27 replies to this topic

[Dianna]

This year's dates are November 16-23, 2013. They haven't confirmed all my class requests yet (so I can't post trip details yet), but they were able to confirm that my dates will be fine. So start planning!

 

Warmly,

Dianna

[Robin Harrison Axelberd]

Woo-hoo! I'm doin' the happy dance!!!

[Dianna]

Robin, I hope they work for you! We'll miss the Jersey Week crowds coming before, and the Thanksgiving crowds coming afterwards, and hopefully most of the holiday decorations will be up.

 

Warmly,

Dianna

[Rex Hendricks]

Hope we can affrord it this year.. the 23rd is our anniversary. We ALWAYS take that week off.

[Jennifer Berry]

Oh, that is too awesome. :-) I'm not even sure we'll be able to go this year, but I'm the mom with kids whose birthdays are the 19th and the 22nd, so if we could that would just be a dream come true!

So what's the next step? You said you're not doing a hotel deal this year, is that correct? So I can be scouting those prices on my own? And when does Disney think they'll have ticket prices for you? I guess I could just use last year's figures and bump 'em up 5% to be safe. Off to check airfares! :-)

[Dianna]

Rex, I hope to be able to post all my trip info soon.

 

Jennifer, they weren't able to meet my line in the sand this year (can't go over $200/night, including taxes, parking, etc.), for an on-site resort, and preferably lower. So feel free to start researching hotels. If you're looking for a good hotel, with queen-bed suites that sleep six, and provides a free full breakfast, check out the Buena Vista Suites. I've never stayed there, but it gets good reviews from my families and is very near the park. Here's a link: http://www.buenavistasuites.com/

 

(I'll repost this info in the off-site hotel forum.)

 

Dianna

[Lisa Schroeder]

oh no! no hotel? are we going to universal as well? I would like to stay at the Royal Pacific at some point!

Edited by Lisa Schroeder, 22 February 2013 - 03:50 PM.

[DawnM]

Well, stink.   My husband's conference in Orlando is November 4-8.  There is no way we can stay 3 weeks.  I don't think it will work.

[Michelle Townes Lofton]

So excited!  I am going to start researching our hotel options soon and hope to find something reasonable!

[Dianna]

oh no! no hotel? are we going to universal as well? I would like to stay at the Royal Pacific at some point!

Lisa, see the answer to your hotel question in the other message you posted. Yes, I'm getting discounts for Universal and SeaWorld, too.

[Dianna]

Well, stink.   My husband's conference in Orlando is November 4-8.  There is no way we can stay 3 weeks.  I don't think it will work.

 

Dawn, I'm sorry!

[Christy Johnson Brown]

Will we have flexibility with the tickets?  My husband was wanting go down for a half-marathon on Nov.8th and maybe stay for the classes & all 16th and on.   I have never been with your group before, but seems like I read that last year the tickets were good for a certain number of days & you had some flexibility about whether to use the extra days before or after the class time frame. 

[Dianna]

Christy, they're good from 7 days before (Nov. 9) to 7 days after (Nov. 23), and our tickets will be different this year (plastic, tied to specific person). So your husband will have some leeway. Your students won't have as much because they must attend the class(es) they're registered for or they can cancel the remaining days on the ticket or charge you the difference between our discounted tickets and regular gate price. They've had problems with no-shows in other groups (not ours as much), and since these tickets are plastic and tied to a specific person, it's very likely they'll enforce their policies here on out.

 

Warmly,

Dianna

[Leanne Smith]

The royal Pacific is wonderfull..boat ride away last yr..I got a great member rate Check AAA...hard rock to fancy for families I felt..
also her s the mousesavers rate for buena vista November/ 1 bedroom$99
http://www.mousesave...a-suites/#rates
Next door to buena vista is cairbe resort..its a beauty
And very close.
http://www.mousesave...-orlando/#rates
these usually go down also...

[Jennifer Berry]

Any idea when we will have ticket prices?

[Dianna]

I'll post all the details as soon as everything is confirmed.

[pmaronson]

I'm SUPER interested in Universal. I haven't taken my kids yet, since it's as expensive as Disney, and we get so much out of that. We went in January 2012, and so much was changing that I am so excited about seeing. I'm a Disney freak, so we go every other year, and I've been doing it since I was 10, so I've been dozens of times .

 

I was the one who accidentally emailed about the hysterectomy. We're homeschoolers, and we spent HOURS at the Affection Section and Rafiki's Planet Watch petting and feeding the goats and pigs, and watching a Kuni Kuni pig getting a hysterectomy.

 

There is SO much at Disney for people who don't ride thrill rides! The Magic Kingdom has the new interactive game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. Parades, shows, character events... Epcot has the new Phineas and Ferb (used to be Kim Possible) interactive adventure. We did Kim Possible or hours and loved it. In addition, Epcot has tons of shows, and the Innoventions pavilions. Epcot is my favorite park. Animal Kingdom is adding a new scavenger hunt. http://forums.wdwmag...er-hunt.801676/ Not sure when that will be active, though. Hollywood Studios has so many great shows if you aren't a rider, too.

[cewewee]

Love the dates!  My youngest will turn 3 on Nov 25, so he'll get to go for free.  Yippee!

[jpuglvr]

Dianna, do you have any idea on what dates there will be a program suitable for kindergartens and second graders? I am tryin to book a dvc rental and of course can't do it the dedicated dates of the trip but may be able to swing some other dates as long as we can make sure to be there the date of the program.

[Dianna]

Disney hasn't confirmed classes yet, but if you could extend your vacation time through Monday, November 18, you should be okay. Don't hold me to it yet, though. Disney has few programs for kindergarten, so we're limited there. (I think they've added one this year - I'm confirming that - but they're still more limited that with the others.)

 

I'll post class info as soon as they confirm. Hopefully this week...

 

Dianna