Okay, everyone, lets all take a deep cleansing breath
big inhale
okay, now, hold it
. now, everybody exhale
Thats better!
So many of you wrote back that you were sniffling after my first installment; it reminded me of how I used to cry at the drop of a hat when I was pregnant. Wed be watching TV and a General Foods International Coffee commercial would come on or,
. even worse
. a commercial for Hallmark Cards, and Ed would look over to see me fumbling for the tissue box and just bawling my eyes out! Over a commercial! Ed would be laughing at me and I would try to explain:
Sniffle* sniffle* "Oh, at first she thought her son wasnt going to be able to come home for the holidays
sniffle*
and now he came home
sniffle* sniffle*and now they can all be together and isnt it wonderful? I dont know what Id do if our son couldnt make it home, it just wouldnt be Christmas
"
sniffle* sniffle*
Kathy, the babys not even born yet and youre crying because he may not make it home for Christmas someday?? he would shake his head, laughing while I dabbed my eyes with a tissue.
"Well, I can just imagine how that mother would
feel, thats all
"
Then he would smile indulgently and pat my arm. I love you, honey.
So thanks, everyone, for sharing my happy tears
I know that you are putting yourselves in my place and I really appreciate your
And now, back to the plans:
A Brief Recap:
The Who: My family, my sisters family
The What: Family vacation to WDW
The When: Jersey Week, 11/3 11/11.
(If you're a DISer,
the Why is obvious!
)
Next up:
The Where! Where do we want to stay??
I know, I know
I gave it away already. Sheesh! Cant slip anything past you guys!
As you may already know, or you may not (so Ill tell you), weve been
DVC members for about 2-1/2 yrs. Eventually we want to try *every* one of the DVC resorts at WDW! Last year, it was
Old Key West, which we loved for its spaciousness and laid-back atmosphere. The year before that it was
Saratoga Springs, our home resort, which although it was still in under construction, was very beautiful and extremely convenient to Downtown Disney.
This year we set our sights on the
Villas at Wilderness Lodge! (VWL)
We had the opportunity to see the grandeur and beauty of The Lodge first hand back in 2005 when we took the kids to eat at Whispering Canyon Café. You know, the one restaurant where you should never, ever, ask for ketchup!
Even though the towering lobby was impressive, it still had a very warm and homey feel to it. I just knew that one day we would
have to stay there!
Now, if youre not too familiar with
DVC operations, let me explain
how we needed to make our reservation: DVC members can use their points to stay at any of the DVC resorts at any time of year. But it isnt always easy to stay just anywhere you please at any time. Our home resort is Saratoga Springs (SSR). No earlier than 11 months from your check-out date, you can make a reservation at your home resort.
If you decide you want to stay at someone elses home resort, you need to wait an additional four months to reserve. This way, people get a fair first shot at staying at their own home resort before other members can. After the 7 month window opens, the villas are open to all members for reservations.
You see, some DVC members really like to stay at only one resort, usually their home over and over, while other members like to bounce around and try different resorts. Our family likes to bounce!
Ed, especially, loves trying out new resorts. Thus, we like to experience a new resort each time, if we can.
The only glitch comes when you run into problems with
Supply and Demand. SSR, for example, is very large and now consists of 1260 units. By comparison, VWL is quite intimate, with only 136 units available to go around. Obviously, its a lot easier for SSR to accommodate non-home resort members than it is for VWL! And its not only resort size that influences the supply; time of year also plays a role.
Our vacation falls during the last week of the incredibly popular
Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. Naturally, there is a greater demand for the Epcot area DVC resorts at this time. Boardwalk Villas has 532 units, while the Beach Club Villas offers a mere 205. These are the E-Ticket resorts during the F&WF because they are in walking distance to Epcots International Gateway and the World Showcase.
So, flashback to mid-Winter, 2007: We make a reservation for a 2-bedroom villa at SSR, our DVC home. I would be happy to leave it at that, but Ed has the itch to try something new. So as we approach the 7-month mark, we need to decide between the three untried resorts that are left. Thinking that it would be too difficult to get into the Epcot resorts, we opt to try for VWL.
I make the call and find out, not unexpectedly, that only about half of our nights are available. This is where it gets tricky, especially for someone like me who loves security and hates to gamble.
Now we become like contestants on the DVC version of the
Deal or No Deal show!
We *only* have enough points for one 1-week reservation. (If we had lots and lots of points, it wouldnt be such an issue
Id keep the one ressie and start a second.) But we do not have this luxury. So now, the decision is this: do we give up half our ressie at SSR and trade it for half a week at VWL and go on waitlist for the rest??
Hmmm. Well, at best, we spend the first half of the week at SSR and then the second half at VWL. Lots of people split their stays, its not so bad. In fact, it could be kind of fun to get the experience of two fabulous resorts in one week, right? That wouldnt be so bad, right?
Wrong!!
I said that half our nights were available at VWL, I didnt say they were
all together!
What they had for us was this:
Fri / Sat = VWL
Sun through Wed = SSR
Thurs /Fri / Sat = VWL
Well, I might certainly consider packing up and moving everyone once, but I wasnt willing to do it
twice! Not with one elderly woman and an autistic child in our group
would it be worth the aggravation to try for the coveted VWL?? The reservationist from Member Services was waiting for my answer.
Deal or No Deal?
Kathy
.....if I was you I would try and throw in a few days at the Boardwalk also.
. You are such a good writer. Your'e family is great. I love how you explain about your sons autism. I understand it much better now. Can't wait to keep reading more. One question Were going to DW in Dec did you think TGM is worth it? Thanks again for taking the time to post your trip report. I laughed I cried and felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
and have had many students who are autistic.. and very dear to my heart! Can't wait to figure out where you are staying... and now I need to go and read your last report soon.
) climbed to the top of the 6 foot book shef and I coldn't get her down......
Then the baby was 6 days late, so the puppy was home a week with us before the baby came home. They were so cute together! 
I had to work the next day.
I was to be the designated driver on the way home. Our plan was to play in the casino for a few hours, grab a late dinner, and head home. 
Suddenly, amidst all the fluff and stuffing inside my head, came a little voice that said, Take a chance, youve really got nothing to lose! 
until my next email alerting me you have added to your report.
That just sounds so complicated! hehehe Hope you get what you want, and I totally understand the not wanting to make ANY moves once you get settled into your vacation home.
