a mess in DLR with tickets, that I refuse to go through that again. Wish Disney could do away with the scalpers. Live and learn.

Love that we will hit FW as well. I have only been out for FW for the 1/2 marathon, so it will be nice to not go out and have to run for my food. :rotfl2:

We will probably just do the QS dining plan, as we plan to munch our way around Epcot many times.

Very excited that Pandora should be open, and maybe Rivers of Light will be running as well.

Only 285 days!
 
Happy Holidays everyone! Hope yours has been wonderful. :) Our cats enjoyed their Christmas! :rotfl:(the presents in the background were for us, not the cats - I'm not that far gone!)

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