Disney Vacation (4 Viewers)

[Bruce Dickinson]

Im going to california adventure in about a month. Really hoping the crowds are thinned for cars land a bit. I thought that staying on site, you got to go in an hour early. But I just double checked and it looks like you only get in an hour early for fantasyland. Oh well, we will be one of those racing to cars land to get it done. But the parks are open to 10 and 12 so Im sure we will get it in using fast pass and trying to be smart.

IIRC, for Disneyland it's Fantasyland and parts of Tomorrowland. If you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel, already have your park tickets, and can get on the first monorail into the park, it's a big bonus. You will get the bag search and ticket processing taken care of before you board the monorail to avoid the lines at the main gate, and the monorail will drop you off right by the Finding Nemo submarines at the Tomorrowland/Fantasyland border, giving you a jump on the foot traffic through the main gate and Main Street.That first hour in Fantasyland is awesome, BTW.

On the DCA side, USE THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO ENTER THE PARK DURING THE EXTRA MAGIC HOUR! There is an alternate entrance via the Grand Californian Hotel, but during EMH they funnel those folks to the main gate mass of humanity. Cars Land will be packed. As you walk down "Route 66" into Cars Land, stay to the right. Some combo of Mater, Lightning McQueen, and the fire truck will block the left lane greeting people as they come into Cars Land. The standby line for Radiator Springs Racers is down at the end of "Route 66" and make a right.

FastPasses for RSR are not in Cars Land. They are out by the "It's Tough To Be A Bug" theater. When we went last fall, the line for RSR FPs was roped and monitored when the park opened, but they didn't turn the FP machines on for at least a half-hour into EMH. So if you have a big group and someone willing to take one for the team, put them in charge of RSR FPs. The upside here is cast members will run the FP machines for the parkgoers, so you won't get stuck behind someone trying to figure out how the FP device works for the first time as the FPs start flying.

If you want to ride RSR, you will either have to join the bumrush at rope drop, wait in line for the FP machines to open, or put up with a long line in the Standby queue. (ETA: with the park staying open until 10pm or midnight, this may not be true. There will probably be a bigger window for FP distribution in the morning, and the standby line will probably die down a bit after dark.)

While all this is going on, the Pier section of the park will be empty. No wait for Toy Story Mania or California Screamin'. Name your car for the Ferris wheel. No wait for the Goofy midsize coaster. The Little Mermaid dark ride might be going. Tower of Terror won't have a wait all day, so don't worry about it right away. Soarin' won't be open during EMH, but the demand for it is nothing compared to the stampede for it at EPCOT rope drop.

 

[AcerFC]

Thanks Bruce. That is really helpful

 

[The Ref]

Sounds like a Star Wars land and Cars Land is about to come to DHS. About time if true. You can presently do that park in about 3 hours:

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201306/3524/

inevitable and will make HS a lot better.

The only thing less surprising is they haven't started the construction of a star wars resort right next door.

 

[ragincajun]

Curse you Mickey and your delicious breakfast.

Sitting at Chef Mickeys for the character breakfast and I am feeling a bit full. I think I ate 47 cheese blintzes.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Leaving in the morning to head down for a week. Staying off property for the first time at a condo development called Wndsor Hills in Kissimmee. Can't wait!

 

[FBGirl79]

Just left Ohana...probably the best meal we have had yet. Food was hot, cooked perfectly and service was top notch. And the bread pudding.. well...perfect as always! Ready for Star Wars Weekend tomorrow!

Saw your looks like you are making the best of weather.. keep posting so I can make my wife want to head back down again

The weather was crazy...first (and last) time we go in June for sure. The bread pudding was worth the tropical storm though. Even with the crowds I had a blast at SWW. I got into it way more than I thought I would so hubby & I had a lot of fun. This was the first time we had only gone for 4 days, no hoppers and we didn't stay on property. Never again. I feel like I got cheated out of a Disney vacation. We are hoping to head down again for the week after Thanksgiving and I am already counting down the days!

 

[NutterButter]

You Disney superfans my get a kick out of these.

http://imgur.com/gallery/IOKBQ

http://i.imgur.com/qoZPbYT.jpg

 

[Courtjester]

Okay, we have taken our two kids to Disneyland several times, but they have never been to Disneyworld.

Our oldest daughter will be 14 and our youngest 9. My wife and I had celebrated our Honeymoon 20 years ago and we wanted to go now, but the money is not right at this point, and we want to do it right. So we are looking at June of next year.

We would like to do 10-12 days on property--maybe break it up over two properties (Animal Kingdom/Grand Floridian). Two days in the MK, 1 day in Epcot and 1 day in Animal Kingdom with an alternate day split between the two. We want to do both Universal and MGM as well.

Is 10 days a good number to plan--figuring two days lost to travel? I played around with the numbers and I am thinking this is going to be a 10K trip at the low end. Do you all think that is a good amount to budget or is that low? Our last 4 day trip in Disneyland cost us close to 4k--but we stayed at the Grand California. We tend to like to experience everything and like to eat at the higher end places. We only want to stay on property. We would be flying in from Colorado BTW.

I always buy the Unofficial Guides and I am a member of Mousesavers already.

Just trying to get a hang on the $$$ and time required,

 

[NutterButter]

Leaving in the morning to head down for a week. Staying off property for the first time at a condo development called Wndsor Hills in Kissimmee. Can't wait!

That's where we stayed in March. Place is awesome. So easy to get to all the parks from there. 3 room suite with a kitchen for like $1200 for the week during the busiest time of the year. Hard to beat that.

 

[glvsav37]

Wife and I passed right of first refusalfor our dvc offer. So I guess we are offically owners of 170 points

Super congrats!!! What resort did you get?

We did resale last year and made it through on our first offer. 230 at old key west. We are taking our first DVC trip in 30 days

Let me be the fist to say "Welcome Home!"

 

[Frank Drebin]

Leaving in the morning to head down for a week. Staying off property for the first time at a condo development called Wndsor Hills in Kissimmee. Can't wait!

That's where we stayed in March. Place is awesome. So easy to get to all the parks from there. 3 room suite with a kitchen for like $1200 for the week during the busiest time of the year. Hard to beat that.

Absolutely loving it. We got the condo for $900 for the week at a silent auction at a reverse raffle. This has definitely been the way to go for our family. My 11 year old has autism and the condo has allowed him to have some space away from us (especially his 3 year old brother).

 

[Disco Stu]

You Disney superfans my get a kick out of these.

http://imgur.com/gallery/IOKBQ

Rules.

 

[parasaurolophus]

Wife and I passed right of first refusalfor our dvc offer. So I guess we are offically owners of 170 points

Super congrats!!! What resort did you get?

We did resale last year and made it through on our first offer. 230 at old key west. We are taking our first DVC trip in 30 days

Let me be the fist to say "Welcome Home!"

We did Vero beach. The 11 month window is worthless to us since we never book trips more than 6 months out. The maintenance dues were higher but the entry point was 39 dollars a point compared to something in the high sixties. It would take 20 years for the maintenace increase to offset the the difference in upfront.

 

[AAABatteries]

What can you guys tell me about Halloween/Trick-or-Treating at the campground? My wife is putting in to go. She said they have their own event separate from the not-so-scary party. Anyone done this? Is it worth it?

 

[AAABatteries]

I called Disney and it sounds like this is not an official event but rather folks that are staying at the campgrounds will have candy and the kids will trick-or-treat. You have to stay at the campgrounds apparently but the plus side is that you don't have to pay for an extra ticket like the Not-So-Scary party.

 

[AcerFC]

I called Disney and it sounds like this is not an official event but rather folks that are staying at the campgrounds will have candy and the kids will trick-or-treat. You have to stay at the campgrounds apparently but the plus side is that you don't have to pay for an extra ticket like the Not-So-Scary party.

they also have trick or treating at the monorail hotels. The grand Floridian had a DJ and a dance party with Micky and Minnie in their costumes. The Polynesian had people stationed along the beach with music coming from the speakers. It was a great night for us

 

[B-Deep]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

 

[Evilgrin 72]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

and August and September. And sometimes in May and October. I wouldn't recommend anyone come down here except between late October and early May. November through April are glorious.

 

[B-Deep]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

and August and September. And sometimes in May and October. I wouldn't recommend anyone come down here except between late October and early May. November through April are glorious.

The first day we are going to the parks i went down and loaded a stroller and cooler into the car, and when i went back to the room i was dripping in sweat

the 6000% humidity does not help

that being said, you kind of adapt

 

[Evilgrin 72]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

and August and September. And sometimes in May and October. I wouldn't recommend anyone come down here except between late October and early May. November through April are glorious.

The first day we are going to the parks i went down and loaded a stroller and cooler into the car, and when i went back to the room i was dripping in sweat

the 6000% humidity does not help

that being said, you kind of adapt

If by adapt you mean being in the ocean or a pool, or sitting inside with the A/C blasting, then yeah. I've been down here 11 years and it still kills me. Summer is frigging miserable.

The only way I get through it is to remind myself that this is our "winter" - I'd rather deal with 105 degree heat index every day than get up at 5 AM to shovel snow in the dark and 10 degree temperatures.

 

[Premier]

I've never adapted. Been here most of my life. #### this heat.

 

[Spanky267]

Just left Ohana...probably the best meal we have had yet. Food was hot, cooked perfectly and service was top notch. And the bread pudding.. well...perfect as always! Ready for Star Wars Weekend tomorrow!

Saw your looks like you are making the best of weather.. keep posting so I can make my wife want to head back down again

The weather was crazy...first (and last) time we go in June for sure. The bread pudding was worth the tropical storm though. Even with the crowds I had a blast at SWW. I got into it way more than I thought I would so hubby & I had a lot of fun. This was the first time we had only gone for 4 days, no hoppers and we didn't stay on property. Never again. I feel like I got cheated out of a Disney vacation. We are hoping to head down again for the week after Thanksgiving and I am already counting down the days!

If you are coming down the week after Thanksgiving then you'll want to be aware that starting on Dec 7th Cheerleaders, Football players their coaches and parents will be descending on WDW for the Pop Warner Superbowls and the Cheer and Dance Championships.

 

[Frank Drebin]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

It was hot as hell down there last week. You're right about the disabilities thing though, Disney is phenomenal with it. And to their credit, they haven't overreacted to the recent news reports by making you jump through a million hoops for a Guest Assistance card. We brought letters from my son's neurologist, his teacher and a copy of his IEP just in case, but it was just as painless as it's ever been. We went in, started to show them everything, they asked what his diagnosis was and just handed over the card. I will say that some of the line workers at the fast pass lines scrutinized the card a bit more, but I think that was more because the end date on it was hard to read.

 

[AAABatteries]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

Do you mind sharing the process you went through and what they did for you? I have four kids and my wife and I have been fortunate that they are all healthy with no disabilities. I'm still curious to know the details and would love to hear your story and others.

 

[Spanky267]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

It was hot as hell down there last week. You're right about the disabilities thing though, Disney is phenomenal with it. And to their credit, they haven't overreacted to the recent news reports by making you jump through a million hoops for a Guest Assistance card. We brought letters from my son's neurologist, his teacher and a copy of his IEP just in case, but it was just as painless as it's ever been. We went in, started to show them everything, they asked what his diagnosis was and just handed over the card. I will say that some of the line workers at the fast pass lines scrutinized the card a bit more, but I think that was more because the end date on it was hard to read.

How does this work. We've been going to Disney for years. My son is autistic and we never knew they had such a program. We just visit the park like normal patrons, we just try to not overload him and we usually leave the parks in the middle of the day for a break and then return in the evening.

 

[Frank Drebin]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

It was hot as hell down there last week. You're right about the disabilities thing though, Disney is phenomenal with it. And to their credit, they haven't overreacted to the recent news reports by making you jump through a million hoops for a Guest Assistance card. We brought letters from my son's neurologist, his teacher and a copy of his IEP just in case, but it was just as painless as it's ever been. We went in, started to show them everything, they asked what his diagnosis was and just handed over the card. I will say that some of the line workers at the fast pass lines scrutinized the card a bit more, but I think that was more because the end date on it was hard to read.

How does this work. We've been going to Disney for years. My son is autistic and we never knew they had such a program. We just visit the park like normal patrons, we just try to not overload him and we usually leave the parks in the middle of the day for a break and then return in the evening.

We always take a letter from his neurologist with us and go to guest services. My son handles crowds pretty well, but line waiting is definitely an issue. Guest services will give a pass that will allow you to use the Fast Pass lines or handicap entrances to the rides. It's not an immediate access card, but there is no way he could stand in line for an hour+ for something like Toy Story Mania. Allowing him to go through the Fast Pass line (without having to rely on him being OK during a specific time) makes a huge difference. You can get the pass at any of the 4 parks and it will be good at all 4 for the duration or your stay.

 

[schlesinj]

Does anyone know of a site that lists the expected or just released free dinning plan dates? My family and I are going from October 6th-12th and that essentially is the only time during the month that is not free.

 

[B-Deep]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

It was hot as hell down there last week. You're right about the disabilities thing though, Disney is phenomenal with it. And to their credit, they haven't overreacted to the recent news reports by making you jump through a million hoops for a Guest Assistance card. We brought letters from my son's neurologist, his teacher and a copy of his IEP just in case, but it was just as painless as it's ever been. We went in, started to show them everything, they asked what his diagnosis was and just handed over the card. I will say that some of the line workers at the fast pass lines scrutinized the card a bit more, but I think that was more because the end date on it was hard to read.

Same here, we had a doctors note and they said they did not want to see it, they just talked to us about his condition

here's the thing, sometimes it is hard to express to people how much work having a disabled child can be. I fear it comes of as complaining about my son, which is not the intent. So i just don't talk to people about it much unless they inquire as to specifics. But the truth is it makes a lot of seemingly easy things very difficult. Just on the vacation things like the airplane ride (how do you know when a non verbal child is getting air sick, when he throws up on you), sleeping (in a new environment when he wakes up at 4 in the morning there is too much stimulus and he won't go back to sleep), and things of that nature are more complex and take more work.

That's not a problem, it is part of the deal and my son is more than worth it. He's an awesome kid. IT is also nothing unique o us, while all kids are different I have talked to a lot of parents of disabled kids and often hear similar things. What Disney did is take the important part of the trip, the parks, and not only made them less difficult, they made them down right easy. The value of this to my family cannot be overstated. Ethan was able to experience everything he wanted in the parks, and without their accommodations that simply would not have been possible.

I cannot say enough good things about the fine folks at Disney.

 

[Frank Drebin]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

It was hot as hell down there last week. You're right about the disabilities thing though, Disney is phenomenal with it. And to their credit, they haven't overreacted to the recent news reports by making you jump through a million hoops for a Guest Assistance card. We brought letters from my son's neurologist, his teacher and a copy of his IEP just in case, but it was just as painless as it's ever been. We went in, started to show them everything, they asked what his diagnosis was and just handed over the card. I will say that some of the line workers at the fast pass lines scrutinized the card a bit more, but I think that was more because the end date on it was hard to read.

Same here, we had a doctors note and they said they did not want to see it, they just talked to us about his condition

here's the thing, sometimes it is hard to express to people how much work having a disabled child can be. I fear it comes of as complaining about my son, which is not the intent. So i just don't talk to people about it much unless they inquire as to specifics. But the truth is it makes a lot of seemingly easy things very difficult. Just on the vacation things like the airplane ride (how do you know when a non verbal child is getting air sick, when he throws up on you), sleeping (in a new environment when he wakes up at 4 in the morning there is too much stimulus and he won't go back to sleep), and things of that nature are more complex and take more work.

That's not a problem, it is part of the deal and my son is more than worth it. He's an awesome kid. IT is also nothing unique o us, while all kids are different I have talked to a lot of parents of disabled kids and often hear similar things. What Disney did is take the important part of the trip, the parks, and not only made them less difficult, they made them down right easy. The value of this to my family cannot be overstated. Ethan was able to experience everything he wanted in the parks, and without their accommodations that simply would not have been possible.

I cannot say enough good things about the fine folks at Disney.

Very well said.

 

[B-Deep]

We were at Disney last week and it was awesome. If you know someone with a child that has disabilities it really is one of the best places in the world for them. Seeing how well they handled things made me happy, and made me furious that it is being abused by some people.

Florida is hot as balls in June and July though

It was hot as hell down there last week. You're right about the disabilities thing though, Disney is phenomenal with it. And to their credit, they haven't overreacted to the recent news reports by making you jump through a million hoops for a Guest Assistance card. We brought letters from my son's neurologist, his teacher and a copy of his IEP just in case, but it was just as painless as it's ever been. We went in, started to show them everything, they asked what his diagnosis was and just handed over the card. I will say that some of the line workers at the fast pass lines scrutinized the card a bit more, but I think that was more because the end date on it was hard to read.

How does this work. We've been going to Disney for years. My son is autistic and we never knew they had such a program. We just visit the park like normal patrons, we just try to not overload him and we usually leave the parks in the middle of the day for a break and then return in the evening.

We always take a letter from his neurologist with us and go to guest services. My son handles crowds pretty well, but line waiting is definitely an issue. Guest services will give a pass that will allow you to use the Fast Pass lines or handicap entrances to the rides. It's not an immediate access card, but there is no way he could stand in line for an hour+ for something like Toy Story Mania. Allowing him to go through the Fast Pass line (without having to rely on him being OK during a specific time) makes a huge difference. You can get the pass at any of the 4 parks and it will be good at all 4 for the duration or your stay.

We did animal kingdom the first day and got his pass there, it was a breeze.

Depending on the age of your child and his condition another important thing you can do is get a stroller marked as a wheelchair. This was important to us as our son feels safe in a stroller, and we can keep him from wandering while we are waiting in the line (although the lines for fast pass entry are much shorter). We could keep him happy and comfortable if he wanted to sit while waiting. Then when it came time to board they asked us if he could walk on to the ride, we would say yes, and then we would board the ride and they'd stash his stroller. When the ride ended the stroller was right there waiting for us

 

[AAABatteries]

That awesome BD and Frank - very happy for you and your families. Disney really is a magical place and your stories are part of the reason why. I can only imagine how special those trips are for your families.

 

[sho nuff]

That awesome BD and Frank - very happy for you and your families. Disney really is a magical place and your stories are part of the reason why. I can only imagine how special those trips are for your families.

Just shows Disney knows how to treat its customers...especially the kids.

I know my mother was treated quite well. Had messed up some tendons in her foot and needed a wheel chair for moving between attractions. Great treatment from the people...she could walk a little so we would let them stash the wheel chair and like the story above with the stroller...it was always there waiting for us when we left.

Worked nice for the Lion King show getting to sit up front and then my kids and niece and nephew got to be in the part of the show where they invite kids up. Mom was crying big time seeing her grandchildren get to do that.

The only tip I have is tell them for sure they can walk when getting into Nemo. The wheelchair access puts you sitting way in the back for that one.

 

[B-Deep]

That awesome BD and Frank - very happy for you and your families. Disney really is a magical place and your stories are part of the reason why. I can only imagine how special those trips are for your families.

Thanks, it was a blast

and they now have another couple of parents that will tell people about how awesome they are! We'll make sure special ed teachers and therapists know so other families hear about it too

 

[Billy Bats]

Trying to book something for the end of August. I know it's way late but where are the best possible deals? I have 12 tabs open and deals in everyone one of them, I'm on overload. Go thru an agent or book everything on my own? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I've been told to book hotel etc at disney.com and find my own airfare because it would be cheaper that way. Just adding to the confusion.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Trying to book something for the end of August. I know it's way late but where are the best possible deals? I have 12 tabs open and deals in everyone one of them, I'm on overload. Go thru an agent or book everything on my own? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I've been told to book hotel etc at disney.com and find my own airfare because it would be cheaper that way. Just adding to the confusion.

I have used an agent thru Small World Vacations, no charge. They were great when I used them, send me a PM, and I will send you the contact info!

 

[AAABatteries]

Free Dining Plan has been extended

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3141417

 

[Premier]

So I know we discussed the vacation club before but I have some further questions if anybody knows. We talked to a lady today and she set us up for an "open house" in a month or so.

A) we have a cruise booked for October. Cost us like 4k or so and it's a week long. Would we be able to apply that payment to our initial 15k we would owe and then that be our year's worth of points?

B) she kept telling us about how bay lake would be our "home resort" -- what's the point of having a home resort? Does it cost less points to stay there or something?

These are two questions I thought about on the car ride home. Anybody have any idea?

 

[parasaurolophus]

So I know we discussed the vacation club before but I have some further questions if anybody knows. We talked to a lady today and she set us up for an "open house" in a month or so.

A) we have a cruise booked for October. Cost us like 4k or so and it's a week long. Would we be able to apply that payment to our initial 15k we would owe and then that be our year's worth of points?

B) she kept telling us about how bay lake would be our "home resort" -- what's the point of having a home resort? Does it cost less points to stay there or something?

These are two questions I thought about on the car ride home. Anybody have any idea?

I doubt you would be able to swing 1. You would probably need to cancel, then buy DVC then redo your reservation. Probably not going to happen. What you could do though is buy, and then sell your first years points to get a bulk of the money back.

As far as number 2, it just means you have a longer booking window at your home resort. So if Bay lake was your home you could make a reservation as far out as 11 months from today. You can only book 7 months out at all the other DVC resorts.

 

[Battles]

So I know we discussed the vacation club before but I have some further questions if anybody knows. We talked to a lady today and she set us up for an "open house" in a month or so.

A) we have a cruise booked for October. Cost us like 4k or so and it's a week long. Would we be able to apply that payment to our initial 15k we would owe and then that be our year's worth of points?

B) she kept telling us about how bay lake would be our "home resort" -- what's the point of having a home resort? Does it cost less points to stay there or something?

These are two questions I thought about on the car ride home. Anybody have any idea?

I doubt you would be able to swing 1. You would probably need to cancel, then buy DVC then redo your reservation. Probably not going to happen. What you could do though is buy, and then sell your first years points to get a bulk of the money back.

As far as number 2, it just means you have a longer booking window at your home resort. So if Bay lake was your home you could make a reservation as far out as 11 months from today. You can only book 7 months out at all the other DVC resorts.

I'll mostly echo what parasghsjgkjaj said, but I will encourage you to push to get the best deal you can from DVC. They can do some deals. My inlaws purchased 4 family memberships at one time which they said was the biggest single sale to that point. I think a good portion of our first trip was paid for and each family had around $1k in Disney credit. It's close to buying a car. Show strong interest...walk out...rinse...repeat till you get something that works.

 

[Mr. Ected]

We do a trip down from here in the DC area every couple of years. Several years ago (3 or 5) my wife and I were doing the DVC sales tour, and we were really close to purchasing. We were given that couple of moments alone to think, and we had that realization "You know, maybe we ought to buy a first house before we buy a vacation home." Ooops. So we decided to put DVC aside and work on a real home. Since then, we have purchased a house. YEAH!

Anyway, we have been down 2 or 3 times since we we did this, and now that we have come back from our Trip to HI to celebrate our 15th anniversary (cruise - Tons of fun - no kids!!!) we need to start thinking about our next trip. My wife is a CPA, and since she is extremely hard working between January and April 15th, we have found it fun to take a family trip in early May; WDW is not very crowded, and the weather is wonderful. So we are thinking about planing a trip next spring.

Since we have been going down every couple of years, DVC seems like it is going to work. And our thought is with WDW the best planning timefame is 6 months.

So FFA folks, some questions for y'all (I can use that since I live south of the Manson-Nixon line )

• We have 5 people in our family (3 kids - 10, 9, 6) how many points do you guys have? Do you plan on only using every other year? So that you can purchase 1/2 of the points you might need?
• Where do you tend to stay? In the past, we have been staying at Pop Century. Mostly because we have needed to get 2 rooms. Part of it is also, because what do you need to spend a whole lot of time in a room?
• Is there some deal on getting meals and/or tickets? Being cheap and we also tend to go in late spring or in the fall, so it tends to be empty, we usually try to time our trips so we can get the free meals.
• Is there something else that the points can be used for, besides accommodations?
• I understand the availability of resale. With DVC thru WDW, you get the ability of an easy loan. And this loan is deductible (the beauty of having a CPA for a spouse - don't have to deal with that!!! :thumb But is there some other reason for going thru the outside seller?

Anyway, I'm sure I will come up with some more questions.This is part about what I like about FFA. I can put up a thought or a question, and in a matter of time it gets responded. I am a Mr. Mom, so I consider this my water cooler, or other office area where we have non-work related conversations. It seems silly, but being surrounded most of the day by kids under teens, this is necessary!!

TIA

 

[Premier]

So I know we discussed the vacation club before but I have some further questions if anybody knows. We talked to a lady today and she set us up for an "open house" in a month or so.

A) we have a cruise booked for October. Cost us like 4k or so and it's a week long. Would we be able to apply that payment to our initial 15k we would owe and then that be our year's worth of points?

B) she kept telling us about how bay lake would be our "home resort" -- what's the point of having a home resort? Does it cost less points to stay there or something?

These are two questions I thought about on the car ride home. Anybody have any idea?

I doubt you would be able to swing 1. You would probably need to cancel, then buy DVC then redo your reservation. Probably not going to happen. What you could do though is buy, and then sell your first years points to get a bulk of the money back.As far as number 2, it just means you have a longer booking window at your home resort. So if Bay lake was your home you could make a reservation as far out as 11 months from today. You can only book 7 months out at all the other DVC resorts.

Thanks for the input.

 

[AcerFC]

Sitting poolside at paradise pier right now. Concierge level is nice.

It just doesn't feel like Disney here though. Maybe because Orlando is just so much bigger.

 

[NIU Kicker]

I don't get why so many people get involved with the dvc. You can always rent points outside the program and your not stuck walking away if the economy takes a downturn.

 

[parasaurolophus]

I don't get why so many people get involved with the dvc. You can always rent points outside the program and your not stuck walking away if the economy takes a downturn.

renting points has a certain amount of risk and lacks a lot of control for making changes. The dvc resale market has been quite solid so I dont think there is really much risk.

 

[Mr. Ected]

We do a trip down from here in the DC area every couple of years. Several years ago (3 or 5) my wife and I were doing the DVC sales tour, and we were really close to purchasing. We were given that couple of moments alone to think, and we had that realization "You know, maybe we ought to buy a first house before we buy a vacation home." Ooops. So we decided to put DVC aside and work on a real home. Since then, we have purchased a house. YEAH!

Anyway, we have been down 2 or 3 times since we we did this, and now that we have come back from our Trip to HI to celebrate our 15th anniversary (cruise - Tons of fun - no kids!!!) we need to start thinking about our next trip. My wife is a CPA, and since she is extremely hard working between January and April 15th, we have found it fun to take a family trip in early May; WDW is not very crowded, and the weather is wonderful. So we are thinking about planing a trip next spring.

Since we have been going down every couple of years, DVC seems like it is going to work. And our thought is with WDW the best planning timefame is 6 months.

So FFA folks, some questions for y'all (I can use that since I live south of the Manson-Nixon line )

• We have 5 people in our family (3 kids - 10, 9, 6) how many points do you guys have? Do you plan on only using every other year? So that you can purchase 1/2 of the points you might need?
• Where do you tend to stay? In the past, we have been staying at Pop Century. Mostly because we have needed to get 2 rooms. Part of it is also, because what do you need to spend a whole lot of time in a room?
• Is there some deal on getting meals and/or tickets? Being cheap and we also tend to go in late spring or in the fall, so it tends to be empty, we usually try to time our trips so we can get the free meals.
• Is there something else that the points can be used for, besides accommodations?
• I understand the availability of resale. With DVC thru WDW, you get the ability of an easy loan. And this loan is deductible (the beauty of having a CPA for a spouse - don't have to deal with that!!! :thumb But is there some other reason for going thru the outside seller?

Anyway, I'm sure I will come up with some more questions.This is part about what I like about FFA. I can put up a thought or a question, and in a matter of time it gets responded. I am a Mr. Mom, so I consider this my water cooler, or other office area where we have non-work related conversations. It seems silly, but being surrounded most of the day by kids under teens, this is necessary!!

TIA

Bump...

 

[Mr. Ected]

I don't get why so many people get involved with the dvc. You can always rent points outside the program and your not stuck walking away if the economy takes a downturn.

renting points has a certain amount of risk and lacks a lot of control for making changes. The dvc resale market has been quite solid so I dont think there is really much risk.

This is a good question...Is parasaurolophus correct?

On a side note, my folks went to NIU in the 60s. My dad was a wrestler. I grew up in Boston and live now in DC, so I don't get many people who go there!

Are you a kicker for the football team now? If so, impressive, they seem to be very good!!!

 

[Battles]

We do a trip down from here in the DC area every couple of years. Several years ago (3 or 5) my wife and I were doing the DVC sales tour, and we were really close to purchasing. We were given that couple of moments alone to think, and we had that realization "You know, maybe we ought to buy a first house before we buy a vacation home." Ooops. So we decided to put DVC aside and work on a real home. Since then, we have purchased a house. YEAH!

Anyway, we have been down 2 or 3 times since we we did this, and now that we have come back from our Trip to HI to celebrate our 15th anniversary (cruise - Tons of fun - no kids!!!) we need to start thinking about our next trip. My wife is a CPA, and since she is extremely hard working between January and April 15th, we have found it fun to take a family trip in early May; WDW is not very crowded, and the weather is wonderful. So we are thinking about planing a trip next spring.

Since we have been going down every couple of years, DVC seems like it is going to work. And our thought is with WDW the best planning timefame is 6 months.

So FFA folks, some questions for y'all (I can use that since I live south of the Manson-Nixon line )

• We have 5 people in our family (3 kids - 10, 9, 6) how many points do you guys have? Do you plan on only using every other year? So that you can purchase 1/2 of the points you might need?
• Where do you tend to stay? In the past, we have been staying at Pop Century. Mostly because we have needed to get 2 rooms. Part of it is also, because what do you need to spend a whole lot of time in a room?
• Is there some deal on getting meals and/or tickets? Being cheap and we also tend to go in late spring or in the fall, so it tends to be empty, we usually try to time our trips so we can get the free meals.
• Is there something else that the points can be used for, besides accommodations?
• I understand the availability of resale. With DVC thru WDW, you get the ability of an easy loan. And this loan is deductible (the beauty of having a CPA for a spouse - don't have to deal with that!!! :thumb But is there some other reason for going thru the outside seller?

Anyway, I'm sure I will come up with some more questions.This is part about what I like about FFA. I can put up a thought or a question, and in a matter of time it gets responded. I am a Mr. Mom, so I consider this my water cooler, or other office area where we have non-work related conversations. It seems silly, but being surrounded most of the day by kids under teens, this is necessary!!

TIA

Bump...

190 points, family of 4 with a 7 yo and 5 yo. We've been going every year. We stay in a 1 bedroom at Saratoga Springs for 5-7 nights. Home resort is Bay Lake Tower, but we have never stayed there due to expense. You'll probably need a bigger room with 5 and older kids. I think Saratoga has some one bedrooms attached to studios. Don't know if that's cheaper than a 2 bedroom. I think you can only bank points 1 year before you lose them. By skipping a year, you'll have to play the dates right or sell them before they expire.

We like meals in the room (full kitchen in 1 bedroom and up), rest days, activities at the resort, etc so the room upgrade is worth it to us.

We don't do the meal plan. Mostly breakfast in the room, sack lunch if we don't have a reservation and dinner in the room or dining reservation in downtown disney.

Just accommodations. Plenty of options outside disney, but they are pricey on the points.

Our membership was a gift.

 

[Battles]

I don't get why so many people get involved with the dvc. You can always rent points outside the program and your not stuck walking away if the economy takes a downturn.

renting points has a certain amount of risk and lacks a lot of control for making changes. The dvc resale market has been quite solid so I dont think there is really much risk.

This is a good question...Is parasaurolophus correct?

On a side note, my folks went to NIU in the 60s. My dad was a wrestler. I grew up in Boston and live now in DC, so I don't get many people who go there!

Are you a kicker for the football team now? If so, impressive, they seem to be very good!!!

Yeah. You can go either way. Some people prefer buying a house and some people like renting. It can be the right decision on both sides of the equation. By buying, you're in control and have flexibility. By renting, you're going through someone else. I'm sure the renting is simplified through the businesses that specialize in it. Maybe like an easy landlord versus a difficult one.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

• We have 5 people in our family (3 kids - 10, 9, 6) how many points do you guys have? Do you plan on only using every other year? So that you can purchase 1/2 of the points you might need?

We have 100 points that we bought resale at Old Key West. We go every year and sometimes more than once. You can play with your points depending on your start time because you are allowed to borrow from your following year or bank from your previous year, so if you plan accordingly you should be ok no matter what you pick. If you get fewer points then yeah you are going every other year. If you get more you can go every year or go every other but get a bigger room. The value of a separate bedroom for the wife and you is something that is worth the extra money. We vary on what we pick depending on available funds at the time, but we make it work.

• Where do you tend to stay? In the past, we have been staying at Pop Century. Mostly because we have needed to get 2 rooms. Part of it is also, because what do you need to spend a whole lot of time in a room?

We always stayed at Pop when we wanted to save money. It's the best value resort on the park. But we stay in Old Key West as much as we can simply because the entire nature of the place fits our lifestyle when on vacation. I always go by the theory that the room is there to sleep only so I'm not one of those people that needs all the nice things in the room - but again, having the extra bedroom for the wife and you is something that is worth looking into. If you have young kids or kids that can't go all day, going back to the room for a break is always smart and I recommend it.

• Is there some deal on getting meals and/or tickets? Being cheap and we also tend to go in late spring or in the fall, so it tends to be empty, we usually try to time our trips so we can get the free meals.

There is always a meal plan discount going on. But once you have DVC usually those plans are for people that buy a full package and you don't use your points for that package. There are other discounts though. There is a DVC discount for example. The annual passes are cheaper for members too. We got the deal last year that gave you the top level annual pass with everything included and have tried to abuse it and that was only available for DVC members.

• Is there something else that the points can be used for, besides accommodations?

You can also use them at other Disney affiliated hotels around the world, but only if you buy certain packages. Disney has a hotel in Hawaii now for example and you can use your points there. Rome too I think.

• I understand the availability of resale. With DVC thru WDW, you get the ability of an easy loan. And this loan is deductible (the beauty of having a CPA for a spouse - don't have to deal with that!!! :thumb But is there some other reason for going thru the outside seller?

They tend to be a little cheaper in that you can buy less than what WDW wants to sell you. There is usually a minimum you have to buy through WDW. There is no such limit when you go resale. The catch on resale though is that WDW has the right of first refusal, so you can't buy someone's points for $10. WDW will take them. We've had a bunch of people want to sell us their points on the cheap but it would never fly tough Disney.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

I don't get why so many people get involved with the dvc. You can always rent points outside the program and your not stuck walking away if the economy takes a downturn.

renting points has a certain amount of risk and lacks a lot of control for making changes. The dvc resale market has been quite solid so I dont think there is really much risk.

This is a good question...Is parasaurolophus correct?

On a side note, my folks went to NIU in the 60s. My dad was a wrestler. I grew up in Boston and live now in DC, so I don't get many people who go there!

Are you a kicker for the football team now? If so, impressive, they seem to be very good!!!

When you rent someone elses points they have to control the transaction. Disney doesn't technically recognize the transaction so, for example, the person you are renting from has to make the reservations. And Disney won't send you a confirmation because you aren't the owner. We've had nothing but good experiences though.