Grrrrrrrrr

[rkold]

So I want to go to Disney but the general public special on my dates expired on 12/20 before I even really had thought about things and the new general public discount starts on 2/17 I know when I want to go is off season. Most people have to work and school is in session. In fact I'm hoping to arrive for a Sunday night and stay through Wednesday night. But I'll be damned if I am going to pay rack rate.

I contacted Small World Vacations because they are recommended all over the place but they got me the exact same rate I could get booking directly through Disney not saving me a penny. Why in the heck would I rather book through them vs. Disney?!?! I think this is why I stopped using travel agents and just started to do all the legwork myself. ~.~

I really resent the way they are trying to pressure me to book now because otherwise the rates could go up or the rooms could vanish. This is not some hot time of year to travel. Considering we're in a depression/economic low/whatever you want to call our current recession and Disney is extending their special rates into most months except the middle of the summer I find this pressure ridiculous. It's a bit like cord banking. In the end I decided against it because it seemed like the companies could offer few concrete benefits, just a lot of potential promises and pressure and playing on a parent's love for their baby. It just makes me so GRRRRRR So now I am going to call Disney after a nice relaxing shower and see if I can get somewhere with them.

Comments

[twotone]

Aw, sorry you're having such a rough time finding good rates. Good luck with Disney... I hope you're able to have a lovely family vacation.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

HAHA! I booked with Disney and got a better rate. I had to buy an annual passport, but I was hoping to go in November any way so not a huge loss.

I'm sooooooooo excited!

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

Hopefully they'll be able to get you a reasonable deal over the phone, good luck!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I got it to work! So let me know if you want to try to meet and if I should do a reservation for 4 or what. We are on the Deluxe Dinning plan because I really want nice meals. I do plan to book Jiko and the CA Grill. I put in some practice reservations and I could get what I wanted.

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

Excellent! :D I think if we do dinner, then that'll be all I should do (i.e., I'd love to eat a nice dinner but I probably shouldn't do that and a park!), but I could definitely come down and have dinner with you guys if that works for you! I have heard amazing things about Jiko, and the CA grill also sounds excellent~ Do you know yet which days you want to eat where?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

hmmmmm do you have a car? XD;

I'm still working out which night I want to try for which restaurant. But I was thinking if we all go to Jiko together, then you could meet us at our hotel so we don't need to bus it lol (We're not renting a car, I generally prefer public transportation and it's just money I'd rather spend elsewhere.) I'm soooooooo excited.

We're also going to invite my MiL to join us since the room at the GRFL could easily fit 3 adults and one infant. Though I'm not sure how the food plan will go over with her, she's not a big eater, while I've been starving lately! (I think it is breastfeeding.)

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

I do have a car! And I'd be happy to give you guys a ride, that's totally fine (and much easier with a baby, I'll bet!)

Those rooms are pretty decent-sized, yes! (And the bathrooms were nice!) But either way, that's fine, I have a regular car that could still fit everyone even if she decides to come, I believe~ Just keep me updated - I *think* most afternoons that week are still clear for me - I don't remember the dates off the top of my head, but Thursday is probably the only day I couldn't do.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Haha, change in plans! My mother and my MiL are now joining us in Disney! I'd still love to meet you for dinner, but now you'll also get to meet some relatives. We're prob doing dinner always at one of the Signature places, but if you wanted to spend less money we could all meet for lunch. I doubt we are spending that much time in the parks simply because I need to pump/try to breastfeed.

So let me know what is best for you and then we can pick a restaurant and time to reserve. We arrive mid afternoon on Sunday. We can do Sun-Wed night we leave mid afternoon on Thurs for the airport.

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with relatives, as long as they don't mind me tagging along! XD I can definitely do dinner on Sunday, if you think you wouldn't be too tired from travel. Otherwise I'm still double-checking with some professors about the weekday afternoons (I just want to make sure no one needs me to proctor a test any of those days so I could leave early), but lunch sometime would also work. If you'd like to do a weekday, I can let you know my schedule hopefully within the next day or so.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

No, both of them are really nice.

I'm going to be hungry come dinner lol I tend to get hungry easily because of the breastfeeding/pumping. I'm thinking of trying for California Grill or Citricos for Sunday. I just need to make sure my MiL has time to arrive.

But Lunch might also be fun since it will be less costly for you. Just let me know if you want to do dinner ASAP since I want to start booking things.

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

Yay~

Heh, that does make sense, and nothing wrong with being hungry! And really, I'm thinking Sunday dinner might still be best for me, honestly, because then I know for sure I'm not missing anything. And I think I've got some Disney Rewards Points I can put towards it, so that makes my meal cheaper!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

OK, then I am going to try to get the CA Grill for us all, since I want to be sure to eat there. I am prob going to save Jiko since I want to plan it for when AK is open late. (Also it is much easier to get to CA Grill from our hotel.)

Have you been to Artist Point? BTW since we're on the dinning plan, if you want a more $$$$ main course or appetizer than the ones we would pick, you can just pick what we would have gotten and we can order yours if that makes sense. Since we're on the plan we can technically order any entree, but Kennis, me, and my Mom are all vegetarians and the vegetarian entree tends to be the least expensive one lol My MiL eats meat but there are two of us.

(So for exampled I would normally order:
Roasted Heirloom Beets, Fennel, Citrus, Spiced Pecans, Beet Vinaigrette, and Belle Chèvre “Croutons”
House-made Potato and Cheese Ravioli with Florida Corn Purée, Fall Squash, Vidalias, Black Truffle*

But if you wanted like any other entree for dinner, it would make sense for you to order my ravioli and for me to order your entree, since I can order any entree with my plan and you may as well only pay for my cheaper entree.)

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

Sure, CA Grill works great for me! It looks so cool~

I have not been to Artist Point, alas - you know, I've never actually been inside the Animal Kingdom Lodge (or Wilderness Lodge, oops, that's where Artist Point is, isn't it?), which is really a travesty. One of these days I'm just going to go ride the bus over there or something just to look at it!

Oh, and that would be awesome, to order things that way, thanks for the offer! I will take a look at the menu myself, so I'll know what I want and we can figure that out ahead of time (or I suppose while we're there, whatever works!). That does make sense to me, if you don't mind ordering that way. :)