Dead van= sick trip

[Jordan's MOM]

Well this was to be the trip i didn't have to watch the budget quite so close. Yes, the van gave it's last today and I refuse to put any more money into her. Yes it is a personal thing. I know we will still have a blast but it's back to all stars instead of Wilderness lodge and more counter service than we wanted. Oh well we already have room and ticket money so everything else is flexable. l am on the family board most of the time but looks like this will be my home now. We have loved budget trips in the past and this one will be just as great. Thanks for listening!

Jordan's mom

 

[scanmom]

about your van. I know how depressing it can be to have to alter your plans to save $$$. But, at least you don't have to cancel! I'll bet you will still have a blast!

 

[tinaluis]

I feel your pain. We have a 1991 Honda Civic that has died on us. We're having such a hard time parting with it but we realize that putting any more $$ into it would be foolish. At least you don't have to cancel your trip entirely. Our budget trips have been the most fun, sometimes, in fact, more fun than when we splurge.

 

[Mic]

I know how you feel! A teenager hit me in my new van 2 days before we were to leave for our big, blow-out trip to WDW! The trip was shortened because of my injuries, and we had a hard time even getting a rental van for a month...a nasty basic thing with no CD player, no power seats or mirrors, and not enough cup-holders. We were too close to arrival to cancel(we did not purchase the insurance), but I was miserable the whole time. The kids, however, had a blast, and I promised to make up the missed days on another trip. The accident was in Oct.2000, and I have been making up those missed days since then When I finally got my van back(looked the same but was worth considerably less than what I owed on it), the transmission died a few months later, right before our scheduled make-up trip. I simply rented a car for the trip and adjusted my budget a little(to cover the car rental), and had a great time. The new transmission put a big dent in our finances, but we managed. And I was never sorry we took the trip in a rental car. My kids still laugh about that trip with 5 of us in a Chevy Malibu(considered an intermediate?), with New York license tags. Instead of looking for other NC license plates on the way to FL, we looked for NY, and my 3 girls practiced changing their really southern drawl to a "New Yawk" accent. My son was just thrilled to be in a car...he couldn't remember ever riding in one! And that was the trip we discovered that we like eating dinner in the room. We decided to drop all dinners(including Chef Mickey's), but kept all our lunch plans(Teppanyaki, Tony's, RC, and Hollywood and Vine). We decided to we would do counter service and pizza in the room for dinner(which we thought was a major concession at the time). We were really tired 1 night, and my son was having too good a time at the pool, so I purchased some spaghetti noodles and Ragu sauce in a jar, and 2 salads from the counter service place near the pool at OKW for dinner, and my kids were so glad they did not have to shower and dress for dinner(we ate in our pajamas!). The next night, as I was leaving the parks, I went to Olive Garden for a large salad and breadsticks($13) and a pizza from the Pizza Hut across the street($10) for dinner in the room again. On the last night, we splurged on 'Ohana for dinner(we had saved enough money by eating in the room twice), and a tradition was born. We now have Olive Garden salad with pizza in the room on 1 night each trip, and my kids look forward to that night because we have no plans to be anywhere but in the pool! What I'm trying to say in a long-winded way is what you have already said...this trip will be great! Have fun!

 

[Gillian]

Cars are such a pain, aren't they? Do you get to go shopping for a new van?? That's fun, isn't it?

 

[Kay1]

Mic, we really like eating dinner in as well. It's so much easier than going out. I bring paper plates, napkins, and plasticware and we eat take-out Chinese, Thai, and Italian food. Even when we're on our " real " vacation ( beach ) we like to stay in for dinner, and I never thought I feel this way until I tried it.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Thanks you guys!!!! You make me feel so much better. We too LIKE eating in the room sometimes. Pizza at least one night is a tradition for us too. Gillian, I DO get to go shopping, but I think we are going to have to look at a car instead of a van. DH insist that we buy new not used and this will be the first time ever we have had to make two car payments at once. My husbands co. gets some special deals with certain makes of cars so that will help. Now i will have a new car to drive on Vacation.


Jordan's mom