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Weekend trip to DW

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Wed, 11/30/2011 - 19:46
crazycatperson's picture
crazycatperson
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Weekend trip to DW

I'm toying with the idea of surprising hubby with a weekend trip to Disney World next year for his birthday. Our next week-long vacation there probably won't happen for a couple of years, and I know he really regretted missing the Food and Wine Festival this year. And since his birthday is in October, it would be perfect.

We'd probably fly down after work Friday, spend most of our time at Epcot at the F&W Fest with a possible park-hop or two in there somewhere, then leave Sunday evening or maybe stretch it into a three-day weekend and leave Monday evening.

I'm leaning toward either the Swan or Dolphin, since they're close to Epcot, but I can get a good deal via Travelocity or Expedia. Do those hotels offer the Magical Express transportation from the airport? I'd like to save money on lodging and skip the rental car as well. If they don't, I'm fond of the Boardwalk, although I'd consider the Beach Club.

Dining would probably be mostly F&W Fest, so no ADRs required.

Have any of you who don't live in Florida done a weekend at DW before? What sort of planning and logistics are involved? Any recommendations?

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Thu, 12/01/2011 - 01:33
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Great surprise for your husband's birthday.

I found this information about the Dolphin & Swan on the Disney Mom's Panel. It lists what Disney "perks" are included and what are not.

http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/questions.aspx?sort=dateasked&page=1&where=search&qid=130272&pid=45&cid=70

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Thu, 12/01/2011 - 16:26
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Thanks, JoAnn. The Boardwalk or Beach Club are starting to look like the better choices. I sure hope Disney offers some of those discounted hotel rates next fall.

Given the expense of even a weekend trip to DW, I decided surprising hubby might not be a good thing. What if he didn't want to go? Or what if something came up last minute because he didn't know about the plans in advance? So I mentioned the idea last night, and he was SO happy! The birthday weekend next October is on!
clapping yay

Thu, 12/01/2011 - 17:07
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You might also want to consider doing a trip during the week rather than on the weekend if possible. The weekends can get pretty crowded at the F & W Festival. Just a suggestion.

Thu, 12/01/2011 - 19:32
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mrhub wrote:
You might also want to consider doing a trip during the week rather than on the weekend if possible. The weekends can get pretty crowded at the F & W Festival. Just a suggestion.

What a great idea CCP! I hope it works out!

I agree with Mr. Hub. If possible, I'd plan for the middle of the week, and steer clear from the very beginning and very end of F&W because the crowds can be ridiculous. And most weekends are busy throughout the fest because that's when locals tend to flock.

You might consider Caribbean Beach Resort. While it doesn't have the walk access, it's nice and we seem to get decent rates there. Just a thought.

Let us know how it works out. So excited for you!

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Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:09
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Thanks, I'll check out Caribbean Beach.

The trip is going to have to be a long weekend thing due to work considerations. Hubby only gets so many days off. (I've worked at the same place for 20 years, so time off is less of a problem for me.) I assume Saturday will be crowded, Sunday less so, Monday even less so. But if we hit a few F&W booths as soon as they open, the lines shouldn't be too long yet, so we'll only have to deal with long lines around dinnertime. Also, the trip definitely will not coincide with the first or last weekend of the festival.

Am I crazy to want to start planning this trip when it's still nearly a year away? laugh

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:58
Poppet
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We stayed at Caribbean Beach 2 years ago. Very nice resort and since it's a moderate, the price was not outrageous. Still our favorite is Port Orleans. Both French Quarter and now Riverside have just refurbished their rooms. The new Riverside in the Mansion section and Aligator Bayou look fantastic!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:04
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Sounds like you have all the bases covered. Plan away! I hear it's a great remedy for Post-Disney Stress Syndrome.

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Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:35
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That's for sure, Lizzy! The best cure for post-Disney depression is planning the next trip!

 
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