We’re BaaaAAAaaaack…. Pre-trip updated, plus Day 1, Part 1! Updated 9/20/04 About This Page:

[Jaya]

Who:

Jessica (Me!!) 3rd trip to WDW, celebrating 23rd birthday on 9/5, 1st time at CBR

Stephen (DH), 3rd trip also, 2nd time at CBR

Where: King room at CBR

Why: A much-belated honeymoon (Married 2-25-04) and a much needed vacation!

The details: Delta flights to/from Orlando from LAX via Dallas, Quicksilver roundtrip to/from hotel, with Disney transportation on-property only.





This is my first report, I hope everyone enjoys it! First I want to say that I have a tendancy to ramble on and on and on and on and on… you get the point. I love going into detail everything that’s going on, so I hope all of you who take on the task enjoy reading about our trip!!



Steve & I married spontaneously (fine, fine, we eloped, are you happy now!) on February 25, 2004 (it was a Wednesday, and yes, we both worked the day before & after!). We had been together for 2 years (it was our anniversary!) and engaged for 1 ½ years, and after 1 cross-country move and many realizations that we could not afford the wedding we wanted, we just went ahead and did it! Unfortunately, not having the money for a wedding meant we also didn’t have the money for a honeymoon (even worse, we live with my mother!!! L ).



I had been expecting a little bit of money from a lawsuit stemming from the death of my father 4 years ago (and on another side note, I’m more than willing to discuss what happened, etc. with anyone else who has unexpectedly lost someone, or is just curious – and you wouldn’t BELIEVE how many people ask me about it – just drop me an email or a PM), but I wasn’t holding my breath. Finally, it happened, in mid-July, and suddenly I was rich…. Er… maybe not. Okay, definitely not. But after paying off a few credit cards, putting good-quality stereo/speaker systems into my car & my mom’s car, and getting a new home theater system and a new TiVo for my house (all of which was not as expensive as you might think with Steve’s Best Buy discount) I still had about $5000 – which sounded JUST about right for the perfect honeymoon!!



We had discussed a lot about where to go on our honeymoon while we were planning our ill-fated wedding. I had originally suggested Disney, and Steve didn’t want to go there – he wanted a real honeymoon destination, like Europe or something. But now that we live in Southern California, and we visit Disneyland frequently, he’s caught the bug, and he said he was all for a Disney honeymoon trip!!



I figured, with five grand we could have the best, most luxury trip ever! That bubble was soon to burst, but it was nice while it lasted! We decided that we wanted to go in early September, since it would be virtually empty, and it would be a good time for both of us to get away from work. My boss is very flexible (I’m a property manager for a commercial office building, and my boss is the owner) and had no problem giving me the time off. Stephen had to request it through Best Buy, but since he has enough banked vacation/sick/personal hours to take about a month off if he really wanted to, it wasn't that big a deal either. I also found a really good deal on tickets through Delta - $212.90 each, round trip from LAX to MCO. Our trouble was that I didn’t want to leave really early – what’s the point of catching a flight at 7 AM when you still won’t get to Disney until about 7 PM? So we decided to go the leisurely route – we leave Los Angeles at around noon, and get in around 10 PM, and then we leave to come home around 1 PM, and arrive about 6 or so. If we’re going to waste a day traveling, I’d rather waste it with a good night’s sleep under my belt than cranky with a headache from not enough sleep!!





Coming up: Sticker shock, and my new best friend, the Passporter!

[Jennifer2003]

Great start!

You can PM me about your Dad if you like.

Also...your Baby Sammy picture has never worked on my computer...but this one does! What a cute little kittie!!!

Enjoy your trip!

Jennifer

[luvnwdwgal]

Great start Jessica!! Can't wait to read the rest!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Jessica Can't wait to hear all about your trip

[JenS]

Great start! My husband and I loved the CBR when we stayed there in 2000 - it was very romantic!

[Two4Disney]

Jessica,

I love your "rambling." Sounds like the start of a Chick Lit book, one of my favorite genres to read/write in.

I am originally from southern California--now living in Florida. How are you adjusting to moving across country?

And what a precious, precious kitty. We have 3 Burmese kitties, who are our kids.

You're off to a great start and I can't wait to read more.

[poohsgirl]

<font color="purple">Hey Jessica,
It's so great that you were able to go on your honeymoon, even it it is a little late. I'm about the loss of your dad so suddenly, but I bet he'll be sprinkling all through out your trip! </font>

[Jaya]

Part Two – It costs HOW much???



So our dates were set in stone, and it was time to make the rest of our plans!! We decided pretty quickly that we didn’t want to stay at a Value resort – we’d both been there in the past, and while they’re great, it wasn’t what we had in mind for our honeymoon. So of course I started checking into Deluxe resorts. I’d found some codes on mousesavers to try out … but after getting the prices, I was starting to rethink this whole trip!! It was way beyond the no-more-than-$2000 we’d planned to spend on the hotel. So it was down to a Moderate, which we were still fine with.



Steve was pushing for CBR – he’d stayed there once before, and absolutely loved it. I had to admit too, that out of all our options, that one appealed most to me. Luckily, we got a good rate there of $100/night, but unfortunately the code I had could be used for a maximum stay of 10 nights, so we had to make continuing reservations. No biggie, though. So we got our hotel for just shy of $1500 for 13 nights - $500 under budget!! Go us!



Next it was time to make a tough decision. We COULD get a rental car – I prefer having a car, because I hate waiting for busses!! However, while I am over 21, I’m under 25 – and I would have had to pay nearly DOUBLE to rent a car because of this. Off the subject, this is just about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I’ve been licensed for 6 years, NEVER been in an accident (at least that was my fault, been rear-ended 3 times and one dumb lady once hit my car WHILE IT WAS PARKED and I wasn’t even in it!) and my own insurance on my own car 100% covers me in a rental – but I STILL have to pay upwards of $25 extra A DAY to have the honor of driving their rental?!?



... Suffice it to say, we quickly decided that it would be MUCH cheaper to hire a car to take us to/from the airport!! I’d heard good things about Tiffany … but I’d also heard bad things. Ditto for Happy Limo. The only one I’d heard only good things about was Quicksilver… so we went with them. I found a coupon (I don’t remember where, though) for $5 off, and I made my reservation! I love not having to give a CC to make the reservation. I’ve both had and heard of some really bad experiences hiring cars, and it always makes me nervous to give them payment in advance! I’ll make sure to let everyone know how they were when we get back.



So now we had our hotel, our plane tickets, our town car… but we needed PARK tickets!! D’oh! I had briefly looked into getting an AP at the very beginning planning stages, and quickly realized it would save us a LOT of money in the long run. Steve agreed, but when I told my mom what I wanted to do, she flipped!! She couldn’t believe I was going to spend $1100 on PARK tickets alone! I showed to her how it was really CHEAPER to go that route, and she quickly calmed down.



I had been to our local Disney Store asking about the AP’s, and they said they sold them there. I wanted to get them before we left, because we have a $1000/day limit on our check cards, and so we would not be able to buy 2 at once. So one day when we were out at a not-so-local mall, only about 4 days later, I dropped into the DS there to buy them! I was very excited, and I told the CM there that I wanted to buy my Disney World premium annual passes. She asked, “How many days?” I was really confused … “No, the annual passes. Not a park hopper.” She got really confused then. “You mean for Disney Land?” “Uh… no… for Disney World. I want a premium annual pass. I want two, actually.” “Oh, oh, that one. The Disney Store doesn’t sell those, you have to go to the park.”



Now I was getting a little aggravated. “I was just in the Topanga store 3 or 4 nights ago, and they sell them there.” “Oh,” she goes, “Well, I used to work in that store, and they don’t sell them. They must be wrong. None of the Disney Stores do.”



WhatEVER…. So we drove 40 minutes back to Topanga (luckily, on our way home) and dropped in the DS there – where, of course, they DO sell the AP’s!! I paid for one, and my mom paid for the other, so we wouldn’t be over our check card limits. Another $1100 gone, but I had the tickets!! Once we got in the car, I did a happy little Disney dance and mom laughed at me.



Right around then I was also lucky enough to get my email postcard from Disney! A quick call confirmed that I was indeed eligible for a lower rate, and our reservation dropped to $94/night! The CM on the phone was like “That’s not even really worth it!” That kind of upset me, and I said “Well, when you’re staying for 13 nights, that really adds up! That’s almost $100 that we can use on something else, so I’d really like to change the rate.” Thankfully, he did it.



Plane tickets, hotel, car, and park tickets – now all that was left was … PACKING!! Coming up in part 3!

[buckysmom]

Wow! With CMs like that...you wonder why Disney has bad stock days, eh? So glad these kinds of boards exist, 'cause those folks weren't helpful AT ALL!
Can't wait to hear how you like CBR, would love to stay there someday, and your Quicksilver report, too.
Thirteen days! Wow!
Keep the details coming...

[Nick and Ryans Mom]

Don't you hate it when you know more than the employees and they are getting paid?????

You sound like quite the bargain hunter

[luvnwdwgal]

Great update!! Can't wait for the next one!!

[pparm]

Wanted to let you know I'm really enjoying your pre-trip report! I'm looking forward to more.
Paula ºOº

[whoSEZ]

Jessica, I'm already loving your trip report! (Ramble on, please.) And I can't believe the CM arguing with you about dropping your rate at CBR! LOL ... bet he would have thought it was worth it if he had been paying for the room. Sheeish.

Looking forward to more!!

[Jennifer2003]

Hmmm...when I get to work on Tuesday, I will have to ask if we sell Annual Passes!

I'm really enjoying your report...can't wait for more!

Jennifer

[Joy J]

Jessica, I'm thoroughly enjoying your pre-trip report and I just know you'll have a fabulous vacation.

Joy