Cant wait for more! Im loving reading all the new trip pies and pre trippies x

Oh yay, you don't know how happy this makes me seeing your pre trippy! All is right with the world again :spin:

I'm gutted for you that Max isn't coming but totally get his reasoning, it's definitely not that he doesn't want to spend time with you just that it's all about their friends, I was exactly the same at his age. I reckon if it wasn't for us getting married this summer that Sam wouldn't want to come with us either, this will deffo be his last year :(. It all does a full circle though as now I'm back to holidaying with my parents and family :D

Beyond excited to hear about how the DVC came about and Wilderness Lodge is my favourite resort in Disney too, something about feeling a world away from the craziness of the parks but still only a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom!

So what dates are you there from and till? We don't arrive until the 20th August, will you still be there?

The flight prices are insane aren't they, you're lucky you don't rent a car as they're crazy high post Covid!
We thankfully got mine and Jim's flights using Avios but I've just booked Hope's and Sam's along with my parents and sisters doing a BA package of flights, one night at AKL and a car. They're flying into Tampa direct but indirect home, loads cheaper than MCO! You probably know this already but if you add even one night in a hotel onto the flights you only have to pay a deposit and you get 23kg of luggage each which saves £100pp!

Looking forward to reading more of your plans :grin:

So glad you have started this Abby! Will be following and hopefully we will also be out there in the summer 😀

Thank you Abby for starting this new thread and for being willing to share your adventures with us all. As always I love your immersive style of writing, I really feel that I'm joining you all on the trip, such a lovely experience and the next best thing to going on our own trip. Really looking forward to the next installment. The trip sounds amazing and DVC members... wow, good for you. Keep the updates coming 😁 Helenx

Sounds like a wonderful trip planned! Id love to try some of those DVC hotels... maybe one day ill convince my partner to go DVC :D Will be following along !

I think I was just in the right place at the right time with the NYC advice as we weren't long back when you were planning your trip. Now you're the big Dibb star and I've been AWOL for months :d:

Yes, we're looking for a villa in Orlando - making some progress and I'm sure we'll find something good. So excited to be flying Business Class this time. We're using the first of 3 Companion Vouchers we have ready to go :blush:

I totally understand Max wanting to spend summer with his friends. If it's any consolation, the kids do come back around to wanting to holiday with parents again... my girls are wanting us to organise a trip to Orlando for next year, including them and their boyfriends so watch this space! They want to do Disney and Universal and I feel very out of touch with all of the changes so I'll be looking for loads of advice from Disney veterans like yourself once we get something organised.

I have no doubts that you'll end up with a stellar plan once you get your flights booked and I really can't wait to hear about your DVC journey :wavey:

Really looking forward to reading this,we are also off to Orlando in August (originally meant to be in 2020).Your Jamaica trip report kept me going last summer when I was stressing about my holiday to Fuerteventura!

Hey there Kellea :wavey:

I hope you're well and you had a lovely Christmas. I'm so enjoying reading all the trippies and pre trip reports too.

I'm back in the trip report game ;) I enjoyed writing the Jamaica and Rome trippies last year, but it's good to be back in the Florida section of the Dibb.

I can certainly see things from Max's point of view. He's got other priorities right now. Hopefully you're right and in a few years he will be begging us to take him with us to Florida.

I intend to book flights that arrive home by 17th August at the latest, so leaving Florida on 16th. I'm aiming for this date as I think A Level results day will be 18th August. It's not confirmed yet but it does seem a likely date. So, we will be heading home just before you arrive in Florida, which is a real shame, I'd hoped to gatecrash your hen party. You better be having a hen party!

I have been looking at BA and adding a hotel the night before the flight, it's coming in at £1000 each for our dates for direct. I can get indirect flights for around £600 but I don't want to pay that much! LOL! In years gone by I've waited longer. The year we flew with Aer Iingus I didn't book until late January. So I'm not too worried. There will definitely be flights it's just whether they are at a price I'm happy with!

Hey there lovely lady

Did your Christmas plans go ahead or should I not ask? I hope whatever happened that you had a lovely time. I'm looking forward to planning for summer and getting back to the States.

Hi Helen

That's a really lovely compliment, I enjoy writing the reports and of course it's lovely that people want to read them and reply to me. I'll spill the beans about the DVC membership soon as it is something that was very exciting at the time and I'm so looking forward to checking into our home resort. That will be so special!

I'm going to really try and not have the mindset that we must do everything this trip and try to be more laid back :D I doubt it will happen all the time, but I'm hopeful the DVC resorts will be relaxing. I'll do my best to explain the process of buying DVC and maybe that will help you convince your partner :tongue:

Great that you've got a few companion vouchers in the bag. We ended up using 2 for the flights to Rome as they were about to go out of date. Even short haul it was a lovely experience doing Club Europe, not the same as the transatlantic flight though.

That's what I'm hoping too, how lovely your girls want a big Florida trip with you next year. I know I love to go on holiday with my mum and dad, and my brothers and their families. So, I'm really hoping Max will want to come away with us again...especially if we stump up accomodation costs or agree to pay some of his fare ;)

Yay! Another August traveller :thumbs-up the cocktails in Jamaica were well worth it. All the stressful build up was contained to within 2 weeks prior to going as it was all booked so last minute. It was so good to be able to relax with the kids and mum and dad and not worry about the real world. It really was a cocoon.

My DS who is nearly 17 will only come back to Florida with us next year if I present him with 100 chocolate oranges when I book it otherwise he won’t come.

Try bribery - it works!:d:

I know it’ll be DS’s last time coming with us as he is not a Florida fan and prefers to stay home. Once he’s 18 and can legally look after himself he will absolutely refuse to come :cry: