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I'm exploring the dining options available and the premium / platinum plans started looking very appealing. I'm trying to pin down exactly what the impacts will be on my planning. Lots of questions ahead, sorry.
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May 16, 2014 17:15
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 14:54 |
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Yeah I'm considering the premium or platinum package because of all the extra stuff that gets thrown in. I'll have a day or two of my trip that won't be at the parks, so I'll be hitting up recreation anyways, so why not try. The packages are $194 and $254 per person/day, so they're pricy but not outrageous. I've been asking the disboards people about the higher end plans but I'm not getting a lot of responses. I guess it's rarer than I thought for people to use them. Any info you guys know would be appreciated. I'm not planning a trip until early next year, but I'll be booking in the next few months when rates are announced, so I'm trying to gather as many details as I can.
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May 16, 2014 18:19
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Braksgirl posted:I've never even had the opportunity to quote a Platinum package, much less sell one. I know next to nothing about it, clearly. But I can look into it for you. I would be your BFF if you booked with me. Are they really that rare? I see tons of people talking about their fancy concierge floors on the dis boards, so I assumed that better dining/rec plans would come naturally. If you can find out any info relating to my questions, I'd listen intently. I was actually considering the value of having an agent book my package for me, so if you have any thoughts on the pros and cons, I'm listening. I'm a project planner by trade, so I do love my details and hands-on work, but I lack the insider knowledge. This'll be my first trip (coinciding with my partner's any my anniversary and my birthday) so I'm trying to go all but balls-out on the planning. What's your agency site? E: Rates for 2015 will probably be out june/july, right? That's when I can book a whole package?
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May 16, 2014 18:42
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Won't cost you an extra penny.
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Thanks for volunteering to do the digging I can't figure out how to do. Clearly, I'm not rushed for time. I appreciate the enthusiasm and attention.
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May 16, 2014 19:16
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demonR6 posted:and we appreciate you coming to Orlando and spending your hard-earned money.. we heart tourists. Someone's got to pay for the repair bill every time bugs bunny saws you off the country.
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May 16, 2014 19:47
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Good point on photopass - I saw it in the brochure but it's not on the website. I was hoping it would be replaced with the memory maker, but I guess they just did away with it entirely. Oh well.
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May 16, 2014 22:55
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:I got the basic gist of my Disney assignment today. All I know thus far is Fantasyland Attractions. I was kind of disappointed at first, but now I am kind of like...yeah, let's do this. pics?
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May 20, 2014 04:12
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I've been posting a lot on the disboards to prep for my trip next year and I catch myself sighing and shaking my head constantly at the posters over there. Does anyone else do the same? Maybe my time spent on SA and (long before) Reddit and the *chans has warped me, but those posters are just so squishy and sugary sweet. It's like reading what my mom and grandparents would be posting if they knew how to use a computer. The GBS in me has to resist the urge to reply "im gay" to every inane post on that forum. Not to import drama, but I can't be the only one who cringes when reading what goes on in the happier, gentler parts on the internet. Or I've been too ruined to exist in society. Thanks, SA.
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Aug 31, 2014 20:12
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Is the 2015 sorcerer mickey band still being sold?
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Jan 16, 2015 18:29
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I'm nearing my fp+ reservation date. The hype for my first trip is definitely building. I wish the flower and garden food info would be released soon, I want something else to obsess over.
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Jan 26, 2015 22:36
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Hackan Slash posted:What's the best place to just get tickets? I've paid for hotel, car, and airfare with points so that's all taken care of. UT is usually the best deal for tickets. At least within a few bucks of anyone else. Parking is expensive unless you stay at a Disney resort (then it's free) or you park at downtown Disney and start taking buses, but that will take forever.
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Jan 30, 2015 14:37
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Hey Lincoln, you're in the world the same time as me! I've read about bog lunch being changed, but I didn't know it was confirmed they were moving to adr system. That's good news to me, as now it's easier to snag. I wonder if breakfast will be rolling out at the same time... Flower and garden 2015 is shaping up to be cool this year. I'm kind of bummed that the singer for the weekend I'm at Epcot is some dude I've never heard of. My first day at the world is going to be the village people, but I'm planning for animal kingdom that day. Oh well... The GF and I are really interested in the flowers. Am I nuts for considering the three hour gardens of the world tour? I keep calling to check on when that's coming available but nobody at Disney seems to know... I've sperged hard and made up my fp+ spreadsheet to use on Tuesday when making my reservations. Disney kicks rear end for planning enthusiasts!
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Feb 6, 2015 14:43
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What kind of dress is needed for April? Can I plan on just packing shorts or will the nights get cool enough to need jeans?
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Feb 8, 2015 06:40
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Well you could go for a Fancy McFancypants dinner. I'm really stoked to be going to Victoria and Albert's on my trip. It's one of just a handful of five diamond restaurant in the US (around 30 I think). Dinners are long and expensive, but for such a milestone, it'd be super cool.
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Feb 11, 2015 05:03
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Tomato Soup posted:Does your grandma have a favorite Disney movie or character or something? They might be able to do something related to that. They're adding BOG to the ADR reservation system and the days cycle at 6am EST. This is the same for all ADRs, so at midnight you won't have any luck. The system will probably be on fire at 6am also, so good luck. (I'll be online doing the same thing)
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Feb 12, 2015 00:40
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I emailed guest services from my personal email regarding some requests I had and they weren't able to do them but offered FP's which I accepted. They added them to my MDE and mentioned my mom by name so I definitely know they got the right reservation but I used my work email for MDE. A bit creepy but not complaining!
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Invite only, but I bet it could somehow be reserved if you had five or six figures to toss around.
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Feb 12, 2015 22:29
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drat they're taking their sweet time releasing the full list of Flower and Garden food booths. I've seen the parks blog about some of the stuff they're having, but by this time last year there were full menus online. I just want to start getting hungry now...
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Feb 20, 2015 16:21
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I managed to snag a bottom-tier choice day for BOG lunch, but later in the day there were a shitton of spots open so I ended up getting 3 until I had one I wanted. Everything worked out okay  .
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Feb 26, 2015 01:17
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I haven't checked in yet (one month away, ) but I rented points at BLT for this trip. I went through a private seller I found on the dis forums and paid $12 a point. I had them agree to half up front and half 30 days out and paid through PayPal for double protection through them and my credit card issuer. I ended up getting a room that cost a little under what a moderate does and it's in a deluxe resort. I think that's a pretty drat good deal.
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Mar 12, 2015 17:02
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skipdogg posted:Awesome, post a trip report if you would. What kind of room did you get? Just a studio, Lake view. I'll post back with details for sure. It was an uncomfortable thought at first, trusting an Internet stranger, but same as any other business transaction, references and diligence provided reassurance.
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Mar 12, 2015 20:34
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Never go out without your ID and insurance card. Don't gently caress yourself. I'm planning on bringing one of those lame neck lanyards with a zippered pouch like I'm in high school. No worries about a wallet falling out of my pocket and it can tuck under my shirt to stay out of the way.
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Mar 15, 2015 03:50
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I got my bands on Saturday! :itshappening:
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Mar 25, 2015 18:31
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I'm receiving a lot of conflicting advice re: parking at the parks before checking in to a hotel. I want to be at animal kingdom at 8am on my first park day but I'd like to avoid driving all the way to bay lake tower to check in and activate my parking. I've got a room only reservation so my tickets will be active. I've heard three answers : 1) I can park for free as they'll see I have a room 2) I will pay but get reimbursed at the hotel 3) I have to pay and won't get reimbursed anything Some people say it'll work if I do online check in (I have). Any direct confirmation from goons?
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Mar 28, 2015 16:14
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Hot drat this is my last week of work before leaving for wdw. It's feeling good. I have two cs lunches open on my schedule, one in magic kingdom and one in animal kingdom. Flame tree is still closed but the ribs are available elsewhere, is that the place to go? For mk, I'm probably not getting a burger and other time during the trip so it's a good time to do so. Is Pecos bills really the best? Also, apparently if you cancel one of your three fp, you can't add a third back in. I did that instead of changing the attraction and now it's all hosed up. drat it,Disney.
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Apr 6, 2015 19:39
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Lincoln posted:Gettin' antsy. We leave Sunday for a week at the Poly. Sadly, the bungalows are a little outside our budget. Got dinner ADR at BOG the day we arrive. I feel your excitement. Leaving Saturday for nine days. I'm checking my plans every day to make sure I've covered everything. The weather has me bummed just a bit. I don't care that it looks rainy next week, but the forecast temperature keeps going up. I was hoping for low 80s and how it's pushing into the 90s.
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Apr 9, 2015 14:07
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My bags are packed and I'm leaving in seven hours. Anticipation! My first challenge will be landing at 8:15 with a California grill reservation at 9:20. Airport sprinting will be happening. If we like this trip, I'm eyeballing a short trip for food and wine (plus the Swan dolphin version) as well as universal and their Halloween nights. I love planning.
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Apr 11, 2015 15:38
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I'm posting from 30,000 feet using jetblue's awesome free WiFi. If anyone is wondering, the connection is decent. 700ms ping to California with 18mbps down and 2 up. We're on track for an arrival of 8:05 local time. From there it's a quick jaunt to the parking garage to pick up our rental and off to the California grill.
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Apr 11, 2015 23:13
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Lincoln posted:Ok, been here about 36 hours and I must say Fast Pass + sucks donkey balls. What the poo poo are you doing? I was in the Magic Kingdom on Monday (stuck to fantasyland) and I got a total of eight fastpasses. It was awesome. I had booked mine train, belle, and under the sea, then I just kept walking to the kiosks under PhillharMagic, getting another fp (always for within the next hour, most were active immediately) then doing another ride. It was great. I guess it does suck if you want to ride mine train five times or if you have a fp for something late so you can't have any same day extras, but I loved it.
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Apr 15, 2015 13:36
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I'm in Epcot right now and the world showcase is bustling. We took a tour this morning and got to walk through the showcase for two hours without people and it was awesome. All the topiary and scenery pictures with zero people to get in the way. It was beautiful.
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Apr 16, 2015 22:14
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I found a neat trick. Right after the second touch point for my third fast pass of the day I opened my Disney experience and tried to update my fastpass selections. It let me make three new selections and they work. So instead of finding a kiosk and adding one a time, you can do three at a time. gently caress yeah.
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Apr 17, 2015 22:46
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A week has gone by way too fast. This first trip was awesome, we've got to come back soon. Tomorrow is our last day at wdw and we'll finish it at the magic Kingdom. Good times have been had. Now it's a frantic shower and shave before my most anticipated part of the trip - dinner at Victoria and Albert's.
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Apr 18, 2015 20:48
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A late report, but dinner at V&A's was awesome! The GF liked it so much she booked another seating while we were still dining. The chef's table was just as cool as I had hoped and when I wasn't eating I was standing at the railing checking out what they were cooking and being offered tastes of various things. The day we went they had just begun to offer Matsusaka Wagyu to compliment the Australian Kobe (about 3oz was a $55 upcharge). I wasn't sure if I could tell the difference when I ordered it, but when it came out it was obvious that I was eating something far better than I'll ever have at home. The other dishes were superb as well, although I hated the cheese course as my manchild palate can't handle 'fancy' cheese that tastes like my feet smelled after a day in the parks. The wait staff was awesome, though they were absent from the table a bit more than I'd expect. They told me that each team of 2 waiters serves 10 people in any combination of tables so I thought I'd see at least one of them every minute or two, but it'd easily go 5+ minutes without seeing anyone. But that wasn't a big deal. Turns out there are two husband and wife couples working as waiters, which surprised me. Israel, the general manager / sommelier was so nice. He spent a good half hour hanging out and chatting with us, showing me the wine cellar, and just discussing the business. I'd go back any time. I'll post some food porn if anyone cares. My skills aren't that great but it's still fun to look at.
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Apr 21, 2015 00:42
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While I wait for imgur to finish uploading, here's something cool I learned on the trip. On Main Street, the Mickey you can meet will talk to you. Ever wondered how? There are cameras and microphones in Mickey that send data to a cast member at another location and that CM is responsible for picking out pre-recorded phrases for Mickey to say. They can string several phrases together at once to form longer actions. They then communicate with the CM in the Mickey costume through a headset so the actor knows what's about to be said and can emote properly. A similar technology is used for interactive attractions like Turtle Talk with Crush or Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. An offsite CM is watching the crowd and choosing how to respond, but that CM also controls the on-screen characters. Apparently Crush is controlled using a Playstation controller, which was interesting to learn. Keys to the Kingdom tour was awesome for learning all kinds of backstage details, anyone who wants to learn should definitely go at your first chance.
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Apr 21, 2015 02:14
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Gentlemen, behold! Victoria and Albert's Chef's Table 4/18/2015 Amuse-Bouche Maine Lobster Salad "Jar" with Siberian Caviar  Main Courses Colorado Bison with Black Radish Slaw and Kumquats  Hot "Smoked" Niman Ranch Lamb with Fuji Apple and Curry Dressing   Fennel-Crusted Diver Scallop in a Salt Bowl  Poached Chicken Egg with Corn Foam  Marcho Farm Veal with Morels and Truffles  Australian Kobe-Style Beef with Potato Turnip Gratin (bottom left), Shortrib (center), Miyazaki Wagyu Beef (bottom right)   Harbison, Pleaant Ridge Reserve, Valencay, Sottocenere Al Tartufo, Colston Bassett Stilton  Dessert Citrus Timbale with Violet Sherbert and 24k Gold Flakes  Peruvian Chocolate Timbale with Roasted White Chocolate Gelato  Vaccum Coffee   Miscellaneous Chocolates 
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Apr 21, 2015 02:22
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I enjoyed my first trip in April so much that I'm heading back this Saturday for a three day mini trip. Sunday at Magic Kingdom for the Halloween party, Monday at Epcot for food and wine (lunch and dinner, if the lines aren't lovely) and Tuesday will probably be a half day at magic kingdom, then V&A's chef table for dinner. Since it's so short, I'm trying out pop century, but I wholly expect it to feel cheap and lovely compared to my week at Bay Lake tower. Any advice for the Halloween party? I'm waffling on doing the character meets - I love Nightmare but jack looks so ridiculous that I'm not sure I'd like the picture, and the rest would be kind of meh. Maybe Jafar would be nice. I guess the only other big things are waiting for the parades and getting some free candy. Too bad they aren't giving away any of the Disney themed stuff.
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Oct 21, 2015 23:00
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I know some people hate the fp system, but I was able to do eight fastpasses in one day in magic kingdom and I was happy. Don't know how many days you have planned but if you already have those fastpasses, then gently caress you're spending a lot of time in mk. I used touringplans.com to find the rides with the absolute highest queue times first thing in the morning and took those, then I made a prioritized list based on average queue times and after my fastpasses were gone (a bit before 11am) I kept hitting the fp kiosk to find the ride with the highest average wait that had a fastpasses available within the next half hour. It worked amazingly.
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Oct 22, 2015 16:35
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Abu Dave posted:All my fast passes run out at about 2 PM though, how did you manage to get them so early? Making them right at the 60 day mark is a huge advantage, but if you're going right before Xmas then you probably had a lot of people before you with longer stays. 2pm isn't so bad, you'll get some good same day fastpasses in the afternoon. See if you can bump any to an earlier time if possible. You are pretty hosed by going over the holiday time, so manage expectations and have fun. Oh yeah, and prepare to rage at some fastpasses kiosk lines. Most of the time I went I'd either come across someone who didn't know what a computer was and froze in terror when presented with it, or someone with a bunch of magic bands who had to make reservations on each one for some mysterious reason.
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Oct 22, 2015 16:56
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Yeah two days at animal kingdom and hollywood studios is probably overkill. I went on my first trip in April and I had nine days there, which I split to be one in AK and dhs each, two in Epcot, and three (two half days) in magic kingdom. The other days were rest days and were a very good idea.
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Oct 22, 2015 17:15
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My favorites would probably be... MK: big thunder mountain, space mountain, haunted mansion, splash mountain Epcot: mission space, spaceship earth Animal kingdom: Nemo and lion King shows, safari, expedition everest Hollywood studio: great movie ride, star tours, toy Story, rock n roller coaster, tower of terror
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Oct 22, 2015 17:45
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 14:54 |
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I'm not sure why stitch gets so much hate. It's not really a ride, it's kind of a non interactive queue / animatronic show with a tiny bit of sensory stuff for the guests. It's not terribly interesting and I don't see a good reason for repeat visits so it could be said that it's taking up space that could be used for something else, but the again I'm probably not going to go back and meet Ariel after I did that already so I don't know.
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Oct 23, 2015 14:13
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