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#51
01-21-2012, 02:54 PM
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Thanks Vanessa and Meg.....sorry for being so
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Susan 
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#52
01-21-2012, 03:28 PM
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We found about about a week and a half ago Keira's dates for her Make a Wish trip, so I've pretty much been living Disney since then. LOL! This is our first long trip, so I'm super excited and I've been reading tons of stuff. Happy to help.
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#53
01-21-2012, 04:00 PM
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I'm on my 25th trip in 2015 so let me know what you need Susan.
Decide where you are staying first, and we can go from there. 
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Sara Creating for absolutely no one because I don't think I know how to scrap anymore.
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#55
01-21-2012, 04:53 PM
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susan you are not alone...i think we're going later this year or next year...i'll be stalking this thread for sure...
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Rachelle
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#56
01-21-2012, 05:06 PM
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The only thing about this trip is we're not staying at Disney, we're staying at the resort for kids like Keira. It's all nonprofit. And we'll be spoiled for sure, we get 2 bedroom, 2 bath villas this time. LOL! Next time it'll be a Disney value resort. I'm thinking maybe 2015 as well. 
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#57
01-21-2012, 05:37 PM
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Susan, if you decide you want to stay off property, let me know, I have some incredible recommendations for you.
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#58
01-21-2012, 06:07 PM
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I'm living thru those going this year..I'm planning another trip but not til Dec 2013 *SOB* I reallllly wanted to go this year but I want to stay at the Poly and I'll need the extra year to save $$ lol
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#59
01-21-2012, 06:17 PM
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Maybe by the time we go again we can stay at a more expensive resort. I'm just so excited about this trip!
And FYI, I bought the Passporter Guide, and I don't like it! It has good information, but not anything any different that the Birnbaum guide, unless you need a lot of hotel information. Like the Birnbaum talks a lot about character meals and such. I canceled my order for the actual hard copy book, and I'll keep the ebook. But I wasn't impressed.
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#60
01-21-2012, 06:53 PM
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Then again, I think the internet is so full of real-time information about Disney that any guidebook would be lacking. And Robin, I'd love to hear your off site recommendations. We have reservations at one place, but we're open. Disney is not exactly sending me any discounts and I refuse to pay rack rate for a small room for our family of 5, so we're staying off site at Disney. Onsite at Universal because the free unlimited express pass makes it worth our money and the inconvenience of being crammed in one room.
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#61
01-21-2012, 07:32 PM
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Let me know how you end up liking it! We'll be ending our trip there after Christmas @ WDW I think their pass would be cool..wish Harry Potter was on it though lol
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#63
01-21-2012, 07:43 PM
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Universal Studios Florida Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Universal's Islands of Adventure Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Pteranodon Flyers
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#64
01-21-2012, 09:20 PM
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I am so in over my head. I have no clue what any of you are talking about.
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Susan
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#65
01-21-2012, 09:44 PM
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Do you have a budget you wanna spend? That'll help narrow down your choices
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#66
01-21-2012, 09:52 PM
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Not really. I mean....I am assuming it will cost several thousand dollars. I really have no idea where to start. Where is the best place to stay for a first time family of 4? My son is 8 and my daughter is 5.
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Susan
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#67
01-21-2012, 10:04 PM
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#68
01-21-2012, 10:12 PM
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We stayed @ Coronado Springs this past time and it was nice but it was soooo big...although we had no problems with the buses or anything. I love Port Orleans Riverside (there's also Port Orleans French Quarter) where Erin stayed..it's probably the smallest resort (??) so it's all pretty compacted and everything is kinda convenient.
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#69
01-21-2012, 10:21 PM
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I dropped you a PM
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#71
01-21-2012, 11:41 PM
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#72
01-21-2012, 11:42 PM
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Susan, I have a couple layouts about the Polynesian if you want to see some pics of it. We stayed there for 7 days on our last vacation. It was very retro Hawaiian and I don't want to kid you that it's not for everyone. But we had an amazing discount plus an amazing room with a full view of the beach and Cinderella's castle and Space Needle. My guys would stay there again in a heartbeat (it really felt like Hawaii) but I'd like to go somewhere else next time because the retro was a little too much for me. But if you want to combine beach time with Disney, the Poly is the place for that!
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#73
01-22-2012, 01:05 AM
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Thanks again for all the info and PM. I can't wait to get the guidebooks so I can go through this methodically. I definitely think we need a monorail hotel due to Ben's mobility issues (very low tone muscle, fatigues quickly, and other PDD issues). The Grand Poly place sounds awesome.
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Susan
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#74
01-22-2012, 01:08 AM
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Also...where do you guys find all these discounts?
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Susan
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#75
01-22-2012, 07:24 AM
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It ends the day before we arrive.  The other way is to get a PIN code for a discount. PIN codes are specific to you and are not transferrable. I have no idea how one gets a PIN code. Some people seem to get them when they save a vacation on the website (you can create an account, price out up to 5 trips at different hotels/different dining plans/etc.), but honestly, I've been saving vacations for six months, ordered the free DVD planning guide, ordered their little maps and done everything possible to get a PIN and nothing. They just sent out a huge blast of PIN codes for free dining and I didn't get squat. So I must be on the "don't give her a PIN" list. I'm fine with it. Disney charges a lot of money if you have a family of 5 and by the time we go, my kids will be 18, 16 and 12. I'm not too interested in cramming us all into one room. I wish they'd give me a PIN at this point so I could reject it. (I'm a little angry with Disney and their options for 5 people... can you tell?) And back to Universal... the main Harry Potter ride, Forbidden Journey, is not included in the unlimited express you get for staying onsite (and you can't buy access either... it's just not included in anything). However, you get into the area an hour before the park opens if you stay onsite or buy a package through Universal. Universal just released park hours for our trip and Islands of Adventure opens at 8 am. That means my early rising family will be at the gates by 6:30 am to get into Wizarding World at 7 for our early entry.
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#76
01-22-2012, 07:30 AM
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I've never gotten a good PIN either Kim (well I had one for 20% off but the promo going on was better)
have you tried calling to see if there's one on your name? Sometimes they don't show up in email also susan if you go to the main disneyworld.com page and under tickets and packages you'll see Special Offers..that'll have the current specials. I can almost guarantee you'll get free dining offered but with staying @ the Poly or another monorail resort you are better off with a room discount. The savings is greater than free dining usually for a family of 4
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#77
01-22-2012, 11:29 AM
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hey Disneyites, I just saw this free Kindle book on saving money at Disneyworld. I haven't read it or know if it's good, but thought I'd pass the link along.
Disney World Cash Hacks kindle book
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#78
01-22-2012, 12:00 PM
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Just wing it! We've never bought a guidebook. We went to the Disney site and looked at the maps and Disney sent a free color map of what we wanted to see pinpointed on it. Makes a great keepsake.
These last couple of times my friend, Lara, who has 2 rental houses there gave us lots of information and info on discounts. She does that for guests as part of her service. We have stayed in a regular hotel (1984), a Disney property (2009) but boy did I get tired of the same old food EVERY day!, and then my friend's property sharing with another family (2011), and then her place just last week. I much prefer my friend's rental home to any other place I have stayed ... the house will sleep 10-12 people (5 bedrooms) so you can bring another family and split the cost, fix your own food there at the house (and bring cheese quesadillas into the park with you which saves $$$), have an in-ground pool, and it's about 15 minutes to the gates of Magic Kingdom. We haven't ever used a guidebook ... the first time we "winged it" ... and were happy with that ... we bought a 5 day pass and went to each park and then decided on which park to "revisit" with the last day (which ended up being Hollywood Studios).
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Thanks!
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#80
01-22-2012, 12:24 PM
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 you! Seriously though, Susan, if there's anything I can help you with, just let me know. It's free to use my services...just FYI.
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#81
01-23-2012, 10:29 AM
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Susan
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