wow three yrs? eek! i know i started getting the itch once i had our first born! we were there the yr she was born. then we had ds....we told her last yr she'd be 6 before we took her. then we had a horrible yr last yr. so for our tenth wedding anny off we went. nothing beats seein disney through your kids eyes. it made me cry! as soon as we got home we rec'd a 40% off pin code for the deluxe. so i snapped it up! so yeah you really need to be going a lot for it to pay off. we knew we'd go next feb when the schools are shut, so it was a no brainer. hubby wants a break after that, so the next yr we may just use the points to go to maine, and stay in nh.
we went to the luau at the poly in april and loved it, the resort is beautiful! so maybe one trip we'll try there too. enjoy your upcoming trip and i hope your friends have a wonderful first visit!
Would you believe that we received a 40% pin just this week and were able to apply it not only to our room, but to our friends' rooms too (max of 3 rooms) and we are now saving almost $1000 off the package price we had originally booked AND we are booked into upgraded "courtyard" rooms which the CM told us offered a view of the geyser! With that news, everyone is more charged up than ever...we can use the savings to REALLY enjoy the Food & Wine festival! As we were lucky enough to be saving so much off our original price, my DH had a great idea and we booked an Illuminations specialty cruise one of the nights. It is a surprise for our gang and we know they'll love it.
This coming Wed, August 4th will mean we are just 3 months away and the countdown is really on. My sister and I had a girls trip to Disney in 2008, staying at AKL. We told our husbands it was a "research" trip to prepare for the big birthday trip with all the gang. We got a wicked good deal - but it kind of backfired on us...the cost was incredible. Our one week stay, standard room (but we had a partial savana view and saw giraffes and zebras every day from our balcony) with deluxe dining package was just over $2500 for the two of us. But this red hot deal meant we had to travel in early September. I knew it would be hot, as this was the same time DH and I had stayed at WL in 2006, but mercy - it was even HOTTER when my sis and I were there. Just miserable humidity. Even local Floridians and people from Louisiana and other southern states were complaining that it was unusually hot and humid, so it wasn't just us lightweight northerners who couldn't handle it. Well, we got sick.
Nasty colds that just zapped whatever energy we had left after the heat had its way with us. In fact, it seemed everyone around us was sick too - the hotel giftshop ran out of cold medication, as did the Poly and several other stores we tried.
WDW may be the happiest place in the world, but it is the last place you want to be ill. The last day and a half we spent in bed in our room, sleeping. The biggest disappointment was having to cancel some meals we were so looking forward to, such as Jiko and Artist Point. This time around, I am taking no chances. One month out, I am starting a regimen of vitamin C to help ward off any cold viruses! And my sister and I have already talked about "re-doing" our sister trip in late 2011 or 2012 because we felt so cheated out of our last one. One thing is certain though, no matter how good the deal is, be it free dining plan, 40% off - I have decided definitively that I am NOT going in HOT, HOT weather again. No thank you.
We do not have kids of our own to be able to share Disney with, but we do have a 4 year old niece and 2 year old god-daughter we are looking forward to taking to WDW when they are old enough - or shall I say big enough to ride the good rides. I can only imagine what it will be like to have kids along to share the magic with. I am glad I am not the only one who cries at Disney. The Wishes fireworks are my favourite - I well up every time! I am such a sap. But I love it. And this year, we have tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and will get to see the special holiday wishes, plus the MK "done up" for the holidays - also a first. It really is true that it takes a lifetime to discovery everything Disney has to offer. Aren't you glad that we among those who "get it"? Life without Disney just wouldn't be the same at all.
We're looking to do a small add on of 50 points and was wondering if it would be best to buy right away or wait until our cruise in february? Is there much of a discount or advantage to buying such a small amount on the cruise that would make it worth waiting? I'm looking at booking a wdw/dvc trip for the end of sept/early oct 2011 and currently don't have enough points even with borrowing. I'm planning on booking a 1 bedroom at BLT with either standard or lake view and am not sure I want to wait until mid february to book it. If I buy the points right away I can book it at the 11 month window. Oh and by the way we have a february use year if that makes a difference in any advice anyone may give 
