Shhhhlurp. Shhhlurp. Shhlurp.... The Disney Consumption Vacuum charges up again. This year we have red and white targets painted on our foreheads for easy identification. We are the highly sought after demographic: the Repeat Customer.
We are MassMom 35; MassDad 37; DS 11; and Princess DD 4. This year we plan to Hoop Dee Doo, 4-day park hop, Disney Quest, Blizzard Beach, and Universal our way through 8 days-- two days longer and one resort more than our Millennium Consumption Fest. In 2001 we are in for a pressed penny, in for a pound.
As the Experienced Repeat Customers, we are very good at Mickey Math. Mickey Math allows us to take deluxe accommodations, utter the phrase "value season" and VOILA! Relatively affordable vacation! But what combo of resorts and days? HIFS is a must in the kids' eyes and 3 days in a deluxe, no matter how big a VALUE, is all I can justify. So, if x=maximum number of days in a deluxe and y=minimum number of days in HIFS acceptable to children, and x+y must be < or = z, (cost of airfare), that brings us to 4 nights in HIFS straddling the value season (2 off and 2 on) and 3 days of value season at Wilderness Lodge.
The next frontier: the Disney Club card. Otherwise known as the New Mickey Math. Estimate the value of this membership. You may ask, "Would I get a resort discount?" Well, good question, but you'll have to give your Disney Club number to check. You may ask, "But, how do I know if it's worth buying if I don't know if the resort discount is available?" Hey, do the New Mickey Math, you figure it out. OK, here are some more magic words "Park Hopper Discount" Ah! Once again, VOILA - vague sense of value!
Now with DC card in hand (or number, I guess; the card itself comes much later), I learn that there are Courtyard view DC discounts, a bit pricey for us still, as I was hoping for the cheaper Woods or Standard views. So I phone a stranger/soon-to-be friend - Dreams Unlimited. They are able to get a DC discount on a Woods View! There, the secret handshake to the back entrance.
Through Dreams I book Hoop Dee Doo for 4, surrender responsibility for Cindy's (I never was great at speed dialing), and book a party of one Animation tour as a surprise for MassDad.
Animation Tour as a surprise for MassDad! Just have to hold onto to the secret for-- 9 months?!? Forget it - I spill the beans after three days.
Now for building suspense and excitement to surprise the kids. I check the DIS for clever ways others have surprised their families-- Christmas presents and such. But my track-record with surprises quickly climbs to 0-2, and before I know it, I've already told my 11-year-old. He has a rather reserved response to the news that I've booked rooms in WDW for the summer. "Oh, so does that mean we're not going to Japan?" Reassured that we'll still go to Japan in June, and that WDW would be in August, he then allows himself to celebrate, albeit, a rather low key celebration. I believe it was something like, "sounds great."
Then, it's 0-3, when I tell 4-year-old DD WAY too early. Ever since DD got the Magic Kingdom Playset for her birthday (October), she had been asking daily about when we would be going to Disney World. Unfortunately, I forgot that "August" is synonymous with, "sometime next decade" to a 4-year-old. So instead of a,"Hooray!!! I get, "But that's going to take forever!!!!!!"
As I watch all the DIS posts scroll through on all the trips I think to myself, "This IS going to take forever."
Feeding the greedy planning monster, I grab 4-day park hoppers in January, a must since the prices will go up. Our savings get further schlurped up as I start our EXCEL spreadsheet.
Then, like the Rockin' Roller Coaster, our planning takes off at face flattening velocities adding Character Meals, water parks, split days with Universal, dinner ressies, plane tix that cost more this year, aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh....
Before we know it, though, it's August, and another Repeat Customer advantage comes into play--most of the STUFF is already bought: misting fans, ponchos, good sandals, Mickey backpacks. All that's left to do is power up the engines, raise our arms while the safety bar lowers and our Disney Consumption starts full force in five, four, three, two, one....
We are MassMom 35; MassDad 37; DS 11; and Princess DD 4. This year we plan to Hoop Dee Doo, 4-day park hop, Disney Quest, Blizzard Beach, and Universal our way through 8 days-- two days longer and one resort more than our Millennium Consumption Fest. In 2001 we are in for a pressed penny, in for a pound.
As the Experienced Repeat Customers, we are very good at Mickey Math. Mickey Math allows us to take deluxe accommodations, utter the phrase "value season" and VOILA! Relatively affordable vacation! But what combo of resorts and days? HIFS is a must in the kids' eyes and 3 days in a deluxe, no matter how big a VALUE, is all I can justify. So, if x=maximum number of days in a deluxe and y=minimum number of days in HIFS acceptable to children, and x+y must be < or = z, (cost of airfare), that brings us to 4 nights in HIFS straddling the value season (2 off and 2 on) and 3 days of value season at Wilderness Lodge.
The next frontier: the Disney Club card. Otherwise known as the New Mickey Math. Estimate the value of this membership. You may ask, "Would I get a resort discount?" Well, good question, but you'll have to give your Disney Club number to check. You may ask, "But, how do I know if it's worth buying if I don't know if the resort discount is available?" Hey, do the New Mickey Math, you figure it out. OK, here are some more magic words "Park Hopper Discount" Ah! Once again, VOILA - vague sense of value!
Now with DC card in hand (or number, I guess; the card itself comes much later), I learn that there are Courtyard view DC discounts, a bit pricey for us still, as I was hoping for the cheaper Woods or Standard views. So I phone a stranger/soon-to-be friend - Dreams Unlimited. They are able to get a DC discount on a Woods View! There, the secret handshake to the back entrance.
Through Dreams I book Hoop Dee Doo for 4, surrender responsibility for Cindy's (I never was great at speed dialing), and book a party of one Animation tour as a surprise for MassDad.
Animation Tour as a surprise for MassDad! Just have to hold onto to the secret for-- 9 months?!? Forget it - I spill the beans after three days.
Now for building suspense and excitement to surprise the kids. I check the DIS for clever ways others have surprised their families-- Christmas presents and such. But my track-record with surprises quickly climbs to 0-2, and before I know it, I've already told my 11-year-old. He has a rather reserved response to the news that I've booked rooms in WDW for the summer. "Oh, so does that mean we're not going to Japan?" Reassured that we'll still go to Japan in June, and that WDW would be in August, he then allows himself to celebrate, albeit, a rather low key celebration. I believe it was something like, "sounds great."
Then, it's 0-3, when I tell 4-year-old DD WAY too early. Ever since DD got the Magic Kingdom Playset for her birthday (October), she had been asking daily about when we would be going to Disney World. Unfortunately, I forgot that "August" is synonymous with, "sometime next decade" to a 4-year-old. So instead of a,"Hooray!!! I get, "But that's going to take forever!!!!!!"
As I watch all the DIS posts scroll through on all the trips I think to myself, "This IS going to take forever."
Feeding the greedy planning monster, I grab 4-day park hoppers in January, a must since the prices will go up. Our savings get further schlurped up as I start our EXCEL spreadsheet.
Then, like the Rockin' Roller Coaster, our planning takes off at face flattening velocities adding Character Meals, water parks, split days with Universal, dinner ressies, plane tix that cost more this year, aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh....
Before we know it, though, it's August, and another Repeat Customer advantage comes into play--most of the STUFF is already bought: misting fans, ponchos, good sandals, Mickey backpacks. All that's left to do is power up the engines, raise our arms while the safety bar lowers and our Disney Consumption starts full force in five, four, three, two, one....
