Lots of de-lurking going on! How exciting! However this may be detrimental to my never-ending quest to stay caught up on this thread.
As for dates, I really don't have an opinion one way or another though I do agree that if you can't get back to the states in early August then it would probably be best to postpone. I wouldn't worry about weather - I was there in mid-Nov in 2008 and it was very cold and I was there late Oct - early Nov in 2009 and it was very hot - so you never know what central FL is going to throw your way. We were there during F&W last year and I did not find Epcot to be overly crowded. I think if you avoid Epcot on Food and Wine weekend evenings you are okay.
I love the de-lurking going on!
Yeah, I know the weather can really be a crap shoot, and hey, Sept is def. still right in there with hurricane season. And we all know about
that, right maroo??!!
I think what I"m hearing is a consensus that if we avoid EPCOT on the weekends, we should be fine. I guess I want the best of both worlds there: Get F&W AND have it all to myself.
Oh dear me...coming out of lurkdom too.
First, I cannot remember if I stopped by yet to say hey and lovin' it....so hey, lovein' the TR!
You had already gone through basic training and said hello, but you are always welcome to come around and say hi again
I'm sure all those buffed out army guys (and gals) go through basic training exercises often.
For now, I have just one thing to say...glad you like it hot because when we've been there early October it's been hotter than August! We went July or August every yr for 10 yrs...then the kids had the nerve to grow up, so I've been scrounging for friends who would go with me since then (a very long time...it 'ain't' easy ya know, when your everyday friends want nothing to do with anything Disney)...anyhoo...sooo...since the '90's I've been a few times mid to late August and end September into early October...it was SO much hotter I could not believe it! Whereas the end of October was gorgeous weather, as was late November and early December.
If we do end up postponing it would be the first week of October anyways, so I think we're still in for a hot time. Pun intended.
Finding the RIGHT touring partners is tough business! I think it's really important to not find just anyone, but someone who shares your passion and style. Finding the person WITH the same love for Disney is doubly hard!!
Other than that...I've got nothing useful to offer your dilemma...except....it sounds like the best option for you - if you do not mind missing helping your son get settled in (a biggie) is October. If your friends do not mind the lack of the extra day due to the holiday.
First I need to call the university and ask if I HAVE to be there for paper signing etc.... Then I need to talk to my son, and see what his thoughts on it are. The good thing is that my parent's will be in the same city and will be sherphering him through a lot of the process anyway.
More on the timing and the holiday later- don't want to spill the beans too soon.
We've attended F&W the first day and late October - the beginning is mobbed evenings and weekends, very long lines for the food samples - darn busy. It depends on what you can tolerate - it was over 100 everyday and very high humidity, so add the crowds to that and it was definitely uncomfortable...so much so that I'd
prefer not to do it again, especially since later in the month was so much nicer...although still long lines on the weekend.
MNSSHP was fabulous! I'd be sure to be there for that, if possible(it starts in August now?).
If you go earlier in August, will you be able to see/help your son?
Hmmm.... I don't anticipate doing a TON of sampling. Right now I have my heart set on hitting the Ditch for a margharita and some of those luscious looking crab tostadas. So the long lines won't bother me too much. It's the Pavilions themselves I am wanting to explore really deeply this time. I just don't want it to be wall-to-wall people so I can't see them.
There's no way to make it earlier as the earliest I think we'd be home is August 15th.
OK this is huge! Too huge to wrap my brain around but I am going to give it a try.
I like your pros for keeping the dates as they are, just for the whole helping your son get situated and having a few moments with him as opposed to not seeing him before class starts. I guess I would ask him how he feels about that.
Lower crowd levels is always a good thing.
I am planning on calling him today and talking to him about his feelings. I think he wont' care either way. Maybe my visiting him is really more for me than for him??
Low crowds are always a good thing! HA! yeah, my life's mantra.
The Cons for keeping the same dates are scary, will you be able to work through Disney with Jet lag? TO me jet lag almost feels like having the flu. Maybe you can handle jet lag better then I ever could, but still that's all the con I would need.
I just don't know. I mean let's say I'm sitting there in the Cali, and I just hit the wall. I've looked forward to this meal for a year and a half, and I just don't want to ruin it with a bad decision. Seriously, it takes me no less than 2weeks to be fully over it. the older I get....
Pros for changing the dates. If you changed your dates to head there Oct 1st, I COULD MEET YOU ALL THEN!
I KNOWWWWWWWWWW!! YOU and several others. I know Wings is running it, as well as Carissa, and some others. I think this would be some seriously fun stuff happening. I'm thinking Lapus in the lounge. ??? Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself.
I think what I would end up doing is mulling it over for some time, talk to everybody involved and see what makes you most comfortable, there's so many pros and cons for both scenarios. But bottom line, not to repeat myself here, but you want to feel your best when going into battle, jet lag sucks!
Yes, you are so right. I don't have to decide today, and ideally, no positively, I need to wait for DH to get home on the 11th and talk it over with him. I have to press (even though I don't like to) for timeline from him, so we can get our plans settled.
After reading through all your pro's and con's..I'm leaning towards moving your trip to around October 1st. It'd be nice to get rid of all that jet lag before heading to WDW! Plus, the weather won't be as H-O-T!
Yes, me too, Tink. It just makes more sense. In all regards- except seeing Andrew before the start of classes.
A question:
~Can you go with your son to get him settled in even if you don't go to WDW then?
Not really. I can really only afford one trip back to the "east" so I'll have to stop in Kentucky "on the way". I'd spend a week or 10 days visiting my family and possibly driving up to DC to visit my other sister. I guess what I'm saying is I need to make the most of my one trip back there. I won't get another chance for about a year or so.
I lovelovelove going in October. We went in October in 2006 and then again in 2009. We're going again this year. The F&W crowds aren't that bad, as long as you don't go NEAR Epcot on a weekend. We made the mistake of going back to Epcot on a Saturday because we didn't get to do a Kim Possible mission, and it was wall to wall people. If you go during the week, it's not bad at all!
Also, the weather is much better (even if you like heat, I just can't imagine liking August in Orlando!)
AND....if you try, you could overlap my 40th birthday trip....just keep in mind that you want to be there October 13!!!
OK, got it. NO EPCOT on the weekends. We can manage that. I guess it's a huge local attraction hence the high crowds.
Ohhh.... nutz. I think the very latest I'd be staying is the 11th- that's IF (big FAT IF) I stay on for a couple solo days. But you're still coming to Nashville, right??? That's still on! Dates TBA!
Uh oh. Change in plans... well here's my two cents:
I have not been to Disney during F&W but based on what Bubba tells me, it gets very crowded at Epcot. It wasn't crowded all the time, but it's definitely busier than normal. If you're prepared for crowds, then it might not be so bad. Obviously try to avoid changing the dates if you want less crowds at Epcot. On the contrary, if F&W is important and is something you want to see, go for the later dates.
I did go during Flower and GArden last year, and it wasn't toooooo bad, but I think F& W will be worse. It was manageable. We still got our stuff done that we wanted to. Just takes extra careful planning- we are DISers- we do that well.
I want to try F&W, but I also want to have it all to myself.
Pushing back the dates is hard to do. You have to wait longer and it's also going to take away time with your son. This is your son starting college we're talking about here. You'll never get this opportunity again. Choose wisely Young Skywalker.
Choose wisely, I will! You are so right. I would feel badly if he was going somewhere where there was NO family around at all, but my parents will be there. Also, he's actually not been living at home for 2 years already. So, he's used to being out on his own. I think he won't mind either way as much.
Leaving the dates as is will affect your body clock and getting used to the time difference. However, 5 days is pretty good for getting yourself into the swing of things. It took me about that long when I came back from Italy, where I had stayed for 3 and a half weeks.
Whatever you choose, just be sure you don't lose that free dining! I'm sure you'll make the right choice.
After 5 days, I can at least get up after 4 AM, but realistically it takes a little longer (up to 2 weeks) to shake the sleepies in the afternoon. I know Disney adrenaline will help, but I really want to be on my best game.
YES! NEED FD!!! Otherwise our siggie dinners go out the window.
Can't wait to hear what you two are cooking up! I think a conference call is in order next time so I can be in the know!
There's no need to throw yourself into a tizzy just coming back into the states, and then having to deal with the jet lag, and possible guilt for leaving in such a hurry. Not worth it in my opinion, and I realize you've got others to think about on your trip, but as you know.....your sanity and family come first. 
