Major distress/ not sure what to do?? [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

Bee

08-05-2005, 02:34 PM

Ok, so this is the story... apologize if it is long. I started planning a 5 day WDW trip and a 3 day cruise on the Wonder, back in Febuary. I was going to make it a surprise but, we were going to travel with another family and they told their kids who in turn told our kids. We own a bar in a small town in Nebraska, and in March DH fell off a ladder, surgery and was off work for a month. Well, now the dilema.. We have plane tickets already paid for for 10-22 to 10-30. We were originally going to stay at CBR 10-22 to 10-27 then cruise from 10-27 to 10-30.

Well now everything is due.. I already am about 99.9% sure the cruise is out!
We have downgraded to a Value resort.. Giving up rental car. Want to stay on property for entire time now and forgo cruise to save money.

If we stay at Allstarmovies do we really need private transportation?
If I just pay for the rooms now, I can still add 8 day tickets, Magic my way, park hopper plus food later cant I?

I feel the most important thing now is that we get there.. and at least salvage part of our 1st family vacation. DD10 and DD9.

They wont care where we stayed.. as long as we get them there.. at least that is what I believe.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can save more money? I already checked off site and it really doesnt save much money, and we would be giving up a lot of benefits of on property.

The killer is I have done all the work for this vacation for both families. Read boards.. all kind of things .. and biggest thing I accomplished is I got a table at Cinderella's Royal Table... Dont want to give that up.

Any ideas.??

Thanks, sorry so long..A VERY SAD BEE :guilty:

trayletha

08-05-2005, 02:57 PM

:sad1: You can pay for the room and add extra's and tickets right up to check in, so don't worry about that. I am sorry things haven't worked out the way you originally planned. But you are right - the kids won't care where they stayed when they "Went to WDW" . ::MickeyMo

sbelyo

08-05-2005, 03:17 PM

Don't fret too much....

You don't need any form of transportation once on disney property.

I would remove the following from the Magic your way tickets:

No expiration
Pluses
Food

You can eat fairly cheap at the non table service places in all the parks. (My kids actually like that better)

I don't know how you planned but if you buy one annual pass you can book up to three rooms at severe discounts using the passholders room only discount code. In my case spending $150.00 extra on one ticket saved me $375.00 on a room and $100.00 or so on food.

And when buying seperate tickets and lodging compared to a package with no food it saves even more

HappyMommy2

08-05-2005, 03:20 PM

Sorry you have gone through so much!
You will still have a great time though!
Just to comment on the transportation--we have generally stayed at the All Stars and you really, truly do not need to have a rental car, if you are just doing resort/parks/Downtown Disney. Magical Express may be a bit of a hassle but it saves lots of money in transportation! So don't sweat the transportation thing; that is a great place for you to save money!

ColoradoBelle1

08-05-2005, 03:36 PM

You might want to check into renting a DVC studio unit instead of all 4 of you staying in a value. Depending on season, a studio is deluxe with a mini-kitchen and bigger than a value. CHeck the rental board on the DVC forums...a studio can often be had for $80-90 a night including tax. The extra savings comes from making breakfast in room and having a fridge for snacks and drinks. It's great for storing doggie bags too. You might be able to get a 2 bedroom with a full kitchen for about the same as several All STars.

If the kids haven't saved their own money for 'stuff' at the Parks, we limited our to one smaller stuffed character per trip, and of course a balloon a day when she was little!!!!

I believe there are lots of ways to save and not 'cheapen' the experience.
Good luck!

Bee

08-05-2005, 09:22 PM

Thank you all for being so helpful.. My AAA rep said that the plus food will actually save us money due to fact that we had already booked hoop de doo revue and cinderella's royal table character breakfast. I will let you know what happens. We have til Wednesday 8-10 at the latest to still pay for the cruise.. can still hope for a miracle. And, I have to pay for all the rest by the 1st of September at the lastest.

I pray and I really mean pray somehow this trip will come together. I havent been to WDW since Christmas of 89 and since we have had children every vacation has been to relatives or with relatives..

I try not to cry anymore about it.. if it happens great if not...well, let's not go there yet...

Again, Thank you all for your hints.. if anyone else also has ideas that would be awesome!

BEE

lovesdumbo

08-06-2005, 11:36 PM

Well I would try to do some numbers on your own before believing the TA about the meal plan. Won't the dining plan cost you $115 per day? I think you can eat cheaper than that. Sure you get a lot of food for that $115 but you really don't need all that. My kids prefer counter service as well. But mine are younger than yours. You could always cancel Hoop De Doo-you can eat the same food at Trails End for less but no show and its even cheaper at lunch($40 vs $150 for Hoop De Doo). We went for lunch last year and it was a great escape from the park for a few hours. Nice boat ride from MK and we took the kids on a pony ride ($3 each). Lunch doesn't have ribs so we're trying dinner this year (16.99 adult/7.99 child vs $50 adult/$25 kid for Hoop De Doo but Hoop $ include tax & tip) Then we are taking a carraige ride which leaves from right there for $30 for 1/2 hour.

Can you switch to a room only reservation? Then you only have to pay a 1 nights deposit and can cancel up to 5 days in advance and pay the balance at check in. Can you get a AAA discount on the room?

I'm staying at ASMo for the first time in 3 weeks and using ME for the first time also. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bee

08-07-2005, 12:57 AM

Thank you.. We are still trying to decide about the meals plan. I dont want to give up Cinderella's royal table for sure. May just pay for that and then eat lightly. We have decided to go ahead with the cruise at least that is what I think we have decided :confused3 . We have downgraded from a stateroom with a veranda to an inside small stateroom. We had already paid the deposit so, We found downgrading we will save 640.00. So, now we only have to come up with about 900 and some change to get to go on the cruise.. Much better then the 1610 I was going to have to pay by Wednesday. Then I have to come up with another 1k by the end of the month. I figure we wont be in the room much on a 3day cruise anyway.

We also dropped from cbr to a value resort still trying to decide what resort to go to.. hubby is now considered permantly disabled due to his fall of the ladder. Not sure how his foot will do walking so much so will depend on transportation a lot to and from the parks.

If any body has any suggestions on which value resort to choose.. We are still open to options.

Thanks, a hopeful, BEE ::MinnieMo :banana:

lovesdumbo

08-07-2005, 02:13 AM

Well I will let you know what I think of ASMo. I've read great things about Pop but I think my DS(4) will enjoy (understand) the icons at Movies more. I asked the CM when I called CRO what he thought of ASMo vs Pop and he said he like ASMo better because of the pool. I really believe you can have a great trip with a value vs mod. All you're giving up is table service dining (which you can do at the parks) and a slide in the pool. I'm sure your girls will still have a great trip without the slide.

Sounds like you guys really need this trip.

DawnaJean

08-07-2005, 07:21 AM

We've stayed at ASMo and my DDs loved it. The pool was great and the food court pretty good too! Keep Cindy's as a special treat....I think the girls will love eating in the castle. Here's hoping some unexpected cash comes your way.... :flower:

Dawna

Bee

08-11-2005, 02:20 PM

CinderellaIam

08-11-2005, 02:57 PM

I just founf this thread...glad things seem to be working out for you. Yes, it's more important to get there, the deluxe rooms, big meals, lots of souveniers are not necessary. After 10 trips, our most treasured souveniers are our pictures of us all getting along and having a great time.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!

tn_disney_addict

08-11-2005, 03:04 PM

The value resorts are a wonderful place to stay! We "splurged" one year and stayed at WL and DD said "couldn't we afford to stay at a Disney hotel this time?"

!?!?!?!?!!? If it doesn't have big icons and bright colors, it isn't Disney to her! I will be doing the values from now on!

disneymom727

08-11-2005, 03:32 PM

We stayed at the AsMo and it was wonderful. The room was kind of small but you will already be used to that from a cruise room :) Everything is so bright and colorful, the food court was nice with a lot of choices. I definitely recommend it. Hope things work out for you and your family. It sounds like a vacation is really what you need. Keep praying that works best of all ;)

Bee

08-11-2005, 03:41 PM

I am so addicted to these boards... everyone is so nice.... I wish I could say I have been there many times but.... not since 1988.. for 2 days.,. Cant wait!!

I have heard many bad things about the value resorts so thanks for the input.. maybe I wont be sad about the accomodations(spelling).

Thanks all, B

disneyjunkie

08-11-2005, 03:56 PM

*****update as of 8-11-05******
We have now paid for cruise portion. Downgraded to an inside cabin and the smallest available.. saving about $650.00. So now I have to come up with the other part by the end of the month. Hoping it will all work out. I will let you know.

B

I had a few unexpected things pop up last spring when I was planning our trip. I just couldn't take care of those things and pay off the disney package at the same time. (We were on the dining plan)

I just booked room only and paid the deposit. Once I had the rest of the money;dining plan, tickets and room balance; I called and changed from room only to the MYW dining package. I did this about a week before the trip.

I called CRO several times to make sure this could be done. I was told that it would be fine as long as everything was done at least 7 days before checkin.

J and R's mom

08-11-2005, 04:28 PM

lovesdumbo

08-11-2005, 04:42 PM

Bee-I just bought a new digital camera (a nice small pocket size one) and have just figured out how to post pictures here. I hope to be able to take lots of photos of ASMo since I'll have 1 kid with me. Maybe that you can get excited about it if you decide to stay there.

Do you have any particular "section" (toy story, 101 Dalmations, Fantasia, ....) you want photos of? I hope to take some of the pool as I haven't seen too many photos of that on the boards.

I'm really getting excited about staying there and I know DS will LOVE it!

lovesdumbo

08-11-2005, 04:53 PM

How about applying for a Disney Visa card? They give you 6 months of no interest on Disney packages that you put on the card. That would give you some extra time to pay it off. Visit their site if you're interested: www.chase.com/disney. There's a link to apply three rows down after all of the sign-on sections on the left.

Your kids will LOVE the trip and truely enjoy the value resorts and the cruise. Hang in there and here's wishing you lots of luck and pixie dust. :wizard:

That's a great idea. I found this over on the budget board for you. Maybe they are still offering the $50 deal:

This offer was in my latest Disney Visa statement.

$50 Disney Visa Reward offer (http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=disney_50ddrd_altmed ia&page=cont&mkid=6SWH11) or call 877-206-9833. Key code is 6F2G11. I do not benefit from this in any way. Just wanted to pass on the savings like someone on this Board did for me! BTW,DH and I both applied for a $50 reward in June. That gives us $100 in Disney Reward dollars already! :cool1:

luvmy2sams

08-11-2005, 08:44 PM

You won't be disappointed with ASMovies. As you can tell from my signature, we've stayed there several times, and I think it will always be our sentimental favorite. To me, because of the large Disney movie icons, it is the most Disney of all the resorts. Transportation has never been a problem for us. In fact, we've had longer waits, etc. during our stays at the Wilderness Lodge.

We've booked our upcoming trip as a room only but will probably change it to a non-dining MYW package in the near future. We're planning on doing 3 character meals (Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, and CRT breakfast) and having counter service for the balance. We can do this for around $700 for a family of 4 (DS2 doesn't pay), which is much cheaper than adding the dining option. Run the numbers for yourself before taking your travel agent's word for it. You might be surprised.

Congratulations on being able to hold onto the cruise. Sounds like your family really could use some time away from the real world. Here's hoping that it all falls into place for you....Have a fabulous trip! :)

Bee

08-12-2005, 02:51 AM

Everyone is friendly here... Pictures would be great. Dont know where we will be staying yet for sure. Unfortunately we have had credit difficulties in the past so a Disney card is out of the question. But, thanks for the idea..

B

karinbelle

08-12-2005, 10:48 AM

Another hotel option is using Priceline. I do this for our October trips. We only stay at "Resorts" and we've gotten the Hilton for $60/nite and Wyndham for about $70/nite. They are within walking distance of Downtown Disney and there's bus transportation to the parks from the hotel and from DD.

The only downside is that the reservation is unchangable and nonrefundable. I think they do have an "insurance" option now with an additional fee.

Karin

erinch

08-12-2005, 11:07 AM

Bee--
Do you sell stuff on ebay?
It's a bit of a hassle to get started, but you could very possibly make several hundred dollars at least in ebay sales of household "stuff" between now and October

disneymom727

08-12-2005, 11:17 AM

Bee--
Do you sell stuff on ebay?
It's a bit of a hassle to get started, but you could very possibly make several hundred dollars at least in ebay sales of household "stuff" between now and October

That is a great idea! We are doing that as well to earn extra money. WE made about $20 already by selling just a few CD's. We are also participating in a neighborhood yard sale next weekend.

kdtwiss

08-12-2005, 08:46 PM

have you looked into renting DVC points as others suggested? It really does seem like it could save a bundle. As far as the dining plan - yes you may be able to eat cheaper on your own, but for us (and we really are not well off financially) the nicest thing about the dining plan was choosing places we would not otherwise be able to go to because of the cost. As someone said - you can addthe dining later - who knows maybe you will get lucky and they will extend free dining! I did some mystery shopping before our last trip, made about $300 which paid for our bday wishes cruise and some of our rental car. You could look into that. I think as far as souveneir shopping - let the girls make some money helping out around the house and that can be their spending $$, when it's gone - it's gone. You will still have a wonderful vacation! We just got MYW base tickets which save quite a bit. No park hopper for us - do we really need more than one Disney Park in a day? Keep us posted!

hopesmommy

08-12-2005, 09:16 PM

Bee - I am soooo sorry to hear about your DH. I completely understand. I have been planning our FIRST family vacation since February. We booked our trip to WDW staying at POP with tickets and dining in April or May. Lucked out and got the dining free. My DH had TWO back surgeries at the end of June. So the walking is a problem. I am glad we booked POP because it has its own buses to the parks. Also, you can rent a wheelchair at WDW for the day or the entire lenghth of your trip. Or you can rent one through an outside service. The resorts have wheelchairs you can get possibly for free (first come first serve). PM me if you need the recommendations my TA sent me. Also, if standing in line is a problem you can ask for a special pass for the rides at the guest relations.

I hope everything works out well. My DH is just glad we are still going even though he will not be able to do everything he wanted. Our DD (3) is a BIG daddy's girl and DH is wrapped around her finger.

Bee

08-12-2005, 11:21 PM

3DisneyKids

08-13-2005, 07:28 AM

Yes, you do hear bad things about the AS resrots if you read lots of boards...but you also read lots of GOOD things, too. The biggest thing that you will find about the *** is that they tend to be the loudest resorts, as this is where many large groups stay. Otherwise, they are truly a great value. Food Courts are cheap (for WDW, that is) and usually decent enough.

Also, if you want to save money, try going for a AAA discount...10% off your room, so that helps. If you are not a AAA member, think about joining, as you will still come out ahead. I think a basic membership is about $35, and you'd save at least $100 off your room total. Every little bit helps, right?

Try these sites to:

mousesavers

affordabledisney

Good luck.

Bee

08-13-2005, 11:07 AM

We are AAA members so we are already getting the discount. Thanks for the suggestion though!!

B

HopperFan

08-13-2005, 11:25 AM

I think your kids will love it ! Ultimate Disney themed resort.

Our last few trips were deluxe, so wasn't too sure I would be happy in Jan at ASMo. But we were going for marathon and park, didn't think it would matter and wanted to save the money. Was pleasantly surprised that the whole family liked the hotel. We were in Mightly Ducks (just past 101 Dal) and our room had been newly renovated. It had it's own quiet pool and laundry right there. Be sure to utilize that pool if the theme pool is alittle bit busy.

We ate all counter meals last trip, and found the ASMo food court very good. We caught on to order spagetti kids meals for all, then a large salad to split and we had a very reasonable meal. Many meals are huge and easily split, even in the parks.

Keep the Cinderella meal - your princesses will love it princess: princess:

The parks involve alot of walking. You may want to consider renting a wheelchair, if nothing else he would be able to rest himself between rides/shows. Read on the Disabilities Board, there are often folks in your same situation asking questions there on how to make for a successful trip.

ps A hint we used with the kids when younger. We gave them Disney Dollars @$25 each to hold until the end of the trip when they could pick out a souvenir that they really wanted. We usually shopped at World of Disney in DTD because they carry so much. The would window shop the whole trip but no one ever asked for stuff. Made for many peaceful trips !!

momoftwins

08-13-2005, 12:23 PM

I quickly read thru the posts, but do you really need 8 day tickets? You certainly won't need them for the day you depart for your cruise. I have 9 yr old DD and DS, and they still need a break from the parks (so do we - it's a lot of walking!). I would also give up the park hopping/no expiry feature if it meant I could still go.

I agree with the other posters on the meal deal. Although it is nice to have meals paid for, again I would look at alternatives. Could you bring some food with you? Perhaps use WeGoShop who will do the shopping for you? Ship some items down to yourself might be an alternative. I am not quite sure how cheaply you wanted to go. You know we have used all of the strategies here to save money and it did not change the fun we had on the vacation one bit.

On our down days we do the pool, Downtown Disney, ride the monorail. visit the hotels, go to the Boardwalk area - rent bikes, play golf etc.

I know on these boards somewhere was a big long thread on things to do that are free or very reasonably priced that do not involve using a park ticket.

Have fun planning!

Bee

08-13-2005, 02:31 PM

I guess I should have mentioned in my update...
I have gone back to the 5 day passes, because I dont need the 8 days since we are cruising for 3 days. When I originally posted I was considering dropping the cruise completely.. but found with the money I had already spent for the cruise it was cheaper to finish paying it off. I was/am more concerned about the money needed now or in the near future than the money I had already paid off.

Thanks for giving me some positive feedback on ASMO. Needed to hear that for sure.
Not sure how it will work with hubby, since he is having difficulty with his foot but we may just have to do the parks at a slower pace. Want him to have a good time also.

Everyone is so great.. by the way as things stand we will be at ASMO 10-22 to 10-27 cruising 10-27 to 10-30 on the Wonder! Cant wait.. still hoping all is going to work out.

J and R's mom

08-13-2005, 02:48 PM

.. We looked at the DVC boards but it looked very confusing...
Hi Bee,

Although I think you all will enjoy AS just fine, I figured I'd go ahead and give you some numbers on the DVC stuff. Sometimes it's worthwhile and sometimes it's not. I still think it might be cheaper to go the value resort route, but if it's close, the DVC studios are very spacious and come with kitchenettes (microwaves, mini fridge, sink, access to free washers and dryers) and might be worth the extra money.

A studio at OKW for five nights (10/22-10/27) costs 53pts. Points rent for about $10 each (and sometimes even lower--like $8/pt) so that brings the total to $530. Since there are no taxes and fees involved, that's it. $530 is what you pay. Period. HOWEVER, if you go the DVC route, you will not be able to purchase a dining plan. It's not open to room-only reservations (which is what DVC is).

Here's a link to the floorplan of the OKW studio. http://advc.disney.go.com/media/dvc/languagespecific/eng/resorts/oldKeyWest/floorPlans/studio.jpg Here's WDW's website for OWK so that you can check out other floorplans and amenities. All rooms come with a balcony by the way. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/resortLanding?id=OldKeyWestResortLandingPage

I have no points to rent out, but many folks on the following thread do (http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29) and anyone posting on that thread that is renting points can walk you through the steps and work something out with you. But because it's pretty close to the time for your vacation, there may not be much availabilty, but they can check for you.

jtopp

08-27-2005, 07:18 AM

go on your trip. you will never enjoy a trip as much as a family vacation at WDW. Stay at the All Star resorts. Great little rooms for a discounted price. Enjoy the trip. Excellent transportation is provided, so you can get around very easily. As your DH is disabled, you sould be able to get your insurance company to pay for a wheelchair for the trip. Use it. There is a lot of walking on a WDW vacation, and not having to worry about your DH discomfort avoids a major problem. WDW is very handicapped accessable, and you will not be viewed as outcasts if he has something to help him along. good Luck.

D,L and K's Mom

08-28-2005, 03:22 PM

Don't forget you may want to request a handicapped access room on the boat and at the hotel. The rooms on the boat are not very large and it is very hard to get a wheelchair in the room (the doorways are not wide enough) If you hubby is in a chair he will definitly have a problem. Also how many are there in your family? Are there 4 or 5? I am asking becaure quite a few of the handicapped rooms in WDW will only hold 4...this may be a problem for you. I hope your DH is up and around soon and I hope all works out GREAT for your trip.

allaboutmm

08-28-2005, 04:12 PM

:sunny: I'll be sending you happy thoughts :sunny: Good luck :flower:

Bee

08-28-2005, 07:25 PM

Hi it's Bee again!

Update***

We paid for the remainder of our trip yesterday. We bought DH a new pair of tennis shoes with great support. He is adament about not using a wheelchair. So, it will be slow going. We did get the dining plan and made reservations. We are eating at Chef Mickeys for dinner on 10-22. We are also eating at CRT and going to Hoop- de - doo.

Now, not even sure if the other family is going or not. They still havent paid so who knows.. not too worried about what they decide anymore.

Anyway, thanks all for your support. Everyone was so nice in giving helpful advice. Now all I have to pay for is MNNSHP and a rental car from resort to boat and boat to airport.

55 days and counting... cant wait!

Thanks, Bee