Just got home and the final talley is....

[kandj2]

Hey fellow cheapies! I just got home from a lovely Disney vacation! I promised the final talley on my "Disney on a budget 2002" trip and here it is - things did not work out exactly as I wanted them too but I still did pretty well - this is for 6 people. My mom, DH, 3 DS's (12, 4, 3) and myself:

Drive down there $120 gas
Food for trip: $15
2 rooms at the worst Howard Johnsons in history (in Hardeeville, SC) $69
TOTAL FOR DRIVE DOWN TO DISNEY: $204

The first 2 nights in Orlando were spent at the Amerisuites so we could take tours for tickets and not have it cut into our vacation time. For 2 nights + 2 tickets to disney it was $79 if we toured Calypso Cay. The pool at Amerisuites was great and they have stuff for kids to do so it worked out great! We toured while Grammy did the pool thing with the kids. Then we toured Embassy Grands (nice resort!) for 2 tickets, Summer Bay for 2 Touch of Magic passes (2 days at parks + 1 at disney quest) for $115 and Silver Lake for 2 - 2 day universal tickets. So here is what our tickets ended up costing for 6 people:

Disney:
2 Adult Touch of Magic: $115
2 Free Disney
2 Free Disney
2 Child admission $75
Disney Quest: $70
My youngest I passed off as under 3
Total for disney tickets for 6 people for 2 days + Disney Quest 1 day:
$190

Universal:
Tickets purchased through Connections = $221
Upgraded tickets from silverlake to include Islands of Adventure (the lady at the desk gave me the employee discount) $60
Total for 2 days at Universal and Islands of Adventure for 6 people: $280

Arabian Nights Dinner theater for 6 people $140

Now for those 2 nights at Amerisuites our lunches and breakfasts were paid for doing the timeshare tours and grammy and the kids ate the free continential breakfast at the hotel and warmed some ravioli up in the microwave or made sandwiches for lunch. We used the george foreman grill we brought for burgers or chicken sandwiches at night. Total food for those 2 nights $22

On Sunday we moved into Westgate Lakes. Now here is the funny thing. Those poor people tried to talk to me when I checked in - at this point since I had done 2 tours already that day - I could smell a sales pitch coming from a mile away. Like the grown adult that I am, I put my hands over my head and started saying "I can't hear you I can't hear you"! The woman looked at me like I lost my mind - lol. I told her that because I was staying as a guest of an owner I would not be listening to any sales pitches or coming to any maintenance meetings. They tried - oh did they try. I just made appointments I wouldnt keep and basically told them were to kiss. Anyway, the 3 bedroom villa cost us $400 for the week since we won it on ebay. In attendance at this time was: DH, DS's (12, 4, 3), myself, mother in law, mother, sister in law and neice. Thats 9 - we split the room 9 ways for a grand total of $44 pp. That made my share (the 6 of us) $264 for the week. We had tons of room.

MIL and SIL and I went to super walmart to shop for the week. We spent $109 which also included a stroller I ended up returning and a shirt for hubby. Our food total for the week was about $76.

We packed snacks for the parks and bought our brita water bottles and fanny packs- those items cost us about $49 and were well worth it.

We spent about $40/day in the parks on food.

We bought $120 worth of souveniers for people back home.

We bought connections vouchers before we went and ate at Beaches and Cream! BTW the creative genious behind the kitchen sink - is TIM. Very nice guy - best waiter in the joint! We spent $55 on those for the 6 of us. We ate well over $100 worth of food.

We spent $120 in gas on the way home - we drove straight through.

TOTAL FOR TRIP: $1797

For six people that includes transporation, 4 days at the parks, 1 day at disney quest, several days at the resort, food, entertainment, eating out and a luxury resort. We had a 10 day vacation so that averaged $29.95 pp / pd for EVERYTHING!

Not bad - I am going to try to do a little better next year :)

:) Kerry

[Mickeyluver37]

I plan on doing 10 days in Orlando for my family of 4 in under $2K without doing anything unethical. I hope you know that stroller could not be re-sold, and the company had to take a loss on it.

[sammi]

Very impressive numbers!;) You did indeed do a very cheap but fun trip. Are you totals for everything done in US dollars?:)

[Liz]

Just curious, why did you return the stroller?

Sounds like you really know how to cut costs. Don't know that I would want to go through those presentation or tour things, but to each his own.

[Beanie]

Wow...great budgeting on your part!! :) Thanks for posting! :)

[Miss Jasmine]

Hmmm...don't know of it is really worth it to go through those horrible presentations. Also, passing off your DD as under 3 just doesn't seem right. I, too, am curious why you returned the stroller.

It sounds like you had a good time though.

[kandj2]

What EXACTLY did you think I did that was unethical with a stroller???

I purchased the stroller from Walmart and there was a wheel missing so we returned it. We didn't use it!

I do agree that passing my barely 3 year old off as about 2 months younger than he is may be a terrible thing and if you feel that way please pray for my soul as I am surely going to burn for it. Especially since I don't feel the guilt like I should. I promise next year I will pay for him.


Seriously though...

The timeshares were not awful and frankly they didn't put me through as much or get me as angry as just did. But oh well. Here are some tips for dealing with them:

1. Don't talk. Don't engage them in any conversations - it will draw your meeting out. Answer their questions and don't be rude but don't engage them. Most of these people are really nice.

2. Think about what you say before you say it. They will ask if you plan on vacationing every year - say no. They will ask if you like the resort - tell them anything you find unpleasant about the resort and use it as something you just can't live with. Example: The bathrooms in the unit at Calypso Cay are right off the kitchen. I seriously could not live with that.

3. Understand you will be there for 2 hours at least. You are obligated to a 90 minute timeshare presentation but the part where they talk money takes another 30 minutes. Even if it doesn't they have to get the manager to come over and try to talk you into it and then the "guy from corporate" to see if the other 2 were pleasent and to offer you a vacation ... IT TAKES 2 HOURS so schedule accordingly.

4. Overcome objections before you even begin. Walking in there as if you are the wealthiest people there and you could write a check for the timeshare from your petty cash account is fun AND it overcomes their money objection. It will get you through the process faster.

5. The sales people are great - very nice people just trying to make a living. Be nice to them. BUT DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT THE TICKETS!! They offer these tickets to get you to tour. You do the tour you get the tickets. We looked at it as a fact finding mission. We are most likely going to buy a timeshare - resale. We got to see some of the resorts we would like to stay at and got paid with the tickets that way. If you don't ever buy we at least have some ideas on where we would like to stay next trip. They will get their money back from us - they always do.

6. The places we enjoyed touring were: Summer Bay (very nice) and Embassy Grand. Silver Lake was okay and we disliked Calypso Cay although the sales person (Julie) was nice her manager was a horrid bi%*h.

7. Get the most for your time. Sometimes they have better than FREE tickets. Example - the Touch of Magic passes offered at Summer Bay are a very good deal.


Anyway, those are my tips for the timeshares. Not that I think those who accused me of returning a used stroller DESERVE my tips - I expect apologies.

Sammi - yes all US dollars! THANK YOU for not stoning me without cause :)

[Beanie]

I remember when I was around 21 or so, my friend and I drove to Florida and had a limited budget...we stopped at South of the Border in SC and signed up to do a time share at Orange Cove (or something like that!)...It wasn't all that bad actually and I really enjoyed looking around the resort and taking the tour...It did last about 2 hours, but in the end we coudn't afford to vacation every year, so we politely declined and they didn't give us any problem at all...just asked us which tickets we wanted for what park...but honestly, I thought it was more fun than anything...I really loved looking at the rooms they had there....:)

Glad you enjoyed your trip, kandj2! :)

[Liz]

I agree that its probably a good deal to get those free tickets for doing a timeshare presentation, but I just wouldn't want to deal with it on vacation. We did one in Park City once to get a $50 restaurant gift certificate. It was a NIGHTMARE getting out. This was years ago when my friend and I were each 20 year old single gals. We were very intimidated and bullied.

I'm sorry if you felt I was accusing you of being unethical with the stroller. I was just wondering why you took it back since it was mentioned in your report. :)

[Belle5]

You really had and inexpensive trip! Could you tell me more about Summer Cay?

[kandj2]

Liz honey - you did not attack me. You asked - that is different than downright accusing.

Belle5 Summer Bay is beautiful! It is a little farther out than the other resorts but that is part of its charm. You can really relax there. They have the villas (studio 1, 2 and 3 bdrm) and the vacation homes (those are really nice). They have a great lake area with the blow up iceburgs and stuff for the kids. It is the closest atmosphere I have felt to Old Key West. Would I buy there? I'm not sure. They are building still and I would want to see how big it is going to be. It is well worth the time to tour there.

[hockey mom]

Your post did sound like you bought the stroller, used it, and returned it. I thought the same thing when I read it.

We have also did a timeshare that resulted in $90 Disney dollars, but both my DH and I agreed that it was not worth our time, but if you do have a few hours to spare, and the ability to say no they are a great way to save a few bucks.

[kandj2]

We are here to talk about saving money. I agree with your edited post that I do try hard to save a buck - especially at disney. People with large families, including parents and children they are taking care of, have to work to go there. Its not easy and I'm sorry for you if you are offended that I returned a defective stroller and carried my 3 year old in the park but that is your issue - not mine. I don't feel bad about carrying a child that is barely 3 into the parks. Go to CBR in March 2002 with your little family of 4 - not all of us can afford that. THIS IS THE BUDGET board.

[Mickeyluver37]

Go to CBR in March 2002 with your little family of 4 - not all of us can afford that. THIS IS THE BUDGET board.

Thanks, I will. :) Oh, and we're planning to do it at right about 2K, too, so I'm always looking for GOOD ideas to save money. I don't read the boards just to criticize, but your post just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. But this is just getting silly. No, I don't agree with some of your money saving ideas, but maybe I could have stated it more tactfully. I'm glad you were able to take a trip to Disney. We've put off going til now because of the costs, and I know it can get very expensive. No, I don't feel like a jerk or an idiot (your words), but I don't want to argue about this any longer. I come to these boards for fun!!! Disney is supposed to bring out the good in all of us, not the bad. So, that's it from me on this...have a very Disney Day. :)


:earsgirl: :earsboy: :earsgirl: :earsboy:

[Happy vacationer]

For what it's worth - when I read the first post I thought the stroller had been returned used. Your post didn't state that it was missing a wheel AND you were trying to explain how you saved $.

Second of all - if Mickeyluver37 can take a family of 4 to the CBR for 2K I think she definitely belongs on the budget board. I'd love to hear how a trip like that can be accomplished.

I am reading the boards to try and find an economical way to get my family of 5 to WDW this December with limited funds available and am intrigued when people can give me examples of ways to save.

[kandj2]

Happy looking back on the post and this whole mess I can see after Mickeyluver37's post why people would think that BUT the difference is that she out and out accused me of it. She didn't ask like everyone else who had a concern.

Second of all I was trying to help people to save money as I was asked to do when I returned from my trip. I was being truthful about all my methods - if someone doesn't like a part they can choose to not use it. I totally understand people not liking that I carried my 3 year old in. I don't have a problem with it. I know a lot of people don't. That doesnt mean I'll do anything for a buck like MIC said!

If people don't want my tips and don't like my posts fine - don't read it. I WAS ASKED to post when I returned and give my final talley which was about $700 more than it should have been.

MIC doesnt think my tips are GOOD and we have wasted a lot of space in this little battle. (Miss precious has a clean conscious like no one else I know - watch out for the lightning MIC it can fry your computer. )

Does anyone else have any tips they would like to have slaughtered - I mean - give. Since mine obviously are laden with deceit and terror and therefore should be rendered unuseable.

[Dagny]

Just a friendly reminder to play nice. :) :D :) Soooooooooooo, how about we skip any further discussions regarding the misunderstood stroller return or comments about a 3 year old entering the parks for free... let's get on to more important things like how to save money at Disney!!!

[tinaluis]

Which Amerisuites did you stay at? Universal, Convention Center or Disney? Just wondering because we have reservations at Amerisuites Universal and I was wondering how it is.

[kandj2]

Hi tinaluis!

We stayed at the Amerisuites at Disney I believe. It was the one at Calypso Cay. The rooms were a little small for our family - they do sleep 6 comfortably though. We enjoyed the pool! The pool has a really cool slide and a beach like area for the little kids. Breakfast was not great at the Amerisuites but if anyone decides to stay there you can go across the courtyard to the Country Inn and they have a better breakfast. It is perfectly fine to do this as they are all on the same property and all trying to sell to Calypso Cay timeshare people. There are no restaurants or bars open yet at the hotel but the outlet malls, flea markets and great dining are right down the street on 192.

I apologize to the people who were trying to read the post and pick up a few tips. That whole mess should have been done in private. I became angry and should not have drug you all through that mess with me. It was unladylike and I apologize for that. I truely hope that some people got something out of this thread as it was meant for that purpose.

One more thing I forgot to mention regarding strollers. You can pick up an umbrella stroller at the Super Walmart I mentioned for 10.97 each. Just make sure they have all the wheels before you leave the store. The front wheels are not attached and they should have 2 sets taped to the stroller. That should save a bundle on rental if you don't find the same one I did.

[robinb]

kandj2,

I have to admit that I thought you were nuts for doing timeshare tours for 2 of your days, but I am really, really glad to hear that it worked out for you! I'm also very proud of you for telling the Westgate Sharks where to go! LOL! You got a great deal at Westgate ... did you bid on a specific week or did the seller work with you? Just curious ;).

[welovemickey]

Hi, I've read all these posts and would like to add my 2 cents (for what it's worth). I agree that to take a family to Disney can be expensive. HOwever, as far as the tours of the timeshare goes . . . I feel that those salesmen work on commission and for someone to go in and take the time for a tour without any intention of buying, is wrong. That time could go to someone who is interested and that salesperson would make his pay. If I misunderstood your post, I apologize. Also, I would NEVER teach my children to do those things. I hope you had a real good explanation for them as to why you went to different resorts to get free tickets.

We go to Disney on a budget every year. We tow our popup and can do the entire trip for less than $2,000. We don't have to go to all the trouble of touring - we just research.

Again, I apologize if I misunderstood your post. But I'm very sensitive to some of these issues.

[The Pluto People]

I think doing a timeshare presentation to get tickets to the parks is quite ethical. Many years ago we stayed at a 2 bedroom unit at the Vistana with another family. We agreed to the timeshare tour/presentation because they promised us $100 and big, stuffed Mickeys for the kids. We had NO intention of buying a timeshare when we started the tour but we seriously considered it afterwards. We did not buy. My point is the salespeople know a good percentage of these people do not intend to buy, but some may be persuaded - we almost were! :smooth:

[BethR]

Originally posted by welovemickey
as far as the tours of the timeshare goes . . . I feel that those salesmen work on commission and for someone to go in and take the time for a tour without any intention of buying, is wrong.

welovemickey,

I think that the reason that the tickets are even offered are to get people who are interested in the TICKETS to come in and listen to the presentation. The tickets get them in the door - even without intention to buy. BUT, if an salesman does a great job, they MAY make a sale! If someone was simply looking to purchase a time share, they would not need any "carrot" to get them to listen to a presentation. The whole thing is about getting people in the door.

Unfortunately, I have read too many horror stories about how people are treated in many of these presentations to be concerned about taking up a saleman's time with no intention to buy.

I hope that you are not offended by this, but MANY of these time share presenters are not concerned about people's time or intelligence.

If someone wants to go through all of this to get free or discounted tickets , God Bless Them!

[Belle5]

BethR,
Amen, sister! MOST people going on the tours have no intention of buying and yet a percentage do. The timeshare people know this and it's a gamble they're willing to take. Never once when you are being stalked at a hotel to get free tickets to go on some timeshare presentation do they say "only if you're a serious buyer"! If you can handle the pressure without sinking-- more power to ya!

[jgates]

Has anyone taken the Marriott time share tour? When we stayed at the Courtyard DD in 8/00, I was offered $100 Marriott gift check (Maybe $75?) to do the tour. I wanted to but I had a friend & her granddaughter with so I didn't want to get in a disagreement. I am seriously considering stopping at the Courtyard and asking if they are offering a promo like that this time. I know I told them my dh was not on the vacation with me and they told me 'we can work around that'. Course I was spending $800 at the Courtyard on that trip, that may have helped.

Any feedback on Marriott?

[punky'smom]

We also went thru alot of timeshare presentations the first year we went. Silver Lakes was not high pressured at all. However,Westgate was outrageous. We did end up purchasing on a resale at westgate. It is an end unit in the back(very private) and it sleeps 10 people. Oh but I do hate those so called maintaince meetings. One of our friends once said OK I'll buy and got home from their vacation and canceled b4 the 10 days were up.

[kandj2]

Wow it looks like we are really touching on some ethics here on these boards!

Call me the QUEEN of controversy!!!

As far as the timeshare tours go and the ethics involved here is what I was told by a former Westgate salesperson...

The resorts offer these tickets to get people in NOT as a reward for buying but as payment for the 2 hours they take up of your time. The sales people make about $2500 commission on 1 sale so if everyone going in bought they would make about $7500 per day. In reality they sell about 1 per week if they are lucky. Many many people tour for the tickets and many people tour to see the resort. I did both. As I said, we are interested in purchasing through resale possibly if the price is right so we were on a fact finding mission, The sales people don't pay for the tickets out of their own pockets and the resort I buy will get their money from me in other things like food, drinks, blah blah blah. Maybe this is another thing I should feel guilty about but I don't. If you figure, for example, Westgate Lakes has 807 Luxury units in their resort. If they get some sucker to purchase at $20K for a week - that unit should bring in $1 million per year x 807 units! Add on the maintenance fees per year and they go up every single year and you've got a heck of a lot of money. I own my own company and dry runs in sales is just part of the game. If these salesman want to work by the hour they are in the wrong business. If they don't want people to come for the tickets they should work for a company that doesnt offer them. They are making their money or they wouldn't be there and they are making it from maybe 1 in 10 or 20 people that walk in the door. The resorts have found their niche to bring people in. Don't feel sorry for them - feel sorry for the family that thinKs spending $44,000 or more for lodging over 20 years of vacation is a good deal!

We have the luxury of not having to work in the winters. My hubby and I own a landscape company in Ohio so winters are pretty dead for us. We do have the luxury of time for these tours - thats why we could go down early and do it. Most people would lose more in the 2 days off work than we saved by going on them. It was an adventure for us and we really enjoyed ourselves. If you could simply book a time to see the resorts without the sales pitch we may have seen a few more just so we had some more info for when we buy. The free tickets were great and saved us a bundle. If you are considering touring just one or two I would highly recommend Summer Bay and Embassy Grand. They are really beautiful resorts and the staff is fantastic. Not high pressure - but not low pressure. They don't make you never want to come back like Calypso Cay does.

I don't know about the Marriot but I found out about a lot of tours by doing a search on Google.com. One of the people I really enjoyed working with was Ken Fletcher at Fletcher Tours. If you give him a call he can set you up with something or point you in the right direction to tour the Marriott.

I am not interested in getting into it with anyone again regarding ethics. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. As far as my children go, they had a wonderful time and we did not take them on the tours with us. They had no knowledge of free tickets and if they did it would be fine with me. I did not steal the tickets, I did nothing illegal or immoral for the tickets. I took a company up on their offer and met some wonderful people doing it. I think the pop up trailer idea is wonderful and would love to do that one day. With my kids being younger and my elderly mother traveling with us - that is not really a great idea for us now - but one day.

I think everyones ideas on saving money is great!

[Alis aka Merryweather]

Hi Kandj2!

Thank you for the report it was great.

Can you explain a little more about the Calipso Cay expirience.
Did you like the look of the Country inn & suites?.
My family are going to stay there in May.
:)

[kandj2]

I didn't see the rooms at the CI&S but the lobby looked nice and the free breakfast was good. They share a pool with Amerisuites and if you have kids they will LOVE it! The tiki bar may be open in May - it currently is under construction.

The Calypso Cay timeshare tour lasted longer than any of the others. It took about 2 1/2 hours and the sales person was nice but the Manager was awful. Steer clear of the woman manager with short red hair - lol. I told her the reason I would not consider buying is because the bathroom is off the kitchen and she looked me right in the eye and said (in her snottiest tone) "SO!". My husband laughed and I responded with "SO??? So I'm not buying it!" The tour itself is bareable if you are getting a good deal. The resort is not complete and is under construction. The sales people claimed they have had people buying dirt although I don't buy it. They have a sample of a room you can tour and a miniature of the resort when it is completed. The resort itself will be small - only 4 buildings. I believe they start at 21,000 but I was offered 14,000 if I bought that day. For your pain and suffering ( I am kidding! ) you get ticket vouchers which you have to redeem at a ticket center right around the corner from the resort. The guy at the ticket center is nice and just full of info about good deals.

The best part about the location is the shopping nearby! There are outlet stores and flea markets all around along with nice restaurants and fast food joints. You will need a car to get around - they have shuttles but they do cost money. Disney is pretty close if you take Osceloa Parkway you should get there very quickly.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

:) Kerry

[Alis aka Merryweather]

Thank you for the reply :)
Alis :bounce:

[Barbruka]

kandj2:

There are always going to be people judging you no matter what. You can't please everyone, so just IGNORE them. You did nothing wrong. Everyone else -- lay off! I can't believe how judgemental people are!!!

[welovemickey]

Barbruka, in my reply I was not being judgemental, just stating my opinion. Everyone else was stating theirs. I just choose to do things a different way - is that so wrong? Maybe you should reread the posts and stop being so defensive!

[Barbruka]

Who's being defensive? I never named any names -- you did. Some people crack me up! Enough of this silliness!

[kandj2]

Barbruka thank you for your support! I have a little non disney related story to tell you guys...

When my 12 year old was about 2 I was in a group called Parents as Teachers. It was a group for mothers of children up to 3 years old. Now I grew up and still live in an afluent suberb outside of Columbus Ohio and some of the people here can get pretty uppity. I was sitting in a group of about 20 mothers discussing disapline and everyone was saying things like, "I just feel so mean when I make little Bobby go on time out," and "I had to take away Sally's favorite doll today because she kicked the dog", blah blah blah. Well being the person I am I couldn't help myself and I had to say, "Don't you people ever feel like your children have pushed you to the point where you are afraid to spank them because you don't know if you can stop??" The room got quiet and the woman running the meeting just smiled and said, "Now we get down to the truth." By the time we were done everyone in the meeting agreed that that is how we all feel sometimes and no one ever talks about it.

My point is that it is really easy to be what you aren't but no one says what they really are. Probably many many people who read these boards do tours or carry 3 year olds in the parks or say their children are 9 or under to get the child rate or eat off the childrens menu or maybe worse things I can't think of right now. I am not above doing timeshare tours for free tickets, carrying my child into Disney 2 months after his 3rd birthday and I was thinking of doing the Disney cruise next year and saying my son who will be 13 when we cruise is still 12. I have never shoplifted in my life - not even a pack of gum as a child, I have trouble lying to people (If someone would have stopped me while I was carrying my son into disney I would have bought him a ticket because I really have a problem lying in a face to face situation. If a salesperson asked me if I was there for the free tickets I would have said yes.), I don't cheat on my taxes, I don't cheat on my husband and I don't drink and drive. What I'm trying to say is some people have done the things I won't do and I have done things others wouldn't. It doesn't matter really until people start throwing stones and find their own glass house has shattered.

welovemickey I am not directing this at you at all. I understand what you were saying and with the exception of what you said about explaining it to my children - I was not at all offended. You do have the right to your opinion and I respect that. You stated your opinion very well and your argument has merit. Not that you need me to tell you that... you already know. I just see things differently. You see it as a waste of the salesmans time and I see it as a payment for my time. No problem here. I'm sure there are things you have done that I wouldn't like. I think Barbruka was trying to show support for me and I appreciate that. I needed someone on my side after yesterday - lol.

Don't you guys just LOVE RobinB's picture????

:) Kerry

[robinb]

Don't you guys just LOVE RobinB's picture????

Thanks! The Aristocats is my 2 year old DD's favorite movie. "Kitties Mommy! I want to watch Kitties!" I love that quote from Marie when she's rough-housing with her brothers and her mother tells her "Ladies do not fight!" I'm afraid that my DD is now quoting that part herself :eek: {{blush}}.

[BethR]

OK, now that we all have kissed and made up, please let's just get back to finding ways to plan our Disney vacation in the most cost efficient manner that we can!
We are ALL ABOUT having fun and helping each other out here! :D

[Ella]

I would like to see you try to say your 13 year old is 12! Duh.......you need a birth certificate to board the ship:smooth:

[kandj2]

Ewww I never thought about that one. Oh well guess I will have to pay adult fares for him. Has anyone ever gotten really good deals on the cruises? Has anyone ever stayed on Level 1 and gotten really good deals on the cruises? I want a big room. On the land and sea packages do you guys feel 3 or 4 days are enough? I would like to do 7 days sea and 10 days land but I don't know if DH would lose his mind on a ship that long. Do you think the farther out you book the better the deals or is it like hotels the closer you book the better?

Any help or suggestions from you veterans?

:) Kerry

[BethR]

Hi Kerry!

We never really have discussed the Cruise Line on this Board. Here is a Link to the Cruise Board (http://198.65.131.237/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&forumid=9) where there a lot of "experts " who could help you with your questions.

:)

[Mskanga]

I honestly ( and not to offend anyone ) would rather work overtime to buy the tickets than to have to go through any timeshare presentations, I too have gone with "budget vacations" and have kept it pretty much within my budget , it just took me a bit more research and no I will not stay off site, that's just my preference. My vacation time is for me to enjoy , not to waste on timeshare presentations.

[BoyLovesBuzz]

General protocal and common sense for that matter, on discussion threads are as follows. Someone starts a thread with some information and others respond with questions or comments pertaining to the orginal post. Its that simple. To post a REPLY, and then say that you are just stating an opinion that is no way directed to the orginal post or poster, or to another reply on the thread is a cop out. Of course it is directed st somone or something. It you were just stating a random opinion start your own thread "Timeshares unethical?? what do you think??" The moderators, like Beth R, do a great job at trying to keep threads on topic, but they can't be on top of everything. We need to police ourselves. If something else in your life has you frustrated, don't jump in here to raise heck.

Kerry,
Great job saving money. You offer some great IDEAS and ALTERNATIVES to those looking for different ways to save some dough, while giving there family a great vacation. I'm also very proud of you for not letting Ella have it, that one made me the madest and prompted my little tirade.

[Ella]

How would anyone "let me have it" when they want to do something unethical AND impossible? :rolleyes:

[The Pluto People]

I'm always so surprised when a NEW DIS member uses disparaging remarks (ie "DUH") to comment on a thread... Kinda makes me wonder ... Anyway, Kerry, I also appreciated all the information you shared on timeshares and complimentary tickets. :D

[BethR]

ATTENTION PLEASE!

This is now the third time that we have had to make a "play nice" post. If this thread continues in its judgemental fashion, it will be closed to further replies.


Thank You.

[kandj2]

You know we may have to do is start a TRUE CONFESSIONS AND THE REAMINGS THAT FOLLOW thread!

Just kidding Beth :)

Mskanga I could not agree more about working the OT instead of the tours for tickets. Unfortunately that's not an option for a self employed landscaper in January in Ohio - lol! Anyway, I really did enjoy the mission of gathering info on timeshares. Several people have asked me questions about specific resorts - not for touring but because they know I toured and are considering buying themselves. All in all it was not awful. I probably won't do it again next year but then I'll probably own a timeshare by then so...

I love this thread and the people on it - you guys are great. Please lets not make Beth mad anymore. I know opinions on this are high but lets post helpful happy stuff and you can feel free to let me have it via PM or email. I will also be happy to talk behind other peoples backs with you - just kidding :) (Stabfest 2002!!!)

That was a joke - really :)

[goofyrn13]

I usually don't reply on this board, but I could'nt resist.I love all of your counter points kandj2,we think alike.Like you I went to WDW in 1996 and my dd had just turned 3, 3 wks before.I did not pay for any of her tickets.You know I dropped 2500 already,That is nuts to pay another 4-500 when she just turned 3 not a month before.I am like you never been arrested,never cheated on a test etc.... and did I feel guilty?NO!!!!!Glad you had a great trip and here's a toast to you and your next trip.I am going in June and hope to keep under 3000 for 4 people staying 6 nights at CBR,plus we are going to drive and take all breakfast and snack foods with us.I think we'll make it under but we'll have to wait and see.

[BethR]

Remember All - this is NOT the Debate Board and a DEBATE on this subject will NOT be tolerated. If you feel the need to debate any of the issues mentioned in this thread - you are welcome to start a new thread on the Debate Board.

Thank You.

[chris1gill]

I just wanted to say THANKS for the post!! As I recall, you went down two days early so you could specifically do the tours, the tours didn't actually take time away from your vacation, which is excellent!!

Also, if you book through www.hotelkingdom.com, they were offering the Embassy Grand for like 15.00/night for 4 nights & then there was an additional charge up to 7 nights, it was a great deal.

We're also doing a timeshare tour in Maui at the end of this month, so we're definitely not above doing them LOL... I liked the tips you gave on dealing with the salespeople... The one thing I pretty much figured, was just DON'T talk to them any more than you have to, cause if you do, you'll be there all day! Speaking of timeshares, we once stayed at one of the Vistana properties & they were really bad, calling the villa almost every day, mauling you when you were in the lobby, etc... We were too afraid to take the tour LOL....

I think you went about it the right way, especially since you are looking for possible resales... How is it you can buy a resale to a resort you've never been in? It's near impossible... I think you definitely did your homework & now you can make an informed decision as to whether or not a resale is in your future!

[kandj2]

Wow! What a great deal on the Embassy Grand! That resort is very nice! The location is great too and I beleive you may be able to see the fireworks from somewhere at the resort.

Oh I am so jealous of your trip to Maui! The island is beautiful - you will have a great time! If you are afraid of crabs you may want to avoid any strolls along the beach at sunrise. I screamed loud enough to wake the dead!

Have a great trip!

:) Kerry

[chris1gill]

Thanks for the info on the crabs, I think I'll skip the walk at sunset, BUT I'M GONNA SEND THE KIDS!! The kids will get a huge kick out of seeing them!