I Will Get Into Le Cellier If It's The Last Thing I Do: 3/14-3/20 (Pre Trip) - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I Will Get Into Le Cellier If It's The Last Thing I Do: 3/14-3/20 (Pre Trip)
Well, I'm back for another installment of "Will it be a year before John updates us on his trip?" I promise that I'll be conscious of writing when I get home.
There are pros and cons to planning a Disney trip spur of the moment. The biggest pro is obviously that the waiting isn't very far away. I'm almost never 3 months away from a planned trip...ever. The con? I don't get to drag out my pre-trip report. Once I decide on dates, I gotta scramble for plane tix, ADRs, etc... I think the pro outweighs that though!
The reason for the current title? I'm not important enough on the boards for people to really remember me, but 2 years ago I had an ADR for Le Cellier on my last day. We met some family in Orlando and we were stretching our pockets as it was the last day, so we decided to bail on our reservation. Maybe we'd try and walk up with the family for dinner. So we missed our lunch ADR, but lo and behold, they're not accepting walk ups later that night. Upset? sure, but not heart broken. I always know I'll be back. Fast forward 7 months, and I'm making plans for my second trip with the girlfriend for Jan 2009. No matter how many times I call, I can't get Le Cellier for lunch or dinner at any time whatsoever on the whole trip. Based on suggestions from you guys for that pre-trip report, I try walking up at weird times, no dice. We can't get a table for 2 at all. We go home with cheddar soup and filet mignon-less.
It's 2010, once again we've booked dates a mere 70 days from the trip. Will we get Le Cellier?
CAST: John (me, 26, once again older... ugh) Last time I was on my way to making detective, well I have the position now. It's fantastic. I love my job, I love working in NYC. I can't ask for anything better. Things I'm looking forward to on this trip? Being in WDW. I completely cheated on the mouse in October. I stayed at SSR for 2 nights but spent the 2 days at Universal's halloween stuff. I've never felt so horrible. Who enters the gates of the World without stepping foot in a park? Ugh. I'm a terrible person. So, I can't wait to be back. I also can't wait for Space Mountain: The Refurb, and Splash Mountain (because it was closed last time).
Liz (DGF, 21, still gorgeous) Liz just spent the fall semester in England studying history. She still runs a ballet studio. She's almost finished with college. She's still not ready for me to pop the question though. Too much life in the way right now.
WHERE: Off property again, you can't beat free timeshares. We're staying at Vistana this time. We were at Vistana Villages in 2008, and Mystic Dunes in 2009.
WHEN: March 14-20, 2010
HOW: No idea. I'm printing money in my basement I think.
Next Up... Travel/Budget Plans and how they came about....maybe ADRs if you're lucky.
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We pulled a Le Cellier cancel last year too. I thought I'd be tarred and feathered! We travel at "slow" times, so getting the ressie was never a problem. Can't wait to see how it works out for you!
My cousin and his girlfriend call me and say they're going to the Bahamas for Valentine's Day weekend, do we want to come? Of course we do. That would be nice. We're all looking at plans and everything. We're looking at all-inclusive resorts, airfare, etc... It looks like it's going to be 1000-1200 a person for 3 nights. So Liz and I discuss it, and she says that's a lot of money for such a short period of time, I want to go to Disney for Spring Break. This blows me away. I didn't realize she was thinking about it. So, I say...we can swing both. I check out my funds, and realize, "Whoa! I'm way more broke than I thought." So, we decide a week at Disney is wayyyyyyyy more fun than 3 days in the Bahamas. Sorry cousin, you're out.
So I check to see how Disney's 2010 specials are looking. $750 gift cards (could pay for dining for the week), 30% off rooms. It looks like we can definitely do it. I start looking at AKL, WL, POFQ, and PoP. The deals look nice, and we still have yet to stay on property. I work out all the crazy numbers and realize, I still feel broke. Airfare is like 129 each way, the rooms are still pretty expensive. I checked on the dining plan, everything. The trip would be like 1400 for each of us, and I basically pay everything. I break the bad news to Liz....but I'm not deterred.
I start asking the family members if they plan on going to Florida this year. My parents say yes. There time share is out. My Uncle Karl says no. We can have the week. We're BACK in business! With the timeshare at no cost, we're looking good. I check on car rentals now and ughh. They're at 400 a week no matter who I look at. We're still 100% in but wow the price is still looking steep. Park tickets were 800 for both of us, the airfare was not the cheapest it could be. Then....everything starts breaking our way.
Airfare drops from 129 to 104. I looked at the park tickets wrong, they were 600, not 800. Just saved the budget 250. I check my email and hotwire just so happens to show me car rentals in Orlando. I click on it. Holy cow, I can get a car for $188. We just saved another $200 from the original budget. Airfare goes down AGAIN to $84. I book the airfare.
Our spring vacation plans go from 1200 a person for 3 nights in the Bahamas to 1200 total for 7 nights in freakin WDW! I think someone upstairs was telling me that 15 months was enough time off. I obviously wasn't being punished for my cheating in November.
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