Tickers...

Update!

I know it's been ages since I updated this so I think it deserves a good update!

Was ADR day last week. The online system is up and running so at 11am I was all ready. I managed to get most of the ADR's I wanted and good times for us, and a couple of extra ones I never thought I'd get!

I'm still working on my itinerary now the emh hours are out and I know where we'll be eating so I may change or add things on before we go.

So far I have;

Coral Reef

Saturday 10th Oct

7:20pm

T-Rex

Sunday 11th Oct:

7:30pm

Princess Storybook meal at Akershus

Monday 12th Oct

8:10am

Donald's breakfast safari

Tuesday 13th Oct

9:00am

Boma

Tuesday 13th Oct

6:50pm

1900 Park Fare

Wednesday 14th Oct

8:00pm

Mickey's Backyard BBQ (paid for)

Thursday 22nd Oct

6:30pm

Just need to wait until I can book Dine with Shamu and breakfast with Spiderman. :)

Changes...

Ok, I did have £85 to pay the TA for my extra luggage, but they now owe me £14!

I've taken the transfers off and booked car hire!

14 day car hire in a Chevrolet Colbalt (or similar), 4 door, with a full tank of petrol and the young driver surcharge included, for £373! A bit more than I was quoted before but that one was a two door :S

Paid £35 deposit today so have £338 left to pay on that.

I've saved £100 from taking the transfers off so that's brilliant. Only paying an extra £273 for fully inclusive car hire which is an amazing price!

Things will be going a little slower now...

So far all earnings have been going straight onto my fairfx card, but now I have more outgoings, so adding to my spending money is going to take longer than he has been so far.

$2700 on my card so $1300 left to reach my big target! I've actually got enough now for everything I want to do, but the more the better!

Little more...

$2650 saved up so far!

Car hire!

Until now I wasn't even considering car hire because of the under 25 surcharge. Everywhere I've looked charges around £450 for the car, then another £350 for the young driver surcharge! No way am I paying £800 for a car, that's more than the resort alone!

But I've found a site, http://www.carhire3000.co.uk , that has a 4 door car, all insurances, surcharge included, and a full tank of petrol for just over £350!

So I may be booking that soon. :D

Booked a meal!

Found out today you can book the T-Rex dinner 6 months in advance so I've booked it for us!

Can always change it if my other ADR's don't fit around it.

Right now, we are booked at the T-rex café on Sunday teh 11th of October at 7:30pm. Should arrive 15 minutes before.

Yay!

Little more...

$2550 on my card!

Well I've actually got $2600 but there's an issue with something I bought, so waiting for a refund.

I've also decided to book window seats for on the way there. It'll cost £70 both ways but I don't think it'll matter on the way back so will book them for the way there instead for £35.

Don't much fancy being able to watch us leaving Orlando, and we'll probably sleep most of the way back.

I can't wait to see the kid's faces when we take off, looking out of the window. :D

Woop!

$2500 now on my card!

And...

$2350 now on my card :D

Woohoo!!

The kids passports arrived this morning!

I've applied for ESTA for the both of them and they have been approved. So it's just me now.

I've added 5k each onto our luggage both ways so we don't have to worry as much about going over on the way back, which I think we will with only 15kg each!

I also got all of our birth certificated back so I can get my passport done now.

Dining....

Online dining is up and running!

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/

I'm still going to ring so I can book the next 10 days (perk of staying onsite) and the site doesn't let you do that. That could change though so fingers crossed!

But once I'm all booked I can swap and change and add on dining whenever I like up until the week we go. :D So not as much pressure to get the reservations we want first time.

Plus, I finally got hold of my U.S reservation number! I've been trying for weeks to get it with no luck (need it to book ADR's over the phone) so I'm pleased now.

...

$2300!! Getting so close to my target now!

I rang the passport office yesterday and they said they hadnt recieved my forms, but I sent them special delivery so they should be there today for sure. They told me the kids's passports should be here in a week, maybe less, but they can't guarantee it in case loads of people apply now or something like that.

So I'm waiting for those to arrive, and I can finally do mine!

Update...

Kids passports forms sent off again and $2250 on my fairfx card!

Yay!

$2150 now on my card and our birth certificates have finally arrived!! So I'll be going to the Post office today and sending them off.

Hopefuly it won't be long before we get their passports so I can get on with getting mine sorted so we can apply for ESTA!

Less than a month till I make my ADR's!

More...

$2050 now on my card.

Woohoo!!

Half way there!  $2000 on my card. :D  So chuffed!!

Plus, today my ticker has moved into the 3 month mark.  3 months and 29 days but still!!

Less than one month until I can make my ADR's. :D

$1900!

Looking like a daily thing right now! I was going to wait and see if the rate went up again but figured it wouldn't make much difference as I'm adding little and often so got another $50 today. :D

My tickers. Sooo close!!!!!

:D

$1850!

More...

$1800 on my card now!  Yay! 

Yay!

A lot of debts paid off so I've been left with a lot more today after a big pay day :D

$1750 now on my card!  Woop!

Half way to minimum amount!

My minimum spends is $3000.  I now have $1500!!!

I have to get $3000 to be able to afford everything I want to do, go to the places I want to eat etc, but I'm still aiming for $4000.  If I can get more then even better!

Update

$1450  now on the card!  It's amazing how quickly that's gone up!

I'm also trying to find out my US reservation number and having all sorts of problems.  The dining reservation line has been having trouble with a lot of people right now trying to make their ADR's.  They can't find UK reservation numbers, and say they can't get hold of the US number you need to ring. 

Some have been fine with just their dates and names so hoping it's just a glitch that will be sorted before I have to make mine in just over a month!

I still haven't received my, and my mum's, birth certificates so I can send them back to the passport office.  I'll have to get on to them and see what's going on.  I should have had them by now. 

Wow!

The rate has shot up this week!  $1.60 on Fairfx right now which is brilliant!

$1350 now on my card :D

Top up

$1300 on my card now.  Should have been about $1400 but I had to get food shopping with the card this week! 

Still going up though :D Depending on what bills are coming out this week I may get another $100 on saturday. :D 

.....

Another $100 on the card today. I was paid a day early because of the bank holiday next week!

I also have my new crocs! The flip flops aren't that comfortable really, the bit in between my toes, but the flats are heaven! I can wear them all day long!

$1200 on the card, $1800 to go minimum. $2800 target. :D

More...

Rate has shot up in the last few days. It's $1.5575 to the £1 right now so added another $50!

$1100 on the card now :D

Woo! Broken the 1000 mark!

I now have $1050 on my fairfx card! Over a third of the way to my minimum target, and just over a quarter to what I hope to have on there!

Money and crocs!

$900 now on my card!  Should have a grand on there on Thursday! Yay!

And Alyssa's crocs arrived this morning.  I'll take a pic later when she will agree to take them off!   I'll add Cameron's too.  

I have two more pairs coming, the non ugly kind.  One pair of flat crocs, whch look kind of like a regular high heeled shoe without the heel, and one pair of flip flop crocs.  

I can never normally wear flip flops because of the bit between your toes, but these should be comfortable. :D

I've had the kids passport forms back asking for my birth certificate and my mums to prove they are British citizens!  Which means two copies each, which will cost me about £35! 

Hopefully that will be enough and no more will be asked and we'll have them in a couple of weeks!  Then I can get on with doing mine!

Update...

$850 on my card now, plus the $20 on my second card which has now arrived!

I have also bought Alyssa some new crocs, as the ones I bought before were fake.  I'va also got some more stylish crocs for myself!  One pair of black flat crocs, one pair or flip flop crocs.  

We should be getting them in the post this week. :D

New savings ticker

More dollars on my card!

I now have $800 on my card!  I think I'll add another ticker with my spending money target! 

4 months and 25 days to go,  $2200 to go minimum, although I'm aiming for $4000 so we definitely won't need to worry about money at all when we're out there.  

Pics!

I have a new camera from a lovely friend from the DIS!  So I thought I'd add a few pics of some, yes some, of the stuff I've got for Florida so far!

Minnie purse, attatched to my lanyard :D

My Mickey Mouse lanyard with my first pin, again from my dis friend :)

My crocs!  Alyssa's haven't arrived yet and Cameron's have disappeared so I'll have to post pics of them when I have them both!

Alyssa's piglet bag for the parks.  It's so tiny, she loves it!

Alyssa's lanyard with 6 pins on it.  The LOVE one has lost the back though so that won't be coming. 

Autograph books!  One each. 

Cameron's bag for the parks.  Bit bigger than Alyssa's and this one is a back pack so he loves it. 

Cameron's lanyard.  Again the back of the LOVE one came off and he's lost it. 

My Disney Folder!  It's so full with everything we need, love it!

Kids eat free card.  Free meal for one child with each adult in certain places.  

Park tickets!  Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Seaworld, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywoord studios, not to mention Disney Quest, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard beach, Downtown Disney, World of sports...

The voucher for the Clearwater trip.  Need to ring a couple of days before to confirm the booking. 

Park maps, including Downtown Disney and Disney Quest. 

More...

Another $50 dollars on my card.  I also bought another one!  Well, I say bought, it was an offer so I didn't have to pay for the card.  I loaded that one with $20 so should have that in  few days.  

I will leave that one and keep it in my folder and will hopefully never have to use it.  

The reason I've bought another one is in case I lose my current card over there.  I have no other cards and that is my only money, so I cannot afford to lose it for 3 days while I get a replacement.  

I will keep the new one in the room, and if I do end up losing the other one, I can ring up and transfer the funds to the new card.  

Aah, still two weeks.

I wasn't able to add on an extra week unfortunately, but we still have so much planned, and it will be amazing so it's no big deal really.  We can do 3 weeks next time! 

Fairfx...

I have $600 on my card :D

Getting there!

Got to show you hotel...

The Sofitel, the hotel at Gatwick airport we're staying in the night before our flight.  Looks stunning. 

Update

$550 now on my fairfx card and I've also got us all some crocs each!  Ugly things, but we'll need something super comfortable for walking around the parks so they were a must really!

More money on my fairfx card, and a change?

I have $500 on my fairfx card now.  

I'm also looking into adding an extra week on!  I rang the ta and she said, as I'm adding something, there will be no charge for changing the flight dates!

I have found a hotel on I-Drive, near Universal which is what I wanted, with free transfers to all parks for £130 for the whole week!  I'd only need a bit more spending money (although not that much, breakfast is included and the places to eat on I-drive are cheap!), so it's definitely a possibility. 

The ta cannot get hold of Thomas Cook though right now because of everything that's happening in Mexico, all airlines must be so busy right now. 

As soon as she gets through, I'll know when they have 3 week flights and can decide whether to add it or not. 

If so, I would change the dates of POP so it's in the last two weeks of the holiday rather than the first.  We'd arrive and go to our hotel on I-drive, visit Seaworld, Universal, Islands of Adventure etc without having to pay for taxis to get there.  Then we can explore I-drive and Kissimmee, again with hardly any travel costs.  We can eat at all the cheap resturants that we want to eat at while we're there. 

Then we'll move to POP and spend two weeks in Disney, and we won't need to spend money on taxis to get everywhere we want to that isn't on Disney property.  I think the savings on taxis would more than cover the extra weeks acommodation and spending money!

I just hope Thomas Cook have flights for three weeks, and at a good time.  We can't go any earlier than we already are, and I won't have Cameron missing the beginning of term.  

Fingers crossed! 

Got passports sorted!

I have now sent the kids passports off.   The photos may be an issue because they're a little too far down, but they give a little lee way for under 6's so hopefully nothing will be sent back.  

I paid for the check and send too, so if nothing else is needed they should be here in just over a week!

Then I can get mine sorted, finally!

Woohoo!

I got both kids photos signed and forms filled out, so I can get their passports today!

I also now have $400 on my fairfx card!  Just $2600 to go!  ;)

New Tickers!

They came!

The birth certificates have arrived.  I took Alyssa to get her photos done while Cameron was at school, so now I just need to get Cameron's picture done, then I can get them signed and sent off!

I hope Alyssa's picture will be ok, she's not looking straight at the camera! £4 they cost now! For a little tiny photo.  Mad.  

Things I have...

Today I have picked up some suitcases from someone on freecycle.  One is a large hard suitcase, one is a smaller, but still a decent sized soft suitcase, and the other is slighter smaller than the last, and same style. 

The kids both have a little backpack each for the park so they can carry little bits themselves. 

They have a lanyard each with 6 pins on already. 

I have a bumbag with space for a water bottle, but I am also part of a stroller swap which includes a bag and bottle holders, so may not bother with that.  I may as well pack it for the days we don't use the stroller.

The rest (clothes, maybe some shoes, bits and bobs) we will buy once we get there. 

I'm waiting on the kids birth certificates this week so I can get their passports!  I might get their photos done tomorrow too so they're all ready to be signed and sent off when the certificates arrive. 

.....

The dollar rate is rising again, just in time!

I've added a bit more to my card, and now have $110 on after buying the photopass stuff. 

The birth certificate applications have been handed in so should get the kids certificates in about a week.   I can get their pictures done sometime next week, get them signed, then get the passports sent off!

I'll have to go through the whole thing again with my birth certificate and picture, and will probably do that in a few weeks. 

After we have our passports, I'll have to apply through ESTA, which shouldn't be a problem.   This approval will then last two years. 

Couldn't help myself!

I went and pre-ordered the photopass CD and book. :D

http://www.disneyphotopass.com/previsitcdplan.aspx

http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

This will be great, we'll get loads of family pictures with me actually in it, some 'special' shots with frames and characters and signatures etc  As well as the amazing book to keep forever!

Finally!!!!!

I have just paid off my enture holiday!  Not a penny left to pay now!

I can't describe how I'm feeling.  I never actually thought I could do it, all along I thought something would come up and I wouldn't be able to afford it, but I've done it!

I have also added on the Sofitel hotel at Gatwick airport for the night before we leave.  It's a 4 star hotel with a 2 minute walk, undercover, to the airport. :D

http://www.sofitellondongatwick.com/

And it's gorgeous!

So, now this blog will be focused on spending money updates, and changes to my plan.  As well as booking my ADR's, receiving tickets and leaving for the airport! 

Next on the list is the passports now.  I have the money for them,  but I need to get full birth certificates, the short ones I have won't do.  The ex said he would get them from Leicester and bring them up today but I'm not holding my breathe.  If not, I will have to go to Leicester one day next week and get them.  Then I can get their photos signed and passports sent off!

Mine too of course. 

I now have $160 on my fairfx card.  If I want to do everything I have planned without having to be stressing about money and if we have enough, I need to save around $3000.

The cost of everything, including meals, shoppings, buying things from parks, tips, snacks, and any extras, will be around $2670. 

I could cut that back quite a lot if need be, but my aim is to get $3000 on my card so I know we will have more than enough. 

New Itinerary

Is very likely to change, as it all depends on when I can get my preferred ADR's for, but for now here is what we're planning. 

Travel Journal

Destination: Florida

Date: 09/10/2009-23/10.2009

Travelling companions: Mummy, Cameron and Alyssa

Goal of trip: To have the best time of our lives!

 Day 1, Friday 9th Oct

Breakfast at airport  

Flight at 10:20am

Lunch on plane

Arrive at 15:05

Check into POP 

Dinner at ’Ohana and Fireworks at the Poly (taxi)

 Day 2, Saturday 10th Oct

Breakfast at Donald’s safari breakfast at AK (bus)

On to Animal Kingdom for the day

Dinner at Boma at AKL

 Day 3, Sunday 11th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Seaworld

Dine with Shamu for lunch

Shamu at night

 Day 4, Monday 12th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Shopping at Downtown Disney (Bus)

Disney Quest

Lunch/Dinner at T-Rex

Chill by POP pools

 Day 5, Tuesday 13th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Bus to Epcot

Lunch at Coral Reef

Illuminations fireworks

 Day 6, Wednesday 14th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Get picked up and taken to Clearwater

Arrive at 11:30am

Board the Dolphin Encounter boat

See amazing views and dolphins racing you alongside the boat

Arrive back at the beach 75 minutes later

Have lunch (provided)

Spend the day relaxing, shopping, exploring Clearwater

Leave at 5:30pm. Getting back to Orlando at 6:30pm

Dinner at 1900 Park fare

Clearwater Dolphin Encounter

 Day 7, Thursday 15th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Bus to Typhoon Lagoon

Taxi/bus to I-Drive for some shopping

Dinner at Sizzlers/Ponderosa/Denny’s

 Day 8, Friday 16th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Bus to Magic Kingdom

Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern

Wishes fireworks

 Day 9, Saturday 17th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Bus to Hollywood Studios

Lunch at Mama Melrose 

Fantasmic (preferred seating with MM dining)

 Day 10, Sunday 18th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Spend day at POP, possibly Downtown Disney

Lunch at Earl of Sandwich

Back to POP and chill at resort

Dinner at Teppan Edo (bus)

 Day 11, Monday 19th Oct

Breakfast at POP

Taxi to Universal Studios

Lunch at Mel’s Drive-in

Evening at POP

 Day 12, Tuesday 20th Oct

Taxi to Islands of Adventure

Breakfast with Spiderman

Dinner at Café Stoo-pendous

 Day 13, Wednesday 21st Oct

Taxi to I-Drive

Breakfast at Denny’s/

Visit Wonderworks, Ripley’s, Gatorland, 

Congo River golf 

Lunch at Bahama Breeze

Evening in Kissimmee

 Day 14, Thursday 22nd Oct

Breakfast at POP

Tying up loose ends, finish any rides/attractions we’ve missed

Dinner at Hoop de Doo at Fort Wilderness

Drop stroller off and enjoy the show

 Day 15, Friday 23rd Oct

Breakfast at POP

Back packs, leave at luggage at reception

Last day/favourite park/attraction

Lunch at the park

Leave park at 1pm

Get back to POP in time for airport transfer

Flight at 5:05pm

Dinner at airport/on plane

Ok, so not the last payment but...

...another £50 down today!  Just £50 left to pay!  I could pay it on Tuesday, but I will most likely pay £30 on Tuesday, then the rest on Thursday!

This is because I get paid on Thursday and wanted to get something for the lovely girls at the travel agents for helping me along this journey.   I got a lot knocked off this holiday so they're not making much from me at all, but they've still gone out of their way to help, sat patiently listening to me jabber on, and have always kept me informed of any changes, so they deserve a little something. 

I can't wait to walk in with my last payment!