AKV CL PTR/TR - taking practically first timers -TR starts on P. 17 (completed)

[Leshaface]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Well everyone, my little traveling heart is broken. My boss is going through this years vacation requests and denied my June dates. That was my BCV trip. someone else requested those dates first and it's first come first serve.

I didn't remember doing it but I had put a second request for the weekend before which she approved. Of course I didn't book anything for those dates so I'm now in a quandary. I've already canceled the BCV which made me very sad. I'm trying to decide if I should just stay home with Conner or try to go down. This trip was booked with banked points so I have to use them or lose them. Everything is available except BCV and BWV. 1BRs are available but I'd have to borrow some points which I'm not crazy about. VWL are exactly the points I have but is so far from the waterparks I think it would be inconvenient. Or I could break it up into two weekends, taking one in late July. The problem with that is that they would be super short trips. One four days and one three days. I need some input. I keep going to the website and almost booking something but then don't.

One good thing is that she approved my whole March trip which is now 12 days since I added one to the beginning. Instead of flights for $307 I found some with AirTran for $115. I already booked VWL for that night.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Oh course now when I go look VWL is no longer available for the full time.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate it. As of now I've shortened it to a 4 day vacation instead of the six I have off and booked a standard 1BR at Jambo House which happened to be the exact points I had to use. This way I'll have a day on each end to spend with Conner and still use up the points. After some thinking I didn't want to split it into two trips because who knows if those dates would be approved. That trip will be 5/31-6/3, not sure how that corresponds with Gay Days.

Today I got the second half of the years requests and I'm going to have to cancel the October cruise and my September trip to DL will now be the first week instead of the second. I thought I was safe putting in all my requests last August 16... Thankfully DVC is so flexible with bookings, and I can still change things if I want to.

I think I'm ok with the cruise. I was really excited about the itinerary but it was a little pricey, $1650 for 5 days and the January one I'm thinking of moving it to is $1027 for 5 days so that's a big savings.

So Alison, my official DL dates will be 9/3-9/9.

Thanks for listening

Ugh, so sorry about all the disappointment.

Okay, I don't think i've heard of Conner? BF?

So will you not be doing any cruises later this year? But yay for Disneyland! Will you be doing DLR solo or with your mom?

[dolphingirl47]

I am sorry that you have so much trouble getting your vacation time confirmed at the moment. I am glad that you get to go to AKL and that Disneyland is still on.

Corinna

[PNO4TE]

Pam - I am glad you got all your vacations worked out. I know that now that is complete the anticipation of those trips will outweigh the disappointment of the ones that could have been.

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by Leshaface

Ugh, so sorry about all the disappointment.

Okay, I don't think i've heard of Conner? BF?

So will you not be doing any cruises later this year? But yay for Disneyland! Will you be doing DLR solo or with your mom?

No BF right now. Conner's my lovey dog



My DL trip I'll be solo and so looking forward to it. There's something so nice about having no one to please but yourself hopefully we can get together while I'm out there.

No cruises for this year after March but I'm 95% decided to do a B2B next January for 10 days.

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by dolphingirl47

I am sorry that you have so much trouble getting your vacation time confirmed at the moment. I am glad that you get to go to AKL and that Disneyland is still on.

Corinna

Thank you. I thought there would be no problem since I put my requests in so early. I'm back in planning mode.

The sad thing about DL is that I'll be missing the Halloween party. Hopefully all the decorations will be up though.

Jambo House is my favorite so another trip there will be lovely. I was just really looking forward to BCV. That's back on the list.

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by PNO4TE

Pam - I am glad you got all your vacations worked out. I know that now that is complete the anticipation of those trips will outweigh the disappointment of the ones that could have been.

You are so right. Now that I've done all the rejuggling I'm looking forward to what is ahead.

[dgbg100106]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

You are so right. Now that I've done all the rejuggling I'm looking forward to what is ahead.

[Pinkocto]

Continuing with Day 5 at Epcot

I left off with me relaxing on a bench in Germany waiting for everyone to catch up. R & M were still back in Italy looking at the masks in one of the shops and mom was looking at the miniature train. Right when mom found me it started raining hard again so we found refuge in Karamel Kuche.

She got one of these which is one of her repeat purchases at WDW she loves them so much.



And I got one of these which I won’t get again because it had pecans or walnuts in it that I don’t care for.



R & M found us and M got a giant chocolate covered rice crispy bar which she loved.

It was around 8:00 at this point and we started to head out of the park. Our plan was to stay for extra magic hours but we just weren’t up for it. We did stop in China to look at the Emperor’s Tomb display which is always fascinating. Then we stopped in Norway and explored the little church. I had no idea you could go inside but there is a little exhibit in there. We had a leisurely stroll out of the park and were back to the resort by 9:30.

We stopped for some movies again and then up to the CL to grab some desserts. These were the only two new ones that night. They still had the cookies, brownies, and rice crispy treats.

This was just ok for me but mom loved it.





And this one didn’t have that much flavor.





After picking up desserts I went down to the Mara to get us another flatbread and fries. I was getting tired of the place by that point but it was always delicious. We didn’t make it through the movie, National Treasure 2, and I did not get caught up in the journal that night.

It was a very nice relaxing day. No drama and I was surprised how much R & M enjoyed Epcot. They wanted to see the countries we missed so the plan was to go back the next day.

[Pinkocto]

Day 6 - Return to Epcot

This morning was a little different than previous ones. Mom woke up before me and went down to the pool alone and let me sleep in. That was very nice. I got up around 10 and quickly went out to the CL to grab some breakfast before they closed up. I used the cooler again and took everything down to the pool and found mom where she was reading and enjoying the sun. I have to admit all the pool time was just heavenly. It was a scorcher so when I finished catching up in my journal I went in the pool. Ahhhh, how fabulous that was! It was a bit breezy so I didn’t stay in the water long and then enjoyed the sun for a while. At some point I went up to the CL to get us some drinks. That was so nice instead of having to buy some all the time. R found us around 2:30 and M joined us a little later. We relaxed a little longer and headed off to Epcot around 3:30.

When we got to Epcot we went straight to the Nemo ride which they thought was cute. We really wanted to see the aquariums so stayed and enjoyed those for a while. I had never seen the manatees so active; they had just been fed and were zealously eating their lettuce.



We tore ourselves away from the manatees and went to the little exhibits around the corner.







I managed to leave the big camera behind today so only had the phone, sorry for the lack of pictures today.

Not that many people at all which was fabulous.



R had to stop for a pretzel, he was starving… Of course he did not take advantage of the FREE snacks in the CL before we left.

Then we headed to






We had a bit of a wait before the next show but it was nice to be in the air conditioning. I absolutely love this attraction and always fight back the tears when people start clapping for Michael. Everyone else also enjoyed it.

Figment is right next door and was a walk on so we couldn’t resist. We all enjoyed that a well. Then off to Mexico to finish our tour around the World Showcase.

We stopped at La Cantina de San Angel for some food where mom and I shared some absolutely delicious cheese empanadas.



But it seemed that R & M needed a bit more sustenance.





After eating we headed inside the Mexico Pavilion and explored a bit. We went on the 3 Caballeros ride which was pretty cute and then M wanted to do a little shopping. After she found something for her sister we headed over to Norway to ride Maelstrom. This was at the top of R’s list for the trip so we had to do it. He loved it as much as he remembered which was cute. M had never been on it so R and mom were giving her a hard time about huge drops as high as Splash Mountain. They couldn’t help themselves.

We explored the gift shop for a little bit and then decided that we had done everything we wanted to in Epcot so headed out.



I had wanted to go to DTD for a few nights but kept being thwarted by sleepy heads. Tonight they finally agreed to go with me so we grabbed a SSR bus which happened to be waiting when we got to the bus stop. I think there was only one other family on the bus who also needed to go to the Springs so we bypassed all the other stops at SSR and went straight to the boat when we got there. We had to wait about twenty minutes for a boat but it was a very nice evening. Problem was people were starting to get sleepy and a little grouchy.

There were tons of people at DTD and we suddenly realized it was Saturday night. We didn’t stop in any of the shops because mom was complaining she was tired. I had wanted to try WPE or EoS so we decided to do WPE that night. We got our food to go because R & M were also getting quite tired and didn’t want to eat there. We got back to the resort at 11:20 which meant quite a late dinner.

Mom had gotten a beet salad which she said was marvelous



I got the macaroni and cheese which was just ok. I had to heat it up so it probably was better when fresh.



We shared the 4 cheese pizza which was fabulous



And mom also got a crème brulee which she enjoyed but stated that the one in France was much better.



I had brought the Hunger Games which we watched while eating. I fell asleep around 1:00 and even though mom was tired earlier she managed to stay up and finished the movie.

[dgbg100106]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Day 6 - Return to Epcot

This morning was a little different than previous ones. Mom woke up before me and went down to the pool alone and let me sleep in. That was very nice. I got up around 10 and quickly went out to the CL to grab some breakfast before they closed up. I used the cooler again and took everything down to the pool and found mom where she was reading and enjoying the sun. I have to admit all the pool time was just heavenly. It was a scorcher so when I finished catching up in my journal I went in the pool. Ahhhh, how fabulous that was! It was a bit breezy so I didn’t stay in the water long and then enjoyed the sun for a while. At some point I went up to the CL to get us some drinks. That was so nice instead of having to buy some all the time. R found us around 2:30 and M joined us a little later. We relaxed a little longer and headed off to Epcot around 3:30.

When we got to Epcot we went straight to the Nemo ride which they thought was cute. We really wanted to see the aquariums so stayed and enjoyed those for a while. I had never seen the manatees so active; they had just been fed and were zealously eating their lettuce.



We tore ourselves away from the manatees and went to the little exhibits around the corner.







I managed to leave the big camera behind today so only had the phone, sorry for the lack of pictures today.

Not that many people at all which was fabulous.



R had to stop for a pretzel, he was starving… Of course he did not take advantage of the FREE snacks in the CL before we left.

Then we headed to






We had a bit of a wait before the next show but it was nice to be in the air conditioning. I absolutely love this attraction and always fight back the tears when people start clapping for Michael. Everyone else also enjoyed it.

Figment is right next door and was a walk on so we couldn’t resist. We all enjoyed that a well. Then off to Mexico to finish our tour around the World Showcase.

We stopped at La Cantina de San Angel for some food where mom and I shared some absolutely delicious cheese empanadas.



But it seemed that R & M needed a bit more sustenance.





After eating we headed inside the Mexico Pavilion and explored a bit. We went on the 3 Caballeros ride which was pretty cute and then M wanted to do a little shopping. After she found something for her sister we headed over to Norway to ride Maelstrom. This was at the top of R’s list for the trip so we had to do it. He loved it as much as he remembered which was cute. M had never been on it so R and mom were giving her a hard time about huge drops as high as Splash Mountain. They couldn’t help themselves.

We explored the gift shop for a little bit and then decided that we had done everything we wanted to in Epcot so headed out.



I had wanted to go to DTD for a few nights but kept being thwarted by sleepy heads. Tonight they finally agreed to go with me so we grabbed a SSR bus which happened to be waiting when we got to the bus stop. I think there was only one other family on the bus who also needed to go to the Springs so we bypassed all the other stops at SSR and went straight to the boat when we got there. We had to wait about twenty minutes for a boat but it was a very nice evening. Problem was people were starting to get sleepy and a little grouchy.

There were tons of people at DTD and we suddenly realized it was Saturday night. We didn’t stop in any of the shops because mom was complaining she was tired. I had wanted to try WPE or EoS so we decided to do WPE that night. We got our food to go because R & M were also getting quite tired and didn’t want to eat there. We got back to the resort at 11:20 which meant quite a late dinner.

Mom had gotten a beet salad which she said was marvelous



I got the macaroni and cheese which was just ok. I had to heat it up so it probably was better when fresh.



We shared the 4 cheese pizza which was fabulous



And mom also got a crème brulee which she enjoyed but stated that the one in France was much better.



I had brought the Hunger Games which we watched while eating. I fell asleep around 1:00 and even though mom was tired earlier she managed to stay up and finished the movie.

Looks like you all had fun...

And you got some rest that you needed,

[podsnel]

I am playing catch up- and actually, I am re-reading some of it, because I can't really remember where I left off-

Anyway, in case someone else hasn't told you, the double doors at the end of the hall are Grand Villas- we stayed in one all the way at the end this past November, it was spectacular! There are actually 3 doors into the GV- the 2 you took a pic of, and one to the right. It is the entire end of the hallway. We LOVED it.

I love all your AKV pics- such a beautiful resort- can't wait to go again in May.

[Leshaface]

I knew about your gorgeous dog but didn't know his name. He's so beautiful! I know I talked about your dog a long time ago and had told you that we've always wanted one, but not sure if they do okay in the heat otherwise we would already have one.

If you're up for a little bit of company, please let me know and I can perhaps meet up with you at DL? Just let me know. You're probably going to meet up with Alison too. She's fun!

Gotta admit, i'm really jealous of your relaxing pool days. It seems that there is never time for us to do pool time. I think you're able to do pool days more because you go way more often then us. At the rate we're going, we're only getting to WDW every 2 years, and we'd rather be touring the parks. One day, i'm just going to add an extra day onto our trip and make it strictly for the pool.

Poor M! Hope she didn't get too nervous on Maelstrom!

[franandaj]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

That trip will be 5/31-6/3, not sure how that corresponds with Gay Days.

I think I'm ok with the cruise. I was really excited about the itinerary but it was a little pricey, $1650 for 5 days and the January one I'm thinking of moving it to is $1027 for 5 days so that's a big savings.

So Alison, my official DL dates will be 9/3-9/9.

Thanks for listening

Gay Days is May 28th - June 3rd, not that it's a big thing, but everyone focuses on a specific park on a certain day. If you want to avoid crowds, better to go to one of the other parks that day.

Is that for one person or two? That fare does seem really pricey for October. The January one is more in line with what we are getting for our six day cruise per person.

I just checked studio availability and so far, there are still studios available. You might consider "walking" your vacation just in case. I plan on being around then. I will have been out to hopefully meet Ellen the week before. Sounds like a fun DL month! The Expo is less than a month before you come out too!

Originally Posted by Leshaface

Ugh, so sorry about all the disappointment.

Okay, I don't think i've heard of Conner? BF?

I cracked up when I read this!

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

No BF right now. Conner's my lovey dog



My DL trip I'll be solo and so looking forward to it. There's something so nice about having no one to please but yourself hopefully we can get together while I'm out there.

No cruises for this year after March but I'm 95% decided to do a B2B next January for 10 days.

And what a cutie he is!

Originally Posted by Leshaface

I knew about your gorgeous dog but didn't know his name. He's so beautiful! I know I talked about your dog a long time ago and had told you that we've always wanted one, but not sure if they do okay in the heat otherwise we would already have one.

If you're up for a little bit of company, please let me know and I can perhaps meet up with you at DL? Just let me know. You're probably going to meet up with Alison too. She's fun!

at the bold!

We should all get together! Maybe you can sneak down for a couple days for a little all girls break!

[dolphingirl47]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Thank you. I thought there would be no problem since I put my requests in so early. I'm back in planning mode.

The sad thing about DL is that I'll be missing the Halloween party. Hopefully all the decorations will be up though.

Jambo House is my favorite so another trip there will be lovely. I was just really looking forward to BCV. That's back on the list.

I think the official Halloween season may start just after you leave. If I remember correctly it started September 14th in 2011 and September 12th in 2012. Still, they start putting up decorations before that.

This sounded like another really nice day and a very relaxing day at that.

Corinna

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by dgbg100106

Looks like you all had fun...

And you got some rest that you needed,

It was a fun day. It really seemed that we had a turning point halfway through. And it was really nice to sleep in, that's one of my favorite things about vacation and it does not usually happen on trips with mom.