Disney Wonder Jan 23, 2011

[ryanmcin]

I know that there are quite a few DVC members in our group so maybe this will be of interest.

I came across some photos of the model rooms and the point chart for the DVC resort in Hawaii!

The points don't look too bad (less than VGC), but I can't say that the styling excites me too much.

http://i235.*************************************Aulani/Aulani1.jpg

http://i235.*************************************Aulani/Aulani2.jpg

http://i235.*************************************Aulani/Aulani5.jpg

http://i235.*************************************Aulani/ARS_FP2BR.jpg

http://i235.*************************************Aulani/ARS_FPGV.jpg

Point chart link:
http://advc.disney.go.com/media/dvc_v0302/languagespecific/eng/member/vacationplanning/pointscharts/2011/disneyvacationclub/2011PointsChart_DisneyVacationClub_AulaniVillas.pdf

 

[Boutit]

We would like to participate in the FE activity. We are Leland and Deborah and our two daughters Christiana (13) and Courtney (11). We need some help though. Since we are flying in from the east coast I would like to ship our gifts by mail. Anyone willing to accept delivery or know how we can get this done?

 

[airtime247]

Donna - I had forgotten about the cabin ratings on this site. That's great advice for people trying to decide on a cabin.

You mentioned expensive flights but unless you are taking a shuttle arranged by Disney, you might want to look into other area airports. We can usually fly into Burbank which is cheaper for us than LAX. I know some people fly into Ontario (California that is) or John Wayne Airport. Maybe even San Diego if it's cheap enough to offset the extra shuttle time and expense. Am I missing any closer airports you SoCal locals?

I hear you on the driving to a cheaper airport. We have a small puddle-jumper airport but it's so unbelievably expensive, we usually end up making the 5-6 hour drive to San Francisco. For LA, that's almost halfway there which is why we usually just drive.

We feel lucky to have you. If you can't already tell, we are quite chatty and are just begging for excuses to talk Disney so please, ask away! Besides, we are all newbies in some form. I've been on the Magic but never the Wonder. Other people have sailed with Disney but never the Mexican Riviera. (Unless you count the boat ride in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot. I sure hope they don't expect to see mariachi skeletons greeting us in Puerta Vallarta?!?)

Emily - Welcome to you too! This promotion sure has made our group grow. Be sure to drop Jessica a line if you would like to be added to our webpage http://sites.google.com/site/wonderjan23/home Her contact info is on there. Let us know if you have any suggestions for things to do in port or for some meet ideas.

Cari - I'm glad you got to experience WOC. I'm glad all you locals are going to figure out the tricks for finding the best spots so we can get a great one in September.

Jessica - Take it easy and get lots of rest. If that doesn't work, send Ryan to Costco to buy the biggest jug 'o NyQuil he can get.

Ryan - Thanks for posting those! We have been waiting forever for the points charts. I was worried it would be outrageous but it's not too bad. I don't know if I'd rather have a better view in a cheaper season or a parking lot view for our anniversary! I'll need to digest the pictures a little. It wasn't what I was expecting but it's not bad. I don't think of yellow when I think of Hawaii. I guess I was picturing the Polynesian for some reason.

Boutit - Are you Leland or Deborah? I don't think I caught that. I'm glad you are participating in the FE. You will have a great time and your daughters will love it. I can't answer your question exactly. We have shipped FE gifts to the cruise terminal in Florida but I don't know if Disney is setup to receive packages in San Pedro. If one of the locals can't help you out, you are welcome to ship it to us as we are driving and will have plenty of space in our minivan.

-steve

 

[Boutit]

Sorry that I did not state my name, but I am Leland. I will check with Disney and the hotel that I am staying at about accepting parcels. I will keep your offer in mind also Steve.

Leland

 

[denversees4me]

Ok quick ? For all you DVC peeps Im curious how renting points works and if renting them for cruises is any cheaper than paying for a cruise Im curious how much a 3 night would be point wise in Oct 2011 the 20th i think is what i have booked - although I will never buy into DVC I was thinking about renting points and want to know if its worth it for cruises
Thx all

 

[airtime247]

Sorry that I did not state my name, but I am Leland. I will check with Disney and the hotel that I am staying at about accepting parcels. I will keep your offer in mind also Steve.

Leland

I didn't even think about the hotel. I would expect them to be able to do this. We had some things shipped to a Disney hotel once and it wasn't a problem. They just asked that I address it to me c/o the hotel and put my check-in date at the bottom.

The offer still stands though if I can help in any way!

Cari - Renting DVC points is just where you and a DVC member agree on a points value and then they book it for you and you send them the money. There are boards on here dedicated to it. It is kind of a buyer beware though but people have had good luck with it as long as you rent from a reputable DISer.

From what I read, points typically go for about $10-11 per point. I just looked Oct 2010 cruises and a 3-night is 72 points per person (double occupancy) for Category 11, 95 points for Oceanview, and 117 for a Verandah. So double those points because you would need to book double-occupancy and then multiply by $10 or $11 and that gives you an idea of what it would cost and you see it's pretty steep. You would be looking at at least $1400 for two people for an inside cabin for a 3-night cruise. Our 7-night inside cabin didn't cost us much more than that paying out of pocket.

I would only rent points for a WDW stay as the point conversions for DCL or any non-DVC room are pretty high and only useful if you have a lot of points to burn.

I hope this helps!

-steve

 

[Kidlette]

Hello Everyone!!

We just booked the KSF promo for the Jan 23 MR cruise, and I am so excited I can't sit still!!

I have MANY pages to catch up on but I wanted to say hi and introduce ourselves:
Mark(DH 36)
Emily (ME!! 39)
Madison (14 at sailing)
McKenna (turns 10 on sailing)

We would love to join a FE group and my girls would like to meet friends.
We have sailed DCL before but each time feels like the 1st time and we love it!!

--Emily

Hi Emily,
I'm updating everyone's info right now and I'm stuck on something. I apologize in advance for not knowing - but I'd rather ask than be wrong. Is Madison a boy or girl? I see in your signature that Madison's icon is Eeyore, but I don't know if it's because Madison is a boy, or because Madison likes Eeyore. If you can please let me know, that would be great! Also, what is your cabin number (for the FE list)?? Also, feel free to send me a family picture for the site, or multiple pictures if you'd like!

 

[Kidlette]

Hi everyone

I've spent some time trying to update the info for our group. Will everyone please take a look at this page and let me know if any of your info is wrong and/or send me your missing info? If you'd rather not, it's not a problem. But - it's easier for me to ask everyone to look and PM me if something is missing rather than searching through dozens of discussion pages!

Here's the link. Please find your info and PM me with anything missing/wrong. http://sites.google.com/site/wonderjan23/home/characters-of-wonder

Also - for all of the "newcomers" - please feel free to send me a picture to post next to your name and/or for the FunPhotos page! My email is mrsjeccamcintosh@yahoo.com. If you'd rather not, it's not a problem, I just thought I would re-offer! We have about 6 or so families with photos - and then everyone else's is just blank. It's kind of sad looking

Thanks!

 

[JennyT2]

Wow, I can't believe how many people are on this cruise!
My name is Jenn and I am from South Western Ontario. We are ALMOST 100% sure we are going on this cruise - just trying to finalize plans. We are a family of 4 - dh Steve and Rachel (9) and Ethan (7) This will be our first DCL and our first cruise as a family
Going to try to get caught up on all these post hopefully I can find the time ... there is SO much info from you guys. WOW!!!

 

[Kidlette]

Wow, I can't believe how many people are on this cruise!
My name is Jenn and I am from South Western Ontario. We are ALMOST 100% sure we are going on this cruise - just trying to finalize plans. We are a family of 4 - dh Steve and Rachel (9) and Ethan (7) This will be our first DCL and our first cruise as a family
Going to try to get caught up on all these post hopefully I can find the time ... there is SO much info from you guys. WOW!!!

Welcome Jenny! Once you confirm that you're on this sailing I will add you to our list.

 

[COWGIRL1]

We just booked this cruise. We originally booked for April 10, 2011, but with the kids free special we were able to upgrade to a balcony room for 100.00! I am traveling with my husband, son (age 10) and daughter (age 6), my parents, and my 10 year old nephew.

This is our 3rd Disney cuise. We went on the eastern carribean as well as the land and sea to the Bahamas. We have also been on numerous Carnival and Royal Carribean cruises. We are just happy not to have to fly to Florida!!!

Does anyone know if there is a age limit on the horseback riding on the beach? My daughter rides horses competitivly. We live in the middle of California and the beach is a little to far to take a horse to. I think she would love it!

Can't wait to meet everyone..

Kim

 

[Kidlette]

Hi Emily,
I'm updating everyone's info right now and I'm stuck on something. I apologize in advance for not knowing - but I'd rather ask than be wrong. Is Madison a boy or girl? I see in your signature that Madison's icon is Eeyore, but I don't know if it's because Madison is a boy, or because Madison likes Eeyore. If you can please let me know, that would be great! Also, what is your cabin number (for the FE list)?? Also, feel free to send me a family picture for the site, or multiple pictures if you'd like!

Nevermind Emily! I just realized you said "my girls" . . . I've got it now! Sorry...I haven't been exactly "with it" since I haven't been feeling well. I will have you guys all updated in about 5 minutes!

 

[Kidlette]

We just booked this cruise. We originally booked for April 10, 2011, but with the kids free special we were able to upgrade to a balcony room for 100.00! I am traveling with my husband, son (age 10) and daughter (age 6), my parents, and my 10 year old nephew.

This is our 3rd Disney cuise. We went on the eastern carribean as well as the land and sea to the Bahamas. We have also been on numerous Carnival and Royal Carribean cruises. We are just happy not to have to fly to Florida!!!

Does anyone know if there is a age limit on the horseback riding on the beach? My daughter rides horses competitivly. We live in the middle of California and the beach is a little to far to take a horse to. I think she would love it!

Can't wait to meet everyone..

Kim

Do you know if you guys want to participate in Fish Extenders? Let me know! Also, feel free to send me the details on our "characters of wonder" page (http://sites.google.com/site/wonderjan23/home/characters-of-wonder).

Regarding horseback riding - many of the other cruise lines say the minimum age is 12s. One cruise line has 10 years old as the minimum on one horseback riding excursion - it will just depend on what Disney's excursion rules are. Unfortunately, we won't have that info until 120 days prior to sailing. I hope that helps though!

 

[ryanmcin]

Ok quick ? For all you DVC peeps Im curious how renting points works and if renting them for cruises is any cheaper than paying for a cruise Im curious how much a 3 night would be point wise in Oct 2011 the 20th i think is what i have booked - although I will never buy into DVC I was thinking about renting points and want to know if its worth it for cruises
Thx all

DVC points are only a good value if you are using them at a DVC resort. If you are a member who would not be able to otherwise use the points then using them for a cruise is better than not using them at all, but you aren't getting as much bang for your buck. Renting DVC points to use for a DCL booking is like paying a 15% premium (unless you rented the points really cheap). I think the cancellation penalties are also higher for points vs cash. If you do have to cancel then you are stuck with mutated DVC points that can't be used for DVC resorts.

In general DVC is a great deal if you are going to use the points at a DVC resort on a (very) regular basis. Using the points for other things (DCL, non-DVC resorts, timeshare transfers, adventures by Disney) on a regular basis is a waste.

 

[ryanmcin]

I just checked the Disney Cruiseline site and it shows no availability for our cruise. A few days ago there was some some cat 7 rooms open, but now there is nothing. Kids sail free really filled-up the ship.

 

[Kidlette]

We would like to participate in the FE activity. We are Leland and Deborah and our two daughters Christiana (13) and Courtney (11). We need some help though. Since we are flying in from the east coast I would like to ship our gifts by mail. Anyone willing to accept delivery or know how we can get this done?

If I didn't already say it - WELCOME! I have added you to the FE list (on page 2 of the thread) and to the website! Also, Ryan and I could accept delivery of the package if you need. We are in the area, so it wouldn't be a big deal. We are on the 2 night sailing before this one though, so you would need to get the package to us before that. As a side note, we have had the hotel accept a package for us before and it worked out great! That was a Disney hotel in FL, but I'm sure all hotels would be OK with it.

DonnaJessica - Take it easy and get lots of rest. If that doesn't work, send Ryan to Costco to buy the biggest jug 'o NyQuil he can get.

Ryan - Thanks for posting those! We have been waiting forever for the points charts. I was worried it would be outrageous but it's not too bad. I don't know if I'd rather have a better view in a cheaper season or a parking lot view for our anniversary! I'll need to digest the pictures a little. It wasn't what I was expecting but it's not bad. I don't think of yellow when I think of Hawaii. I guess I was picturing the Polynesian for some reason.

Thanks Steve! I have been downing jugs 'o NyQuil AND DayQuil - YUCK!

Also - for anyone who clicked on Ryan's point chart list for the Hawaii property and didn't find it, DVC removed it. He found it posted somewhere but it hasn't been officially posted, so they took it away For those who didn't get to see it, the only thing I remember is the lowest season oceanview. For one week it's only 178 points! Meaning, Hawaii is going to be "cheaper" point-wise than DGC! Well...let us not forget about $600 per person minimum airfare Also, I agree with Steve, I was picturing something more like the Polynesian. After all, that seems to be more "Hawaiian" themed than this new resort! But - it's still going to be a way to go to Hawaii and have a Disney experience at the same time for very little hotel money.

Ok quick ? For all you DVC peeps Im curious how renting points works and if renting them for cruises is any cheaper than paying for a cruise Im curious how much a 3 night would be point wise in Oct 2011 the 20th i think is what i have booked - although I will never buy into DVC I was thinking about renting points and want to know if its worth it for cruises
Thx all

Cari - Steve is spot on about points! When you figure the cost of points in cash, it's much more expensive to use them for anything that's not a DVC resort. Especially expensive through points are the cruises! The only reason we're doing it is because it's the only way for us to be able to have a vacation this year (since we have no money right now). Normally, we would NEVER use our points for a cruise - it's a WASTE!

 

[airtime247]

I just checked the Disney Cruiseline site and it shows no availability for our cruise. A few days ago there was some some cat 7 rooms open, but now there is nothing. Kids sail free really filled-up the ship.

I'm surprised they didn't try pitching it as free dining first. This promotion sure has helped our group grow quickly.

A lot of spots usually open up around the final payment deadline though.

I might know a person who might know a person who copied the Aulani points chart PDF file after you posted it. If anyone wants a copy, let me know. If I get kidnapped in the middle of the night by some mouse ear wearing bandits, you'll know why.

I hope you are feeling better Jessica. I caught a bug on our camping trip last weekend. I have been coughing like crazy since then. I feel fine but just can't stop that itchy cough. It's driving me crazy!

Kim - Welcome from another fellow Californian!

-steve

 

[SueTGGR]

OMG, I leave the board & you all fill up 3 pages!
Now that we have gotten home, I can catch up!
Jessica & Ryan - you 2 are great! Our lunch was so nice & maybe next time we can go on a ride Jessica wants to go on. We were so proud of you going on Space Mtn. . Now we just need to get Alec back onto Pirates.
Yanira - If you can remember where you saw us standing, I think it would be a perfect spot for WOC right there without the people in front of us. We were right at the edge of the circle that has the fountains during the day and at the top of the walkway. My next project is to go through all the pictures I took and post them. The people in front of us had their video cameras up most of the time above therre heads so I have a few that need to be cropped. But I got some amazing ones, if I do say so myself! We will be back in October so maybe, if anything we can meet up for lunch. ESPN zone is one of our fav's as Jessica & Ryan found out.

OK, HELLO to all the new cruisers!

Cathy-We will be in a studio the night before the cruise. We stayed on New Years Eve but it was just one night. If you want to see amazing space, try & get in to see the 3 bedroom one, we got a sneak peak in April & it is beautiful!!!

Karen-If I didn't mention it before, we were supposed to be on the WBTA but had to cancel. I am so jealous, you will have to give me a mini report when you return.

Mketting (sorry I didn't notice a name yet)-With your teenager, with our Disney cruise a few years ago or table mates was a single Dad, his Daughter (about 12-13) and his son (13-14?) and he had them wear a lanyard with walkie talkies. He would let them eat their dinner with him & off they would go. They met people through the kids and you never heard them complain. They were a great little family. he would tell them to check in at certain times and never seemed concerned. It looked like a number or people did similar things with their kids. I did the same think before with my 2 older boys when we would go skiing.

I am so excited about Hawaii, I think I would stay in a box and be happy. 178 points? That was it? I was so bummed out when the link didn't appear. Anyone else remember anything? <edit> STEVE!!!! send it to me! Please? SueTGGR@AOL.com and mark it Hawaii pdf so I don't dump it into Spam.

I have to say if anyone has DVC, you should try & go down to the Hotel Del Coronado (San Diego) We just spent 3 nights right ON the BEACH!!!!! I woke up @ 6AM (and I am NOT a morning person) and just sat outside our door and waited for Alec & Jeff to wake up. I can't remember what the points were but it wasn't bad at all. Sorry, I have a thing about the ocean. Alec had 2 full days to boogie board and he is in heaven. Jeff, even though the water was a little cold, loved being able to spend uninterrupted time with both of us.

WOC-what can I say that hasn't been said...we got a great spot, food at Ariel's was ok. Waiting was a little much but don't we all spend a lot of time standing waiting @ Disney? I will get a few pictures up and then a link to the rest. Yanira-it's ok to tear up during the show , it gave me chills at times. Then, at the end the old World of Color design was so great to remember. I don't know how many of you are old enough to remember watching it but it brought back so many memories. But then Disney is all about memories, isn't it?

OK, I guess I should have warned you about the length of this post.
I will talk to all of you tomorrow!
Sue

 

[ryanmcin]

I was reading an article on the D23 site and there was a brief item about the Mexican Riviera cruise confirming that the "Minnie's Fiesta Grande Deck Party" will be occurring again on the upcoming cruises.

"During their 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises, the Disney Wonder will once again feature Minnie's Fiesta Grande Deck Party — but "we've added to it for when we come back out," explains Cruise Director Rachel Quinn. "

Here is some video I found of the party on a previous cruise. It apparently happened after leaving the port in Mazatlan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShjKq0jkBgQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncI7sQeu9vU

I wonder if this is in addition to or in lieu of the Pirate Deck Party?

 

[airtime247]

Sue - Check your email!

We just got back from seeing Toy Story 3. We really liked it although it got a little scary for Emma. It was definitely the most emotional of the three!

The Aulani pictures are growing on me. We can't wait. I think we are pretty much decided on going for our anniversary in May 2012. Since we are skipping a trip to WDW in 2011, we will have 428 points to use for a trip in January 2012 for the Marathon and then for Hawaii in May. We will most likely stay in a studio at Jambo House to save points and put the rest toward Aulani.

We've only been to Hawaii once before and found it's the food prices that cost us the most. We loved having a condo and could cook most meals in the kitchen so we will most likely go with a 1BR and hit the grocery store. That time of year would be 259 points for the concrete view or 350 points with an ocean view for a week. I don't know if we would spend the points on a garden or pool view. We normally never spend more points or money on views except for sometimes on cruises but I think in Hawaii we may need to.

A week in a studio with the cheapest view in the Adventure Season would only be 126 points or 175 points for the ocean view. It's not as bad as I was expecting. With the weather there, I don't know if there really is a bad time of year to go.

Ryan - Thanks for posting that info and those links. I'll check them out tonight.

Off to a birthday party! Talk to you later.

-steve