Yep, I'm new

thanks for the welcome! Is there a certain part of the forum for my overall plans? Being new, I'd like to start off being 'good.'

I'm also kind of only general planning right now, waiting for the 2013 version of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. I was only able to find the 2011 Unofficial at my library, but I stayed up way too late reading it.

We'll be at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort for a full week. My mom's giving us her timeshare points, and I can't justify *not* using them. We're on a pretty tight budget, so free resort with kitchen will save us tons. I'll miss the Dining Plan, though.

I talked to my husband about maybe we should stay at Ft Wilderness and get the dining plan. He reminded me that a week of tent camping in FL weather isn't that relaxing a vacation -- especially with the Wyndham available to us.

I think we're going to go with a 5 or 6-day park hopper. That'll give us the flex we need to not over schedule every minute of every day. with the hopper, we'll be more likely to cover everything without wasting time.

I've NEVER been to the AK, and I aim to correct that this trip. My husband & older son have only been to MK, and younger son hasn't been at all yet.

I want a character meal & 'Ohana is most likely to appeal to both kids. DS2 is big into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and I expect a meal with the Mouse will send him thru the roof. DS1 is a Stitch fan. (and I love the Polynesian. My step-grandmother used to visit regularly, and I loved looking at her pictures. When I win the gamillion dollar lottery prize, I am staying there for like a month.)

It's so nice to have people interested in my travel plans. My husband (bless him) is all "yes, dear" about it.

The one thing I'm nervous about re: the Wyndham is that afternoon nap. The resort runs shuttles, and you get the shuttle schedule at check in, but I'm not convinced it's efficient enough to use for a return trip.

But I have a back up plan. If we shuttle in the morning, taxi back for lunch, then shuttle for return & after-closing, that's very close to the same price as parking. (isn't it? At least 2 guidebooks said cabs run around $15 from MK to resorts, and the Wyndham is roughly between Pop Century & Caribbean Beach Resort.)

And I have a back up plan for my back up plan. We're driving down from NC, so if necessary, we'll drive to the parks, too. I haven't done that since I lived in FL, but it won't kill any of us. I remember, too, how the excitement would build as we parked and & my parents repeated things like "Donald 4, ok, everyone remember DONALD FOURRRRRRRRRR." Then the parking lot tram, then the TTC, then the monorail, then (!!FINALLY!!) the Magic Kingdom.

I had been thinking about visiting the parks in order of building excitement -- day 1, AK, day 2, EP, 3 DHS 4 & 5 MK but now I'm thinking about opening and closing our week with the MK. And with the parkhopper, we'll have room for spontaneity. (I'll schedule, "do something random" so it doesn't throw me off my groove.

(I'm not always obsessive, but when I am, it's a Disney vacation.)

I know people take pictures of parking signs, and we probably will, too. But that doesn't mean we won't say it out loud, too.

(Wouldn't it be so boss to have one of the old parking signs? Even a repro one. That would be an awesome piece of art. I want to get some old school tickets to frame, too. It's on this year's Christmas list.)

I've been all over the Unofficial's official website, waiting for my new book. I'm pretty sure they said Sept. I know it'll be missing all sorts of stuff about the new Fantasyland, but that's what the internet is for! I also know that I don't want the e-book version. Lots of readers complained about not being able to see diagrams and maps on their Nooks. (Besides, I can't mark up an e-version!)

we're planning to backpack in some snack items, too, just to stretch our dollars a little more. And everyone will carry a bottle of water in a lanyard thing. Older son's a Boy Scout, and we're heavily involved, so we're used to a certain amount of self sufficiency. (Are there snack restrictions at AK? I know balloons and lidded drinks are out, but if we bring peanut butter bagels? Are we cool?)

It's almost ten hours from here to there. It's not more than I'm willing to drive in a day, but that will leave me pretty tired at arrival. I will consider getting a $40 hotel room between Brunswick & Jacksonville. It'll be worth it to me to have an easier arrival day. One of the first things DS1 likes to do is swim in every pool on property, and we can do that while Dad cooks dinner. Maybe a lil DTD or Boardwalk visit. (OH Lego store! How we love you!)

This forum is great for letting me talk out the minutia of my plans! My husband would already be glazed over!

Yep! I love history, and Tudor-era history is like a soap opera. It's an accessible level of drama with amazing costumes.

holy cow, I love logging in just to watch my nametag countdown go down.

we are going to have such an awesome time. I decided that the best way to get to Disney is "leave home early" instead of splitting the drive over two days. It's not like I'm going to be sleeping in when I have a trip like this to drive to. (and not staying at a $40 hotel overnight gives me $40 to spend on ice creams.)

I saw somewhere a discussion of embroidery on earhats. Of course I had one when I was a kid, but it's long gone. Did they used to be embroidered in cursive? I was looking at the Disney Store website and it's block printing like L L Bean, but that's not what I expected to see.

Thanks! This may be the happiest place on the internet!

I turned in my library guidebooks, and didn't get a new one. That's because the new Unofficial comes out 8-28-12. I might as well take a week off before I start cramming again.

The funny thing is -- Monday we go to Pigeon Forge TN for a before-back-to-school family vacation, and I have done virtually zero planning for that. On the other hand, I have a notebook for Disney things.

ah, priorities.