The "So Cheap it's Practically Free" Trip--4/30-5/3 About This Page:

[KimandMark]

If you followed along on the PTR for Everyone and their Mother Goes to Disney, you might remember that I ended up with one heck of an airline credit on SW due to price changes on my flights. Almost $200 per person. The only rub was we had to use the tickets by June or July (I can't remember).

We were pretty excited about the windfall (HA. Windfall. They have my money. I didn't get money back, they have my money and I have to go on a trip...only an idiot would imagine flight credits to be a windfall...) and thought about taking Adam to San Francisco to visit some friends, see the trees, the bridge, eat real sourdough, be sleep deprived, figure out time changes, and spend about a billion dollars taking our "FREE" trip with flight vouchers.

Everything we considered either was a colossal waste of the airfare credit (like going to DC...we can drive there in 6 or 7 hours, and we'd probably want a car anyway, in order to see our friends all over creation) OR a colossal expense we hadn't really planned on (see SF info above, but sub in any major city SW flies to that might be fun with a preschooler). Then we thought about trying to use them for a grown up trip but the rules about their use meant a trip between February and June and we just couldn't commit to leaving Adam so soon after the big Disney trip.

So what do we have that's already paid for, that would require almost no extra expense on our part, aside from wine (duh) and food (who needs food?)? That's right, DVC points and APs. We had to borrow from FEB2017 points. That leaves us with 130ish points in FEB2017UY.

NOTE: We are planning a full week in a two bedroom in May 2017 with friends and a then a May 2018 trip to Turkey with same friends, meaning 2018 is a non-Disney year for us, and we can use all the 2018 points for the 2017 trip. You have to do some mental gymnastics and use some visual aides, but it's amazing what you can convince yourself is 'practically free'.

So we did it. We decided another trip, just the three of us, would be good. And then we really went nuts. We booked a studio at Poly!! I've never stayed on the monorail and I'm positively giddy about the whole thing. We've also never shared a regular sized hotel room with Adam; usually we get hotel suites in which there is no direct sight line between us because that kid needs not one freakin' distraction when he goes to sleep; even as a tiny baby he didn't sleep unless he was alone, in a very dark room and it took me month of trying to rock him to sleep to figure out he wanted me to go away. Cue my worries about all of us in a tiny room, the boat horns (over on DIS you'd think the captains were right outside your room with air horns and malicious looks in their eyes as they attempt to ruin your life.), and Adam's recurring anger about the O'hana/maraca/Stitch incident. He's not sure justice was served... BUT monorail!!!! I suspect it will be life changing, especially with the kid's love for Space Mountain. And watching fireworks at our resort? So much better for bedtime!

And we wanted to maximize time in Disney so we opted to fly out of Buffalo instead of Rochester. It's another hour past our airport, but there are several non-stops each day, with one in the AM to get there and one in the PM to come home. I'll lose that time here in NY instead of there, without question. We ended up paying an additional $120 total for our tickets. Thus far, these three nights have cost me some points I already paid for, an AP that's was already used for three trips, and $120. See? Free.

Here's the rough plan as it stands:
Saturday, April 30: 9:30 flight to MCO, landing at 12:30. I imagine MK.
Sunday, May 1: NOT HS because its EMH that morning I know we can't get there as rope drop.
Monday, May 2: ???
Tuesday, May 3: Depart MCO at 3. Should be home 8PM.

That's some plan, huh. Feel free to copy it for your own trip.

Here's the best part....


ADAM DOESN'T KNOW!!!!!


He's been so sad and obsessed with Disney since our return (I heard him audio search youtube kids for "disney world water slides" yesterday) that I've been tempted to tell him. I also pump him for information about what he would like to do most if he could go back. Pirate Adventure, Jedi Academy, and Space Mountain are the three that are on his list. We also talked about surprise Disney trips. It went like this:

Mommy: If you could surprise someone with a trip to Disney, what would you do?
Adam: Like a surprise for me?
Me: (stinker, is on to me, isn't he?) No, just a surprise for anyone, how would you do it?
Adam: Ooooh, you could surprise me with a balloon!!
Me: A balloon?
Adam: Yeah, put it in a big box and give me the box and I'll open it and it will come out and I'll know I'm going!
Me: Wow, so a balloon....
Adam: Wait Mommy.
Me: What?
Adam: You can't do that, that was my idea and now I'll know what's happening and won't be surprised, so you have to come up with your own surprise and surprise me.
Me: But no pressure, right?
Adam: What does that mean?

So he's dictating his surprises. Honestly, my thinking is that I need to tell him the day before so I can properly pack. Not to mention he's a real jerk when you wake him up. He expects me to be sunshine and rainbows when he's up with the chickens, but he does not return the favor. We'd have to be in the car at 6, no later than 6:30, and he often wakes up by then, but not always.

And do I blow a morning on Pirate Cruise? It was pretty awesome and we'll be right next to GF for a different cruise theme. And now I know to relax and have a nice breakfast, a morning cocktail, and not to worry. What about Jedi academy? Between sign up and potential bad return times you can blow a day pretty easily. I'm leaning toward just skipping it and not mentioning HS at all.

I also kind of want to let him in on it now, so he can help pick FPs and feel like he planned the trip.

What do I do?!!??!?!?!?!

[Grammy Grumpy]

Wow, what a great deal! I think I'd use the balloon surprise or perhaps an easter egg hunt to does the reveal. That might give you some time to let him help with some of the decisions. Let us know what you end up doing. But all in all have fun!

[cattailmarsh]

First & foremost, I am so so jealous. Our kids are close in age so I am paying very close attention to Adam's likes/dislikes, etc. So to help me plan things better for JB.

Definitely living the Easter egg/ scavenger hunt idea. And this way he gets the surprise but still can have some input to the planning since it would be all about the 3 of you only.

[MayraLR]

Adam is a smart kid. Have fun coming up with your own surprise!

[KimandMark]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

Wow, what a great deal! I think I'd use the balloon surprise or perhaps an easter egg hunt to does the reveal. That might give you some time to let him help with some of the decisions. Let us know what you end up doing. But all in all have fun!

Originally Posted by cattailmarsh

First & foremost, I am so so jealous. Our kids are close in age so I am paying very close attention to Adam's likes/dislikes, etc. So to help me plan things better for JB.

Definitely living the Easter egg/ scavenger hunt idea. And this way he gets the surprise but still can have some input to the planning since it would be all about the 3 of you only.

Originally Posted by MayraLR

Adam is a smart kid. Have fun coming up with your own surprise!

I like this idea! We have so many fun things this month that I don't want to over shadow them (Monster Jam this Saturday, a pool party at an indoor water park the next weekend, Easter, and his own birthday too--Easter runs quite close this year, so we are doing a small family cake and presents on his birthday and his big party is in April, at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, where they will get to do three cool science experiments and run around the museum). But I think I can do some preliminary planning, like Pirate Adventure booking and FPs when the time comes and then let him help decide what is most important. I've also thought about having him help me now, under the guise of our trip for next year, then surprise him that day, but since he doesn't know days/months/years that well I'm not sure he'd get that a year hadn't gone by!!

Four year olds and opinions...man, are they strong. Combine that with their poor geography skills and limited grasp of time and you find yourself explaining why it's impossible to go to Disney after school today, or go to EE from SM right now, or take a monorail to HS.

He's too smart for his own good sometimes. His swim instructor is trying to build his confidence (the kid can swim, but is scared to do it without a bubble on his back) and did something he calls the air bubble. Air bubble just the floatation device with it's waist belt loosened so much that it is just floating in the water behind you. The kid feels the strap on his chest/waist because it's floating behind him, but isn't getting any assistance from it. Adam did that once and then told us he knew it was a trick and now checks the belt for tightness. Meanwhile, the other kid in his class is oblivious to air bubble trickery.

[Colexis Mom]

How great for another trip! Good luck with the surprise!

[Cam22]

So neat that you all are getting to go back so soon, especially as Adam sounds more than ready for a surprise Disney trip.

[bartzcrew]

If he likes puzzles.....we did this with my kids one Christmas eons ago. Do the Easter Egg hunt, but put pieces to a puzzle in each egg and let him build the castle or something else that would clue him in. We just got a toddler puzzle so there weren't a ton of pieces to do.

[DMA]

Great way to use your SW money! And what a fun surprise for Adam...no matter when you tell him! Those early morning non-stop flights out of a Buffalo are the best!

[KimandMark]

During our drive to preschool the other day we talked about Disney (again, honestly it's constant, the roller coasters and rides, Disney or not). I told him that we'd planned a very big trip with our friends for a long time from now, that he would be six by then. We had to run through that he's about to turn five and how long until he's six etc etc. Then I told him that Mommy and Daddy were trying to figure out another trip, shorter, sooner than that. He liked that idea. So then I asked him if he would like to help me plan a short trip or would he rather not know and be surprised. We went through the pros and cons of each. Please don't imagine that we had a rational and reasonable discussion, he's four, his pros and cons were sort of ridiculous, like that he wants to be able to pack ALL of his toys in one suitcase, including the giant Bat Cave thing.

Anyway, he ended up on surprised. That one day I should just start driving and tell him that we are going to Disney. He said he'd probably know before I told him because I might have to wake him up early.

So there you have it, he doesn't want to know. He wants to be surprised. Since he was quite specific in the past about the balloon thing being his idea and that I should have my own idea, I think I'm going to wrap up a small present for him to open that morning. I found a knockoff Cinderella's Castle that looks close enough; or maybe a Mickey lovie. I'm not sure about that part.

I also was able to book FPs and really had to confront how little time we have in three nights! The Rivers of Light in AK will be going on, I know Adam wants to do Pirate Adventure AND Jedi Training, and I'm just not sure how to make all of this fit. We arrive around 1 on Saturday, so I did all MK passes that afternoon, starting around 3:30 for SM, SDMT, and BTM. Sunday is early entry at HS but it's unlikely we'd make it for that, meaning it's also unlikely we'd get a time for Jedi Training. So I think maybe we can got to AK that AM for EE (I can't see how we can skip it, now that he's watched the videos a thousand times). For Monday I was thinking he could do the Pirate Adventure at GF. I booked some FP for the afternoon at HS, but I'm wondering if its worth it. He likes ST and TMM but not enough to talk about them later or anything. We would also be able to go to Epcot that night for Illuminations and he'd like that (fire, lasers, boys...you do the math). And finally Tuesday AM in MK with SM, BTM, and the speedway before we go home.

I'm very tempted to stick to just MK this trip, despite really wanting to figure out an evening for Rivers of Light. I think Adam would like it, but the sitting and waiting for a show usually doesn't go that well, so perhaps this will be left for when we have more time. I also wanted to leave time to swim each day, that's why I booked later FPs, we can swim mid-day, and then again before bedtime, maybe see the fireworks from the beach?

I'm questioning this three night thing now. It just seems like I'll have a sad little boy when we can't do everything!

[Colexis Mom]

Trips are always to short, no matter how long they are. So much to see and do!

[Cam22]

So cute that he is choosing to be surprised. We've done a two day trip a couple of years ago before a cruise, and it really is hard to figure out what to do and what to skip. There is just so much fun stuff.

[belle0517]

Great start!

[lfredsbo]

Great start! Love that he wants to be surprised!

[KimandMark]

And here's why I'm not going to pretend we have an alternate destination: https://www.facebook.com/Break/video...4019264612792/


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