Yep, I'm new

thanks for the welcome! Is there a certain part of the forum for my overall plans? Being new, I'd like to start off being 'good.'

I'm also kind of only general planning right now, waiting for the 2013 version of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. I was only able to find the 2011 Unofficial at my library, but I stayed up way too late reading it.

We'll be at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort for a full week. My mom's giving us her timeshare points, and I can't justify *not* using them. We're on a pretty tight budget, so free resort with kitchen will save us tons. I'll miss the Dining Plan, though.

I talked to my husband about maybe we should stay at Ft Wilderness and get the dining plan. He reminded me that a week of tent camping in FL weather isn't that relaxing a vacation -- especially with the Wyndham available to us.

I think we're going to go with a 5 or 6-day park hopper. That'll give us the flex we need to not over schedule every minute of every day. with the hopper, we'll be more likely to cover everything without wasting time.

I've NEVER been to the AK, and I aim to correct that this trip. My husband & older son have only been to MK, and younger son hasn't been at all yet.

I want a character meal & 'Ohana is most likely to appeal to both kids. DS2 is big into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and I expect a meal with the Mouse will send him thru the roof. DS1 is a Stitch fan. (and I love the Polynesian. My step-grandmother used to visit regularly, and I loved looking at her pictures. When I win the gamillion dollar lottery prize, I am staying there for like a month.)

It's so nice to have people interested in my travel plans. My husband (bless him) is all "yes, dear" about it.

The one thing I'm nervous about re: the Wyndham is that afternoon nap. The resort runs shuttles, and you get the shuttle schedule at check in, but I'm not convinced it's efficient enough to use for a return trip.

But I have a back up plan. If we shuttle in the morning, taxi back for lunch, then shuttle for return & after-closing, that's very close to the same price as parking. (isn't it? At least 2 guidebooks said cabs run around $15 from MK to resorts, and the Wyndham is roughly between Pop Century & Caribbean Beach Resort.)

And I have a back up plan for my back up plan. We're driving down from NC, so if necessary, we'll drive to the parks, too. I haven't done that since I lived in FL, but it won't kill any of us. I remember, too, how the excitement would build as we parked and & my parents repeated things like "Donald 4, ok, everyone remember DONALD FOURRRRRRRRRR." Then the parking lot tram, then the TTC, then the monorail, then (!!FINALLY!!) the Magic Kingdom.

I had been thinking about visiting the parks in order of building excitement -- day 1, AK, day 2, EP, 3 DHS 4 & 5 MK but now I'm thinking about opening and closing our week with the MK. And with the parkhopper, we'll have room for spontaneity. (I'll schedule, "do something random" so it doesn't throw me off my groove.

(I'm not always obsessive, but when I am, it's a Disney vacation.)

I know people take pictures of parking signs, and we probably will, too. But that doesn't mean we won't say it out loud, too.

(Wouldn't it be so boss to have one of the old parking signs? Even a repro one. That would be an awesome piece of art. I want to get some old school tickets to frame, too. It's on this year's Christmas list.)