Well, the two week mark for both when I am officially on holiday and when I arrive at Disneyland have come and gone and I am now rapidly approaching the single digit mark. This has kind of focussed my mind to sort out the last odds and ends.
I eventually managed to get my ticket for the additional Halloween Party at Walt Disney World booked. I was slightly amused that the website had no issue accepting my rainy day credit card, but was refusing to accept the cards I use all the time. I did not even think at the time that this means I will go to a Halloween party two days running, but I am happy with this.
IT issues seem to be a bit of a theme this year. I finally got around to contacting DVC Member Services to book the two new member programs that they offer at Disneyland: Fitness in the Park (Pilates/ Stretching at California Adventure plus a complimentary smoothie at Jamba Juice and a workout towel to keep) and Neighbourhood Powerwalk (a brisk early morning walk at California Adventure plus a complimentary smoothie at Jamba Juice and complimentary chair massage at Mandara Spa). I am neither an early bird as a rule nor am I a fitness fanatic, but the idea of getting to be in an empty park with a maximum of 10 other people definitely appeals to me. Anyway, when I called to book this, the cast member confirmed that this was offered on the dates I am there, but could not book it for me as the reservation system was down. I had to call back the next day and then got it booked without a hitch.
Yesterday, I hit the next snag. Before I went to Dubai, I had ordered a free Pay As You Go SIM to complete the unlocking of my phone. This is a bit of a roundabout way of doing things, but unfortunately this is how it has to be done when it comes to iPhones. With this done, I decided to activate my US SIM card as it is just under one month before I leave the USA again. This proved easier said than done, as the T Mobile USA website was down. I finally managed to get this done this morning and now have a US phone number and a generous data and text allowance. I "only" get 100 minutes for calls, but I am sure that will be plenty.
I also hit another snag that for once had nothing to do with IT, but it was KLM throwing a spanner in the works. Before I left for Dubai, I had submitted my application for a special kind of standby ticket that we could get once a year that was an extremely sweet deal. On Wednesday it transpired that KLM has discontinued this offer. The last departure date on this offer is the 15th September, which is exactly a week too early. Still, I just booked a normal standby ticket today, which is a little more expensive, but still with KLM and it gives me more control. In a way, I am quite relieved about this turn of events.
One thing that caused considerable amusement is that on 3rd September, I could order my lunch for Be Our Guest. I would suspect that most people would struggle to know what they want to eat on a given day a month in advance. However, I love the braised pork there and really want to try the Grey Stuff, which comes in the shape of His Master’s Cupcake. So there was never any doubt what I would have.
Last week also presented me with one of the best customer service experiences I had in a long time. As our trip has involved so much, I ended up making a bit of a pig’s ear of our reservation for Disney’s Magical Express. Graham also gets into Florida a couple of days after me and after our reservation starts and we started wondering if he could still use Disney’s Magical Express on arrival. So I decided to give them a call. I was a little surprised that there was a UK number to call. It turned out that can only add Disney’s Magical Express to bookings, but do not have enough access to make any changes. However, the cast member I spoke to offered to get hold of somebody who can help me. I was on hold for a while, but as I was calling a free phone number and got treated to music from the Disney attractions, I did not mind. I then spoke to a very nice cast member in Florida, who sorted my reservation out in no time at all and Graham can use Disney’s Magical Express when he gets there.
So as far as the holiday is concerned, I am pretty much there. I even have already done online check in for my flight to Amsterdam and printed off my documents. Over the weekend, I will put together a spreadsheet with dates, times and confirmation numbers so that I have everything in one place. I will also start organizing stuff I want to take like my The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom spell cards, my trading pin lanyard and any accessories. I also need to work out all the bells and whistles of my point and shoot camera. Supposedly it is WiFi capable. Then it is just a question of packing the day before I leave for Amsterdam and doing online check in for Graham and me 24 hours before our respective departures. I wish I was that far advanced with the things I still have to get done at work.