Airfare Home, Disney Dining and Package Discounts

Southwest Airlines was running another great special that we took advantage of to get us back home.  Tony had SW points to use and was able to secure 2 flights while I booked the remaining 4 flights home for about $160/person.  Again, nonstop flights in and out of Phoenix to Orlando.  No flying into Tampa, Fl. and having to drive into Orlando.  So our transportation is finished!

At the end of November when our 180 day booking window opened up for dining reservations, I would wake up early every day and go online to make our dining reservations for each day of our stay.  We were able to get all of the table service meals we wanted starting on May 28 plus our Quick Service reservation at Be Our Guest.  We are now in the 145 day booking window of dining reservations based upon when we will be staying on property.  I can't even begin to think of additional dining I would like to add to our reservations.  We currently have a table service meal set for each day of our time in WDW.

This morning when I woke up to log into work, I checked my email from disneylist.com and saw that Disney is offering 3 new summer specials.  One of the specials available gives a free Quick Service meal to every party for the length of stay.  So I called to see if I could take advantage of the offer for our length of stay.  Thanks to the wonderful Disney Travel Agent (Joetta Page) I spoke too this morning we got put into an amazing pool of offers that reduced our rate for staying on property significantly.  Initially our package total for our on property stay at Disney's Art of Animation Cars Suite, 8 day base ticket, Disney Dining Plan (2 snacks, 1 quick service, 1 table service), and Memory Maker was going to be about $6500 for a 5 day/4 night stay.  After waiting on the phone for about 40 minutes the great cast member got our total package reduced to about $4700.  Same exact details and hotel.  THANK YOU JOETTA!!!  I couldn't even find that package total that low trying to do the same deal online directly from the Disney Website.  It definitely was to our advantage to call and wait for the Disney Cast Member Travel Agent!  Periodically though, I keep logging in and out of the WDW Website checking my account to ensure this is real.

*****
Edited to add: Make sure you check on your reservations periodically during the day.  Apparently when Joetta changed over our reservation she didn't change over the Disney Dining Plan and that's how our rate appeared to be so low.  I ended up calling Disney again this time speaking with Jennings and he got our reservation fixed up.  I had a funny feeling that initial price was too low and now I know why!  We still save about 10% off our room even with adding in the Disney Dining Plan which pretty much equates to 1 night free off our package.

Time For Another Orlando, Florida Trip...2018!!!

It's that time of year again, the money is in place, mom and dad have worked and saved and the family hasn't had a HUGE family vacation in a while.  I think the last time we were in Orlando was back in 2014.  So of course, it's time to plan our next Orlando adventure!  We have our budget in place and we are ready to put our plan into motion.

Over the past week Tony and I have been pouring over the websites looking at theme park tickets to Sea World, Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney World.  Sorry, Legoland...there is not enough excitement for us to visit you.  Southwest Airlines had a major sale on one-way airfare going on and we took a look and found some inexpensive tickets for us to fly from Phoenix, Arizona to Tampa, Florida.  6 people to fly one way, nonstop for less than $1100....Yes, please!  We will gladly rent a car and drive between Tampa, Florida and Orlando, Florida.  Now, we just have to monitor the Southwest Airline sales to get a flight back to Phoenix, Arizona after our fun has ended.  Fortunately, we have the flexibility of leaving out of Orlando or Tampa.  The flights on Southwest were only open as far as June 05, 2018 and we plan on staying a few days longer than that.

As I was on my computer looking at airfare options, Tony was on his looking at timeshare options and we found one for the first week in Orlando, Florida that is large enough for our whole family.  We have 2 weeks that we have to use so why not use them in Orlando?  Next was booking the rental car and hotel for the evening we arrive in Tampa since we can't check into our timeshare until the next day.  After that is deciding how many days we wanted for tickets to Universal Studios as well as WDW, and is Sea World even an option for us at this time?  We'll see, the budget will let us know.

It's already the middle of February 2016?!?!?!?!?

We got through the remainder of the year fairly unscathed.  The kids had a great and busy first semester at school.  Thing 1 successfully ended his first semester of high school.  He did encounter a reaction to Strep Throat and missed 5 days of school battling a case of Steven Johnson's Syndrome.  It wasn't due to a prescription drug interaction but rather a case of OTC drug interaction with strep throat.  Poor kid was rashy, splotchy and his skin was peeling.  Nothing that we would wish on anyone!

Thing 2, Thing 3, and Thing 4 had a great year at their Charter school.  The middles participated in their school's performance of "The Jungle Book".  Thing 2 was Mowgli and Thing 3 was Ka the Snake.  They also kept up high marks in school while Thing 2 played golf and Thing 3 took ballet classes.  Thing 4 had a great first semester in Kindergarten.  She learned how to tie her shoes thanks to Thing's 1 teaching her.  She learned how to read basic words and is doing so well in Math.  Things 2 and 3 have continued to pursue their acting roles and auditioned for "Shrek" with Arts Express and "Snow Queen" and "Wizard of Oz" at their school.  Our lives are busy schleping them back and forth to rehearsals and maintaining a strict family calendar.

Entering the New Year 2016, we continue to get busy and more crazed in our schedules.  "Shrek" rehearsals is in full effect and the shows will be in April.  Thing 2 has completed his role as The Raven in "Snow Queen" and Thing 3 will perform as a dancing Munchkin in "Wizard of Oz".  Thing 4 is still taking swimming lessons and ballet.  Thing 1 has begun his high school tennis season.  We anticipate that he will make Varsity as a Freshman and play in the top 5 at his school.  He is hitting so well and meeting more friends at school.

Some of our kid's "Award Winning Performances" - the Parental Awards...
Trust In Me

Bear Necessities

Shut Your Beak