The "Happy Birthday to me, I'm going to Disney" Oct 17-25th LIVE UPDATES!!!! About This Page:

[angiek1024]

The “Happy Birthday to Me, I’m going to Disney” Pretrip Report!

When?
Oct 17th-25th

Where?
Carribean Beach for Saturday, Oct 17th
Bay Lake Towers (YIPEEE!!!) for Sunday Oct 18th-25th

Who’s Going?
Me, Angela, 36 turning 37 on Oct 24 during the trip, 21st trip to the world,
DH, Scott, turns 41 this very week on Oct 2, 23rd or 24th trip to the world (???)
DS, Logan, 11, 18th trip to the world (lucky kid, huh??)
DM, Sandy, 57, 4th trip to the world (she is becoming addicted now and we can go without her!!)

What are we celebrating?
My birthday of course!!!

The beginning:

Ok, first of all, I am making a commitment to follow through on this trip report. The last couple I have attempted never got finished although I used to finish all my trip reports fairly easily. I am back to working part time now and should be able to get it done since I am home a lot more. Anyway, just a statement to myself really.

This is our annual trip for DS’s fall break from school. I believe this is our 6th year in a row but I may be short one. Scott keeps up with that kind of stuff so he can chime in if I am wrong. We absolutely love going to the world in October. It is such a great time with the Halloween party and Food and Wine going on not to mention the lower crowds and usually good weather. Normally, our week falls the second week of October for fall break so it is just in between DH and my birthdays. This year when the calendar came out for school, I was in disbelief! Fall break was pushed back a week later due to some type of high school tests that were going on the week before! Yes, that meant that I would be in the world for my birthday!

Now for a little history, I have not really been much of a birthday person. My dad’s birthday is three days before mine so growing up there was a lot of sharing parties/cakes with him so I guess I never really felt special on my birthday. Not that no one cared about it, I just never had any that really stood out I guess. Then three years ago, my parents divorced and guess what? Their court date to finalize the divorce was on you guessed it, my birthday! Ugh! So, now that cloud kind of hangs over it but it is getting easier as time goes by. The fact that I could be in Disneyworld for my birthday was just the greatest gift I will ever get for my birthday. For the first time, I am so excited about my birthday and I just can’t wait to experience it at the world!

I really need this vacation in a bad way even if it wasn't fall break and my birthday. Work has been just crazy and I have tried to leave the job and they keep begging me to stay. I am about to the end of my rope with it. DH has been working a lot of overtime at the hospital so it seems that we are both stressed to the max all the time. We both love WDW so much that I think it will be refreshing for us both to get away. Last year after joining DVC, we went to WDW about every three months so this was a long stretch for us to wait since our trip in May (I know poor us) so we are getting excited about going again.

Ok, so that gives you a little background on things so up next will be the planning!

UP NEXT: Trying for Bay Lake!

[Nimros]

Happy (early) Birthday to you!!! What a great place to celebrate!

Looking forward to more...

[lazanya]

Great start!

[KMB733]

Great Start! Hope you have a Magical Birthday in the World!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Angie!!

[lindawdw]

Yeah - Another Angie TR!!!! It feels like it's been a while since I've seen you on the Boards so I'm glad we're getting to hear all about your upcoming trip! I'm so excited that your staying at the BLT. I hope you take lots of pictures of your stay there! Hurry back with more please.

[Cam22]

Great Start, Angie! Our fall break was pushed back for the PSAT tests, too. We'll be there at CBR and then Gaylord Palms for some of the same time as you all.

[chezp]

Great start - and what a great way to celebrate a birthday!

[angiek1024]

Pre Trip Part Two
Trying for Bay Lake

When we found out that we would be going to WDW for my birthday, the wheels started turning about where to stay. The first consideration was what type of accommodation we would need. We really enjoy a one bedroom villa but that would be really stretching our points to borrow from next year to cover it. We decided that we could live with a studio, albeit a little cramped with four people we could do it. That will put us in a one bedroom next year without any trouble for our longer trip that we do each year so a studio it was. Then I started trying to decide where I wanted to stay. We own at AKV but I really wanted to stay somewhere we haven’t stayed yet which left the Boardwalk villas and the Wilderness Lodge Villas. I knew the Boardwalk would be hard to get during Food and Wine so I really had my mind settled on trying for the Wilderness Lodge.

Then the opening dates for Bay Lake were announced along with the dates that members who didn’t own at BLT could try for reservations. I had read that this would be the best shot for non owners to get in there for a while so we decided to give it a try to see if we could get it. With points a consideration again, we decided to try for a Lake View. The morning of the reservation openings, Scott called and we got in for Sunday, Oct 18th through Sunday, Oct 25th with no problems. Scott sent me a text and I was over the moon! This trip just keeps getting a dose of pixie dust it seems!!

So now, here we were with our most desired plan achieved and the wait began. Seven nights at BLT would not end up being enough for us however, once the AP rates came out. After talking back and forth, we decided to add a night on for Saturday night. We talked about even pushing it back to Friday since Logan is out of school that day too but my mom has to work that day. Saturday was good enough for everyone so I looked to see what was available once the AP rates came out. I was thinking a value resort at first but couldn’t make myself get excited about it. I decided that POFQ would be the best way to go. Of course, that was before I looked to find out that nothing was available for the AP rates there. So the pixie dust failed me a little but I ended up having a choice between our next favorite moderate Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach. Scott and I have only been to CBR once and that was before Logan was even born so the idea of staying there intrigued me a little. We really liked it there and it would be new to Logan. I called Scott and we decided to go with CBR for the one night. I booked the room online and we were set.

Now that the lodging was finished (for good now), I could begin to worry about the ADRs and some planning.

UP NEXT: Where to eat my birthday dinner, those not so scary online ADRs and would we get that coveted dinner ressie???

[B.M.]

Glad you were able to get the Villas for the dates you wanted!

[Colexis Mom]

Congrats on getting BLT for the week!

[KMB733]

Congrats on getting BLT

[bsblady01]

I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world

[chezp]

How great you were able to get into BLT!

[lazanya]

Congrats on BLT!