Well I must officially be getting old....
I always run a complex trip, but I've done it somewhat routinely for a number of years (minus the closed COVID year and a year with medical issues with my mother). It's usually a Fri to the following Sunday. I run partially solo and arrange for a friend to meet me in the middle for three or four days (usually Disney/OBB since most my friends aren't horror fans). I arrange all the travel plans... my flights, my friends flights, the hotel stays, private car to pick my friend up from the airport, park tickets, dining reservations...
Again... complex trip that usually includes;
Flying in and out of SNA. A rental car from SNA and a night in Anaheim (Westin <3 ). First full night for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, a stay at the Hilton. Back over to Disney for a multi day stay at the Disneyland Hotel. My friend's flight from Seattle and a driver to get her from SNA to me at the DLH. Three or four days at Disney for the two of us, table service each day. OBB tickets (thankfully that's out of mind by the end of June or whatever, lol) Napa Rose Chef's Counter (which might shift EVERYTHING else based on availability). Driver to get my friend back to SNA and her flight home. Knott's Scary Farm and another booking at the Universal Hilton so I can do the day VIP the next day and night RIP for Halloween Horror Nights again. BACK down to Disney again for my last night at the Westin and one final solo wrap up Disney day. Flight home from SNA.
It's... a lot... to book and keep organized. I'm also an insane person. I'll adjust hotel reservations if I see prices drop (saved a couple hundred bucks this year), same with my rental car (saved a couple hundred there too, low demand this year?), and I've shifted my flight twice this year instead of getting on the last flight of the night, moved up to a nice mid day departure since realistically I'm not going into work at all on that day so why try to leave at 6pm. I got it all perfect this year. I don't have to get up early to fly down, a comfortable noon-ish flight out, a perfect ~1 hr 45 min layover in SLC, and I get into SNA well before rental places close, but in time for dinner or something...
Bonus this year I have a former coworker that I've sucked into my madness and his fiancé and him decided to join me at my first night at HHN and a day of Disney and OBB with my friend and.... WHICH DAY DID I GET MY HHN TICKET FOR... FRIDAY... WHAT?! THAT'S THE WRONG DAY!
How could I screw this up... next Saturday night... my coworker and fiancé, who are mainly coming to meet up with me, have their front of the line tickets... and EVERYTHING is sold out. I call and plead to get an RIP ticket where I'll ditch the tour part and just make use of the front of the line with them... Universal just can't do anything for me. SCREWED. I'm 11 days away, how have I NOT double checked this weeks ago, especially when two people I haven't seen in a year have their tickets already and are flying in specifically to meet me for that event!
Thankfully, Universal is awesome with adjusting tickets and my friend and his fiancé arrive early enough Friday afternoon to BUR that we can easily make HHN on Friday instead of Saturday. BUT.... of course that means I have to shift my flight again, quickly book a different night at the Hilton and refund the other night. Quickly rebook the Westin now and refund the other night. Quickly adjust my rental car pick up. Ultimately the flight is a couple hundred extra this late in the game. The rental car is about a hundred bucks more because it's a few hours longer now. The Hilton is $150 more for Friday vs the booking for Saturday I made months ago. Surprisingly the Westin is exactly the same, lol. Overall anything I saved by adjusting things when prices dropped was immediately washed away and then I still had to pay some extra.
BEST PART?? Instead of my nice mellow noon flight... it's a 5:45 am departure, which means I'm getting up at ~3:30am (!!!!), to start my trip, where the first event is a night event that doesn't start until SEVEN PM and I'm usually there till midnight.
Well the stress is gone now that everything is rebooked, I still fit in both friends, my soul just dies a little for the next two weeks as I get closer and closer to my stupidly early flight. Could have been much worse, but wow this year took a turn.
I always run a complex trip, but I've done it somewhat routinely for a number of years (minus the closed COVID year and a year with medical issues with my mother). It's usually a Fri to the following Sunday. I run partially solo and arrange for a friend to meet me in the middle for three or four days (usually Disney/OBB since most my friends aren't horror fans). I arrange all the travel plans... my flights, my friends flights, the hotel stays, private car to pick my friend up from the airport, park tickets, dining reservations...
Again... complex trip that usually includes;
Flying in and out of SNA. A rental car from SNA and a night in Anaheim (Westin <3 ). First full night for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, a stay at the Hilton. Back over to Disney for a multi day stay at the Disneyland Hotel. My friend's flight from Seattle and a driver to get her from SNA to me at the DLH. Three or four days at Disney for the two of us, table service each day. OBB tickets (thankfully that's out of mind by the end of June or whatever, lol) Napa Rose Chef's Counter (which might shift EVERYTHING else based on availability). Driver to get my friend back to SNA and her flight home. Knott's Scary Farm and another booking at the Universal Hilton so I can do the day VIP the next day and night RIP for Halloween Horror Nights again. BACK down to Disney again for my last night at the Westin and one final solo wrap up Disney day. Flight home from SNA.
It's... a lot... to book and keep organized. I'm also an insane person. I'll adjust hotel reservations if I see prices drop (saved a couple hundred bucks this year), same with my rental car (saved a couple hundred there too, low demand this year?), and I've shifted my flight twice this year instead of getting on the last flight of the night, moved up to a nice mid day departure since realistically I'm not going into work at all on that day so why try to leave at 6pm. I got it all perfect this year. I don't have to get up early to fly down, a comfortable noon-ish flight out, a perfect ~1 hr 45 min layover in SLC, and I get into SNA well before rental places close, but in time for dinner or something...
Bonus this year I have a former coworker that I've sucked into my madness and his fiancé and him decided to join me at my first night at HHN and a day of Disney and OBB with my friend and.... WHICH DAY DID I GET MY HHN TICKET FOR... FRIDAY... WHAT?! THAT'S THE WRONG DAY!
How could I screw this up... next Saturday night... my coworker and fiancé, who are mainly coming to meet up with me, have their front of the line tickets... and EVERYTHING is sold out. I call and plead to get an RIP ticket where I'll ditch the tour part and just make use of the front of the line with them... Universal just can't do anything for me. SCREWED. I'm 11 days away, how have I NOT double checked this weeks ago, especially when two people I haven't seen in a year have their tickets already and are flying in specifically to meet me for that event!
Thankfully, Universal is awesome with adjusting tickets and my friend and his fiancé arrive early enough Friday afternoon to BUR that we can easily make HHN on Friday instead of Saturday. BUT.... of course that means I have to shift my flight again, quickly book a different night at the Hilton and refund the other night. Quickly rebook the Westin now and refund the other night. Quickly adjust my rental car pick up. Ultimately the flight is a couple hundred extra this late in the game. The rental car is about a hundred bucks more because it's a few hours longer now. The Hilton is $150 more for Friday vs the booking for Saturday I made months ago. Surprisingly the Westin is exactly the same, lol. Overall anything I saved by adjusting things when prices dropped was immediately washed away and then I still had to pay some extra.
BEST PART?? Instead of my nice mellow noon flight... it's a 5:45 am departure, which means I'm getting up at ~3:30am (!!!!), to start my trip, where the first event is a night event that doesn't start until SEVEN PM and I'm usually there till midnight.
Well the stress is gone now that everything is rebooked, I still fit in both friends, my soul just dies a little for the next two weeks as I get closer and closer to my stupidly early flight. Could have been much worse, but wow this year took a turn.
