Finally planning a trip :)

[Grumpy]

I have some points to burn before July 2011. I called member services and booked a 1 bedroom Memorial Day weekend 2011 at BCV. Looking forward to going but it is such a long time away:hercules:

1st trip of 2011 is being planned and tripped # 2 will be at BCV Oct 2011 :)

[LuvDisney]

Good for you! Can't wait to read all about your plans and maybe get a trip report from this trip, since I don't remember a very detailed one from your last trip (or maybe it was just too long ago for me to remember, OR maybe there were no pictures) I don't remember, but it was something.

[Grumpy]

I'll try harder this time ....LOL. I think my last one was brief and no pictures :)

[Grumpy]

this morning was my 180 day mark. Called right at 7am and got through without a problem. Here is where we are eating

Chef Mickey's Dinner
Ohanas Dinner
Chef De France Dinner
Crystal Palace breakfast

I also ended up booking for The Tramp and his wife since it would be silly for them to wake up at 3am to book since they are on the West Coast. They also got everything they wanted (I hope ...LOL)

[LuvDisney]

Yay! Love when you get everything you want for ADR's. I still have to work on what we are going to do. My 180 day mark is a Sunday in February (ughhh). We are on the QS dining plan so we are only going to do a few (maybe 4) TS.

[Grumpy]

Just before we leave in May is my 180 day mark for October :) Whoo Hooo. I love planning trips... Don't like paying for them though :(...lol

[Grumpy]

My youngest DD singsin a community Choir and wouldn't you know there is a concert on 5/27. Since it is her birthday trip we let her decide if she wanted to do the concert or Disney. She chose the concert and we sat down as a family and picked April. It was April, June, July or August. April made sense but rushed. Got used to booking everything waaaaaaayyyyy in advance and now we are back to kind of wininging it.

So this morning at 9am I am calling member services and grabbing wherever they have a studio or 1 bedroom April Vacation M-F. Hoping Boardwalk or Beach Club but will take whatever they have. Also we are not doing the Dining Plan. We will eat either at counter Serves or Off Site. There are plenty we want to try so it may be a good thing in the long run. I am looking forward to Bubba's BBQ :ms:

Driving down we are stopping in Philly to try both Pat and Ginos cheese steaks. After seeing them on the Travel Channel we want to see which one we like the best...lol

The drive back we are stopping at South of the border for some Fireworks:ms:

I will keeep you all posted on how we make out with Member Services in 90 minutes.

We also decided last night to Drive. Going to Leave Sat am and take 2 days to go down. Same thing on the way back.

We figured since

[Grumpy]

Got Boardwalk for M-F and booked Chef Mickey's for dinner on the 19th. Got a late seating bit it is where my youngest wanted to eat for her birthday dinner.

Booked a mini van at a decent price. Maybe with some codes I can get the price down.

Sorry The Tramp won't be seeing you in May :(

[LuvDisney]

Wow - Driving. I've only driven down there once. Wasn't too fun! LOL But I can imagine that flights for April school vacation are a killer. That's why we always choose to go in the late summer - don't want to have to take a loan out to fly down during any of the school vacations. Although I'm not expecting any good deals for our trip this year. Southwest is booking through like August 12th and all of July and all of August the flighs are like $169 each way. Even when they came out they weren't much cheaper than that. And the other airlines are about the same. So I guess we'll see.

Glad you get to go sooner. Always fun when you get to move your trip up!

[Grumpy]

The drive should too bad. Going to stop in Philly( cheese steak at Pat's and at Ginos) for lunch then DC so the kids can see the White House from the outside. Continue on a bit and grab a hotel at dark. Sunday drive to Savannah GA and grab a late lunch/early dinner at The Lady and Sons (just to say we ate there...love Paula Dean). Then drive on to Disney.

Leave Disney on Friday and drive as far as we can before dark. Saturday stop in Lancaster PA (got to get some whoopie pies from the Bird in Hand Bakery) and drive home. We have done the Lancaster Pa to our house before so we know the route.

[LuvDisney]

That is so funny that you are planning your drive there and back on where you are going to stop to eat! LOL Love it.

[Grumpy]

Our family motto is we travel for food. If you plan a road trip you need to plan for food. Someday we will do a food road trip. Go to places just because of the food we see on the Food Channel and the Travel Channel.

So far I have got my mini van rental down to $487 for 10 days. Hoping to get it for $450 when all is said and done but I am happy witht he $487. It started off almost $600.

[LuvDisney]

So where are you getting your rental car from? I just looked online and at Alamo (from MHT - that was the only location they gave me in NH), from 4/16 - 4/25, using BJ's coupons, for a mid-sized SUV it is $408.59. The minivan was more, but thought the SUV would be close. Give me your dates and rental location and I can check around. I'm usually pretty good at getting good rental rates. I once got a mid-sized car at MCO for a week for like $65.

[Grumpy]

4/15-4/25 1pm pick up and drop off at MHT. Used codes from the entertainment book. Need a mini van so if the kids start in on each other I can make them sit in separate rows. Also for cooler,food and misc we will be picking up on the way back. We love stopping in Lancaster and loading up on food that we can't get up here.

[LuvDisney]

Ok, let me do some checking and see if I can find lower. Will look at only minivans this time. LOL

[LuvDisney]

Ok, not a huge savings, but a little. I will keep checking.

Alamo - Minivan - 4/15-4/25 - 1:00pm - $475.73 using BJ's ID 7014696 & $40 off coupon AD8Z21SDB.

https://www.alamo.com/index.do?action=/hotDealsTemplate&msg=bjs_vacation_40off&cm_mmc=bjs-_-web_offer-_-40_off-_-7014696

[Grumpy]

nice find :)

[LuvDisney]

Hah! I just went on to see about my reservation, since we booked flights and I now have official times and knocked like $25 off my standard size rental. Was like $260, got it to $236. So happy. LOL

[Grumpy]

strange...not seeing mini van option anymore at manchester..hope I got 1

[Grumpy]

Went ot manchester airport to get the van

1st they tried to have me pay for an upgrade to a suburban...ummm..No Thanks

then when I went to the garage to get my van there were known. Again they tried to have me pay for an upgrade or downsize for what I paid for the van...ummm No Thanks

I pointed to the National sign and said grab one from your sister company...The gentleman smiled and went over to National and grabbed me a toyota sienna.

Taking off tomorrow am :)

Post when I get back